I still remember, during my childhood time, when my parents would take me to her house. She knew I was coming, and has prepared all kind of food I can imagine at that time. I will run through the door, going straight to the kitchen, just to know what’s cooking…

Then all my cousin would come to gather at her place. We will run, and run, and run, from the kitchen, through the hallway, into her small living room. We didn’t run quietly, we make noise, a big child noise. And she seems to enjoy looking at her grandchildren having fun at her house.

As we, her grandchildren, grew mature, she grew older. As her grand-grandchildren made their first cry, she grew more and more tired, clearly beaten by time. And today, 21 September 2009, The Creator has finally made His call. He release her from her suffering. At 9 pm, she finally passed away.

There are no cry, there are no sadness. We know that we made her happy while she was with us, that no cry, no matter how hard it is, would replace it. We are happy that she will meet the Creator accompanied with our prayer for her.

We wish her a save journey through our prayer, and we thank her, for a great childhood memory that she left with us, her sons, daughters and grandchildren……

It is amazing to see the progress of the development of our house. Just end of August, when they have completed the foundation, on early September, 50% of the wall for the 1st floor has been raised.

And 2 weeks later, one day before my birthday, we passed by to see that the building has taking better shape. For the first time, we are able to point to it and say: that is a house, that is our house.

“It will be finished earlier”, the contractor said. This time I believe it will, while still crossing my finger.

My 31st birthday turns out to be a cheerful one.  Exactly at 00:00, 3 person wished me a Happy Birthday. To one of them I promised a Birthday Wish.

Next, after the morning shower, the bank called me for a good news about my mortgage: the special rate is being extended. Suddenly I still see myself surfing at Bali beach next year, yaiy.

The traffic is at ease as well int he morning, since people has started their long holiday from the office. Some of them is babysitting their kids, because the nanny left for the long holiday. Another is travelling to their hometown to celebrate the biggest annual celebration in the country: The Eidl Fitr.

My Facebook wall is filled with birthday wishes as well, so full that I can’t even see yesterday’s notification, and had to scroll 3 pages just to thank them for the wishes. The same thing happened in the office, when they all crowd my desk to wish me a birthday.

The day is getting dark, and my 31st birthday will pass in couple of hours. Before it is too late, its my time to fulfill my promise to post my brithday wish.

“I wish that I can celebrate my 32nd birthday at my new nice small place I called home, with someone I would call my wife.”

“This is my pre-wedding photo”, my friend handed over me a photo album. My friend adds as I browse through it: “It was taken at that place”. I smiled, while continue to browse through the album, but deep inside, I talked to myself: Is this the pre-wedding photo that I want to have myself, if I am about to get married?

Why should I pay to have a nice pre-wedding album, taken where almost 90% of married couple this year went for their pre-wedding photo? And even after that, what can I say to my friend is: “This is my pre-wed album, taken at <insert-the-place-where-every-couple-went-for-prewed>“, while handing over the photo albums with beautifully artificial pose.

Fortunately, She shared the same vision. Pre-wedding photo should describe the personality of the couples. The pre-wedding photo should shows things the couples do together during their relationship and places they visit, so that 20-30 years after the sacred vow, they can show it to their friends, telling about wonderful things they did at the magical places. It should contains the most natural expression, happy face, sad face, drunk face, so that both can laugh together when the memory came by.

It is priceless – no photographer can do that for you except yourself and your tripod. It is timeless – it goes way before the marriage itself. And that’s what we called the Pre-wedding photos.