Tuesday, August 31, 2004

MERDEKA !!!



For the record, I was born in Hospital Besar Kuala Lumpur some 24 years ago so that makes me a Malaysian. But at the age of 2 1/2, before I knew anything about passports and country and jurisdiction, my parents relocated to Singapore and I've been here ever since. My mom's a Malaysian and my dad's a Singaporean and I have relatives on both sides of the causeway. Judging from my history on paper alone, I should b more Singaporean than Malaysian. After all, I have lived here almost all my life, been educated through the stringent Singapore education system, socialised and mingled with Singaporean friends and family. Now that I have the Blue Singapore IC, you can say the only thing Malaysian about me is my Malaysian passport.

But my heart is MALAYSIAN and I'm goddamn proud of it.

I watch in awe and pride yesterday as we drove home from Desaru and we saw flags hanging everywhere. In shops, at the front gate of houses, along the roads and most obvious ones, on the bonnet of cars driving on the opposite side of the road. It was truly a marvelous sight.

I have always been very proud of my Malaysian roots. I am very close to the Malaysian side of the family and take every chance I get to go back to Malaysia either for holiday, shopping or to visit my family members. Alhamdulillah, The Don enoys being in Malaysia too and looks forward to going to Malaysia. In fact, he is planning to start a business in Malaysia and already has a company registered there.

Its funny how I feel so strongly about Malaysia and being a Malaysian considering the fact that I have never lived in Malaysia nor been through any experiences of being a Malaysian (Well, I havnt had a chance to vote !!!) I though it's just me but my best friend, Mahanom, who is in the same predicament (educated in S'pore born to Singaporean mother) feels just as strongly.

My Singapore family and even my collegues don't understand why I am so hype about being a Malaysian. They dun understand why Malaysians are so patriotic about their own country and question to whom are we showing our patriotism to.

Singaporeans don't quite understand the spirit of nationalism the way Malaysians do. They tend to equate the country with the ruling political party and refuse to display their flags in silent protest of the things they are not happy with the govt about. Hell, 60% of the population can't even sing their national anthem right. (Mali kita lakyat Sinjiapula...)

If not for fear of being deported and have my new house taken away from me, PR status revoked and bank accounts frozen, I'd hang the Malaysian flag at my home and let it fly high today. (Can't do it on the car coz the car's not under my name!!)

But I guess a Malaysian will always be a Malaysian, no matter which part of the world you are in.

SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA MALAYSIA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, August 27, 2004

Stress Free Weekend

Its gonna be one exciting, exhilarating weekend for us. After much planning and coordination between The Don and my cousin's hubby, Abg Wan, we managed to book a family villa at one of the golf resorts in Desaru. I havn't personally seen it but it seems its a double storey bungalow with 5 bedrooms. So we have asked the whole family along, my sister and bro-in-law, Umi of course, and my future parent's in law too. My cousin and her family will be driving down from Rawang tonight and early tomorrow morning, off we will go. There'll be BBQ, lotsa swimming, jetski(hopefully) and of course lots n lots of pics. Watch out for them, won't you ?

What's Your Stress Style?


Overreacter


You're an Overreacter. Putting you in the ranks of professional worriers everywhere, your stress style makes for a very dramatic life. You tend to imagine worst-case scenarios whenever possible — in some way, picturing the most severe outcome even feels comforting. But while stressing out before problems occur gives you a sense of control, it can also be exhausting (not to mention time-consuming).

Reacting sharply to stress may also make you prone to angry (even violent) outbursts. Reining in your knee-jerk reactions could help you get this tendency under control and make you a less unpredictable person to be around in times of trouble. So, chill out a little ... we promise the sky won't fall if you stop holding it up!


CLICK HERE TO DO THE TEST


Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Once you have the best, you don't need to look at the rest

As we were driving to work this morning, there was a very interesting discussion on Class 95's Morning Show. FD said ever since he became a married man, he found no reason to look/ogle/appreciate/ other women passing by, no matter how sexy or good-looking they are. He reasons "When you have the BEST, why bother looking at the rest?" Rod seemed flabbergasted at the idea, notwithstanding the fact that he is married. He thinks "A man's a man's a man" and they just can't help it, married or not.

I think thats great food for thought. How are you supposed to react after marriage when faced with a heart-throbbing member of the opposite sex? How will your partner react? Are you supposed to shield your eyes from all eye candy?

Preferably, I'd want my future husband to share FD's policy. It'd be a great compliment indeed if he feels that he already has the best and has no need to look at another woman. But when I think of my own reaction to seeing a good-looking man, I realise expecting so from him is double standards. No I do not flirt, or gawk or flutter my eye-lids like some of you would already be imagining by now, but I'd sure take a second look. After all, I go GOO=GOO-GA-GA when I see Tom Cruise or Aamir Khan and that's just on screen. I can't imagine how I'd react to seeing them in person.

Perhaps its inherent in us naturally to give a second glance at something (or someone) that catches our eyes. But I reckon there is a big bold line (in red, no less) between merely looking at a cute member of the opposite sex and ogling, or fantasizing or worse, making cat-calls or chatting them up. And if your partner is there next to you, if you can't catch a glance through the corner of your eyes (without him noticing), then you'd better just forget about looking and walk on.

I guess with being married comes responsibility. A responsibility to not hurt your partner's feelings and to maintain his or her good name. (with or without your spouse next to you) Being married also means that you should conduct yourself in a way that befits a married person. You should accept the one you marry as the one for you and not cast a roving eye onto other better looking specimens.

And I suppose thats where I draw the line. I feel its unreasonable to demand and insist that he NEVER EVER looks at another woman ever again. Just as I would feel it is unreasonable for him to expect the same of me. One thing we do now is that I am the one who usually points out a pretty girl by saying things like "Lawanye that girl!!". Apart from genuinely thinking that the person is indeed good looking, I guess its like a pre-emptive thing I do to make him less guilty for looking and to turn it into something harmless. The way I see it, I'd rather turn it into a positive thing than bicker and argue our way if I ever catch him looking at someone. I don't think I'll ever have a problem with this though, The Don doesn't have a roving eye. (Or so it seems!!! hhmmm!!!)

But so far, I have not dared point out a good-looking man. Maybe I should try and see what he'd say to that, hehehe.

I wonder if married guys consciously abstain from looking at a sexy woman passing by or if they look anyway with the thought that "looking is harmless" Do they even think of their significant other when their eyes go wander? Do they even remember they are married ?? I tried engaging The Don on this issue early this morning but he resisted and chose to stay politically correct and stay on "safe" ground. It'd be mighty interesting to dive into the workings of the mind of a married man when find themselves in such a situation? Any confessions???

Monday, August 23, 2004

The Right One

Ever since The Don and I announced our plans to get married, we have had to answer basically the same questions (albeit from different people) time and time again. (I suspect I am the one asked more often coz men dun usually ask their friends such things) Among the questions most oft asked are
"How do you know he's the one?"
"How do you know you are ready to settle down?"
"Don't you wonder if there are other men out there who's more suitable?" (I suppoz this question is asked bcoz we're each other's first relationship)


And you'll be surprised by the people who asks me. Relatives and friends are tolerable (I guess) but I've had these questions posed to me by people I didn't know from Adam. (Or Eve, in most cases!)Just because these people have a ring on their finger before me they think that makes them qualified enough to offer me advice. And if I were to compile the advice I've been getting, I bet it'd be like a chapter of "World's Funniest Jokes" - Everything from the best method of contraception to how to make your husband stay faithful to How to make your mother-in-law love you etc etc...But I digress.

So how do you know when you have found the "Right" one? My guess is as good as yours. There is no fool-proof way to know for sure. There is no litmus test to place on his forehead to see if he is "The One". But then again, there might be no such thing as "The Right One." Perhaps "Mr Right" is just some figment of some Hollywood scriptwriter's fantasies. Something concocted to boost box-office ratings. Something along the lines of "Prince Charming" or "Fairy God-Mother". Perhaps the basis for finding a life partner should be more mathematical. How many similiarities you have? How many traits do you share? etc etc. But neither is that a foolproof way. Sometimes it is these sheer differences that makes the relationship all the more interesting. Otherwise, the term "opposites attract" wouldn't exist.

At the end of the day, perhaps the only plausible way of discerning is your GUT feeling. How you feel when the person is around, does the person's value systems match your own, do you feel secure with him and if you can see him in your future etc etc. To put it in a simplistic way, when you get butterflies in your stomach when you see him even after many many years together and seeing each other everyday.

Then there is the story of age. Whenever I tell someone I will be getting married at the end of the year, one of the most common questions that follow is how old I am. When I say I am 24, they will go "Aaah.. that's the right age to get married." How in the world did these people settle on 24 as "the right age". Is there such a thing in the first place? So does that mean marriages that happen at other ages are not right?

No wonder girls of today starts to feel pressurised when they hit 25 and are still single and available. I hear your thoughts - "Easy for me to say after all I am getting married by the end of this year" - Perhaps, you have a point. But seriously I have no qualms about age. In fact, if you must know, both The Don and I feel that we are a bit too young to be married. Our initial plan was to tie the knot two years down the road. But certain things are just that way. They don't exactly turn out the way you plan, no matter how you twist and turn it so. Nevertheless, we take it as a blessing and choose to see it as destined. We believe that whatever happens is at God's will and that HE knows best.

Perhaps all those out there fretting about not being married should take the same view too. After all, marriage is not something you can devise and plan. And whether you get married at 16 or 60, its the happiness that is most integral. And about that much elusive "Mr RIGHT" .. have faith that he will come along when the time is right.


WHO'S YOUR MR RIGHT ????

- Do this quiz to find out...

BABY BOOM???

I was quite surprised by last night's National Day Rally. Though the 5-day week has been rumoured since last week, its the attitude presented by Singapore's new PM that surprised me most. PM Lee seems earnest about changing the whole aptitude towards family life, not merely increasing the population. The 5-day week, longer maternity leave, reimbursement of medical expenses, the reduction in maid levy, more baby bonus, more teachers in schools, the reduced syllabus in schools etc etc...I'd say it's a damn good package. Especially for a first time NDP Rally by the new PM.

And personally, I'd say Hurrah!! because these changes would especially be relevant to The Don and me, especially in the next few years. (Assuming which we do not decide to migrate and have our kids elsewhere) I especially like it when PM Lee mentioned the burdening school load of kids nowadays. I'm glad the Powers That Be in this "red dot" island realise that the schools in Singapore now bears more resemblance to a pressure-cooker than a centre for education. I do not have first hand info on this (by virtue of me having left formal school eons ago and not having contact since) but experience and observations on my nieces and nephews is enough to make me go down on my knees and thank God I was not born in the 90's. They are virtually bogged down with schoolwork everyday. Coupled with co-curiculum activities and madrasahs and Quran-reciting class, they usually finish homework at 10++pm just in time to sleep and wake up the next day for another cycle. I remember with fondness how I used to finish all homework AND revision latest by 8pm and then it was TV time right up till bedtime!!!!! Those were the good ol' days...








Friday, August 20, 2004

As Different As Night & Day

My sis brought back a stack of boxes for me last night. No she is not kicking me outta the house. (not yet, anyway, hehe) I asked her to bring the boxes back from the hospital for me to pack my books. I have a whole lot of books and magazines to bring over to our new place. I am getting a headache just thinking where to put them in my new house, especially with the reno not done yet. Looks like they will have to stay in the boxes until The Don and I find a suitable bookcase to put in our study.


You know that question, "if you were stranded on an island, what or who would you want with you?" My answer would be a whole lot of books !!! I'd die without books. I started reading all on my own at the tender age of 3. I still can remember my very first book. A Read-It-Yourself Ladybird book "The Enormous Turnip". I think then, I must have had the entire collection of Ladybird books. I read almost everything and anything from heavy duty religious books to self-help books and even comics. (exception being horror stories, I dun find them the least interesting). And I read voraciously. Imagine completing Vikram Seth's 1504 pages of "A Suitable Boy" within a week. And no, I did not skip pages !!!! It probably comes from the blood. My parents are both avid readers, My late dad especially, being a journalist and all.

Which is why I never imagined myself marrying someone who considers reading a major chore. The Don does not enjoy reading, for some reason. (He can't do without his daily newspapers though, but thats about all he ever reads) He feels its too dormant an activity and takes up time for which he can do so much more. I used to feel quite disturbed by this. I felt that one can not be considered an 'intellectual' if one does not like reading (this was back when one of my criteria for a future hubby was that he must b an intellectual!) I wondered how in the world would I be able to communicate with him if he has no inkling as to what is happening in the rest of the world. And of course, I felt that since he does not read, he will not be able to share my love for literature and the world of words. Surprisingly, when it came down to it, it hardly mattered.

Sure, the line "TO BE OR NOT TO BE..." draws a blank look from him but ask him about the situation in Iraq and he'd be able to tell you the latest happenings complete wirh his analysis of what will happen in 2 years time. And about the "intellectual" bit, I've since realised he is what you would categorise as "street-smart" and thats a whole lot more useful for day to day living than E=MC2.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that 2 people can be poles apart but when you're meant to be together, somehow you will find the middle point and carve a path for your journey together. And when you look back, you will realise that the sights along the path you're on is way better than the road more oft taken.

Quizzed Out


You have an intellectual personality



You are highly analytical. You gather information before taking decisions, which must be the right one. Otherwise, you will be very disappointed by your performance. You are always calm and in control of your means. Your clothes are conservative and your home is sparkling clean. And, it goes without saying that you are punctual and attentive. In short...you are a born leader.



Alisa brought my attention to this quiz she did with very skewed results. She got the above result which she said was more a description of me than her. So I did the quiz myself and lo and behold, my results sounded more like a description of her than me. Hahahah. In any case its a silly quiz with very vague questions. But for the heck of it....here's the link for those who wanna try it anyway.

Do this quiz and see if they can get you right.

Thursday, August 19, 2004

Let grace and goodness be the principal loadstone of thy affections. For love which hath ends, will have an end; whereas that which is founded on true virtue, will always continue.
John Dryden (1631 - 1700)


I think I'm finally getting it. It wasn't so much a conscious effort (altho I did resolve to do this months and months ago) It kinda just happened, somehow. I didn't even know it was happening till it was over then I looked back and said "Wow, did I just do it?? Yeah, I did it !!!" What's it, you ask? I did not NAG.

The Don was summoned to Court yesterday for speeding. He was caught speeding 40Km over the speed limit. They just sent him a notice to attend court. And you know how much he was fined??? A whole 800 buckaroos!!!!!!

Under normal circumstances, notwithstanding his predicament, I'd go on and on about how he is wasting money, paying the goverment over sumthing he could have prevented and how we are in such a great need for money now for the wedding and the house and WHY THE HELL WAS HE SPEEDING ???

But somehow, all words ceased to gush from my mouth yesterday. Sure I was upset and I was more than horrified at the amount. Imagine what we could have done with that money. (add another half carat more to my wedding ring, perhaps) But more than being upset, it was a feeling of emphathy that engulfed me. I felt like we were both in it together. You know, that "whatever you feel, I feel" cliche. I always thought that was a load of crap but I actually felt that way.

There were no sarcastic barbs, or any "I told you so" from me. No glaring of the eye or a pinch either. Frankly, I had no idea I was capable of being so supportive. And The Don clearly appreciated it. I search myself for answers as to why my reaction was so different. Initially I thought the excitement of the impending marriage has somewhat blunt my sharp tongue and made me incapable of being mean to him but no. I think this is part of the changes I have manage to make in my effort to improve myself before I enter the arch of marriage. I know its still a long way and I have many other changes to make but I'm feeling extremely encouraged by what happened. And the best part of it all, is when he looks at me and say "LIFE IS SO WONDERFUL WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO LOVE YOU AND LOVE THAT SOMEONE"

All together now......"AAAWWWWWWWWWW" ..............

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

ABCD.....XZQT....

XZQT is having a warehouse sale. Prices are said to be slashed up to 70% and I just HAD to take a look. So after work yesterday we dropped by for a while. Their warehouse is somewhere in Clementi but driving there felt like going to the end of the world. For me at least.

Of all the things there I like the clocks best!!! Nice ?


They had a huge collection of beds too.(too bad we already bought ours the day before) The stuff they had there were worth drooling over. And true to the adverts prices were slashed down by some 30-60%. (altho their prices were still a bit steep) In the end, despite it being a SALE, we walked out with only a small tiny paper bag.

There's another John Little Warehouse sale at Singapore Expo starting today. Hmmm... let's see what I can get from there to add to my new home.

Monday, August 16, 2004

Shop Shop Shop Weekend

It was definitely one of the bestest weekends we've had so far. We managed to do a whole lot of things and spend a whole lot of money too. hehehe

It was a stay-in Saturday afternoon just chilling out at our new place. Ever since we got the house, it seems all we wanna do on weekends is laze around at our new crib watching whatever's on cable. The house gets dusty very easily since its along the main road so everytime we go over we have to clean up the place first. Luckily The DON is quite helpful. (ok, actually very helpful (just in case he's reading this, hehehe))

In the late afternoon, we brought Muhd Idris to West Coast Park. The previous 3 times we went there it was at night so we never appreciated the things they have done to the place. There's this huge adventure playground filled with sand with spiderwebs and that tarzan thingy where u sit on a wooden plank and hold on the rope that gets you over to the other side. Idris look so excited when he saw the playground but looked stricken when he realised its sand under his feet. Even though he was in shoes, he started tip-toeing all the way.


After our 2nd fitting at the Mak Andam's place on Sun, I managed to coax The Don to go to the Furniture Mall at HarbourFront with me. We just intended to have a look-see but when we entered the Sealy showroom, sat on one of the beds and literally couldn't move our butts off the bed. It was sooooo comfy!!! They are having a promo on their new PosturePedic range (free bed frame) and are also giving away free mattress protector and 2 Sealy pillows. Umi also found one bed she liked and before I knew it, The Don was already giving delivery instructions for both beds.



There's a starhub promo going on as well. Maxonline 1500Kbps broadband connection sign up gets us a Limited Edition Crystal XBox. Since we will need to sign up anyway, we decided to do it over the weekend to get the Xbox. I had earlier promised The Don to get it for him for his birthday this year but since its free I guess there's his bday present then. Hehehe (I hope he wun ask me for a replacement bday gift!)


The connection will be up within 24 hrs but we can only collect the xbox set next week. Meanwhile anybody can recommend any games on xbox??? I wonder if there is a Sims games on Xbox...


Sunday, August 15, 2004






hhmmm... Can I retake the test again?



You Are A Total Shopaholic!


You have a keen eye for spotting trends before they are hot

And sometimes your credit rating takes a beating as a result

Consider a job in retail to subsidize your gorgeous outfits

Over time, you could become a famous stylist or designer!






Are You a Shopaholic? Take This Quiz :-)




Find the Love of Your Life
(and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.












WHAT'S A BRIDEZILLA???


You Will Be a Traditional Bride!


You're the type of girl who is feminine, old fashioned, and totally traditional.

You've been dreaming of your wedding day since you were young

And you can't wait to be a princess in your big white gown.

It's likely that you'll have a big family wedding and take your husband's name

While a huge affair will be fun, just don't go all Bridezilla about the color of your napkins!







What Kind of Bride Will You Be? Take This Quiz :-)




Find the Love of Your Life
(and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.





DARLING, ARE YOU READING THIS ???


You Should Honeymoon in Europe!


You are a traditional romantic at heart...

With a taste for fine wine, muesums and beautiful walks.

You and your sweetie should get romantic in a cafe in Paris

Or get a Eurail pass - and see as many cities as possible!



Suggested destinations: Paris, Venice, London, Greece





Where Should You Go On Your Honeymoon? Take This Quiz :-)




Find the Love of Your Life
(and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.









OOOPS HE'S A SCORPIO!!!!


You Should Be With an Earth Sign!


Your best match is a Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn



Why? You like your guys to pamper, wine, and dine you

Not that you're a gold digger, you just like the finer things

An Earth Sign will go all out to woo you - and enjoy doing it

And you'll never find a more trustworthy or loyal match!




What Sign Should You Date? Take This Quiz :-)




Find the Love of Your Life
(and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.




Friday, August 13, 2004

Croak Croak

It's official. I have lost my voice. I am now reduced to a croaking frog and I can't talk without hurting my throat. It feels like there's sandpaper down my throat and everytime I stretch my vocal chords, the sandpaper comes in contact and starts to grind my throat. And my nose, unlike its usual leaking tap status, now resembles a choked pipe. If I dun blow my nose, I can hardly breathe but when I do blow my nose my head starts to hurt. Everytime I have to blow my nose, I think of a circus elephant blowing a trumpet. (dun ask me how I get the imagery, must be my overactive imagination)

I took a day off work yesterday since my head kept on spinning and I could hardly open my eyes but by noon, I was almost as good as usual. I even accepted The Don's invitation for lunch. We dropped by Bukit Timah Shopping Centre to collect the blue print for a project The Don is handling at the moment then proceeded to Hara Tim Sum opposite the road for some takeaway Tim Sum.

That's Siew Mai (prawns) My fav!!

Thats The Don's Fav - BBQ Chicken

Looks good aye? With all these and also some fried noodles and yong tau foo for me, we went back to our new place to chill out for a while.

The Don insisted I took another day off today but I decided not to. Too many MCs as it is already. Dun wanna abuse my privilege as the Boss' sister. But now in the office all the symptoms has come on again. HELP!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

I Don't Know Why I Am Doing This !

THINGS I'M CURRENTLY USING/READING/CONSUMING
Shampoo: Elseve Loreal Nutri-Ceramide shampoo
Bags: I change bags like every 3 days. carrying my tiny dress bag today. (Going out bag!!)
Tshirt: In the office now so no t-shirts here. But mine are mainly those long sleeved ones.
Shoes: Right now wearing sandals in the office but I wore my Vincci sling back to work this morning.
Socks: Only when I go bowling. The shoez there stinks!!!
Toothpaste: Colgate
Computer: I have 2 pcs in the office. The one I'm currenty tapping on is a HP Vectra Intel MMX P3 256Mb RAM. The other's so damn slow its not worth quoting the specs!!!
Wallet: My black shiny patent Bonia long wallet bought during my trip to the land of duty-free, Langkawi. In dire need of new one but must wait for the hantaran gift.
Pencil Case: This furry furry blue and white pencil case with a bear on top I bought at Cards & Such during my JC days.
Pens: Anything I can pilfer from my office stationery drawer Hahaha. esp Pilot V5 in blue
Watch: My last year birthday present from the DON - my sapphire crystal Tango Raymond Weil.
Magazines: Home & Decor, Homestyle, Persona Pengantin, Woman's Weekly, Cleo, Her World
Chocolate: Hershey's Kisses (Almond or Cookies & Cream), Cadbury Almond Bar & of course Godiva's (have u ever tasted one? Its super delicious!!)
Chips: Does Nacho's count? oh n Twistees too!!

[In the Morning I AM]
sleepy, groggy, irritable

[All I Need Is]
My Don & My Umi

[I Am Afraid Of]
stairs with gaps in between them, dark eerie places & losing people close to me.

[I Dream About]
a time when I can be a Datin, no need to work, just some freelance writing for the newspapers or some magaznes to keep me occupied, and of course lots and lots of moolas to shop every day!!!!!!!

[current Mood]
Unproductive!!

[Current Clothes]
A dark red blouse with flare sleeves and dark grey pants with matching tudung.

[Current Music]
Does music in my head counts? humming Michael Buble's 'SWAY'

[Current Book]
"7 Effective Habits of The Effective Family" - Stephen Covey

[CD's Currently In Player]
Petua Menuju Ke Gerbang Perkahwinan - Ustadz Dr Fadhillah Kamsah

LAST PERSON...
[you hugged]
Idris as I left this morning
[you kissed]
Umi as I left this morning
[you talked to]
The Don asking me to check out sumthing on the web for him

YOUR FAVORITE
[drinks]
iced lemon tea
[album]
MICHAEL BUBLE!!!!!!!, George Michael, Toni Braxton, Boyz II Men, Celine Dion, Shania Twain
[shoes]
Nine West, Vincci
[animal]
Garfield (??)
[tv show]
CSI, Friends, Gilmore Girls (none of which I managed to catch these last few weeks!!)
[fruit]
mangosteens!!!!

ARE YOU....
Understanding: Hmm.. I should think so although I can be a lot better, I think!
Insecure: Aren't we all?
Friendly: I guess when people first meet me, the first impression is that I am a snob but to those who knows me, I am friendly and can talk endlessly.
Smart: My IQ's above-average....
Moody: the word temperamental has been used to describe me before...
Childish: Usually when I'm with my elder cousins, uncles & aunt. I believe a more apt term is "Manja" :)
Independent: I used to be till The Don came along and spoilt me silly.
Hardworking: What? Whats that word again???
Healthy: No terminal illness but the flu bugs seem to always bite me
Emotionally Stable: There has been moments...
Difficult: Let's just say difficult is an understatement, hehehe
Bored Easily: I'm a Gemini, Whaddya expect??
Responsible: For the most part, yes.
Trusting: Not so easily.
Patient: This word never existed in my vocab before but since I'm on the brinks of marriage I'm slowly learning to be.

WHO DO YOU WANT...
To Kill: I haven't reached that level of violence..YET!!
Actually see naked: Mmmmm.......

WHICH IS BETTER..
Coke or Pepsi: Honestly I can't tell the diff but I kinda like Pepsi Twist.
Pink or Blue: Blue, Blue, Blue!!!

10 IMPORTANT THINGS IN MY BAG
1. My big, fat black but lack-of-cash Bonia wallet
2. My black Bonia key pouch containing my *NEW* house keys, my present house keys, The Don's spare car key & my office key.
3. My trusty but sumtimes forget-to-charge Samsung V200
4. My Toshiba Pocket PC
5. At least 2 packets of tissue (for my never-ending flu)
6. My Loreal Compact powder
7. My Estee Lauder Pure Color Long Lasting Lipstick in Autumn shade
8. My Estee Lauder "More Than Mascara" in Rich Black
9. My Avon eyeliner
10. My Passport (We're last minute planners!!)

What A Magnificient View


The view from atop the Mount Faber hill in the day.

The view from atop the hill at night.

Yesterday after work, after a short tete-a-tete with Alisa, The Don and I brought Umi my grandaunt and the 'lil cheeky boy, Idris to Mount Faber. My grandaunt ever came to Singapore in the 70's with her late husband and the thing she remembers most about her visit here is her ascent up the hill with her late husband. I've never seen my granduncle but judging from her stories I guess he must be quite a romantic person. Anyway the view was as wonderful as always.

I love everything about going up to Mount Faber. I like driving up the steep slope on the way up, the cool fresh breeze at the top, the cafe at the top aptly called "The Hill" and of course the breath-taking view of Singapore town on the one side and the cool lights off the ships on the sea on the other side. The Don and I come up quite often, although mostly with relatives to show them the view. Once we even "beguiled" ourselves and went to see a show house of a Semi-D unit at the foot of the hill. Ha! Wishful Thinking!!!!!

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

My Best Friend's Hitched!!

The extended weekend was over too soon. It hardly felt like it was the weekend much less an extended one despite Monday being a public holiday. There was just sooo much to do, so many places to go and so many people to meet.

Friday was a mad rush to Geylang to send my lace fabric for tailoring. After a frantic search, we finally found a tailor who specialises in lace material. She has been in the business for 20++ years and sews mainly for bridal boutiques. Umi, being an experienced tailor herself, inspected one by one of the clothes already sewn and finally gave an approving smile. (considering how we had gone to 5-6 shops and she came out with a disapproving shake of the head)

Saturday was another mad rush. The day started at 5am when my cousins arrived from KL. They had a wedding to attend in JB so they stayed over at my sister's place for the weekend. We wanted them to sleep over at our new place but my brother-in-law forbade us to steal his guests so we made do with just a visit. A family friend of The Don's family had a wedding reception on Saturday so we fetched his mom and dad and off we zoomed to Tampines. My FIL was visibly thrilled with the arrangements so The Don and I made a mental note to organise more of such arrangements in future family weddings. I remember my father used to feel so proud when my eldest bro came to fetch him and my mom to go to family functions. I guess he feels the same way.

Sunday was spent visiting my aunt in SGH. She's in for bypass surgery this wed so we paid her a visit to motivate her and ally her fears. She had no idea whatsoever wht the operation will be like and thought she would be concious throughout. After repeated assurance from her family members she finally decided to tawakkal and go though with it. The Don drove home at breakneck speed to get ready for the wedding of one of my closest and best friends, Jenny at Novotel Apollo. We have been friends since Secondary One and used to go to school together every day. Through the years though we very seldom meet up, we always kept in touch via phone n SMS. What a nice coincidence that we both got our own houses and are holding our weddings in the same year. In our mad rush we totally forgot the camera. What a waste!

The wedding was lovely and the food was fantastic. (courtesy of Kintamani Restaurant) Jenny looked breathtakingly beautiful in her off-the-shoulders white wedding gown and her husband (my first time seeing him) was mouth-wateringly handsome. (mouth-watering to u single gals out there, NOT ME!!! hehehe) They had their solemnization ceremony there too and the minister who married them off kinda spoiled the whole thing with his half-baked English and his style of deliverance of the wedding vows akin to the Chinese-7th-month-festival-auctioneer. Otherwise it was a splendid wedding. I managed to steal away the bride and groom from their reception for a quick pic with Umi, The Don and I. I'll post the pics up as soon as I get them from Jenny. JENNY & RUTHERN, if u r reading this (unlikely, I think, but you'll never know) ALL THE VERY BEST TO YOU BOTH IN YOUR MARRIAGE AND MAY THIS UNION OF SOULS BRING YOU HAPPINESS FOR ETERNITY. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WEDDING !!


I was in half minds about inviting my sec schoool friends to my wedding considering how big my family already is but having been to Jenny's wedding and meeting a lot of my old school mates, I think I just will. It's great sharing a wonderful day like your own wedding with the people who knew you back when you were a pimply teenager and besides, its a great way for all of them to meet each other again.

Monday was the most eventful day of all. We started the day with a long overdue visit to our Mak Andam for our first fitting and choosing of clothes. She is making for us all new clothes for our wedding so the new clothes had just arrived last month. I had in mind the colours and styles of clothes I wanted to wear on that day but as expected, Kak Aidah brought out her whole collection and got my eyes all seeing stars. (the labuci's (sequins) can be hypnotizing if you keep on staring at them!!!) We both tried out the clothes and voila! it was a magical feeling!!!! It was like in a fairy tale and we were in a fancy dress show. My Don look exceptionally dashing in our silver outfit. As a result we increased the number of bajus we're supposed to take by one but somehow the price increased by a whopping $500/-. Talk about imbalance!!!! (we had to pay an additional sum for the new clothes) But I detected nary a displeasure on The Don's face. Surprisingly!!! In fact he even whipped out his card quite willingly to pay an additional deposit for the clothes and the mak andam services for the two days of our wedding. Hahaha must be the magical effect of the clothes !!!

As planned, we blocked out the whole day after the fitting session for our "couple time". Instead of watching a movie at the theater as previously planned, (parking will be a nightmare on holidays such as these) we spent the whole day, or rather what was left of the day, at our new home, watching our very own Movie Marathon.

We simple love black shows!!!

Followed by a rolling-on-the-floor laughing session watching Singapore Idol.

The rolling on the floor part facilitated by the lack of furniture in the house. Especially laughable was one guy from Shanghai who sang in a typically opera voice. (apparantly he was classically trained) Despite being told he was not suitable for the audition, he kept repeating "You will regret it. I will be the top ten in the world!" and literally begged for a 2nd chance. He was given a 2nd chance and again told he was not suitable but he persisted. So much so the security had to called in to escort him out. Another one came in with a striptease act and as he sang, took off item by item of his clothing and ended with only his briefs on. The judges must have almost died controlling their laughter. Another one literally took the lyrics of his song to heart. He whispered the song "Careless Whispers" and refused to stop even after the judges told him to stop. Again, like most aspiring yet tone-deaf participants, they insist that the judges are making a huge mistake and persisted to sing to further disprove his point. What a nightmare!! My sympathies go out to the judges. But I disagreed strongly with one unanimous decision of the judges to disallow an Indian lady to proceed to the 2nd round purely on the basis of her answer to one of their comments. Her name escapes me right now so does the song she sang but she wore a black dress (that look tattered) and wore black-rimmed glasses. Dick Lee (or was it Florence Lian ??) suggested she go for a total makeover to up her appearance and while she said she will do so, she said "But not too much because I like myself the way I am." Based on this response, they kicked her out. That was quite unfair I felt. She has a right to disagree with the comments, there is no obligation whatsoever to take the judge's comments as the holy grain. And to top it off, its not as if she blankly said no to a makeover. Perhaps the judges have placed themselves too high on a pedestal that they think whatever they say has to be followed though. They must have the "Crowell" syndrome.

Ok this has definitely been the single longest blog entry I have ever made. It has taken me a whole day and thus also meant a whole day of non-work. Hahahha talk about productivity !!!!!

Friday, August 06, 2004

I Shall Always Remember.....

Ok Enough of stories about the house and the upcoming wedding for the time being. The stress is really getting to me and I have been very short-fused these past few days. I think the stress must be getting to The Don too. We seem to nitpick on each other of late. It sure ain't easy trying to prepare for our wedding while at the same time trying to prepare our house. Even though we have made ample preparations and thought we had had all areas covered, there are so many nitty gritty things that never crossed our minds but are yet very important. We both knew it was getting too much when we could hardly start the day without getting on each other's nerves. So we decided to forget all about the wedding or the house and just enjoy each other's company. We have quite a number of VCD's still unwatched so we're gonna take a time-out from the wedding preparations and just enjoy some couple time.

I just heard over the radio this morning on the way to work that this National Day will be the last event to be held at the national stadium. Then they will tear it down and build a new & supposedly bigger one. For a moment I remembered the times I was at the stadium. No, not for football matches but the times I was in the school band and we performed at the National Stadium. Every two years, our band will enter the Display Band Competition. And though every year its the same bands that join, each band will come up with new formations and songs and each band will compete aggressively for the much-coveted Gold medal and the $10,000.00 Best Band award.

It's a such a great feeling performing at the National Stadium. Its an electric feeling looking up to the stands seeing so many people. And we would always look out for our supporters in the stands, friends and ex-members of the band who come prepared with drums, banners, flags and cheerleaders screaming out cheer after cheer in our support.

Bye Bye National Stadium

One of our practice seasons.

The actual Band Comp Year 1996. Look at the crowd!

Many memoried were etched at the National Stadium for me. I have shed many tears too there for the years we did not manage to win the Best Band award. We used to spend endless days practising after practising at the National Stadium. And when the actual day came, our hearts will beat so hard, we could hardly hear our bass drummers. In fact, everytime we drive past the National Stadium, memories of the band competition will fill my heart. The National Stadium will forever be to me, a special place close to my heart.

It's hard growing up and seeing things which mean something to you slowly being replaced by other buildings. One other place that has been replaced is the Mcdonalds at Choa Chu Kang Interchange. There used to be a Mcdonalds outlet just outside the interchange (now its a 24-hours foodcourt) which BPGHS students used to frequent after school. This was also the place The Don and I had our first date. (yup after school go dating hehehe) As we grow older there'll be many other buildings that hold memories for me being demolished and replaced. I guess it's just a part of development and a part of life. After all you don't exactly need the physical building to be reminded of your past experiences. Once it has been inscribed in your memory and heart, I guess it will always be there.

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Of Durians And Mangosteens

Last night, we brought my grandaunt around Singapore. We drove past Orchard Rd, passed Serangoon Rd and finally ended up at the Geylang fruit stall. While Umi and my grandaunt busied themselves buying durians, I bought my favourite fruits - MANGOSTEENS!!!


My aunt, uncle and cousins have been messaging us almost everyday enticing us to go back to Pahang for the fruits season. Apparently this year there's an abundant amount of durians and mangosteens and rambutans. Just hearing them describe the fruits is enough to make our mouths water. And believe me, we are itching to go back too but we have been very busy with the house. What with settling the reno bit and also stuff to do with the wedding. Weekends are precious as it is the only time we can get things done. This weekend for example. we are getting two other interior designers to take a look at our house and give us a quotation. One happens to be the good friend of The Don's business associate so hopefully we can get a better price. Looks like we won't be able to go anywhere this next few months. No more short trips to KL or Kuantan or Temerloh, Pahang. I miss my ikan patins!!!!!!! *sob* *sob*

To compensate for not going back to Pahang for the annual fruit season this year, I guess I'll just have to stuff myself with the mangosteens I bought.

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Cards & Such

We got into a bit of a scuffle with the people who are doing our wedding invites. We initially wanted the same motifs on the cards but with different colours for my side and his but according to them it is not possible. So we enquired if we could have the exact same cards but with diff contents (obviously!) at a lower price. They said OK! Then when we were on our way home from the shop, my FIL called saying someone from the shop called him to say that they needed to speak to either of us urgently. Within a few mins, the lady at the shop called me to say we needed to top up another 200 bucks if we wanted the same card....WHAT THE HECK????

As it is the cards are already quite expensive compared to normal standards but since we both kinda liked the design we agreed anyway. And now they want to increase the price?? Under normal circumstances, I'd blow up and demand they either gave it to us at the agreed price or return our deposit so we can take our business elsewhere. But since I'm on the brinks of marriage, I decided to let loose and let my husband-to-be handle the matter instead. Heheheh. Sorta allow myself to be the damsel-in-distress and let the hero do the "save the day" thingy. Well, he did not disappoint. He managed to negotiate for a decrease of 90% so we'd only have to top up 20 bucks instead of the ludicrous 200 bucks. Its a good feeling letting someone else take the reins once in a while. I could really get used to this !!!
The weekend was a splendid one for The Don and me. It was a major achievement for us of sorts. Firstly, we managed to hold our very first event in our new house, despite it being barren and void of furnishing. The Doa Selamat & makan session we held went great. My sister was such a darling, preparing a whole pot of dalchar for the event. Yes she brought the whole, huge periuk!!! We bought Nasi Briyani and his sister, Aishah came with lots and lots of chicken from KFC. We initially wanted to make do with paper plates and cups but my mother-in-law had already prepared a whole set of her own utensils and crockery to give to us. I intended to only use it for the event but she insisted we keep it for good. She even gave us 4 sets of her pyrex serving trays. Alhamdulillah Syukur. The event went well although it was a mad rush for us getting things ready as we reached home barely a few minutes before my sister, bro-IL and father-in-law arrived.

The bigger achievement over the weekend was getting my parents-in-law (FIL in particular) to sleep over at our house. He does not like sleeping over at any place other than his own house so the fact that he agreed to sleep over at ours was a great achievement indeed. We had to make do with mattresses on loan from my sister and pillows courtesy of MIL. But I guess they didn't mind it one bit. Especially The Don's sister and youngest brother. They frolicked on the mattress in the cool bask of the air-con all day long. Hehehehe. I left very late on Saturday night after making sure everything was in order and came back early on Sunday morning to have breakfast with them. (You didn't expect me to sleep over as well now did you?!!) The best part was when my FIL announced that he was leaving soon after breakfast but continued to stay on till after Asar. The Don and I gave a High-5 to each other in the kitchen when we realised it was almost Asar and FIL was still happily watching tv. That, The Don and I felt, was the most telling sign that we managed to make him feel comfortable at our place.

Coming from an extra huge family, I do like family gatherings such as these and I hope that I will continue to manage to make them feel at home whenever they come to visit in future.

Next week will be my family's turn to sleep over at our house. My cousins will be coming from KL so The Don and I are thinking of getting everyone to sleep over. We are treating the house like some holiday chalet where you sleep all day long and only get up to eat, watch tv then sleep again. hehehe. Its been great since we've had the house. Almost everyday after work, The DON and I will stop over, clean the house a little and sometimes have dinner there then go back to our respective homes. Its such a wonderful feeling having a space to call your own!!!

Monday, August 02, 2004


Friday was the day we officially became the legal owners of our house. The process was an ultra smooth one and didnt take much more than 10 mins. A stack of documents to sign, (macam celebrity gitu asyik sign aje) payment of the compulsory fire insurance premium and then HEY PRESTO!!! we were handed over the keys. We both got a shock when the keys were produced. There were 36 KEYS altogether !!!! A huge heavy bunch of keys we had to carry home!!!!

We went to Arab Street to look for fabric material for our wedding outfit (for solemnization). I have a vision for my baju nikah and I need to find a suitable material to make it into the wedding outfit. We could of course rent the outfit like most people but The Don and I decided to have it made instead so that we can keep it for sentimental purposes. I have a feeling that he is regretting that decision now. Hehehhe. Anyway since The Don's OUTFIT has to match mine, he had no choice but to tag along. I watched his face grow longer and longer as I entered and exits the shops one by one shaking my head finding nothing that I fancy. Finally I found what I wanted at one of the branches of Royal Fabrics, (they have three shops, all along Arab Street)and the material I fell in love with -----> FRENCH LACE. I could hardly keep down my laughter when I saw The Don swallowed his saliva when the saleslady mentioned the three digit price per metre. Hahaha.
NICE?
Well one headache gone but another one has come into place. I need to find a reputable tailor to sew this meterial. I could get my mom's usual tailor to sew it but perhaps I should get a professional to do it. I'd cry tears of blood if she muddles up this outfit.