Babe in the woods

There's Hollywood, Bollywood and Lollywood.

The Singapore movie industry will be called Sollywood.

Aiyoh, solly for being so corny. 

The new man in my life

Meet Mr. Clocky, whom I just bought off eBay.

I need him.

I was highly attracted to this other guy too.

He rides up the string whenever it's time to wake up, so you have to climb up to turn him off.

But he's just a tad too ex. 

While we're on this topic, reading this on a forum really cracked me up.

I found a cheaper way to get up on time: take an old fashioned metal alarm clock, put inside an aluminum cooking pot, place the pot on a glass plate, and push it to the most inaccessible spot under your bed. Guaranteed to get you up, because you can't shut off the racket without climbing all the way out of bed...

Can't you just imagine the NOISE?! 

I think I should try it out for fun. :P

shd I have breakfast?

Good morning!

It's 4:56 a.m. and I'm in the office with 3 other colleagues, working to make the launch of Harvest Times Online perfect.

Pls log on to harvesttimes.com.sg and enjoy what we have prepared for you okei! :)

In the meantime, while waiting for the file to be uploaded online, I've decided to revisit my long-lost blog. 

I went for the first consultation with my bridal studio today.

Michelle and Cedric took out 6 gowns for me to try so I can get a feel of what I like and what works for me before she started designing my gown.

She's really good with clean lines ... which I absolutely lurf. 

Honestly, although it was such a thrill to be in those gowns, and it was really great to have JX sitting through it with me so he could offer his opinions ... I literally yawned my way through the whole thing! 

For one, the gowns were rather heavy ... and I wasn't feeling too well ... so I was very tired!

Good thing I had my trial make-up session first and Alicia was entertaining me with the anecdotes of some of her previous clients.

It felt a little funny, cos she did night make-up, but day hair for me!

So my front does not match my back.

But I liked both individually. 

The hair was not the real thing though...it was more to give me a rough idea cos I was trying on all those gowns. 

And then, we secretly took photos ... and that's when I realised I really do look like a GIRL!!

(even though Alicia kept saying it throughout the whole session)

Not woman, mind you ... but girlish girl! 

What's more, I colored my hair reddish brown last night, so somehow it emphasized it even more.

Oh man....good thing JX looks like a boy. Hahaha. 

I think it's cos we both have single eyelids.

I was telling Alicia I shall pray for our kids to inherit our parents' eyes, but she was all "Hey, single eyelids are better!! They have more scope for make-up variety, and they tend to make you look younger ... etc etc etc."

She went on for a while, until I really started to see the potential of single eyelids.

Besides, I think it's kinda cute.

We can take a family portrait with all of us wearing those bamboo conical hats.

Ala samurai warriors.

Or take on the Chinese stereotype as our family theme.

Ala Mulan.

Hahahaha!

I'm nuts for lack of sleep. :P

21092009

It's confirmed!

We're getting married on Sept 21, 2009. 

It's Hari Raya Puasa, so we'll have plenty a-Muslims celebrating with us. 

Haha.

It's scary though!

We booked 55 tables for the wedding dinner, and already we need to do some major cutting down. :P 

My family and family friends alone are taking 20 tables. 

However are we gonna do the one-photo-a-table thing?! 

Banquet madness

This is the story of my banquet location search.

I armed myself with the list from www.singaporebrides.com, and started researching like mad.

Firstly, we need about 50-60 tables (!!!!) 

Yes, many relatives and frens we are blessed to have, so already that was a limiting factor when it came to our choices.

Secondly, because of the immense figure, we had to stick to a smaller budget so we wouldn't end up with a financial headache after the wedding.

After doing all the research, I had my heart set on Noble House initially.

It has the capacity, great central location, price within our budget and it's under Tung Lok so food shd be good.

No free hotel nite stay, but we figured we could take a room at nearby Fullerton and chill out after the whole day's happy madness.

We were all ready to book Sept 5 there, until ...

JX checked with his parents and they were not for the date cos it was still within the Hungry Ghost Festival.

Okei, we're cool. 

But Noble House was not available on those dates.

Nor the days before, after, or anywhere in the vicinity of the ninth month of 2009.

Not cool.

So, the search began again.

Now, we needed to find a place that can take 60 tables minimum, because our guest list seemed to be growing bigger and bigger.

I came across:

Hilltop Garden - Nice! High ceiling, can take up to 62 tables. Free flow beer and wine somemore. We've gotta pay an extra $1,200 for the crystal ballroom, but we figured it works out to about $30/table, so ... okei lah.

BUT! 

It was not available on the dates we wanted.

Between the end of the Chinese 7th month and October (we didn't want to hit October and beyond), we only had 2 weeks.

We comforted ourselves, "Okei lah, anyway Hilltop a bit far hor..."

So I started looking through my list all over again, and calling the restaurants to ask when they had a freed-up slot.

A word of advice to all BTBs, ask for the restaurant/hotel's available dates in the whole month, the month before and after.

It saves you time and you can have your options if things don't work out with the matrimony etc.

I found myself ping-ponging back and forth between the restaurants and the church, because we were trying to find a date that worked for both.

I didn't want to bother JX too much with the details until I had shortlisted the really good ones.

But after all my very "oh-man-how-depressing" research, I felt it was necessary to pre-empt him.

So I told him, "Our budget kinda allows for limited choices, most of which are too far, or too ugly. It's a challenge to find a place that can accomodate our 60 tables within our budget and looks decent, but I'm still trying lah ..."

My optimistic fiance is a man who believe IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING.

So he stepped in.

We checked out Dragon Gate at Harbourfront which looked slightly potential in its photos on the internet.

JX took a look around and went "Okei, not bad..."

I didn't like the place very much, but I was prepared because we didn't have many choices left.

So I asked all the necessary questions. 

When we finally walked out of the place,  JX went, "Actually ... quite depressing hor..."

He couldn't be more right! Haha.... I said, "Now you know what I mean..."

The place had 4 big pillars and it was way too erm....pink. Haha.

So on we went to the bridal fair at Vivocity where we discovered Pioneer Spring.

They were available on Sept 19, so we quickly booked it! Yay!

Plus, they threw in a free night's stay at Copthorne Waterfront + $500 restaurant voucher.

Yay, I get my hotel room!

So we were very happy.

Until the sales manager Kenny sent us the proposal.

It was a $100 more per table than we wanted.

When we asked why, he insisted it was the minimum, which got me fuming mad.

Cos then it was a misrepresentation on the brochure!

Yes, such things trigger my hot buttons.

Especially because I was careful enough to study the whole thing to ensure we don't hit any fine print boo-boos.

The matter went up to the Managing Director who told me the same story, that it's a weekday price, and the price we wanted is for the ballroom.

Allo .... we are taking BOTH the restaurant and the ballroom! 

So shouldn't we get an even better rate?

It was a ludicrously thin argument that made no sense.

He said, "I can offer you a lower price lah, since you want ... but I have to take out some things from the package..."

Whoa.... You're not exactly doing me a favour now, you know...

Anyway, I told him to speak to THE man, who amazed me cos the MD finally admitted to him they made a mistake, and hence JX asked him to come up with a package under our budget that we could agree on.

They reverted with one under our budget all right, except they really took out several stuff, such as the free flow beer and wine and some other what-nots.

Not agreeable.

Hence, we decided to drop them and I'm now reverse-advertising on their behalf.

At this point, Susanna from Hilltop Garden called me and asked if I still want the tentative booking I made for their Jurong branch.

After discussions back and forth, we finally decided to take it.

(Yes, I know ... It's even further than Hilltop! Hahaha...)

As I'm sitting here typing this, JX is with Susanna putting the downpayment.

It's due to be completed in April, so we won't be able to see it till then, but we're going by faith after seeing the artists' impression and their other branches.

Hahaha. 

That's one thing down.

Now to settle my church matrimony!

But that's another story altogether. :P

Just pray I get to use the JW church on the same day okei? 

Btw, the dinner is set for September 20! 

Haha ... I know it's a wildly popular date, and not that we bothered about it, but it's rather nice to know our wedding will be on 20092009.

Haha ... I believe it's a quirky thing God threw in.

He knows we are 2 ppl with short-term memories! :P 

From the windows of Suntec

Chk out the HUGE and oh-so-bright rainbow that was shining today!

And this is where it falls.

You can also catch a glimpse of the lighter one behind.

Sidetrack: Dawn popped by my table today.

"Hey, you will need many many red packets for your wedding, so do you want to take these? They are all in the same design too, so will look nice."

The other day, she went "Hey, I was thinking about your wedding ... do you want to check out these restaurants........?"

She's such a sweetie. :)

Boing!

I am ...

Wondering when my braces are coming off.

Wondering where to go on our honeymoon.

Wondering if anyone wants to buy over my Truespa package?! 

Looking for a house.

Looking for a reasonably-priced ooh-la-la bridal package.

Looking out for more dinner venue choices.

Drawing up my guest list (Oh man!!!!!!!! Faint)

Drawing up my helpers' list. Or at least I'm starting on it REAL soon.

Drawing up our budget for what looks set to be our maddest and funnest year so far! Haha. 

I am ... 

Having such fun! :P

I said Yes!

Yes, it was a Valentine's midnight proposal. 

:)

of weddings and such

I once had a 4-yr crush on primary school classmate.

From P5 to Sec 2! 

Of course, the last 2 years weren't really counted, cos we were in different secondary schools, and I barely saw him, so basically it was a leftover crush on a memory. 

Haha. 

Anyway, I attended his wedding solemnization and dinner last night.

And it was a very sweet one. 

His sister shared stuff like how he would eat nasi lemak EVERYTIME he took his then-gf out, cos it was the cheapest, just so he could have more money to buy what she wanted.

(Everyone say, "Awwww"....)

He's still very much the nice guy he was, except now he's really grown into a nice man. 

Haha. 

I had fun catching up with Sven and Dezhong too.

I haven't seen either of them in ages, although I do sms Sven from time to time.

I didn't manage to get a pic with the wedding couple, cos I totally forgot about it when I was leaving.

But thanks to the wedding photography mobile studio, I got a namecard-size pic of me with Sven and Dezhong.

I'm too impatient to wait till I get back to the office to scan in the pic, so here's a blur version of it. 

I really like the idea of the mobile studio.

They go around taking pics of ppl during the cocktail reception, then you get a copy of it almost immediately.

Then you also get to write on their tablet pc next to your pic so your greetings to the wedding couple can be immediately flashed on the projector screen.

How cool!

(Some of his frens posted the results of the Toto draw ... haha.)

You can find out more at www.livestudios.sg if you're interested.

I hear it's $1,588 tho. :P

Anyway, I was very glad I got to share in the wedding joy, and even gladder for the frenship, which has lasted all of 20 years.

Goodness!! 20 years!! :P

How we have all grown. 

Shoop shoop shoop!

Shachew went ice-skating!

Yay! 

Now contemplating making it a regular activity. 

Hee hee. :P