Photos from our ballroom hunting marathon!
Guess which is the one we chose in the end?
Thank You!!!
We've created a Wedding Site (http://www.mywedding.com/banhorngserene) with key information about our big day in September!
UPDATE: Selected wedding and honeymoon photos are all up on Facebook!
Thursday, 27 December 2007
Backlogs 06 - Ballrooms galore!
16 Sept 2007
Photos from our ballroom hunting marathon!
Guess which is the one we chose in the end?
Photos from our ballroom hunting marathon!
Guess which is the one we chose in the end?
Wednesday, 26 December 2007
Backlogs 05 - Absence makes the heart grow fonder?
16 July 2007 - 27 July 2007
Yikes! In mid July, the purple dinosaur has been called away for a course in Kuala Lumpur for two weeks! And very unfortunately, their first appointment is right in the middle of all this...
Given the high queue number, it would be unwise to postpone this appointment. Otherwise the selection for available units will be even smaller! After clarifying with the relevant people in HDB, they had assured us that only one party needs to be at the initial appointment.
Poor Hulk, she has to go make this important decision on her own for the time being.. and what was the dinosaur doing?Gallivanting Learning in Kuala Lumpur of course!
Purple Dinosaur at work:
This is NOT the purple dinosaur:
Yay! The Hulk has made a wise decision. This is the view from our new place! Like our pool and garden?
Yah right! In our dreams! Read up on this post instead! :P
Yikes! In mid July, the purple dinosaur has been called away for a course in Kuala Lumpur for two weeks! And very unfortunately, their first appointment is right in the middle of all this...
Given the high queue number, it would be unwise to postpone this appointment. Otherwise the selection for available units will be even smaller! After clarifying with the relevant people in HDB, they had assured us that only one party needs to be at the initial appointment.
Poor Hulk, she has to go make this important decision on her own for the time being.. and what was the dinosaur doing?
Purple Dinosaur at work:
This is NOT the purple dinosaur:
Yay! The Hulk has made a wise decision. This is the view from our new place! Like our pool and garden?
Yah right! In our dreams! Read up on this post instead! :P
Tuesday, 25 December 2007
Backlogs 04 - Three Long Hikes
07 July 2007 - 15 July 2007
Since it makes no sense to start looking at all available 922 units, it only makes sense to start the shortlisting closer to our appointment date. This way we only look at which are the likely units to be available. After eliminating the VERY ULU Punggol, we have about 60+ units on our list.
Trip 1:
The flats available in Hougang were repurchased flats. I guess this means that families were either unable to afford to upkeep the flats, or ran into difficulties (divorced??) and so HDB took the units back. Hougang being two MRT stops nearer to central Singapore, we decided to take a look at these units first.
Hmm.. somehow these units were not so appealing. They were low floor and had dubious origins. Some of them had front porches that were in very sad states and one even had paint splashed on the door. Needless to say, the previous owners were probably running into financial difficulties and hounded by loansharks. NO way are we going to take up units such as these. Also, in terms of renovations, it would incur more hacking and labour fees if the house is in a bad state..or done in bad taste :P
Initially we had wanted to cover both Hougang and Sengkang. Well, our legs didn't want to..
For the next trips, we decided to involve our parents in the selection process. This way we'll eliminate units that they didn't like (due to any fengshui issues or anything)..well so they can't say "I said so!". Hehehe..I'm just covering our asses *bleah*
Trip 2:
After a night's rest, we the dinosaur and hulk brought the dinosaur mummy and daddy down to Sengkang. On this day, we blazed through 50+ units, gazing from the void decks and walkways, and walking up to the front doors. Oh and can I say "AUNTIE POWER!"? Barney's mum and her friend were able to get us entry into some of the neighbouring units beside and along the same vertical sections. This means that we can actually see the layout of the units we are scouting and get some reno ideas eh? ;)
Trip 3:
A week later, the hulk family came along! Well we learnt certain "things". Like how windows shouldn't be facing bridges and so forth. At the end of the day, it's not that we are avid believers in mysticism or fengshui, but it's to give a peace of mind for our parents as well. In a way, the dinosaur is hoping that these scouting trips gives the unspoken endorsement on the units we are choosing. At the end of the day, the place we choose must be the one WE are most comfortable with.
That's why, at the end of it, we plan to come back during one of the evenings to see if the place is deserted or spooky at night :)
Since it makes no sense to start looking at all available 922 units, it only makes sense to start the shortlisting closer to our appointment date. This way we only look at which are the likely units to be available. After eliminating the VERY ULU Punggol, we have about 60+ units on our list.
Trip 1:
The flats available in Hougang were repurchased flats. I guess this means that families were either unable to afford to upkeep the flats, or ran into difficulties (divorced??) and so HDB took the units back. Hougang being two MRT stops nearer to central Singapore, we decided to take a look at these units first.
Hmm.. somehow these units were not so appealing. They were low floor and had dubious origins. Some of them had front porches that were in very sad states and one even had paint splashed on the door. Needless to say, the previous owners were probably running into financial difficulties and hounded by loansharks. NO way are we going to take up units such as these. Also, in terms of renovations, it would incur more hacking and labour fees if the house is in a bad state..or done in bad taste :P
Initially we had wanted to cover both Hougang and Sengkang. Well, our legs didn't want to..
For the next trips, we decided to involve our parents in the selection process. This way we'll eliminate units that they didn't like (due to any fengshui issues or anything)..well so they can't say "I said so!". Hehehe..I'm just covering our asses *bleah*
Trip 2:
After a night's rest, we the dinosaur and hulk brought the dinosaur mummy and daddy down to Sengkang. On this day, we blazed through 50+ units, gazing from the void decks and walkways, and walking up to the front doors. Oh and can I say "AUNTIE POWER!"? Barney's mum and her friend were able to get us entry into some of the neighbouring units beside and along the same vertical sections. This means that we can actually see the layout of the units we are scouting and get some reno ideas eh? ;)
Trip 3:
A week later, the hulk family came along! Well we learnt certain "things". Like how windows shouldn't be facing bridges and so forth. At the end of the day, it's not that we are avid believers in mysticism or fengshui, but it's to give a peace of mind for our parents as well. In a way, the dinosaur is hoping that these scouting trips gives the unspoken endorsement on the units we are choosing. At the end of the day, the place we choose must be the one WE are most comfortable with.
That's why, at the end of it, we plan to come back during one of the evenings to see if the place is deserted or spooky at night :)
Backlogs 03 - New House Hunt
17 June 2007
In June, the purple dinosaur and green mutant decided to try their luck at balloting for a new house directly from HDB. Certainly not putting all our eggs in one basket eh? (see post on Resale House Hunt ;) ). It's like going to the lottery booths. Here we paid $10 and will wait for the lottery results a month after...
For the June Bimonthly ballot for 4 room and larger units, 922 units were up for grabs. After about a month, the statistics came in at almost 5000 ballots for these units. When we finally got our queue number, we had a queue number in the low 1000's. How the process works is that from the 922 pool of units, couples will take turns to choose from the pool in the sequence of their queue number. Therefore the low queue numbers would get a wider selection (ie. better locations and floor levels) while the higher queue numbers would have little to choose from. Hmm..this means that if everyone chose a unit in the queue numbers before us, this would leave us no choice right? Well, we can only cross our fingers and wait. Hopefully some are just trying their luck for choice units and are willing to try to ballot again the next rounds.
With the queue number comes an appointment date to HDB office. On this date, the couple then chooses the unit from the available pool.
Guess how many times we actually went down to see the available units? ;)
In June, the purple dinosaur and green mutant decided to try their luck at balloting for a new house directly from HDB. Certainly not putting all our eggs in one basket eh? (see post on Resale House Hunt ;) ). It's like going to the lottery booths. Here we paid $10 and will wait for the lottery results a month after...
For the June Bimonthly ballot for 4 room and larger units, 922 units were up for grabs. After about a month, the statistics came in at almost 5000 ballots for these units. When we finally got our queue number, we had a queue number in the low 1000's. How the process works is that from the 922 pool of units, couples will take turns to choose from the pool in the sequence of their queue number. Therefore the low queue numbers would get a wider selection (ie. better locations and floor levels) while the higher queue numbers would have little to choose from. Hmm..this means that if everyone chose a unit in the queue numbers before us, this would leave us no choice right? Well, we can only cross our fingers and wait. Hopefully some are just trying their luck for choice units and are willing to try to ballot again the next rounds.
With the queue number comes an appointment date to HDB office. On this date, the couple then chooses the unit from the available pool.
Guess how many times we actually went down to see the available units? ;)
Backlogs 02 - Resale House Hunt
June 2007 - July 2007
For this purpose, being the kiasu Singaporeans that we are, we actually engaged two housing agents to help us in our house hunt.
Agent K
This was one based on a friend's recommendation who had utilised his services earlier and got a pretty good location and price for his new place just a couple of months earlier.
Agent L
A friend back from Army Days, he'll be more approachable. Since he's in the business of house transactions, we engaged him as well.
Criteria for House
Ideally, it would be good that our new place be near our parents and amenities. Amenities meaning not too far from MRT stations and places where food can be found (forseeing that we would have little time or patience for cooking).
Giving the agents our budgets and criteria, we have actually scouted for places near Jurong, Toh Guan, even up to forsaken Teban Gardens. Agent K brought us to these places. His honest advice was that the resale housing market was heating up and sellers are looking for quick gains in asking for high cash-over-valuation (COV) prices. I only blame the enbloc sales and the media limelight in the recent news that bolstered sellers' expectations. Every week or so we would read in the papers about new private AND public houses selling for record prices. Records being broken every few weeks or so..
His take on this was: for a young couple like us, with not that much cash in hand -- try to buy a new unit directly from the HDB.
Indeed, the units he has brought us to see, in our opinion, were not in very good condition, or locations, and had high asking prices.
Just to orientate you, my current place is in Jurong, while hulk stays in Bishan.
Unfortunately, Agent L could fare no better. We even went up to Sengkang area to take a look, and even then, sellers were asking for 15 - 20k COV. Seeing that we have to budget for renovations, wedding, furnishings etc etc.. This is not a favourable scenario. Here's a photo of one of these Sengkang units:
It's tall and windy with a seaview, but just beside an expressway (TPE). It's noisy noisy noisy!
For this purpose, being the kiasu Singaporeans that we are, we actually engaged two housing agents to help us in our house hunt.
Agent K
This was one based on a friend's recommendation who had utilised his services earlier and got a pretty good location and price for his new place just a couple of months earlier.
Agent L
A friend back from Army Days, he'll be more approachable. Since he's in the business of house transactions, we engaged him as well.
Criteria for House
Ideally, it would be good that our new place be near our parents and amenities. Amenities meaning not too far from MRT stations and places where food can be found (forseeing that we would have little time or patience for cooking).
Giving the agents our budgets and criteria, we have actually scouted for places near Jurong, Toh Guan, even up to forsaken Teban Gardens. Agent K brought us to these places. His honest advice was that the resale housing market was heating up and sellers are looking for quick gains in asking for high cash-over-valuation (COV) prices. I only blame the enbloc sales and the media limelight in the recent news that bolstered sellers' expectations. Every week or so we would read in the papers about new private AND public houses selling for record prices. Records being broken every few weeks or so..
His take on this was: for a young couple like us, with not that much cash in hand -- try to buy a new unit directly from the HDB.
Indeed, the units he has brought us to see, in our opinion, were not in very good condition, or locations, and had high asking prices.
Just to orientate you, my current place is in Jurong, while hulk stays in Bishan.Unfortunately, Agent L could fare no better. We even went up to Sengkang area to take a look, and even then, sellers were asking for 15 - 20k COV. Seeing that we have to budget for renovations, wedding, furnishings etc etc.. This is not a favourable scenario. Here's a photo of one of these Sengkang units:
It's tall and windy with a seaview, but just beside an expressway (TPE). It's noisy noisy noisy!
Backlogs 01 - July House Hunting
May 2007
Back in late May to June, the dinosaur and hulk started to look for a nest to stay in. In Singapore's context, you have two main options:
1) Private Apartments
Condominium projects are plentiful and come in all sorts of variety. However this is a pricier option. For our first nest, it would be financially sound to choose one that would allow us to continue to lead the lifestyle we desire without being bogged down by large loans and high maintenance fees.
2) Public Housing
In other countries, subsidised government housing usually equates to dingy, dilapidated, dull and cramped buildings in various states of disrepair and neglect. Not in Singapore. (not to overly commend the brilliant administration, but given the vast resources and legislative power the ruling party has [read citizen savings from CPF and taxes and the Land Act], it is only right that they give us housing of decent quality). Subsidised public housing in Singapore is more affordable for the masses, and minor flaws aside, is of reasonable size (comparing with the likes of Hong Kong) and quality (no glass bottles in the walls like Taiwan).
For public HDB housing, house hunters can either purchase new units from HDB directly, or purchase from previous owners from the open market as resale flats. There are some restrictions with buying new flats, and with a balloting scheme in place, you may not get the unit you desire or consider the most ideal. Obviously, with resale units, you do get a better choice of the exact location, floor level, size etc.
Alright..enough boring talk about HDB regulations and background (oh if you want to talk about regulations, I can draft pages and pages of it :P ).
Back in late May to June, the dinosaur and hulk started to look for a nest to stay in. In Singapore's context, you have two main options:
1) Private Apartments
Condominium projects are plentiful and come in all sorts of variety. However this is a pricier option. For our first nest, it would be financially sound to choose one that would allow us to continue to lead the lifestyle we desire without being bogged down by large loans and high maintenance fees.
2) Public Housing
In other countries, subsidised government housing usually equates to dingy, dilapidated, dull and cramped buildings in various states of disrepair and neglect. Not in Singapore. (not to overly commend the brilliant administration, but given the vast resources and legislative power the ruling party has [read citizen savings from CPF and taxes and the Land Act], it is only right that they give us housing of decent quality). Subsidised public housing in Singapore is more affordable for the masses, and minor flaws aside, is of reasonable size (comparing with the likes of Hong Kong) and quality (no glass bottles in the walls like Taiwan).
For public HDB housing, house hunters can either purchase new units from HDB directly, or purchase from previous owners from the open market as resale flats. There are some restrictions with buying new flats, and with a balloting scheme in place, you may not get the unit you desire or consider the most ideal. Obviously, with resale units, you do get a better choice of the exact location, floor level, size etc.
Alright..enough boring talk about HDB regulations and background (oh if you want to talk about regulations, I can draft pages and pages of it :P ).
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Long Awaited Updates are coming!
Ok ok we're hearing the complaints. It's not really that we've been tardy with updates, but the past few weekends have been pretty occupied. Not being the types contented with just going to the popular stores and making "buy" decisions right away, we are persistent in doing the legwork to get the most out of our very limited budgets.
Hopefully, our efforts are paying off..
Hopefully, our efforts are paying off..
Monday, 26 November 2007
It's a colourful world!
Yesterday, we went to finalize our tiles for the house.... After a long search, we have a mixed fusion of colours in place for both our wall and floor tiles. rusty black, metallic silver, white, red, grey and purplish brown..
Sounds like a wild combination of colours..Keep your imagination wild for now. lallalalalalala.. :) Stay tuned for the details
Sounds like a wild combination of colours..Keep your imagination wild for now. lallalalalalala.. :) Stay tuned for the details
Friday, 19 October 2007
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Chapter 2: Chapter 1 didn't leave an impression :P
Although I've been recruited into the the Interface Team by my then-and-again bosses, I've not really seen the rest of my fellow team mates.Cooped up with the Banganae in good ol' G*M*I building, my guess was that I've not really seen the rest of the project either..
Until the call came in.Packing up whatever we had on our cluttered desks, we shifted to the project site in the basement of Hospital T to join our other compatriots. (there went my quick 20min journey to work..it never got any shorter, only longer and longer..)
We weren't really allocated our workstations then.I just had to grab whichever terminal was available. My other half-a-team mate was at the back row.V was really friendly and helpful--and still is.So I readily sat beside him. There was a stack of papers there then.Unclaimed.So I shifted them aside. During mid morning though, a lady in black reached for them and plunked down in the seat next to us.Seems that she doesn't recall we've met before, because when V wasn't available and I asked her about logging in to the system, we reintroduced ourselves again.
That was it: Encounter Two
Until the call came in.Packing up whatever we had on our cluttered desks, we shifted to the project site in the basement of Hospital T to join our other compatriots. (there went my quick 20min journey to work..it never got any shorter, only longer and longer..)
We weren't really allocated our workstations then.I just had to grab whichever terminal was available. My other half-a-team mate was at the back row.V was really friendly and helpful--and still is.So I readily sat beside him. There was a stack of papers there then.Unclaimed.So I shifted them aside. During mid morning though, a lady in black reached for them and plunked down in the seat next to us.Seems that she doesn't recall we've met before, because when V wasn't available and I asked her about logging in to the system, we reintroduced ourselves again.
That was it: Encounter Two
Tuesday, 9 October 2007
Where has the Giam Siapness Gone?
I did it...the giam siap king has splurged. And splurged big he did.
When I was in primary school, book stores would hold the ocassional "book fairs". What this basically means is
a few people will come down and shift some of the regular tables and benches from the canteen and arrange them
in a boxed up formation. They will then spread their colourful covers of Enid Blytons, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drews etc etc
onto the biege table tops. A couple of days before this they would distribute little pamphlets with the book titles that
are going to be on sale.
Having scoured and rummaged through the school library, this little boy would spot some gems that are not within the school's
collection, and start saving up for them. Less drinks, less snacks, and coupled with the usual 30 cents main course, I could
combine meagre piles of coins into bigger ones. Then a grinning little kid will be looking up and down the table tops looking for
the desired tomes of exciting mysteries and trivia. But most often than not, he ends up not buying much. Hahaha..
6 years and 6 inches (taller deh! what are you thinking??) after, the scene cuts to a young boy going through Asterix
and Tin Tin comics in the school library, and then witnessing the swashbuckling swordsplay between Ling Hu Chong and Dong Fang Bu Bai.
Skipping lunch today, he calculated that he has now has enough to buy all the 7 diskettes needed for the latest Ultima CRPG, with spare
for the newest Wing Commander 2 expansion pack.
Thumbing through the glossy manuals, he happily leaves the coffee bean dealer's store with his gang of friends. They would be eager
to share their latest exploits in Britannia or the provinces conquered after the downfall of the Han dynasty.
Fast forward..to a not-so-slim purple dinosaur. This dinosaur has always been hesitant to take the taxi, and often insists on taking whatever
public transport is available. He could also remember the time the last train leaves from Pasir Ris towards Boon Lay, for taking the cab
home after midnight means a prohibitive amount sufficient for a week's lunch and more.
More recently, with the advent of midnight public buses,
this frugal fellow has found salvation! From town, with about 20minute's wait, he can get back home in 45 min! From the Green Hulk's place, all it takes is just 2 Night Rider bus rides, one to town, the other from town to home, at the price of one Night Rider
bus ride! Albeit at the cost of more than 2 hours in all, but that much time is spent sleeping on the bus anyway (and missing the bus stop because I overslept..hehe)..
Oh well, those days are going to be over in a bit. No longer can I really enjoy the free exercise from running after buses and trains. Neither can I get a good tan walking in the scorching afternoon sun.
Nor the free sauna on certain buses *sweat sweat*..
Introducing the little Red Chilli!
Yes, the giam siap king has splurged big. And splurged big he did..
When I was in primary school, book stores would hold the ocassional "book fairs". What this basically means is
a few people will come down and shift some of the regular tables and benches from the canteen and arrange them
in a boxed up formation. They will then spread their colourful covers of Enid Blytons, Hardy Boys, Nancy Drews etc etc
onto the biege table tops. A couple of days before this they would distribute little pamphlets with the book titles that
are going to be on sale.
Having scoured and rummaged through the school library, this little boy would spot some gems that are not within the school's
collection, and start saving up for them. Less drinks, less snacks, and coupled with the usual 30 cents main course, I could
combine meagre piles of coins into bigger ones. Then a grinning little kid will be looking up and down the table tops looking for
the desired tomes of exciting mysteries and trivia. But most often than not, he ends up not buying much. Hahaha..
6 years and 6 inches (taller deh! what are you thinking??) after, the scene cuts to a young boy going through Asterix
and Tin Tin comics in the school library, and then witnessing the swashbuckling swordsplay between Ling Hu Chong and Dong Fang Bu Bai.
Skipping lunch today, he calculated that he has now has enough to buy all the 7 diskettes needed for the latest Ultima CRPG, with spare
for the newest Wing Commander 2 expansion pack.
Thumbing through the glossy manuals, he happily leaves the coffee bean dealer's store with his gang of friends. They would be eager
to share their latest exploits in Britannia or the provinces conquered after the downfall of the Han dynasty.
Fast forward..to a not-so-slim purple dinosaur. This dinosaur has always been hesitant to take the taxi, and often insists on taking whatever
public transport is available. He could also remember the time the last train leaves from Pasir Ris towards Boon Lay, for taking the cab
home after midnight means a prohibitive amount sufficient for a week's lunch and more.
More recently, with the advent of midnight public buses,
this frugal fellow has found salvation! From town, with about 20minute's wait, he can get back home in 45 min! From the Green Hulk's place, all it takes is just 2 Night Rider bus rides, one to town, the other from town to home, at the price of one Night Rider
bus ride! Albeit at the cost of more than 2 hours in all, but that much time is spent sleeping on the bus anyway (and missing the bus stop because I overslept..hehe)..
Oh well, those days are going to be over in a bit. No longer can I really enjoy the free exercise from running after buses and trains. Neither can I get a good tan walking in the scorching afternoon sun.
Nor the free sauna on certain buses *sweat sweat*..
Introducing the little Red Chilli!
Yes, the giam siap king has splurged big. And splurged big he did..
Friday, 5 October 2007
Most Goot Lat Award!
...*fanfare* And the most "goot lat" couple of the year goes to...US! *applause*
Just the other day, I started counting the hotels and interior design (ID) firms we've been to.To our (fake) surprise, we chalked up a total of 23 hotels visited ie. Actually walked in.And counted 18 notches on the hatchet we have swung at the ID's in SG.
To quote a friend when I visited a designer he himself had just picked, "Enough la.Don't sabo all the IDs." The expansiveness and the magnitude of how we have cast our search nets have undoubtedly impressed our friends. They all have the same single praise: SIAO!
P.S. See the comments page to look at the list of our victims :P
Just the other day, I started counting the hotels and interior design (ID) firms we've been to.To our (fake) surprise, we chalked up a total of 23 hotels visited ie. Actually walked in.And counted 18 notches on the hatchet we have swung at the ID's in SG.
To quote a friend when I visited a designer he himself had just picked, "Enough la.Don't sabo all the IDs." The expansiveness and the magnitude of how we have cast our search nets have undoubtedly impressed our friends. They all have the same single praise: SIAO!
P.S. See the comments page to look at the list of our victims :P
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Trophies..
Just how many hotels can a couple hit in a single day? I think we might have hit a national record of 11 on a single Saturday...
Well, on the right is a display of the trophies collected from our Amazing Race so far. Can you count how many hotels that we've visited based on the wedding package brochures collected so far? hehehe..
Some of these brochures are really nice, like the ones from Grand Hyatt or Marriott..while the rest are just photocopied Word documents. And this is not related to the cost of the banquet. For example, the Conrad Centennial just prints out some wordings on hotel letter head, while Amara or even Holiday Inn Park View has some thoughtfully designed ones. Not that it really matters in our choice of the location, but it does feel better to have traveled all the way, and procure a shiny nice package instead of a haphazardly-stapled stack of wordy A4 sized paper.
Personally, my vote goes to Grand Hyatt for the best presentation. I've picked out the top 3 for display..hehe. Which is your favourite?
P.S. Damn! After arranging out everything nicely, I forgot to slot in 2 more from Holiday Inn and Swissotel Merchant Court!
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Wednesday, 5 September 2007
IR & GST
Obstacle 2- Inflation Rate & Great Singapore Tax
Does it ever occur to you that inflation rate and GST will affect the banquet rates? It doesn't hit me so hard till recently when I started to look for wedding packages.
Personally, i think is Mad! Why are banquets so expensive nowadays?
Sad :( It seemed almost impossible to book "THE Ballroom"... :(
So how much do you normally give as ang bao amount?
A) $0 - You must have hated the couple who invited you a lot....
B) $60 - The poor couple would most probably in great debt if they have a lot of friends like you...
C) $80 - Depending on the hotel chosen, some couples would have survived with this, or some could be bleeding in silent.
D) $100 - Nice Figure. It should cover most of the hotels base cost
E) $120 - Most of the couples would thank you for your contribution in their fund raising event to make up the losses incurred.
Haiz.. In general, don't underestimate the banquets cost. Do your dear friends a favour. lallalaaalala. mumble mumble..
Tuesday, 4 September 2007
Amazing Race Obstacle Course
Obstacle Course 1 - Dates!!!!
Why is it that Singaporean are so KiaSu? Don't they have anything better to do than booking their banquet dates 1.5 yr in advance with the hotels?
Why the ancients invent this 通胜 thing? This thing simply complicates the whole process of date selection....
Now my wedding date is getting more n more flexible, it ranges from June 2008 to end of 2009..
And its not so much of a choice, its more of the best combination of digits that fit in all criterias.
Why is it that Singaporean are so KiaSu? Don't they have anything better to do than booking their banquet dates 1.5 yr in advance with the hotels?
Why the ancients invent this 通胜 thing? This thing simply complicates the whole process of date selection....
Now my wedding date is getting more n more flexible, it ranges from June 2008 to end of 2009..
And its not so much of a choice, its more of the best combination of digits that fit in all criterias.
Monday, 3 September 2007
Hotels Amazing Race
We started the hotels amazing race.... The grand prize of this is a decent, "grand looking hotel", within budget of $1000 and offers "high class" food such as garoupa and yam paste with ginko nut(orrrr niiii).
The story goes on with more pictures. Stay tuned...
The story goes on with more pictures. Stay tuned...
包菜花(Cabbage Flower) - Proposal flowers
Quite unique right...Special thanks to the friend who prepared this. (*Its cute lar*)
Monday, 20 August 2007
Thanks All!!!
To all the FOTR,
Good Job and Great Planning! Thanks for putting in effort to make this happen. It is really unique and meaningful event for me especially details such as the "ring tester",multi-tasked driver, "cai hua", "floating spirit "& the fat boy who tried to hide behind the SLIM tree. :P
Not to forget my dear purple dino, who has sweated so much that night. :) Thanks! :*
PS: Pls don't call me Mdm Lau. *GRRRRRRRR**
Good Job and Great Planning! Thanks for putting in effort to make this happen. It is really unique and meaningful event for me especially details such as the "ring tester",multi-tasked driver, "cai hua", "floating spirit "& the fat boy who tried to hide behind the SLIM tree. :P
Not to forget my dear purple dino, who has sweated so much that night. :) Thanks! :*
PS: Pls don't call me Mdm Lau. *GRRRRRRRR**
Sunday, 19 August 2007
Friday, 17 August 2007
Contingency...
Counting down...just 1 more day left to execute the Grand Plan!
Hope you guys can see the weather forecast widget bar I've added on the right. It seems that there would be some showers on Saturday so we had better prepare a wet weather contingency. This is what we have discussed before...
Unfortunately, it'll be quite cliché...room service!
1) 840pm: I dial from the resort phone to TTT, expressing our orders for room service since it's raining heavily outside.
2) 840pm to 9pm: Hulk and I wait.
FOTR prepares Payload One on the R/C car
3) 9pm: FOTR rings the doorbell and runs away to hide. I will open the door, exclaim that no one is there and walk out onto the corridor and hide as well. After some time, Hulk will get impatient and move out as well when she gets no response from me.
4) 905pm: HULK walks into the hallway and sees R/C car moving towards her with the balloon. I will approach from opposite direction with flowers and ring in hand from behind, surprise her and do my thing. R/C car retreats
5) 910pm: Success! (or otherwise). R/C car moves in with Payload Two and seals the engagement. FOTR rushes out with sparklers and fanfare.
6) 920pm: All adjourn to room for celebration.
Simple? I'm afraid so..bad weather screws much of the spectacular tricks that we can pull.. Any bright ideas?
Hope you guys can see the weather forecast widget bar I've added on the right. It seems that there would be some showers on Saturday so we had better prepare a wet weather contingency. This is what we have discussed before...
Unfortunately, it'll be quite cliché...room service!
1) 840pm: I dial from the resort phone to TTT, expressing our orders for room service since it's raining heavily outside.
2) 840pm to 9pm: Hulk and I wait.
FOTR prepares Payload One on the R/C car
3) 9pm: FOTR rings the doorbell and runs away to hide. I will open the door, exclaim that no one is there and walk out onto the corridor and hide as well. After some time, Hulk will get impatient and move out as well when she gets no response from me.
4) 905pm: HULK walks into the hallway and sees R/C car moving towards her with the balloon. I will approach from opposite direction with flowers and ring in hand from behind, surprise her and do my thing. R/C car retreats
5) 910pm: Success! (or otherwise). R/C car moves in with Payload Two and seals the engagement. FOTR rushes out with sparklers and fanfare.
6) 920pm: All adjourn to room for celebration.
Simple? I'm afraid so..bad weather screws much of the spectacular tricks that we can pull.. Any bright ideas?
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
FOTR - Recce
Counting down..4 more days to execution of the Grand Plan!
FOTR was just brought to scout the area and decide on locations to plant our operatives.
TTT, SFD, and the Driver were brought to Site X an hour ago after ramming through the closely guarded entrance to Treasure Island :P (and in so doing avoided paying the toll trolls..hehe)
The location was marked and possible deployment locations were marked.
Here's a scene from our little expedition:
Unfortunately there would be slight changes in the placement of the FOTR team. The Herb and Spice garden has been "privatised" and no longer allows public visitors. This means we can't hide the FOTR team in the bushes in a strategic location as planned earlier. They would only have the staircase or use the curves of the Merlion Walk fountains to conceal themselves...
Hope everything goes well on the actual day...
FOTR was just brought to scout the area and decide on locations to plant our operatives.
TTT, SFD, and the Driver were brought to Site X an hour ago after ramming through the closely guarded entrance to Treasure Island :P (and in so doing avoided paying the toll trolls..hehe)
The location was marked and possible deployment locations were marked.
Here's a scene from our little expedition:
Unfortunately there would be slight changes in the placement of the FOTR team. The Herb and Spice garden has been "privatised" and no longer allows public visitors. This means we can't hide the FOTR team in the bushes in a strategic location as planned earlier. They would only have the staircase or use the curves of the Merlion Walk fountains to conceal themselves...
Hope everything goes well on the actual day...
Sunday, 12 August 2007
Little Subsidy from the Govt..
Dammit!
I didn't get at least an IPPT silver for my In Camp Training this week..only managed to passed because I lack 2 chin ups.
There's a second try again next week. Wish me good luck since it'll double the amount of incentive I'll get (S$200) and help to subsidise this project :P
Monday, 6 August 2007
Second FOTR Meeting
On Saturday, 4th July, the conspirators gathered for discussion and to pick up some of the essential items.
--- Payload One
The Purple Dinosaur was very late and was offering apologies, as he had to find a way to sneak out of the vise-like embrace of the green mutant without arousing suspicion. After he arrived, the SFD, HQ and TTT set out to find the perfect flotation devices that are suitable for the occasion...
..and the pair you see above is a result of that!.. together with the mode of delivery..a spanking new yellow VW Beetle ;)
As the FOTR settled down for lunch, the plan was being laid out:
1) Check-in - 2pm
SFD and Purple Dinosaur: At 2pm, check in first to take care of administrative matters. Any preparation that can be done to the room would be between this time and 3pm, the official check in timing.
NOTE: If hotel assistance was not available to spice up the room, we would do it then ourselves.
Suggestion One: Scatter rose petals over the bed
Anymore bright ideas that would not be overkill leading to the Green Mutant suspecting?
SFD and Purple Dinosaur: Leaves resort.
2) Check-in and Prep - 3pm
Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant: Comes in to check in at 3pm.
TTT: Pick up the filled balloons from the Holland Village shop and the flowers from Ghim Moh florist.
HQ: Prepare sparklers, light-sticks and logistics
NOTE: To pass to HQ above items next weekend.
SFD: Go attend nephew's birthday dinner
3) Dinner - 7pm
Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant: Have dinner at one of the beach bars (maybe Cafe Del Ma).
4) Ambush - 830pm
FOTR: Lie in ambush at Spice Gardens along Site X (Merlion Walk)
..sorry about this guys..bear with the wait and bugs..I will provide insect repellant (not SAF one, don't worry)
5) Baiting - 845pm
Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant: Stroll up Site X, chit chat and view the scenery.
6) Bells Tolling - 9pm
ALL: Signals the beginning
7) Nightfire - 905pm
Sentosa: Fireworks!
Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant: Turns to watch fireworks
FOTR: Payload One is positioned on the launchpad. Launch vehicle (Beetle) is placed facing the downward incline towards Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant while they are distracted.
8) Bomb's Away! - 908pm
FOTR: Beetle horns, flashes headlights and rolls towards the intended target, balloon waving in its wake
Purple Dinosaur: Bends on one knee to retrieve Little Boy from Beetle (and possibly the Ring in the Beetle) and proposes
FOTR: Turns Beetle around for retrieval
9) Refueling - 910pm
Green Mutant: Demands REAL flowers
FOTR: Refuel Beetle with Payload Two
Purple Dinosaur: Acts blur and lost
FOTR: Deliver flowers to Purple Dinosaur
Purple Dinosaur: Second Attempt
(all filmed down by TTT in the meantime who has also recorded all the preparation work and swearing at Purple Dinosaur for making them do stupid things)
Do we have new sign-ups for the actual day event? ;)
--- Payload One
The Purple Dinosaur was very late and was offering apologies, as he had to find a way to sneak out of the vise-like embrace of the green mutant without arousing suspicion. After he arrived, the SFD, HQ and TTT set out to find the perfect flotation devices that are suitable for the occasion...
Payload Two ---
..and the pair you see above is a result of that!.. together with the mode of delivery..a spanking new yellow VW Beetle ;)
As the FOTR settled down for lunch, the plan was being laid out:
1) Check-in - 2pm
SFD and Purple Dinosaur: At 2pm, check in first to take care of administrative matters. Any preparation that can be done to the room would be between this time and 3pm, the official check in timing.
NOTE: If hotel assistance was not available to spice up the room, we would do it then ourselves.
Suggestion One: Scatter rose petals over the bed
Anymore bright ideas that would not be overkill leading to the Green Mutant suspecting?
SFD and Purple Dinosaur: Leaves resort.
2) Check-in and Prep - 3pm
Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant: Comes in to check in at 3pm.
TTT: Pick up the filled balloons from the Holland Village shop and the flowers from Ghim Moh florist.
HQ: Prepare sparklers, light-sticks and logistics
NOTE: To pass to HQ above items next weekend.
SFD: Go attend nephew's birthday dinner
3) Dinner - 7pm
Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant: Have dinner at one of the beach bars (maybe Cafe Del Ma).
4) Ambush - 830pm
FOTR: Lie in ambush at Spice Gardens along Site X (Merlion Walk)
..sorry about this guys..bear with the wait and bugs..I will provide insect repellant (not SAF one, don't worry)
5) Baiting - 845pm
Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant: Stroll up Site X, chit chat and view the scenery.
6) Bells Tolling - 9pm
ALL: Signals the beginning
7) Nightfire - 905pm
Sentosa: Fireworks!
Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant: Turns to watch fireworks
FOTR: Payload One is positioned on the launchpad. Launch vehicle (Beetle) is placed facing the downward incline towards Purple Dinosaur and Green Mutant while they are distracted.
8) Bomb's Away! - 908pm
FOTR: Beetle horns, flashes headlights and rolls towards the intended target, balloon waving in its wake
Purple Dinosaur: Bends on one knee to retrieve Little Boy from Beetle (and possibly the Ring in the Beetle) and proposes
FOTR: Turns Beetle around for retrieval
9) Refueling - 910pm
Green Mutant: Demands REAL flowers
FOTR: Refuel Beetle with Payload Two
Purple Dinosaur: Acts blur and lost
FOTR: Deliver flowers to Purple Dinosaur
Purple Dinosaur: Second Attempt
******* SUCCESS!!! *******
FOTR: Deliver Payload Two on Beetle. Comes out of hiding with sparklers and light sticks!~~~~~~ HAPPY HAPPY! ~~~~~~
ALL: Adjourn to resort room for much needed celebratory champagne toasts(all filmed down by TTT in the meantime who has also recorded all the preparation work and swearing at Purple Dinosaur for making them do stupid things)
Do we have new sign-ups for the actual day event? ;)
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
Bait & Hook
The trap has been sprung!
This was sent out last night to its intended target and the target date of 18 Aug has been finalised!
More details later!
This was sent out last night to its intended target and the target date of 18 Aug has been finalised!
More details later!
Friday, 13 July 2007
First FOTR meeting! - Minutes
After some discussion, here are the minutes of the last meeting
A) Date & Time
Actual: 18 Aug
Rehearsal: 11 Aug
Arrival at location: 855pm
Springing the trap (balloons): 9pm
The proposal (fireworks, flowers): 905pm
will need for most of us to be available for 2 Saturday evenings..
B) Venue
Merlion Walk, Sentosa
(see earlier post)
C) Logistics
1) fireworks (905pm).. free
2) flowers (TTT).. $50
3) ballons (SFD) .. $30-$45
4) R/C cars (BH) .. $50
5) Room/dinner (BH).. $300/$100
6) video cam (TTT) ... free
7) *Real* car/transportation (LFD)... free
8) Sparklers, Spray ribbons, confetti, candles etc (HQ)... $10
Responsible parties for items in (C) are to please report status by next weekend 21 July by posting on blog.
D) The Hoodwink
Aim: To get her onto Sentosa without her suspecting a thing
Have started a poll to get your opinions
Choice 1: Room at the Amara Sanctuary
Pros: A platform for wet weather program (backup)
Disguised as a lucky draw prize recommended by SFD, will be less conspicuous
Can be really romantic if special arrangements can be made with hotel
Cons: Expensive
Choice 2: Dinner at one of the beach bars/hotels
Pros: Cheaper
Can get the timing just right
Disguised as a lucky draw prize recommended by SFD, will be less conspicuous
Cons: No wet weather program alternative
Cliche as a pre-proposal activity
Choice 3: Day trip to Sentosa stretching into the night
Pros: Cheapest
Cons: Most conspicuous as ACN pract meet is just the day before!
A) Date & Time
Actual: 18 Aug
Rehearsal: 11 Aug
Arrival at location: 855pm
Springing the trap (balloons): 9pm
The proposal (fireworks, flowers): 905pm
will need for most of us to be available for 2 Saturday evenings..
B) Venue
Merlion Walk, Sentosa
(see earlier post)
C) Logistics
1) fireworks (905pm).. free
2) flowers (TTT).. $50
3) ballons (SFD) .. $30-$45
4) R/C cars (BH) .. $50
5) Room/dinner (BH).. $300/$100
6) video cam (TTT) ... free
7) *Real* car/transportation (LFD)... free
8) Sparklers, Spray ribbons, confetti, candles etc (HQ)... $10
Responsible parties for items in (C) are to please report status by next weekend 21 July by posting on blog.
D) The Hoodwink
Aim: To get her onto Sentosa without her suspecting a thing
Have started a poll to get your opinions
Choice 1: Room at the Amara Sanctuary
Pros: A platform for wet weather program (backup)
Disguised as a lucky draw prize recommended by SFD, will be less conspicuous
Can be really romantic if special arrangements can be made with hotel
Cons: Expensive
Choice 2: Dinner at one of the beach bars/hotels
Pros: Cheaper
Can get the timing just right
Disguised as a lucky draw prize recommended by SFD, will be less conspicuous
Cons: No wet weather program alternative
Cliche as a pre-proposal activity
Choice 3: Day trip to Sentosa stretching into the night
Pros: Cheapest
Cons: Most conspicuous as ACN pract meet is just the day before!
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
First FOTR meeting!
(UPDATE)
As some of us are coming down with a very bad case of the sniffles and given the late timing, this will be changed to a web conference conducted over MSN/Skype.
Time: 1045pm
Venue: MSN
Do attend if you are available ;)
(UPDATE)
For those who can make it, I propose to hold the following meeting to start the ball rolling before I am away in KL for the next two weeks...
Date: 12 July 2007
Time: 930pm
Venue: Coffee Club outside California Fitness Orchard
Agenda:
- Finalise the date of execution
- Prepare sourcing for supplies eg: R/C cars, fireworks etc
- Assign responsibilities
- Gather feedback
- Any Other Matters
Update: The bling bling is supposed to be ready and I can collect it anytime starting tomorrow! Hope it'll look great. It's the single most expensive item this giam siap person has ever spent on! (not even on his PC's leh!)
Confirmed attendees: SFD, TTT.
As some of us are coming down with a very bad case of the sniffles and given the late timing, this will be changed to a web conference conducted over MSN/Skype.
Time: 1045pm
Venue: MSN
Do attend if you are available ;)
(UPDATE)
For those who can make it, I propose to hold the following meeting to start the ball rolling before I am away in KL for the next two weeks...
Date: 12 July 2007
Time: 930pm
Venue: Coffee Club outside California Fitness Orchard
Agenda:
- Finalise the date of execution
- Prepare sourcing for supplies eg: R/C cars, fireworks etc
- Assign responsibilities
- Gather feedback
- Any Other Matters
Update: The bling bling is supposed to be ready and I can collect it anytime starting tomorrow! Hope it'll look great. It's the single most expensive item this giam siap person has ever spent on! (not even on his PC's leh!)
Confirmed attendees: SFD, TTT.
Saturday, 7 July 2007
Suggestions from Down Under
I've been reading the Grand Plan - Draft 1 and I have to admit, grand is putting things mildly. It's big. It's grand. It's romantic. It's got surprises. I like it. It's fantastic!!!
I'm pretty sure much discussion has been going on so I figure I'll contribute a few suggestions.
1. Method of getting the message accross.
I'm not sure if this is possible but I think it would be good if we could get the fireworks people to do something as part of the occassion. Maybe have them project a specific image. Maybe announce something special, like "The Hulk" has won a special prize for the day and to please come down to the front, follow by whatever you all think appropriate. If you can get enough people, make t-shirts spelling the whole thing out. Which leads me on to 2.
2. Hoodwink.
Assuming we can get Sentosa onboard, all that is required would be to organised to day trip or something to Sentosa. Easy enough. Less planning required and less chance of the whole thing being exposed by accident.
I lost my train of thought so this would have to be continued later.....
I'm pretty sure much discussion has been going on so I figure I'll contribute a few suggestions.
1. Method of getting the message accross.
I'm not sure if this is possible but I think it would be good if we could get the fireworks people to do something as part of the occassion. Maybe have them project a specific image. Maybe announce something special, like "The Hulk" has won a special prize for the day and to please come down to the front, follow by whatever you all think appropriate. If you can get enough people, make t-shirts spelling the whole thing out. Which leads me on to 2.
2. Hoodwink.
Assuming we can get Sentosa onboard, all that is required would be to organised to day trip or something to Sentosa. Easy enough. Less planning required and less chance of the whole thing being exposed by accident.
I lost my train of thought so this would have to be continued later.....
Thursday, 5 July 2007
The Grand Plan - Draft 1
Like a finger-licking recipe, or well-paced novel, a brilliant and spectacular plan will require several drafts and revisions. A well-executed plan will also require some amount of preparation and rehearsals. Here's an intial draft of my proposed plan to the FOTR, so please give me your comments and recommendations..
Part 1: Preparations and props
a) Balloons. We need to pick up suitable balloons that is helium filled. I'm think either a pair ie. barney + hulk or something meaningful (how about a very subtle "Will you marry me?"). As far as I know, the shop at Centrepoint sells these balloons (please let me know if you can find somewhere nicer and/or cheaper) and we can order them in advance and I'll need your help to collect them when it's ready.
b) Flowers. Need a nice bouquet picked out for the occasion. Thinking of lilies (her favourite) or the tried and tested roses
c) Remote control car. As proposed by SFD, a remote control car could zip out of nowhere to deliver a package. I'm thinking of tying the floating balloon to it. Could be quite a sight if timed right. I don't have one at the moment. Let me know if you guys have any (a pair if 2 balloons are used) or I might have budget to buy 2 decent but cheap ones.
d) Video + Still camera. TTT, can I count on you for these items? I might be able to borrow a Nikon D40 digital SLR for the job (maybe plus the still camera man too) but I don't really know anyone close enough to do the filming
e) Mood-setters. Divided into 2 subcategories
- Prep room: (see Part 2) items for creating a romantic mood in the hotel room eg. petals strewn on the bed, wine, candle lit room upon entry etc. (done this before so must make it look like it's not done by me :P ). A simple gift to throw her off the scent..some trinkets (any suggestions?)
- Prep proposal: noisemakers, sparklers, bubble gun (I know you have them TTT!), confetti to be used at the actual event to build up atmosphere.
f) Banner. Needed? I think balloons, flowers + fireworks should do a trick. Low priority item
Part 2: The Hoodwink
+
As revealed earlier, the location is at Sentosa where there is a scheduled fireworks display twice every night around 805 to 810pm and 905 to 910pm (let's try for the second one so it won't be too rushed).
Here's the exact location (codenamed - Site X):
It will be along the stretch of the Merlion Walk with small water fountains flanked by gardens on both sides. At the end of the walk near the beach, an alarm clock will chime on the hour (I think) which can act as a signal of sorts. It will also mean it is close to the launch of the fireworks.
The FOTR can actually hide in the Herb and Spice Garden which overseas the Walk and offers excellent cover and concealment while allowing an elevated vantage point for filming and observation.
(There is a significance in the choice of location which will be revealed in later blog entries. I need to see whether the fireworks is visible and audible from this location.)
The "hoodwink" is to be able to bring her to this location.
The proposed plan is to let her know that I have won a one night stay at the Amara Sanctuary. In the evening after dinner at one of the beach bars, I will lead her to this location at around 845pm. If Amara Sanctuary is not available, there is still the Sentosa Beach Resort (budget) or Rasa Sentosa.
Any other suggestions how I can somehow lead her comfortably to this location? (or cheaper suggestion..as the above will set me back by ~$300-$340 estimated).
Part 3: The Date
The custom bling bling is still being done at the moment and the estimated time that it will come back to me is by next weekend 14th July.
I need to select a date that falls between then and before the lunar 7th month (to avoid tsk-tsks from parents on both sides), and hopefully when there is a full moon.
Part 4: The Execution
Setting the Mood
Summary: The room is nicely decorated, candle lit when we first enter, with rose petals strewn on the bed and in the bath. A single stalk of rose/lily is on the bed along with the trinket (decoy gift).
Prepartion: I will get the room beforehand and will get all the setup done, hopefully with help from the hotel staff.
The Proposal
Summary: After dinner at one of the beach bars, we will take a nice stroll along beach and somehow end up at Site X. When the clock chimes, remote control cars bearing the balloons will approach us. I will reach out from behind one of the bushes and whip out a flower bouquet. Dishing out the bling bling, I make my move as the night sky fills up with vibrant sprays of fireworks.
Preparation: FOTR to pick up the balloons from the shop and bring the bouquet and other props (RC cars, sparklers etc).
While we are having dinner, I will excuse myself to go to the loo. I will call the FOTR coordinator and FOTR members will lie in ambush at the Spice garden. As we approach the Merlion Walk at the stipulated timing, FOTR should see us approaching. At the chime of the clock or 9pm, everything is set in motion!
1) RC cars move down the slope bearing the balloons.
2) I will reach out behind the bushes where FOTR lies in wait and grab the bouquet.
3) Amidst the fireworks, I will do the job.
4) She agrees (or otherwise), FOTR rushes out from the bushes with great fanfare.
The whole event - preparations, any feelings, thoughts, grumbles etc are recorded on video.
Well team, that's all for now. Any recommendations/suggestions for improvement?
I'll need to set a date and then I'll need to sacrifice FOTR's two Saturday weekend evenings. One for the rehearsal, and one for actual event. I hope this is not too much to ask. Mosquito repellent will be provided :P
Part 1: Preparations and props
a) Balloons. We need to pick up suitable balloons that is helium filled. I'm think either a pair ie. barney + hulk or something meaningful (how about a very subtle "Will you marry me?"). As far as I know, the shop at Centrepoint sells these balloons (please let me know if you can find somewhere nicer and/or cheaper) and we can order them in advance and I'll need your help to collect them when it's ready.
b) Flowers. Need a nice bouquet picked out for the occasion. Thinking of lilies (her favourite) or the tried and tested roses
c) Remote control car. As proposed by SFD, a remote control car could zip out of nowhere to deliver a package. I'm thinking of tying the floating balloon to it. Could be quite a sight if timed right. I don't have one at the moment. Let me know if you guys have any (a pair if 2 balloons are used) or I might have budget to buy 2 decent but cheap ones.
d) Video + Still camera. TTT, can I count on you for these items? I might be able to borrow a Nikon D40 digital SLR for the job (maybe plus the still camera man too) but I don't really know anyone close enough to do the filming
e) Mood-setters. Divided into 2 subcategories
- Prep room: (see Part 2) items for creating a romantic mood in the hotel room eg. petals strewn on the bed, wine, candle lit room upon entry etc. (done this before so must make it look like it's not done by me :P ). A simple gift to throw her off the scent..some trinkets (any suggestions?)
- Prep proposal: noisemakers, sparklers, bubble gun (I know you have them TTT!), confetti to be used at the actual event to build up atmosphere.
f) Banner. Needed? I think balloons, flowers + fireworks should do a trick. Low priority item
Part 2: The Hoodwink
+ 
As revealed earlier, the location is at Sentosa where there is a scheduled fireworks display twice every night around 805 to 810pm and 905 to 910pm (let's try for the second one so it won't be too rushed).
Here's the exact location (codenamed - Site X):
It will be along the stretch of the Merlion Walk with small water fountains flanked by gardens on both sides. At the end of the walk near the beach, an alarm clock will chime on the hour (I think) which can act as a signal of sorts. It will also mean it is close to the launch of the fireworks.
The FOTR can actually hide in the Herb and Spice Garden which overseas the Walk and offers excellent cover and concealment while allowing an elevated vantage point for filming and observation.
(There is a significance in the choice of location which will be revealed in later blog entries. I need to see whether the fireworks is visible and audible from this location.)
The "hoodwink" is to be able to bring her to this location.
The proposed plan is to let her know that I have won a one night stay at the Amara Sanctuary. In the evening after dinner at one of the beach bars, I will lead her to this location at around 845pm. If Amara Sanctuary is not available, there is still the Sentosa Beach Resort (budget) or Rasa Sentosa.
Any other suggestions how I can somehow lead her comfortably to this location? (or cheaper suggestion..as the above will set me back by ~$300-$340 estimated).
Part 3: The Date
The custom bling bling is still being done at the moment and the estimated time that it will come back to me is by next weekend 14th July.
I need to select a date that falls between then and before the lunar 7th month (to avoid tsk-tsks from parents on both sides), and hopefully when there is a full moon.
Part 4: The Execution
Setting the Mood
Summary: The room is nicely decorated, candle lit when we first enter, with rose petals strewn on the bed and in the bath. A single stalk of rose/lily is on the bed along with the trinket (decoy gift).
Prepartion: I will get the room beforehand and will get all the setup done, hopefully with help from the hotel staff.
The Proposal
Summary: After dinner at one of the beach bars, we will take a nice stroll along beach and somehow end up at Site X. When the clock chimes, remote control cars bearing the balloons will approach us. I will reach out from behind one of the bushes and whip out a flower bouquet. Dishing out the bling bling, I make my move as the night sky fills up with vibrant sprays of fireworks.
Preparation: FOTR to pick up the balloons from the shop and bring the bouquet and other props (RC cars, sparklers etc).
While we are having dinner, I will excuse myself to go to the loo. I will call the FOTR coordinator and FOTR members will lie in ambush at the Spice garden. As we approach the Merlion Walk at the stipulated timing, FOTR should see us approaching. At the chime of the clock or 9pm, everything is set in motion!
1) RC cars move down the slope bearing the balloons.
2) I will reach out behind the bushes where FOTR lies in wait and grab the bouquet.
3) Amidst the fireworks, I will do the job.
4) She agrees (or otherwise), FOTR rushes out from the bushes with great fanfare.
The whole event - preparations, any feelings, thoughts, grumbles etc are recorded on video.
Well team, that's all for now. Any recommendations/suggestions for improvement?
I'll need to set a date and then I'll need to sacrifice FOTR's two Saturday weekend evenings. One for the rehearsal, and one for actual event. I hope this is not too much to ask. Mosquito repellent will be provided :P
Thursday, 28 June 2007
The Grand Plan I - Location location location!
Half of the FOTR have gone for an informal recce of proposed site for the grand plan, unwittingly. The question has been posed: how are you getting the fireworks? National Day Parade? Sparklers from the mama shop?
The answer has been unveiled and it is plain and simple - Songs of the Sea.
For those who are not aware, the old musical fountain at Sentosa has been demolished and a replacement of sorts has been built on Siloso Beach with more pyrotechnics, laser guns and... fireworks!
Songs of the Sea is performed twice daily starting at 740 and 840pm. Judging by the timing witnessed earlier by SFD and HQ earlier, it takes about 30 minutes after the show commences to have the bulk of the fireworks lighting up. As "duh" as the plot of the performance is (yes..I actually watched it..and someone please shoot the playwright), the fireworks display is impressive nonetheless and should be clearly visible from the planned location. We will need to verify this further on a detailed recce of the ground.
Suffice to say, when the fireworks are lit, out comes the bling bling, out comes the balloon, out comes the banner. We have to get the timing right....
The answer has been unveiled and it is plain and simple - Songs of the Sea.
For those who are not aware, the old musical fountain at Sentosa has been demolished and a replacement of sorts has been built on Siloso Beach with more pyrotechnics, laser guns and... fireworks!
Songs of the Sea is performed twice daily starting at 740 and 840pm. Judging by the timing witnessed earlier by SFD and HQ earlier, it takes about 30 minutes after the show commences to have the bulk of the fireworks lighting up. As "duh" as the plot of the performance is (yes..I actually watched it..and someone please shoot the playwright), the fireworks display is impressive nonetheless and should be clearly visible from the planned location. We will need to verify this further on a detailed recce of the ground.
Suffice to say, when the fireworks are lit, out comes the bling bling, out comes the balloon, out comes the banner. We have to get the timing right....
Monday, 25 June 2007
Chapter 1: Prelude
Oh well, I'm not really the blogging type, being lazy and all, and my narrative skills are getting really rusty. So bear with me please, if I bore you with needless information..hmm..like the two sentences which I just typed out *oops*
I started this blog to start documenting a journey. A journey that I've already begun and is about to get pretty exciting in the coming months (hopefully, in a good way). So I'm late to the blogging scene, so I figured I have plenty that I need to catch up on. Well, not only to learning about blogging in general, but also to sharing stories about this journey. Going by this, such posts could be pretty fragmented amongst the other posts. I'll have to apologise for it in the beginning now..
Disclaimer: The following is based on a *somewhat* true account. However, where details are not wholly recallable or intact, some estimation or fictitious dribble might be substituted instead. Or certain portions might be sensationalised or exaggerated to make for more interesting reading material. *hiaks hiaks*..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Impressions..
It's been barely more than a week since I've been recruited to this firm (again) . At this point of time, there aren't too many people sitting at where they are usually supposed to be seated, or so I've been told. Many unfamiliar faces come and go from this room in the GMTI building, and I'm having a hard time keeping track of who's who. Not to worry, I told myself. We're all going to get chummy and have a great time working together in no time! Ahh..ever the optimist eh?
My seat currently faces away from the entrance door, sitting at a right angle to where the Banganae was sitting (I realised he could speak Chinese as well as I did! Good thing I knew about it then and there on the first day). He's my mentor for now. A nice chap, I thought. And in the days to come, he did nothing to prove me wrong :)
So on this day, while exploring the *wonderful* software that's going to be my ricebowl for a while, two faces came through that same door. New faces I've not met before. My shifu told me we'll be going to this market with some other colleagues today. Cool, I thought. Maybe I can get to meet these two "newcomers" (hey it's relative).
So at the door outside our office, I was introduced to the two "sisters" of Nauticus. The really pale, soft spoken and bespectacled one was YL. The other one, face black black and always looking busy, was SL. Face black black? Hmm.. I couldn't be sure, but I think I
remember both wearing dark coloured suits. I thought these two were really experienced staff. In my own quiet way, I doubt I left much of an impression on either. Though *face black black* was the definitive last memory I had of SL before we met again after that day.
We walked to this really old-style market and hawker centre for lunch.. Lunch was a less uptight event thankfully, and there was jolly talk all round though I didn't participate much. Most of it was teasing and joking between the Banganae and SL. YL was really quiet. I mean..really. I thought she was just very shy. Hehehe..
After this lunch meeting, we seldom saw these two again. As I understand then, some of the people in the project has been deployed elsewhere, including most of my own team. It would be some days again before I met these two girls...
Here ends Chapter 1. Stay tuned for more of the story that unfolds..
I started this blog to start documenting a journey. A journey that I've already begun and is about to get pretty exciting in the coming months (hopefully, in a good way). So I'm late to the blogging scene, so I figured I have plenty that I need to catch up on. Well, not only to learning about blogging in general, but also to sharing stories about this journey. Going by this, such posts could be pretty fragmented amongst the other posts. I'll have to apologise for it in the beginning now..
Disclaimer: The following is based on a *somewhat* true account. However, where details are not wholly recallable or intact, some estimation or fictitious dribble might be substituted instead. Or certain portions might be sensationalised or exaggerated to make for more interesting reading material. *hiaks hiaks*..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Impressions..
It's been barely more than a week since I've been recruited to this firm (again) . At this point of time, there aren't too many people sitting at where they are usually supposed to be seated, or so I've been told. Many unfamiliar faces come and go from this room in the GMTI building, and I'm having a hard time keeping track of who's who. Not to worry, I told myself. We're all going to get chummy and have a great time working together in no time! Ahh..ever the optimist eh?
My seat currently faces away from the entrance door, sitting at a right angle to where the Banganae was sitting (I realised he could speak Chinese as well as I did! Good thing I knew about it then and there on the first day). He's my mentor for now. A nice chap, I thought. And in the days to come, he did nothing to prove me wrong :)
So on this day, while exploring the *wonderful* software that's going to be my ricebowl for a while, two faces came through that same door. New faces I've not met before. My shifu told me we'll be going to this market with some other colleagues today. Cool, I thought. Maybe I can get to meet these two "newcomers" (hey it's relative).
So at the door outside our office, I was introduced to the two "sisters" of Nauticus. The really pale, soft spoken and bespectacled one was YL. The other one, face black black and always looking busy, was SL. Face black black? Hmm.. I couldn't be sure, but I think I
remember both wearing dark coloured suits. I thought these two were really experienced staff. In my own quiet way, I doubt I left much of an impression on either. Though *face black black* was the definitive last memory I had of SL before we met again after that day.
We walked to this really old-style market and hawker centre for lunch.. Lunch was a less uptight event thankfully, and there was jolly talk all round though I didn't participate much. Most of it was teasing and joking between the Banganae and SL. YL was really quiet. I mean..really. I thought she was just very shy. Hehehe..
Here ends Chapter 1. Stay tuned for more of the story that unfolds..
Friday, 22 June 2007
The Fellowship of the Ring
This day marks the formation of the Fellowship - whose purpose is to perform a most daring deed in the near future. A blast from the Google horn has summoned its members, a call to arms. From many lands, these courageous conspirators have come..
- the labour day mummy (LDM)
- the stunt finger double (SFD)
- the hamster queen (HQ)
- the Tat Tat Tat (TTT)
Trudging into the hallowed hallway, the sounds of their footsteps reverberating through the cracks and corners of this cavernous cave, the Fellowship will soon convene in their maiden session.
只许成功，不许失败！
Trudging into the hallowed hallway, the sounds of their footsteps reverberating through the cracks and corners of this cavernous cave, the Fellowship will soon convene in their maiden session.
只许成功，不许失败！
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