Busy Sunday!

My HP’s alarm rang at 8am and I reached my hand out to turn it off. I was still lying on my bed and refused to get up as I did not sleep well the night before. Thinking about the schedule I had planned for the day, I got up from my bed reluctantly and went to wash up. After I washed up, Jer called me to check on me as she feared that I might still be sleeping soundly.

I quickly swept and mopped the house and went to Jer’s house at 9.15am. Jer was still taking her time to get ready cos she would be having her driving lesson after the appointment with Sebasten. We left her house and hurried to our new house. Luckily, we reached there before Sebasten. Sebasten came limping shortly with a swelling foot from a fall he had a few days ago. We went through the whole house with him and he gave several suggestions to us on how to renovate the house. He took some measurements and notes in his notepad and informed us that he would try to design something for the living room by the end of the week.

As the time was creeping near Jer’s driving lesson at 10.30am, I told her to go first and I would settle the rest. Jer left for her lesson and I continued to discuss with Sebasten. Before he left, I asked him to provide me a rough estimate quote of the cost of the renovation when he produced the design at the end of the week and he agreed.

I went home and took a bath to prepare for the next appointment. Jer came back and I meet up with her to go to Sattine for her trial make up. We reached Sattine exactly at 12.30pm and Jer informed Mandy about our decision to change the photographer to Yen instead of the recommended Xiao Xin (Edmund). Mandy told us that we are the 6th couple who has decided to make the change. However, the photo shoot date will need to be changed to another day as Yen is not free on 6 October. Mandy can only confirm the date tomorrow evening. Yesterday night, Jer had done some research on Yen and Xiao Xin and to our horror; the comments about Xiao Xin are not complimentary. The make-up artist Jessie came and began her art on Jer’s face. She was chatting to Jer but her hands never slowed down. She completed Jer’s make-up in 30 mins and Jer was quite satisfied with it. Mandy then told us to go for lunch as it was late and to return later to try out the dresses for the photo shoot.

We had lunch at Tanjong Pagar Plaza. We returned to Sattine and Jer tried on a few dresses but only 1 design caught our attention. We decided to MTM the evening gown in 2 shades of purple from the design. Mandy was busy attending to another couple and told us to return at around 6pm to select the dresses.

So we went off to Novena Square to spot-check on Mavis who is working at a makeover shop. We found Mavis working on a customer effortlessly but she was so engrossed in her work that she did not notice us. We went to buy waffle to eat and bought her share too. Yet, she did not see us again. So we walked around Novena Square to kill time. We went to buy ice-cream and went back to the shop. This time, Mavis finally saw us and she was so surprised. We gave her the waffle and Jer asked her to accompany her to Sattine later cos I had to work night shift. We waited for Mavis but I left first at 6.30pm.

While I was working, Jer called me and told me that she had decided on the dresses for the photo shoot. Jer was very excited. We are a step nearer to the photo shoot.

Eventful day

I woke up earlier than usual today. I'm still having the flu from yesterday and my tummy and neck are aching from the yoga practises I had yesterday. It's irritating whenever I have flu. Sian...

I called the contractor Sebasten Soo to arrange an appointment with him on the coming Sunday. Jer and myself are thinking of doing up the living room, re-paint the whole unit and maybe to build-in some wardrobes in the rooms. Sebasten was unable to confirm with me right away as he was not in office to check his schedule and told me that he would call me later.

I also called HKTC and asked about the re-painting for the corridor. No one has called me and I can't believe they are so inefficient. I was transferred to the officer in-charge, Mr Lim. He told me that he had gone to the unit himself and the re-painting would be starting soon and completed by mid-October. At least, he has done something about it.

I had lunch at home and called the plumber for the appointment. We set the time at 1.30pm. I was to carry a ladder from my home to the new house. Then Jer asked me to buy a mop with changeable head to bring to the new house. So I carried the ladder on 1 hand and carried the mop in another. I met Jeremy along the way and he told me I looked like a contractor... Thanks hor brother... (-_-;)

I reached my new house and the plumber was outside already. He told me he just arrived and we went into the house. As we did not have the mirror, he just applied some PVC gum on the pipe and told me to call him again if there is any problem in the future. He left shortly and I started to sweep the floor. The house is kindda dusty even though there is no one staying there. I thought of mopping the floor but my nose was leaking like a pipe... So I gave up the idea and left. I went to open the letter box and discovered a few envelopes and a lot of flyers in it. There were 2 envelopes attentioned to the lady seller and 1 envelope from DTZ. In it was an official receipt stating that they had received the commission in full. There was also a recycled envelope from the sellers which contained the CCTV manual and installation CD. No wonder I cannot locate them in the box haa!

I sent an sms to Mr Lim to inform him about the 2 envelopes and went home. Shortly after I'd reached home, Mr Lim called me to ask me to put the envelopes in his in-laws' letter box at Blk 338. I told him I would do it later. Well, if he had called earlier, I would not need to make a trip back again. Feeling sick, I went to take a nap.

I woke up at 6pm and luckily, I was feeling better already. I went to Blk 338 and dumped the envelopes into the given unit's letter box. I went back home and called Sebasten. Sebasten had an appointment in the late morning on Sunday and he would try to change it with his clients to accommodate my appointment. He would call me again.

At 7.10pm, my HP rang but it was not Sebasten but the catering manager, Colette Seah, from M Hotel. She informed me that the dates for the food tasting were out and confirmed my email address to send the details to me. I called Jer and told her about the good news. We set the date on 17 November. I called Sebasten again and he told us that he would be able to make it on Sunday at 11.30am. Actually, if he could not make it, Jer and myself would not mind meeting him earlier haha. I also asked him to bring along the paints catalog and some designs (he had done before) which he thinks are suitable for my living room. I even sent him the floor plan via email.

So everything will have to wait on Sunday. But I just received a call from Jer saying that Sattine requires us to be there earlier on Sunday at 12.30pm... OMG, I immediately sent an sms to Sebasten to ask to meet him at 9.30am instead. Hopefully, he will be able to make it. I feel so bad to make him change his appointments. But what can I do?

The customer is always right hahaha! ;-P

The Big Sweep

Today is Monday and poor Jer has to go back to work... What about me? I'm enjoying my second off day haha! So the chore of sweeping the house will be solely undertaken by myself.

After I had my breakfast, I called up Hong Kah Town Council (HKTC) to ask for someone to check the kitchen's toilet which was supposed to be leaking as informed by Mr Lim. The staff arranged the plumber to meet me at our house at 12pm. Besides that, I also asked the staff to get people to repaint the wall and ceiling along the corridor and for the block as they were all darkened for unknown reasons. However, the staff told me that the repainting of the block would only be done every 7 years and they would do it next year for my block. As for the corridor, it would be on a case-by-case basis. The staff informed me that she would send an officer to take a look and the officer would call me to arrange for an appointment. The completion of the coming lift upgrading programme (LUP) will depend on HDB and it usually takes a year to complete. This means that by the time we are having our wedding, the lift will not be ready yet.

I had my early lunch at home and went to the house to wait for the plumber. I reached there slightly before 12pm and while I was waiting, I swept the entire house and took slightly more than an hour to clean up all the green beans, tea leaves and dust. The result: a clean house but a blister on one of my fingers... But still, the plumber had yet to arrive. Irritated, I called up HKTC to enquire. The staff gave me the plumber's HP number and asked me to call him. Apparently, the plumber had forgotten about the appointment and promised to come to the house immediately. He only arrived at 1.25pm... He began to check the toilet pipe. After some scratching and removing of scotch tapes from the pipe, he concluded that it could be the ceiling that is leaking. However, he will require a ladder and a small mirror to confirm it. So he fixed an appointment with me on the coming Friday to inspect the pipe again. Sigh... This is so troublesome... :-(

The plumber left the house after 5 mins and I returned home.

In the evening, Mavis came to view our house. The neighbour's dog barked at us the moment we walked past it. Jer was frightened by it even though it is just a small dog haha! After we had finished viewing the house, we returned home as Jer had not eaten her dinner. The next thing we have to do is to plan what we want for the renovation! Lots of things to do....

Opening Ceremony

It has been 2 days since we had taken over the keys to our new home. But as according to Ben's mother, we could only enter the house on an auspicious date and time which is today.

Filled with excitement, I couldn't sleep well the night before. My mother was telling us that according to Chinese customs, we should buy a pineapple, a "fa gao" and some oranges to place in the house when we first enter. We should also burn some offerings to the "Tu Di Gong" a.k.a. "Earth God" to pray for safety at the void deck. The pineapple should be rolled into the house following with a shout of "huat" to pray for good fortune for the house and occupants. The "fa gao" should be placed beside the pineapple after the carrier had said "huat" 3 times. Then according to Ben's mother, we should bring two red colour bamboo sticks tied at the front, center and rear with red strings, and the person carrying it would enter the house first and placed them in the kitchen. This is to create an illusion that there are people staying in the house so that there will not be any "dirty things" coming to the house. Every corner in the house will also be scattered with green beans and tea leaves for that same effect.

So we went to our house at 10am. Although we are not that superstitious, we rather believe than to regret in future. We followed what our mothers had told us and decided to combine the two customs. I have listed down what we had done in the house:
1. I opened the metal gate and door and Ben shouted "Huat ah" as he rolled the pineapple on the floor. It landed nicely just before the grey TV platform. Yeah it's a "X"!
2. Ben carried in the two tied red colour bamboo sticks and placed them in the kitchen.
3. I brought in the "fa gao" and said "huat" 3 times.
4. We placed the oranges beside the pineapple and Ben's mother went around the unit to scatter the green beans and tea leaves. After that, she placed the remaining green beans beside the oranges.

Ben's mother then instructed Ben to sweep the floor and to clear the things 3 days later, which is on 22 September. Ben had brought along his measuring tape and floorplan and we measured the dimensions of the washing machine and fridge platform. We also did a rough measurement of the dining table and sofa.

After all that had been done, we left the house and went to Bukit Gombak Central for lunch. Ben treated us for lunch. After our meal, we went around to shop for the cleaning devices for the house.

I had wanted to shop for furniture but we put off the idea as we were tired already. Well, we finally have our own HOME at long last! :-)

Finally, the most awaited day!

Today is the day for us to go HDB Hub for our final appointment to take over the keys from the sellers.

I have applied for half-day leave for the afternoon appointment at 3.45pm while Ben is having his off. Initially, I have arranged to meet up with Ben at Tiong Bahru Plaza to have our lunch before going to HDB Hub. However, at the last minute, I need to go to Standard Chartered Bank at Anchor Point to remit a very imporant payment so I have to meet Ben at Queenstown MRT station instead.

I arrived at Queenstown MRT station at around 1.40pm and Ben was there waiting. Fortunately, he has got his PSP to keep him company. Ben had an appointment with Mandy who is kind enough to make amendments to his ceremonial dress which is needed for the PS in 2 weeks' time. We proceed to Tanjong Pagar Plaza for our lunch. Ben had wanted to bring me to the famous nasi lemak stall over there and I have been longing to try it. By the time we reached, it was 2pm and all the 3 nasi lemak stalls were packing up and closing the stalls. Oh well, I guess I have no fate to eat the nasi lemak... We settled for yong tau foo and herbal chicken and since there was still some time, we went to SingPost to renew my PDL.

After that, we went to Sattine. Ben tried on his ceremonial dress and Mandy suggested that she would only tailor the top to make it more fitting. We were both amazed that Ben has such slim legs keke! Mandy told us to wait for a while as she only needed 15 mins to tailor the top. As we were meeting our agent, Patricia, at HDB Hub at 3.30pm, we told Mandy that we would collect it later and rushed off to HDB hub.

We reached HDB Hub at 3.30pm sharp and met up with Patricia and the sellers. We got our queue number 4142 and went to the 2nd floor to wait for our turn. The queue slip showed our room number is 235 and we waited just outside the rooms. We waited and waited and suddenly, our seller, Mr Lim, went to the next rows of rooms and saw our queue number was being called at room 234. So why was the wrong room number printed on the queue slip? We quickly went to the room and our resale officer was waiting for us. Mr Lim then handed over the keys to us in the presence of the resale officer and he also gave us a file containing all the renovation and relevant documents to us. Wow, Ben was right. I did not believe that Mr Lim would be so nice to give us the file too! ;-P He's really a very nice guy!

After all the procedures, we are finally the official homeowners of our new home! But, this is also the beginning of more tasks to be done... We paid Patricia her commission and made our way back to Tanjong Pagar. We are having our wedding photo shoot in two weeks and I still have not source for my wedding shoes. We went to International Plaza first as Mandy had told us that I could find my wedding shoes there. We were walking around trying to find shoes shops and suddenly Ben pointed to a display poster and exclaimed that the shoes are beautiful.

Agreeing with him, we went into the shop, Leaping Lizards. Inside the shop, most of the shoes are designed for weddings and we found the shoes that we had seen on the poster. I tried it on and like it a lot. They were comfortable and elegant. The lady boss (whom we presumed she is) informed us that she has a similar design but it has Swarovski crystals on it instead of the normal crystals. To show us the difference, she put the two shoes together; one with normal crystals and the other with Swarovski crystals. The winner is no other than the shoe with the Swarovski crystals. The shine from the Swarovski crystals was really stunning and so was the price... The pair of shoes cost more than $300, which is double the price of the one with normal crystals. OMG! I didn't want to invest so much in a pair of shoes and so I decided to purchase the pair of shoes with the normal crystals. After all, I may not wear the pair of shoes again unless I am attending a grand function or dinner. *heart pain* This is the most costly pair of shoes i owned.

Next, we went back to Sattine. I told Mandy about the shoes and she took a look at them. When she saw the shoes, she informed us that one of her customers had also bought the same pair of shoes. Haha, what a coincident! In addition, we met the same people who were also at Leaping Lizard earlier on. So it was double coincidence haa!

Ben collected his top and we decided to go for dinner. Ben suggested to have our dinner at Sakae Sushi at Icon Village as a form of celebration for officially becoming homeowners. Yippe! On our way to Sakae Sushi, we went to IsRose to say hi to my friends. I briefly updated them on my wedding preparations and we went for dinner.

After the dinner, we took a stroll to M Hotel. I wanted to see whether I could have my photo shoot there but to my disappointment, the place is not so ideal. It does not have the kind of beautiful stairs that I liked. I have to source for another place then... Sigh...

After a long and tiring day, we finally embarked on the journey home. At least today was a fruitful day for us to finally owning a house and we are almost prepared for our photo shoot. Hooray!

Wedding Bands

For the past few months, Ben has been asking me when I would be going to look at wedding bands but I have been putting the issue aside as I kept thinking we still have time. One fine day, while walking around bugis, we were approached by the sales exec of Lee Hwa jewellery so we decided to pop inside to have a look.

We were browsing the rings section and the sales exec (A) asked when we will need the ring so I told him next month. A then informed us that we would need to wait 3 months if we were to custom made the rings. We were surprised that the wait for custom made wedding bands is so long! We had intended to have our wedding bands ready for our photo shoot next month and yet only now we are looking for them...

We went around a few other jewellery shops but nothing really caught my eyes until I saw something at Citigems and we managed to shortlist the design. It has 6 diamonds all round the ring and a single groove in between the diamonds. The sales exec told us that we could get our wedding bands in time as Ben's finger size is small and he has to take the ladies' design. We will be taking the identical pair of rings. Ben's finger size is 12 and for guys, the ring size is from 16 and above. Satisfied, we asked for the product code of the design and left the shop.

Today, we went to Citigems at Lot 1 to look for my brother and gave him the product code. My brother does not have that design but West Mall Citigems has it. While we are still browsing around, we saw another design which previously we had forgo as the guy's design is too plain. The design is similar to the one we saw in Bugis except that it has an additional diagonal groove at the diamonds and looks more dazzling. I tried on the ring and like it. But I was pondering which design to choose over the two. Knowing me that I won't be satisfied until I tried on the other design again, we went to West Mall Citigems. Once we set foot inside the shop, immediately I asked to try on the design when I spotted it on display.

The conclusion?

I decided to choose the design I saw at my brother's shop.

Finally, we have selected our wedding bands and according to my brother, they would be arriving at his shop in a few days time. So we will be able to have our wedding bands for the photoshoot!

Inspection of Unit

The date to our 2nd HDB appointment draws nearer and we were required to make a final inspection before the official handing over of keys to us.

As Ben's sister's family would be coming back to Ben's house for dinner, Ben had asked his sister and brother-in-law to accompany us for the inspection. Ben's brother-in-law is an engineer and is experienced in electrical installation and inspection.

So we went to the void deck at 5pm and guess what we saw? Ben's sister was doing exercise at the workout area in front of the block LOL! She told us that her husband was parking the car and would be coming over soon. Another surprise yet again! Ben's brother-in-law came with his two children. The day before, Ben had called a contractor recommended by the seller Mr Lim to come to the unit to take a look. The contractor is Sebasten Soo from Frontier Concept Pte Ltd. But he was nowhere to be seen. Ben called him and he informed that he would be reaching soon. So Ben told him to go up to the unit himself while we made our way up.

We were received by Mr Lim again. Mr Lim informed us that his wife had gone to Shanghai for a meeting and therefore she was not at home. Ben's brother-in-law began his inspection with a floorplan given by Ben. Ben's brother-in-law went around the unit and told us that everything seems alright to him. But he instructed us to get a copy of the electrical installation from Mr Lim just in case we need it in the future. Ben's sister told us that if we were to change our curtains, she would like to take the yellow curtains for her home as they matched the colour of her furniture. Wah so convenient haha! While we were at the kitchen's toilet, Mr Lim told us that the toilet's main pipe is leaking and suggested us to call Town Council to take a look. :-( Only until the last minute, then he told us about it... In our minds, we are thinking that he should have asked Town Council to settle the matter while he is still staying there.

After the inspection, we were all waiting for the grand arrival of Sebasten. Ben told Mr Lim about the appointment of Sebasten and Mr Lim immediately called him. Mr Lim was basically reprimanding him over the phone and he said he would be coming soon. We waited a while longer and it was Ben's turn to call Sebasten. Ben was also demanding him to come quickly as we were going back to his house for dinner. In the end, Sebasten came at 6pm which was an hour late.

Mr Lim scolded him again before we started back on track. I kindda like Sebasten's personality as he was very frank and honest. He told us that the floor is in a good condition and doesn't require reconstruction. He gave a lot of recommendations to us which I feel that they are very good. At least he did not disappoint us after an hour of waiting for him.

After Sebasten had finished giving his recommendations around the unit, we bid farewell to Mr Lim and went back to Ben's house for dinner.

The next upcoming event would be the 2nd appointment on 18th September. Stayed tuned! ;-)

Gown Trying @ Satt|ne Part II

2 weeks had passed since the last time we'd gone to Sattine to try the gown. Although the feeling of excitment was not as strong as the first time, I am still looking forward to it. Today I will be confirming my wedding gown and decide if I were to choose my evening gown OTR or MTM.

I reached Tanjong Pagar MRT station at around 7pm. I waited a little while for Ben as he had gone for yoga classes at True Yoga. Ben was supposed to be working today but his working shift kindda changed and was able to come along. Ben showed up and surprised me with 2 McChicken burgers. The past experience had taught him to have some food first prior to choosing the gowns as it will take a couple of hours. Mavis will be late... coming at around 7.30pm.

We strolled to Sattine and ate our burgers. Mandy brewed red dates tea for us and she was wearing a white furry cap which kind of made her looked brighter. Her colleagues then told us that Mandy had shaved off her hair when she went to China the week before. She showed us her bald head which I find is really cool and I like her cap!

Mavis came shortly and we went up to the 2nd floor to try the gowns. While I was trying the first gown, Mavis felt hungry and went to buy dinner. She bought Xing Chow Bee Hoon from the opposite coffeeshop and kept commenting that the wok must be very hot as her bee hoon was still steaming hot. The fragrance filled the entire room and made us all hungry! >.<

I tried on the gown which I had eyed on the display during our 1st visit but the cutting was too big for me. Sattine only has size M or L for that gown. So in the end, we decided to select the same gown that we had chosen previously. We also selected the gowns that I am going to wear for the photoshoot. I had tried on a green gown with black netting and took a fancy to it. I had thought of wearing it for the wedding banquet but we were all worried that our parents would not like it for the black element on the gown... Well, we gotta see how it goes. So, after trying a couple more gowns, we realised we had selected quite a no for PS but have not confirmed any for the evening wear. It's really very tough to make a decision. Mandy then gave me the option to use OTR gown for PS and for the actual dinner, we can MTM the evening gown. This sounds good as I still have not think through what design I want for the evening wear.

At around 9.30pm, we set another appointment and went to Amara Hotel to have BK for dinner/supper. We spent around an hour to finish our food and went home feeling exhausted.

The next appointment is set on 28 September 2008 to choose Ben's suits and alter my gowns. The day draws nearer to the photo shoot next month.

HDB 1st Appointment

Finally, the long-awaited day is here!

I was waken by my HP's alarm at 6.15am and call Jer to wake her up. Jer reminded me to bring all the required documents and I suddenly hit the panic button! Where is the HLE letter? It didn't come to our minds that it is required as it is not stated in the 1st appointment letter. We searched and searched our homes but we just couldn't find it...

My parents had left for their breakfast and told me that they would be waiting for us at the coffeeshop. Left with no solution, I decided to print out the scanned HLE letter which is stored in my computer and went to meet Jer and my parents. When we reached the coffeeshop, my parents had already finished their breakfast. We quickly had a light breakfast and left in my father's car at 7.40am.

Traffic was very smooth and we arrived at HDB Hub at around 8am. There were a handful of people loitering at the waiting area even though the Hub was still not in operation yet. The sellers and agents came shortly and we got the first queue number 4000. We went to the 2nd floor to wait and when our queue number was being called, that's the beginning of our worst nightmare!

First, we were asked to produce the HLE letter. I looked at Jer and passed the printed copy to the HDB officer. Luckily the officer accepted it. After some administrative procedures, we were asked to wait for our queue number to be called by inner room. Beep! We heard the queue call and looked up at the display board. Our queue number was flashing with the number 234. We quickly went into the room and we were made to sign and sign on the many documents given to us. We both agreed that we had NEVER signed so many documents in our lives! The ordeal was finally over but then came the most pain-staking moment. We had to pay the remaining of the COV. Although we were unwilling to part with it (as if), we issued the cheque and believed it is worth the money.

The next appointment was set tentatively on 18th September and this is our 1st step to become homeowners. Oh Yes!

Gown Trying @ Satt|ne Part I

I had intended to leave for work early today but was held up. I rushed down to Sattine Bridal Couture located at Tanjong Pagar to meet Ben and Mavis who are already there for my gown trying. I am quite pleased with myself as I had done my homework, i.e. looking through bridal mags (from Mindy) and identifying the gowns that I like. I showed Mandy, the coordinator, the type of gowns that I preferred so that it will be easier for her to choose something along that line. After all, this is a once in a lifetime affair and it's every gal's dream to look the most beautiful on that special day! Poor Ben had a cold and he was suffering inside the dressing room. I tried on a few gowns before David and Mindy came back with snacks. They had came earlier and Mindy had decided on her wedding gown and stayed behind to have dinner together. I am really very fortunate to have such buddies who accompanied me throughout to choose my gown. Although David was very bored, tired and hungry, he still patiently waited for me. *Thanks heaps!!!*

I decided that I wanted a gown that make me look "princessy" for the first march in and a elegant evening gown for the 2nd march in. I tried on several more gowns and managed to find one which everyone agreed that it was suitable for me. I loved the embroderies and the cutting! :) Ok, I took about 2 hrs to select 1 gown! It's quite tedious I must say... Mavis also had a go on one of the wedding gown which she looked fabulous in it. Mavis commented that it would be a long time before she would have her own wedding but I assured her that her wait for a perfect guy will not be in vain.

Mission acomplished! I've decided on the wedding gown. While we were arranging for another appointment to try my evening gown, we saw a display gown on the first level and I felt like trying it. However, I have to wait for a week to try it as it could not be tried until it is removed from the display. Duh~ oh well...

We set the date for our 2nd appointment and we are on our way to Geylang to have our dinner. We had frog's leg with porridge and BBQ sting-ray which Ben gladly paid for to thank everyone.

2 more weeks to the 2nd appointment - woohoo!

Finalizing of the OTP

Today is a beautiful Sunday. The sun is shining brightly but there is no wind. We have arranged with the sellers to go to the unit to view the unit a 2nd time and to make the final payment of the OTP. This time, we have brought our mothers along for their opinions.

We went to the unit and were greeted warmly by the sellers. Our mothers were disapproved of our decision because it is a 22 year old flat and due to the bad experiences they had back in the Hillview days. The sellers reassured them and told them that the unit was kept in good condition.

Nevertheless, Ben sat down on the sofa and began issuing the cheque to the sellers. The sellers wanted to move out in mid-Septemeber (to avoid the lunar 7th month or Hungry Ghost Festival) and they started to search for an auspicious date in the "tong shu". They found their date in an instant and Patricia and their agent counted backwards from the calendar on the date to submit the HDB application and the date for our 1st appointment. We set the 1st appointment date on 16th August. While we were processing the paperwork, my mum started to chit-chat with the sellers. To our amaze, we found out that the lady seller is actually the sister of my mother's elder brother's son's wife. What a complicated relationship! No wonder I had found her to be familiar the very first time I met her.

Soon after, we settled all the necessary matters and left the unit. Throughout the journey back home, we were constantly nagged by our mothers but we believed that our decision is right.

So the moral of the story is: if you are thinking of bringing your parents to view your future home-to-be, better think twice! ;-)

Love @ 1st sight!

For the past few days, Ben and myself had been going around viewing flats for our love nest. Of course, our dear friends, Mindy & David have also been accompanying us whenever they are free and giving us important and valuable suggestions. Thanks buds! ;-)

Tonight was no exception. I had arranged to meet with an agent, Patricia, to view a few flats which are just a few blocks away from where we are currently staying. But first, we have to view a flat located near to Bukit Batok Central. We arrived at the meeting place and we did not see anyone waiting for us... Talking about punctuality, Ben is very particular especially when he is the customer. He always feels that the customer should not be waiting for the service. I called Patricia and she told me that she would be arriving soon as she was still walking to the block. When Ben heard that Patricia is still walking to the block, he was thinking that Patricia is not driving and wondering how we were supposed to go to the blocks near to our place. The previous agent whom we have met a few days ago had brought us around in his Jaguar and that has pampered and imprinted a deep impression in Ben's heart.

Patricia arrived shortly and apologized for her lateness. She told us that she had arranged with another agent to view the unit together and we went up to the unit. We did not like the flat and Ben told Patricia about our preferences. True to Ben's assumptions, Patricia brought us to a bus-stop and told us that bus service number 187 could bring us to the next location which is near to our place. But she was not sure where to stop and actually asked us... Ben was grumbling quietly to me and I hoped that Patricia would not disappoint us further.

We managed to stop at the correct bus-stop and walked to our next location. Patricia was holding a map but it was in Chinese... She was kindda lost and Ben had to take over the lead to bring us to the place. Ben was saying that he could be a better agent and he should collect some commission from Patricia for showing her the way haha!

We viewed a few flats and finally at Block 337, we found what we wanted!

The unit is located at a corner and is kept clean. We both had a very good impression of the unit as it gives us a cosy feeling and Ben immediately put it in his KIV list. However, the sellers were asking for a $30k Cash Over Valuation (COV) which we find it to be on the high side. Also, I find the lady seller very familiar as though I have met her before somewhere. But I could not recall and let it pass. We decided to view other units first before making any decision.

We went to another unit but it was not to our likings. Patricia then informed us that according to the agent from the unit which we liked, someone was considering to buy the unit and they would be going over again later. Ben told me that he had noticed a Malay family talking to an agent at the void deck of the block when we were going to the unit and he believed that they were the ones the agent was referring to. I did not believe Ben but still, we decided to go back to the unit just in case it is true. Ben call this his policeman's hunch.

When we went back to the block, the Malay couple and agent were not at the void deck anymore. We went up to the unit but they were not there too. We took a second viewing of the unit and decided to buy it if the COV was reasonable. While we were negotiating with the sellers to lower their COV price to $20k, a Malay family and an agent came to the unit. Ben told me that they were the same couple and agent whom he had seen earlier. I couldn't believe my ears when the seller's agent informed us that the Malay couple had gone home to fetch their children to view the unit. So Ben really hit the jackpot after all. Full marks for his good observation skills!

The agent representing the Malay family went to speak to the sellers' agent and soon after that, the sellers' agent spoke to the sellers. Ben believed that they were negotiating about the COV but we just waited. The sellers and agent then called us to the master bedroom and told us that the Malay family was offering $20800 for the COV and they were stretched to the max. The sellers' agent also told us that the sellers preferred to sell the unit to us and they would close the deal with us if we could offer $22k for the COV. They were also giving us a metaphor that the numbers "22" symbolized two swans kissing each other. I was pondering and could not make a decision. Then suddenly, Ben said "Ok" and shook hands with the sellers and we went to the living room to wait while the sellers' agent spoke to the other agent.

What we saw after that was a drama that we would never forget for life!

The sellers' agent went into another room with the Malay family and their agent to announce that the deal was closed. The other agent was fuming with anger and he shouted that he would like the sellers themselves to announce to them personally. The sellers acceded to his request and went in the room. They came out shortly after and the Malay family stormed out of the unit with their agent. The sellers' agent further informed us that the Malay family had wanted to increase their offer to $22800 but was rejected by the sellers. Ben then told me that the extra $2k was worth it as the house is in a move-in condition. He also said that the face of that agent was very black and gestured me a victory sign. I didn't know things can turn so ugly. But oh well, the owner preferred to sell the unit to us...

Patricia then asked us to issue a cheque of $1k to the sellers as the deposit for the Option to Purchase (OTP). We could change our mind if we do not wish to buy the unit within 15 days but we would have to forfeit the deposit. Patricia also advised us to make a second viewing of the unit before we made the final payment of $4k to finalize the OTP. We set the viewing and payment date on 11th May.

We left the unit happily and we went to have our dinner at the nearby coffeeshop. Ben received a call from David and told him that we'd selected a unit already. Mindy & David were nearby and joined us for supper while they listened to our adventurous tale.

At the end of the day, we were $1k poorer but 1 step nearer to acquiring a home for ourselves. Hip Hip Horray x3!

Will You Marry Me?

Today's my birthday! My ex-colleagues and friends have been celebrating my birthday for me but the one I've been waiting for is today.

Ben has specially taken leave just to celebrate my birthday with me. He had planned a series of programme but would not let the cat out of the bag despite me asking him several times.

We left my house at around 12 noon and we went to Marina Square (MS) for a quick lunch. Ben still refused to tell me where we were going but he just held my hand and told me to follow him. We walked and walked and finally arrived at the entrance of KBox. Ben had made reservation and we went into 1 of the rooms. Back in our courtship days, Ben had always brought me to KBox and he was the one who had encouraged me to sing even though I felt that my voice was horrible.

In the room, Ben selected all my favorite songs. Despite the fact that we have not been going to KTVs for a few months, he still remembers muacks! We had an enjoyable singing session in the room and we left at 5pm. Ben was saying that he was hungry and I suggested a few places for dinner but all were turned down. We went out of MS and walked towards the direction of Esplanade Mall. I told Ben that I knew where he was bringing me and the place was no other than the newly built Singapore Flyer. Ben shook his head and led me on to the 2nd floor of Esplanade Mall. He brought me to a Japanese restaurant, Ichiban Boshi.

The queue outside the restaurant was long and the restaurant was packed with people. Fortunately, Ben had already made a reservation and we were seated at a big table in the restaurant shortly. The table can accomodate 6-8 persons but there were only the 2 of us. Ben said that the staff might have given our table to somebody else and gave us this table to make up for their mistake. The restaurant also has a conveyor-belt system just like Sakae Sushi. The staff were all busy with their work and were unable to attend to us attentively. We looked at the menu and were spoilt by the choices of food available. Some of the food are unique which are not available at Sakae Sushi. We placed our orders and waited eagerly for our food. The food came and we were amazed by the huge portion. The food was also superb and the price was also reasonable.

After our hearty dinner, Ben suggested that we would take a stroll to the Singapore Flyer to digest all the food we had eaten. When we arrived at our destination, we were overwhelmed by the sheer size of the Singapore Flyer. You may see it as a small wheel from afar but it is different when you are viewing under it. We explored the interior of the building while at the same time admiring the beauty of the Singapore Flyer. Suddenly, Ben surprised me by bringing me up to the boarding platform on the 3rd floor. He produced an e-ticket and told me that he had purchased the tickets online a few days ago. I was so excited as I had never board the Singapore Flyer before.



We entered a capsule and began our 37 mins ride! We took some photos and the sensation of the capsule rotating and moving was very minimal. We saw the night view of Singapore through the capsule and the view was very beautiful.




When we reached the top of the Singapore Flyer, I was looking elsewhere when Ben nudged me. I turned around and saw Ben kneeling down with the proposal ring in his hand. He looked deeply into my eyes and asked, "Dear, will you marry me?". My heart was pondering hard and fast and I said, "Yes of course". Ben recovered from his position and we kissed.

After the ride, we went home. Although it was a tiring day, it was memorable to me and I could see that Ben had really put in a lot of effort in planning all these for me. I love you dear!