Planning planning..

I'm so excited cos it's Thursday... will be having my mission trip meeting tonight. Tickets have been booked so that's a whole load off my mind.
And tomorrow is Friday... collecting the ring! I don't know if I'll be wearing it immediately or not. Depends on when kenneth officially proposes.
I am still thinking of the other 9 "test" questions to ask him. Am I being too mean? *cheeky grin*

Checking out Hotel InterCon on Sunday too.. seems like a nice place to hold the banquet but will have to see it before we decide.
Grand Copthorne is probably out now cos the ballroom is just too big for my relatively few guests...

Talking about guests, it's a headache formulating the guest list too.

Have a great week ahead gals!

Grand Copthorne

First choice hotel visited today.. with my parents and ken's mum (kinda like a last min decision but thought it'll be better to keep them in the loup and let them interact more...)

By the way, if you don't know where this is, it's next to Zouk! The hotel just like next door with the big water ball in its porch. Website at www.grandcopthorne.com.sg. I have always heard good comments about that place, from more than 1 source, like about the high ceilings (which I have a huge weakness for) and good food... so I thought I'd just check it out.

Disadvantage of that place is that there is no MRT nearby, so people who don't drive might have a major problem... although I did tell my mum that they can join the Zouk queue (haha).

The Grand Ballroom looked good on the whole.. ceilings were high enough for my liking. No pillars in between to block. But... the ballroom is kinda big and can fit about 55 tables comfortable (they said the max is 60 but I think it'll be too squeezy) but we only have approx 35-40 tables at max.!! So having such a big ballroom might make the place look a bit empty. Hmmm.. so this is something to consider.

Well, we will check out a few more before deciding. So that will only be confirmed maybe in a month or 2.

Anyway gals, he hasn't officially proposed yet. It's kinda complicated. He said he wanted to propose with the ring ready. But then he doesn't want to choose the ring on his own just in case I don't like it. So he sort of asked me informally... asked my parents... and then off we went! I got the ring that we also sort of decided a while ago.. the Lazare diamond http://lazarediamonds.com/main.html sold by Larry Jewellery in Singapore (this diamond is sold by different jewellers in the 6-7 countries that it's sold in).

It's a funny game now cos I know the "real proposal" is going to happen in the next week or 2, so the min he asks me out I start giggling.. and he gets damn stressed. Haha. But ya, I guess we have thought about this for quite a while, even started checking out houses in Jan this yr.. (just that we didn't buy, and it's more expensive now!!). So yup, I'll keep you gals informed ok? HUGS :-)

Getting married!

Hey, guess what? I'm getting married!

Ok, I know both of you want the story so here it is.
It all happened very fast.. Kenneth went to speak to my parents when I was in HK (last week), brought them out for a nice chinese dinner at The Oriental hotel and basically asked them for their permission. Actually the whole thing was quite a major hoo-haa (too long to talk about it here).. and in fact I didn't actually think it would go through, or rather, that the preferred date would be accepted by my parents. I told Kenneth he had to be prepared to answer a lot of tough questions by them. But in the end, my parents said ok!!! Well, not really all that enthusiastically cos they still think I'm young, he's young, we shouldn't rush blah blah blah but they didn't object or push back so that was an OK sign. But there were some "after effects", besides the part about being too young.... where my mum came up with reasons to push back the date (which for now is 26 July), like

1) Yujun is coming back in Apr, may not have enough leave to come back in July
2) Adult fellowship (in my church) happens every last sat of the month, cannot have wedding dinner on that day
3) HK is very hot in July/ August (we have to go there for a dinner)
4) Property market is very hot now, should wait for it to cool dowm

I think what she says is not wrong, although some more valid than the others.. but I think it's missing the basic point of why we want to get married. Anyway, the wedding dinner will probably be on Sunday cos I think it might be too tiring to squeeze everything in 1 day.

But anyway, since then (this week) things have been ok. Kenneth and I went to choose the ring already too.. bought it, had it sized today, and will be collecting it next week. First choice for wedding dinner venue will be visited tomorrow.. and if it doesn't turn out well then we'll think of something else. The rest should be ok to manage I guess. It's quite fast for 1 week I must say but then again I think we sort of decided on a few things months ago, like the budget for ring and place for banquet and all... ahem.. very systematic people here..

End of my update here... it's a big step in my life I must say. A bit exciting, a bit scary... but it's something we're committed to.

So hope you 2 can make it back in July next year!

Sights of HK

A nice train ride between the airport and the city. Posters everywhere showing the 10th anniversary of HK returning to China..

On the left, the most yummy drink in HK... half mango juice with real mangoes.. and the other half with lychee or aloe vera or grapefruit juice. Very yummy!!!

On the right, Illy latte - my daily dose of caffine.

Below, my yummy buffet lunch from Mandarin Oriental. The sashimi was fantastic... yum yum.

Colleagues from HK Loan Ops. And 1 from Manila Loan Ops.

A pleasant surprise!!!

But was sad to find out that the Manila colleague was actually in HK because the Head of HK had resigned! Working life is tough man.. or is it just this bank? Hmm..

Huzz and Buzz in HK City! A very crowded and slightly polluted place. Lots of people and shops... a real shop and eat city!

Back from Batam

It's been a long and exciting week! Was in HK for a course from Tues to Fri.. had lots of fun shopping too of course. But HK is just SOO crowded, esp at Causeway Bay where I was staying. Just loads and loads of people. Lots of pollution too. The course was pretty intensive but work aside, it was a holiday for me! Sandra bunked in with me so that was great company too. But feeling totally drained now. Hopefully my mint mocha next to me will keep me awake for the next few hours before knock off time. After coming back from HK at midnight on Friday, went home, unpacked and packed my luggage, slept at 2am, and 4 hrs later, I was on my way to church camp at Batam!! After another hectic 2 day church camp, I woke up at 440am Batam time this morning (540 SP time), checked out of the hotel, went to the ferry terminal, got onto the ferry, arrived in Singapore at 8am, and took a cab to the MRT, and came in straight to work!!! Busy busy busy. Church camp was a short one though.. but nevertheless a fulfilling one. We learnt about Eccl and about God's soverignty. Took lots of pictures with Ken at the resort too. :-) Will put them up soon! Back to work now!

Busy saturday

The weekend is finally here!!! But it was such a busy yet fruitful one I guess. This morning.. I went to a place that I haven't been in ages.. the GYM!!! Woo! Tiring I must say.. I went to Planet Fitness with Kenneth in Suntec and we attempted to exercise obviously. But more than the exercise, the look of the gym, the equipment, the pullup machine, the weights for arms and legs and all that kind of fanciful machines just opened a floodgate of memories all of a sudden. It seemed so fresh yet this all happened about 8-10 years ago.. I couldn't help thinking of times in the past when jiao lian would just push us to do weights.. and we would all be trying to do the 1-2 pullups. Obviously I can't even do 1 now.. but yeah, I could go on forever just thinking of the past. I also thought about the day I fainted in the gym. Can also sort of remember what it was like feeling weak and giddy... scary thought but well.. it's been 10 years.

Talking about the head thing (it's called AVM, or arteriovenous malformation), I just met my neurosurgeon again today. He happens to be the neighbour of my mum's pri school friend, whose son was getting married today. Whenever I see him, I think he's my "saviour", like he saved my life or something. But of course I know God did it all, through him.

Some pictures taken at Conrad today before the wedding...

So Tired..

I’m feeling so absolutely tired today. It’s been a long day in the office… walked into office this morning totally blur. I think I had a mini hangover last night. Went to Liling’s new condo (it’s a penthouse!!!) at Pasir Ris and had wine and cheese with crackers, chatted the night away! Only if it was a Friday and I didn’t have to go to work today. Oh well, but her house was really nice. 3 story penthouse – 1st story living room and kitchen, 2nd story master bed room and a small store room, 3rd story bbq area and a Jacuzzi!!!! She’s my first friend from uni who managed to buy a condo with her own money (and her boyfriend’s of course). Property prices are so high now.. such a headache. So anyway, I’m so glad that Friday is here and it’s the weekend tomorrow!! But.. I have some pre-course homework to do before the HK course.. argh…

It's June!

I can't believe how time is just FLYING this year... seriously.. month after month time just goes by. This June will be a busy one for me, it's time to pay income taxes, do more shopping during the GSS before the 7% GST kicks in next month, go to HK for training and holidaying (something to look forward to), go to Batam for church camp, attend mum's friend's (also my piano teacher's sister) son's wedding next Sat, get my hair cut (I do this every 3 mths), and visit the dentist today!!!! There was actually 1 more event... a treetop walk near MacRitchie today organised once again by my company's Rec club.. but someone was killed (4th case this year) by a falling branch there last week so that place has been closed until next week. I think that must have hurt.... ouch...

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/279525/1/.html

Lesson?

Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth --- Proverbs 27:1