thinking.... gg to be quite poor this mth

Dilemmas, dilemmas

alot of things for me to think tis recently...renovations, ROM + actual day photography package..blah blah blah... now haben hold customary, just ROM already alot of things to consider liao

Been reading many forums on HDB renovations recently, think it has become one of my past-times liao... read quite a few horror stories of how things went wrong and the owner had no $$ to dismiss the present contractor & engage a new contractor. I think planning is very important...

Then also how much to renovate the hse? For me personally i feel that just simple simple can liao.. no need much renovations, just the basic ones will do no need to do until fancy fancy lah..engage wat Interior Designer (now commonly known as "ID") to design until got some theme(Zen, modern,modern Zen..) in this way, it's cheaper and easier to maintain also...but of cos simple and have to be nice also lahat least when i step into the hse, i will feel cosy and not puke... haha
dunno wat dd think... it's a good thing that our unit is already floored...cos i read from a few articles that the flooring alone cost almost $10k(dunno wat tiles) cos it includes dunno wat treatment with some chemicals... also dunno lah
but i think the actual thingy gotta wait till we got the keys then can decide..(then can have a better picture mah)
I mean everyone of us wans our own "perfect house" right? a simple design might not be "perfect" thus i think it also depends on how much we are able to compromise... Think there's gotta be a balance between dream & "reality"($$ of cos)...

hmm, now i think i noe why my dad prefers Bukit Batok, been observing the area(cos it is my jogging route now) hehe... i think Bukit batok is one of the rare places in singapore where u can look out of ur window and see hills, where else in most other HDBs, u see only the adj or opposite HDB flat... haha those wif good views have all been sold to pte developers and developed into condos(wise move by the govt right?)
not gg to be much scenic HDBs soon lor

Next is the ROM + wedding photography thingy... been thinking abt it for quite sometime, actually not very keen on ROM photography (cos it's just a 15min thingy) but then dd insist so if i can do it then just let her go take lor... i noe it's every woman's (almost) dream to be a mei mei xin niang... take pics on every significant occasion... Just thinking whether it would be worthwhile to take on a wedding package cos calculating it can save a few hundred dollars... but then there's also a risk that their service will not be as good in 2/3yrs time... or they make u pay deposit but they close shop or dun honour the package after sometime...

Haiz, life is full of dilemmas, lotsa decisions to make...

Point for Better Relationships?

found this in "today" newspaper so copying it out to share wif all on cyberspace...

abstract from the article:

I have known my husband for 25 years and many people have asked us the secret of staying in love for so long.Like Zoe Tay, I too swallow. Not any pills that will keep my skin smooth forever, but my pride, so that our relationship will be smooth-sailing. Too often, it is tough for us to accept that we may be wrong when our spouse or partner corrects us.

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Some of us like to have the last word. But many women do not understand that winning an argument might make us lose the battle to keep the marriage alive. Always try to consider if what our spouse says has a grain of truth.

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Instead of asking what Javier Rigau sees in an older woman after being with her for 22 years, we could reflect on how they have managed to keep this relationship alive for so long.I am sure it is not based on looks alone, even though Gina was once considered the most beautiful woman in the world. Some might say that he's in it for the money, but I would like to suggest that we apply Ockham's razor.

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After shaving away all the unnecessary assumptions, the simplest explanation for this unlikely couple is this: Love conquers all things, even warts and saggy skin.


Some Truth in this??

DD's Dinner wif my family and bro come back frm BangKok

Yesterday, my dad invited dd to have dinner wif us... hehe me also very surprise also by his gesture.. anyway dd i think was very tense trying to behave like a good daughter-in-law haha but really that was uncalled for lah cos my family is a very simple one.. no need for all these hehe... but in the end everyone(except my 3rd brother, cos he dun like seafood and there is 3 out of 7 dishes he dun like i.e the fish, sotong and the you tiao wif the sotong inside) was happy haha..

daddy seems happy wif dd also, also no complaints from him after the dinner... seems to be in high spirits although he was rather angered by the resturant boss... (considering he is such a err... conservative and unfriendly person)

My elder brother also just came back frm Bangkok bought me a few gifts hehe

1x non-authentic(i think) T-shirt

wooden figurines: (L-R) Turtle, buddha, elephant, monkey(3x)

The long depavali & hari raya holidays gg to end soon gotta start work again soon haiz sianz..
managed to finished another "project" during the break... here it is

Peugot 307

dd & me

was flipping through some old keepsake that i've stored, memories of the times dd and me had together... hehe Those were happy times indeed hope that can continue forever...

Thought back of the times in SP when we 1st met, do project together...

Some memorable incidents:

1) dd lost her chain, hug me & cried and cried in front of borders (then later found her chain)
2) dd ran out of her house to hug me at the lift landings in our last meeting b4 I go army
3) the little notes dd handed to me after I booked out
4) she came to my passing out parade wif my mum..surprise surprise...
kekeke

Seems we have been through quite alot liao...long long time already...

Graduation Pics

Finally got the pics after pestering my fren ... hehe didn't bring my own camera to my graduation (tot mummy dun like to take pho...

Me & mummy
My friends: Roger,YouYi, Weilun & me

Me, Weilun & Roger
Roger & Me

My Yr2 classmates (all prev frm poly) and their partners
Youyi, roger me & weilun

Taken @ EEE dinner @ Merchant court Hotel, Weilun, Adeline & me

Need to work harder... ... ...

Wah found out yesterday that my fren roger and his gf are planning to save $2100 a mth(combined)...
even though they are only applying for a 4rm flat in sembawang costing only around $150k... and i tot i am saving alot already.. No need to work harder to save more... Jia You Jia You...
Gambatte!

thinking...."the true luxury is space"

All tat was in my mind now is the incoming house.. ya haha can't help it afterall it's a big thing right?
although realised that it may be abit lugi to buy it now cos we have to pay the insurance, this tax,that fee all all the crap even though we are not gg to stay in it... but i think i shld b able to cope lah...
very anxious to accumulate the estimated $50k for marriage, thinking of stocks at 1 pt but i think the risk is still far to high for me... so i guess i have to honestly save lor...no choice my target is to move into the house in 2 years time frm now... seriously hope to do do ...Gambatte!!
the more i think of it, i think it's right to buy a house now, espeically because of dd.... ya because of her spending habits, i think even if 2 years frm now, her savings will still remain @ current position, think not much change frm 2 years ago.. u see, after working for about 4 mths, i've already saved $5k... which is more than the amt she can save in 2-3yrs (using current standards). Think if there's nothing for her to save for, she will just spend all her $$.. thus making her save for the house is a good excuse haha hopefully this can motivate her... even though the car thing is a fiasco... *sigh*
nvm i gotta lugi $2000++ in the process

hopefully can get a pay rise next year else when the study loan comes in even harder for me to save the $1200 liao...maybe gotta frop to $1100

I think the best thing now i can do is not to think so much lor, just dun anyhow spend my $$ and just let nature takes it's course..

Been thinking also, whether we have been too greedy to buy such a big house which cost abt 2x the price of a 4rm in sembawang... maybe it's too big if there's only 2 of us + 1 dog.. according to the views of a reader in today, "true Luxury is space"(this guy was commenting on the people who bought small small condos thinking they are buying luxury), i think perharps we are paying for the luxury...another important factor is dd, i dunno why i have a soft spot for her, i will always try to do watever that pleases her, i noe she wans to stay in big house(mabbe it's cos she's been staying in a small 3 rm one all her life, so she wanted a change).. thus if it's within my means i usually will give in to her... dunno she realised it or not.. from Net MD player, handphones to cameras..even tours.. haiz think i shall be under her manipulation for life.. hehe perharps this is love?

didn't go running today cos the PSI hit 105 in the evenings.. better be safe than sorry..
be a good good boi, according to dd... hehe

Another Saving plan, this time it's gotta work

Planning to start another joint savings plan wif dd... but this time it's a little bit different, it has gotta succeed cos why? house is arriving dunno wat fees we gotta pay in the end... so gotta be prepared and quickly be able to move into the house, else we will just b like paying for nothing ,something we don't use, just left there...Lef dd off for a few years liao (cos of her constant reluctance to save) but this time really cannot let her have her way liao cos really it's gg to b OUR house, not my house... monkdees manor, NOT sunboi's nest ..watever really hope she can see the point..

ok my plan...,
"monkdees manor fund"

my part : $1200 every month (no change)
dd's part: $200 every month

total: $1400

going by this calculation we can only save $16800 every year (provided we are disciplined enough and there are no other costs like travelling, this tax, tat tax...)
so at this rate, bascially the earliest we can move into the house and get married is 2 years later... which we will have $33000 + the $10k i have now it will barely b $50k(the min estimate we need)

For dd's part $200 is actually very little but then she still wan to bargain somemore... not gg to let her get her way because he actually PROMISED to contribute at least $200 every month to the monkdees manor fund..not gg to let her break her promise this time... cannot always let her b a untrustworthy person...I think with some effort she should be able to do it lah... Reasons to make her save

1) it's OUR house

2) must think of after marriage, the money she earn she spend on herself then wat's the point of having OUR house? both must contribute right? $200 i dun think it's enough to buy our monthly groceries (she still say the groceries she will contribute, if cannot even contribute $200 a mth now, how she's gg to contribute to groceies?), now must start to TRAIN, and adjust, be acustom!.

3) if cannot save even $200 a mth how to start a family??? no sense right?

why I think it's highly possible for her:
1) she had a pay rise of $100, before the pay rise she was paying for our hp bills, now i am paying for it and most of the weekend eating expenses, in the end she just need to fork out an additional $150 if her spending habits have not changed

2) if she can save and go for tours once every year(almost) which cost her $1500, i dun see why she cannot save $200 every month.

3) i can save $1200 every month, asking for $200 which is 6x less is not much right?...

4) I understand her difficulties, she got a dog, a car and a family to help feed...thus i am also not asking much frm her... (now can see why i m opposed to her buying a car last time, hey Hazel, now u see my logic?, who is more flawed? that's why i say must be long sighted and forsee problems!!!)

now got another problem, still got the monthly conservancy fees to pay (even if not actually living in the flat) if wat the documents they sent me was accurate that means the conservancy fees is $80++ a month... wah, not $20++ as claimed by dd.. think this have to be squeezed out from my personal expenses lor...no choice(means got less to spend)
haiz

Hazy Singapore...Blogging... Me

Think i've been blogging quite alot lately... think it could b because there are many significant things happening around me like the house, papercraft and the lastest they hazy Singapore..

Recently Singapore have been shrouded by haze ( i call it smoke) , dunno why those indonesians wouldn't learn.. keep burning their trees.. However I believe that the main culprit behind the burnings may not be the indonesians themselves lor.. could b an international coy or something like tat... the indonesians are mere lackeys... clearing by fire is a cheap and fast...
Ok enough of these, this morning the PSI was 126 and i didn't noe it, i still went jogging... no wonder there is hardly a soul this morning... haha now it's worse 143... think if it worsen, there will b school holidays...haiz but not for workers like us... I think i am also begining to feel the effect also... nose feeling abit itchy and it seems warmer...

yesterday was mid autumn festival, tot would spend yesterday nite wif dd...but then nothing happen anyway she also not busy ..heard that her ah ma have been hospitalised... nvm still got many such festivals in the future where we can celebrate together...

TOday nothing to do, so stayed at home and finished my 5th papercraft, haha a peugot 206, prev also got a monkey (called saru), .. see below






My colleagues are also quite impressed wif me that i can keep my relationship wif dd for so long and so far, while theirs lasted at most 1.5yrs... Nothing much to comment here, i think it's really the effort of both of us and not either one alone... Over the years we do have our fair share of quarrels and disagreements but i think the times we were happy far exceed the times we were unhappy... there are bound to be quarrels between couples..because ultimately they are 2 different persons, just dun let it carry on for 2 long, learn to give and take lor, that's all based on my "experience" hope this can help those who are having difficulties in their relationships oh yah most important thing is that the couple must really love each other and enjoy each other's coy only then can it fan the flames of love haha...

to dd: I am very happy whenever I am wif u, I really hope the one who will accompany me for the latter part of my life would b u. though sometimes i may seem abit naggy, but it's all because i really wan to make u a part of my life(although u already are) sooner, legally...

dd, I love u

My 3rd brother commented that I am a "pussy" aka sissy yesterday because I applied medcine and dress the wound on my knee... my reason?: apply medcine, cos my wound has pus, apply dressing: cos the pus sticks to my pants but i only did it for 1 day, cos the dressing also sticks to the pus and removing it argh was painful.... quite upset over his comment, but i am not gg to dwell over it, he's entitled to his own comments.. I am just being cautious...oh he also dun understand why i cannot do a interbank transfer via internet every month... ->I will move $$ from my POSB(salary goes here) acct to UOB joint(savings goes here) acc every month mah.. wah cautious he also got things to say..watever i think the army training has not do him many good... he still cannot analyse and still expects ppl to do things his way, then he can see eye-to-eye...

One of my colleagues commented that blogging is just write online diary...yes i agree (see i changed my title)... my blog records down everything i experienced...including happy n bad times wif dd.. I really hope this site can survive the years so that when i grow older i can have some reminisce hopefully wif dd by my side...

Some Updates

Ahh how time flies, Today is Oct 5th aleady...means wat?
Oct 3- 6th aniversary of my enlistment
Oct 4- 1 yr since i got my driving lic -> i dun need to hang the triangle sign anymore haha

Fast right? very soon my martial status might b "married" also ... ... ...

Can't help but keep thinking of the JW eflat we are getting. Did another comparison wif a similar new flat.found out that it's exactly $13k more expensive... Worth it? err.. frankly speaking at the rate we are gg i think the reno is not worth $13k lor.. somemore i think dd is not happy wif many of the renovations so i think in the end they all have to go... perharps it would be more worthwhile to get a new one... But then now it's too late to think of this now.. Now I am psyching myself that we pay that little bit more because we wan to stay on the "better" side ofthe block(more sunlight ->brighter) and "8" is a lucky number.. watever... dun think of the worthwhile thingy...dunno y no matter wat we always cannot get something cheap... always get something at "normal" price(but usu turn out quite good, hopefully this unit will b the same)..
I think once we decided on something liao then mustn't get distracted and think of others lor..very bad... dun go think of "if i get this other flat, will it be better?" something like tat... waste time and will make urself feel miserable..

HDB launching a new exec condo at Tampines called the "Primere @ Tampines"... Price range from $308k-$450k.. i think everyone was quite hyped up abt this... anyway the price includes aircon and renovations (meaning u gotta accept the developer's renovations)... Did some interesting calculations... if get a unit at middle floor cost abt $379k..if got rebate = $349k
total sum gotta pay a month(including 2.6% interest)=$1220++ a mth. meaning the CPF ordinary acc will have $0 for the next 30yrs...

Worth it? depends on ppl...dd seems to be excited abt the word "condo" ... hmm mabbe she is trying to get her last "C"? mabbe but to be honest, it does not appeal to me...

Been thinking abt th words "dreaming" and "ambitious" also... I think there's also a thin red line between these 2 just like "good" and "bad"... after some tots, finally come out wif some definitions(my own). Dreaming - Think of "wants"(sometimes mateial gains) but not how to achieve it, not being realistic. Ambitious - think of realistic targets and also the plans to achieve it.

also have been thinking whether I am very odd for my age... at present, colleagues of my age group are out enjoying themselves wif massages(decent ones), Karaoke, dancing, clubbing etc (even my elder bro)...as for me? no, nothing mabbe some sports once in a while and most of the time saving $$.. some of my colleagues are also saving $$ lah, but for me it's for marriage, for them it's to get their dream car...
Am I really the odd one out??

New Running Route

Finally the abrasion on my knee cap had recovered to a stage where i can go jogging again haha
Tried a new running route today ... which is abt 2.4km longer than the previous one...

Previous: abt 6km

New: abt 8.4km




took around 28mins to run the 1st route but 45mins to run the 2nd... mabbe it's cos I 1 week nv run liao so quite slow.. anyway i also deliberately controlled my speed today lah cos trying new route mah... the new route quite shiok cos it's like 1 big round compared to the old one which is basically linear. But after come back legs a bit light... mabbe it's cos 1 wk no train liao...
gotta train more...
anyway going to stick to this one 1st... gg to increase the distance to 10km gradually... haha hopefully by the end of this way i will be able to run from my coy back to my home (abt 14km) hehe
Mabbe this would b my "mei mei xin liang" training? kekeke

Another Completed Project

Another one of my completed papercraft project... hehe another panda... Nice?

gg to be assigned to a project soon, dunno how my fellow colleagues are gg to "torture" me... after relaxing for so long(almost 3 mths) dunno can pick up or not... hehe

My neighbour downstairs came up to create some little trouble on Sunday say we purposely create noise for him... Wah in day time leh how can got no noise? u noe lah my house 4+1 guys super active one sure alot of noise (most of the time), somemore got 2 like those high bass music ..but i tot such things are quite common in HDB flats right? mabbe he old liao a little noise also canot tahan so bcome quite eccentric... anyway he complained to HDB liao...so let them investigate lor we didn't purposely make noise to disturb them wat.. the other neighbours can vouch for us...

dd started gg into fengshui lately cos of the impending house... aiyoh actually i am not tat superstitious but i also went to look at some of it...
http://www.geomancy.net/default-spore.php
hmm quite interesting but I am not gg to be obessed with it... mabbe some of the things I can do then do lor (those that can be easily done one) ..but not follow everything strictly lah...see finance more impt...

Utimately i think it's just between the 2 persons lah... in our case: me and dd, i believe that if we can work together united hand in hand, we will b able to overcome all obstacles...