Happy birthday Stephanie!



I have few words to say.

I'm making a wish that your new birthday year is filled,
with gentle blessings and abundant joy.

So on this very special day,
I would like to say to you,
I hope you'll always find happiness,
In whatever you may do.

Wish you every day full of sunshine, love and happiness.
Stay always young because you will never get old in our
hearts.

Count your life by smiles, not tears.
Count your age by friends, not years.


(Another candle on your cake. Well, go ahead make your wish)

Last but not least, I'd like to dedicate this song to Stephanie on her behalf of her boyfriend. (Decided to get away the usual birthday song)

You'll be my love (Click here to hear. If cannot, go back and try again)

Santa Clause didn't bring me anything this year. But Stephanie did.

Five days after Christmas, finally we met up as both of us the schedule are very tight, especially her. She gave me my Christmas present and I gave her my Christmas and birthday gifts.

Her birthday is tomorrow.

Breakfast at Coffee bean.
Time: 8:45am



Although I knew Stephanie for a only a short time about 5 years, it was long enough to realize that she was a very special person. Yup, a very special person which I rank her along Bear and Melvin.

So what do they have in common?
Always LATE!


(Breakfast at Coffee Bean much than Macdonald)

She had an amazing appetite, she can put away as much as a male. Let me tell you about Stephanie. First she loves to eat. Secondly, she loves to eat. Third, still she loves to eat.

Ask you a question.....why do Stephanie cross the road?
(Answer later )


(See that mess?)

I broke the coffee cup! So embarrassing, I almost had a heart attack.




(Stephanie's skill in taking picture is very “good”)

3 facts about Stephanie.

1) She will be 28 years old tomorrow.
2) Will be getting married next year.
3) Like to eat.

So why do Stephanie cross the road?
There's food at the other side.

I have no trouble keeping resolutions. However there are one going to my recycling resolutions every year.

1999: I want to quit smoking
2000: I should be quiting smoking within a month.
2001: Smoking suck, I will quit
2002: I will assume responsibility as a non-smoker again.
2003: Have to quit smoking, that's my final answer..damit.
2004: Price increase again for cigarettes, I confirm will quit smoking
2005: It's not too late to make a change. I must break my addiction to nicotine
2006: I will try to quit smoking.

My New Year's Resolutions for 2007:

1) I declare that I will stop smoking.

I do enjoy attending Chinese wedding dinner only, if I knew the people at my table.

Take Ah Khoon, Old veg or Ah Toh's wedding for example. I have so much pleasure, satisfaction and fun from it, I wish they would hold another wedding dinner. Hahaha.

On the contrary, if I just know only the Bride & Groom, I would shy away from it.

Just imagine, eating with strangers....no topic, no jokes, only just a nod of head at the most.

Today Rabbit aka Yong Meng's is having his big day, his Chinese wedding. So the big question is.......

Will I attend?
Will I give him face (Known him since 1986)
Will I risk my friendship if I turn him down?

Wake up: 3:45am
Arrived at his house: 5am sharp.
Location: Admiralty drive
Moral: Unsure

Kanina,...I was asked to become his “brother”

Upon reaching his place I saw him neatly dressed up, sitting on a chair right in front of the main door. I sensed he was very nervous.

First to arrive was me.

2 of his friends turned out 10 min later and so the brother's team was born.


(Yong Meng in white suit)

Move out at 5:20am and I feel like a misfit butcher as I was carrying a piece of raw pork in a red tray for the Bride's mum.

Arrived at Hougang, the bride's house at 6am. Wait for 10 minutes before the bride's younger brother came down to open the bridal car door. I wanted get out for a smoke first also cannot as I was sitting in the bridal car.

I assessed the situated and I gathered he was trying to test groom patience. Not sure whether he succeed but he sure got mine.

Upon reaching Bride's house, the sister's team were lurking for us there. There the sister's troop tested the groom's sincerity with a series of wedding games, like asking the groom to read out love letters.


(Did you see the 2 bamboo sticks?)

Not only they torture the groom, they torment us (brother's team) as well.

The bamboo sticks are suppose to act as dancing pole, we're to do pole dance. They don't take no for an answer and I have to held the pole and shake myself like a washing machine.

I felt like doing a striptease aerobics in front of horny ladies, I pity myself.


(Still have to go through serial of “block" before able to meet the Bride)


(Yong Meng and Sereen finally united)

Left her place at 7am and back to Groom's house to pay respect the groom's parent.

I thought I can take a rest here....and I was wrong.

Left Groom's house at 9:30am to Lower Seletar Reservoir for some photo shoot. If I can manage to get some pictures (got bride, groom, brother and sister's team) from Yong Meng and I put it up here. Meanwhile, I show roughly what we have been through.

Will not write much, I'll do a quick one from here.














(June, Joey, Groom, Joyce and Jane. The J sister's team)







Back to Groom's house at 11:00am for the Chinese wedding tea ceremony with Groom's relatives and then by 1:00pm we're back to the Bride's house for Chinese wedding tea ceremony with Bride's relatives.

By this time, I am really exhausted.

Finally reached Royal Park hotel at 3:00pm, took a shower before I knew it, was briefing of the Chinese dinner. My duty involved taking care of wines, toast team, ask guest to standby for photo session...bah..bah.


(Didn't take much, was really tired)


(Let's hope I can get picture from Yong Meng then I post here)

Although I'm tired but it was fun, really.

I wish the couple have lifetime of blissful marriage.

I wish everybody all a very Merry Christmas.

May all of you have Peace, Happiness, Joy, and Prosperity, throughout the New Year. May all your sessions be as good or better than you dream, and may the perfect wave roll throughout your life in 2007.

My Christmas traditionally meant an endless parade of food, loud and lively family gatherings. Christmas meant family being together; taking the time to enjoy each other's company.

This Christmas is no different from the rest.

Since my dad is having difficulties in walking, so everybody in the family visited my dad back at his old office.


(Dad loves spending time at his old office)


(Joe brought his lego everywhere he goes)

After that we have our lunch at a coffeeshop in Toa payoh.


(Whenever we had our meal, Joe always likes to sit besides me)



Then we brought the kids to Vivo city.








(I chain-smoke almost half my pack of cigarettes while waiting for Joe to finish playing with the water fountain)

Final note, I have a truly wonderful time spending the Christmas with my family.

Folks, it's Christmas eve and is a time for feasting! Everybody in my family are coming over to my house for here a nice, sumptuous traditional Christmas dinner this year.

Chefs: Mum and sister (I believe they can whip up a gourmet meal)

Our Christmas dinner menu as follow;

Roasted chicken stuff with herb and mushrooms.
Grilled cod fish
Potatoes roasted with olive oil
Prawns
Soup
Boiled vegetable.

I forgot to take pictures during dinner time as I was busy eating. But still, there are always pictures of my nephew.


(Joe is carrying his lego toy)




(My brother in law also join in)




(Joe is just six and he's know a lot of computer stuff)
.

Mid Year we have The Great Singapore sales.
End of the year, we have The Great Singapore flood.

(Pictures taken from Stomp)


(Along Alexandar road)


(Along Zion Road)


(Kids just love this playground)


(Along Lornie road)


(Thomson road)


(Landslide at Sengkang)


(Road between Yishun to Woodland)

There's no flood at Pasir Ris where I stay...fortunately.

The first time when I went to Vivocity, I reckon about 80 percent of the shops were open then. This time I guess almost all shops were open for business when I was here the second time.

This mall is massive. I understand since Oct 7 already over two million people, equivalent to half the population, have trooped through VivoCity.

Shopping is no trivial pursuit for Singaporeans. If you want to shop this is the mall. Even for a guy (a self proclaimed unhappy shopper) came round to some of the shops and enjoyed the trip, a little.

Now this is my kind of mall.

There's one shop I recommend highly. They have nice t-shirt, jean and price quite reasonable.


(Shop is Pull and Bear)


(If you want cool clothes but you’re not bothered by labels then your best bet is to head to shops like Pull & Bear)

At the roof-top on the 4th floor, the whole roof-top is a garden with a very large wadding pool, overlooking the harbour.


(It was raining)


(The color of the pool doesn't look inviting)


(Had our dinner at Terra which we find our steak poorly done.)


(The Pet Safari at Vivo City)


(Food Republic at Vivo City)

It’s a themed foodcourt, styling itself after the Chinatown of days gone by. All the stalls are designed like olden day food stalls. The tables and chairs are the old wooden types lightly uneven as they are actually from that era. Even the food stall staff wear cheesy straw hats and Chinese robes.

If you like retro, this is the place.


(Best foodcourt design I ever come across. Food may be expensive but the decoration are priceless.)

To end our day, we watch the movie Eragon.

We must try the cinema here as it have Singapore's largest cinema multiplex with 15 screens and 2,293 seats. The cinema’s seats are rather comfortable and widely spaced apart between rows. Anyone can easily walk through without any difficulties.

As the show, Eragon....my rating only average. Compare to Lord of the Ring's standard, I somehow feel Eragon is like a “B” grade movie.

Dick Hoyt is the father and his son, Rick Hoyt together compete in marathons, triathlons, and other athletic endeavors. Rick was disabled at birth by a loss of oxygen to his brain because his umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, and he also suffers from cerebral palsy.

Dick carries him in a special seat up front as they bike, pulls him in a special boat as they swim, and pushes him in a special wheelchair as they run.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life, put him in an Institution." Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy.

Thanks to his parents, who ignored the advice of doctors. At the age of 12, Rick was able to learn how to use a special computer to communicate, using movements from his head.

Why do they compete?

Because Rick told his father that he just didn't feel handicapped when we were competing.

This is one of the most inspirational story I ever read.



Just like this dad in his late 60s who sells towel in Chinatown still take care of his 2 handicap daughters. Everyday, he would bring both of his daughters (one in wheelchair, the other follow behind) to stroll along Clarke Quay before starting working work.

Sadly, I didn't see the them anymore since Chinatown was closed for upgrading.

Here I am on the Sunday afternoon at home playing my pc game.

Outside began raining pretty hard and there was a big clap of thunder that shook the window glass and made my heart jump. It has been raining for hours already.

Well, I hate to admit that I have an unhealthy phobia of lightning. That’s enough reason for me to ditch my computer and clear my bedroom “rubbish” instead.

I found an old magazine of my secondary school, I scanned through and found old photos of mine.

Haha, I really look silly back then.

No wonder there a saying that "Men are like wine but the best improve with age."

Now I look like this,.....



Behold, when I was 16 years old, I look like,.....




(Taken from my school magazine)


(I'm on the extreme right)


(Four from the right...that's me.)

Then I found old photo album of mine,


(I'm the one wearing a cap. Look at how I fold my jean up. Am I si buay beng or what?)


(2nd from the left, perm hair some more. Hahaha. My dressing and face look like a silly toad indeed)

Do you want more of my old photo? Let me know.

Another thing is, I was toying the idea whether to stop blogging. After all, it has been more than 2 years since I started.

I do feel very tired at times.

But today, my strength to carry on was renew partly due to today entry.

Because when I look back my blog, say 10 years from on.......it will been most wonderful just like my old photos.
.