Vinnie & Sellie Goes Blogging

We're Having A Baby

2011-10-14T19:30:00.002+08:00

Then Came the Tiles

2011-07-23T23:00:00.002+08:00

View from the Entrance

Living Room Tiles

Dining Room Tiles

Bathroom Basins

2011-07-23T17:25:00.001+08:00

As our renovations are progressing well, we're on a mission for our bathroom basins for the vanity. Mind you, our budget is very tight because our renovation is more than we budgeted for originally. So we went for the cheapest option that jells in well with the vanity.

From Sansei Singapura Pte Ltd

Frosted Glass Round Basin - S$89.00

(Common Bathroom)

From Choong Ying Pte Ltd

Ceramic Triangle Basin - S$120.00
(Master Bathroom)

It's not what we had in mind but beggars can't be choosers. We had actually wanted a long basin for the master bathroom but the vanity is about 160cm in length and only about 30cm in depth. There isn't any long and narrow basin available in the market. Plus, with our budget we're quite sure that we won't be able to afford it if there is one.

Let The Hacking Begin

2011-07-20T23:25:00.001+08:00

We had to delay the renovations because of HDB's PE requirement for hacking the kitchen wall. Mind you the PE costs us S$500.00 and it took about a week to get all the paperwork and approval sorted.

Frankly, we don't see why we needed to pay and wait for the PE approval. Some of our neighbours had not required a PE. We do note that they had a different floor plan. But what's the point of the PE? We're not the first with that floor plan to hack that wall so what's there to check really? It seems like just another way for them to make more money!

Notice of Renovation Works

Half Hacked Kitchen/Dining Room Wall

Affected A/C Trunking

Half Hacked Study/Guest Room

Hacked Common Bathroom Door Frame

Hacked Master Bathroom Door Frame

View from the Entrance

View from the Study/Guest Room

Driving Home via Seletar

2011-07-20T19:00:00.004+08:00

What's left of the sun...

If only we see this view everyday...

OK, No More Lights from JB

2011-07-18T23:00:00.005+08:00

We thought that it was the cheapest and brightest LED downlight that we've come across so far. So we gave up waiting for sponsorships and bought them! hahaha... We're officially done with our lighting purchases!

From Yako Lighting Centre Sdn Bhd

Silver Square with Glass Frame 16 watt 1 Bulb LED Downlight - RM140.00 x 11

(Living Room & Dining Room Lights)

Happened to see this while walking aroung Bukit Indah GIANT where we sent the car for car wash. Sel had actually wanted a big clock for the living room but she settled for this one because it matches with the feature wall.

From The Watches Gallery

Seiko Wall Clock - RM130.00

(Living Room Clock)

With the lighting purchases done, we felt a like some of the financial burden are off our shoulders now. Next on the shopping list are the bathroom basins for both the common bathroom vanity and masterbedroom vanity.

Sneak Peak - Carpentry Laminates

2011-07-16T23:30:00.004+08:00

We couldn't get all the samples because some of the laminates that we've chosen were out of stock and some we had decided to change. But the above laminates makes 50% of laminates that we've finalised on ;)

Last Few Lights from JB

2011-07-11T23:01:00.007+08:00

From D-ONE Electrical Sdn Bhd

Philips Outerstylers Ceiling Light (comes with Philips 18W E27) - RM160.00

(Common Bathroom Light)

Philips Outerstylers Ceiling Light (comes with Philips 18W E27) - RM160.00

(Master Bathroom Light)

We bought a few T5 as well while we're there. 2 Midea T5 14W at RM12.00 each, 3 Midea T5 21W at RM15.00 each and 2 Midea T5 28W at RM15.00 each.

A Little Bit of Nature at Home

2011-06-30T23:33:00.001+08:00

Vin wanted a water feature at home, not for the fengshui but for the peaceful sound of water flowing. Sel was not keen unless Vin promises to be the one responsible for cleaning the water fountain. We found out that a neighbour at Jade Spring had just bought a water fountain for S$536.00 at IMM. And, we're kind of broke to get a S$500.00 odd water fountain!

As luck would have it, we found a water fountain at Thompson Plaza, Astoria that was originally priced at S$238.00 and we've got a S$50.00 discount because of GSS. Hee!

Water Fountain with Money Plant - S$188.00

Since our living room will be laminated, where do we place this now?

More Lights from JB

2011-06-25T23:59:00.003+08:00

From D-ONE Electrical Sdn Bhd

Touch Sensor Table Lamp - RM60.00 x 2

(Master Bedroom Bedside Lamp)

Silver Square Ladder PLC Downlight (comes with Philips 24W E27 spiral) - RM37.00 x 8

(Master Bedroom & Parent's Room Lights)

Almost all their lights are going at 30-50% off. Apparently, the boss wants to clear their stocks as he intends to focus on selling other products moving forward. Thus, you might have limited choices there but if you can find one that suits you, it will be cheap!

Anyway, we're almost done with our lighting purchases. We'll probably buy simple and cheap ceiling lights for the household shelter, service yard, common and master bathroom from IKEA.

FYI, we're still waiting for sponsorship to buy our LED downlights for the living room and dining area :P

Cement Screeding

2011-06-25T20:00:00.001+08:00

Despite what most people say about cement screeding done by HDB we decided to go ahead because we simply do not have the budget to pay our ID for cement screeding (HDB does cement screeding FOC for those who intend to laminate their flooring). Some people had complained about the long waiting time before the screeding is done. Others have had issues with the workmanship of the cement screeding.

The application process is pretty simple. All you have to do is to drop by the nearest HDB Branch Office and submit the application form. There is usually a queue so the waiting time is usually between 2 weeks to 1 month.

But we were lucky! Sel had submitted the form on 22 June, Wednesday and HDB did cement screeding for the 3 bedrooms while we were in JB today. We had dropped by to see the outcome but it was too dark to really see. Hopefully, it's nicely done. *fingers cross*

Masterbedroom

Parent's Room

Study/Guest Room

Touring Jade Spring with Jason

2011-06-18T23:45:00.004+08:00

It's quite depressing going through our unit with Jason. We showed him what was planned where and most of the ideas that we have agreed with Gary will be change. In comparison, we much prefer the ideas given by Zhiqi and Kenny.

Well, since we agreed to give him a chance, we went along and view the other units at Jade Spring that he had worked on. Sel had recognised one of the unit as she has been chatting with the owner on MSN. It was Christine Yeo's house. Her house was quite well done. It's not perfect but the imperfections were quite minor. The other unit that he had worked on was not impressive at all.

He understood that we wanted to move in as soon as possible and promised to get back to us on his revised quote at his earliest convenience. Frankly, we don't know how much longer we can wait since we're almost sure that we're going to give Kenny a shot.

Quotations from the 2

2011-06-17T12:00:00.002+08:00

OMG! Both ID firm burst our budget!

Kenny from U-Home Interior Design quoted S$32k

Zhiqi from Artrend Design quoted S$44k

Vin liked Zhiqi's ideas very much. Although all that she can provide us at this point of time is the quotation and the space layout proposal, she had went an extra step by putting post-its on a few magazines to show us a rough idea of the designs she had in mind for the space. Unfortunately, S$44k is just too much! Even if we're to compromise the designs/materials, it's unlikely that we can cut S$10k off the quotation. Then the effects might not be the same as what we've pictured right? If we have the money on hand, at least we can consider. The fact is we don't have such luxury!

After scrutinising both quotations, it clear that even the exact same item cost more with Artrend. Vin can't possibly force this through. And Sel was quick to point out that overspending will be a burden to the household. We still have a few big items to buy for the house. Plus, we both have more than enough good ideas/designs for the spaces.

Anyway, we're meeting Jason from Design36 tomorrow to view some of the units at Jade Spring that he had worked on. So let's see how it goes tomorrow...

Another Happy Buy

2011-06-12T23:59:00.007+08:00

Most IDs' had told us that it's not practical to place our fridge, sink, hob and hood in the same row because it will limit our workspace in the kitchen. We're quite adamant about it especially we had bought a mini hob and hood (it's only 600mm wide!). So we're in pursuit for a mini sink as well. And it's not that hard to find.

From Choong Ying Pte Ltd

Undermount Sink (strainer not included) & Tap - S$500.00

They sell lights and fans as well and they had quite a variety too. After going around the warehouse a couple of times, we eventually settled on the lights below.

Ceiling Light - S$95.00
(Master Bedroom Welcome Light)

Hanging Light - S$165.00
(Walk-in Wardrobe in Master Bedroom)

Now, Sel wants a sink cover so that the sink can be converted into a workspace when not in use. Anyone knows where to get one?

Air Condition Installation

2011-06-10T23:55:00.007+08:00

It took Gain City 1.5 days to complete the installation. It's quite well-done even if we say so ourselves! Although Sel was alone overseeing the installation, Vin was happy with the positioning of the air-cons. Sel, however, have doubts on the position of the air-con in the master bedroom.

She had seen most of the Jade Spring residence install the A/C on top of the bathroom door. That way, most of the A/C trunking is hidden or only exposed in the toilet. The current position might cause the A/C to be 3/4 blocked by the walk-in wardrobe and expose more of the A/C trunking. But Vin is quite adamant about the position. His point is installing the A/C on top of the bathroom door is too far from the bed. Oh well, it's done and over with. We'll have to live with it now.

Living Room A/C

A/C trunking through kitchen & service yard

Study/Guest Room A/C

Parent's Room A/C

Master Bedroom A/C

Toilet trunkings (Top - Master Toilet, Bottom - Common Toilet)

Compressors on A/C Latch

After the installation, we tested the A/C and realised we have overlooked the fact that we have only one isolator on the air-con latch. Gain City have advised against sharing an isolator for the 2 compressors as there was an incident whereby the circuit breaker caught fire after tripping a few times. Now, we have to call the electrician again to install another isolator. *Doink*

The Follow-up with Design36

2011-06-10T23:45:00.000+08:00

Since we've paid a deposit, it felt wasteful to let the ID firm go just like that. So we thought why not see who's taking over our renovation and try to make do with it. We found out that Jason is the boss of Design36 and he'll be handling our renovation moving forward.

Our first impression is that he's a decent guy. But we don't quite feel comfortable with him. Some of the ideas that we had agreed with Gary initially have to be changed. Going through the quote with him made us realised that the quote that we had signed with Gary is quite messed up!

We were honest with him by sharing the fact that we're looking at other ID firms since we found out Gary had left. He understood and agreed that we should start from scratch. All he asked was that we give him a chance to show what he can offer, in terms of design, price and workmanship.

That sounds fair so we went with it although we were really upset with how Design36 handled Gary's departure. Let's just see how it goes.

Down to 2

2011-06-09T12:00:00.000+08:00

After the first point of contact with the few ID firms at IMM and Balestier, we're pretty sure of who we'll end up with. To the IDs, the first discussion is more on requirements gathering. It's all about space planning, concept and our priorities. To us, it's about how the ID can help improve on our ideas and how they manage our budget to deliver the renovation.

Base on the first impression, we liked 2:

Kenny from U-Home Interior Design (IMM)

Zhiqi from Artrend Design (Balestier)

The reasons:

They're both open to our idea. As in they're very suggestive and yet they do not force their ideas on us.

They're both organised and meticulous when we were going through what we wanted on our floorplan.

There's somehow a chemistry.

Kenny had promised to provide us with a quote in just 2 days (which is impressive). Zhiqi will try to get back to us in a week (which is kind of the standard turnaround time). Anyway, we gave them the same ideas, budget and deadline. The ultimatum is we want to spend our Hari Raya this year in our new home.

Now let's hope that the price is right.

Shear Bad Luck

2011-06-07T23:38:00.001+08:00

We had started planning for renovation for the longest time. The progress:

Keys - Collected

Electrical works - Completed

Air-condition installation - Scheduled on Friday, 11 June (as requested by our ID, Gary from Design36)

The only problem now is that Gary is uncontactable! URGH! What is going on? We've tried calling and messaging his mobile, calling his office line and have yet to get a response from him. We were initially angry. Then, we started to worry if anything had happened to him.

Later, we finally managed to get through to the office line and was told by the staff that he had left the firm. It's now time to PANIC!

Vin printed a few copies of our floor plan for us to scout for a new ID at IMM. So now we're almost back to square one.

What a Steal!

2011-06-04T23:59:00.001+08:00

A few days ago we had browse around the lighting shops at Geylang to look for LED downlights for our living room. In the midst of it, Sel was looking for a suitable welcome light for our small foyer. It so happens that the one we both liked was with Swarovski Crystal and it wasn't cheap. Vin was tempted to get it there and then but Sel was quite sure she saw a lighting shop at Balestier selling mostly Swarovski Crystal lights.

True enough, they found the shop, it's Casa Nuovo. Spoilt for choice, we had our usual disagreement. It was sorted out maturely by a game of Scissors-Paper-Stone and of course Vin won. Here's what he chose:

Swarovski Melody Crystal 4 Reflex Luminaires - S$196.88

(Foyer Area Welcome Light)

Vin was grinning from ear to ear all night long. He was so pleased with the buy!

We actually found out that our fellow Jade Springer had bought the exact same lights for S$388.00. Gosh!

Unexpected Buy @ Funan

2011-06-01T23:59:00.014+08:00

Window-shopping for us usually resulted in actual shopping so we thought let's go window-shopping at Funan. It's mostly IT stuff and we've got no intention of buying any IT related product. Oh well, we still ended up spending.

We stumbled upon Sony speakers at Challenger that sounded quite good and was within our budget. Vin was happy with the fact that we just bought the last 2 units available. We bought the Prolink wireless keyboard and APC surge protector from Challenger as well. Lastly, the Belkin surge protector was from South Asia Computer.

Sony SRS-D4 Speakers - S$60.00 x 2

(Master Bedroom & Parent's Room Speakers)

Prolink PCML-5308G Slim Mini Wireless Touchpad Keyboard - S$89.00

(Living Room PC)

APC Surge Protector - S$37.90

Belkin SurgeMaster - S$62.00

I Heart U XO XO

2011-05-26T23:59:00.003+08:00

This song truly reflects how I feel on most days.

I know that I've been having a hard time managing my temper. I can blame it on the hot weather, stress and frustrations at work/home or you for just grinning foolishly at me. Whatever the reason for my outburst, I know that it's usually blown out of proportion so for that, I'm sorry.

Thank you for your tolerance and forgiveness.

I hope that you had enjoyed the cupcakes I made for you with love.

I <3 U
XO XO

Love,
Sel

Lights & Fans from JB

2011-05-16T23:59:00.006+08:00

At the end of the day, we're 2 happy shoppers! The total damage is RM1,632.00.

From Tampoi Lighting Centre Sdn Bhd

Panasonic Inverter Ceiling Light - RM169.00

(Kitchen Light)Panasonic Inverter Ceiling Light - RM159.00

(Study/Guest Room Light)

KDK 15Y6 Ceiling Fan - RM478.00

(Living Room Fan)

KDK 14Y9 Ceiling Fan - RM278.00 x 2
(Master Bedroom & Parent's Room Fan)

We had bought our doorbell there as well (maybe we'll post the picture and the price another time). We wanted to buy downlights and switches from them but had decided to reconsider because of our budget.

From D-ONE Electrical Sdn Bhd

Hanging Light - RM270.00

(Dining Room Light)

We had bought Clipsal switches from them and it's so much cheaper than SG! We'll post some pictures and the total price when we have finalised on our electrical wiring works.

There are plenty of lighting shops in JB. There's one particular shop that we found very welcoming, Indah Lighting Gallery. Edmund who was attending to us sounds very knowledgeable and yet not pushy. In fact, we had found that they have one of the brightest LED downlight with a diffuser (and it's made in Taiwan) at RM330.00 per peice. If only we have the budget to get it! Sponsors? Anyone?

Splurged Again!

2011-05-15T23:59:00.003+08:00

As if the total amount spent on the air conditioners earlier today was not enough, we went on a hunt for our hob and hood. Considering that our kitchen is uber small, we decided to go a more squarish hob which is smaller than what you see in most kitchen. Of all brands, we fell in love with Bosch. Oh boy, it doesn't come cheap!

Bosch PCH-615FAU Hob & DWW-062750 Chimney Hood - S$1,540.00

For sure there'll be no more spending today. Got to save some for tomorrow! We're heading to JB first thing in the morning to source for our lights and fans. Hope to be able to get good deals there. Wish us luck!

The Superficial Us

2011-05-15T15:45:00.003+08:00

We've been looking for air conditioner for our house for the longest time! Most people had recommended Mitsubishi Starmex System 4 inverter. Some sales representative had tried to convince us to buy whichever brand that was the inhouse promotion just because it would be the cheaper option. But we had stick to our guns and bought the Panasonic Econavi System 3+1 inverter.

We love it for

1) the new design; it's silver in color, not like any other brands which is usually white.

2) it has the Econavi dual sensor which help reduce energy waste by self-adjusting the cooling power according to what is actually needed and thus saving energy.

3) it has a e-ion air purifying system with patrol sensor which help purify the air when needed.

Panasonic System 1 Inverter 18,000 btu/hr - S$1,540.80

(Living Room Air Conditioner)Panasonic System 3 Inverter 9,000 btu/hr - S$2,825.00
(3 Bed Rooms Air Conditioner)

Ok, some sales representative had mentioned to us that the Econavi dual sensor and patrol sensor could be or are just marketing mumbo-jumbo to buy us in. Also, it seems that we do not need an inverter air conditioner for the living room if we do not use it much. That would have saved us a few hundreds but we insisted that we wanted them. And our reason for it? We wanted the brand Panasonic and we wanted a silver color air conditioner. How much more superficial can we get?!

Welcome to Our Half Paid Flat

2011-05-13T23:55:00.007+08:00

Vin took leave half day to collect our keys today. Sel fetched him during lunch time and we went straight to HDB Hub after that. We were there about 1 hour earlier than the appointment time and it took us about an hour to complete the whole process (i.e. bought our home insurance, finalise our HDB loan and collected our keys, opening of the SP services account). We grabbed a quick lunch at the nearby Fork & Spoon foodcourt before heading to our flat.

Entrance to Living Room

Storage Area

Kitchen & Service Yard

Dining Area

Living Room

Us by the living room window

Study/Guest Room

Parent's Room

Common Bathroom

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Floor Plan

All the rooms are about the same size. The master bedroom is bigger because it's longer. If the pictures give you the impression that rooms are small, that's because they are really small. You can barely fit a queen-size bed in bedroom 1 and bedroom 2. Vin's parents will probably have to walk "crab-style" in their room! Nonetheless, we're happy with the flat we've chosen. We still get a bit of the park view that we wanted.

Gosh, the feelings we felt today is undescribable!

For Our Mothers & Aunties

2011-05-08T23:59:00.008+08:00

It was a last minute arrangement. Sel's sister, Jah had been messaging all her cousins all afternoon to finalise on the time, place and booking of the karaoke room.

Dinner was taken care by Sel and her brother Mili. They could call for delivery for had to do KFC takeaway. The beautiful cake is courtesy of Sel's cousin, Yana.

Happy Mothers Day!

More pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/vinz.selz/MotherSDayCelebrations2011

There was singing and screaming, clapping and whistling, dancing and jumping. Everyone had a blast! Perhaps this will turn into an annual affair?

Is it Finally Ready?

2011-05-05T13:15:00.011+08:00

We've been following the Jadespring Yishun group on FB since we knew it existed. Waiting for our BTO flat had been a see-saw of emotions. It's been a joy to see the building progress in the initial stage. It's been depressing for us to watch Phase 2 being completed earlier. In fact all our neighbouring flats are ready. Some are in the midst of renovation while others have already moved in. It's been a humbling experience to realise that S$219,800.00 can only get you a 92 sq m 4 room flat that can barely accomodate to a family of 3 generations. To be honest, we're not so concerned about the price of the flat but rather the size.

Nonetheless, we're still excited with the idea of having a place of our own. It just feels different to buy something with your own hard-earn savings. There's this sense of satisfaction/acheivement.

Today, someone from the Jadespring Yishun group on FB (who is on the same block as us) posted that they have received their appointment letter from HDB to collect their keys next week. It dawn on us, "could it finally be our turn as well?"

The answer to that is YES!!!

Sel couldn't stop grinning that day.

Draft of 3Ds by Gary from Design36

2011-05-03T23:59:00.000+08:00

It's the right concept but not the colors we wanted. Anyway, it is just the first draft so there will be a lot of work to be done on it.

Foyer - Hidden Household Shelter & Full-height Cabinet

Living Room - Feature Wall & Sette

Dining Area - Hacked Half Wall for Tempered GlassKitchenCommon Bathroom - Vanity Top & Shower ScreenParent's Room - Mini Feature Wall & ShelvingMaster Bathroom - Vanity Top & Shower ScreenMaster Bedroom - Mini Feature Wall & Shelving

Actually, we've been liaising with them since November 2010 but we're uncertain as to when the keys to our home will be handed over. The first-two draft of the 3D designs are kind of overdue since we had paid our deposit of S$1,000.00 in January 2011!

Home Theater System

2011-04-24T23:10:00.004+08:00

Vin has been eyeing to get this for awhile now. He's been to the CourtsThe regular retail price is S$999.00. We were quite hesitant to get it at the Courts Megatex Expo 2011 because we were hoping to get a better deal for it. Oh well, S$100.00 lesser is better than none!

Yamaha Sound Bar YHT-S400 - S$899.00

(Living Room)

Not the cheapest and not the best, but it will do!

Wig-titude!

2010-12-31T23:00:00.003+08:00

Family fun at the Costa Sands Resort Pasir Ris (while the kids are playing in the swimming pool).

Vin's Itch to Spend

2010-11-29T23:59:00.014+08:00

It's only November of 2010 and we do not know when we'll be getting our keys to our new flat. But Vin has been itching to spend money on a new TV. Everywhere we go, Vin will insist that we browse around Best Denki, Courts, Gain City and Harvey Norman.

Today, Sel had enough of it! The total damage is S$3,338.00. All spent at Harvey Norman - Millenia Walk. Li Ping, the sales representative had been very attentive to Vin's queries. He had dropped by during his lunch time to look around and she had entertained him then. Later, after work, he had dragged Sel there to show her the TV that he had been eyeing and she had to entertain him again!

So here are the items we bought...

50" Panasonic V-series Plasma - S$2,999.00

(Living Room TV)Panasonic Blu-Ray - S$249.00

(Living Room Player)Panasonic Micro Mini System - FOC

(Master Bedroom Hi-Fi)

The TV comes with a VuePoint tilting wallmount and Vin bought a 8ft Monster cable MC700 THX HDMI at a reduced price of S$90.00. The other freebies includes a S$60.00 HMV voucher and Harvey Norman's "Manificent Vouchers". Quite a good buy aye?

2010 Halloween @ ACM

2010-10-30T23:59:00.003+08:00

It was kind of a last minute thing but Sel insisted to dress up for Halloween this year. So we bought our gear from Giant Hypermarket (whatever was left of it).

Hideous witch? Or the green goblin?

'Comot' witch

We brought Iqah & Syamim along..

Who's that in the middle? She looks scarier in the dark!

Father & son getup?

We took a break for ice-cream..

Afad & Jah came and joined us later that night...

Vin & his antics...
It was definitely a Booh-oobing night!

Check out more picture at https://picasaweb.google.com/vinz.selz/Halloween2010AtACM

Pear-pisode @ Work

2010-06-09T23:38:00.002+08:00

It's a fruit day every Wednesday at Sel's workplace. Everybody gets one for free. It's a way her Company encourages healthy living to employees. Somehow, there's always "something wrong" with the fruits. For example, there was a Wednesday whereby the Company gave apples. We named it STINKY apple because the wrappers smelled funny and the smell was stuck on the apple as well.

This week's fruit are pears and they literally became the "butt" of jokes!

Tze Hoon and Jasmine comparing their pears...

Jasmine's butt-shaped pear VS Tze hoon's normal pear...

Nobody wants to eat the "butt pear"...

It's stuff like this that makes work bearable ;)

Congratulations to Firdaus & Nur Rinah

2010-03-14T23:57:00.003+08:00

The Newly Wed

Happy Wedded Life!

May your life together be rich in Joy & Love...

Thirsty?

2010-02-20T19:00:00.003+08:00

While shopping for groceries at Sheng Shiong, we picked up some coconuts. We had a short argument over which type/brand of coconuts to get. It was a short argument because Sel gave up and let Vin do the deciding. It's just so silly to fight over coconuts. And Vin wasn't even interested in getting coconuts in the first place. Hah! Who's the control freak now?

Anyway, it was funny to see how Vin chopped off the top of the coconut. Sel left the camera in the car so there is no video to share but pictures of the progress below.

Before; Then off goes the wrapper; And finally, chopped open

After countless number of chopping... After much effort and sweat, finally, a small opening. It's so small that we had to use an ice-cream spoon to scoop the flesh! it's so small that we can barely squeeze in cubes of ice to chill the juice!

But after a sip, "Aaaaaah", it's worth it.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

2010-02-19T23:28:00.000+08:00

Yishun Dam - 19 December 2007

It's a sneak peek of the goofy things we do on our date...

Surprise Dear!

2010-01-29T23:49:00.003+08:00

Celebrating Vin's 26th birthday...

First suprise...

The unsuspecting Vin didn't see it coming.

So true isn't it?
He rubbed his eyes and went "Abg tak mimpi kan?"... Blackberry Bold 9700

Second surprise...

3D2N to Angsana Resort, Bintan

It was so much fun! The sun, sand and the sea...

Nice people... Beautiful pool...

Great food... Vin had his favourite Teh Sosro...

And the best experience of the trip, the ATV ride!

Check out more picture at http://picasaweb.google.com/vinz.selz/SurpriseHolidayToBintan

01.01.10 - Our Wedding... Thanks

2010-01-02T23:00:00.003+08:00

Acknowledgement…

To our service provider…

AB Shaik – For entertaining our guest with spontaneous games & activities
Cik Rawiah & assistants – For making us look good
Exclusive Bridal – For the beautiful Pre-Wedding photos
Flipside – For the great videography & photography
Furama Riverfront – For quality service
Incas – For the great music & showmanship
Kintamani – For the authentic Indonesian dinner menu
Sri Warisan – For the elegant dance performance
Wak West – For the elaborated grand entry
Weddingcars.com – For the classy Audi A6 and chauffer.

To our helpers…

Michelle
Azri
Kak Lina & Kak Wati
Nana & Wandi
Wani & Hasif
Amalina
Jah & Arfad
Fay & Nor
Yana & Is

We owe you one BIG TIME!
Extra Special Thanks Go To Our Loved Ones…

Vin Thanks
First of all, I wish to thank God for giving me a wonderful and loving wife. To my parents for being my inspiration and hope and dreams. For providing unconditional assistance, Obek Awek & Obek Monah. Obek Hashim for guiding us through the ceremony. Last but not least, thanks to those who came and witness our auspicious ceremony and wedding reception.

Sel Thanks
A BIG THANK YOU… to my family who always morally support whatever I choose to do, for blessing this marriage and for going along with our unconventional wedding plans… to my relatives who helped made this great event/celebration possible… to everyone who was there to celebrate the joyous moment with us… THANK YOU ALL!

(Links to wedding videos and photos on right menu buttons)

A Bumpy Ride Home

2009-09-15T23:22:00.001+08:00

Google KPE and this is what you'll get...

"Most advanced underground tunnel expressway"?

We think not!

Honey Cornflake Cups

2009-09-12T23:39:00.000+08:00

Sel somehow lost the pictures she took while preparing, mixing and baking the honey cornflakes cups. Anyway, this is one of the most easiest Hari Raya kueh to bake.

The recipe was taken from http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/Honey-Cornflake-Cups-L802.html.

Ingredients
90g butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon honey
4 cups cornflakes

Method
Melt the butter, sugar and honey in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved and mixture is frothy. Pour the mixture over the conflakes until all the cornflakes are coated. Place the paper cups on a tray and sppon the mixture into the cups. Put the tray into a 120-140 degrees celsius oven until slightly golden (which is about 10-15 minutes). Once out of the oven, leave them to cool and harden. Keep in air tight formula.

So easy! Sel increased the ingredients by 2.5 times, added some almonds in and got 3 bottles worth of goodies. Too bad Vin doesn't like nuts. She'll have to bake a special batch for him.

Happy B'day Negi

2009-09-11T23:53:00.002+08:00

Clockwise: Birthday cake, Negi cutting cake,

sweet wife feeding Negi & lastly Negi's present...

Thank you for inviting us to join your birthday celebration. Hope you like your gifts!

Although, with so much Hindi going around, we were pretty much lost in between conversations, it was still fun to hang out with the Hindi gang once in awhile.

09.09.09 - NVSS Gathering

2009-09-09T23:56:00.000+08:00

Actually, you can't really call it a NVSS gathering because only the malays from the express class of graduation year 2000 were involved. We somehow make it a point to meet and catch up as least once a year.

First was dinner at D'rubinah Restaurant at Sembawang Road...

Then we all walked to Sembawang Shopping Centre

for desserts at MOF Japanese Sweets & Coffee...

After lots of coaxing, we finally manage to get everyone

to extend the night with bowling...

Us resting while waiting for our turn...

The scores...
Group photo...

Ok, the gathering ended later than expected. But we did it mainly for Fizah who hasn't been out without the kids much. It was like a refreshing break for her. And it was fun to bowl with people who can't bowl as well as people who can bowl but choose to focus on style more than hitting pins! hehe...

We both falls in the two separate category. It should be pretty easy to guess which category we each belong to?!

Iftar at Aunty Mimah House

2009-09-01T23:54:00.002+08:00

What's not to love about it? Great food! Great people! And not forgetting the gossip and drama...

The spread...

Drinks, snacks and desserts...

Roti kirai...

Sliced baquette...

Curry...

Chilli prawn...

Salad...

Pastries...

TV, BINGO and just hanging out...

Mami house next?

Iftar at Pak Long House

2009-08-31T23:05:00.011+08:00

So fun! It feels like Hari Raya although it's just the beginning of the fasting month. And the video call on yahoo with Sel's relatives in Kerala, India was hilarious. The language barrier does not seem to prevent us from trying to communicate and keep in touch with each other. It's the first time we actually see those faces.

And the food was yummy! Mak Long's cooking always lives up to our expectations.

Dates... A must have when breaking fast.

Bubur masjid...

The spread...

Nasi biryani...

Some pineapple dish?

Acar...

Chicken tikka...

Dalcha...

Roti...

Keema...

Sardine puffs...

Watermelons...

All tired and weak before breaking fast...

Greedy Aul!

Energised after breaking fast...

Group photo...

Hmmm... Who's the next generous host?

Iftar at Mackenzie Rex Restaurant

2009-08-28T23:59:00.002+08:00

Guess what? They have renovated. It's brightly lighted, clean, modern and just refreshing. We must have not been there for quite sometime to have not known that they were going to renovate the restaurant. Well, blame it on The Chicken Rice Shop because we have been getting our dose of chicken rice from there the past few months.

The cashier area...

Modern design... False ceiling with spot-lights.

New furniture & seating arrangements

Anyway, both eateries are just as yummy. Slurp, Slurp! Price wise is also comparable. If we had to chose, we would probably prefer Rex because they just have much more variety on their menu.

A word of advice if you plan to iftar (break fast) there, do call for reservation because it is impossible to get a table during that time if you just walk-in.

http://www.macrex.com.sg/index.htm

Their website seems new too.

Happy Fasting Month

2009-08-22T15:30:00.002+08:00

Our Ring - Reminder of Our Love

2009-08-16T23:35:00.004+08:00

After 4 months since we bought our wedding ring, we finally got it engraved. We could have gotten it done for free at the jewellery store but they only have 1 type of font and its all in capital letters. The sales assistant was more than helpful and she referred us to The Gift Galleries at Cuppage Plaza.

Actually, we have already decided what we wanted to engrave on our rings at the time that we purchase the rings. But after 4 months, we just can’t remember what it was.

Anyway, we had to think of something on the spot as the store was closing in 30 minutes. As usual, the full of passion Vin came up with something in less than 5 minutes; Leaving Sel with the pressure of doing the same. How can you expect a woman to decide on something that cannot be change or undo forever in 5 minutes?! Well, she came up with something alright. Only Vin was not too happy about it at first but he soon became fond with her idea anyway.

Still no pictures yet as Vin wants to keep it as a surprise. Maybe we’ll post the pictures nearer to the actual date?

The Parking Lot Cat

2009-08-12T23:45:00.007+08:00

The cat was sleeping on the roof of Vin’s car. And Vin wasn’t even mad. He just went “Awww… So cute!”. The fact that the cat might have caused a dent or scratch on the car didn’t even cross his mind.

Snoozing on the cold surface of the car roof...

Staring directly at the camera...

The cat was too comfortable and refused to move. Even the blinding flash coming from our camera did not make the cat budge. It’s only when we got in the car and started the engine that the cat got off the roof and strolled across the carpark.

A few days later, we saw the same cat sleeping on the roof of another car on the exact same parking lot. That must be its favourite spot and we were interrupting its sleep the other night.

The cat must have just become too domesticated.

Who's The Musician & Who's The Poser?

2009-08-10T23:25:00.004+08:00

Vin or Sel?

Obviously, Vin is the musician and Sel is the poser. Ok so Sel can’t play… But she does look good with a guitar, even if she said so herself! Hehe...

148 Days Before Our Big Day

2009-08-05T00:06:00.002+08:00

It was 10 minutes before the clock strikes 12.00am and Vin was already busy entering the necessary particulars on the ROMM website to register for our marriage. Sel was all ready to sleep, lying cosily in her bed while providing Vin with the required information over the phone.

And we’re done with the registration at 12.06am. That’s only 6 minutes after the registration opens for our solemnization date. Wonder if we are the first couple to register for that date? Can’t imagine any other couples doing the same but maybe it’s just typical Singaporean behavior.

Seems like the timer on ROMM website is 2 days behind. We had tried to register on Monday, which is exactly 150 days before our big day but failed. The latest solemnization date reflected on the website then was December 30th, 2009. Oh well, it’s done and over with now.

That’s another milestone in our wedding preparation completed.

Keep a step ahead. The Audi A6.

2009-08-03T21:19:00.007+08:00

The Audi has been Ayah’s dream car. After watching The Transporter, he was even more smitten by the Audi. Well, we can’t afford it so we decided to rent it as our wedding car. Too bad it comes with the chauffeur so Ayah won’t get to drive it. But at least he gets the taste of riding it.

Audi A6 (Akoya Silver) - 2.0L, Turbocharged, 200bhp, 280Nm Torque

You know what’s funny? Vin house is only 5 minutes away from Sel’s house. Actually, it’s walking distance (1 or 2 bus stops away only). So we are spending S$400++ for a 5 minutes ride?! Hehe…

Anyway, we are trying to get our wedding photographer to squeeze in some time for a short outdoor photo shoot with the Audi; to make worth of the amount of money spent on the rental of the Audi and the photography charges.

Better start practicing to pose and smile soon!

Surprise Dear

2009-07-31T23:13:00.000+08:00

Sel surprised Vin with Famous Amos double chocolate chip with pecan cookies. And Vin surprised Sel with a movie date. What's there to watch but...

The Hangover

It was hilarious, ridiculous and just wrong! And we both loved it. The DVD is a must have for us.

A perfect start for the weekend. No special occasion. Just good movie, junk food and quality time together.

Love it, love it, love it!

Why Vinnie & Sellie Stop Blogging

2009-07-30T19:46:00.003+08:00

It’s not that we forgot about it…

It’s not that we had given up on it…

It’s just that we are too busy. Busy with work. Now, busy with the wedding preparations as well.

Oh and if you haven’t heard, we both decided to take a semester off school. It is just not possible to do work, school and wedding preparations. Even with just work and school, our social life is equivalent to none. Whatever time we had over the weekend, we had to run our errands, do our chores and spend time with our family. We have been neglecting all our friends. Sorry guys… Hope we can catch up soon. Or maybe we’ll just see you all at our wedding? Hehe…

Anyway, here’s what we plan to do. Just update the blog as and when we manage to find time and backdate it. That way, our blog serves more like a journal to us (of course, minus all the personal details that you don’t need to know).

So if you don’t see new posts, don’t be fooled and think that our blog is dead. It could just be that we are backdating the new posts.

The Gold Card

2009-07-28T23:11:00.001+08:00

Vin’s proudest credit exposure…

The American Express Gold Charge Card

Why it stands out among the other credit cards?

No credit limit
Double the points for life

Hmmm… Maybe we can earn enough points to convert into KrisFyer miles and redeem a free round trip flight to our dream honeymoon destination?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Crab?

2009-07-25T23:08:00.007+08:00

Ibu was going to cook crab today. You know what she found? A mutated crab. Or should we call it deformed? Maybe special or unique is better.

We know of people with extra finger or toe. We’ve seen conjoined twin fruits like bananas and rambutans. And it’s still fascinating to look at the unique crab.

She cooked it anyway. Guess who was the “lucky” one that ate it?

Oh well, there is no harm. And it should taste like a normal crab all the same.

Our 2 Year Engagement Anniversary

2009-07-07T23:22:00.009+08:00

Abg,

You are lovable... Huggable... And kissable...
That's why I love you so muchable...

Happy anniversary!

Love,

Sel

Short Trip: Touring Melaka (Day 2)

2009-06-13T23:53:00.009+08:00

First stop... Tan Kim Hock

They're popular for their dodol...

Us under the Melaka Tree...

The Melaka Tree fruit...

Next stop... The musuem

Us in front of the musuem...

Swords... It's what they used to use in war.

Keris... The tradisional sword.

Exhibit, exhibit and more exhibit...

Okay, we can't remember what it's supposed to be...

What Melaka used to look like...

This is what they used to send as hantaran. Basic things... It's all luxury now

Warrior?

Rumah kampung...

The landmark...

Historical fountain...

Pretty landscape...

Looks like Holland...

Ibu & Ayah on the beca...

Us on the beca... We'd the "BMW".

Digging the old site...

Melaka medan...

Museum on a ship...

Pose, pose and more poses...

The old map...

Shopping centre in Melaka...

Kenny Rogers for dinner...

What we ordered...

Us at Kenny Rogers...

We finished everything... Well, except for that one muffin.

It was tiring, fun and fulfilling. We pretty much bought almost everything we need to decorate the room. But there is still alot of other things to prepare. Well, a step at a time and eventually it will all be done. Hopefully soon...

Short Trip: Long Drive to Nilai (Day 1)

2009-05-30T23:45:00.011+08:00

We decided to try and make our way to Nilai 3 again. This time, not so early. We left house at about 5.30am. It was a long 4 hours drive. We reached there around 10.00am. Most of the shops are still close, though some are in the midst of opening.

We stopped here for breakfast...

Finally, we reached our destination...

Skinned cow!

The stall specialised in mutton soup...

Shopping!

Nilai-3 version of KBox?

The Prince and the King?

Freshmade bahulu... YUM!

Our favourite restaurant in Melaka...

Our Q no...

The great view at the restaurant...

While waiting for the food...

Ikan pari bakar... It's kind of dry.

Chapchai...

Calamaries... The best we've ever tasted!

Steam fish... So hungry that we forgot to take photo until 1/2 way...

Wastage...

Leftovers...

We drove back to Melaka to rest for the night...

The hotel front...

Our room...

Vin playing around with his new bottle holder...

Vin at the hotel entrance...

Sel at the hotel lobby...

It was super hot shopping at Nilai-3. And things are not as cheap as we thought. It's about the same price as anywhere else in Malaysia. Anyway, we mainly spend on the items for the wedding such as bedsheets and curtains.

We head back to Melaka for dinner and rest for the night. Even with the GPS, we actually got loss because the roads in Malaysia had changed. Anyway, it was a good thing we got loss as we managed to get a good view of the "moving" ferris wheel. It is said that the ferris wheel is shifted from state to state over time.

Well, that's it for day 1. Will update on day 2 soon...

Serangoon Sunday

2009-05-21T23:46:00.010+08:00

First we went to Meeras Curry Restaurant at Veerasamy Road in Serangoon for lunch. Well, it was a late lunch since it’s already 3pm. As lunch time was long gone, we were ravenous. Which kind of made us greedy and we ordered more than we would have normally.

Ayah chose this restaurant...

Chicken tikka

Black pepper crab?

Garlic naan

Biryani

It was served in a pot...

As usual, Vin finish eating first...

And Sel was last...

Then we head down to Sungei Road which is very close to Serangoon. It was packed! It’s almost like the pasar malam (night market) you find around the HDB neighbourhood; Except that it’s open in the day and that they sell secondhand goods (which is not necessarily cheap either). Walking around the stalls, looking at the old and antic goods automatically made us nostalgic. It was definitely a unique experience.

Believe it or not, we have never been here before...

The sungei road crowd...

Vin at one of the "entrance"...

Sel at the same place...

Sweaty and tired, we had a rest at The Banana Leaf Apolo at Serangoon. It’s an air-conditioned restaurant which is expensive like a restaurant but looks more like a food court to us. Anyway, it was not halal certified, so all we had was drinks and dessert.

It was the nearest air-conditioned place we can find...

Nice glass-waterfall behind Vin that make it looks like it's raining...

Honey sea-coconut

It was so expensive and it comes with a really small slice of lime...

Vin's "pet cat"...

The Serangoon night crowd...

As night time comes, the streets are getting even more crowded so we headed back home.

Yet another weekend had zoomed by. All this weekend/family activities will have to stop soon as both our exams are coming soon. Sigh…

Pig-Out Saturday

2009-05-18T23:53:00.022+08:00

First we head down to VivoCity for a late lunch. Since we had stumbled upon The Chicken Rice Shop, Vin had been craving for more.

What we ordered...

Sel had noodles while Vin had the chicken rice set...

Is there any reason why one is longer than the other?

The chicken tile on the wall...

After lunch, we window-shopped till our legs feel like dropping off.

Then we head to Starbucks for tea. We’re both coffee people so of course, we’ll have coffee for a late tea. And neither of us could resist the sinful cakes there. It was Vin’s suggestion anyway and Sel just couldn’t say no.

Dark berry mocha... Tasted like the pink panadol for kids. Bleh!

Warm chocolate cake... YUM!!!

Come dinner time, Vin wanted satay.

The best satay in Singapore according to Vin...

The pakcik is from the famous old Satay Club at the padang...

Waiting patiently for the satays, we decided to pack and have it at home...

Vin is all smiles at the idea of having satay for dinner...

Imagine! All these junk were consumed in 4 hours. No wonder we’re getting fatter!

“At this rate, you won’t be able to squeeze into you wedding clothes.” We’ve been hearing this comment ever so often nowadays. Shouldn’t the clothes be made to fit us rather then we deprived ourselves of the wonderful flavour of delicious, yummy and sinful food to fit the clothes?!

Anyway, we had a great day!

See our funny faces...

See our smiling and content faces...

We just can't help it. Food just makes us happy. If it makes us fat then so be it. At most we'll start working out.

Dinner With The Girls

2009-05-16T23:05:00.008+08:00

Sel was so excited to be finally catching up with her girlfriends from ETP. It’s been more than a year since the 3 of them meet. There was the occasional smses (usually birthday wishes) and calls (usually to ask for advice). She had met up with either one of them at least once the past year but not the 2 of them together.

Needless to say, there was a lot of bitching, reminiscing and giggling. Bitching about our bosses, reminiscing our time together at work, giggling over each other retarded self.

As though to catch up for loss time, she stayed out with them as late as she can on that day; which made Vin pretty unhappy. The conservative Vin believes in curfew. He worries when Sel goes home late alone. He knows that by reacting as such it annoys Sel but he is just being himself.

Well, she did have fun that night. It’s a different kind of fun with just the girls you know.

Performing a song dedicated from Leah to Mich, Sel and Leah, herself...

It’s not a girl’s night out without sinful desserts…

Numerous efforts to take our group photo…

Ok, this one is not too bad…

Finally, a perfect shot! Too bad Leah’s camera phone flash is too strong. It makes them look stoned…

So Damn Inconsiderate!

2009-05-15T20:08:00.001+08:00

Imagine this…

Someone’s wife asked you a favor to bring a baby bath tub, changing table and cot from Holland Village to Serangoon. Because the items are meant for a dear friend of yours, you agreed to help. When you got there, you realized that the baby cot and changing table is not dismantled and thus, it cannot fit into the car.

Annoying right?! Shouldn’t it be obvious to that someone’s wife that if anyone were to help out they will assume that those items can fit in a car or taxi unless specifically mentioned otherwise?

Well, because of that someone’s wife, we got into a heated argument. It is just too painful for Vin to see Sel being treated as such. He insists that if it is not part of her job scope she should reject the task. In Sel’s defense, she is not doing it for that someone's wife but rather for her dear friend.

About a week went by…

We are still feeling sore about the above. Having said so, Sel felt a responsibility to update on the status because she had already agreed to the task. So she emailed that someone “As I realized that the items can’t fit into a car. Thus, I will need to arrange for another form of transportation. Will let you know when”. Guess what that someone replied? Instead of apologizing for having wasted a trip to Holland Village for nothing, he replied “Please don't leave that baby stuff there too long as it is taking up a lot of space. Are you taking it for yourself or for your dear friend?”

Urgh!!!

What’s worse?

Dear friend was embarrassed by the incident. She was not even keen with the items. Nevertheless, she was being polite so she had agreed and offered to arrange for the delivery company to pick it up. However, that someone’s wife had assured her that she will take care of the transportation. When she say that “she will take care of the transportation”, she meant Sel will take care of the transportation.

URGH!!!!!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T23:34:00.004+08:00

To celebrate Mother’s Day, we had dinner at Al-Ameen, Woodlands outlet. It’s one of Vin’s favourite eating place, mainly because the food is good and cheap.

The value for money set that we always order is the “Couples Package”. This set includes omelette, vegetables (any kind from their menu), tom yam soup, fish (any kind from their menu, served anyway you like) and 2 plates of rice. It cost $20 only! Well, except if you choose the steamed sea bass (which Sel loves) then you will need to top-up $5. Anyway, this is enough for 4 people if you add on 2 additional plate of rice.

After dinner, we went for a few games of bowling at Orchid Country Club. Vin is really good at spinning the ball to the longkang (drain). If he doesn't spin the ball, he is actually pretty good. Sel is not a good bowler at all. And she gets worse after the 1st game.

You can't go wrong with bowling. It’s a fun game for all ages. As you can see in the video, the worse you are at bowling, the more fun the game becomes.

Here's the score...

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

Waking up at 3.00am!!!

2009-05-09T23:45:00.002+08:00

Obek Awi and Ayah had been planning for this trip for months now. Finally, the day arrived. Ayah was so excited he did not sleep a wink that night. Ibu was happy that we are going shopping.

Vin and Sel dragged their feet to wake up at 3.00am and be ready to leave for Nilai-3, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia by 3.30am. Nilai-3 is a huge wholesale centre selling textiles, home decorations, wedding accessories, toys and more… It is close to KL, about 1 hour drive away. So the journey is about 4 hours drive from Tuas checkpoint.

After Nilai-3, we were going to drive down to Melaka for some ikan bakar before heading home. It was going to be a long day on the road.

All in all, we were driving there in a convoy of 5 cars. As usual, we ended up spending 45 minutes waiting for everybody to arrive. This is what they call “janji melayu” or if directly translated “malay promise”. It is based on the generalisation that Malays do not keep to their promise when it comes to time. They are always late. So, by the time we clear the checkpoint, it was already close to 5.30am.

Due to the lack of sleep, both of us were pretty cranky. But driving in the midst of nature is very relaxing to the soul. Here are some of the views…

Unfortunately, Obek Awi’s car met with an accident just 1 hour from Nilai-3. It was a really bad crash that the back of his car was badly damaged and the bumper fell. Luckily, the car engine was not affected. We had to head back to send the car to the workshop and submit the necessary paperwork.

Obek Awi was totally heartbroken. He loves his car. And he was looking forward to have ikan bakar in Melaka.

Well, he will be able to so in 2 weeks time when he collects back his car.

Happy B'day Ayah

2009-05-04T23:12:00.010+08:00

For Ayah who loves coffee, we had ordered tiramisu cake (with no alcohol).

As for his birthday gift, we had stumbled upon a perfect one many months before his birthday. So when the actual day came, we were just as excited as Ayah. Hehe…

Ayah was so excited he cut the cake first before blowing out the candles...

Yum yum yum...

Ibu's gift to Ayah...

Lots and lots of shirts and polo-t we bought at the last Robinson sale...

The perfect gift for Ayah...

We took turns to try it out...

Installation...

Relaxing in his new massage chair...

See, he was so happy and excited... It was a perfect gift!

We Finally Found It!

2009-04-29T23:21:00.003+08:00

The perfect wedding ring for us. Hehe… It’s simple and sweet.

No pictures yet, let’s keep it as a surprise for now.

Anyway, we are collecting it next week. Next to do would be the engravements which we have sort of decided on.

We have been really busy with work, school and family. There hasn’t been much progress on the wedding preparation for some time now. With the purchase of our wedding ring, the picture of the wedding is slowly coming into focus.

As the big day is drawing near, we will have to put in much more time and effort to finalise the arrangements. So look out for updates…

An Eventful Saturday

2009-04-27T23:45:00.013+08:00

It was a relatively relaxed morning of dragon boating simply because there were plenty of new rowers in the boat. If only we get new rowers every week. Hehe… After washing up, we head down to BANQUET at Raffles Place for an organic lunch. It was JK’s suggestion and it’s his treat so we went along with him.

Vin was pretty reluctant as he was neither a fan of vegetables nor healthy food. Sel had only tried Yogi House organic food at Boon Tat Street. Since that experience, she was not really keen either. Having organic food after dragon boating feels so unrewarding! Well, it was a pretty relaxed session so we don’t really deserve to pig out anyway.

There was a variety on menu. JK ordered 4 different dishes to share between the 5 of us and a nutty jelly each for dessert. We came out surprisingly full. Thank you Uncle JK. Hehe…

Then we head down to Vivocity to run some errands at the bank. Vin had been pestering Sel to switch from POSB to UOB because of the instability of the bank currently. Well, after much nagging, she relented and got it done there as both POSB and UOB have an extended hour branch in Vivocity.

With nothing planned after that, we decided to do some window shopping and tried looking for the perfect wedding ring for us. It will not be easy because we both have very different preferences and Sel insist that we get a matching pair. While aimlessly walking around the shopping centre we ended up in Giant. Guess who we bumped into? Fairus and girlfriend! Hehe… That was pretty awkward.

All the walking had made us hungry so we started to hunt for food and stumbled upon The Chicken Rice Shop. The outlook of the shop wasn’t very good, it looked very yellow. Clueless about what to have, we decided to eat there anyway. We ordered the Set B for 2 and added a side dish of fried wanton.

The service was fast. See we only managed to get a few shots of ourselves.

And the food looks good too.

Pai Tee

Fried Wanton

Ipoh Bean Sprouts

Braised Chicken

Grilled Butter Chicken

The picture on the leaflet looks more yummy...

All that we ordered

All of them gone...

It was really YUMMY! Probably the best chicken rice in Singapore. It’s even better than Mackenzie Rex chicken rice. Even the bean sprout which we both dislike tasted good. The price is comparable to Mackenzie Rex as well. It is not cheap but for the quality and quantity, it is definitely value for money.

Must try! Must try!

With our stomach full and our feet aching, we head home beaten. Not because of dragon boating but due to the walking.

Minty Grape Pops

2009-04-25T23:40:00.003+08:00

The weather has been really hot these few days. So here’s a recipe for a Popsicle to cool you off. It’s easy, yummy and low in calories!

To be honest, we have not tried it yet. Hehe… But it looks tasty right?

I'm Sorry, Please Forgive Me...

2009-04-23T23:32:00.001+08:00

OK, we had a huge quarrel on Sunday. There wasn’t any argument or any form of drama that you will normally find in a disagreement. Vin was being his oblivious self while Sel was giving him the silent treatment. It was so easy to overlook the issue as we were watching DVD together. But Sel wouldn’t let it go.

Don’t want to go into the details over what we were quarrelling over but we did not speak until Wednesday. Actually, Vin was making every effort (call, sms and email) to get to Sel every few minute but she completely blew him off. Well that’s until he dedicated the clip below.

That’s what broke the silent war between us. Plus the constant and repetitive line “I'm sorry, please forgive me”.

So, our relationship is not perfect. But we are trying to make the best out of it. For ourselves. For our parents. For our future.

Well, Vin was incredibly shy about his dedication being posted here. He is a much better guitar player than a singer. However, Sel insisted to do so as part of his punishment. And also, the fact that she didn’t find it bad. Maybe love is not just blind, it is deaf as well. Hehe…

Pak Long Special B'day Gift

2009-04-19T23:53:00.003+08:00

We had never celebrated Pak Long’s birthday, what more bought him a birthday gift. But since the holiday to India last month, our families have become much closer. Mama and Aunty Mimah decided that we have to buy him something this year as gesture to thank him for the all expense paid trip last month. And they knew the perfect gift for him.

Pak Long was bargaining to buy an old fleet model in India. However, he didn’t get it in the end because he was looking for something bigger. Thus, Mama, Aunty Mimah and Mami insist that we help them find a big old fleet model for his birthday gift.

After searching high and low with Mama and Mami, Sel finally found one at LIM’S Arts and Living at Parkway Parade. But the old folks think that it’s too small. Thanks to the helpful Branch Manager, we managed to order a bigger one to be delivered directly to Pak Long’s house in Woodlands. Deliver charge was $30 but it would have probably cost more to take a cab to Holland Village from Marine Parade and then back to Yishun. The downside is we didn’t get to see or choose the model. Oh well, it’s much easier that way.

Anyway, Pak Long and his family are very pleased with the gift.

Sorry, this is a really bad picture taken from a handphone.

It was an advance birthday gift because his birthday falls on the 22nd. Happy B'day in advance Pak Long!

PCAP FY2010 Kick-Off

2009-04-13T23:52:00.001+08:00

Another financial year is over with a blink of an eye. Here are some of the memories to share…

After the usual meeting and discussion in the morning, there was a teambuilding program C.S.I. in the afternoon and BBQ in the evening. The C.S.I. case was so complicated that Sel got a headache from playing the game. For your information, nobody solved the case. Hehe…

Vin came over the chalet after school for free food. We had so much leftover raw BBQ food. Fortunately, Mami had organized a chalet for Friday and Saturday. So we finished everything by the Saturday night.

We went shopping with Ibu at Tampines IKEA and the John Little sale at the Singapore Expo on Sunday. She and Vin bought pillows to throw out their old ones. Actually, between the 3 of us, Ibu bought the most things that day. Maybe it’s because she seldom goes out shopping.

It was a fantastic weekend! Great BBQ food, swimming, shopping & …

For those of you who don’t know… Mami is Sel’s aunt.

Our Future Home @ Jade Spring

2009-04-05T23:59:00.006+08:00

We did not get our favourite unit. It was not even our top 10 choices. Being in the room, sitting in the small cubicle in front of the HDB officer was one of the most emotional experience we both will ever face. Maybe it’s because we had drawn ourselves a picture of our perfect home so clear that the choices left for us were a huge disappointment. It was such a let down that Sel was on the brink of tears.

Don’t get us wrong. We know it’s difficult to get a queue number for BTO flats. We know of many couples who had tried and tried again, only to have wasted their money and precious time. After wasting a few years of hoping, they finally resort to buying resale flats. So we are thankful and grateful to get a queue number. But it was a difficult choice to make (to forego the choices we have at hand and wait for an opening of better choices OR to make best of the choices we have at hand). After much discussion, we decided as a family to go with the latter.

Looking back now, without a doubt, we know we made the right choice. We even felt silly and foolish over how we reacted to the situation then.

Vin seems to have come into terms with reality fast. Shortly after the selection, he sent an invitation to his colleagues.

Note the date sent and the actual house warming date.

The attachment.

Only Vin will get so excited over something due in 2012 to send an invite in 2008! Only Sel will find that silly and adorable at the same time and love him to bits!

April Fools'!

2009-04-01T22:51:00.003+08:00

Sel calls Vin after school:

Sel: Dear, I lost my wallet...
Vin: Hah?! Where did you put it? *panick*
Sel: I don't know... How?
Vin: Where are you? *concern*
Sel: I'm at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.
Vin: How did you take the train without your wallet with you? You mean you lost it during the train ride? So careless! Now what?
Sel: I don't know... Guess I am stranded here.
Vin: Hmmm... Let me think...
Sel: APRIL FOOLS'!!!

It was a classic story of a damsel in distress and he was going play the hero. Although it was just a prank but Vin was a darling.

Meet Vinz's New Target that makes him go GAGA…

2009-03-27T22:34:00.021+08:00

Pure Awesomeness... Oh man!!!

Like what he always said, it's achievable... Nothing is impossible if you work for it.

We're heading down to Malayan Motors tomorrow afternoon to check it out up-close and personal after the Marriage Convention 2009...

See you there!

Mafia's Special B'day Gift

2009-03-24T22:19:00.012+08:00

A few months back, the 3 of us were eating prata for breakfast at the Raffles Hospital BANQUET. “Are we in Australia, kak?” Mafia asked Sel suddenly. Vin and Sel were baffled by his question. Where did he get that idea from?! He pointed at the topless HiPPO bus that happened to stop at the bus stop, “that’s Australia bus right?” he asked innocently. OMG! It was so hilarious and adorable at the same time.

After explaining to him that we are still in Singapore and that we will need to take a flight to get to Australia, we promised to let him have a taste of taking the HiPPO some time. After thinking about it, we decided that it will be a great birthday gift for him. And wouldn’t it be more fun to ride the DUCK instead? Mafia jumped at the idea.

He was really excited about the ride...

Best?

The views...

The constructions going on...

A bit of history...

The happy faces...

Quack, quack, quack...

Happy 6th B'day Mafia! Glad you like all your presents...

Study smart & play hard!

Our “Candle Light” Dinner

2009-03-18T23:19:00.009+08:00

The spot…

The “candles”…

Romantic? Hehe… Not! We took away New York Pizza: Queen set, Cheese fries and Vin's favourite, Spicy Buffalo Wings for dinner.

The food at New York Pizza was never really fantastic. Even so, the standard of the food seem to have dropped anyway. The spicy buffalo wings used to be hot, crispy and spicy. Now, the crispiness and spiciness is below par. They are stingier with the servings of the cheese on the fries. But the biscuit-like crust pizza that Sel doesn’t like still tastes the same.

And the service at New York Pizza is always bad. The last time we went there, we had to wait 45 minutes for our food. How can a fast food joint that long to serve food?! Well, we didn’t have to wait that long his time. But the staffs were so blur that we had to remind them for chili sauce, serviettes and even drinks. Tsk tsk…

Mama Goes to Kerala, India

2009-03-14T23:17:00.011+08:00

Mama was so excited about her holiday in India. It will be her first time taking the airplane and her first time in India. As time drew closer to the flight, she confessed that she was nervous of flying. Thus, we gather as many relatives as possible to send her off to give her moral support.

Group photo...

More group photos...

Sel & her sister...

Hunks & Babes? hehe...

Spot the differences...

Mama smiling after all the goodbye tears...

The kids can't get over the temporary goodbye...

After she landed in India that night she messaged Sel, “kecut perut Mama, tapi best”. Then, she was on the train for more than 12 hours from Kochi to Kerala. Hopefully, she has a great time in Kerala.

Sel has taken over the cooking duties while Mama is away. The person who is happiest person with the arrangement is Vin. He is glad that his wife to-be knows how to cook now. Thank god so far, nobody had any diarrhea yet. Hehe...

For those of you who don't know... Mama is Sel's mom.

Declaring March as the Month for H's to get Engage

2009-03-09T23:19:00.007+08:00

Haslinda & Hanafia, Hazwani & Hasif… Isn’t it coincidental that their name starts with the letter H? And that they got engage in the same month? Also, considering that both couples are expected to be wed in 2 years time?!

01.03.2009

Haslinda & Hanafia Engagement
We have been so busy with work that we did not have time to prepare anything for them till the night before their engagement ceremony. We went home straight after work to start working on the gifts. Luckily, Ibu and Ayah had gone shopping at Mustafa earlier on to buy goodies and materials to craft.

Despite the lack of time, these are what we managed to come up with that night…

We helped decorate these in the morning before the ceremony began…

The bribe to-be in 2 years or possibly sooner…

07.03.2009

Hazwani & Hasif Engagement
Despite having a tight schedule, we decided to accept JK’s invitation to join him for TPMS weekly dragon boat session. Hence, we only got started to prepare for their gifts the afternoon before their engagement ceremony. It’s as though history had repeated itself.

Nevertheless, we managed to come up with the following…
The bribe to-be in 2 years …

We wish to extend our heartiest congratulations to the 2 couples. Looking forward to your big day…

Dramatic Exercise Sessions with Zana

2009-03-05T23:59:00.020+08:00

As usual, everything relating to Zana tends to be dramatic.

Here’s what happened last week…

Sel & Zana was supposed to go jogging but unfortunately, Sel’s running shoes were missing. A pair of shoes kept inside the house went missing! Sounds impossible?! Well, it can only happen if you are about to go jogging with Zana. Hehe… That girl used to be so resistant to the idea of exercising. So the girls end up swimming or rather dipping in the pool (since Sel doesn’t know how to swim).

This week…

Sel found out that her neighbour had “borrowed” her running shoes. That’s why it was missing. Funny! As she was not aware that it was borrowed. Anyway, she tried to get it back but her neighbour wasn’t home. Thus, the girls decided to go for a long walk from home to Yishun Dam.

After a short walk to Yishun Safra, Zana had multiple blisters. With no cash at hand, they had to spend more than $5 in order to use nets at 7-11 and buy plasters. By then, the dark clouds had started to gather but they were not deterred. They went ahead as planned. Before long, it started raining cats and dogs.

Zana & Sel was stranded wet & cold at Block 407 while waiting for the thunderstorm to pass...

Taking another shot to kill time...

When the rain finally subsided, the girls started walking towards home. While walking opposite YJC, Zana finally gave up. She took her shoes off and walked barefooted all the way back home. All the drama just because she did not put on any socks.

Ever since Sel started pairing up with Zana to exercise together at least once a week, poor Vin felt left out as he too needs to lose weight. The conversation went something like this:

Vin: Hah? You are going to exercise with Zana. Then what about me?
Sel: No worries! I can exercise with her in the day time and jog again with you in the evening. Better still, burn more calories. Hehe…
Vin: Not fair!
Sel: Anyway, I jog more rounds than you do in the evening. Makes no difference, as it is, I am burning more calories than you.

Vin's 1st TPMS Paycheque

2009-03-01T23:32:00.002+08:00

It’s one of Vin’s proudest moments. One and a half month ago, he felt like he was signing his life away for the salary that he aimed for. Today, he receives his first full paycheque from TPMS. The mountain no longer seems too high and the river no longer seems too wide.

It feels so surreal.

Well, Sel is just glad that he feels motivated. No doubt, that’s only temporary.

Syukur Alhamdulillah

Happy 25th B'day Sel, My Tweet Tweet

2009-02-25T09:22:00.002+08:00

For all the anger I've caused you… For the tender love and care I've given you... Time will tell how much I adore you.

When stars won’t shine and no sun shining through... You know that I will always be there for you.
May your hopes and dreams come true!

Stay Sweet,
Vin

Bribing Vin with Dallas Chicken & Ribs

2009-02-23T23:53:00.036+08:00

Sel has been going back to the office every alternate Saturday to catch up with work this year. She was having trouble coping with part-time school while working full-time. Thus, as of July last year she had been studying full-time and working with flexible hours. Now, she has trouble coping with work! So she is sacrificing some weekends to work.

Vin has been as supportive and understanding as he could. Nevertheless, he has little tolerance for working over the weekend. He’s favourite argument for Sel having to work on another weekend is “no matter how long you spend working, you can never finish work”. And Sel will counter “a deadline is a deadline. I am not trying to finish all my outstanding but I am trying to meet all my deadlines”.

No one can blame him as we usually have date plans on the weekends. Be it if it’s just to the movies, window shopping or lazing at Yishun Dam dreaming about our future...

So that particular Sunday, Sel promised to bring him to Dallas Chicken & Ribs for dinner as it was really close to her office. Also because, she knows the best way to Vin’s heart is food. There has been quite a hype on Dallas Chicken & Ribs. It is said that the food there is great and the price is really cheap too. Hence, we were both excited about dining there.

Well, it turned out to be pure hype!

From the outside, the place did not look welcoming at all. The interior deco was dark and to Sel’s horror, she saw a lizard on the ceiling. You know she is petrified of lizards! There goes Strike One!

We decided to order the Dallas Special set, Spicy Drumlet set and we traded a bag of fries with onion rings. The counter staff wasn’t really friendly. While waiting for our food to be served, we were trying to watch one of those Indonesian series show on their LCD TV but it was on mute. Like what’s the point?! Then we realised that it was inconvenient to wash hands as you can only do so in the toilet which they have just one. If it is occupied, you will need to queue to wash your hands. For the reasons above, Strike Two!

No doubt they serve their food hot from the fryer. The main attraction which was the chicken was a let down. It was moist and tender, yes. It was also tasteless! The servings were generous but they were really lack of flavour. The fries was so-so, it tasted like those frozen chunky-cut fries you can buy from the supermarket. Okay, so Strike Three! Dallas Chicken & Ribs is out!

Inconvenient location, unfriendly service, lack of ambience and bad food, we are pretty sure that we will not revisit the place again. The place is all about quantity over quality so we left the place feeling really full but not satisfied.

Despite being full, we went ahead and bought their nuggets to take away for snacks. It was pure greediness but we tried to justify ourselves by arguing that this is the first and last time we'll eat there. Thus, we should try everything that we feel like trying. Anyway, the nuggets were not too bad...

Oh, and their onion rings is the BEST!

Visiting the Singapore Zoo

2009-02-18T23:38:00.042+08:00

For Sel’s 25th birthday, Vin had promised to bring her to the zoo. As her birthday falls on a weekday, he decided to do it on a weekend in advance. She was so excited the night before that she couldn’t sleep. So Vin had to tell her bedtime stories for her to get to sleep.

We woke up bright and early to make sure that we get there early to have enough time to see every animal and cover every part of the zoo. Sel was so excited that she wouldn’t stop at McDonald’s for breakfast. She insist to go there straight, grab some take away snacks for breakfast and have it while watching one of the animal shows. Everything is so expensive at the zoo. For example, they sell half a sandwich (it was just 1 slice of bread cut into 2 with a filling) at $3. Also, a 600ml bottle of mineral water cost $2. Even so, we couldn’t resist not trying the oreo cheesecake. So in total our “breakfast” cost us $14.80.

With breakfast in hand, we first head to the Shaw Foundation Amphitheatre for the Rainforest Fights Back animal show. We were so engrossed with the show that we forgot to eat our breakfast. Hehe… But we managed to get a shot with the cast.

Next stop was the Splash Amphitheatre for the Splash Safari animal show. We got there about 5 minutes before the show starts so we gobbled up our breakfast then. The Splash Safari was somewhat more exciting than the Rainforest Fights Back. Maybe it was because the main character, Philip the sea lion was really charming and full of tricks. Plus, Sel got BIG wet sloppy kiss from him.

Then we head to the Elephants At Work And Play animal show. The show proves that these majestic species are really strong. Thereafter, we head to the Rainforest Kidzworld to have lunch at KFC. So much has changed there. No more big dry playground with the huge net that you can jump around on, what’s left was the pool kind of playground. Nevertheless, the kids seem to be enjoying themselves.

That leaves us the rest of the day to venture. Here are some pictures to share…

Sel posing with the interesting fixtures around the zoo...

And then it was Vin's turn at posing...

London Bridge is falling down...

Who's the cuter baby African Elephant?

Comparing sizes... It makes Sel feels petite that day...

Sel was all excited about the elephant ride...

Vin at the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia...

Vin trying to enjoy a free trip to Australia...

We find the backside of the polar bear cuter...

The young Hamadyas Baboon playing Peek-A-Boo...

A coffee place under the late Ah Meng's name...

Posing with the statue of the late Ah Meng...

Not forgetting the other animals…

This is Vin’s favourite picture of the day. He couldn't stop giggling when he saw that the Proboscis Monkey was peeing on his food and friends. It was like a leaking tap, flowing endlessly. Hehe... Right after the leaking stopped, the monkey actually took the leaves that he peed on and ate some. Too bad the shot does not reflect the whole picture.

It was really a fun day! The best birthday gift that Vin could give Sel is the happy memories…

The zoo staff took this lovely picture at the entrance... It cost us $18 at the exit to get it!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T23:41:00.012+08:00

The first few years we started dating, our relationship was rocky. Partly, it was because Sel was resistant to the idea of being in a relationship. Also, it was because we were new to each others behaviors. The reason we grew so close to each other is that we both seek companionship.

During those few years, we always had a bad experience on valentine’s day. For example, there was once Vin was caught up with something at work and made Sel sit around at Suntec for more than 2 hours. When we finally met and went for dinner, we sat in the restaurant for almost an hour and all that was served was the appetizer! Tired, hungry and disappointed, we head home. Then there was the time that Vin was so sweet, he gave Sel a big bouquet of flowers. It was beautiful. But Sel refused to carry them because she was too embarrassed to the point she threatened to leave the flowers on the floor if Vin did not carry it for her. And the list can go on and on…

It was after those few years that we decided not to celebrate valentine’s day. It is too commercialized anyway.

So, we both agreed that we will not buy each other anything. And we both knew that we were bluffing. Hehe…

His gift for her...Her gift for him…

It was nothing expensive but it’s the thought that counts. Anyway, there was really no celebration. Vin had a course the whole day. We only met up in the evening to do some errands and to have dinner.

Happy valentine's day everyone!

Happy B'day Ibu

2009-02-13T23:22:00.030+08:00

We took Ibu to Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant at Furama Riverfront for a surprise dinner on her birthday. From the expression on her face, we can see that she was really pleased and touched with the arrangements that we had made.

As always, birthdays are incomplete without birthday cake, birthday song, birthday wish and blowing of the birthday candles. So we bought her a small heart-shaped cake with a small candle. It looks like a valentine’s cake (probably was) but it’s the best option we had.

To top it up, we each bought a present for her which she seems to like. But the best gift we gave her that day was the invitation for her to stay with us when we get our own house. Along with some assurance that we will always make time for her and that we will take care of her in her old age.

It’s not everyday that we actually show her our love and her birthday was a great opportunity to do so.

Anyway, the food at Kintamani was great.

It looks appetizing, doesn't it?

It was just the four of us. Ayah, Ibu, Sel & Vin.

We were so full, we could not even finish the cake...

The ambience was private and cozy (which we think it’s mainly because there were only a handful of customers). The staffs working that night were really nice and accommodating. They were attentive and gave their recommendations; they even joined us to sing a birthday song for Ibu.

As it was buffet, we left only when we were convinced that we could not even take a single bite anymore. Thereafter, we went exploring the hotel lobby.

We found this beautiful piano outside the ballroom...

Being full and satisfied, we were all sleepy. That's when we call it a night.

For those of you who don't know... Ibu and Ayah is Vin's mom and dad respectively.

Congratulations to Hafizah & Ilham Rubman

2009-02-09T23:59:00.003+08:00

Due to some other commitment we had that morning, we missed the newly wed. As such, we did not managed to get a picture of them on the pelamin.

We wish to extend our heartiest congratulations on the wedding! Wishing the two of you the very best in life. May married life be as sweet as your cupcake wedding cake. hehe...

Haircut @ E-Mage

2009-02-07T23:59:00.004+08:00

Sel was all smileys on Saturday because she just loves the way the stylist did her hair. All in all, it took about 3 hours. It was a super-duper long process and it went as follows:
1) Dye the middle part of her strands
(because the tips were dry)
2) Then dye the roots and tips
3) Wash
4) Treatment
5) Rinse
6) Trim
7) Blow-dry to style

She was so pleased with the outcome that she kept going around shamelessly asking everyone “nice or not?”!

Minty Foot Powder

2009-02-02T23:00:00.005+08:00

For those who really know Sel, you would know that she has got sweaty palms and feet. As such, her feet are always stinky! Hehe…

Well, if you are just like her, you might find this useful. Then again, if you are just like her, you will be too lazy to try.

For who has got sweaty feet and is not lazy like Sel, please let us know if it works…

Happy 25th B'day Vin, My Dear

2009-01-29T00:00:00.004+08:00

For happy times I have known with you... For tender times alone with you…For ways my joy has grown with you...
We share so many wonderful memories, beautiful dreams, but most of all, we share a very special love.

This birthday wish brings you all my love.
May all your wishes come true!

Love,

Sel

A Trip to the National Museum of Singapore

2009-01-27T23:59:00.010+08:00

In Singapore, the 1st and 2nd day of the Chinese New Year Celebration is a public holiday. Most shops are closed, the beaches are overcrowded and available taxis are scarce on those days. What to do and where to go for fun?

Head down to the National Museum of Singapore! Hehe… We went there mainly because it was free entry. We had a hearty lunch at home before heading there. Better have our stomach filled first as the touring the museum might take awhile and most eateries are closed anyway. When we reached there, guess what, we realized that forgot to bring our cameras! Hahaha… Thus, we had to depend on our camera phones. Here are some of the pictures we took:

So History… Is there a sure way to determine that the History that we are educated with is true and complete? That is the question that popped into our mind after touring the Singapore History Gallery.