CIP – Construction in Progress
We've finalised the theme, colour palette, the nitti gritties and the big burly men are at work!
Except they are not really around today cos its a public holiday.
They had to erect scaffoldings in my puny master bedroom to paint the 6m high ceiling. Plans for a mezzanine level for the high ceilings were shelved because of time and monetary constraints.
I obviously will not have sufficient wardrobe space with this cupboard they call a "walk-in wardrobe" :
Hamsam would have to put his clothes in the storeroom.
The kitchen divider is the cause of our constant (major) disagreements. I think its a white elephant that makes the already-small place look even more claustrophobic!
He thinks I'm over-reacting and he can actually live with it.
Its like the Berlin wall. And it needs to go down! 
My Maggie mee cooking stove.
Don't expect me to whip up a feast with this cute lil' two-hood stove if you guys ever drop by!
Accompanied by an equally quaint sink.
I guess I will use it to wash the chopsticks used for the Maggie mee and the wine glasses.
Its a race against time to have the house completed by Christmas... The walls are still monochrome for now. But the colours go on next week!
We finally bought our couch today!! After weeks of shopping for that perfect laze, we nailed it down. For a great bargain too!
He slouched in it and visualised watching the tv on it while I lie on it and imagined reading on it.
Either ways, it was perfect!
It was of the right size, the right height, the right depth.
And the right price!
We also got a Pottery Barn look-alike ottoman for a fraction of its original cost! It felt like an episode of Friends where Rachael got a Pottery Barn furniture but had to lie to Phoebe that it was from the flea market. Except ours is the other way round. And I'm not lying. It is at a flea market price!
Meanwhile, I'm still swamped with work!!! And I'm having such a bad migrane right now that I don't think I can bring myself to turn on the lappie to work!
More updates on Loflita next week!
NO! I have not disappeared into oblivion!!
I've just been VERY utterly caught up with work, wedding prep and housing renovation.
Massive juggling act I've got going on here.
Its just 14 more weeks to 14th Feb 2009. YEEKS!!! Lots lots not done!
1. Target weight not achieved.
2. Gowns not altered
3. Florist and caterer not selected (I've not even counted the no. of pews in church!)
4. Guest list not finalised
5. Cards not printed
6. Testimonials and vows not written (the pastor is so chasing me for it)
7. Songs not selected
8. Renovations blueprint not finalised (I want my house by Christmas)
Blah, blah, and more blah...
Seriously, my work is eating into my social life... But I can't complain since the job market is so bad out there and I ought to be thankful for my iron rice bowl.
I've incurred obscene losses in the stock market and a mortgage to pay off. Yeah! I've never loved my job more.
Till then, I'm sure facets of my life will appear on a very public domain, commonly known as Facebook.
Meanwhile, watch out for that wedding invite!
Back in the Scene
It seems like I only blog whenever I make a major purchase.
Its my Sony Ericsson C902 5 Megapixel CyberShot phone this time!!
I've to thank Spunkice and her boundless generosity in lending me her sturdy (I dropped it 1001 times) and dependable, albeit very old, Nokia (dunno what model) phone for almost a year.
I'm so proud of my resistance to temptation to just buy any "form-over-function" phone, and waited patiently for the much anticipated SE C902. I heard about its arrival to our shores in Feb. It arrived in July but was too expensive for a poor and underpaid auditor like me to afford. So, I waited and waited and waited...till yesterday!!
Got it for about $650 without line.
The camera is so fantastic that I think I do not have to get a point and shoot (P&S) camera after all!
My Pentax P&S is due for retirement. The pictures are increasingly grainy. But it has served me well through these years. I'm not complaining and I still believe that Pentax makes great P&S cameras.
Maiden pictures below taken by my C902 at the Nike Human Race.
Disclaimer for my phone and Niko. All the pictures on my blog are resized oddly and manually. Hence the distorted pixels. They originally look fab on screen or when developed!
The long wait...
My Running Mates for the race.
At Daddy's place. A.K.A Our Baggage Counter for the run. Hence the odd backdrop.
I've no gripes about the photos but a lot to complain about the race.
It was the longest wait ever for the race to flag off. Delayed by about half an hour.
Some parts of the route were ridiculously narrow...and the organisers have the brains to put a water point at a very narrow walkway. Precious minutes were wasted "queuing" for a sip, or merely just wanting to get past.
I'm not going to offer any excuses, but I clocked one of the worst ever timings in my life for the run. And its no fault of Ruby's.
Utterly disappointing.
Anyway, it time to put the past behind and look forward to upcoming races!
I've been very tied up with trainings and games for the past week. Its has been an alternate between basketball and netball through the week.
I'm playing the Semis for basketball tmw, and hopefully the Finals on Wed. Its then Netball trg on Thurs and the tournament on Sat.
And futsal end of the month!
It feels like I'm still in school, but I'm not young anymore!! My joints are aching and I'm getting too dark to be healthy for my aging skin.
HamSam's supportive words of encouragement for my games: Would the firm be paying you even $10k if you bring back the Gold?
Lofty Ambitions
I'm a home owner at last!
After months of tiring house hunting, we finally put down the cheque and bought our humble abode.
By God's grace and sheer negotiation prowess, we manage to buy the unit at a price we never thought possible. The location was ideal, the size is not excessive, the timing is right, and most importantly, it was love at first sight.
Being a home owner changes my perspective on certain things in my life.
I might have to postpone the Chanel 2.55 till my 30th birthday, or I might not be able to get that Golf GTI as my first car, or I might just have to think twice about the next time I splurge on clothes.
Ironically, I bought the house during lunch last week (greatest lunch purchase ever in my life)
Its officially called Residences @ Jansen, but I'm calling it Loflita. Somewhat like lolita, but the root word being Loft because of the high ceilings.
So come Feb'09, I would be setting up my home at 29 Jansen Road.
Meanwhile, watch this space for progress of Loflita's Extreme Makeover!
For now, the BEFORE pictures:
Vice
Feed me this and I'm a happy girl.
All Good Things Come to An End
Breakup song of the week. Heard it in the car one evening.
I'm not putting Nelly's video cos we all know how who she is already. Instead, check out this talented lady (Marie Digby) of Irish and Japanese parentage who sings it very well acoustic!,
Click here for her video.
Honestly what will become of me
Don't like reality
It's way too clear to me
But really life is dandy
We are what we don't see
Missed everything daydreaming
[Chorus]
Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end
Flames to dust
Lovers to friends
Why do all good things come to an end
Come to an end come to an
Why do all good things come to end?
Come to an end come to end
Why do all good things come to an end?
Break-up And I won't call you baby anymore Won't call you baby like i did before
I caught the show starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston for the second time one night when I was home.
Watching the show again gave me new perspective...about the things they argue about. Its scary and sobering how the issues they fight about is not uncommon in the real life.
The sadest scene in the movie (I feel) is when Gary (Vince)apologised and asked for a reconciliation but Brooke (Jennifer) told him that because she was always the one giving in the relationship, right then, she had nothing left in her to give anymore.
Then the strangest thing happened on my way to work on Sat. I was plugged in to my ipod which was on shuffle mode and it unbelievably shuffled a medley of breakup songs!
I wouldn't have realised it had I not been heightened to the whole break-up fever.
The medley is as such:
1. Eleanor - Low Millions
2. Nothing Lasts Forever – Maroon 5
3. Goodbye My Lover – James Blunt
4. With or without you – U2
5. Through with you – Maroon 5
Anyway, my favourite of the 5 was Eleanor. Its versatile and yet very personal. Just change the name from Eleanor to __________. Highly recommended!
Xi(3)
It doesn't feel any different with a brother getting married. Maybe because he is still staying with us! Their pad (across the street) would only be ready in 2009, hence he and his wifey are staying with us for the moment.
Some photos from the wedding (taken by yours truely on Niko):
The customary kids jumping. I would never adhere to that custom. Seriously... letting brats trample on a spanking new orthopaedic Simmons?!? 
She is too cute to resist. Lorna is going to be my flower girl.
Wide open wonder:
The kids do not understand why are the adults giving a red packet just for a sip of tea.
It was a mad rush for me that day as the reception was a lunch thingy. So right after the tea ceremony, I had to rush to get my hair and make-up done. The script was only thought about the night before, with zilch rehearsal!
In the end, all I had time was for a wash and blow at the salon and DIY make-up, aided by Spunkice.
I slipped into the LBD, jumped into my black pumps and I was set for the show!
Me and my co-host:
The newly weds:
The proud Daddy and Mummy:
The babes who played with me since childhood and have also seen my brother grow up to the man he is today.
Lorna's brother, Lowell. He is a fire-cracker!
After our hosting duties came to an end, HamSam decided to pose as George Lam (sans the moustache and a Tiger in place of a stout):
And I'm shamelessly posing as Jessica Alba with a Tiger correctly this time (but sans the killer figure):
Warning: Photo Whoring coming up next!
In the helpers room (which my brother had lovingly offered it to me and my friends!):
The only two in black:
In the toilet of the Bridal Suite:
Cotton "Marshmellows"
He needs to seek help for his addiction! This is the first thing he does when he enters the hotel room. Not just this room, its ALL hotel rooms, around the world, including my bedroom.
I'm breaking it into two entries...simply because its video watching time!! Tonight, its Run Fat Boy Run.
Note to self: I need to run.
Wedding Fever
Not mine, but my brother's. It's this SAT. And my calendar is filled with activities leading up to the day!
Food tasting
My personal favourites.
But we all know that the food would not turn out as nice on the actual day when they mass-cook everything...
And I'm the MC for the day! I hope my parents save some food for me at every course.
D-Day (Dowry Day)
It was the first event that I brought Niko to. Due to a lack of willing models, all I had were pictures of kids. People close to me would know that I rarely bother to pay any attention to kids as they are more often than not, brats.
I'm slowly trying to be receptive to them, reminding myself that they are but kids.
Pictures of kids...
The best kiddy shot of the day:
Its really not all about me!
Him getting the jitters seeing all the planning that goes into a wedding:
Accidental studio shot (with the curtains as the backdrop):
Not quite accidental actually. I was trying on Gary's lenses and flash. The effect is really different with the upgrades! I'm tempted...
Going to get my hair done tmw, hit the gym the next day, get my nails done the day after next, collect the wine, rehearse for the day etc.
Counting down...
Popping the Cork
I was at the supermarket with HamSam over the weekend and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the champagne going for half price! The shelf was almost wiped out except for about 3 bottles.
We couldn't resist and bought one on whim.
But we've since designated that bubbly for popping when we finally buy a house.
The house-hunting is really dreadful.
Its monday tmw...but its my last week of work before I commence my 3 week leave!!!!!!
Its probably going to be a hard week though. Sigh....the peak never ends. Where is the "post" in the Peak?!?
Anyway, pictures from the firm's annual Post Peak Party below.
New beginnings
Gone are the days of lacklustre photography like this: 
The blah photo has got nothing to do with the lovable subjects. The picture was taken in office just before we set off for the JP Morgan run!
We were all smiles to be able to skive-off work officially that day!
Anyway, meet my new baby, (very unimaginatively christened) Niko!
I've yet to bring it out for a field trip, but it will make its first trip abroad this June!
Ping
jeremy
Claracadabra
