Life For Rent

Now, pending completion date. The ball is in the seller’s court cause they have a leaking floor. Or so the branch office says, especially since  the unit is on the second floor.

HDB won’t complete the whole process until it is rectified, OR if the buyer (me) agrees to undertake the responsiblity. Now, if I am not going to re-tile the whole ground, there is no reason why I should take over this area.

But now that this whole process is done, I can work on my designing and stuff already.

RACH MEI MEI! Time to rav up our engines.

Do u observe the ads u see as you go about on your daily activities?

This is the bomb.

The way I see it?  If the light stays on for more than 4 hours, call the ERECtician!

Tagging this in my little crib category.

I read with interest with the new stations that will be opened in a couple months.

I relooked the whole network. Here is how it looks like on the MRT rail network-

Here is a closer look @ the circle line itself. I thought they said it will be done by end of this year. Now they said next year. Did they think I did not observe? I have been watching it like a hawk. Perhaps what they meant was, it will be completed by end of this year, but does not imply it will open then I have already noticed they have errected the station platform that’s on my side of the road. Right in front of my block actually. The other one across the road has been up for a while.

But on closer look I have detected interesting places which I think we may be visiting quite often. There are also some that are of key interest to me.. and my house mates hopefully.

- Promenade (opening in april) which is at Suntec

- Old airport road hawker centre! Also opening in April

- Holland V

- NUS

Sounds good right?

The problem is, the line begins from Harbourfront to Dhoby Ghaut. Going to harbourfront is fine, as it heads from Farrer to Harbourfront via buona vista, Kent ridge, labrador park. To get to promenade, you will have to go via marymount, bishan, bartley, paya lebar, dakota. This means u gotta go one big round and it might be far simpler to go by bus from Farrer still.

It is also apparently a 3 car per train network. Based on trending, they opened station last May. This year it is in April. Will mine be March next year??

Here’s a story that I read from the online news of how someone wants to do a major transformation to look like her love’s favorite artiste. At first glance it is easy for us as third parties to say ‘that’s totally stupid’. I do concur partially, cause no one on earth (celebrities included) will look the same forever. The person may also have a new preference. Does that mean she should do another round of surgery to look like the person? It is an endless pursuit. Totally dumb. Yes. However I asked myself this question: If I love someone enough, would I do something similar. Would I give up the world literally, for the person? As much of a love skeptic I am, I have always had a hint of childhood innocence where love is beautiful and unconditional, somewhere inside me. Somewhere hidden and masked by everything else on top. Would I do what she is intending to do? Maybe not, especially if I don’t want to look like another person! There is a line in the article that says she wants to do it for herself too. That pretty much answers one of my first few questions. I don’t think I can do what she is intending to do, but I reckon I can relate to how far one would go for the person one loves.

There is a saying. “The world is my oyster”. Or something similar. Personally I added another line behind, to say “And you are that one and only pearl in it”.

It is easy for someone to come to a conclusion and judge another’s actions quickly. Like in this case, it would be ‘how stupid can the woman be?”. I can’t relate to that cause I don’t really judge people in that sense. I tend to look at the whole thing and appreciate the fact that someone is willing to go that far, for someone else. Love was never meant to be logical. In that case it is not fair to use words like ‘stupid’ cause you cannot equate love and logic together. Love is an emotion, a sentiment, a feeling, something that cannot be really defined in both quantitative and qualitative aspects.

She’s a silly girl. I know she knows it too. However I wish her well. As for the guy, what I’d say is, he’s a really lucky guy to have someone love him like that. It is something that I reckon not many can say the same for themselves. TREASURE HER DUDE!

–

SHANGHAI – A CHINESE woman is so keen to win back her ex-boyfriend that she plans to undergo plastic surgery to transform herself into his favourite actress: Hollywood star Jessica Alba.

The 21-year-old, who identified herself as Xiaoqing, told the Shanghai Daily that she had met with doctors at a plastic surgery clinic in the eastern Chinese city who offered to do the work for free.

‘I have made my decision,’ the newspaper quoted her as saying. ‘I’m not only doing it for my ex-boyfriend, but for myself. I am a psychologically weak person. I want to do something to challenge myself and build a strong personality through it.’

Liu Qi, an official at the Shanghai Time Plastic Surgery Hospital, said the woman would need eyebrow lifting, eyelid reshaping and nose reconstruction to look like Alba, the star of ‘Sin City’ and ‘Fantastic Four’. ‘There’s no worry about the expense and it is technically practicable,’ Dr Liu was quoted as saying. ‘But the face-lift is irreversible and we hope that she would take it seriously.’ Clinic officials confirmed the woman’s story, but would not say when or if the surgery would go ahead.

The woman, who works for a web firm, described to the newspaper how her Alba-obsessed 28-year-old ex-boyfriend hung photos of the actress on his walls and stored her image on his mobile phone. The man demanded Ms Xiaoqing do her make-up as Alba does, even when she slept, and gave her a blonde wig for Christmas, which he asked her to wear all the time.

She told the newspaper they broke up last month when she threw her wig and fake eyelashes to the ground after passers-by laughed at her. But afterwards, she said she reconsidered. ‘I love him very much…. That’s why I always followed his opinions. I don’t want to lose him,’ the newspaper quoted her as saying. — AFP

It was a simple, yet quiet day leading into my first little anniversary with my love. While the day was quiet (though noisy at times) I reckon it meant quite a bit to my love that I was there dining with friends. It was a tad daunting cause of the number of people and the noise. It’s all good actually but I just need to get used to it slowly. JP understands that and is supportive of me and I know he is just happy how it all went. I trust I will get better with time. We will, get better with time. What meant a lot to me was the little talk we had in the car before I drove off. At one point he was almost ready to burst into tears (or so it seems to me) but we talked, sorted out some stuff, reassured some others and it was very important to me as we headed into our first little anniversary together. I am really looking to break out into the big 3rd anniversary which is one of the biggest fear that I might fail in. JP means a lot to me… I know he could do so much for us but sometimes he just doesn’t know how to. I can feel the frustration and I blame myself for it too for being impatient with him at times. It’s something that I realised today, that over everything else and my little overrreactions, that I have been impatient. That, hurt us both at times. I do not have the world to offer to him, but whatever I have I want to share. It is also with a committment that I put in place, that I will want to see it through.

I am a cheeky silly billy (goat). I am also in love with someone who has a different background from me but shares the same goal in live, in love, and in the heart. I have my flaws, but I will work on it. I have big dreams (though it may seem a tad too big so early in a relationship to some, but I thank them for their views too) cause it takes really hard for me to envision a future with someone. Now that I have, I want to work towads the common dream that we have. I cannot do anything to time, or how things may turn out eventually (the not so good ones) but I know as much as I have at most 1/2 the ‘decisive power’, I want to take this risk. I asked myself way before I entered this relationship that if it doesn’t work out, would it all have been worth it? The answer is yes. Am I happy? I am happy that I’ve met JP somehow, and I’d like a steady burning coal-like relationship. While we have had our misses, the fact that he didn’t run away nor did I turn my back on the whole thing and walk in the other direction shows just how much we mean to each other. We are just two humans, like everyone else in search of love. Wouldn’t the folks around us be happy for us?

Let’s keep it simple, keep it sweet. Keep it happy without a weap.

I was driving home and one of the songs that I love came up and it struck me that it was what I had wanted to say. I wanna be my dear’s guide and light. There’s so much to say and I have always been impatient bout it cause I don’t know if I somehow may never get to say it and I will regret it somehow… Specially for my dear, here it is-

I changed one word in the whole lyrics.. does anyone know what word it is?

Stevie B Because I Love you Lyrics:
I got your letter
From the postman just the other day
So I decided to write you this song
Just to let you know
Exactly the way I feel
To let you know my love’s for real

Because I love you
And I’ll do anything
I’ll give you my heart, my everything
Because I love you
I’ll be right by your side
To be your light, to be your guide
If you should feel
That I don’t really care
And that you’re starting to lose ground
Just let me reassure you
That you can count on me
And that I’ll always be around

Because I love you
My heart’s an open door
Boy, won’t you please come on in
Because I love you
I’ll be right by your side
To be your light, to be your guide
Because I love you
I’ll be right by your side
To be your light, to be your guide

The appointment was bright and early at 8.15am but as I reached early at about 8 I was first in line, at counter 32 for resale flats. So for those who are gonna buy resale flats and have a time slot at 8.15, go early as there are many people queuing within that same time frame. Early in line = you get done sooner.

It was at this juncture where I received a text from the boy and he said something sweet which made me smile. I don’t suppose he knows how much it means to me and how it made me feel a load better. It is the little things that matter..

I’m feeling quite terrible actually. It all began since last night and yeh I am feeling ill indeed. A tad overwhelmed. Technically I usually feel better regardless of how ill or tired I am when I see my boy. I am not sure if he heard me saying that though.

I digress. Back to the first appointment. The process is relatively simple. Get a number from the counter and wait for the number to be called and that’s where you walk into one of the rooms for the assessment. They’ll deal with the buyers first, then as a whole with the sellers, and then the buyers are allowed to leave after they are done while the staff deals with the sellers. I took a bank loan for a resale purchase and the approximate amount of time it took from start to finish was 1 hour.

I did get pretty cheesed off over 1 matter though. I called HDB specifically to ask if my BC was all that’s necessary to prove that I am the son of my dad and mom. My parents got divorced when I was a kid so now I am forming a nucleus with my mom, with my step dad as an occupier. Turns out, they require the divorce papers, as proof that I am not a illegitimate kid. After all, you need to have been married before u could go through a divorce. I don’t blame them for this but why couldn’t they tell me this earlier? My mom had to dig the boxes (cause we just moved a couple months back) and honestly had they informed me earlier I would have asked my dad  who appeared to be the lesser of the 2 affected. I know where my mom stands and taking out those divorce papers to fax them over, is tough. I don’t know… but I feel it is tough. It is something when once done, u don’t wanna look at it again. Bingo, it had to be, and at such notice. I can only feel for my mom.. and this is what that annoyed me the most. I was angry beyond angry, tired, sick, but the whole process had to complete before I ran over to the lawyer’s office which was just a couple floors up.

PKWA LLC was selected by the bank I took the loan from and seriously, HDB has a lot more papers and procedures to sign and document as compared to private property. Yet I think this can be good cause it is rather idiot proof. U follow the process and you probably wont go very wrong.

I was attended to by the counter staff who took my documents, made the copies as necessary, and I took the wait for my turn. I was called soon after by Nora who’s the BDM and did all the proceedings with me. Once done, the lawyer came over, verified the documents that they were accurate, witness the signing of some documents and left Nora to complete the rest.It was all done in less than an hour.

I was free to go and had to rush to work!

My experience? Relatively fuss easy. Staff are generally patient to explain things to me and as I opted to select my completion date to be 8 weeks from today (March 16th) and that I did not need to witness the handing over of keys to me, the law firm will liaise with HDB and the sellers to witness the handing over of keys to me on my behalf. I will then be able to visit the firm to collect the keys at my convenience thereafter. My bank interest rate with HSBC is SIBOR +1.1%. I did hear DBS came up with a SIBOR +1% soon after but I missed the boat. Not much difference anyway. With HDB’s loan at 2.6% and mine at 1.8% based on current SIBOR rate, I needed to ensure should SIBOR leap I will be able to handle the loan while I await an opportunity to refinance.

The next major step would be to source for contractors, designers, and watever lobang a new home owner needs. If any of you have an tips, advice, anything at all, pls share! I know the reno part is gonna be the killer part, but it is all good for I will sow the rewards later. I just need to prep myself mentally and adjust my stress level accordingly.

I am gonna head off to bed soon.. still feeling unwell. For now this has been a rather interesting morning. Stay tuned.. for more..!

PS – the first appoointment with HDB is done at their Toa Payoh hub office, next to the bus interchange.

“If people begin comparing, it could mean they feel neglected”.

As how mei mei would put it in general – “I know where the person is coming from but I still don’t agree with it”.  There is one mei mei. There’s one best friend. That’s all there is. The rest are friends, colleagues, ex colleagues cum friends, acquaintances aka ‘people i just happen to know’. The works. It’s not hard for me to draw that line. These 2 people are people whom I would entrust and burden (if u will) the task of being my executor of my will. They are not blood related, but they will know how I would want my will to be enforced and to what extent I will want it to be. They can also act on my behalf and I will die happy knowing someone will be out there to act upon my final wishes as the way I would if I were alive.

No I hope I aint dying yet, but as my assets and estate gets larger through investments and with the ownership of property and insurance covers there is a need to dictate how I want this to  be handled. It could be as small as what I want to be done to furby upon my death. I have several wishes which of course I will not air them here and I have already thought of what to do with my assets and how I want them distributed.

The job of an executor is a big one. Thankfully, I know who are capable of performing that role.

I may, and can be close to a lot of people and I am, but my mei mei is my mei mei for a reason. My bestie is also my bestie for a reason. They don’t just hang around and talk crap with you. I especially like the inverse. I have never been very talkative in nature and there is a special spot in me, whee there is not a word said, yet you know you’ve just had the best conversation yet.

Just finished my work, and looked through all the files and documents I need to bring tomorrow.

I was just telling mei mei, that I should be feeling excited yet I’m not. Perhaps it is not key handing over yet. Or maybe cause I am exhausted mentally to even think bout it much. A lotta things are just running past me. I look at them like a train going past.

But this is my first virgin post in this category in the exciting journey in creating my first new home. I will be back to describe more bout it soon!

 I am gonna have my weekends burnt in designing, hunting, looking, bargain hunting, managing and basically building my little crib. I really wonder where am I gonna find the time to sleep and ‘nua’. Let’s make a bet. Let’s see if I go nuts first, or will my crib go up first. Winner gets a 1 night stay before tenants move in. Right smack on a sealys bed. Sounds like a good offer?

I know mei mei will be with me through every step of the day. I wonder if my dear would..

I was reading this blog belonging to someone. Let’s call him ah boy.

Ah boy was in love with A. Why was? Well, read on.

A, from what I read doesn’t give him that sense of security ah boy needs. Some extracts:

“after church we went to buy some stuff to prepare for Xmas and head back to his new apartment.
Now, the new apartment is really beautiful. But i’m still a guest cos A reckons that he needs time to ‘introduce’ me as his new ‘flatmate’ to his parents when they come back in Feb..”

“how many guys have i dated that is totally out and doesn’t care in the world that their parents won’t mind that their son is queer? maybe only one! being my first bf?

even though A told his parents about being queer, they still cannot accept it.. prefer not to talk about it..

but i do not want to be in this situation AGAIN for the 3rd time. … no way..”

Ah boy came back to Singapore recently, and met up with B, his spiritual online brother of 2 years. Long story cut short, things went very well for both of them. The time came and ah boy had to leave to return back to sydney.

“We packed and kissed. Once again, he held my hands while we were at the door, and prayed and kissed. I slipped in a note into his jeans pocket and texted him later to read it. He was surprised and was very touched.
He told me he was crying while talking on the phone with me and was gloomy the whole day in the office.

I am speechless… why is there such a nice guy like B?
And why do I have to find him at this moment when I have to leave Singapore and go back to my life in Sydney?”

” I was so depressed on the plane back. Flying back to Sydney have never been a joy. The Qantas flight was unbearable and I was sulking and kept to myself the whole time.
And the stupid customs confiscated my Ba Gua!

I saw kor as he picked me up and he noticed something was wrong.
The next evening, we had a drink at home and I poured out my heart to kor and told him what happened.
I thought he would scold me for getting into a love thing again but he told me he was very very happy for me!

He felt that this is something that can be develop further. That I should not give up so easily.
So, what should I do?”

My first thought was, it appears to be a rebound. I mean how do you jump from one to another so quickly. Perhaps it is possible, just not something I can do. I thought bout it again. Perhaps, the distance was meant to be. To test if this would turn out to be a rebound, or something else. Time will tell won’t it. Everyone’s swimming in the sea and all you can see are heads bobbing up and down. A huge wave comes and washes everyone onto land. Now, it will be clear who was swimming naked all this while.

Ahboy doesn’t look young, and I don’t think he is. Yet love doesn’t exactly discriminate that way. We do. It doesn’t discriminate across the different sexual preferences. We do. How do 2 people who were matched made, who have never even seen each other before their wedding day, possibly live together. With acquired love? They do.

Then perhaps, many ‘i meet u first’ relationships may be doomed to fail from the start. Simply because both parties may have brought in so many emotions and expectations into the relationship. Something that a relationship cannot withstand.

I drifted away in my own thoughts here and there and I visioned my lil crib, cool, dimmed soothing lights, a nice drink, nice munchies, good company, a good TV and a comfy couch (or bed if I were in my own bedroom) watching a nice movie. It works out to me $1 a day for a month of DVDs that can be shared among everyone else.

I like that vision. I could feel my blood pressure dropping, the stress from work melting away.. it is even more therapeutic than meditation which is something that agitates my mind more than it relaxes me.

I like this vision… and this crab here will make that crib turn into reality. It should be the highlight of the year. Not that I can vision anything else that I can look forward to in the near term..

EXCEPT that we are gonna do a team dinner at the Carousel next week! Royal plaza, crabs, sashimi and prawns with loads of weight bearing deserts here I come!

PS – I like to have things to look forward to that’s round the corner. That keeps me going… without anything to look forward to, life becomes somewhat meaningless?