Another Fruitful Weekend

As usual, this past Saturday and Sunday just flew by! I did a lot and don’t feel rested at all, story of my life…

I had a Christmas-themed scrapbooking class on Saturday where I made an ornament, card and photo frame (the last was sent out in the email):

A fun class but fiddly, the devil being in the detail. But as I love all things yuletide, I had a great time and now have a hand-made Christmas card for P!!

In a quest to diversify our assets, I have also found a painting to invest in titled ‘Alone’. As we can’t really afford it at the moment, the gallery owner has kindly allowed me to pay for it by instalments! After I committed to buying it, two more people came in and offered him more money. But too late, it was already mine ha ha! That of course, has made me very happy because it means that the painting is saleable.

It is a very large piece with a woman sitting with her back to you showing her side profile. It is semi-abstract figurative, with lots of negative space using whites, pale yellows, black, light and dark greys and a slash of red.

The funny thing is that although I bought another piece of art from this gallery over three years ago, I haven’t been in since. However, something literally pulled me into the gallery that day and when I saw HER up on the wall, I fell in love instantly. Some paintings of women’s figures are too ‘in your face’ or worse, twee. ‘Alone’ is a strong piece but pleasing and is just plain gorgeous. I will post a photo of it once it is hanging up in my living room!

The gallery owner plans on bringing the artist of ‘Alone’ to London next year. If his paintings are successful in Europe, then mine will definitely go up in value: $ker-ching$!

Eventually, I would like to a proper collection of work by up and coming artists from Asia. Although I may not have a lot of knowledge about art at the moment, I do intend to learn. And I also have something else that can’t be taught: an eye for quality and an ability to recognize potential. So exciting!

Focused on the Future

In spite of the fact that P and I had a falling out with his mum last week, life ain’t so bad. This incident made me realize what a great man I have in P. Although things are still unresolved with my FMIL (that's future mother-in-law and not another F word like some of you might think!), I am actually okay with it because I know without a doubt that P will always back me up no matter what.

I also received a very nice present in the post this week. My German friend sent us a voucher for a couple’s massage and nourishing frangipani soak at one of the most exclusive spas in Mayfair, London! My eyes almost bugged out when I found out how much it cost and I can’t wait to use it when I’m over there for the holidays. Who knows? We may even run into some celebrities! After the stress of getting the wedding organized, the spa treatment will be bliss. Thank you very much, DE friend!

I know I’m lucky to have P and true friends who sincerely love and care about me. So many people accept sorry excuses for friends, just because they either don’t want to be lonely or they can’t get any better. P and I have done a lot of cleaning out of useless ‘hangers on’ this past year and I have to say that life is a lot more pleasant these days. Life is stressful enough without so-called ‘friends’ sucking up your energy and money!

On the topic of money, we are focused on building a life together and have decided that from now on, instead of buying each other gifts (he buys me diamonds, I buy him t-shirts!), our presents will be either cash, stocks/shares or carefully chosen art pieces that will appreciate in value. Although we have not been frivolous with money this year, we have spent a lot on my apartment, travel and the wedding. It is time to add to our assets and I for one, cannot wait to get started!

Mother-in-laws: I need one like I need a hole in the head!

As if planning for the wedding without P’s help wasn’t stressful enough, his mother is also being a rude pain in the hiney.

The wedding draws closer every day and I am doing my best to organize the last minute details without self-combusting. My dad’s partner Leila has been a great help, taking over the details like flowers and the wedding cake. Leila, her sister, niece and grandniece are making the decorations by hand. She has even picked my bridal bouquet for me and I’m grateful for her support. Left to my own devices, I would probably show up with some week-old carnations bought from the local petrol station! Hello, even my dress was bought off ebay!

We have friends flying in from all over the world: the US, UK, Denmark and even France. Coordinating schedules and activities hasn’t been easy. However, as I want to make sure that we all get to meet up, I drew up a activity list of what we’d be doing in the evenings and where we would be. I sent it out to the wedding party and our overseas guests with this message:

Hi All,

Attached please find the draft activities for the wedding week. Should you have any queries, please feel free to contact me! Thanks again for being a part of our special day!

Of course, they are not compulsory except for the wedding party involved in the wedding rehearsal. But family obligations mean that family flying from overseas should make the time for us... ;-)

A completely tongue-in-cheek email from a very happy bride. However, I received back this email from P’s mum, which totally made my jaw drop:

I do realise that it is very important to you and P, your wedding day and the activities beforehand, but also you must understand that those of us coming from overseas as you put it, are spending a lot of money on flights and coming a long way, and also have minds of our own, and although wish to spend time with you and your family, also would like to do things ourselves, and spend time with those we have not seen for two years.

I was totally shocked when I read that. As far as I’m aware, I have been nothing but generous to P’s family. But I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised at her ‘slap on the hand’ reaction. When I visited them in Oz in March, I found that his mother was very cold, a bitter old woman. Maybe she doesn’t like that her son is marrying a strong woman or she’s really not that happy with her lot in life. Who really knows?

All I do know is that P's family has given me nothing but stress. His sister had asked during my visit if his two nieces could be flower girls and against my better judgment, I said yes. Leila went to the trouble and expense of sourcing two very nice dresses and a couple of months ago, his parents told us that his nieces were not coming because they could not afford it!

That is the biggest joke I have ever heard, because I know that when they moved from Brringland to Oz, P gave them a substantial amount of his savings, more than the deposit I put on my flat.

To pull the money card is really rich, especially when it is their only son who is getting married. If you want to talk about spending a lot of money, let me clarify that his parents have not contributed a single cent to the wedding. P, myself, my dad, Leila and her family are the ones who are paying for the wedding.

The money his parents are spending are on their own flight tickets!! My friends coming from overseas are also doing that so what make's P's parents so special? As far as I can see, it is their arrogance that makes them stand out. What I am offended about is the fact that P's mum hasn't added one positive thing to the celebrations and then has the audacity to write such a 'nose in the air' email.

As for travelling a long way? Give me a break. I have two friends flying over 24-hours from the west coast of the US. If you want to talk about far, THAT'S far! Not some poxy seven-hour flight from Oz.

P's parents presence will not be missed and I have told his mum as much. If I never saw that silly woman again, it would be too soon.

I do not need this extra aggravation and to make myself smile, I found a great website for mother-in-law jokes. I can really relate to them and especially love the Q&A ones!

I know that this is hard for P and I’m honestly very sorry that he has to deal with this a month before the wedding. However, at the end of the day, I just will not put up with her underhanded behaviour and insidious remarks. She can behave like a brat with her own husband, but certainly not with mine and most definitely not with me.

I Have My Silk Footstool!!

I would like to say thank you to my childhood friend living in Elvisland. She kindly bought me the silk footstool that I was coveting as a housewarming/wedding present! Thanks so much!!

I am really very touched by her generosity and that she went to all the trouble to get the money transferred to me this week. We have known each other since 1979, when we were on the same swim team at our country club.

I had actually gone back to the same shop to see a new footstool for $99 that had just come in, but it just wasn't the same. It would have been like settling for the ugly friend when what you actually wanted to do was take the pretty girl home! I would rather have gone without than accept less than the best. But fortunately, my friend saw me right.

Even if P wouldn't sacrifice his food for me this month and my dad ignored my pleas for a housewarming gift, at least I know that somebody out there (even if she is all the way in the land of the brave) REALLY loves me! Thanks again, hee hee...

Good Job, Babe!

I know that I’ve said this before, but time really is flying by. I can hardly believe that we are in the last quarter of 2007 and that P has been in his job for three months.

He told me yesterday that they have shortened his six-month probation and that he was confirmed this week! To me, that can only mean that he’s doing well, so I’m certainly very proud of him.

Tomorrow will also be exactly one year since I met P at the ‘salubrious’ Four Floors of Wh*res! It is a bit of a joke amongst our friends as how many people can say that they met the love of their lives at a wh*rehouse?!

When I asked P how he could tell that I wasn’t a working girl, he said, “Well, you were the only woman in there wearing a cardigan!” That night, I'd gone for a drink right after work so was in my office gear of formal black trousers and a long-sleeved wraparound Kenzo jersey top. Yeah I know: I'm a brand-conscious name-dropping snob ha.

Anyway, this blog entry was supposed to be about P, but I am back to talking about me, me, ME again surprise, surprise!

Well, we will be having a combi hen-stag night with our friends soon at the Four Floors and will try to recapture the drunken spirit of a year ago!

Anyway, TGTF!

Monday Bleurgh

I still don’t understand why the work week draaaaaaaaaaags by so slowly while Saturday and Sunday race past in a blurr.

This weekend was no different. As I had the workmen in most of Saturday and was out running errands on Sunday, I don’t feel relaxed at all.

I had dinner with my dad and his friends at the country club on Saturday night. I calculated that the average age of my dinner companions was 62.6 years. I’m the last of the great party animals, go me! Having said that, they are all very nice guys and it was a good evening. Later on, they came by to look at my new apartment. One of them saw this:

And said, “That’s not a pool, that’s a longkang (Malay for drain)!” Well, he's 75 and I think at that age, you can say pretty much what you darn well please!

True, our condo's swimming pool is not big. Two slim people or one American (joke joke) can do laps at the same time. But it's always lovely and warm and I try to go for a swim every weekend.

I finally got a Balinese wall light plus a very reasonably priced outdoor table for my balcony. This is where I have breakfast every morning:



Nice, huh! Life could be worse I guess…

The Object of My Desire

is a $599 footstool upholstered in 100% silk…

Have you guys ever wanted something beautiful and expensive, but completely impractical?

For the last couple of months, I have had my eye a gorgeous piece of furniture, but I haven’t bought it because there were more pressing priorities in my new apartment.

Now that the blinds are in and the hooks have been hung up behind the bathroom doors, my mind has wandered back to the footstool of my dreams. I have fantasies of coming home after a hard day’s work, and resting my pretty pins on woven silk made up of muted shades of pale blues, browns and cream.

The only thing stopping me from rushing out and buying it now is that the choice for October is either the footstool or food. I could dip into my savings to make this one last little purchase (note to self: do NOT do this), but then it would never end. The next things I would want would be a silk Persian rug (at least $5,000), Swarovski champagne glasses with crystal-filled stems ($600 for a pair), etc. Why oh why do I have such expensive taste?

I wish I could be one of those people who could be happy with mismatched furniture made of mdf and ‘no name’ sofas. Instead, I have filled my apartment with customized teak furniture and hand-embroidered linen bed covers. Even my living room curtain ties are 100% silk batik from Bali. If you think that’s extravagant, listen to this: I use Hermes scarves to tie back the curtains in my bedroom!

So, back to my internal battle of footstool vs food. I have also asked P to eat less this month and to send me another 200 quid. So far, he ain’t biting (no pun intended). Therefore, it seems like I will have to make the ultimate sacrifice and forego food until my next salary, which I will get in three weeks’ time.

However, I am an optimist and maybe something else will come up. My dad still hasn’t bought me a housewarming present (never mind the sum of money he gave me last year, that was last year hee hee).

Also, I have raised quite a few thousand for cancer charities over the past 12 months, so perhaps one of you out there will have a heart and drive a “Buy Jan a Silk Footstool” campaign?

I live in hope…

I Need a Weekend

To recover from my weekend!

It is Monday morning and I am absolutely exhausted, stiff and suffering from heatstroke. As a soon-to-be-married woman, you’d have thought that the pace of life would slow down a bit, but that’s not happening at all. In fact, it’s the opposite!

Friday Night
I went out with my colleagues for happy hour at 6.30pm. Five hours later, we were still knocking back lye chee martinis. I finally staggered home with a pounding headache and passed out after gulping down three glasses of water.

Saturday Morning
I was up not-so-bright but early for a company bowling tournament. Imagine being in a noisy and crowded bowling alley with the sound of pins crashing over your hangover. Our all-female “Dim Sum Bowlies” were in the next lane to the best team in the company, the all-male “Devil Swingers” (I think it refers to the motion of the bowling arm and not to spouse swapping). That alone should give you an indication of things to come.

The DSB gals did a good job of polishing the drains. My score over three games was 89, 103 and then 62. I got everything from zeros to strikes so consistency is not my middle name. During the last set, the guys from team DS told me that the ball was bowling me and not the other way around. Our team was so bad that the DS boys even gave us tips! In the end, they came in first and we came in last out of 21 teams. But a great morning was had by all and we had so much fun. What our team lacked in skill and stamina, we made up for with a can-do attitude and lots of laughter!

Saturday Afternoon
When I got home, I hoped to sleep off my alcoholic fug, but my inconsiderate neighbour on the 9th floor had her contractor in. He was drilling and hammering after the official renovation work hours. I went up and politely asked her to get him to stop, but she refused even when the building supervisor talked to her. Simple solution: I threatened to call the police and miraculously, there was no need for any more renovation work! The way I see it is this: if I can’t have the quiet to enjoy my afternoon nap, then she’s not going to have any peace either. (): -)

Saturday Night
It was Huney’s 25th birthday so my good friend Yeller Fever and I had drinks at my place before heading over to her party. We are older than Huney and her friends by at least 10 years, all former international school students who are very polished and intellectual. They stood around making conversation and sipping their drinks while Yeller Fever and I burned up the dance floor! We may be old(er), but we're certainly not boring!

Sunday Morning
The last bike hash I went to was in May, so I realized that five months off the saddle and no exercise in between meant I had to take it easy.

I had also invited my neighbour, the young JC to come along. He and his friend, the young Key Wee, who lives across the street from us, decided to cycle from where we live to the hash’s starting point. That wouldn’t have been a bad idea except that it was an additional hour’s ride under the scorching sun, they were both out late on Saturday night and they had never done the bike hash before!

The ride was pretty uneventful (for me anyway), although our group got caught up in a motor cross competition and a bike fell on my dad! Luckily, he escaped with just a few scratches on his legs after shouting at the guy to, “Get your bike off me, you idiot!” ha ha ha. Am I my father's daughter or what?!

I took all the short cuts that were possible and rode back pretty comfortably after a couple of hours. I found the young JC sprawled under a tree, red-faced, dehydrated and not up to social niceties. The young KW came back shortly afterwards and he wasn’t in much better shape either. Although the two boys are fit, the sun here is so strong that it can make you really ill. No matter how much fluid you drink, it never seems to be enough. Wisely, they called taxis for the journey home.

Sunday Evening
My ex-boss and her husband came over for drinks and then we went out for dinner. As it was a school night, we went home quite early. I realized while I was getting ready for bed that my shoulders were completely pink and sore. After the ride, I had changed from a long-sleeved tee into a tank top as it was so hot. Although I stood under a tree, I still got burnt.

I didn’t sleep very well as I was sweating even with the air-con on. I was nauseous and had to keep getting up to drink water.

I smsed the young JC this morning and he is in the same state as I am. Worse of all, he’s on a business trip. At least I can just collapse quietly at my desk while trying not to yawn too conspicuously. Is it Friday yet?!!