A Sunday In The West

We hardly hang out in the west side of Singapore. Maybe it's because much of the west is filled with industrial or residential buildings. But on Sunday, we decided to go eat at the McDonald's in West Coast Park.

It has been ages since I've come to West Coast Park for a walk in the day. And by ages, I mean it's been approximately fifteen years! The last time I was here, I was a little kid. I loved the playgrounds here but the park has always been rather bare to my memory.

Today, the playgrounds are still there, if not upgraded and expanded.

There are many more trees planted than I remembered and they've all grown taller. We saw a large community of Filipinos pitching their tents under the generous shade. I think they were having some sort of community celebration. What a great low cost way to hang out together in pricey Singapore!

West Coast Park is bordered by the busy port to the south. 

It was a very sunny day, so all the sheltered benches were already taken up by people. We had no choice but to keep walking. For a park that's only readily accessible by private transport, it was pretty crowded. I don't remember public parks ever being this crowded even on weekends back when I was little. How times have changed!

To the left, we spotted a quiet beach corner which reminded us of the Singapore we knew as children.

Dinner that evening was had at Sushi Tei in West Coast Plaza. I've been having cravings for their sashimi salad with Sushi Tei sauce during the past month of my pregnancy. Originally, I didn't feel too comfortable eating raw fish or salmon/tuna for that matter (because of the supposed higher mercury content). However, my cravings ultimately got the better of me and I caved in :P 

I trust that God will take care of the development of my baby...

To comment on this particular Sushi Tei branch- first I want to highlight that not every Sushi Tei branch in Singapore serves great food. The best ones that I've tried so far are the branches at Raffles City Shopping Centre, Thomson Plaza and Ngee Ann City. Unfortunately, the branch at West Coast Plaza fell far below my expectations. Not only did our food take long to arrive, the salad was disproportionate in its fish-to-veggie ratio. The Thomson Plaza branch has been the most generous and freshest tasting one so far. This is the first and last time we'll be eating at West Coast's Sushi Tei I suppose!

Tea Break At Colbar

After a late breakfast on Saturday, I opted not to go home despite the drowsy rainy weather. Instead, we drove to Colbar for tea break.

This is the cover of their rather flimsy menu.

Colbar, or Colonial Bar, is located in the middle of nowhere, aka Wessex Village, next to a bunch of new buildings that had sprung up over the past few years.

Despite the encroaching urban sprawl, Colbar remains relatively green and still retains much of its rustic nature. My dad's been coming here since the 70's and he reports that it still holds some of its olden day charm. That's pretty rare for any place in Singapore.

We sat by the little garden which was flooded from the rain and watched the water drip from the plants.

The main seating area is nice and spacious with high ceilings.

Within a few minutes of sitting down, I had gotten two mosquito bites. Yerrrkk!

I think part of the reason why this place is frequented more by foreigners and less by locals is that, what you see in the photo above- a plain cheese sandwich and a small cup of hot Milo, costs $6.50.

In a regular kopitiam (coffeeshop) elsewhere, this should only cost about $2.50 max.

I told Jerry that after all, we're really paying for rental, not the food...

Another thing my dad once told me- old houses in Singapore used to have windows and window grills that looked like this. His own bedroom used to have window grills like this too. It must be very nostalgic for him despite the steep price hike in teh tarik here.

Altogether, we had a nice time just relaxing outdoors in the cool weather. 

25 Weeks

On Friday, I went for my third appointment with the gynaecologist. I'm currently seeing Dr. Wen Lim at Mount Alvernia Hospital.

The last time my family came with me, my dad commented that Dr. Lim seemed rather cold and emotionless. I thought that perhaps she was just a little thrown off by the large party of people in her office. The first time I had gone to see her, she actually seemed pretty nice. I had switched to her from Dr. Chia Yee Tien at Mount Elizabeth Hospital because Dr. Chia's office was always crowded and the whole hospital environment at Mt. E just wasn't very pleasant. Jerry hates the parking situation there as well.

But I love love love Dr. Lim's clinic at Mount Alvernia. It's clean, never crowded and the receptionists are very friendly.

I was so happy to see that baby had put on some weight especially in his cheeks.

I wish I had an ultrasound machine at home so that I could look into my tummy anytime I wanted!

He's so cute.... :)

During my last visit at Dr. Lim's, I signed up for a package. It's 1,000 SGD for approximately 9-10 more visits, not including ultrasound photos (10 SGD each) and 3D scans (20 SGD each). Natural delivery and a 2 night stay at Mount Alvernia will cost an additional 2,000 SGD as well. Without the package, it would have cost 2,300 SGD.

Shirley's Birthday & Wet Market Shopping

Today is Shirley's birthday, but Helena and I surprised her yesterday evening. I had asked Shirley out for dinner but didn't tell her that I also told Helena we were meeting. And since Helena was planning to surprise her later that night anyway, we decided to "join forces".

It was pretty funny watching Shirley's reaction when Helena appeared with the cake at McDonald's. 

At first, Shirley was staring in the opposite direction, wondering aloud if the people at the other table were talking about insurance. While she was being distracted, Helena came in from the back and when Shirley turned around, there she was! :D Success.

We spent the rest of the evening strolling around Ang Mo Kio central and finally ended up in the Zone-X upstairs. There's Shirley, the two-time Wangan Midnight champion, playing her last boring game with just one hand on the wheel. We ended the night with some PIU (Korean DDR) then split to go home. 

Today's Friday, which means that my mother-in-law will most likely not be using the kitchen. That gives me a chance to whip up a small dinner later. Jerry said fried rice and chicken potato soup sounds good, so I quickly went down to the wet market to buy some ingredients before the stalls close.

I bought: 

One large potato ($0.90), two ears of corn ($1.50), a handful of char siew or barbecued pork ($2), two medium carrots and four string beans ($0.70) and two whole chicken wings ($1.50).

For some reason, I always feel like wet market people are out to cheat my money... Maybe it's the absence of price tags which makes me nervous. Or my early childhood memories of my grandma haggling in the market. Either way, I never ever feel like I got a good deal at the market other than the food being fresh.

What do you think, was I overcharged or not?

:/

Update: 

Chicken soup

And fried rice for dinner ;) 

Photo-Taking Hiatus

Four, even three years ago, I was a photo-taking junkie. You'd never catch me anywhere without my camera. Things, people, places... They all get snapped regardless of whether or not they look lovely. Pretty much anything that caught my fancy got caught in my lenses. But today? My trusty little camera sits in some forgotten corner of a drawer. I suppose a few things led to its sad demise. 

Firstly, I got a smartphone back in 2012. Granted, the quality of its photos still can't beat what I was used to on my camera, but then again it was the most convenient thing to use especially in random moments (my favorite kind of photo-taking opportunity).

Secondly, I started getting lazy about organising my photos on the computer. I never really liked the photo app on my Mac that much to begin with, but when the photos REALLY began to pile up, I just sort of gave up on all of them. Photo hoarder. Yep, that's me. I hoard them but I never organise them anymore.

Thirdly, I stopped blogging regularly. And by regularly I meant once a month. Without an online avenue for my thoughts, the interesting photos I took lost a bit of their meaning. Everything in life interests me to a vast degree, but the things that I do take photos of are things that I not only find interesting, but would like to share or remember. So if I'm not recording them somewhere (in terms or organising) or sharing (whether blogging or on Facebook), I kind of just... let those moments go. 

Case in point: four years ago, I took a gadzillion photos at Thanksgiving dinner. This past Thanksgiving? I didn't even bring my camera. I just took a quick darkened one on my phone and I'm even contemplating deleting it because you can't see much from that angle anyway.

But things are going to change. I know they will because baby is on his way and the last thing I want is for my child to grow up without any photographic memories. 

For starters, I'd like to get the digitized photos from my wedding and honeymoon printed. After which, I'll feel a little better about accumulating/hoarding more photos. Also, I'll try to blog more often :)

24 Weeks Or 6 Months

As of now, I can only fit into two bras, a few shirts, one pair of shorts, two pairs of jeans, about four dresses and that's about it. Dressing for work is a pain (no thanks to ASOS for the shipment that went missing), but casual dressing around the house is great. I'd just slip into Jerry's t-shirt and boxers.

Though I'm a little apprehensive about shopping on ASOS again, I don't feel like I have many other choices. My fruitless searches on Gumtree for secondhand clothing have left me feeling frustrated. Why isn't there anyone out there who wears a UK size 8? Also, I've been hunting around in H&M, Forever 21, etc, hoping to find some stretchy dresses. To my dismay, I found that this shopping season is just not pro-pregnancy at all. The waistline is fashionably placed right in the middle now (where I'm expanding). Stretchy or jersey materials are not the rage and ultimately, I just need something a little more dressy for work. I don't need another casual maxi dress! Maternity shops here offer only expensive clothes and my other dilemma is having to find something that can fit my 5'9" long body. Let me just say, it ain't easy even on ASOS.

On Sunday evening, Jerry and I dropped by the Mothercare store in Harbourfront Centre to officially check out baby things we'll be buying in the months to come. But what I really enjoyed was witnessing Jerry's growing excitement as we went from aisle to aisle. We finally left the store with no purchases but this priceless statement from Jerry: "I think we are going to have a lot of fun with our kid". My sentiments exactly :)

So, I spent some time today on Gumtree looking around for secondhand cots and strollers. I was initially thinking of buying brand new stuff. But when I think about my dad and his habit of using secondhand furniture, I can't help but feel like it's a big waste of money to buy something straight out of the store, especially if we will only be using it for a short while. Babies do outgrow their things very quickly! I'm also determined to save as much money as we can. Who knows what may come in the future? Working in Prudential has definitely made me want to be more prudent in my life.

Oh yes, last night, baby did something really weird. He usually kicks around a little more at night when I'm about to fall asleep. But yesterday, he did this super fast back and forth kicking that made me freak out a little. I had no idea he could move so quickly at this age! Perhaps it was the DDR earlier in the evening that inspired him. Speaking of which, playing DDR this weekend gave me such a great mental boost again. I LOVE being able to sweat and feel happy hormones flooding my brain.

I also did some skating... 

Shhh.... :P

Hung out with some friends... I had a really good time :) Socialising feels soooo great!

Oh baby I really cannot wait till you come out and start skating with us HAHA! Since Eito Yasutoko said his son started skating at age one, I figure you'll be fine starting at eleven months eh? Just kidding... Can't wait to see your cute little face soon.

Oh yes I had a little panicky thought last night. I started thinking about the actual labor process and the pain that would ensue and it made me really anxious all of a sudden. I've actually been pretty calm and cool about it until recently when EVERYBODY keeps asking me if I'm going to do a cesarean or get an epidural. The response from all my supportive friends are uniform when I tell them I'm going au naturel: "ARE YOU CRAZY?! IT'S GONNA HURT LIKE HELL!"

Well for someone who's never been to hell, it's easy to brush them off at first. But you know, I can't help but think: what if I can't handle it? I don't want to faint from the pain or have to do anything drastic!

All this just goes to show- I should just stop discussing the labor process with people. I haven't heard a single "you're gonna be fine" throughout all these discussions. It's making me anxious for no reason and that's it!

Growing Excitement

My mom texted me this morning with a photo of her "loot" from across the Atlantic.

Can I just say, I'm SOOOOO excited to start buying stuff for our little one?! Especially after walking around the giant Mothercare store in Harbourfront with Lizzie yesterday evening. She's already gotten her stroller and some clothes, but all I've done is read a bunch of books.

Haha!

I've started to compare prices across Target, Walmart, Mothercare here and some other online stores like Amazon, Qoo10 and even Gumtree. I don't mind secondhand stuff at all, but it seems that most of it has already been given away now that half the people my age group are popping babies every other week.

Can't wait to fly back and walk down the lovely aisles at Target again! 

21 Weeks

What other mummies have been telling me is true: I am starting to really enjoy feeling my baby kick me.

It felt weird at first and I wasn't used to it for the first few weeks. Whenever he kicked me, it would give me a little shock because I wasn't expecting it. But these days, it feels more natural to me.

Today as he kicked my lower right tummy, I could see the movements through my skin. I quickly reached for my phone to try to take a video but it was too late. I'm sure I'll get to catch him in action someday though!

In the meantime, Jerry has been extremely patient and accommodating to my *ahem* emotional/mental needs. Being a skater himself, he totally understands how much I miss the skatepark. This weekend, he agreed to let me put on my skates just for a little roll around the skatepark. Although I didn't go pumping in the combo bowl, he did (reluctantly) let me go down a flat ramp twice just so I wouldn't feel so miserable. It sounds silly, but just being able to put on my skates did so much for my mood. For the most part though, I just stayed on flat ground and avoided the skateboarding/BMX kids.

But dear baby, although mummy is dying to skate again and can't wait till you're out of the womb, I'm determined to enjoy what few months I have left with you inside me. I hope you'll enjoy the skatepark as much as we do, because if you don't... Well I'm sure you will :)

Kicking Away

My little cutie pie has been kicking and kicking and kicking away in my tummy since this morning. I think he wakes up every two hours now just to stretch his legs and feel all over my insides. I was standing in the train this morning, daydreaming and almost forgetting that I'm pregnant when I suddenly got a small stab in my lower abdomen. It caught me by surprised and I jerked my head down in time to see his second punch pop through my dress. It was a very surreal moment. I almost wanted to ask the person next to me, "Did you see that?!"

I guess I'm starting to feel a queer sort of tenderness towards my baby. I don't know what that overpowering motherly love is supposed to feel like, but at the moment I'm more curious about what he is going to look like and what kind of personality he's going to end up with. I guess you could say that I'm very curious to meet him as a person.

Jerry is also starting to warm up a little. Before he was able to feel the baby move, I'd say that he wasn't as interested in its development. Men are such visual creatures. But ever since he's been able to feel his fluttering kicks, I can feel Jerry's tenderness grow alongside mine.

I'm almost reaching the end of my nineteenth week now and I already feel like time is flying by. Before we know it, the baby will be here and our lives will forever be changed. It's scary yet exciting at the same time to think about! In the meantime, I intend to enjoy what's left of my relative freedom :)

Pregnant & Reading

This has been the most exciting year so far! I got married, turned 25, and now I'm expecting. Talk about major life changes.

My first trimester was tiring. I felt sleepy and nauseous all throughout the day. They really should have just called it "all day sickness" instead of morning sickness. 

This is me at 17 weeks.

My belly really started showing sometime around 15 weeks actually. That was also about the time I stopped being able to wear even my largest pair of shorts. Luckily I had already ordered maternity shorts and pants from ASOS a month ago. They came in really handy when I needed them.

Some of the bodily changes that I've been experiencing recently is a little bit of weight gain in the other areas of my body. Though I think that's probably due more to my switch from a very active lifestyle to a somewhat sedentary one. I haven't been skating or playing DDR or running at all. My exercise during the day usually just consists of walking or jogging after a bus. I really miss skating though. I feel gross when I don't have a good sweat everyday.

I've also been more gassy than usual. Passing farts almost all the time now. The bad news is, they're mostly stinky ones :P (sorry everybody)

This is me last week, at 18 weeks. 

Last Wednesday was the first time I felt my little one moving for sure! At first I thought it was just gas, but the movements were too deliberate. I've been feeling him move frequently during the day now, especially after meals. Must be the noise from my digestive system that's waking him up.

Then today, I could actually feel him move from the outside when I put my hand on my belly. He gave it a good shove and it was weird/cool/wonderful all at the same time!

In preparation for what's to come, Ms Pang recommended that I read this book, Baby Wise. I'm halfway through it at the moment, but I find it to be extremely useful in giving concrete tips on how to schedule sleeping and feeding times. I also love that the writers of this book have Christian backgrounds (I bought this at SKS, a Christian bookstore in Singapore).

I've been hearing from many different mothers and mothers-to-be on what they think is best for newborns. I've also had my own experience with caring for babies to look back upon. All in all, I'm very happy with what I'm discovering in this book. I agree with its principles and it makes for a pleasant read altogether. And of course, I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested :)

Another book that I'm reading is Sacred Marriage and this was recommended by Kim who is also reading it now with her husband. Because their relationship is such a good example to me, I thought, I'd better read what they're reading too! So since i was gonna pick up Baby Wise from SKS, I got this too.

The funny thing about Christian books is that, they ultimately all lead back to the same thing, or in this case, person.

With a title like Sacred Marriage, you'd probably expect the content to be quite different from books that are written for singles right? But what I've found is that whether you're talking about marriage, or struggling with addiction, or trying to build a church, or striving to be a holy single, the ultimate purpose of all of these experiences are still one and the same; that is, to become holy, or more like God.

Sacred Marriage purports that marriages can be like a refining fire, one that is intense and at times painful, but is necessary to mold us into a people set apart for Him.

I'm also halfway through this book right now and I'm sharing what I read with Jerry as I go along.

And that's all the updates I have for now.

An Ecclesiastes Frame Of Mind

Coming from an Economics background (theoretical) into financial planning services (dealing with actual people's lives), I find myself getting more and more disenchanted with everything these days. In Singapore, the hot topic is our failing government and a consequent systematic breakdown of everything possible. I see this daily when I talk to people about their future goals. It saddens me that it was still possible to buy a car and a house without being saddled with huge debt during my parents' generation. Yet, what my generation is now facing seems really hopeless. Many of us are now university graduates, unlike our parents. However, it is so difficult for the average graduate today to find good secure positions paying decent salaries. Even after working for five years, the prospects of a promotion remain dim for many. Few of us dare to even dream about owning a car in the next few years, let alone a house. Young people find the idea of marriage daunting because of soaring costs- from the wedding, to buying a house, to raising a child.

I can't help but think that life was much simpler back then during my parents' time. You could still get a decent paying job without graduating from university because the costs of living were low. Singapore's population was under 3 million at that time and there were ample public spaces for recreation and other relaxing activities. It wasn't a perfect time, but it was definitely simpler.

I was just scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed, looking through the usual ALS ice bucket challenge videos (I scroll through them quickly because there are so many and they are all the same), the angry posts (from the politically charged), the usual philosophical posts (from the spiritual)...

But there were certain posts that stood out to me. They come from those who are deeply entrenched in academia. Pretty much, the posts go along the lines of "this and this is actually happening because of so and so. You all just haven't figured it out because you studied this subject much less than I have. Stop complaining about your life you less-educated people and start thinking about brilliant ideas on how to solve problems. Start by contributing ideas to my paper because my paper will save the world from people like you who can't write coherently".

I'm sure my sarcasm can tell you loads about how I feel concerning such posts. 

I can't begin to tell you how tired I feel by the end of the scrolling, because I used up so much energy just trying to keep myself from starting a comment war.

What is it about academia that makes one so snobbish?

Haven't they ever considered that what they learnt is school could be all wrong? That their wisdom is misguided and their theories are simply, just, theories? And have they ever thought that there are people who may not have studied this subject, but have much more accurate and viable thoughts about it than they do, simply because of their own experiences?

The reason for my annoyance comes partly from such incidences:

- Academic Person will say something sweeping about how his studies have proven this theory right. Non-Academic Person who actually grew up or was in that experience says the theory is absolutely wrong. Academic Person will indirectly look down on Non-Academic Person's own theory because of either their poor command of language, or lack of visible achievements. -

You know what, we like to say that money isn't everything these days. Well, I'd like to posit that neither is education. For all the added knowledge that we have today, I don't really see how the average life has been improved. Sure, we have clean drinking water as compared to other "not-so-educated nations". But our morals as a society stink. We may have less infants dying and better healthcare, but more people trying to commit suicide here than many other "less-well-to-do" places.

Essentially, what did the betterment of our generation's educational standard really lead to? Is it a better life? Is it more happiness? Can this be measured? Does it really matter in the end?

At the end of the day, whether we are educated people or not, our end is still the grave. There is no amount of knowledge or wisdom that can keep us from dying. Not the rich nor the poor, the strong nor the weak can escape from this fate. So why are the "educated" looking down on those who are "not"?

Ecclesiastes 12:12 says "Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body."

I'd say this is true... Just look at the people around us in society.

A Dream

This morning I dreamt that I rescued two baby rabbits and kept them as pets. One brown and one grey. They begged me so hard to let them go run around in the grass outside the house so I let them. The air outside was cool and fresh because of the surrounding forests. 

Suddenly I realised people were chopping the trees down and there was a commotion as people were told to move out of their houses. Panicking, I looked around for my baby rabbits but they were nowhere to be found.

I came to one of the houses where the residents were being asked to move out. To my surprise, the men doing this were a young looking version of Goh Chok Tong, Lee Kuan Yew and some indian dude who looked like an MP but I had no idea who he was. 

I was so mad that they were the ones who chopped down the trees and made our whole village feel hotter and hotter. Furthermore, why did we have to move out when life in the forested village was peaceful and nice? 

In my anger and frustration for not finding the baby rabbits, I woke up.

How's Married Life?

I haven't even completed blog posts about the wedding and stuff, but I feel like I should answer this question right now since every time I meet someone, it's the first thing I'm asked. 

"How's married life?"

Okay, yesterday was our one month anniversary and I totally forgot. I only remembered this morning because I tried to sleep in after 9am and couldn't. The irritation drove me to think about work and all the days that I have to work this week. That drove me further to try to remember what day it is. I thought it was the 24th. 

24th??? Hmmm.... Why does that date sound so familiar?

OHHH!!!

*hurries to text Jerry that yesterday was our one month anniversary*

But really, I know he forgot and I know he knows that I forgot as well and we both don't really care haha.

That's kind of how married life is like. It's pretty much like how life was before we were married; just that we get to sleep together in the same room every night now.

What that means is:

An extra hour of sleep for the man
(He doesn't have to send me home every night and then send himself home after that.)

We have to solve every argument/issue like right away

(If not... there'll be NO SLEEPING HERE TONIGHT NO, NO SLEEPING HERE TONIGHT)

No space for me to roll around

(Because space is limited when you share a bed with someone)

Unlimited cuddle time

(That is, until the man demands sleepy time)

We don't threaten each other with undertones of "breaking up" anymore (yeah we, Christian, adults, are still capable of that) because well, we took a vow and we know it came with a No Return policy. So these days, it sounds more like us being on the same team and trying to work it out together because we both know... there could be NO SLEEPING HERE TONIGHT NO and of course it hurts to see the other party upset.

Truthfully, it is way more upsetting to see your partner upset than to just be upset. And interestingly, the two of those events aren't mutually exclusive. He gets upset when he sees me being upset and vice versa. We have had to pray through these moments when we get stuck in our "you're upset so I'm upset NO I'M UPSET BECAUSE YOU'RE UPSET". It's miserable to be stuck in there and only God can pull us out of it.

But really, married life is great.

That is, if you are willing to endure the agony of having to swallow your pride 24/7/365.

Finally, A Wedding!

I'm actually writing this post in September. On my mother's birthday no less; but at least I'm finally writing it! As you know, It didn't take me very long to plan this wedding. Within two months of Jerry's proposal, we got the whole thing up and running with God's grace.

I got up around 4am that morning. Candy, my makeup artist arrived somewhat punctually around 4.30am. She got to work right away.

It didn't feel real.

It almost felt like any other ordinary day actually. Just getting my hair done, blah blah blah...

Being the professional she is, Candy barely took an hour to get not only my makeup, but also my hair done as well. I was left with plenty of time to walk around the house and do nothing. The girls were just starting to get their makeup done by Jean around 5am.

Meanwhile, my brothers' bedroom had been taken over by the female relatives who were getting their hair and makeup done as well.

I was actually pretty excited to see my little sister getting all dolled up. 

In the meantime, the boys who did not have to have their hair or makeup done were helping themselves to some breakfast. My mom had cooked a whole pot of minced pork porridge the night before to feed everybody who would be dropping by the house. Great foresight on her part! We were quite hungry by 6am.

My custom-made cheongsam hung ready in the room.

And my slippers ;)

As the time for Jerry's arrival drew closer, I quickly got dressed before proceeding to lounge around the house some more.

Traditionally, my mom should help me to put on the 四点金 (dowry jewellery pieces), but her eyesight's getting poor, so the photographer actually helped us with it as well.

Customary photo with my dad.

The bridesmaids were helping each other get ready as well as preparing for the gatecrashing.

I was connected on Skype so I could watch the gatecrashing.

They made some weird salad for Jerry comprising of all the things he hates haha!

A photo with the bridesmaids before they head off to torture the groom... Check out all those innocent smiles... Hahaha!

I can't believe my little brother is now taller than me!

Jerry finally arrived at around 7am.

As is customary, my little brothers were there to open the door for their soon-to-be brother-in-law (and thus receive a red packet for their hard work).

On his way to collect the bride (me... LOL!)

BUT, you gotta get past the bridesmaids first!

First they had him eat the weird salad.

His face says it all!

Next, they had him and another groomsman put tape on their hairy legs so they could rip it off.

Smiling in glee as my sister holds the phone for Skype.

Next up, Amanda's great idea. Making them follow some ridiculous dance routine a la the Backstreet Boys. Okay, the Backstreet Boys was really my idea... 

I was pretty amazed at how willingly Jerry stepped up to do the dance!

Next, Shirley prepared the banana thingy. I have no idea what they dipped it in. Vinegar?

They were supposed to pass it to each other while taking bites each time.

Ivan's priceless face before biting into the banana... HAHAHA!

Great job guys!

Making them pose by spelling words with their bodies.

Reading out a funny tongue twister.

And finally! Jerry gets the permission to come up to the house. I think he got away pretty easily eh, that was one smooth gatecrashing!

"Yay... I made it..."

"Where's Mindy?"

"WHERE'S MINDY?"

Alverina handed him something to read before coming into my room. 

Here comes the crunch time!

Usually, the groom makes a lot of promises before coming into the bedroom. But luckily for Jerry, I'm a simple gal. All he had to do was to promise to take me to nice places after we get married. HAHA! None of that "my money is your money" thing.

Anddd....

Feeling pretty awkward here actually because everyone is looking at us from outside the bedroom door...

That's it! 

With just 15 minutes left on the schedule, we had to pack up and start getting ready to leave for the wedding venue.

The boys managed to grab some porridge before leaving.

The hotel was just a five minute drive away from home.

One of my favourite shots of the day :)

We had the tea ceremony in a little conference room provided by the Regent Hotel free of charge.

My Nanny got all emotional and that made Jerry and I tear up too. It was probably the first time during the day that I started to feel the gravity of the entire situation. 

Our solemnisation was held in the same room immediately after the tea ceremony.

Pastor James from Glory Presbyterian Church was our solemnizer.

That's me being awkward again. And my awkward brother in the right foreground refusing to look in our direction as we kiss HAHAHA!

Signing our marriage certificate made it official!

After that, we went upstairs to check out our suite and dump all our stuff in the room.

I changed into my wedding dress and also had Jean put my hair half down. I kind of regret doing that now though. It looked better up!

The hotel staff were getting our reception room ready.

Simple pink roses and baby's breath for centrepieces.

Had a good looking bunch of people manning the welcome table :D

Thanks to Sophia and Zach who helped to play music for our wedding song!

Another "this is real" moment: my dad putting the veil on over my face.

I kind of felt like crying at this moment.

Unbeknownst to me, my dad's left arm had been hurting badly right before the walk down the aisle. But he told me that the pain miraculously went away for those few hours, if not he would not have been able to have such a smooth walk. 

Giving his blessings to us.

Instead of a candle ceremony, we opted for a sand ceremony.

Three colors of sand which represent God, Jerry and I. In our marriage, we want God to be the foundation that we build on. That's the bottom layer. The second layer is Jerry and the top layer is me. After pouring the sands together in the jar, we will no longer be able to return the colors back to the original containers. This is a physical representation of what we see our marriage to be.

Then came the epic part...

He was only supposed to lift the front of my veil.

But he actually lifted the entire thing right off my head! 

It was super hilarious!

Here's me being awkward again... 

Normal pretty brides have a very graceful and stately stroll. Yours truly swung left to right like a duck.

And made funny faces...

My dad gave a short speech but Tim went all out. 

We were pretty moved by what he said about parents not saying enough that they love their children. 

Minmin and Ninja were the MCs for the day. 

Our wedding cake and cupcakes were made by Annie Goh of Les Cupcakes. She was also the one who set up the cake table for us. Everyone loved it!

They were red velvet cupcakes with pastel pink and yellow cream cheese toppings. Annie has a talent for making them just right- not too sweet and not too thick.

Then came my favourite part of the reception. Jerry's speech!

My mom cried. But that was when I was talking.

Jerry cried too. I guess I have a talent for making people around me cry.

Poured the champagne into the glass tower. Blah blah blah...

Family and friends were invited onto the stage for the yam seng toast.

Max lived up to his name by screaming YAM SENGGGGGGGG the loudest and longest!

A toast!

I was so very very happy/excited/touched/wowed when I saw Eileen in her pink dress. 

<3 p="">

Then it was time to say goodbye!

We asked the hotel staff to try to end things by 4pm. Neither Jerry nor I like long drawn out ceremonies. I don't fancy keeping people for too long either.

And that was it! We went back to our room happy but exhausted... 

And that was how we got married!