Surrrrprise!

Surrrrprise huneys!!! ;) It has always been somethin i've wanted to do for the 2 most important people in my life!

Markets and business has been reaaally slow, hence with more efforts put in, sometimes longer hours are the only way to go. With the lil time and all that energy focused on managing others' monies and bringing in more revenue, i'm relieved i started plannin for this WHOLE birthday party in advance and with much ease (with Vic) to surprise them both. I'm elated the party on Sunday turned out so fun for everyone, especially the 2 birthday gals! :)

It all started with thoughts of wanting to do something SPECIAL. And of course when Jules plans for somethin, it will always be stylish and glamorous!

The NOMINEES were...

'TheVilla'
from Amara Sanctuary Resort & Spa, with a private pool
(20 guests were intended but only 4 guests can stay overnight. definitely not for a wild party!)


'The Penthouse'
from Siloso Beach Resort, with a roof terrace for sun tanning and a private jacuzzi
(No barbecue pit/ barbecue. Which means no food after a cool dip!)

'The Rifle Range'
Shootouts and cocktail/ cheeze party at the The Singapore Gun Club
(It will be too challenging if it pours. Guests may be drenched. It is a CRIME if white loafers are soaked, styled hair becomes dripping wet and make-up smashed!)


In the end...


'The Yacht' choice came out tops!
The Birthday Party of the 2008!! =)

In the end, 'The Yacht' came out tops as we could incorporate the barbecue, space for everyone to mingle and for everyone to experience something different. So after making wise decisions, decisions, decisions, Vic and i started planning for it all through just one day of meet up!! We chose the yacht (good thinkin Vic for suggesting we head to Keppel Marina too! If not we would have missed out viewing the other 2 yachts) we planned the guests list and what food items we should get. I'm impresses at our efficiency and effectiveness! But it was so difficult keeping from them!!

Sourcing for this contact was a real feat. Not knowing of any more charters, i found SUMMIT on the 29th page of google, much so after 5 nights of surfin and finger-clicking numbing actions, the deal was sweeeet. We had a barbecue package (with charcoal and pit provided), 1kg of prawns thrown in for fishing and soft drinks included. All within my budget! Hence always start out with a budget in mind and think of the resources you have and go in search for it. Chances are, if you really want it, you WILL get it. Cus all through the time, i only found yachts which were between the range of $2500- $3500. What more, the vessel could fit 10 people and were about the same length too. It was also rental for the whole day (8hours) and food items could not be purchased on your own. Which means, you have to pay for the 'house' price. Let's just say i got it at a fraction of that range. So call me if you want Jules to plan for anythin stylish AND within your budget! *beams*

I was just as excited at the thought of driving the yacht, just as i was thinkin what their reactions will be when they see all their friends on board and that it wasn't just two for company! *giggles*

Surprise lineup
The plan was to make them think we'll be havin someone barbecue for us and that we may take a dip in the pool after a nice barbecue at a chic joint in Sentosa. They were both only told to wear beach wear and to bring biks, just in case.

• Meet Gen (Challenge: without any picnic bags!)
• Meet Alexxis and Vic at Vivocity (Planned: she knows Gen is goin, but Gen doesn't know she is)
• Surprise 1: Shout "SURPRISE" when both cars meet (wanted reaction: Shocked)
• I have to call Alexxis' to 'direct' Vic the way (Planned: Vic will have to lead cus we don't know the way to 1Degree15)
• Find parking (Challenge: to digress and distract them while on the way)
• Suprise 2: Meet at Vic's car and will open the boot to reveal 'picnic', "SURPRISE!"
• Walk to 1 Degree 15 Marina Club (Challenge: to make them still think we're goin for a picnic by the beach)
• Surprise 3: Shout "SUPRISE" at the reception (Challenge: to all have gathered at the reception before we arrive. We have to text message them wowithout them suspecting)
• Surprise 4: Birthday-Yacht, shout: "SURPRISE!!!" (Challenge: while walking away from reception to the beths, to still make them think we're havin a picnic)

What really turned out!

• Unexpectedly my mom took the picnic mats out to air and so i spent 10mins folding it!
• I waited for Gen for about 30mins outside her house cus she didn't think we had a time to keep to!
• I got out of the car to withdraw $ at meet-up point and Vic drove off!
• While Vic was drivin off, Gen noticed Vic's car cus she was honked at by another for obstructing his way!
• "Surprise!". But Gen wasn't that surprised cus Alexxis' messaged to say "see you on Sunday" when they wished each other happy birthdays on Wednesday!!
• Vic couldn't find the car park and parked at one of the available spaces. We were lost and had to walk for about 20mins to the club!
• Being 45mins late, we were met by Alexxis' friends while Gen's friends were waiting on the boat instead!
• Tottering on board at 11 45am, instead of the intended 11am, we found Xueling missing! She had not been 'picked' up at the bar yet! (She was way too early and waited for us for 2hours!)
  
• We finally had everyone on board and left at about 12pm with everyone jolly but famished!!!

LOL. In any case, it still turned out fabulous. We caught 7 fish all together. Courtesy of Sharon (who had to earn her keep on board) we had 3 yummilicious ones from her, 3 from Andrew (who totally was totally enjoying it) and 1 from Gen. She was a natural! She caught it within 2 minutes while just wanting to check her bait! The fish were scaled by Jumari, our skipper and barbecued with chilli. It was the freshest fish i've had! Maybe it's cus of the satisfaction we caught the fish ourselves, and the joyous occasion.

Gleeful and content with being together, all that food, booze and smokes. We were all happppy people!!!

The champagne was popped and birthday wishes made.

Splendid.

Captain of the boat. Honk Honk!
Till the next time!

Thank you all, for the success of the party!!:
Karen: for the lovely champagne
(and for being such a sport even though you were feeling sick and throwin up!)
Belle: for the 4 bottles Soft Drinks
Candy: for being the other photographer
Louanna: for the space and pick up
For sheltering the food in the trolley with your poncho and dashing through the rain with me- to leave all the food items at your place (although your mom would've preferred it not to be there!)
Andrew: for the snacks and soy sauce
Sharon: For the 4 bottles of beer and wine
Trina: for the 3 packets of Beehoon
Jumari: for scaling the fish and barbecuing for us
Peter: for helping us with the fishing and offering to take us out on his other yachts in future
Vicki: for planning this together!
Birthday gal, Alexxis: for the wine and enjoying yourself with me!
Birthday gal, Gen: for pretending to be SURPRISED even though you knew it 3days earlier!!

Pictures from choosing the yachts- Choices, choices, choices!

Pictures from the surrrrprise birthday-yacht bash!

A Blast From the Past

Unlocking some memories of the stored

Visiting the compounds of what were the 'prime' years of one's academic education, i found myself in a mixed state of whether i liked being associated with the school...a public school whose students associate being 'cool' with being the ah bengs and ah lians (many of whom were in gangs or wanabe thugs), a school whose extra circular activities achievements weren't known for being in any way outstanding (Whether it is academic value-added, aesthetics, physical health or sports) and whose identity and culture i couldn't associate with. Hmmm. I would have preferred being in an institution where the school values are based on the gospel. I would've liked if it was spent in a communal like, positively charged energy-in-the-air kinda place, where people are just as motivated to excel, with a community who wants a better-than-average future and fellow students who believed they are the leaders of tomorrow. Haha but the then 6-12 year old me couldn't keep day-dreaming till after school hours. Just as my dad has instilled this in his kids- it always is the attitude of the person that makes the situation. In every moment, there are always 2 choices- you either make it an ideal outcome or you can make it not-so-good. That's how the very few kan-tangs back in school noticed each other and hung out. And since then, we have been hanging out for 12years :)

Going back to the premises brought back so many memories- of the different spots in school which meant different things for me. Like that particular spot in the parade square (i got caught for wearing my short hair, Faye Wong inspired, too wildly after the last holiday), that damn chin-up pole which i would dread walking to (I tried very hard!), the particular corridor on the 4th level which i was chosen to be part of the school's choir team, for the hall-cum badminton court i used to practice for matches in, the corner of the bend which i would rush to, the water cooler, after a 2.4km run, the 4 inter-class games we won (so ah lians were pissed and wanted to slap me but instead started to pick a verbal fight!!) and the ramp which i always dreaded walking up to- it meant we had to grind our teeth and bear with then, new principal Ms Monica Quek as she would pronounce brands like Esprit (pronounce EX-SPIRIT. Way off!) but i loved walking down from it =) the most memorable year was when the class locked the Literature teacher out of the classroom and pretended that no one was in class. Looking up at the second floor yesterday also reminded me of that year where i was the class chairman and how i really forced myself out of my shell from being the most shy girl in class (since primary 1 and geek in Seconday 1 and 2!) to being in the leader of the class in secondary 3!It was a feat!!!

So many, many flashbacks and feelings attached to that era when the boy group, Boyz-to-Men was every gal's dream date! Strangely, throughout the whole trip, my friends were laughed at me whenever i mentioned a certain connection to a certain spot!!?? Maybe instead of 55,000 thoughts going though my head in a day, i have 55,000 thoughts going through my mind in a second! My imagination and association is splendid. Oh well! (I still can't get what Angie told me-I'll look at the ramp differently now!! Ewww.)

I don't know why.... but i was frightened by my own thoughts twice last night. I even had a nightmare. It definitely was the cold in the air and the thought of what life there would be, of the tables and chairs, and what goes on in the hall and the back stage, what life do the test tubes and huge basins in the science labs have, now that the school is abandoned? To think there were so many changes since that year we left- change of school uniform colours, change of principal, occupying the primary school campus next to ours (which meant the school had 2 of everything-2canteens,2 football fields, etc) and then finally the few remaining students were then transferred to another school and had a choice to retain the school uniform or purchase the 'new' schools' one. It has been 3 years since the school's closure....I don't know. It was strange going back there. So, what's going to happen to these buildings?Well, the campus is rumoured to be taken up by Raffles Institution and be added to the existing adjacent Raffles Institution/Raffles Junior College campus. On top of that an underground tunnel below Braddell Road connecting both sides of the campuses is also rumoured to be built! How cool is that!

A brand new lease of life for that old, unkept building which held the many good memories for so many............

Oh btw! I managed to find our school's blog (Year 1984-1987), which is maintained by a senior!! Check it out!

Here are our blast from the past pictures!

An Annual Affair

The Thai Barbarians (The Thais run real fassssst!!)

Competing for the Ablitt Cup- a trophy currently held by the SA Vipers from South Africa

I was so lookin forward to our annual affair, a rugby's league. Aside from the hard hits, tough players, vicious mauls, and of course, beer and the food, it always reminds me of the great memories why i love the game so much ;) This is the 4th event now, each and every one had a story to tell! However, this time around, instead of heading to the Singapore Stadium, we had tickets to Singapore Cricket Club (SCC).

61st International Sevens (SCC)
Rugby spectators are always spontaneous & fun

I was pining for the few weeks running up to this - for the ALL DAY LONG happy hour prices, the variety of food and beverage stalls we will find, the world-class athletes charging at each other in the fast-paced 15-minute-per-match format of sevens competition and the celebratory tunes which sets everyone in the party mood!!!

I love the carnival-like atmosphere with the fantastic backdrop!

I wouldn't pass this carnival-like atmosphere for anything! With good sportsmanship, sporting action, food (& beer!), great fun (it's outdoors and there's the sun.but at least i don't get tan) and great company (yesss, it's so difficult to date my celebrity friend, Ms Wong Siew Ying!), i couldn't ask for more of a weekend :)

Furthermore, it's held at SCC! It brings back wonderful childhood memories of how my whole family would make it a weekly affair to go to the club for lunch after church/ grocery shopping. I always remember this image of my mom and i in the changing room (which we go to every time after a meal), to weigh ourselves, never fails to crack me up! I've had so many significant moments there. There was one time when my parents called me on the phone and they said they wanted to talk. I was thinkin oh-oh... And so we had a chat by the veranda. I still remember i made sure to wear my sunnies so they wouldn't be able to see my eyes when i was talkin to them! (It was during the period when i was a rebel!). And there was another time when my dad offered me a beer cus i had a sore throat (i was barely 14, i think!). And from then, i was hooked!! Of course my favorite lunch set to order was chicken chop with french fries. Hey, it's every lil kid's 'weekend' meal!

Rugby Tradition- always a prank
Kids from all directions ran and stole the sheep from the girls who committedly gave chase!
Always a look-out for at every game!

I had a sweeeet time!
And i'm lookin forward to yet again, the next game.

Just in case you might wana buy your tickets for next year's Sevens, here's a peek at how you will have it too- pictures!

As always, there's an adventure whenever one's with me- we headed to vicki's party and surprised her for her birthday! =) By the time i got to the gathering for the barbeque, i was a happy gal! And even happier when my boss shared his good wine and we had lots of it flowing, with heartwarming bonding and food!!