What money can't buy

I'm home trying to work on my computer, but it's hard because there's all this drilling and banging and hacking going on in our toilets at the moment - the sewage pipes are leaking, and it took the owners more than 30 years to decided to change it. Apart from the noise, I also can't help but overhear my maid's conversation with this guy working on our pipes. It's hilarious!

Here's this guy who literally takes shit for a living and on top of that he's got to listen to my part time maid's questions about how old he is, how many kids he's got, how she thinks this is a tough occupation to have, and how she thinks it may not pay as well (very direct, but that's just how she is), which will affect his retirement, etc etc etc... and she keeps going on like a train. Intermittently she would come to me and talk to me, and then she'd go back to the toilets and watch and ask what he's putting on the pipes now, what sort of glue, why he's doing this and that. It's just fun to watch. You can tell he was trying to be polite at first, answering her questions, trying to accommodate her by delving in conversation with her, but as she starts criticizing, telling him how he should do his work, his responses start getting shorter and sharper. Lol. I think she must be bored, because she can't start doing what she needs to do until they're done, and sitting in the living room to read the papers doesn't sit well with her. She HAS to engage in conversation, even if it's with an unwilling party, and take on her self imposed role as supervisor. Lol. Really cute.

This though reminds me of something that happened not too long ago, which helped me reflect a little deeper into my own priorities. I was lunching with a group of lawyers recently, and it turns out one of them, was a prodigy. This individual managed to make it to equity partner of a firm in a short span of 4 years, and takes home a whopping 5 figure monthly salary excluding bonuses. Something in my stomach started to knot. I didn't know why at first, but I think it could be more jealousy or enviousness I was feeling - at how some ppl just have it easier than others in life. But thank goodness for family members that keep you grounded to what's more important to you, and remind you of your real values and of what you already have. I was told by different people in my family through their different life struggles, and experiences, that life, health, love, and enough to keep me comfortable is all that's really needed. And Min, my sister pointed out very importantly, that had I changed the course of my life in any way, I may have never met Julien. Now THAT strikes a cord deeper than fame, recognition, and financial success. And that's what no amount of money in the world can buy me.

I have everything I need in this world already - a wonderful husband who loves me, a great loving family with great advice, a good job that pays me to do what I like to do, wonderful colleagues who always surround me in an environment of encouragement.

So although this chap changes sewage pipes for a living, it's good enough to see his child through school, and be able to put three meals on the table for his family, and if that makes him happy and gives him a sense of accomplishment, then I'd say he has succeeded in life!

How can they say my life is not a success? Have I not for more than sixty years got enough to eat and escaped being eaten? - Logan P. Smith

The man who has done his level best... is a success, even though the world may write him down a failure. - B. C. Forbes

There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way. - Christopher Morley

Our Latest Project!

Presenting our future home! Riverparc@Punggol. *BEAMS*

It comes with some standard facilities like:

50m Lap Pool
Gym
Clubhouse
BBQ Area
Tennis Court
and a pretty large kids pool

Where it's located:

Riverparc Residence is situated at literally at the furthest end of Punggol, at the eastern-most tip. It faces the Serangoon River (now Reservoir) to the east and the Straits of Johor and Coney Island to the north.

Directly west are 18-storey high-rise HDB blocks. Directly north lies the elevated LRT tracks and a planned school. Directly south is another planned residential area, which according to the URA Masterplan (see below), has the same plot ratio of 3.4 as RiverParc, meaning any high-rise residential block there will go up a similar height as this Executive Condominiums in question.

The Kadaloor LRT is a short walk away, four stops get you to Punggol MRT. There's a mini-mall called Punggol Plaza about 600m away where you can get your daily necessities. Nature-lovers will appreciate the many parks and rivers around the area, especially My Waterway @ Punggol which is about 170m away.
Source: http://www.h88.com.sg/article/RiverParc+Residence+review%3A+Part+1/

And finally, the floor plan of our new two bedroom apartment!

Getting really excited now! The catch is we have to wait 3 years for it to be built. None the less, we have our own home now!!!!! Yipee!!!!!!!!!!

Late Night at the Museuem

There was the Voyage Night Festival 2011 going on at the Singapore Art Museum, and we decided to head out and participate. Voyage Night Festival 2011 is an evocation of the spirit behind journeys of departures,arrivals,landings; of passages, pilgrimages, inter-marriages encountered in sound,movement and images.

When we arrived, there was already a performance going on in front of the museum, called the Corazon de Angeles in Paradise, by Theater Tol.

As a symbol of universal cultural unity, Corazon de Agneles in Paradise celebrates the inter-cultural wedding of a Groom and Bride from two different cultures. Audiences are invited to partake as witnesses to their union whilst guardian angels, universal to all cultures, watch over them and wish them good tidings.

This performance invokes the history and social development of Singapore’s Civic District that has seen the settlement of immigrants from Asia, Middle East and Europe since the 19th century. Images of old Singapore provide a powerful motif and context to the performance.

In a cinematic journey which combines music, dance, film, acrobatics, live performance and pyrotechnics, Belgian group Theater Tol consisting of sculptors, musicians, dancers and actors, takes the audience through a world of voyages and encounters, fascinating and magical, akin to summer night dreams. (National Museum of Singapore website)

After a very dreamy performance with cranes that suspended the performers in the air as they sang and danced, and threw confetti down at the crowd, we headed into the museum for some more fun!

jellyfish?

As we walked through the different exhibitions, we were welcomed by this man into a huge room decorated with train tracks all over the walls and even the ceilings. The artist wanted to do his own video of kids forming train tracks as a competition in this room, but at 2am there were no kids, so we were asked if we wanted to participate. How could we say no?

The two boys who happen to be very competitive started work on the track straight away.

The girls were just creating our own individual tracks at first but then we started to join them all up. And our track started to take shape. One things for sure, and every one agreed on this. We wanted to be the best, and we wanted the highest track!

the centrepiece that we're really proud of!

It was a great ending. Our track was the tallest, and even though it looks fragile, it DID withstand the weight of the trains! SUCCESS! We even left a small stupid present for the creator.. courtesy of a said art director.
OH WHAT A NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!