Things that make me sian now

Here I come again to rant. Am feeling quite sian and down right now, and I thought I can just list down the things that make me sian here. :P

1. Got a really sucky bonus. Felt abit unappreciated after the hard work that I had put in.
   
2. Current flat situation. Supply <<< Demand. HDB asking us to either live with parents, buy resale or wait. *shakes head*
   
3. My slipped disc. Feel aches and pains from time to time while standing up, sitting down or walking. I'm like a "lao lang".
   
4. Career options? Partially linked to point 1, I guess. Maybe should join civil service to settle point 1 and 2 in one shot. :D

Other than that, I guess I'm your average happy guy who have a happy family (can't set up new family yet), a stable career (sort of), and is relatively healthy (if you discount the slipped disc).

I guess things are not that bad for me after all huh?

Pete out.

Big numbers and misplaced discs

Hello all! It has been such a long time since my last entry that actually contained some content. Hahaha.. Honestly, I've been feeling way too sian to update the blog, so I had to rely on ah mi to religiously update every week. And even then, she is getting sian too, so I figure that I better do my part. :)

Some updates from my side. Just before the Chinese New Year, I experienced severe backaches after I ran for the bus (how embarrassing sia :S). So after some massaging, kneading, and plastering of my own, I decided to seek professional help since my condition was gradually getting worse. And after 3 visits to the GP, 2 visits to a orthopaedic specialist, 1 visit to the radiology clinic and lots of cash transaction later, I was officially diagnosed with a Prolapsed Lumbar Invertebral Disc at L5-S1 on the left. In the words of mortals like me who have no knowledge of medical mambo jumbo, 我的盘掉了! I'm suffering from slipped disc. If I guess correctly, this condition is not really new, but a parting gift from SAF after my 2.5 years of service of carrying heavy stuff. Well, at least no more IPPT for me! I hope...

With this condition, I cannot walk long, I cannot sit long, I cannot stand for long either. Basically, I'm reduced to a "lao lang". Stand abit then need to sit. Sit abit then need to walk. Walk abit then need to sit again. Quite pathetic, ya?

So, that's about it for my brokeback story. Still undergoing physio, so let's see how it goes bah. Next up is a topic very close to the hearts of ah mi and me. Flats. We have balloted for 4 times and the latest result was released on Thursday for the queue number. Just before I knew of my results, my brother, who was balloting for the very first time called me and told me that they got 300+. I was thinking, "wah, 1st time get 300+, then we should stand a good chance of getting a relatively small number bah." And when ah mi sms me of the ballot results, (i was in physio at the time) I think i startled the therapist with a "What the fu.." Nope, I didn't complete my exclamation. And it was 8167 by the way. Please give me a share of the prize if you "tio" 4D with this number. *NKF theme playing* Any donation will be appreciated!

This flat situation is getting really very frustrating for us and many of the local couples who wants to get married. So after a long courtship, and the guy proposes, the gal accepts. Next step will be queuing up to get a flat. How romantic is that? To me, it sounds like the "Romancing Singapore" campaign started by the Government wants us to start balloting for flats as soon as we start the courtship process. "XXX, will you be my girlfriend? Ok? Let's go balloting for flats bah. Cos in the case that we really get married, we better start queuing up now. If not, have to wait a long time, you know?" Wow, that is really really romantic. The government wants to increase the population to 6 million, and where do they expect them to sleep? On the streets?

So right now, our options are as follows:

1. Queue up like common people do and wait for a miracle.
2. Buy a resale flat and get poorer than we already are.
3. Go see the MP of my constituency and beg on my knees.... in tears.
4. Quit my job and go get employed as a civil servant. (got rumour that they got higher priority)
5. Rent a place and get poorer than point 2.
6. Apply for BTO where supposedly they got AMPLE supply and wait for another 4 years before getting married.

It's not really a pretty situation, but that's life. And I really have nothing to say about it.

Over and out,
Pete

The Long Wait

Boy am I glad the days of visiting for CNY is over! This year was pretty much the same as before, just that my sis was not in Singapore to celebrate it. We visited the same relatives and heard almost the same conversation topics *rolls eyes*. Some visits were a little more unbearable than the others, as it was really just mindless sitting around, waiting for my parents to say "Let's go". It did not help that the sun was scorching hot during those few days, leaving us sticky, uncomfortable, and drowsy. Well, I suppose it beats the rain!

However, it was not total boredom during the long festive weekend. Pete and I managed to visit the new Terminal 3 on the first day of CNY, as we sent his parents off to Japan for their hols. The new terminal is huge and spacious, making T2 pale in comparison. All the more reason to visit the airport once in a while. I love going to the airport. I associate it with hols and happy times. I can imagine Pete frowning as he is reading this now ha ha ;) I guess not everyone associates the airport with such positive feelings...

Anyway, it is back to work now for most of us, back to life...back to reality. The sad reality for Pete and me now is us getting lost in this massive "lucky draw box" for HDB flats. Flats in the mature estates were just being released for the balloting exercise 3 days ago. A total of 278 flats, with 6779 applications at the moment. It is depressing.

This is our 4th try with the balloting exercises. 2 are pending queue numbers to be assigned, and for the other 2, we have gotten queue numbers that are in the 3rd and 4th thousand, vs a release of flats that were, on the average, less than 400 units for each of the balloting exercise.

It seems to me that the wait for a new flat is a futile one. At the same time, it is also depressing that we will be paying so much for a really tiny space.

I'm not sure if the balloting exercise is the best way for us all to get a new flat. It seems to me it is just one big lucky draw each time, and whether one gets a good queue number at all, is kind of dependent on luck. Is this fair, or actually, just unfair, I really wonder... If we are always down on our luck, I suppose we will never get one, because there is no saying that everyone will have a maximum waiting time, or anything like that. One can just go on waiting...and waiting...and waiting...futile...wait..

Are there not enough new flats in Singapore? Is that why we have to go through the balloting exercise to ensure a fair (or unfair) system? If there are no sufficient new flats, I know they are tackling this with the various Build-To-Order exercises. But... these have to be balloted as well...so, it is just down to the "lucky draw" method again, isn't it?

Are we also competing with the new citizens and permanent residents granted their new status daily for our short supply of flats, because Singapore is hoping to bring in more foreigners? Is the country no longer able to support her own citizens, because we are bringing in more foreigners?

Bringing this issue up to the government, and they will suggest the options of staying with parents, or purchasing a resale flat. I think these options are easier said than done. The resale flats are rather unaffordable, and I'm sure this is why there is also a surge in the demand for new flats. Staying with parents, is really, really easier said than done. I am not even talking about human conflicts when staying together that most people are trying to avoid, but there is also the basic consideration of whether there is room over at the parents'. I'm not sure if these suggestions are given because the parties themselves do not face such problems, and hence, did not consider these factors.

I'm not sure if it is realised that this is a social problem in Singapore. I think a GP essay can be written on this topic by now. With this problem of having to wait futilely for their home, many couples are delaying their marriage, and this in turn will postpone any childbirth plans, if any. I foresee some may even end up abandoning childbirth plans when age catches up by the time they are well settled in their own home. A social problem for this ageing population of ours, no?

Apologies for the ranting, but I think it has been building up ha ha. We do not know if there will ever be a solution to this, and we feel rather helpless too. I guess there is nothing much we can do at this moment, but...WAIT.

We Miss U, Sis

It must have been tough, and I'm glad it's almost over and that you are fine. Wish you are back here to celebrate CNY with us. We miss you! :)

A Relaxing Weekend Before CNY

Am having a pretty relaxing weekend before the much dreaded Chinese New Year descends. With each passing year, I have begun to dislike CNY more and more. It is turning out to be the most meaningless festival ever. I shall not start ranting here, but just to say I am oh-so-glad that it only occurs once a year, although I'm still not glad enough hahaha!

Pete and I attended his ex-colleague's daughter's 1st month celebration yesterday. We spent the time in one of the rooms looking through photo albums containing holiday and wedding pictures. Got to carry his daughter, Mirabelle, who was a little grumpy. I reckon she was tired from all the attention she received, as well as bothered by some unfinished "business" haha :)

We left in the late afternoon and went over to Pete's place. Had dinner with his family outside before heading back to watch "Zoolander". It was a no-brainer show, totally befitting for this relaxing weekend *inserts Ben Stiller's pointed pout face below*.

Later on in the night, we joined Pete's parents in a visit to the flower market at Jalan Bahar. It was flowers galore over there.

Some of the flowers were just so pretty that I bought 3 pots of them home:

Pretty, ain't they?

Fortunately, I was given a ride back by Pete's parents after the purchase :)

It's a cool and sleepy Sunday afternoon now. Am deciding between curling up in bed and reading my book (and dozing off...) after I'm done with this entry, or painting my nails with the new colour I bought hahaha.

Before I end, just want to leave you with one of the student's creation, which was done while our Subject Head was teaching on Friday. They were made using blue-tac. If you look carefully, the student actually paid attention to the little details like creases and laces for the sneaker, and toe-nail for the foot. The sole of the sneaker also made use of the pull tab from the can drink for a more realistic look. I thought it was really talented and creative of him, although this showed how much he was not paying attention in class ha ha! I think our Subject Head should have confiscated these in glee, as she was equally impressed.

The last parting note...hmmm...wishing one and all A Prosperous & Happy Year of the Rat!...from a disgruntled me :P