Budgeting Diamonds & Roses into Steamboats
*Runs around maniacally* – FINALLY, an update (or rather, a new post in which was written when Kelvin actually sits down, thinking of constructive critism, actually, comments, to type) – Oh, and yes – someone nice enough actually dug out my real, physical address from Yandao.com’s records and posted it. I would expect Fan-Mail in the physical mailbox from you since you actually took the effort to do that – thanks. You can see my address HERE.
Every now and then, we decide to go on spending sprees, buying close to everything (or rather, everything within our grapse) that we could afford, either for ourselves, or for that special someone.
Those who actually know me would have probably known by now that I’ve a tendency to spend close to everything I’ve ever earned. Hence – for those of you who didn’t know yet, here’s what I bought, on my.. recent.. budget *coughs* rather, spending spree, for a very lovely, yet special gal – my darling Lafina!
This was quite a while back – but I haven’t really got the chance to post it up – since that maniacal rush of project inflow, plus ideas OUTFLOW (meaning I’m being literally sucked devoid of ideas) does take a toll on me.
I’m averaging four hours of sleep daily – and that’s very, very little. Quite less than the recommended amount some government-funded sleep research agency would ever dare to print slap on the cover page of their publicity collateral…
..and TA-DAH. Behold – shiny.. diamonds!
No, they’re not those displayed at some window shelve with that sale tag on – I actually took the time to employ old-fashioned haggling at the shop, sacrificing several hours talking to commission-drawing auntie “managers” at the jewelers
Now, if they’re rich enough to hire aunties – surely can give bigger discount cut, right? *whips out a large, squarish calculator and randomly keys in loads of figures, digits, and mathematical operators* – no, YOU guess the price 
Oh, can someone count the stones, please? =x
Of course, to go with diamonds, roses are a requirement – as noted by the owner of Yandao.com – since, courtesy of MediaCorp’s Channel 8’s 9pm Chinese TV-sequel once again publicized quite a bit of “reality” about the way things get done.
Talk about mainstream media influence, dang. Now I’ll have to write a follow-up article soon.
Hence, [Enter Roses]. (sorry, couldn’t resist – and stole that bracket-word-action-thingy from a skit-script I happened to chance across somewhere along the vast boundaries of the Internet).
The problem with giving flowers, UNlike giving anything else, mainly – is the timing. Allow me to justify that claim, before someone actually posts a rebuttal soon enough and starts throwing very famous local chicken pies from my uncle’s store, Don, at me.
Allow me, at this point, to express my sincere gratitude to Dennis Liu – a very, very capable guy from my girlfriend’s class, for helping to lure Lafina away while I prepared the set-up in her classroom. Yes, this set-up did cause quite abit of stunned faces, and.. well, shocks. But.. here’s how it went, I think:
Okay. Basically, follow out the paths on the red arrows – for those of you in Republic Polytechnic (RP), and you’ll understand how much effort it takes to run around for that trip – and for those who aren’t in RP, just know that I was sweating when the delivery went successfully.
The rough sketch would be something like… this;
- 1. Get Dennis to bluff Lafina that there was some urgent meeting with some facilitator (the people whom grade us in RP)
- 2. Take her out to some block far far away, namely W4, from her class at E2
- 3. Stop her halfway and told her facilitator canceled the meeting
- 4. [Insert Lafina's pissed reaction at a wasted trip here]
- 5. Make Lafina walk back to class
- 6. Lafina would meet ME, Kelvin, on the way to class
- 7. I’d be outside her class when the effect of shock sinks in =X
Yes, yes, I know – that’s evil, but the phrase which really made it all worthwhile was her saying to her friends who were already staring at her – “Whose flowers are these? Yours, ar?” (and pointing to her classmate).
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO PLAYED A PART IN KEEPING THE SURPRISE INTACT =) I OWE YOU GUYS/GALS A BIG ONE!
Now, as with every major spending – Kelvin becomes poor. VERY, VERY POOR. Penniless, broke, hole-in-the pocket, bo lui (local hokkien slang), pokkai (another local slang), or…. Well – you get the idea. Hence, steamboat was lovingly suggested by my lovely gal – who wanted to get me to try the meat… balls.
Meatballs, I mean.
Please – no slanted ideas here. Thanks. =X
Basically, these hand-made meatballs (sorry muslim folks, non-halal) were super pricey – almost a dollar a piece – since each plate comes at $10 bucks RAW – uncooked, unsteamed, and un…eaten yet! (Not until we’ve taken a bite, right?)
..and.. guess what…
Yup, meatballs, dumplings, and beef slices – freshly handmade (or rather, handsliced – for the beef) right before we had our teeths sunk into it – after soaking them in boiling hot water in the steamboat pot – which largely consisted of fish head meat – meat.. from some fish’s head, basically (probably only us, Asians, eat these – the other people throws them away, right?)
..and then the funniest thing happened when Lafina tried to peel fishbones – debone the fish. BUT, because she’s a very lovely gal, I wouldn’t say it out here – ask me on MSN though, and I will. =X
For those of you looking for the shop – it’s around 200+ Outram Road – off Tiong Bahru, near Tiong Bahru Pau. Quite a wide selection, but rather pricey too, and no ATM machine in plain sight. Hence, bring more cash 
Once again, the budget has been balanced, and Kelvin is poorer by a few bucks, (but gets to savour the meatballs lovingly cooked by his darling Lafina) – hence, a stretch of days (or day, or weeks, or something) well spent!