Announcing www.uptoyoulor.com

Out of the blue, Eric Banana decided to protect his beloved "up to you lor" catch-phrase today and registered the domain name "www.uptoyoulor.com" via Google Apps for a grand sum of US$10 per year. Actually, Google doesn't register or host domain names per se; in this case, it's done through one of its partners eNom.

After some fiddling (aided by a touch of Internet research), Eric Banana has successfully linked this blog to the custom domain www.uptoyoulor.com (although the uptoyoulor.blogspot.com URL still works as well). Yay! 

The domain name is tied to Google Apps, a host of web-based applications which include Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, Google Docs and Google Sites. Eric Banana resolve to explore them soon for the purpose of planning and coordinating his wedding.

But more importantly, Eric Banana is now able to generate xxx@uptoyoulor.com email addresses tied to Gmail technology. So yes, look out for eric_banana@uptoyoulor.com and astro_girl@uptoyoulor.com :) Maybe Eric Banana will start creating funny email addresses like what.you.want.is@uptoyoulor.com.

Assault On Moon Base 1

"It has been peaceful at Moon Base 1 for a while now so it was an attack nobody has anticipated. First, it got creamed. All sorts of cream actually, except whipped cream and ice-cream. Then it came under some kind of masked assault. But Moon Base 1 (a.k.a. Eric Banana's potholed face) was resilient - it refused to succumb. Not until the assault of the blackhead extractors anyway. That was some @#$% elite force. The insurgent Blackheads knew they did not stand a chance..."

Astro Girl (eyeballs rolling): C'mon, do you have to be so melodramatic over just about everything?

Eric Banana (defensive): What? I am merely stating the facts!

Astro Girl (agitated): It was just a facial! Get over it already.

Eric Banana (sullen): Orh. Buy me a cake or I sulk.

Astro Girl (in a defeated tone): Okay okay, I will buy a cake for the incredible sulk. You are just like a little boy.

Eric Banana (triumphant): Yay, I have cake to eat! By the way, I AM a little boy! 10 going on 11 remember?

Seriously, Eric Banana and Astro Girl have to stop devouring cakes like nobody's business. Or they will end up looking like this in no time:

     

Note: Eric Banana went for his very first facial ever today at Essence Vale Aroma Spa in Traders Hotel and he did it out of free will lar.

To Be Or Not To Be... Vocal

It was yet another typical Saturday evening and Astro Girl has about 1,001 things that she could do... but noooooo, Eric Banana had to drag her by the feet to join his clan for some good ol' croak-aoke (karaoke lar!) at the K-Box in Orchard Cineleisure:

True to her threat, Astro Girl did not sing a single tune, preferring to be an observer. Eric Banana has always liked her listening skills but this was one situation where he preferred her to sing, not just listen! Anyway, the picture below seemed to show her reconsidering whether to go ahead with the wedding after hearing the way Eric Banana voice-slaughtered with the microphone.

Thankfully, there was Eric Banana's ultra-cute niece Gwyn to save the day! She's such a bundle of joy and we were all very amused by her antics.

Here's Gwyn pretending to be a little rabbit:

And Astro Girl adores Gwyn too!

Note: Eric Banana the photographer happily forgot to take any pictures of himself :(

When Banana Cake Met... Cupcake

A long-time fan of Ya Kun, Astro Girl decided to give ToastBox (the outlet at Plaza Singapura) a chance today (as the Ya Kun outlet at The Cathay was full-house). What about Eric Banana? He basically eats anything and everything,  in case you have not realised. They ordered a banana cake and a cupcake: 

     

Eric Banana *erm* loves to eat bananas so he adored the banana cake. Yummy! Astro Girl liked the rich taste of the cupcake, while Eric Banana liked the fluffiness of it. Eric Banana also has a soft spot for cupcakes, especially cute teeny-weeny ones. Shhhhh, don't tell anyone, but he sometimes cannot bear to eat them when they are too cute!

Good food makes Astro Girl happy...

A happy Astro Girl makes Eric Banana happy...

... and they lived happily ever after.

DGT

After some intense negotiation, Eric Banana and Astro Girl have successfully inked out a preliminary deal with DGT (a.k.a. Danon Gabriel The) to do a freestyle photoshoot of them ahead of their wedding next year. Yay! (Hmmm, this is different from the bridal photography, which an assigned photographer from My Bridal Room will do.) Basically, Eric Banana and Astro Girl will jointly develop a storyboard theme with Danon - this will comprise candid couple shots of them in their everyday life.

Okay, at the rate he is charging, Danon is essentially doing charity work. Eric Banana and Astro Girl are, of course, very appreciative but they are also trying very hard not to be seen as if they are trying to take advantage of his kindness =P It doesn't matter if they are in actual fact *LOL*

Actually, Eric Banana is a big fan of Danon's photography skills. Here are a couple of pics taken by Danon in the past:

Eric Banana and Astro Girl are currently racking their brains to develop ideas for the photoshoot. Anyone has any suggestions?

BBC Officially Stands For Banana Butterscotch Cheesecake.

Lazing away in the Coffee Club at the Rendezvous Hotel today (or rather yesterday), Eric Banana and Astro Girl did their diet plans a "big favour" by indulging in a sinful piece of cake (Note: this is right after devouring a packet of popcorn at the cinema.) Detracting from their usual Coffee Club cake choices (New York Cheesecake and Carrot Cake), Eric Banana and Astro Girl decided to cast their votes for the B.B.C. - Banana Butterscotch Cheesecake:

Yes, from the picture, you would have realised that a small chunk of the cake was already missing. The photograph was an afterthought lar. Besides, Eric Banana is a glutton, so what? Anyway, the cake was nice. Eric Banana loves to eat bananas. If you don't already know :P

In all un-fairness, Astro Girl forced Eric Banana to stardee while she indulged in some fantasy :(

     

Not surprisingly, Astro Girl continued to be cheerful while Eric Banana would rather do something else (something *erm* totally random, for example, check out if there are pretty girls walking past):

     

Seeing Astro Girl In A New Light

Today Eric Banana *erm* saw Astro Girl in a new light. Literally. See picture below:

Anyway, Astro Girl's hair is growing longer day by day. Eric Banana thinks that this will give her more hair styling options for her photoshoot next year :) although "tickling adversaries to death with hair" is listed as one of her superpowers too :|

A Preview Of Antica

Some readers have requested to see pictures of the banquet venue. Here are some pictures of where the fe(a)stivities  will take place.

An exterior shot of Orchard Parade Hotel:

Some shots of the Antica Ballroom:

Note: Eric Banana obtained these pictures through Internet scouring (or is it Internet squirreling?) and takes no credit whatsoever for them.

Wedding Songs: I Sing, You Sang, We Sung

A wedding can have everything and still end up feeling like nothing - a wedding is not truly a wedding unless it has the right "feel".  To Eric Banana, the one thing that will define a wedding and bring out the mood associated with love... has to be the wedding songs. Accordingly, he did some research on the Internet and happily suggested to Astro Girl (a.k.a. the final approver and sole decision-maker of all things minor and major in the Banana household come October 2009) that they should engage a wedding band (as in a company of musicians, not the ring!) for the wedding banquet.

Little Miss Pragmatic took all of five seconds to... say NO. "But dear, in addition to the wedding band, there will be an original wedding song as well," pleaded Eric Banana. "I would rather use that money for the honeymoon," Astro Girl said nonchalantly. "Besides, there is hardly any standing room left in the banquet venue - you can't expect the wedding band to play in the lift lobby," she added. Eric Banana quickly realised that democracy will be an one-woman affair in his future castle and wondered how much it will cost to upgrade from a honeymoon in Pulau Ubin to one in Sentosa instead.

"Fine, I will do without the wedding band but I get to choose the wedding songs," Eric Banana proclaimed in defiance. "I am sooooo not going to have Felix Mendelssohn's Wedding March or Richard Wagner's Bridal Chorus for the wedding march. I would rather drop dead." Astro Girl looked like she was ready to make Eric Banana drop dead. The latter was just glad that his name is not Bill. 

Actually, Eric Banana did have a few... unconventional ideas in mind for the wedding march. He was thinking that something majestic would be good - something like Imperial March (or Darth Vader's theme):

Or maybe not. That suit looked a little suffocating - Eric Banana may actually die of a heatstroke. If the flames did not get to him first, that is... Besides, while Darth Astro sounds way cool, Darth Banana, on the other hand, sounds dubious at best.

Then he was thinking of using something more dramatic and uptempo - something like the theme from Mission Impossible, together with a dramatic entrance à la Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise):

Nah, what if Eric Banana falls flat on his face? Or if he breaks his back in the process? Not a pretty sight for sure.

Eric Banana and Astro Girl decided that they still have a lot of time to plan the list of wedding songs to play at their wedding banquet. They shall save the decision for another day. Live and let live.

Caught Holding Hands!

Eric Banana and Astro Girl were so minding their own business on a not-so-nice (read: tmd hot!) Saturday afternoon along North Bridge Road... when someone took out his iPhone (yah lah, show-off but not 3G hor) to take a picture of them:

Seriously, it's quite a nice shot, given that it was taken impromptu, on the move, off a camera phone. Eric Banana would have been utterly impressed... but he is not. Partly because he is not easily impressed, but mainly because the someone who took the photo is his good friend Danon The, and he knows the latter is that good.

Eric Banana and Astro Girl are currently in talks with the up-and-coming photographer :)

Eric Banana In Temple Street

Here's a picture of Eric Banana in Mido Cafe along Temple Street in Hong Kong:

Eric Banana ranks among the world's most un-photogenic people and is in fact the leading contender. His photographs usually turn out to be quite similar to the mug shots seen in police stations. But... unless you are blind, you can probably tell... that you don't want to mess with him. This guy is not energy-saving at all (read: 不是省油的灯).

Astro Girl's sidenote: Eric Banana will not get away with posting a single shot of Astro Girl without having to post a single shot of himself. Muahahaha.. guess who has the last laugh.

Astro Girl At The Peak

Here's a picture of Astro Girl on the Victoria Peak in Hong Kong:

Hmmm, according to a couple of comments on the previous picture posted, Astro Girl looks a bit like Zoe Tay. Eric Banana found it interesting because he saw no such resemblance previously. Well, as of last evening, he still did not see the similarity. But he relooked at the picture last night, and concurred that Astro Girl did look a liddle bit like Zoe Tay in it. 

What does Astro Girl think? Her first reaction - "You mean I look like an auntie? Zoe Tay is an auntie liao wor!!" *lol*

Eric Banana's sidenote: This picture is probably the best single shot taken of Astro Girl so far. And Astro Girl doesn't look like Zoe Tay in this picture. 'nuff said.

Shiny Shiny Star

More pics of Astro Girl's engagement ring:

     

By the way, a lucida is the brightest star in a constellation.

About The Lucida

About the Lucida diamond ring:

Created by Tiffany & Co.'s gemologists and launched in September 1999, the patented Lucida cut is reminiscent of the Asscher and antique cushion cuts. Termed a "modern classic" by Tiffany, the shape is a square mixed cut. It has 50 facets, a high crown, stepped facets, wide corners and a small table, with a brilliant pavilion. Using a combination of step cut and a brilliant faceting on the pavilion, the Lucida cut produces a contemporary version of the cushion cut. The design of the cut maximises the stone's sparkle and brilliance. Because of the steep crown and deep pavilion (large total depth), the Lucida diamond looks much smaller than a round brilliant diamond of the same weight, although it is made from the same rough as a well-cut round.

After introducing the classic six-prong Tiffany setting in 1886, Tiffany & Co. designed a special four-prong setting to showcase the Lucida cut. The sculptural band has clean lines and soft curves that merge with the prongs in a sloping criss-cross design, which, when viewed from the side, is reminiscent of cathedral arches. The thick band with slightly thicker trellis-style prongs has become a standard for those seeking a contemporary setting for round- or square-shaped diamonds.

Note: The text is adapted from various sources; the pictures are not those of Astro Girl's ring.

iPhone U

Eric Banana (excitedly): Dear, Apple has just released a new iPhone 3G! It has 3G networking, built-in GPS, new iPhone 2.0 software, third-party application support through AppStore, multi-language capability...

Astro Girl (nonchalantly): Uh huh.

Eric Banana (continuing his blah): ... and the prices have come down a lot. 8 GB version for US$199, 16 GB version for US$299. It seems pretty affordable! 

Astro Girl (eyeballs rolling): Mr Banana, you better listen to me good. The only "iPhone" you are going to get is... when I PHONE YOU, YOU BETTER FREAKING PICK UP IN DOUBLE QUICK TIME, UNDERSTAND?!! WHY DO YOU NEED ANOTHER DOORSTOPPER?!!

Eric Banana (in submissive tone): Orh. Yes dear.

Three White, One Purple

Despite being disillusioned by his preliminary si dian jin (SDJ) expedition at Vivocity, Eric Banana decided to give the local stores a second chance... although he did spy some nice stuff on the Tiffany & Co. website *Eric Banana drools and does his Smeagol/Gollum imitation thingy*

Eric Banana and Astro Girl casually walked into the Soo Kee outlet in Plaza Singapura last Thursday night and managed to casually buy something that caught Astro Girl's fancy - a 18K white gold diamond pendant from Soo Kee's Arco Iris collection:

     

In between settling their banquet venue and visiting the bridal studio last Friday, Eric Banana and Astro Girl discovered that they had too much time on their hands, so it's a walk in the malls again. This time round, Eric Banana and Astro Girl wasted no time going to those shops that Astro Girl considers to be in the "condemned list". Their first stop was Soo Kee in Wisma Atria. Nothing really exciting there. They then went to Lee Hwa on the same floor. Eric Banana and Astro Girl somehow spent most of their time looking at its Purple Gold collection. Eric Banana has never been a big fan of purple gold, maybe because purple colour reminds him of Barney the Dinosaur and he doesn't like Barney one bit at all *Eric Banana shudders*. They ended up not buying anything on the spot though, preferring to keep their options open.

To make Eric Banana happy, Astro Girl agreed to visit the Tiffany & Co. outlet in Ngee Ann City. They looked at a few items which Eric Banana suggested to Astro Girl, who in turn admitted that she was a bit tempted by what she saw on the website - a gold pendant and a pair of gold ear-rings from the Paloma Picasso Loving Heart series, and a gold circle charm from the 1837 series.  The actual items, though, were fairly disappointing. Astro Girl did not like any of the items and felt that they were overpriced. After leaving Tiffany & Co., Eric Banana and Astro Girl skipped diagonally across the road to check out Poh Heng. Let's just say they left the store in record time.

They continued their SDJ shopping after their session at My Bridal Room. They nearly picked up an item from the Purple Gold collection at Lee Hwa in Bugis Junction but decided to skip to the branch at Suntec City instead. The discount at the Suntec City outlet turned out to be less favourable than that at the Bugis Junction outlet. They tried to head back to Bugis Junction but they ended up dining and wining into the night instead.

Eric Banana skipped back to Bugis Junction on Saturday night with Astro Girl to pick up the item from Lee Hwa - a pair of Purple Gold diamond earrings with white onyx:

Prior to this, they managed to swing by Soo Kee next door and got *yet* another 18K white gold pendant. This time it's from the Brilliant Rose collection:

     

They picked up yet another item from the same Soo Kee outlet on the following day - a solitaire diamond ring (0.17 ct, G colour, VS2 clarity) from the Brilliant Rose collection. Erm, why would Astro Girl want another solitaire diamond ring? Well, it would make a nice right-hand ring :)

To summarise, Astro Girl's si dian jin comprised two white gold diamond pendants (with necklaces), one white gold diamond ring and one pair of purple gold diamond earrings. Okay, no yellow gold whatsoever, which is not a good thing but Eric Banana would rather get something that Astro Girl will wear than a bunch of glittering items that will be in permanent storage.

Also, strictly speaking, si dian jin should comprise a pendant with necklace, a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a ring. Some people say there are no hard and fast rules. One sales assistant (SA) suggested getting an anklet! Astro Girl does not wear a bracelet and prefers a pendant as a substitute instead. And Eric Banana's opinion does not matter as long as his one and only love is happy. 

Eric Banana Is Sharpshooted

Before the official blog entry on Round 2 of the si dian jin (SDJ) acquisition process comes out, Eric Banana would like to describe it from his point-of-view:

Astro Girl throws Eric Banana towards the far end of the ring, and takes him down in double-quick time with a Clothesline from Hell as he rebounds. She then climbs up the top turnbuckle and attempts what Eric Banana thought was a Moonsault. Somehow, she manages to convert it halfway to a Diving Elbow Drop, which Eric Banana parries with his *erm* ribcage. Unfazed, Eric Banana stands up, only to see Astro Girl executing a Flying Drop Kick. No big deal, as he successfully blocks her feet with his bare face. Before he has time to react, he becomes a victim of a sudden Piledriver move. But does Eric Banana give up? No! Despite Astro Girl's best efforts, she cannot pin Eric Banana - he refuses to be counted out, no matter what. And he stands up. Impossible! But yes, it's true - he stands up. Astro Girl almost cannot believe her eyes. Deciding not to waste any more time, Astro Girl surprises Eric Banana with a submission move - the infamous Figure-Four Leg Lock. Eric Banana winces in pain but he doesn't tap out. Astro Girl grunts with fury. She releases him from the leg lock and almost instantaneously executes the Sharpshooter on Eric Banana. This time, Eric Banana's will is broken and he taps out.

Not-So-Broad Band(s)

As promised, here is a  picture of their wedding bands.

Usually, the bride-to-be will choose a wedding bands with some form of diamonds on it, but not Astro Girl. Well, Eric Banana would like to state that he did offer :P

Anyway, about their rings:

Tiffany & Co. Milgrain Band Rings in platinum (pt950, 3mm wide)

Actually, when they were looking at the Tiffany & Co. website, Eric Banana had his eyes set on a 6mm wide double milgrain band ring. But when he tried it on at the outlet in Ngee Ann City, it just felt wrong. In fact, Astro Girl agreed with Eric Banana that chunky rings are not suitable for him, despite his short, stumpy fingers. 

Oh, anyway, you may wonder what milgrain is. Milgrain is "a raised, beaded edge on a ring done with a special engraver's tool".  It resembles the edge of a coin.

Presenting The *erm* Bananas

Yay! After Eric Banana's shameless appeal, there are now some comments in the blog. Yippee! Remember, Eric Banana is a lowly blog writer who doesn't get paid - so his only satisfaction comes from seeing comments from readers :)

To thank his faithful readers, he has decided to post a picture of Astro Girl and him.

     

This picture was taken at the Ben & Jerry's on Dempsey Hill sometime in October 2007. Quite interestingly, this was the first couple shot that Eric Banana and Astro Girl took together. Nearly seven months after getting attached. So yes, it does have sentimental value.

Note: Eric Banana will add colour into the picture if readers continue to add more comments :)

{Edited}

Eric Banana's Sidenote: Thanks for all the comments! The colour picture has been included. The B/W picture will remain as some readers actually like it. 

Of Gowns & Suits

Having confirmed their banquet venue on Friday morning, Eric Banana and Astro Girl decided to make hay while the sun shines (read: squeeze as much out of one day's leave as possible) and visit one of the bridal studios they shortlisted. While Eric Banana was serving the nation in faraway Taiwan, Astro Girl has been really diligent in looking at bridal studios. Her list included My Bridal Room, Thomson Wedding Design, Flamingo Bridal and Dang Bridal.

Being a savvy consumer living in the 21st century, Eric Banana visited their websites to look at the design of their bridal gowns as well as the standard of their pre-wedding photography. Being really meticulous (read: choosy), Eric Banana was only pleased with what he saw on the website of My Bridal Room (MBR). He then spent an inordinate amount of time reading online reviews on MBR, which turned out to be mostly favourable.

MBR is located along Tan Quee Lan Street, which is opposite Bugis Junction. Eric Banana and Astro Girl were thankful that they picked a weekday to visit MBR 'cos it is highly likely that it will be very crowded during weekends. Their first impression of MBR was that the place did not make them feel uneasy. One of MBR's proprietors, Uncle Quek, attended to them personally. He was very friendly and showed them a lot of photo albums. Eric Banana generally does not respond well to hardball sales tactics so he was glad that there was no pressure exerted upon them.

Astro Girl was also satisfied with what she saw for the off-the-rack (OTR) gowns. She was worried that if the OTR bridal gowns were not nice, she would have to go for a made-to-measure (MTM) gown, which costs more. In fact, she got to try on a couple of gowns. For the record, Eric Banana would like to state that Astro Girl looks absolutely stunning in a bridal gown. For him, it's the one thing that makes the wedding "real".

Happy with what they were offered, Eric Banana and Astro Girl decided to take up a package. So yes, the couple's bridal studio will be:

My Bridal Room (婚纱屋) <http://mybridalroom.com>

Again, Eric Banana and Astro Girl have signed up at the first place they went to without even visiting other places. Well, maybe the couple are generally amicable people who don't like to bargain or negotiate. Astro Girl even went to the extent of proclaiming that Eric Banana has the words "菜头" (loosely translated as "gullible") written on his forehead.

And for reasons they have not figured out yet, Eric Banana and Astro Girl spent three and a half hours at MBR on Friday afternoon. Oh, the bridal studio package included almost everything except a bridal car, so Eric Banana and Astro Girl are still on the lookout for a car. 

No Comments

... would be the exact term used to describe the state of this blog.

There are simply no freaking comments. Some people like to read but they don't want to add their two cents' worth, or even one cent's worth for that matter. 

Eric Banana and Astro Girl would like to see more comments, which will in turn motivate them to write more. 

So comments, anyone?

Eat Drink Man Woman

The rumours have been confirmed. Yes, the exact same rumours that this neighbourhood friendly blog site has been propagating - Astro Girl will officially become Lady Banana on 9 October 2009.

And Eric Banana and Astro Girl are pleased to announce the finalised venue of their wedding dinner:

Antica Ballroom, Orchard Parade Hotel

It will be an eight-course dinner, not counting the last course... which is "of course". The event is highly exclusive and strictly by invitation only. If you get invited, please try to show up because not everyone will get invited. Guests are expected to pay an entry fee, hopefully above the minimum, partly to show their appreciation to the dinner hosts but mainly to help the organisers cover their costs. Door bitches and bouncers will be positioned at the reception area. Red packets will be ripped apart on the spot and if your amount is below the minimum, the door bitches will attend to you. Visa, Mastercard, Diners and Amex payments are all accepted, as are Nets, Cashcards and even EZ Link cards. Ditto for cash. Personal cheques will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Gatecrashers will be *erm* mercilessly bounced off like deflated basketballs.

Anyway, it has not been easy for Eric Banana and Astro Girl in deciding the venue because they have differing views. The following is a list of their preferences and how their final venue choice fits the bill.

• Eric Banana wants to hold the wedding dinner in a central location that is easily accessible by public transport. He hates to attend wedding dinners in "ulu" locations. Remember, the impossibly pampered Eric Banana's view of the world, or rather Singaland, is delineated by MRT stations - namely Orchard, Bugis, Harbourfront and Clementi. Orchard Parade Hotel is *erm* in Orchard, obviously, and within walking distance of Orchard MRT station.

• Astro Girl is particular about the quality of the food. She has heard too many horror stories about wedding couples getting married in posh hotel ballrooms but the food sucked big-time. There should be no such worries come her wedding date though, 'cos the food is from Club Chinois, which is part of the Tung Lok Group.

• Ambience is important to both Eric Banana and Astro Girl, which is why they did a recce of Orchard Parade Hotel last weekend. Actually, Eric Banana went a step further. Prior to the recce, he spent an entire afternoon one day reading online reviews and assembling a package comprising photos that other couples have taken. And the photos were all neatly resized and properly categorised. It helped them make a preliminary decision on whether the "feel" is right.

• No discussion is complete without considering Astro Girl's amazing calculative skills. The prices of wedding banquets have been rising in recent years, and $1,000 per table is fast becoming a norm. (Interestingly, the hotels in the Marina area are charging more than the hotels in the Orchard area.) Nonetheless, Astro Girl believes that she can find value-for-money somehow and squeeze lemon juice from oranges... and Eric Banana was forced to concede that the Future Wife knows best.

Unlike many couples who will check out many potential venues first before making their decision, Eric Banana and Astro Girl just zeroed in on one location and satisfied themselves that it is the ideal venue. The typical advice is to negotiate, negotiate and negotiate prior to signing the contract. In the case of Eric Banana and Astro Girl , the so-called negotiation did not take place. They met the banquet sales manager, Mr Eric Tan, signed the contract and paid the deposit within 30 minutes flat. No hassle whatsoever.

The confirmation of the banquet venue was a critical step before the wedding date can be finalised. Eric Banana and Astro Girl are glad that it is out of the way now.

Oh, by the way, Eric Banana managed to take a quick glance at the banquet sales manager's calendar planner for 2009. Although it's still more than one year away, popular dates like 9 Sep 2009 (09.09.2009), 20 Sep 2009 (20.09.2009) and 26 Sep 2009 (农历八月初八) are long gone. Yes, Singaporeans are kiasu indeed.

A Touch Of Gold x 4

It was a tiring and stressful day for Eric Banana yesterday so he decided to meet his beloved Astro Girl for some idle shopping. One can always count on retail therapy to beat the stress monster. With the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) going on, he figured that he may be able to get some bargain deals with jewellery. (Astro Girl's sidenote: Yah lor, Eric Banana that cheapskate!)

What?! Buying jewellery again?! Siao ah?!

Okay, some explanation is in order. Apparently, it's a custom for Teochew brides to receive si dian jin (四点金) (loosely translated as "four touches of gold") from their future mother-in-laws prior to their weddings. This usually means yellow gold (黄金), which isn't exactly very popular with many girls nowadays. They tend to go for white gold (白金) which is more fashionable, but some superstitious old folks don't like the sound of it. A modern day interpretation is si dian zuan (四点钻) (read: four freaking diamonds lar! duh!).

So, yes, Astro Girl is a Teochew bride :) And since Eric Banana's mother has gone off to a faraway place, Eric Banana gets to pick the si dian jin! Yippee! Yes, beware - the Bananaman is not a typical guy who hates shopping! And he has a particular penchant for jewellery shopping (Eric's post-entry qualifier: only at Tiffany & Co.).

Eric Banana and Astro Girl swung by a few stores yesterday - the usual suspects such as TianPo and Lee Hwa... and the not-so-usual suspects such as Goldheart and even Citigems, a store not highly rated by Astro Girl. (Astro Girl groups Goldheart with SK Jewellery, Citigems and Taka Jewellery in the condemned category. Talk about "atas"!) Eric Banana's observation was that there was a limited range of jewellery pieces, the selection of designs was hardly appealing and the quality of the diamonds on some pieces was questionable. It was actually quite sad. And the prices were ridiculously high, even though many items were marked with discounts ranging from 10% to 50%. Eric Banana's contention is that the stores mark the prices up sky-high first before offering so-called "Great Discounts". Cheaterbugs!

Consequently, Eric Banana and Astro Girl bought nothing yesterday. Eric Banana decided to seek solace in the one place he knows best - the Tiffany & Co. website. He focused on the gold pieces and shortlisted a few ones which are simple but elegant. In general, yellow gold jewellery looks tacky and Eric Banana wants to avoid that. No point spending good money on jewellery that Astro Girl is never going to wear.

Now, if only Eric Banana can convince the impossibly thrifty Astro Girl...

One Ring To Rule Them All

... and it's not that One Ring from Lord of the Rings. Duh!

Well, if you want to be really technical, there are two rings. A pair of rings that binds a couple in marriage, to be worn on the fourth finger on the left hand... collectively known as the wedding bands.

Yes, with amazing systematic efficiency, Eric Banana and Astro Girl picked out their wedding bands two weeks ago and collected them today, about 1 year and 4 months away from their AD. It would seem that as citizens of Singaland, they have kiasuism deeply ingrained in their mindsets.

Different couples have different opinions about the kind of wedding bands they want to have. Eric Banana and Astro Girl opted for simplicity - a pair of rings with a classic timeless design, forged of platinum. They gave the local jewellery stores a skip and decided that they only wanted something from Tiffany & Co., Bvlgari or Cartier. They did shortlist a ring design at Tiffany & Co. a couple of months ago when they went to look for Eric Banana's engagement ring. Nevertheless, Astro Girl wanted to look at the ring designs at Bvlgari and Cartier first before making the final decision. After satisfying herself that the shortlisted ring design at Tiffany & Co. suits them best, Astro Girl gave her stamp of approval. What about Eric Banana? Erm, he is basically a sucker for Tiffany & Co. stuff and is just secretly thankful that Astro Girl is becoming a Tiffany & Co. convert.

Is it too early to get the wedding bands? Well, not really. The prices of gold and platinum have been going up steadily. Who knows how much they will increase in 1 year and 4 months' time? Also, sometimes a ring design may not have certain ring sizes available on hand, so it may be necessary to import them from overseas. If a couple plans to have custom-made wedding bands, it takes even more time.

More on the wedding bands (with photos hopefully) to follow...

Eric's inane observation: Some of the ring designs at Bvlgari and Cartier are actually very nice, like the Bvlgari B.Zero Ring and the Cartier Trinity Ring, but he agreed with Astro Girl that they are probably more suitable as fashion rings rather than wedding bands. Same goes for Tiffany & Co.'s Atlas Ring.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

The rain gods must hate Eric Banana and Astro Girl.

On the day that they are supposed to do recce for their wedding banquet venue, it has to *sigh* rain. As they are planning to hold their wedding dinner in a hotel ballroom, they can only go there on a day when there is a wedding dinner taking place that evening so that it will be fully set up. Joy joy... and the town area was impossibly crowded too! The school holidays have commenced... and with the Great Singapore Sale (GSS) going full-steam ahead... it's akin to virtual hell.

Anyway, the rain relented eventually, and Eric Banana and Astro Girl managed to check the venue out. Their assessment of the venue was mostly positive, and the site visit reinforced their online research. They will meet up with the banquet sales manager on 6 Jun 2008 to discuss further details. If nothing goes wrong, the banquet will get confirmed by next weekend! Yippee!