Had our hotel food tasting on Tuesday (09 September) at Park Hotel Orchard (PHO). Family members present from Darling's side - Grandpa, Mother, little brother (Yong) and girlfriend (Edon). Family members present from my side - Daddy, Mummy, eldest brother-in-law (Richard) and eldest sister (Kuan). Generally the food is not bad, and portions very big. Everyone had at least 2 servings of the sharks fin soup andRichard had 3! And there was still leftover! And we were promised they were the actual serving size for our wedding banquet. Hopefully lo.. Hehe...

Anyway the package we took up initially is a 8 course dinner, with no prawns and abalone. Most expensive dish is the sea cucumber and sharks fin I suppose. Grandpa was like questioning why there's no prawns, no abalone. Hold in a hotel and pay so much money and there's no prawns, no abalone! Darling had checked with Park Hotel before, that if we were to change the sea cucumber to abalone, we will need to top up $50 per table. Then in this case, we might as well upgrade to the 9 course dinner. That night we checked with the chef who came to meet us personally after the tasting, if we change to prawns, per table we will need to top up about $20 at least.

There was a dish of 'Lao Bai Choy' with wolfberry in superior stock. That dish did not look very appetising, but it tasted very good. The wolfberry is very sweet, the stock is delicious, and there were lotsa dried scallop on it. One spoonful of the vege with the wolfberry, scallop and the soup all in your mouth in one go, crunchy and sweet. Sad thing was it din look very nice. Some of them asked us to top it up to abalone! Wa lau eh.. I give you $1 of vege, you give me $5 of fish ok?

After the whole event, I felt extremely upset and disappointed. Only my mummy was truly concerned about us. She was the only one who told me not to change anything coz she was worried that we will not be able to cope financially.

Darling and I are paying for every single thing on our own, we are not getting any help from anyone, financially, emotionally or physically. In our point of view, this is OUR wedding, we planned for this and we want and will cope with this ourselves. It's not like suddenly out of the blue we announce that we want to get married, and we need or expect everyone to help us out financially. This wedding is going to wipe out ALL our savings, we gonna start from zero after this. But we're happy to spend this money coz we have been saving for our big day, that is what the pool of money is for. Even though Mummy had the intention of paying for our side of relatives' and friends' tables, and will not 'eat' any tables from Darling, after some thoughts, Darling and I decided to bear it all, we shall pay for all the tables. Profits or losses Darling and I will shoulder them all.

On the journey home, I thought about the whole dinner and decided that we should just upgrade the package to 9 course dinner instead of the 8 course dinner. 9 course dinner includes prawn, abalone and sea cucumber. 8 course only has the sea cucumber. Difference of less than $100 is ok la. After dropping Grandpa and Darling's mother off at Marine parade, I talked to Darling about it, we will just upgrade to the 9 course dinner, to make Grandpa happy.

I am just super upset that all these people only have mouths to talk and comment, but no help offered from them. Even though I am very upset that these people only care about their face and never spare a thought for both of us, but I do not wish to this event to turn into an unhappy occassion and I feel that I am trying so hard to please everyone, I have to take everyone's feelings and comments into consideration, when it is OUR wedding, not theirs. Never mind, it's all right, throwing a banquet is to make the old folks happy, so upgrading the dishes is fine for me. Maybe not having the food tasting session would have been better.

When Alice from PHO called us to remind us about the food tasting, Darling and I decided we will ask Kuan and Richard to go. Coz I respect that Kuan is my eldest sister. Period. I made arrangements with her and Richard, both were more than willing to go and were very happy that I respect them as my eldest sister and bro-in-law, and even though the arrangements would inconvenience them, their 3 kids, my littlest sister, they still steadily agreed. After having their confirmation, I talked to my parents about it.

1) Daddy was unhappy that I asked Kuan to go and never ask Vicky to go.There are only 10 seats, so what does he expect? That the whole table consists of my family members? That aside, then what about Chun? If I ask both Kuan and Vicky to go, its not fair that my littlest sister does not attend.

2) He suggested to add extra seat or add extra table so that they can go. Sure, add extra table, who is going to pay for the table?

3) Mummy said we should have just asked Chun and Alvan to go instead of Kuan and Richard to save all the hassle. This thought did come across my mind, but why should I let the 3rd generation attend? This is a formal session, I cannot afford to have Alvan throwing temper or showing any signs of disrespect at the dinner table.

4) Daddy even said that then he let Vicky go and he dun go. I was very angry at that comment. The main purpose of having the food tasting session is to have parents from both sides and the couple to try out the dishes. He, as my FATHER, do not turn up and my arsehole sister go? I told him, then let Vicky go in my place. That comment woke him up and he never brought up the subject of asking her to go anymore.

And then on Monday night, Mummy suddenly informed me, not ask, but inform, that she will let Alvan attend the dinner on Tuesday night together. She is afraid that Alvan will feel left out that we went without him, so she told me to add one seat for him. Last minute tell me, ok never mind, I have no choice but to agree. Again, I have to please everyone but myself.

On Tuesday evening, Alvan had badminton training after school, and his training ended late, only at 7pm. Darling's family had reached PHO at 715pm. I was already on the way with Mummy from City Hall. Richard was reaching Tampines in 5 minutes to fetch Daddy and to drop off his 3 kids at our home. Dinner was arranged to start at 730pm. Alvan's school is in Bedok, how to reach home, bathe and reach PHO by 730pm? So we had no choice but to proceed without him. He refused to pick up any of our calls after Mummy called him to tell him that we have to go without him. He rejected all calls from us, refused to talk to anyone from home, ignored all of us.

I suddenly feel so bitter about everything. About my mum, about my dad, about Darling's family, about Vicky, about Alvan. Why is it that my mum is comparing Vicky's SECOND wedding to my big day? Why is it that my mum is agreeable to Vicky's idea of inviting Jason's whole family to my wedding? Why is it that my dad was so adamnant about letting Vicky attend the food tasting as well? Why is it that I feel that I am living in Vicky's shadow? Why is it that Vicky needs to invite Jason's WHOLE FAMILY to MY wedding when all she has in mind is the money of his family and only intention is to do some curry favouring to his fucking second eldest sister who is a mistress to an Indonesian businessman who must be money laundering in Singapore using that small bloody telephone business? Why is it that Darling's family is not helping out in any monetary way and yet has so much to say? Why is it that I have the feeling that Darling's mother feels that I am making Darling pay for the whole wedding and I never fork out a single cent? Why is it that I have the feeling that Darling's mother feels that I am spending his son's money and that my family has been 'exploiting' his son? Why is it that Alvan must make things to difficult for my mum and I will end up bearing the brunt of it all? Why why why?

Had our hotel food tasting on Tuesday (09 September) at Park Hotel Orchard (PHO). Family members present from Darling's side - Grandpa, Mother, little brother (Yong) and girlfriend (Edon). Family members present from my side - Daddy, Mummy, eldest brother-in-law (Richard) and eldest sister (Kuan). Generally the food is not bad, and portions very big. Everyone had at least 2 servings of the sharks fin soup andRichard had 3! And there was still leftover! And we were promised they were the actual serving size for our wedding banquet. Hopefully lo.. Hehe...

Anyway the package we took up initially is a 8 course dinner, with no prawns and abalone. Most expensive dish is the sea cucumber and sharks fin I suppose. Grandpa was like questioning why there's no prawns, no abalone. Hold in a hotel and pay so much money and there's no prawns, no abalone! Darling had checked with Park Hotel before, that if we were to change the sea cucumber to abalone, we will need to top up $50 per table. Then in this case, we might as well upgrade to the 9 course dinner. That night we checked with the chef who came to meet us personally after the tasting, if we change to prawns, per table we will need to top up about $20 at least.

There was a dish of 'Lao Bai Choy' with wolfberry in superior stock. That dish did not look very appetising, but it tasted very good. The wolfberry is very sweet, the stock is delicious, and there were lotsa dried scallop on it. One spoonful of the vege with the wolfberry, scallop and the soup all in your mouth in one go, crunchy and sweet. Sad thing was it din look very nice. Some of them asked us to top it up to abalone! Wa lau eh.. I give you $1 of vege, you give me $5 of fish ok?

After the whole event, I felt extremely upset and disappointed. Only my mummy was truly concerned about us. She was the only one who told me not to change anything coz she was worried that we will not be able to cope financially.

Darling and I are paying for every single thing on our own, we are not getting any help from anyone, financially, emotionally or physically. In our point of view, this is OUR wedding, we planned for this and we want and will cope with this ourselves. It's not like suddenly out of the blue we announce that we want to get married, and we need or expect everyone to help us out financially. This wedding is going to wipe out ALL our savings, we gonna start from zero after this. But we're happy to spend this money coz we have been saving for our big day, that is what the pool of money is for. Even though Mummy had the intention of paying for our side of relatives' and friends' tables, and will not 'eat' any tables from Darling, after some thoughts, Darling and I decided to bear it all, we shall pay for all the tables. Profits or losses Darling and I will shoulder them all.

On the journey home, I thought about the whole dinner and decided that we should just upgrade the package to 9 course dinner instead of the 8 course dinner. 9 course dinner includes prawn, abalone and sea cucumber. 8 course only has the sea cucumber. Difference of less than $100 is ok la. After dropping Grandpa and Darling's mother off at Marine parade, I talked to Darling about it, we will just upgrade to the 9 course dinner, to make Grandpa happy.

I am just super upset that all these people only have mouths to talk and comment, but no help offered from them. Even though I am very upset that these people only care about their face and never spare a thought for both of us, but I do not wish to this event to turn into an unhappy occassion and I feel that I am trying so hard to please everyone, I have to take everyone's feelings and comments into consideration, when it is OUR wedding, not theirs. Never mind, it's all right, throwing a banquet is to make the old folks happy, so upgrading the dishes is fine for me. Maybe not having the food tasting session would have been better.

When Alice from PHO called us to remind us about the food tasting, Darling and I decided we will ask Kuan and Richard to go. Coz I respect that Kuan is my eldest sister. Period. I made arrangements with her and Richard, both were more than willing to go and were very happy that I respect them as my eldest sister and bro-in-law, and even though the arrangements would inconvenience them, their 3 kids, my littlest sister, they still steadily agreed. After having their confirmation, I talked to my parents about it.

1) Daddy was unhappy that I asked Kuan to go and never ask Vicky to go.There are only 10 seats, so what does he expect? That the whole table consists of my family members? That aside, then what about Chun? If I ask both Kuan and Vicky to go, its not fair that my littlest sister does not attend.

2) He suggested to add extra seat or add extra table so that they can go. Sure, add extra table, who is going to pay for the table?

3) Mummy said we should have just asked Chun and Alvan to go instead of Kuan and Richard to save all the hassle. This thought did come across my mind, but why should I let the 3rd generation attend? This is a formal session, I cannot afford to have Alvan throwing temper or showing any signs of disrespect at the dinner table.

4) Daddy even said that then he let Vicky go and he dun go. I was very angry at that comment. The main purpose of having the food tasting session is to have parents from both sides and the couple to try out the dishes. He, as my FATHER, do not turn up and my arsehole sister go? I told him, then let Vicky go in my place. That comment woke him up and he never brought up the subject of asking her to go anymore.

And then on Monday night, Mummy suddenly informed me, not ask, but inform, that she will let Alvan attend the dinner on Tuesday night together. She is afraid that Alvan will feel left out that we went without him, so she told me to add one seat for him. Last minute tell me, ok never mind, I have no choice but to agree. Again, I have to please everyone but myself.

On Tuesday evening, Alvan had badminton training after school, and his training ended late, only at 7pm. Darling's family had reached PHO at 715pm. I was already on the way with Mummy from City Hall. Richard was reaching Tampines in 5 minutes to fetch Daddy and to drop off his 3 kids at our home. Dinner was arranged to start at 730pm. Alvan's school is in Bedok, how to reach home, bathe and reach PHO by 730pm? So we had no choice but to proceed without him. He refused to pick up any of our calls after Mummy called him to tell him that we have to go without him. He rejected all calls from us, refused to talk to anyone from home, ignored all of us.

I suddenly feel so bitter about everything. About my mum, about my dad, about Darling's family, about Vicky, about Alvan. Why is it that my mum is comparing Vicky's SECOND wedding to my big day? Why is it that my mum is agreeable to Vicky's idea of inviting Jason's whole family to my wedding? Why is it that my dad was so adamnant about letting Vicky attend the food tasting as well? Why is it that I feel that I am living in Vicky's shadow? Why is it that Vicky needs to invite Jason's WHOLE FAMILY to MY wedding when all she has in mind is the money of his family and only intention is to do some curry favouring to his fucking second eldest sister who is a mistress to an Indonesian businessman who must be money laundering in Singapore using that small bloody telephone business? Why is it that Darling's family is not helping out in any monetary way and yet has so much to say? Why is it that I have the feeling that Darling's mother feels that I am making Darling pay for the whole wedding and I never fork out a single cent? Why is it that I have the feeling that Darling's mother feels that I am spending his son's money and that my family has been 'exploiting' his son? Why is it that Alvan must make things to difficult for my mum and I will end up bearing the brunt of it all? Why why why?