I am finally switching to Tumblr! Feeling more at home at Tumblr. Now you can shoot me mind-boggling questions and force answers out of me.

Visit my new Tumblr at chloemokthequeen.tumblr.com
Pardon the self-proclaimed-royal-blood, my favorite names were all taken so I had to go with an adaptation of my ICQ nickname eon years ago - queenchloe.

Laugh all you want la. 

Today my Dajie turns 30 and I suppose an obligated congratulatory message is too understated for what she has achieved today and how she has impacted my life. She is my older sister, the best friend I will ever have and the only one who truly understands me. Many of you don't know much about her because social media platforms ain't her thang and her social life far exceeds what technology can dictate.

My Dajie - It's either you hate her or love her. I can think of no one who is as brilliant, capable, intellectual and just in general, a smartass. And as if being academically equipped is not enough, she has plenty of wisdom to dispense (and quotes I don't know where she plucks out from) and ready to advise based on her perspectives, which sometimes could be very enlightening, at times very peculiar..... She is well read and has a good understanding of the world; Though she may be physically based in Singapore but never in her life has she stopped pursuing a better understanding of the world. Everyday before the sun comes up, she listens to endless podcasts of all sorts, be it social problems, medical findings, or political debates, she knows a little from everything.

She is precise, organised and always bull's eye when addressing a problem. Those who hate her detest her words, which they find offensive, and those who shun her lack her lustre and confidence. I'm not saying she is perfect in every way and in every word she utters, but she is oddly right most of the time. WHICH IS ANNOYING.

Sigh.

When I was little, I wanted to be just like her. I wanted to dress like her, act like her, eat like her and laugh at the same things. She makes me want to be more like her, and it doesn't stop there. Today, I still look up to her and never understood why she has always swayed my opinions, just like that... 

She is that rare gem who does not want a superior language over another, and strives to be better at making both languages her "first language". And for that, I want to be just like her, and be proud of being bilingual.
I once asked her if she is afraid of turning 30 (when she was around 27++), and to my astonishment, she confidently told me that she was already looking forward to turning 30. I mean, what a breath of fresh air! She spoke of what she envisioned her life to be and where she is now, and how she has made everything work her way - Turning 30 is not just an inevitable milestone in life but a reminder of her achievements. How inspiring! And for that, I want to be like her.

She finishes what she sets out to do. To have what she has at 30 and to also have her looks and body, it is no wonder that she views the number "30" with much excitement. There is a beauty in her fearless wisdom I aspire to equip myself with. 

So to my Dajie - Happy 30th Birthday! Where you are today is because of who you are and what you were groomed to be. May God continue to stretch you into conquering more fears and life's challenges so you can continue to be an excellent role model for me. hehe. I love you so much sometimes I think you should write a bible for me. 

To summarise my knowledge on this century’s conflicts: I’ve read/watched Anne Boleyn died eight times and John of Gaunt’s legacy five times. And though I know who’s who over the few throne seizures, it’s difficult to understand WHYYYYYY and HOWWW did the Wars of the Roses happen. 

There is of course no one single reason to how this red rose white rose war began, but it is simplified here in a chart I drew for myself for my quick reference, which may help you understand some of the historical dramas better. 

Simply said - The Wars of the Roses really started between House of York (represented by white rose) and House of Lancaster (represented by red rose), when Richard of York (father of Edward IV) contested Henry VI’s claim to throne. 

Continue story here

It all started with this diamond ring now flaunting its sparkle on my very questionable hand.



We got engaged over the weekend and we must have repeated the story over ten times collectively in a matter of two days, so I suppose writing it down will give you a more comprehensive story instead of us just answering the questions you already have answers to:
Did he go down on one knee? YES.
Were you surprised? YES.
Did you expect it to happen? YES. Because we bought a house together one year and have been living together ever since - So YESSSS.

I knew he was gonna propose sooner or later so I didn't go into a bimbo mode of: "OMG I cannot believe he asked me to marry him!"
The surprise of the night was the fact that he chose to do it at our own place and the big turn out at the engagement party that night.
So, now that I have laid down the facts, I will tell my side of the story...
----------------------
Part I - Pre-Date
Saturday morning Mr J was at work and he somehow reached home early at around 12pm to supervise the air-conditioning servicing work at home so I didn't think much about him planning anything big albeit countless reminders over the week that he will be bringing me out this Saturday evening.
In one or two of his reminders over the week, he reminded me again to wear something nice. When I asked what kind of restaurant, so that I can dress appropriately - he just said, just dress nice for a change. So, I told him, "Ok lo, I'm gonna wear T-shirt and jeans." I think he was dumbfounded a little and said, "No.. Wear a dress."

His side of the story was: Because his girlfriend has been complaining that he has not brought her out often enough, so he's making effort by keeping the dinner venue a surprise.

My side of the story was: The last time he pulled a mysterious date was my mega surprise birthday party. So... I pretty much guessed something was up.
When 5pm struck, Mr J was literally rushing me to go get dressed. "We have to leave the house at 6," he said.
I was thinking, "wah, very unlike him ar.. sure got something."

So.. At this point, you can pretty much say that I knew something was up. I mean, it wasn't anybody's birthday, anniversary, Valentine's or Christmas. Something is up.

Part II - Date
He brought me to this restaurant called PLOY.




Photos all from PLOY cos I lazy snap snap all.
The Squid Ink fried rice is pretty awesome, and they make some mean Rum and Raisin nitrogen ice cream.
We were chatting heartily and I loved how we can talk philosophies and nonsense all at the same time. Maybe, this dinner is a reminder of what we can have for the rest of our lives - Good plan, baby.

Halfway through the dinner, Mr J told me that his stomach was feeling odd. See, if you know him personally, you would know that his stomach is uber-sensitive and the toilet bowl is his throne. So I was a little worried but he said he was still fine.

After the bill came, he suggested to go home first because he made reservations for drinks at 10pm, won't want to be early. I find it a little weird, cos it was 8.30pm then, we could have gone to another place nearby to wait for our table to be ready. But well, since he has this POOPING thing, I suppose the best is to head home first.

So, on the way home, he started complaining that his tummy is not good, so he started speeding on the way home. I was sooooo worried because I could see his face glistening and I was so upset that almost every traffic light we encountered was REDDDDDD. He was whining and I didn't dare talk to him to worsen his condition. Once we reached our apartment lobby, he passed the wheel to me for me to park the car while he rushed up to POOP. So, I touched his new car's wheel for the very first time.

[At this time, he was waiting patiently in the apartment.]

Long story short, I didn't do a good job parking so I waited for a bit before demanding that that he come down to park his own car after he is done.

But all he said was, "It's ok, just come up first la! Come up first!"

I reiterated that the car is not in a good place now, so he relented and taught me how to start the car's engine (stupid technology thing), and I managed to repark the car, then headed home.

[Mr J is very careful with his belongings, especially his car, so - for him to ignore the fact that the car is horribly parked, is quite a miracle.]

Part III - I got home
The grill wasn't shut and the door wasn't locked! [Mr J is super paranoid so something is wrong.]

Anyway, I opened the door, and saw a very flushed boyfriend with a bouquet or my favorite red roses - standing right in front of me. I was stunned, and my hand still on the knob. Mr J had to tell me to shut the door first.

What happened next a bit of a blur because I was so teary-eyed, I couldn't see his face, the flowers and the ring. All I remembered was he giving a short speech, knelt down and popped the question with the ring. It sure took some time to digest but I said YES to that silly face and he put the ring on for me. I think we both teared a little just hugging each other for a few minutes.

Side note: As I said, I did expect him to propose soon, but I didn't expect myself to tear as much! I guess I didn't realize how big a decision it was to want to spend the rest of my life with another man, and for him to want the same too.

The proposal was very private, just the way I want it to because I really didn't want to say yes under pressure. Unlike most proposals where the girls would usually say yes, I cannot say this is a simple decision. Because waking up next to the same man for the next 50 years, and loving all his flaws did take me a while to understand the concept of marriage. I am actually happy it took a year of living together to see if we could actually make it work, and also glad that we did not rush into it. When he asked me that day, I was at a point where I am sure that I will marry no other, and if it is not him, I rather not marry at all.

Part IV - Engagement Party

What better way to celebrate this without great company!
Long story short, Mr J brought me to the "table" he reserved at Capri (Bangsar South), and there we found our friends all ready to drink to this momentous occasion <3 Don't think we have a picture of them all, but it was a bigger turnout than I expected, and Mr J always pulls an amazing company.

Thanks Kim for the card! Now I remember the date hahaha.. Photo credit: Jolene
Friends brought gifts which I cannot thank you guys enough because engagement gifts are unheard of for me heee

Post-proposal 

Oh I have answered a bunch of questions so I'm just gonna lay them down:
When's the big day? Erm don't know.. We just got engaged. If we have set the date, we will let you know.
Have you started thinking what to do already? NO.
You can start wedding planning already! Chill babes.
As of now, we are taking things nice and slow, and enjoy being engaged! Mr J is an event man, and I dislike planning events (for real), so.. why should I torture myself when my husband-to-be is an expert at this?!

For the love of my life,
Thank you for pulling in all your resources to make this day happen for us. You have made this eternally memorable, not to mention the value-added POOP story...
I've always asked you if you could really live with this one woman for the rest of your life and not regret no matter what I have become, and you have always told me that you will love me no matter what.

And this, I promise you. I promise that I will love you no matter how bald and cushion-y you will be. I promise that I will always be worthy of your love and give you a home to come back to everyday. I promise that I will give you the best that I am and the best I could be. I promise to smile more and give you comfort whenever you need.

Most of all, I promise to be by your side for as long as I breathe, and for as long as I live, I will hold your hand to weather all joys and pains in the life that we share. And for this, I will marry you.

Running a start up and keeping all the best people in a very lean team is probably the hardest thing and probably a dream come true. 

Though many have told me that working with me is quite a nightmare, I believe it's all about living up to my expectations. I still don't try to be nice or dip my expectations. I don't expect the world, but I do ask for a lot in efficiency and worth in a person. Everyone has a value in the society, and if one does not strive to elevate him/herself at contributing to better the world we live in, whether to push forward an idea for community building, innovation, technology or even fit into the very basic operations which form the basis for the growth of the nation - we are only wasting the resources the world has for us, and potentially not leaving behind much legacy to be proud of.

Money is not everything but it is most often taken as a measurement to your success. This quantifiable success is an easy benchmark, whereas legacies - immeasurable but immensely fulfilling.

So to my teammates, thank you for taking my low EQ and accommodating my every request. Love y'all.

I'm a porcelain doll and he's a vampire.

A bit annoying because my other half is prettier than me in photos.

Their very cosy dinner-do is really quite the envy! 

To still have this bunch of close friends from my former workplace is actually quite amazing!

Cut the long story short, the guy I was dating was not too happy with my idea spending the whole day at Sunway Lagoon. So he sulked the whole day, also made a few sarcastic comments throughout the day while I gleefully ignored all the bad energy from him and shiok-sendiri-ed took a ton of photos.

Anyway, that was the worst birthday ever. Worse than not celebrating at all.
Maybe because the day was planned and I had high hopes, or maybe just because it is my 21st. The most important one before I hit 40.

So, if I am needed to plan and/or execute a friend's big 30 -  I will do it and make sure it is memorable :)

I mean, seriously?

I can totally understand how you would like to add a Christian name (English name) to the original Chinese name -- which is very common, and will make it easier for acquaintances to remember you. I'm talking about those who change their Christian names after half a lifetime using one.

You do know that doesn't change your personality, no?