Category Archives: A Walk To Remember
Life is a journey that never ends; let’s take a trip into my history to reminisce the (good) ol’ days.
XVII. the sunset on his screen.
Since it was pouring, the only thing I could capture on my iPhone 4 was the environment. Again, just like at USS, I took a surfeit of photos and videos to send to Gideon and Caleb.
10 minutes later, after I walked around to take as many photos of the surroundings as I could, I was mildly discouraged by the time I walked back to the hut. Seeing my semi-forlorn face, this man asked me what I was doing here. I explained briefly. I also told him that I had hoped to see the sunset. His response stunned me.
“Don’t worry, young man. This place has a beautiful sunset every evening. You can’t see it fully today because of the rain.” He assured me and brought out his handphone to show me his wallpaper as if to prove his statement to me. Of all images, it was a picture he snapped of the sunset at KBM. I smiled, thanked the Lord in my heart for this special arrangement, and easily mustered a whole-hearted “Thank you!” to this stranger. I took my final shots of the place and made my way out.
Yes, I had to endure the walk of shame all over again. I tried to wait for a taxi at the clubhouse, but there was none in sight after waiting for 15 minutes and I wasn’t successful in calling for a taxi. So I was left with no choice but to brave the rain and the 1.8 km again. I was determined to honour my word to the supervisor at the guardhouse, despite how uncharitable he was towards me.
And so, I fulfilled my part of the agreement, hopped onto a cab that exited the condominium, and made my way to my church in Bukit Gombak, where my cell group session was already underway. I found a modicum of comfort when my cell mates consoled me of the evening’s tragedy and applauded me of my enormous effort for the proposal.
Strangely enough, Huiyi couldn’t make it for cell that evening because she had a business function (an annual dinner and dance) to attend to. I guess it all worked out well after all.
Next chapter: the birthday that nearly ruined the proposal.
XVI. the walk of shame.
I seriously wanted to throw the umbrella away and just walk in the rain without a broken umbrella. At least there won’t be obscene flowery patterns mocking me every step I take. But my laptop bag was getting increasingly soaked, so I had no choice but to carry that token of shame for the sake of sheltering my equipment.
Mind you, it wasn’t a short walk. According to Google Maps, I actually walked nearly 1.8 kilometres from the guardhouse to my destination in KBM. I had to pass by a crowded bus stop during peak hour, cross Keppel Bay Bridge where I was completely exposed to the harsh weather, passing cars, foreign workers, high-end restaurants, a jetty filled with expensive yachts and a prestigious clubhouse with businessmen and women.
You have no idea how many times I repeated out loud, “Mind over matter – since I don’t mind, it doesn’t matter”. I had to hunt for every last ounce of lightheartedness and humour to infiltrate every fibre of my being. I think God’s comedic timing is second to none.
Best of all, when I finally arrived at the proposal spot, drenched in a mixture of sweat, rainwater and utter embarrassment, I saw no sunset because of the torrential downpour! But I think God placed an angel there to comfort me.
There was one man in the hut that I took shelter in. He was the only one there. And this stranger was fishing. FISHING – seriously – of all times and places – FISHING. I asked if he would be kind enough to help me watch my belongings while I explored the surroundings. Unlike the other Chinese man, this Chinese man readily agreed. I felt a complete sense of security (no pun intended!) as I left my Incase bag with him and moved to the pier at the end of KBM.
The mother of all anti-climaxes...
At least there’s some light at the end of the tunnel… This was indeed a walk to remember.
Next chapter: the sunset on his screen.
XV. the final excursion that decided my destiny.
I had to make a decision that would determine my proposal location. And I decided to take a risk by heading over to Keppel Bay Marina (KBM) instead. It was a do-or-die choice but on hindsight I was glad I opted for KBM!
I wished the weather was like that. And I'll never forget this guardhouse. Source: streetdirectory.com
It seems as though I never get to do things the easy way. On the last available night for recce, it rained monkeys and lions! And I had just removed my umbrella from my bag the day before! What incredible irony! As I alighted opposite Caribbean @ Keppel Bay, I remember telling the Lord, “Seriously?”
With a heavy laptop strapped on my back, I braved the rain and crossed the road the other side. By the time I reach the entrance of the condominium, I was already drenched. This was no time to be a hero. I tried to find a taxi, but as we all know it, it is impossible to get a taxi at the evening peak hour during a thunderstorm.
I had to think on my feet.
I saw the guardhouse of Caribbean and placed my trust in the goodness of humanity. So I walked from the traffic light to the entrance of the condominium and bravely approached the first security guard I saw. Hope filled my heart as I caught sight of a black umbrella that leaned against the wall beside him.
“Boss, I know this is a strange request, but I’d like to ask if you are kind enough to lend me an umbrella. I’m heading into Keppel Bay Marina for a short while and I promise to return the umbrella in about 30 minutes.” I was practically begging him.
This Malay man was filled with compassion, seeing how this poor fellow (me) was drenched and in need of shelter. He replied, “Sur-”
“What’s the situation here?” His Chinese supervisor barked, and interrupted what would have been a prayer answered. “Sorry, we cannot lend you this umbrella.” Then he caught sight of a broken umbrella (with gaudy flowery patterns, no less) that an old lady had obviously disposed of. “This one, you want?” He asked, as a matter-of-fact.
Would anyone please tell me on how I was supposed to respond? Aren’t we supposed to help our own kind? I lost faith in my race at that instant and I will never forget the cold-hearted look on the face of the bespectacled plump Chinese man in his late 30’s. How anyone could be so unkind baffles me until today.
I could only muster a half-hearted “Thank you”, and walked away completely defeated. It was a double-whammy.
Next chapter: the walk of shame.
XIV. the other ideas that were rejected.
My first knee-jerk reaction was to return to the Southern-most Point of Sentosa. It was a significant location for Huiyi and I as we shared some wonderful memories there during the time that I courted her (before she agreed to be my girlfriend). I also considered returning to MBC or to the nearby Labrador Park…
She wasn't my girlfriend then... Silly her. :P
But it was already Monday evening when I canned the USS idea and I only had one Tuesday evening left (before cell group at 8:30pm) to recce one last location. Wednesday and Thursday evenings were no-go and Friday was it! I pressed the panic button a million times but honestly, I really thrived on the adrenaline. I am certain I perform better under stress.
And since I was no longer going to propose in USS, I had to find a way to sell the two tickets I bought for Gideon and Caleb to recoup losses. I texted a number of my friends to ask if they were interested but it was too last-minute for anyone to make it. Thank God Lionel came to the rescue and kindly agreed to sacrifice his Friday lunch break to head into USS to help tout my pair of tickets away with minimal loss. He didn’t disappoint and even made a small profit because he managed to sell it at a higher price to tourists who couldn’t enjoy the DBS discount. And to top it off, he even drove to Peony Jade on Thursday evening to collect the tickets from me. I just had to ensure that we did not see him when we were there.
There were other literally sky-high ideas I had considered – to propose on top of Marina Bay Sands (MBS) or The Pinnacles @ Duxton. It was way too costly to do it at the Sky Park of MBS and to request for logistical permission and access would be a nightmare so I took that idea out. When Huiyi and I were at The Pinnacles earlier this year, I also assessed the place and deemed it unsuitable for my proposal because I couldn’t find a single power point in the entire Sky Garden on the 50th floor.
Next chapter: the final excursion that decided my destiny.
XIII. the relentless schedule that week.
I was ready to can this USS idea, regardless of how unique it looked on paper. It simply didn’t fulfill the basic requirement of a sunset. And the last thing I wanted was to compromise on the twin guidelines. And I had only a couple of days left to rethink and redesign a proposal that promised to be just as memorable.
Before I continue, maybe I should provide some context into the kind of schedule I had that week. My hectic calendar multiplied the level of difficulty I had organising this proposal.
I sat for an exam on Monday morning and spent the bulk of the preceding weekend studying for it.
On Tuesday evening, I led bible study for my cell group and had to prepare the lesson.
On Wednesday evening, I led worship for J333 (a church prayer meeting) and had to rehearse for it.
On Thursday, I celebrated Huiyi’s birthday together with her family over dinner and I planned it.
And Friday was D-Day. Spending the entire Friday together in USS meant that I didn’t have the daytime to plan for the evening’s proposal and the night’s engagement party.
AND… I also planned for a surprise birthday party for Natalina on Saturday evening.
AND… I chaired a youth conference planning meeting on Sunday.
AND… This takes the cake… I preached in BOTH youth services that weekend…
It’s an understatement to say that I was on fire. It’s amazing how efficient I was that week. It must have been the grace of God working in what seemed to be the longest, most challenging yet more eventful week of my life!
Next chapter: the other ideas that were rejected.
XII. the two visits before the first visit.
On my first recce trip to USS, I met Rudith there during our lunch breaks. She orientated me to all the locations and explained what I could and could not do The main purpose of this trip was to confirm the proposal hot spots as well as to find places for Gideon and Caleb to camp at while they were capturing the moment. I took lots of photos and videos and sent it to the both of them via WhatsApp so that they could get a visual idea of where they could plant themselves without being spotted by Huiyi.
The plan looked really promising as the Pavilion had Far Far Away in the background and I could imagine that with a sunset added, it would make a spectacular backdrop for an equally spectacular proposal. In my mind’s eye, I got excited thinking about how stunning the photos would eventually turn out.
I tried asking for special passes for their entry since they weren’t going in to enjoy the rides but to just snap photos. USS declined my request, which I could understand. So on my way out, I purchased two tickets for the two of them. I didn’t have a choice, really. So I was grateful that DBS was running a promotion with USS and tickets were sold at a small discount.
But I realised the first problem. Unless Gideon and Caleb had excessively expensive camera lenses, there was no way they would be able to capture close-up shots. The entire proposal would also be seen from only two boring perspectives and none of our facial expressions would be captured.
On my second visit to USS, the main purpose was to enter during sunset to ensure that the spot which I had chosen had the sunset in the horizon, and that the crowd would have started to disappear. Much to my shock and horror (but eventual relief), the sunset actually took place where Battlestar Galactica was and not at Far Far Away! This looked like a plan that was doomed for failure because it didn’t contain the all-important sunset criteria!
Then came the final nail in the coffin – the binoculars were out-of-order! There was no way she would be able to look into her “FUTURE far far away…”
Die. Back to the drawing block.
The third plan was officially far far away from success.
Next chapter: the relentless schedule that week.
XI. the red tape that I couldn’t clear.
I actually called USS VIP Tours and asked if I could speak with someone who would be willing to coordinate the event with me. The staff who attended to me was freaked out at my every request, so she brought it to her supervisor who brought it to her manager. Be it to bring equipment in, make a complimentary recce trip, or have Shrek or Fiona make an appearance. I don’t blame them though, because it’s not normal that they speak to some nutcase who wants to execute something unprecedented and radical at the hallowed grounds of USS.
But Rudith was superb. She sent out a couple of emails to the VIP Tours department as well as a couple of her friends who were in Ground Operations. Well, no one had presented them with such a request before and as much as I tried to PR my way into their PR department with my PR tactics as a former PR person, I faced a stone wall time after time. So after a few more email exchanges and phone calls, I decided against doing this officially because it was just way too difficult, cumbersome and tiring to clear the red tape.
Believe it or not, they even told me that Shrek and Fiona cannot go to New York because of intellectual property issues. Apparently, these two characters cannot leave Far Far Away… Can you believe that!? I was bemused by their unbelievable but understandable insistence on sticking to the integrity of the character.
So I had to count on Rudith and the by-left (aka more creative) methods. I must say, she really, Really, REALLY, went out of her way to assist me. Now, what Rudith had done for me, I will not and cannot disclose, even though I really want to because of the magnitude of her kindness, but I do not wish to get her into trouble or set a precedence for USS and get into trouble with them. Not to worry, she didn’t do anything that would cause her to get struck by lightning… So let’s just say that with Rudith’s help, things became way easier to plan and execute, so I was really thankful for her intervention!
Next chapter: the two visits before the actual visit.
joey asher | misunderstoodsunshinekid 