And We're Back...( warning, this one's a long one)

So, go back in time to June 24th, ok? It's 4 day's to D-day, by now, things should pretty much be settled, right? Wrong..

We were supposed to move in June 24th, cos Merv said it's a good day. So we told our renovation guys, do or die, Tuesday, June 24th, we're moving in..we did, into the second room which we didn't want them to touch. And this, is what the living room looked like..

Yea, that huge box in the left side of the pic? Our fridge, the boxes in the middle? Our kitchen cabinet lor...never mind, still got time wor..We moved in, with portable gas stove, into a construction site, but we moved in!

When Wednesday dawned, we thought they might get to work early, and get things done by Saturday, 3 days away. We were wrong. Well, that's what happens when your reno guy only comes to work after 12 in the afternoon. Sigh.The other units, by 9am, we can hear guys banging away, doing their jobs. Our place? (insert sound of crickets)....

Even our photographer, who came by that day, wondered how the heck we'd get it done by Saturday? Me and my big dream of leaving OUR house TOGETHER to church..seemed like it was slipping away. This is what our master bedroom looked like by Thursday..that railroad looking thing on the right is my window seat, or part of it..I think?

Friday was panic day! ONE day before, June 27th! Man! Our house was like Restaurant Makeover. We had about 20 guys in the house all in one go! Everyone was busy doing something ,except two bangla who had the time to smirk at the other foreign workers who were from Myanmar. Their conversation went something like this:

Bangla: Oi, you mana punya?

Myanmar: Myanmar

Bangla: Kita BANGLA tau?? ( in a snobbish, I am waaaay better than you voice)

Even foreign worker also got hierarchy..and on that note, the Myanmar fella was waaay better than the Bangla, not so lazy.

This this, boys and girls, was what the living room looked like, at 8 pm, Friday!

Needless to say, we had to work over time. The guys had to work way past 5 and they eventually packed up the place. While they were doing that, BH was in church, doing the final deco, I, too freaked out/stressed out..was bawling my eyes out at my mommies house..nah, I was trying to sleep. Too many sleepless nights already!!

When we got back, it was about 9pm, 11 more hours to D-day and the house? WAS A MESS! The things were cleared, but it was sooo dirty, cement/plaster/dust everywhere! Then I started bawling, seriously! Who'd ever heard of the bride, crying in desperation the day before the wedding? Well, Bh got on the phone, and basically screamed bloody murder. In the end, this is what we got..

The only responsible half of the "reno guys", Edwin...he came back, and helped clean up..

And this is what the groom and his driver did 10 hours before the wedding. What was I doing besides taking the pic? No, was not crying..whats the point? Was busy washing the toilet lar and cleaning the master bedroom..

And so, if you haven't seen our wedding pics yet..go here. Now you see why we both looked so tired. Though BH was snoring away ( we only got to bed at about 3 am, D-day). I was filled with anxiety. Didn't really sleep. To excited/nervous..

In the end, I think we were lucky. Yea, the whole renovation drama, was a great story. Our photographer used it and we got so comfortable with him, he appears in one of our wedding shots..hehehehe. Yea, he was more of a "friend helping out" than "the guy hired to take pics".

As for Edwin? Well, BH's cousin was supposed to be driver, but by 8 am D-day, he was still on the plane from Melbourne. So guess who volunteered to be the driver?

D-day was soooo much fun. Just go to the link, see how many shots people are just laughing?And we were not posing, genuine laughter, all around! Bh's boo-boo just made everyone laugh even more. He forgot ( he says he didn't hear Pastor), his lines, which were: "I take you, Santhi to my...bla..bla.."Hehehe.

And of course there's the jam tart incident, which will forever haunt Gopi, the tartwhoretm. ( trademarked to Pickles). I had not seen my mother/father and especially brother so happy in a long time, and the friends who showed up..made my heart sing!

By dinner, we were just running on coffee fumes and joy. More smiles and laughter..it really was magical. The family and friends who come together ( some from very far away) just to celebrate us being together..WOW! We both feel so blessed! Things just fell into place. Like our wedding car? Courtesy of Pastor's wife..old Beluga..go see the pics!!How many people get to use that vintage as a wedding car?

It all went better than expected. In fact, so good, that we had guests follow us home, to party with us longer, till 4 am..( you know who you are, you kudikarans and tartwhoretm.) Someone even said it was so nice to go to a wedding that was actually fun! And btw, the bride and the groom had just about as much fun, at their own wedding too, which I hear isn't always the case! But that's what happens when the bride and groom just cannot be bothered with having the perfect wedding and just wanna wing it and have a good time with some friends. Heh.

And what about our house? Well, we left on Monday, 30th for langkawi, expecting to return to a completed home on Thursday, July 3rd. What do you think happened? Let's just say, today, they're still fixing stuff..sigh. But now of course, its 90% done la. It was 80% on Saturday, July 5th.We went on honeymoon, so they also honeymoon la..until we came home and made noise again.

So, now all that's left is the housewarming and farewells...yea, after all the stuff that's happened, guess what? We're moving down under..for 2 years at least..heh. Oh well.. more reason to party and have people (read kudikarans/ tartwhoretm) over.

Whew..told you it's a long one!