BALI...here I come!

U have no idea how unlucky I am. I've participated in so many contests...in desperate hope of winning cash, plasma TV, cars, bollywood concert tickets...not even 1 did I win! I must've sent 50 Magnolia Win A Toyota Vios contest coupons...knowing I'd not win even 1...and true enuf...someone else muz've won! :(

Ya...1 thing I won was "be a part of the shoot of a Zee TV serial (Rabba Ishq Na Hove) @ Sentosa"...that too something I wasn't really interested/hopeful anyways...I sent it for fun!

It seems recently my workplace did a balloting for all staff to stand a chance to win a pair of free tickets to Bali/Phuket on 4 chartered Valuair/Jetstar flights (2 to Bali & 2 to Phuket...1 flight each in Sep & Oct). I didn't really pay attn to the email. I wasn't interested. I've used my vacation subsidy this yr (for a disappointing holiday to Pulau Pangkor) plus it's bz period @ work. I heard some of my colleagues won the tickets. I thought "maybe he/she wanted to go so they'd have put in their names or something". Then an email came to announce the winners of the tickets. Scroll down...and saw a familiar name...that has the last 4 digits & 1 ltr of her IC no. matched mine. Holy COW! What the hell is my name doing there?!?? I didn't participate...I didn't same my name...oh shit...how the hell did I win something I didn't participate...what am I gonna do now!!?!

I freaked out to my colleague who was just telling me abt the other colleague winning...and she cldn't pacify me (she oso another bodoh...u'll noe y later!). While I was freaking out...Roshni called me "congrats babe!"...I screamed @ her "what congrats?! I'm freaking out now...y is my name there?! I didn't participate...bla bla bla ..."

She stopped me "Babe babe ... hang on...it's automatic la...all staff was drawn". I was like? Huh!? Really? Can fwd me the email agn. I read it & screwed my bodoh colleague! "Aper la lu Kak Zah...it's auto la! All staff was entered into the lucky draw! U punnnnn!"

But guess what?! I won a ticket to Bali for 3 Oct. Macam siak je! How to go...fasting mth. So I asked HR if there's any chances of me changing the date to the 5 Sep slot. Later on, another mgr from my office emailed HR & accidentally cc-ed the whole organisation asking if she can swop with another staff going for 3 Oct if the staff is agreeable. Think she had me in mind coz my boss told her that I'm foregoing it coz I can't go on 3 Oct (my boss suggested I change the date wif others who may not be able to go on 5 Sep coz bz period for the senior bosses, but I'm too egoistic to go arnd asking/begging). So when I saw her email...I told her I asked HR the same thing & I won't mind considering a swop if allowed...that too if she hasn't found anyone yet.

HR replied that as long as both parties agreeable, let the appointed travel agent know when they contact us. Oh ya, btw, got condition one: If the travel agent unable to contact us, we'll be replaced by those drawn on waiting list. So our nxt task was to be CONTACTABLE!

I thought this was my chance to take Mom on a vacation via flight...at least once in my lifetime. If not for this, I'd nvr be able to afford 1 for her. I asked Sis if she can be excused from sch (since it's sch holidays! but u noe la...teachers still gotta go to sch even if it's sch holiday!) on the grounds of no one to take care of her child. She confirmed yes. Nxt I asked Mom if she's able to go on 5-9 Sep. That's like dep on a Wed & back on a Sun! Too long for a housewife to leave home with some unsettled personal problem lingering in S'pore. She was excited...and all game. She was telling me how my sms came so coincidentally when she's been dying to take a vacation to India but Dad's not allowing coz too expensive...and he suggested Batam or Phuket, to which she told her Dad that none of my frens will take leave to go vacation wif me. And there I was looking for co. to go Bali for a vacation (sharing a free ticket some more!).

Unfortunately, she had a change of heart when Dad didn't give a positive response to the idea. So I told her "U're 1st a wife, then a mother. I dowan u to go against Papa's wish. Let's just forget it." She felt I've nvr been lucky enuf & she badly wanted me to seize this opportunity. She suggested I try my frens "Ur fren Shazadi ke aper tak boleh ikut?" ... I told her to forget abt frens...they're either married with responsibilities (a pity Maslin got married 2 wks too early, otherwise, I'll make her accompany me!), can't get leave off work or like me, can't go vacation with frens.

The travel agent contacted me on Fri evening. My heart says I wanna go...furthermore, my boss is even willing to release me from work for Wed-Fri so I can go. But I've no one to go with & I'm not abt to go alone. I thot, maybe I'm meant not to waste the $$$. I swallowed my ego & asked 2 single galfrens I won't mind spending 5 days alone on a vacation wif (Shazadi & Nikky) if any of them avail on 5-9 Sep to join me for a trip to Bali where I won 2 tickets, just have to fork out abt $265 for land package & taxes.

I waited for hrs...no response. I thot that's pretty normal whenever I need something from someone. These ppl can't go but have no heart to say No to me...so chose to not reply. Sigh. Till another hr later, Shazadi came online & exclaimed in disbelief & asked if I'm serious & if she cld go wif me. After I confirmed her interest & gotten her word that she has budget, avail during the period & her parents doesn't mind her going wif me...I was like "Thank u Allah!!" I went out to tell Mom & she heaved a sigh of relief "Alhadulillah".

So yea...altho I wish Allah wld quickly grant me my prayers for this 1 particular thing I badly want, which means much more to me & my family, I still feel loved by Allah for He granted me another opportunity for a vacation to make up for my spoilt vacation in Jun. That too...by flight...where everything came ez for me...the tickets, the permission (from parents), the leave from boss. Shazadi is the angel Allah sent to accompany me to Bali. I'm fated for Bali afterall!! Yeehar!

We've just finalised our choices of accomodation & tour package today...we'll be staying @ White Rose Hotel (4-star). Land Package: S$180 per pax for 3 nites/twin-share, 1 land tour plus additional 1 lunch & 1 seafood dinner on top of the hotel's daily b/fast PLUS $125 per pax for airport taxes. That leaves us to just cater for 2 lunch & 2 dinner not covered by the package + a massage @ the spa + shopping! My budget-> nothing more than $500. Shazadi's budget -> nothing more than $600. Let's see if we can stick to that! Hehe.

I soooo look forward to this vacation in 2 wks time.

Before that...look forward to seeing Amsyar turn 1 yr old on 31 Aug. Will do our usual mini-celebration: cut cake, sing b'day song in 3 diff languages, snap pics & see his cute acts! God bless him & protect him from EVIL eyes...always! Amin!