zirhk3355

Check the grade and year - I am quite sure a hi-end place like swissotel won't offer 'supermarket' wines. Its a 'face' thing and very important for their reputation.

$37++ = $43.29. Given the corkage at $20, you still have up to $23.29/bottle to buy your own wine and not spend more, and I am not even counting the waive corkage yet. Now for $23.29/bottle, that is a price where you can get really great wines and I am sure it beats the wine offered by the hotel.

Erm, if that is true, and given what I had told you, are you proud that you are actually buying 'supermarket' wines from a big hotel like swissotel??

Hehe, I very cruel, but paiseh to tell you that I tricked you into saying this and I am now sure you are looking at the wrong places. FYI, wines carried by big hotels are from distributors that SOLELY cater to hoteliers and hi-end establishments; they do not sell to supermarket. As for private cellars, they usually import their own wines and do not take from such distributors. In fact, some hotels are such big purchasers that they actually import wines themselves too. Just for your knowledge: Do you know that big names like Les Amis and SIA actually 'book' a whole plot of land to grow grapes and produce their own wines?? Back to topic: Of course there are hotels that carry 'supermarket' wines, but these are 3-star and below hotels, like carlton and allson hotels. I am sure swissotel does not belong to this category. Now, because there are so many wines available and sometimes its difficult to tell the class unless you are a conoseiur. Thus, instead of buying hi-grade wines from brands that are well-known (like wolfblass and linden), hotels rather find wulu-wulu brands so that they can differentiate themselves from the masses. Indeed, hi-end establishments do not want to be seen carrying wines that are widely available, even though they can be very good wines. And therefore, even if you can find the same bottle of wine "somewhere out there", its probably different year and of a different grade.

You better check properly; korea's post reminded me. Is it waive corkage for wines or for liquor??

Chocolate must make one meh?? I thought go buy those chocolate chips and melt in the pot can liao?? Oops...sorry ah, just giving the men's mindset...hehe...don't mind me...

Oii, confirmed bo?? I buy you six mac meal upsize ah!! Wait...erm, your banquet how much first?? Haha...must ask first leh, wait only 10 tables then I lugi lehh...kekeke...

Huh, waived?? That's good leh...really can save alot...which hotel ah?? Anyway, you can get the hotel staff to cooperate, pour the wine S-L-O-W-L-Y, open only 5 bottles at a time. Worse come to worse, no more wine liao, then just buy from the hotel lor, at most a few bottles only. This is better than being stuck with a few cartons of wine after the wedding and don't know what to do with it - even if you got consignment, those opened cartons cannot be returned, so you will be left with at least one carton.

Do check out UOB, especially if your wife got lady's card. They really have good offer, and with the UOB Travel, you can take care of the honeymoon with the points! Not cheapskate lah, if can get free one who don't want?? I also want mah - that time we also just pay for the hotel and went to Korea as honeymoon...no need paiseh lahh, money more important, got 'face' no use...people will only laugh at you for not knowing how to maximise your credit... Erm, when I said 'outside' I meant supermarkets and private cellars leh. You went to another hotel to check is it??

Eh my offer to korea applies to everyone here ok?? Come lah, let me sign, then I will treat you and your husband to eat big big dinner!!

Wow, you allocate so much wine?? Maybe now really got alot of people drink wine, last time I only bought 40 bottles for 52 tables... Anyway, can you guys bargain on the corkage? Maybe can try during negotiation time - during my wedding, I neg the corkage to a lump sum of $588nett for 40 bottles ($14.70nett per bottle), otherwise it will be $15++ per bottle. My wedding was at Marriott. Do check on the price of the wines offered by the hotel; they really mark up very high. Eg on the list they offered me, the cheapest wine was $35+++, but when I go check outside, it was only $12/bottle! So even if they refused to give discount on corkage and I go buy the same wine from outside, it will still be cheaper.

Erm, during my time in 2005, I used UOB and I redeemed two return tickets to Korea + cash payment of $199 only. Erm, the country Korea, not the person korea...

I really don't understand this - extension of credit limit is valid for 30 days WITHOUT interest. Why would you want to use your cold hard cash to pay, when it could be better sitting in the bank earning interest? Is it because: 1. You got so much money in your bank that you feel "bad" to earn the bank's interest (???), or 2. You worry that your relatives and friends won't give you enough angbao to cover the banquet, then you will owe credit card and incur interest charges??? Even if your relatives' and friends' angbaos does not cover the banquet, you could have use cash to pay (since you got so much money) within 30 days, and you won't incur interest charges at all! BTW do you know many points you can get from the banquet bill of $40K (or more)?? Really don't understand got people 'hiam' too much points one. Tell you want, I will extend my credit card and help you sign, then you pay me back with cash or the angbao money lor?? Giam bo, I can treat you to a big dinner after that!

Oops, sorry I was not implying that you must have $1k/table - didn't know the prices really went up so high. During my time it was $800+ and I thought that was very high liao... How's intercon and GCW? Are they so ex??

Ya lor, for my problems, he kpkb and say must take out everything. Then when my ID go and talk to him, all he actually wants is just for a QP to state and sign that the installations does not affect the building. Like you said lor, cover karchng, but he cover shiok shiok, we must pay again to engage QP lehh!! WHAT BULLSH*T! Technical Officer, HDB Queenstown branch. You will get to know him when you start your reno... You driving Nissan Presea?? OMG, small small world!! Must catch up leh! I pm you my number...think I lost yours liao...

Aiyo, such long post - really hate this feature in renotalk, if post with a few mins they will all lump into one post. Anyway, why you need to go for those hotel at $1k per table? If you like that those $800+ per table, then your damage for 8 tables to your MIL will be $6400 mah. My advice is no need to go for so ex one lor, unless you really got deep pockets - nowadays everything also increase price, the average angbao is still +/- $80 only. If you want to cover for $1k/table, make sure you got more people who will give you $120 and above.

QP means Qualified Person (silly definition right???), which refers to structural engineer, professional engineer, etc people who are qualified for certain tasks and inspection checks. Ya got problems with our infamous Mr Teo (I think everyone here knows here liao, right?? Hehe...). Long story...maybe will go post in my blog or tell you next time we meet...

Sorry, my mistake. But I guess my post still stands corrected? As a stat board, HDB is even more leaning towards showing that they are non-profitable, and a 'bonus' if they are losing money. That's a whole wrong idea then. Why should HDB be "just like any private developer"? Remember their vision and mission? The fact that it has a household income capped at $8k should be sufficient to prevent the rich from leveraging on the cheap public housing, thus public housing should have been what it was supposed to be, CHEAP. And frankly, it is WRONG to be factoring the cost of building the whole township into our flats; are we saying that the roads/bus interchanges/land/etc are to be used by those flat-owners only, people from other towns or private estate owners cannot use them? If it is supposed to be a public amenity, then let it be paid for by public funds (SLA/LTA/etc), not HDB. Oops, sorry my mistake again on SLA's status. If what you said is true that $$ from SLA is treated as capital, then again its another WRONG. Who owns the land? Nobody. SLA acquires land at a cost, and sells to HDB - did they sell it at the same cost as they had procured the land for, or did they mark up? Ok, let's assume that sells the land to HDB at cost at no profits and take a look at the eg below: For a HDB enbloc case, we are compensated by SLA at about 30% to 40% below market value of the flats. So SLA later "sold" it back to HDB again, assuming at the same cost as what it had paid to flat-owners, and HDB goes and build new flats on that land. The question is: Why did the new flats cost only 10% to 20% below market value?? We only have two answers: Either SLA did make a profit when selling the land to HDB, or HDB did make a profit when selling the flats to us. We don't know. But EITHER WAY, there is a profit made and that profit had hence disappeared into the govt "reserves" and classified as "capital".

Good lor, now settling the problem with HDB. Once the QP says ok, paintworks and lightings will be done this week, then maybe aircon also, then lastly carpentry. Hopefully can be done before my birthday by end of this month...hehe...

Wah, each table is $1k+? Don't take so ex one lor...what to do? Sometimes very hard to raise such issues leh - my wifey's family ask for 10 tables because last time her sister's wedding also 10 tables. Reasoning was if eldest daughter wedding got invite these 100 guests, the youngest daughter must invite mah. But they never think their eldest son-in-law stays in landed property whereas this youngest son-in-law (me!!) here is staying in HDB flat one lor... As for the angbaos, even harder to get back. All the 10 tables will be their relatives, so they will naturally give the angbaos to my wifey's parents, which is the relatives blessing to the parents. So how to expect my wifey's parents to give me back the angbaos? Sometimes got to be prepared for this lor, I lost $8K+ altogether, only breakeven for my own tables. But by now the pain is gone liao and still got good memories. If we were to ask for angbaos or for the parents to pay for the tables, sure got big issues one, then wedding will not be happy liao. Most impt is to be happy lah, money is a side issue, bite your teeth and earn back next time...

Bro my company (I do not want to name) is also making a "loss" every year because they need to "pay" their mother company for this and that expenses. But my boss has been sitting there for at least 15 yrs liao and he is still getting his high 5-figure salary - if really making a loss, why is he not sacked? Private companies do it for taxation purposes, GLCs do it to maintain its 'non-profitable' image. Remember HDB is no longer a stat board; they are a profitable organisation, but not to let the citizens accuse it of profiteering, they reported that they are "making a loss". But really lose money or not, only they know lor... I believe in raising new flats' prices actually, because as new flats become more and more advanced and beautiful, they need to give the private sector a fair competition, otherwise all the developers will run. See how the recent HDB projects they are asking private developers to build? This is a strong sign that they are trying to attract property developers to stay in Singapore. But the impending question is, since HDB pays SLA so much to buy land and build new flats, where is the money then? Surely SLA, which does not exists in the past and suddenly now earning so much money, must have channelled the money somewhere? If the govt can show a link where the money is actually channelled to help our needy and poor people, I have no complains. But I believe not...

Bro so when you will be at your place? I am there almost every other day, sometimes drop by your floor to take a peek but you always not around leh...

What's your budget? I saw a few at furniture mall, but sorry can't remember the name of the shop. You should be able to see it after walking a few rounds...

This is a good one - did you buy the compact one or full size one??

Found this on the website, doesn't have a door. Maybe can suit your needs? https://secure.myhome.com.sg/HomeImprovemen...ingboards.shtml