Lumina Grand

 

It felt like back in Jan 2019 where we got this place in Senja, Bukit Panjang. Well, I honestly prefer to be nearer to my parents in Buangkok then, but the prices there were untenable. I mean it is still possible but I think at that point of time Bukit Panjang, struck me as a place where the properties will be cheaper. So, I decided to follow the basic principle which is to be near one side of the parents. Saw a couple of properties. 7 properties in total, and then we chanced upon this one. It's what Cat has always wanted because of the location, I mean its really God like you know. A direct bus to orchard, 30 mins train ride to town or to the west side of Jurong East , direct trains to work for both of us. By car is still only about 35 mins to my parents place. 

Honestly, initially I was skeptical because the prices were really steeped and we ended paying COV as well. Also, I didn't like that we were beside a core road as well as the LRT track just right down our place. The living room was not too bad , pretty alright but yeah it's kinda noisy. At the same time, I was probably tired of trying to look for other properties, though I now know it is not as many as other people did. I probably don't really feel as grateful for this house in the first 3 years as compared to now, mainly due to my depression and negativity back then. I was hung up on a lot of things and frankly I couldn't really envision that I would be able to stay in a Condo or a private property. Well but here we are, I mean it's not hard in stone yet because still pending HDB approval and frankly we need to save much more money before the TOP. 

Similarly with Lumina Grand, it has the same vibes as when we got this house. It's a place that Cat likes it a lot but one that I am not really convinced by. I didn't like the location and the way the buildings are so close to each other . So we were more interested in the other EC which is called Novo Place which would have put it right in Tengah area( although it's really the far end, nearer to Jurong East then Tengah). I personally prefer that as well because the distance between the blocks are further and that the whole estate aesthetically looks to be developed better. Downside is the lack of carparks and probably the layout is just decent only. 

So we tried the first stage balloting phase, but we couldn't get a unit because of the second timer limit (30%). Then we were offered this unit at Lumina Grand which was bounced out as Lumina Grand launch was in Jan 2024 which we can't qualify for and we were in Sydney. Developer didn't increase the price when it was released back into the market and at that point of time, I wasn't really comfortable with the place and it was also west sun facing, which in Sydney had experienced before, it's alright in winter but in Singapore weather, No thanks. I remember Ronald, Cat's brother thinks from an investment point of view, if we don't take it, it is crazy...because of the stringent procedures for EC and also the element of luck plays a lot in getting an EC. So if there is one that is right in front of ya, you should just take it. However, a part of me felt that there is something at Novo place, and if we never even tried, then I felt that we will never know if there is a chance to get that instead. 

The second ballot came, and we tried and...frankly it was pretty disappointing, we were way behind the numbers and the unit that we wanted were all gone. Earlier I did mention to our agent that if we get nothing from Novo, we are going straight into Lumina Grand. Coincidentally, the unit was still available all this while, for 2 to 3 weeks, no one went for it. Like Cat and the agent also mention, if it's yours, it's yours. Then it became a mad rush to put in the down payment and to get the paper work done. I guess most probably there are others as well, all decided to wait until after Novo Place 2nd timer ballot. Luckily, we manage to get it over the line. 

So here we are, with the largest asset purchase of our lives, and it's one that is definitely as of now, currently punching above our weight and a bit is dependent on us earning more so to least cover some Reno costs. Of course, we also factor in a car that's why its so tight , because frankly this place with no car is really inconvenient. 

I do want to mention that it is within the 1km to ACS primary which was another reason we went for it. The good school effect is very much still strong in Singapore. 

Yeah this is the story behind it. I didn't have an entry for this house back in 2019 but I guess this one hits different so it deserves an entry here. 

Nolstagia

 www.youtube.com/@TheOverlap    

This might not even make it to be published. But, I have to say that it does strangely feel that I am trying to be nostalgic about the old Manchester United and that this channel helps in relieving all those years again. Of course, the tantalizing parts are those that are not reported widely and that the truth from the players all help. 

I guess in a way, it kinda reminds me of what being a leader is , or maybe being a man is . If I were to be backed in the Army, I would probably be labelled as a pussy, literally. Everything also scared, everything also worried about. Sometimes all anyone need to is basically just to kick on. 

How life just zoom past

 It's time for another update, I don't know if this will be the last post for the year. Maybe. So I am back for awhile now and that I really felt that I never really left Singapore after all this time. Well, 18 months to be exact. It still feels surreal that I was living an expat life in Sydney just 6 months ago. How strange that it felt like a long time ago. 

I still can remember the particular corners and traffic lights when I drive to fetch Cat to and fro from work. The cold weather hitting my face especially during the winter time, the vast openness of their parks where Marly was able to run free without her leash and will always respond to us when we called her. She was so calm last time and unlike in SG where she is always triggered and will keep barking. And of course, my trusty Toyota Corolla aka Tofu, I wonder how he is doing now. Weird that I am treating an inanimate object as an animated one. 

So, it has already been just over a month since I started work. Quite a couple of things had happened, I mean outside of work also...work had been quite alright to be honest. The pace is much slower than when I started at Hedge Fund and maybe because I had already been used to the system and all, I pretty much got up to speed with the systems at a much faster time as compared to my very first joining them from BNP. I think this time around, maybe it's just me or not, but  I feel that there is added pressure since it was Steph who had reached out to get me back and of course Cheralyn as well. Then I seemed to like know quite a bit of the AVPs and the bigger bosses that I felt that maybe my other teammates would have treated me differently. However, I don't feel that's the case, so I think I am lucky. I still hang out with my old teammates quite frequently especially for lunch and all. I guess the Private Equity Team is small so people like Hannah got her own clicque but Bavani is usually alone though she seems ok with being alone. It's kinda a bit hard to like in my old team where we click pretty good together. Probably it is just me thinking too much again. In a nutshell, I think so far work has been pretty alright and it's just getting up to speed and to achieve my goal of getting promoted to Supervisor by the next end of the year. I think this time round I am back, I felt that I had to move fast and keep getting promoted because of course I had taken the time off back in Sydney and also about the 3 year period that the Fengshui master had told me that this 3 years is going to be the years where everything will be smooth and that I had to make the most of it. After that, it's not gonna be as good already. So it's like, it's all or nothing. 

So the other big change that I had mentioned earlier in this post was also the reason why I need to get my promotions. Is that both Cat and Me had gotten a Penthouse EC at Bukit Batok which cost ridiculous money , it really stretch our finances nearly to the max. It is not impossible but it will definitely push us to our limits. So the days of free spending the past 5 years, means that we need to tighten the wallets more. So the only way to get back to those days, is to up our pay. Cat says her salary is pretty much flat the next few years unless she get fast tracked to Partnership, so it's just up to me now. I think in PE team, I don't know if there will ever be 2 AVPs , now there is only 1 and this 1 has been in the position for a very long time. But there are definitely vacant positions for Supervisor, so my goal is to get one of those positions and that will increase my pay. 

I mean if you follow my past entries, I had always mentioned that I don't like this corporate ladder climbing, like if its get to political, I don't like it. Right now, I see that least up to VP level here, doesn't feel like there is any politics. Not saying that there wont be , but it feels like it. The Fengshui master also got mention that I don't do well in a planning kind of role aka higher management like C-suite. Do I aspire to be that ? Well I know that from the beginning I never really am interested in it. So as long as my role is not those planning kind , more of the hands on and more transactional kind, not those boring data entries kind then I will do well in them. It kinda reminds me why I actually thrived in certain customer servicing roles, like in IRAS and in BNP where I faced the different RMs. I like roles when people look to me as a problem solver , so that's kinda my interest. Frankly, here in Citco, I dont really like the long term prospects because more and more work are being moved to India and Manila. I think it will eventually be like an exclusive team of Singaporeans that will be working with not increasing much head count unless more biz is earned or if the clients specifically mention that they want Singaporeans and the not the offshore team(s). That will also mean how much higher can fees be raised , since Singaporeans are expensive and that the offshore teams are way much cheaper( I just learnt that a VP in Manila earns twice as less as me a Senior Officer). 

Well I guess that I probably need to head to another kind of direction, but in the meantime, I need to secure my promotion by the end of 2025. That's definitely my goal for the year.