When the world laughs at you 1

Laugh back at the world.

Yea, what happens when the world seems to be laughing at you? Laughing at your ignorance, your insufficiencies, your inertia to know about what you should know... what will you do?

CM once told me that when that happens, just laugh back at the world.

Just some updates...

My siblings and I have just bought a house last Saturday. It's at Punggol, Edgedale Plains. Not "bought", cos we haven't paid the full sum, but we offered the buyer and got accepted. So now we are in the midst of doing the procedures at HDB and bank sides. Will be moving in November.

I was a little overwhelmed actually. We have been viewing houses these 2 weeks and often, the houses are either too inconvenient, too old (and thus needs excessive renovations), too expensive etc etc etc..

But when my sister and brother saw this house, they really wanted it so much, despite it's beside LRT, no MRT. They actually called me while I was at work, to ask me if we can invest in that house. I was quite shocked that they made up my mind so quickly. It took my brother 1 week to buy an iphone, but few hours to want to get that house. And because of that, I know this is the house that the God has provided for us - for it's extremely hard to please my brother and if he really says yes, it really is good I believe.

This house wasn't my first choice. For many reasons, (1) It's far from work and 2-3 times a week I need to be work at 730 or 8am, it means I have to wake up very early to travel. To both Yishun/ Queenstown. (2) It is a bit higher than our projected budget (3) I still think we can wait for better offer.

But my brother actually took the effort to convince me. You know, this is the first time I saw him seriously hoping I will nod my head. Suddenly nothing became more important than this. Hahaha. So I agreed, we made the offer, and the house is ours, if we give our downpayment neat in September.

It's really a nice house. 3 years old, minimal renovations. I see the point, every reasons to buy it, although it's not my most favorite. I know I will grow to like it, it's just a matter of time. I felt quite bad when I told people that my siblings like the house (discounting the "me" in the statement). I know I shouldn't . Sigh, silly me again. It may had given ppl the impression that I am forced to buy the house. Really felt like slapping my mouth when the words came out!

I will grow to like the house. This is the house that is given to us after many prayers and searching. And I should stand on the same side as my siblings.

In fact, there were many struggles over these few days, especially after the decision has been made, contract signed. The down payment of course. Never in my entire life so far my bank account has 5 digits. But I need to get ready a 5 digits sum by September. Not only me, my sister and brother too.

I know I should have expected it when I said I wanted to get a house. The financial issues, the expenditure etc etc... they are all important considerations. But I simply chucked them behind me thinking they will be settled in the most natural ways if God really wants to give me a house.

Then the questions came to me..

"How are you gonna settle the 5 digits sum? Credit-line? loans?

How come you don't know what's your CPF contribution?

How come you don't know these don't know that?

How can you be so ignorant when you're now working already?

You don't even know how bank loans work, the interest rate etc etc.."

I was quite upset when such things were shot at me. I know I should check all these before I happily declared that I wanted to buy a house with them, but many times, when I checked the bank websites, I simply cannot understand the ? per annum thing etc etc.. I know I shouldn't make excuses but I really don't know how CPF contributions work and I know being a 2 weeks old PR is a good enough reason for me to must know all these.

I also know that I had the smallest role to play in the entire buying house game that we're dealing with but I just don't know how. I don't want to say "God will provide" words like these because it has become a "cheap grace" in your eyes.

SIGH.