THE PREGNANT LADY

When I first visited Singapore around the age of 9-10 years old, the 3 things I remembered from the trip was Sentosa, Marina Mandarin Hotel and double seater bicycle rides. Of course as a young child, I wouldn't know it is called the Marina Mandarin Hotel. I just know it is like a pregnant lady. It is because of its pregnant like shape that it had a lasting impression in my memory. Somehow, I could just remember that building.

Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore was designed by John Portman. I visited the interior in Year 1 of my architecture undergraduate studies to see its' interior signature design of Portman. It gave me a feeling that I was inside a volcano. Few years later, probably after the September 11, they tightened the security and forced you to only access the floor where your room is located. Still, I always admire the interior setting. It is just so unique.

Around 18 years later today, I finally got the chance to sleep in her! When joining the My paper/aLife "Make LOVE Happen" event for a 1/100 chance to ride the Singapore Flyer, I also won the lucky draw for a one-night hotel stay. I didn't know Marina Mandarin was the hotel in the draw as it was not stated during the registration period. Only after attending the event that I knew I had a 1/100 chance of winning the stay which is worth at least S$300.

It is therefore very interesting and appropriate to me that they gave away this stay in the Pregnant Lady, since the main aim for this event is to rediscover the keys to securing a lasting marriage and starting a family together - basically a marriage preparation talk in their Marriage Enrichment & Fertility Awareness Series. A coincidence?

Dr. Peter Chew, a consultant obstetrician, gynaecologist and aLife's chairman gave a talk on "Fertility Awareness". I tell you like me you thought you know all about it from your Secondary 5 Biology class but after the talk, you will be surprised how much you don't know about your and your wife's body. There was also a talk by John and Nicole Jegathesan on "Speaking the Language of Love". Although the couple's talk was good, but I felt that it was too general and it would be better if they gave more specific examples. Still, I think I learnt a lot from the event and was happy I attended. Apart from that, the buffet dinner could have a bit more varieties. It was not as good as I had expected.

Back to the lucky draw. Well, we were asked to fill in the feedback form to be thrown into the box with a hole on top. I was filling up my details when I saw people throwing in. I told myself to improve my chances of winning, I should aim at throwing in at the middle and folding the paper at an appropriate size. If you folded your paper too small, the person who would pick it had lower chance of getting your paper. If your paper was not folded at all, he might have problems getting it out from the hole. I told myself my chances of winning was 1/100. Although all these could improve my chances of winning, at the end of the day, it was still down to pure luck.

Therefore, I folded it to an appropriate size to fit through the hole just nice. Dr. Peter Chew was given the honour to pick the lucky draw winner. The MC, Daniel, got it from Dr. Chew to read out to the audience. He announced that the guy had the same name as him and had the same handwriting as him. I thought for a moment it could be me because my handwriting is really like unreadable. He just called Daniel without the surname. There was total silence from the floor.

I thought I should remain silent since there could be more than 1 Daniel in the crowd. Well, it is not a very common name but not too rare either. I worked with 2 Daniels as my colleagues now. The MC called for Daniel again and asked if he was around. It was only then I stood up and walked to the stage to receive my prize! It was definitely one of the best prizes I had won. I wish to thank My Paper and aLife for organizing this event and I truly learnt something valuable as well as enjoyed the Singapore Flyer ride.





So the ultimate last question I would always like to ask:
Would you really get pregnant by staying in the pregnant lady? Hehe!