Friday, February 10, 2006

-*- The 10 Million Dollar Experience....  

So the whole of Singapore knows about the $10 million dollars ToTo HongBao Draw: A Once-a-year Phenomenon right? Well, so a lot of people do buy righT? Spend lotsa lotsa money on it right? Even though you've never bought Toto before, you may have also joined in the fun right? And so I did too...

Actually, in the 1st week of Chinese New Year and I was already thinking about how much I should spend on Hongbao Draw this year... (Yes, I buy almost every year, if I can remember, that is.. And who forgets, seriously?) So for some weird reason, I decided that we (Vin and I) should spend more this year, whereas Vin decided that we shouldn't even spend any money on it.. And somehow, Vin kinda persuaded me into not buying, and so I decided that I won't be buying this year..

But come 9th Feb, i.e. yesterday, my family and I were having our usual chat sessions, when Erjie and I routinely slacked in my parents room, disturbing them, and refusing to let them sleep... (And here's a little silly story about my dad...) And out of nowhere, Daddy asked me to check out the Toto draw time on 10th Feb... And so I did... Told him 10 O'clock, and thinking that it's 10 AM, he went... OH! MEI YOU LE! ("oh! no more already!").. As though he had lost his 10 million dollars... Then my whole family started making fun of him, mocking him.. And that's when I stopped everyone, and told them it's 10PM! Nonetheless, Daddy made a fool out of himself! But we still love him! ;p

And so I think he went to buy Toto this afternoon, or morning, not sure, I got home about 7... And after Lay went home, after visiting my dog (yes, I got another one..), I reminded myself to go buy a few sets of numbers too.. And I went about doing my stuff, until I suddenly remembered that I FORGOT TO BUY TOTO!!

At 915pm (!!!), I left the house, with Vin's numbers, even though he was the one who said he didn't wanna buy this year.. (Pig.. Oink!) Anyway, I decided to drive, even though the Singapore Pools place is like five minutes walk from my place... Hahah no time to lose man! And so in like a minute, I reached the opposite side of the Singapore Pools Branch, where I wanted to park, because parking at the road side on the side of the branch would be a mistake, since everyone is probably there for the Toto H.B.D, or some funny horse racing matches... And so I parked at the opposite side, in opening of a street that a lot of cars need to turn to get to the opposite traffic (which actually is the side of the traffic where my house is, but let's not confuse you.. hahah).. I had thought that I would only need to park there for a while, and all the cars were able to turn into the small street and hence I wasn't very in the way... So after parking, I very dangerously JAYWALKED across, to the branch, only to realise that I left my pouch in the car... And so I dangerously jaywalked back to the car to get the pouch and very dangerously jaywalked back to the Sg Pools Branch...

So when I get there, I realised there was a special counter Just For Toto H.B.D... And I started shading Vin's numbers quickly, because I only had like 10 minutes to enter his numbers, as well as coming up with my own numbers... And so I paid for his, and started on mine... And that's when stuff started to happen.. I was queuing, very absorbed in my betting, and then I heard this very loud honk from the road just outside the branch.. And I was thinking to myself, "What the..? Do you really need to be so loud? And so INSISTENT?" The guy was holding the honk down, creating an insistent and irritating honk.. And then I decided to K-poh.. Then I turned around and I saw....

A BUS!!!!!

Trying to turn into the lane I parked my car!!!

But unable to turn... Because someone (something, actually) was blocking it!!!

And behind it,

A stream of cars!! Quite a few cars... 4? Perhaps more....

Everyone was honking.. At the thing that was blocking the way...

AT MY CAR!!!!!!!!

"Oh my GOD!!!!" I thought.. But I'm NEXT in line!! I'm placing bets for myself already!! I don't have time!! I had like TWO minutes before they close!! So in order to look inconspicuous, I decided to have this look on my face, like everyone else's.. A look that says: "EXACTLY which retard parked his DAMN car there!!!!"

And then, yes! It's my turn! And quickly, I put in my bets, and because I was using NETS to pay, it was particularly S-L-O-W!!! To think the guy who was queuing behind me got his receipts and betting tickets faster than I did.. And I was the one who was jamming up the whole street! And FINALLY, I got my stuff.. And like a mad woman, I started shouting: "EXCUSEME!! SORRYEXCUSEME!!! SORRYSORRYEXCUSEME"

And that kinda got everyone's attention.. Heads turned from the road (with the honking BUS and CARSSSSSSSS) to me, and everyone realised that the REtard was ME! And someone started to shout at me! And everyone FOLLOWED!!! As I ran out of the shop, people saw me and they realised it was me, and so they shouted... Stuff like "Wah Lao!" "WAH!" "WAh lan oy!!" "ORRHHHHHH" and classic, "SUMMON LIAO LAH!!!!!" (and they don't pronounce summon.. They say "SAH MAHHN"!) Goodness! I was freaked!!! When I stepped out, I saw a longer stream of cars, behind the bus, ALL HONKING!!! Easily 10 up cars!!! GOODNESS!

Frantically, I extremely DANGEROUSLY ran across the road again, and RAN to the car, with ALL The cars HONKING LOUDER at me!! Brrr...

Like that's not bad enough......

As I reached the car, I managed to very quickly take out my car keys! But guess what! My stupid car remote decided that it should just stop working all of a sudden! **Panic** And helplessly, I squeezed, tapped, hit, and knocked the remote, trying to get it to work again.. It just wouldn't work! Desperate, I unlocked the car with my car keys.. An action that would trigger the ALARM!!! And trigger the alarm I did.. Usually, when I'm not panicking like that, the alarm will be switched off very easily and very smoothly by me.. BUT! OF all times, I happened to not be able to shut the alarm now!! *dead* And it doesn't help to start engine, car alarms don't shut up just because you start the engine... But I started it up anyway.. And true enough, alarm continued!! Grrr... Desperate STILL, I decided to drive away, with the alarm loud and deafening.... Or at least move out of the bus and the MANY cars' way first.... And so I did.. Moved about 10 metres or so...

10 metres ahead, and with many killer stares from all drivers passing by, I started to try to fix the damn ALARM.. After like 10 secs of trying, I gave up, and turned my attention to the remote instead... Squeezing it, tapping it, knocking it.. FINALLY, it was okay again! And so I pressed to shut the alarm, and finally, my car silenced..

In the short span of 20 minutes, I illegally parked, jaywalked twice, no, THRice, rushed against time to buy Toto, held up a BUS and ten other cars, had dozens of people shouting at me, jaywalked AGAIN, had my remote spoil on me, and drove with deafening alarm... It's safe to say I was pretty T-R-A-U-M-A-T-I-S-E-D....

Anyway, after that, I was pretty spaced out, and I chionged to catch the bus, and overtook it, for no reason at all... I was thinking I should ask if they are gonna issue me a summons.. But I slowed down and decided to park in the parking bay of Kembangan MRT instead... Hahahah... Let's just pray hard for me regarding the summons thing.. Heheh..

So that was hell of an experience for me man.. Traumatised man!

But in retrospection, I find the entire experience extremely exhilarating.. I was so high afterwards man! Nara and Lay can testify to that.. I was so crazy when I was telling them about the whole thing, everything to everything... I think I said the words "Never so high in my life before!" Hahaha, perhaps... Perhaps not.. Haha but nonetheless, it was quite a thrilling evening la.. Heheh

I bet you must be thinking: "ALL this just for TOTO???? You don't even know if you're gonna win for sure!" Well, ya, I have to agree la.. But let's just hope that I didn't get issued a summons lor..

Because I DID WIN!!!

Hahahahha... Well, I have only four matching numbers... So that's EXTREMELY little payout only la.. Not too sure.. Anyway, it's enough to cover my bets la! In fact, it's enough to cover Vin's bets as well (we bet very small one la..), but since it's gambling, I made it a rule to keep the accounts straight.. So he paid me the money for his bets.. But Valentine's Day Dinner will be on me! Hahaha it's so gonna be more than what I won, but doesn't matter la! As long as we're happy! Hahaha...

Anyway, here's a scan of my winning ticket!!! (Just to haolian! Hahaha...):

Look at Set B, a.k.a the winning set!
The numbers that came up for The 2006 Toto Hongbao Draw:
11 15 23 24 30 42 Additional: 09

The 10 Million Dollar Experience.... - 

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