By Kimberly Spykerman
News Reporter
kimspyke@sph.com.sg

 

SINGAPOREANS certainly take superstition very seriously.

You'd think that Singaporeans would be clamouring over each other to partake in all manner of auspicious activity considering that three eights in a single date would add up to a triple dose of prosperity.

The Hungry Ghost Festival, however, has cast a shadow over the desirability of today as a wedding date. Apparently, only 302 couples tied the knot today.

Still, one couple in particular, seemed determined to flaunt their happiness in the face of superstition by ensuring that just about every part of their ceremony had the number eight tied to it.

Call it the fearlessness of youth or a reckless defiance of traditional belief? You decide.

The young couple, 26-year-old Mr Steve Ngiam and his bride Ms Moon Liew met at the popular Dbl O nightclub, which was where the former started his race to the altar. In a videocall to his bride-to-be, Mr Ngiam angled his mobile phone to the club's logo and said in Mandarin, "Do you know where this is? This is where we first met!".

He then broke into an eight-minute run that would take him to the StarDuS clubhouse where Ms Liew was waiting. Mr Ngiam, accompanied by three of his close friends, carried the wedding rings and a bouquet of 88 roses. Ms Liew cheered him on through videophone the whole time.

Arriving just in time to be married at 8:08am, the couple really threw caution to the wind by proceeding to the highlight of the ceremony - the 88 second kiss.

Said the newlywed Mr Ngiam: "She didn't think I would put in so much effort. So I wanted to prove her wrong, and I'm happy to do this for her."

Now who says the modern kids don't know anything about good old fashioned tradition?

They even had 88 roses.
ST Photo: Lim Sin Thai