11/11/11 Fri, Nov 11, 2011 | tabla! IF YOU'RE reading this on Nov 11, take a moment to think about today... it's a special day. It's the 11th day of the 11th month of the 2011th year in the modern calendar. Not surprisingly, many people all over the world have used this date for special moments... weddings, engagements, having babies, major investments and even a bit of speculation. In Singapore, the Registry of Marriages states that 573 couples have registered with it to tie the knot on the day. Compare that figure to the 52 marriages on the same date last year and you realise the appeal of 11/11/11. One Singaporean couple that tabla! spoke to revealed that they decided to get married on this day while chatting with their bankers early this year. When told there was an "auspicious" date coming up in November, the couple decided to tie the knot on the day... and are currently in San Francisco doing just that! Like many couples who didn't start planning early enough, they faced many hurdles. The initial choice of venue - Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay - was fully booked for the day. Even wedding planners, photographers and florists were heavily booked and this was reflected in their charges for the day. After checking out many alternative venues, the couple were about to make their booking when they got lucky. There was a cancellation at their first choice and they grabbed the slot. So, at 11am US West Coast time on 11/11/11, they will become husband and wife. In India, the Hindustan Times newspaper wrote about a couple that got engaged in January... with a caveat. Miss Parinaz Jehangirji agreed to accept her boyfriend Hushidar Kharas' proposal only on condition that the wedding would take place on 11/11/11. Her reason: "Since the date is easy to remember, he cannot use it as an excuse to forget our anniversary in the future." The special day has also sparked many websites devoted to it. While some deal with prophecies and even alien encounters, one did some numerical research... and displayed that 111,111 x 111,111 = 12,345,654,321. Go figure. Indian astrologers too have got into the act, predicting that the year of 111 is considered a money bag year that is ruled by the Sun god. Many couples are hoping to have their babies on the day too. Bangalore-based astrologer Muralikrishna Sarma told the Deccan Chronicle: "Number one depicts success, therefore the day would bring success and is considered as special day." He pointed out that the planetary motions of Shani (Saturn) will shift from Leo and Virgo which would be favourable to both the zodiac signs. However, he did add that births on Nov 1 and 11 would be good but there could be health problems for the male child. That apparently isn't stopping many parents-to-be. And, if rumours are to be believed, that includes Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan. As for that Singaporean couple getting married in the US, the groom will have to sweat it out at the altar for a few minutes. Before they caught their flight, the bride whispered to tabla! that she plans on making her appearance only at 11 minutes and 11 seconds past the scheduled hour. Guess that makes it 11.11.11am on 11/11/11. Now, there's a true Singapore girl!