And just to temper that last blog update, lest we forget that it does get very wet in other ways in Singapore. That is a lot of rain by anyone's standards!
Owner and photographer at Noodle Photography in Singapore
Friday 25 June 2010
Sing or swim
Well, I've done a lot of swimming, in a lot of pools, but, I have never seen anything like this before. Pretty spectacular to say the least. It's definitely going on my lsit of 'to dos' when I get out there!
Marina Bay Sands roof top pool.
49 days left!
We go sub-50 days until we fly to Singapore. Wow, it's really getting close. Our belongings are being shipped in exactly two weeks which is also pretty scary! It's all booked, just a small matter of paying for it now. Must give the relo company a ring with a card number (preferabley someone elses!). Starting to get to the point where we're feeling like it's a bit out of control I think.
Our new tenant popped round yesterday to see if she wants to buy anything from us. No, in short, aprt from our living room mirror. So now we really have to get our skates on to clear out before we leave! She seemed very nice though and the kids got on like a house on fire. Although we seemed apprehensive to her about letting, I get the impression she's seen it all before and was very relaxed which is a relief. Hopefully it will be a trouble free relationship.
Fingers crossed!
Monday 21 June 2010
Fibre Optics
We hear a lot about how Asia is leading the way when it comes to technology. I'm looking forward to the way things are shaping up for broadband in Singapore. It will quite probably change the way we watch TV, listen to music and watch films. Not to mention actually being able to Skype etc. without the camera connection conking out all the time! Find out more here Open Net in Singapore
At some point in the near future I should be able to access 1Gbps speeds. By 2012 95% of the island (yes an entire country) will have coverage. And it's already ahead of schedule. Impressive stuff. I wonder how that would work in the UK? Well, I don't really because it wouldn't. And won't for the foreseeable I should imagine as the current Government has got other things on their plate without having to worry about that sort of expense. I can see coming back to the UK being frustratingly slow when it comes to get online in the future. Let alone wanting to carry on doing everything I got used to doing in Singapore. However, the exciting bit is actually being in a position to experience that in the first place!
At some point in the near future I should be able to access 1Gbps speeds. By 2012 95% of the island (yes an entire country) will have coverage. And it's already ahead of schedule. Impressive stuff. I wonder how that would work in the UK? Well, I don't really because it wouldn't. And won't for the foreseeable I should imagine as the current Government has got other things on their plate without having to worry about that sort of expense. I can see coming back to the UK being frustratingly slow when it comes to get online in the future. Let alone wanting to carry on doing everything I got used to doing in Singapore. However, the exciting bit is actually being in a position to experience that in the first place!
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Tenant
So, we have a tenant! Hurray! Found out last Friday with a call from the estate agent. By his demeanour I thought he was going to be giving me some feedback from the viewing earlier in the day. But no. She (single mother of two, 7 and 14 years old respectively), has put down a holding deposit and the house is off the market. She sounds ideal. Wants to move in on 2 August (which is what we wanted). Wants a 12 month contract (fine by us) and has a job in the city (which helps). So, that's that. Well, not quite obviously. We would like her to come back in and cast an objective eye over our furniture (and anything else she wants) and make us an offer on it so we don't have to get it out of the house. Chief furniture offender is the dining room table and chairs. It's lovely, but huge! Getting it in was a logistical struggle (doors off hinges etc.) So we'd really rather keep it in if possible. Just laziness basically!
Meanwhile, more 'stuff' has been floating out of the door whether sold or for free. And there's still a lot left! Anyway, the relocation company is now booked for 8 July and that really is D-Day for anything we want to send out there. By the same token, anything left afterwards is either coming on the plane with us or IT HAS TO GO!! Which reminds me, I must find out if we absolutely have to have relo insurance. As it stands, using the companies own insurance, we'll have to pay around £250. Now, that's a lot of money and we aren't taking anything that's worth that sort of money. So what's the point? Well, obviously it's an easy way for the relo company to make a few bob extra but to be honest I could do without that extra expense. Most of what we'd want insured is not replaceable (i.e. wedding glassware), and we might as well save that insurance money and just buy nice new one's if they're smashed. Hmmmmm.....
And at around the time our effects are shipped, we should find out where we are living. That's the exciting bit. Hoping that as we're the only family being 'shipped' out this year (from the UK anyway), that they'll have no trouble finding us a nice big appartment! They have sent details of the kind of thing we can expect and they look very, very nice. Fingers crossed!
Meanwhile, more 'stuff' has been floating out of the door whether sold or for free. And there's still a lot left! Anyway, the relocation company is now booked for 8 July and that really is D-Day for anything we want to send out there. By the same token, anything left afterwards is either coming on the plane with us or IT HAS TO GO!! Which reminds me, I must find out if we absolutely have to have relo insurance. As it stands, using the companies own insurance, we'll have to pay around £250. Now, that's a lot of money and we aren't taking anything that's worth that sort of money. So what's the point? Well, obviously it's an easy way for the relo company to make a few bob extra but to be honest I could do without that extra expense. Most of what we'd want insured is not replaceable (i.e. wedding glassware), and we might as well save that insurance money and just buy nice new one's if they're smashed. Hmmmmm.....
And at around the time our effects are shipped, we should find out where we are living. That's the exciting bit. Hoping that as we're the only family being 'shipped' out this year (from the UK anyway), that they'll have no trouble finding us a nice big appartment! They have sent details of the kind of thing we can expect and they look very, very nice. Fingers crossed!
Tuesday 8 June 2010
MRT VANDALISM CASE
This has been rumbling on for some time but it's quite reassuring that a case as seemingly as trifling as this (to me), is such a major news story over in Singapore. It's the national equivalent of the old 'Cat Stuck Up Tree Headline' in a local newspaper.
The Straits Times
The Straits Times
More paperwork
Last night was spent sifting through various bits of paperwork (electronic and paper), that the relocation company need completing in order to move us. I thought it would be a case of 'pay us the money and we'll move you'. But, no, definitely not! Copies of passports, letters of introduction, work passes, inventories, customs declarations, you name it! The fact that we have no idea where we'll be leaving left a few blank spaces but I think we got most of it done. That took a little while so by the end it was unanimously decided (between me and my wife), that it was time for pizza. With a G'n'T. Done!
Still lots to get through and indeed rather than writing this blog I should be emailing the relo company with questions I need answering. Nothing desperate but it needs doing and answers need obtaining. You can't believe how much space is taken up with seemingly small amounts of goods that need shipping but, we've managed 137 cubic feet with no trouble at all. Now, I know that's not much as far as container ships go but it costing £1060 and we're barely taking anything. thank goodness the school's paying!
Still lots to get through and indeed rather than writing this blog I should be emailing the relo company with questions I need answering. Nothing desperate but it needs doing and answers need obtaining. You can't believe how much space is taken up with seemingly small amounts of goods that need shipping but, we've managed 137 cubic feet with no trouble at all. Now, I know that's not much as far as container ships go but it costing £1060 and we're barely taking anything. thank goodness the school's paying!
Monday 7 June 2010
Finally....
The sign-man finally turned up and put a 'For Sale' sign up outside the house. Think he must have overheard us moaning as he changed it five minutes later to a 'To Let' sign. Thank you, that wasn't too difficult was it? We had one viewing on Friday (the 1st and only one of the week). The hordes ain't exactly bashing the doors down, eh?
We are now advertsing our wares on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn via our status updates. Amazing how many people you can reach these days! Had a few responses from FB which is a good start. That reminds me. Must update my status. Hey, it's not an interesting status but it's the only one I've got at the moment!
The house is starting to look more and more bare as the days go on which is quite weird. However, looking at it logically, it should probably look a site more bare considering the lack of time we have in front of us before we depart! Sure we'll get there. Now, where's that number for the Car Boot Sale?
I was going to take a picture just of the sign but, frankly, the flowers were a lot nicer to look at!
We are now advertsing our wares on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn via our status updates. Amazing how many people you can reach these days! Had a few responses from FB which is a good start. That reminds me. Must update my status. Hey, it's not an interesting status but it's the only one I've got at the moment!
The house is starting to look more and more bare as the days go on which is quite weird. However, looking at it logically, it should probably look a site more bare considering the lack of time we have in front of us before we depart! Sure we'll get there. Now, where's that number for the Car Boot Sale?
Tuesday 1 June 2010
Clearance
More clearing of the house while the kids are in nursery and T is on half term hols. Its never ending! Another dump trip plus numerous listings on Ebay, Netmums and Freecycle. Also been organising stuff for a car boot sale but think that's going to be done after we've had everything shipped. Give us a better idea of what's left. Which will probably be quite a lot! It's all gotta go at some point!
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