Back in Singapore for round two!!!!

Wayne at the pool.

We have done our first two weeks of work for 2008 and so far it is even better than last year. It helps that we know what we are doing and what to expect. I seem to have more students in my classes and many of the students I taught last year have returned. It is good having 10 students instead of 1 or 2. There is much more interaction between the students.

Ruth and I have had a very busy start to the year because of needing to shift apartments. This has involved a number of new lessons in cultural differences. We arrived back at our apartment after a great holiday home in NZ to discover the air-con in the bedrooms had given up working, again. After some discussion and waiting for a response from the landlord, Ruth and I decided it was not going to be repaired for a week or two. So we decided to move our shift forward so that we could get into an apartment with aircon. Luckily we had budgeted for paying rent for the new apartment and could produce this to get us into it.

On our first Monday off we rang up Lawrence our local friend and asked him if he could arrange a truck to pick up our bed and a few boxes. Surprise, surprise it was going to arrive the next day at 10:00 am. Great! We rushed home did the last of the packing. We noticed we do seem to have accumulated quite a bit more than the 2 suitcases we arrived with in 2007.

Lawrence said he was happy to come over and help with the truck. When I go down and meet him at the station on the way back he says,
“Have you checked with the guards so they know where to send the truck?”
He knows things that I don’t.
On the way into the condo I mention it to the guards and they say,
“Have you got your moving out permit?”
“OH? Do I need one? This is new to me.”

So I am sent to the management office to get the permit, it costs $10.00 and means we can use the lift for all of our boxes and furniture. The truck arrives and they have to report to the office to get a padded cover so they don’t damage the lift.
Lawrence says,
“Have you mentioned it to the new Condo? They will probably have some rule about shifting in,”
“Oh no, I haven’t considered that.” I answer.
No worries I will just jump in a taxi rush over now and arrange it before the truck arrives.

Welcome to Lilydale.

Sure enough I arrive at Lilydale and the guards says,
“You will need to go to the Management Office and get a permit to move in.”

I go to the management office because I am getting the idea of how this works now, they say,
“That is no problem at all, pay us a $200.00 bond and we give you the permit. When the guard has checked them out we return your bond.”
“But! I only have $100.00 to pay the truck, my cheque book is packed in a box on the truck.”
“Well, you can give us the $100.00 and if they make any damage they don’t get paid.”
“That’s a good solution,” I reply hoping that there is no damage.
I arrive at the gate and the security guard says, “No problem.”

The truck arrives and I the men unload very quickly, because we don’t have very much really. I get them to wait a moment while I go down to the office to pick up the cash. I will only be a few minutes. I rush to the management office and it is closed. Oh know! I decide to check with the guards and I am told that the management are at lunch but they will return in 20 minutes.
The guys on the truck are lying around reating and seem quite happy to just wait for their money. Meanwhile I am left standing around waiting for the management office to open.
Finally I am able to get the bond back and pay the truck. I figure they deserved an extra $10.00 for their efforts to by a coffee at the coffee shop on the way home. After a busy day of new learning we are in our new apartment with aircon.

We are enjoying the new Condo.

View from our new livingroom.

I haven’t noticed that many westerners so I think that we are still a novelty to the locals.
Ruth heard a young boy ask his Mother,

"What are they doing in our pool?"

It is quite a distance from the MRT but we can take the free shuttle bus if we go at the right times. The times don’t always suit us for work. At those times the SMRT bus stops just down the road. This just happens to be right next to a Food Centre where we can get a good meal for between $2.50 (Chicken Rice) and $4.00 (A range of local dishes) There is also a shopping centre where you can purchase most things. All just two minutes walk from the gate. We have a lovely view out over jungle and there are lots of spaces and parks close at hand including a connector park with a cycle track along side a river all the way down to Lower Seletar Reservoir. The facilities here are good with yet another big swimming pool.

View from wet area. Notice vehicle on road.

It is outside our local food centre.