Archive for December 2012

Dear Nix,

How are you? I hope this email finds you well.

This is Jane, yet another Singaporean daughter and a reader of your blog (keep it up, you've written salient points in your posts which are extremely helpful and informative for every Singaporean who wish to migrate down under).

I've gotten my Australian PR visa sometime back and it's time to make the move. You were right about the stages of emotional and mental states. Euphoria in the beginning and the crunch-time stresses of relocating. I hope to share my experience with you and at the same time, understand from you, a fellow "同乡" Singaporean migrant, how you managed to settle in during the initial stages.

My situation is slightly diffferent. I've got the visa with my ex-spouse and had it renewed into an RRV. I'm now waiting for my son's visa to be approved, and it's been 1.5 months. Crossing my fingers for High Comm's reply so that I can at least secure him a place in a school before 4 Feb (Term 1 in Perth). My purpose of migration is to provide my son with a holistic education, a less stressful one.

Here are my plans in the meanwhile:-

I've booked myself and my dad a trip to Perth from 9 to 16 Jan to have a look at the suburbs and schools and have a feel of the place, and hopefully secure our rental (if there are viewings within that week, that is) and get a second-hand car. All these within 1 week and with my dad's help, I hope we can accomplish! Big Sigh!

Back in Singapore, once my son's visa is approved, I'll fly out back to Perth, two of us, and by then, the rented home and second-hand car would have been there already. That is, if me and my dad manage to get these done during our 1 week trip. If not, plan B. I'll need to sell a pitch to either my dad or mum to go with me, at least there's someone to help tend to the little one while I get the important stuff done.

There are some things that are all a question mark to me right now and hopefully you can share your expertise:

Rental housing - I'm looking at taswa.org. I understand that I'll have to produce my visa documents and a bond. Is the bond payable by cash on the spot? What other matters should I take note of, specifically, in the process of viewing and signing the Tenancy Agreement? In most circumstances, the minimum tenancy period is 1 year right? What happens if you break the lease early?

How did you manage to secure a unit before you fly out to Perth? I think if I could do that, it'll be a huge rock lifted off my chest!

Car - Would you have any recommendations on places to get reliable second hand cars?

Assuming I got a car and a rental apartment during my 1 week trip and am flying back to Singapore, in your opinion, is it safe to leave the car in the garage?

Suburbs - I'm looking at Padbury and Melville, as the schools there (South Padbury Primary and Melville Primary) are good according to forums. Have you been to these suburbs? Are you near any of these suburbs?

I'm rushing to get all the above done so that the son could start school on 4 Feb, together with the rest of the kids, instead of joining in at a later stage. All thanks to my earlier procrastination. *kicking myself*

Ok, I think I'll stop here as it's already a screenful of words. Take your time to digest and I look forward to hearing from you soon! Please send my regards to Jen and Baby Albany.

Thank you very much in advance for your advice, Nix!

Yours sincerely,

Stressed Up Singaporean Mom - Jane

******

Hi Stressed Up Singaporean Mom - J,

You gave yourself one week to look for a car, lodgings and school for your child. To be honest, the only living human I personally know who is qualified to give you relevant advice is that Singaporean Mum, M. Back then I told her she was too ambitious. I was wrong, I found out later she was absolutely insane. She was terrific of bugs, spiders and dirt yet she wasn't afraid to come to Perth with a young son tagging along and even bunked in with a complete stranger (me) for almost a week. Within her 1-2 weeks (I can't remember) "recee", M did flawlessly well. These days, I look at M differently whenever I see her. She can wail about grass or swings or lights or beds or incredulous bad service providers but I'll not be fooled. Within all that, lies a much stronger spirit than I possessed. Secretly, she's an inspiration. I'm not sure if she reads the blog anymore or if she will lend you her helping hands. If she does, you'll get a priceless boost. So we'll see.

Meanwhile I'll give you some of my thoughts on your questions. No, I'm not an expert and I'm still very new to Perth, learning something everyday. That is the reason why I am posting these up publicly - so that others could give you better information or advice than I do. That was what happened to M. So I hope you don't mind.

Rental housing -

We have real stories here of real normal Singaporeans here. There are people whom I got to know personally who had a great success in securing a lease seamlessly. My first friend in Perth, Patrick, got his in a week. Joe and Samantha, another Singaporean couple, managed to find a rental house quickly as well. So did yandao Edmund. Like us, Thusara had a nightmare and we took longer to find our respective places.

Basically, it is a race to impress the landlord (via the real estate agent most of the time) that you are the person to choose to rent his/her property to. They are worried about 2 things:-

The ability of the tenant to pay rent and on time. The ability of the tenant to take care of their property.

They tend to access this based on whether you have a job in Perth. The longer you hold the job, the more assuring as a potential tenant you appear. A permanent job looks better than a casual job. A previous rental reference (from the last landlord you rented from) will be a great help, as they deemed it less risky to rent it to someone who had already been crossed-checked by previous real estate agents.

You will realise by now this is a catch-22 situation. You need the chicken to get the egg. That's how things work here. Wait till you get to the part about finding jobs. The reason why I am telling you this is that you cannot expect to walk in and get them to rent a place to you. It is an even harder task if you restrict yourself to a certain suburb/s.

The second thing that landlords look out for is the probability of the tenant taking good care of their property. Stories about tenants from hell are easily available here. Obviously you will be greatly disadvantaged at point 1 (as you do not have a job or previous reference), so play point 2 to your advantage. Dress well (hard on you in Summer, my sympathies mdm), look docile, get your child to behave like an angel during house viewing. Prepare yourself to apply with the goal to convince them you are a good tenant. Talk to the agent, tell them your story and write a convincing note in the application to remind them.

Prepare ALL your documents, make adequate copies and bring them along. Some agents will not be willing to accept applications on the spot. They'll get you to apply online. Persuade them, tell them you do not have internet access as you arrived yesterday. Show them you have full documents and ready copies and will not take long to fill the form. Always apply on the spot for those agents who allow you to.

Since you have no references or pay slips to show, the only viable thing is to show them your bank account statement. Try to transfer money in time to a local bank. That is probably the only thing you can gain their confidence. Of course, the fatter the account, the better you sound.

Prepare at least 2 character referees with local contact numbers. It is mandatory for any real estate agents. And they WILL CALL them. So tell your references you are using them as referees. The last thing you want is to have your references joking around with the caller about sex parties or something. Do not provide references from Singapore. Nobody will call Singapore to incur higher phone bills. So even if Lee Hsien Loong offered to be your referee, forget it.

That's all I have for you about the mainstream rental house hunting part.

Look for the owners direct. They are in free local newsletters (available in shopping malls), gumtree.com.au, quokka, local newspapers. When you meet an owner-landlord, it is a chance to tell them your plans and situation and apply your soft skills. If you have a school enrollment document by then, it'll help because a landlord will know you are a stable tenant. Every bit helps.

Word of mouth. That's another reason I am posting this. I do not know who is reading the blog. Sometimes things work out this way. It has worked before and it doesn't hurt to try again. Someone may be looking for a tenant at this point of time, or know someone who does. On your part, if you have friends in Perth, spread the word. Tell them you need a place. Sometimes non-mainstream methods work better.

The lease tends to be 6 months or 1 year here. The bond is payable only if you are selected to be the tenant, there should be a few modes of payment. To my understanding, it is possible to "break the lease" on mutual agreement, possibly without penalties if there is a comfortable notice given or if you can recommend someone interested to take over the lease. We may need to meet up with a few experience people to tell you the little details that I have left out (I'm shoddy) as soon as you land so you can go on your hunt more effectively.

Car:-

I'm glad you asked. I'm not going to have a debate with anyone here. As far as I'm concerned, you NEED a car to achieve your near-impossible goal of getting all these done in the span of a week. The easiest thing to do is to rent one. Rental car is not expensive here, if you know where to look. Search this terms, "$20 a day car rental perth" and go figure. I'm going to drop formalities and tell you to drop out Singaporean choosy traits the minute you depart from Changi Airport. This isn't the time to look for your dream car. In fact, forget about looking for a car for this trip. School, lodgings, car, you don't have the time to do all three. Don't let me stop you though. Remember, that Singaporean Mum, M? She did opposite of whatever I told her and proved me wrong almost every time. The reason why I am suggesting renting for that week is to free you more time to look for what's far more important.

My idea of 'second hand cars' are generally very different from most Singaporeans' expectations. I'll tell you more about how and where to get a car in proper when I know what you are after, in detail.

"Assuming I got a car and a rental apartment during my 1 week trip and am flying back to Singapore, in your opinion, is it safe to leave the car in the garage?"

Whether or not, you have to leave the car in the garage. That's what every Singaporean do when they return home for visits. Houses here do not generally come with secret stealth basements.

"Suburbs:- I'm looking at Padbury and Melville, as the schools there (South Padbury Primary and Melville Primary) are good according to forums. Have you been to these suburbs? Are you near any of these suburbs?"

These suburbs appeared fine to me the last time I drove across. In older suburbs like these, you can easily differentiate the 'good streets' and the bad. Generally, if you don't feel comfortable about the area of the house you are viewing, you know you don't want to rent it. You should be able to find something nice there even though it may be a bit pricey. Having said that, everyone has a their own opinion about a suburb here. If you collate all their 'absolute bad suburbs to avoid', you'll find Perth there are only three kinds of living spaces in Perth, extremely expensive, unlivable or caravan parks. Choose your poison. Put it this way, if anyone gives me the worst house in either of these suburbs, Jenny will find me smiling idiotically in my sleep for a few nights.

"I'm rushing to get all the above done so that the son could start school on 4 Feb, together with the rest of the kids, instead of joining in at a later stage. All thanks to my earlier procrastination. *kicking myself*"

Let me punch you in the face as well. Now slacker, get to work.

Dear Singaporean Son,

I came across your blog sometime in September 2012 when I was searching for blogs on Singaporeans living in Australia, and since then I have managed to catch up with almost all of your articles till today. I remember a few of your articles written on Singapore was even reposted to other blog sites.

A bit about myself - I'm 34 years old Singaporean male in the IT profession, and have been considering moving to Australia for the longest time. I was actually posted to Sydney for work from 2005 to 2006, but in the end choose to return for personal reasons, mostly because of my parents. As much as I missed leaving Sydney, I told myself then it was better to stay in Singapore as a first class citizen than to be a second class citizen elsewhere, and also my friends and family are here.

But since my return, I think things over here has been going downhill ever since. The country started becoming more crowded with foreigners, people are more rude, things in general are getting more expensive, housing and car prices skyrocketed, and certain groups of people started paying themselves sky-high salaries. I'm getting the feeling that I'm getting screwed as a citizen in my own country. After reading your blogs and comments from your visitors, I felt that I'm not alone in what I'm feeling. One of your articles mentioned that we are worse than second class citizens and I totally agree with that.

When the tension and unhappiness finally reached its peak during last year's GE, I finally decided to commence the process of PR application It was not an easy task, as I have to sit for IELTS twice to get the grades I wanted and spent money on the application fee and other processing fees. But I finally got my grant on Monday this week. Now I'm not sure about how to break the news to my parents, and also I feel bad about leaving them if I were to really migrate. But I don't think I can stand all the 'evilness' that is happening here, and I really do not have 'confidence for the future', to quote TT's election slogan.

I remember reading about some guy who emailed you and he is in exactly the same situation as I am - a closet Australian PR :-) Do you know what happened to him since? Also what advice would you give if you were in my position? I have an elder brother who is unmarried in Singapore, and another brother who has gone to Perth and most likely confirmed staying there for good, but he hardly calls home. I think my main concern will be breaking the news to my parents and I think they will be saddened by my decision. I'm also worried about their health as they are already in their 70s.

Thank you so much for sharing about your experiences via your blog. I think you care about Singapore very much and that is why you wrote those articles about the truth of what is actually happening here. Please continue to write and share despite what your detractors might say. I wish you and your family and Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.

Cheers,

******

Hi JC,

Sorry for the very late reply. I believe you are not alone in this situation although everyone has his unique story. Believe me, I've read many accounts in regards to this. Wife threatening divorce if husband does not agree to migration, husband gave up his Aust PR because the wife didn't relish a move, parents moving leaving a child behind, children moving leaving parents behind. I even know a friend personally whose has parents with differing opinions on her migration decision. The dad is extremely skeptical and the mother is supportive. This is one of the migration area that most of us overlook.

I am afraid I am not in a good position to offer any advice. Like I said, each of us is in a unique position. Perhaps deep inside, we know that solution to our emotional entanglement. I believe though, honesty is the best policy. Over the years, I made it no secret that I have a problem dealing with the mechanics of how the Singaporean society functions and did not have a good feeling about the direction we are heading to.

I brought up the idea of migration to my mother way before I even applied for the Australian visa, not knowing if I could even get it at all. We discussed about this every weekend, when I was helping her out in our food stall. The topic would vary every time and it would be closely related to the most recent happenings and changes in Singapore back then, so that we could analyse the pros and cons between staying or making a move. Like any Asian parent, my mother would be greatly sadden to accept her child being significantly physically apart. Like any Asian child, piety concerns and guilt will overcome us to make such a decision.

At the end of the day, the support from parents very important as you can see how difficult it is for you without gaining the necessary emotion support. A brother who left and hardly call home simply make things much trickier for you. Get to know your parents' opinion on this. Some of them do not see why their children is thinking of moving from a 'first world number 1 country' to a 'racist country' to become 'slaves of the ang mos'. Some parents simply do not bear to part with their children or want them to be at their side in your sunset years. It may be easier for you to make your decision when this is clearer. If my mother did not give me the support to move, I would have stay in Singapore. Another person may chose otherwise.

Bear in mind even a supportive parent will face a lot of pressure when you make a move. Other than not having your supportive presence whenever they need it, they may have to deal with negative comments from relatives and family friends who feel the need to throw spite daggers at your decision to leave Singapore though they have nothing to do with it. Be aware that they will be hearing the, 'I told you not to let him go's taunts when the going gets tough even long after you have made the move. My paternal grandmother is still asking my mother why did I leave a 'cushy government job' in 'brilliant Singapore' to move to a country where flood, drought, hurricanes and hail hit it almost every year.

I would not hesitate to admit I am a lucky one. Like an old friend once told me, not everyone could do this even if he wants to. He is referring to the emotional barriers of migration, not the technical part. For the technical side, we all know we can do it if we want it hard enough. When it comes to matters of the heart, I'm afraid there it isn't as straightforward as going by hook or by crook to get our ways.

This print screens were sent to me by a mate. The headlines screamed, 'White British' now a minority in London. Is Singapore walking along the path of their old colonial masters? Or perhaps we should be asking 'when' instead? People tend to over-estimated their judgement. The government and the people of Singapore probably still think everything is still under control, under their control.

We are not too far being a minority in our own country by now. It may actualise sooner than we think. The government is in a powerless position to stop this from happening, if they are even thinking of it in the first place. They sold the idea of growth and progress to the people so much so it has been ingrained in each and every of us. Progress is no longer celebrated. The people expect it. The people demand it.

To deliver, the government of Singapore must put business in top priority. Business owners expects not just profits but large profits. Without a real labour union backing workers, the government yields to pressure applied by business owners and investors to allow a exploitative labour market in Singapore. Foreigners come in swarms, willing members of exploitation, to exchange for a brighter future for their families in their own country. The businessmen are not contented. They want to spend less not just on labour but on management roles up the line as well. The government gave the thumbs up and the authorities acted swiftly. Foreigners are allowed to come in legions to take up PMETs roles that Singaporeans are promised in the last elections. Everyone should be given a fair go, including the foreigners. Without a minimum wage system in place, foreigners and locals go into a reverse auction for a job and the business man hires the lowest paid contender, fulfilling his profiteering desires.

Other than competition for jobs, the ~~flood~~ pond of foreigners cause high inflation rates, competition for services, space and consumables. Infrastructure begins to fail the country, being stress subjected to its seams. The government is caught between the rock and a hard place. If they do not deliver progress, they face the genuine threat of elimination in the next rounds of general elections and if they do, they find themselves unable to cope of the residue of progress - which is fast eroding their popularity day by day.

To answer the question posed on a separate occasion by the same mate who sent me these screen captures whether progress is a definite need in life, if being minority in our own country is a indirect consequence of progress, which will you forgo, progress or identity?

We had a nice chat at an unusual location on Christmas night. None of us who participated in the conversation qualify to apply for the Australian citizenship actually. However, I spoke to many who were not considering taking it up in spite of their eligibility. The reasoning is that Singaporeans here in Perth think that we have a bridge behind our backs. That we can return to Singapore anytime if anything goes wrong. But things go wrong all the time, everywhere, anywhere. In the event of an economic crisis or retrenchment in Perth, are we going to get a job if we return to Singapore? That is something worth debating about. No matter how strong anyone's case is, the fact is - no one has an answer or can guarantee a better outcome if we return for Singapore for jobs.

Since things are uncertain, we may have a better yield going to Vietnam to repair bicycles if the only reason to leave Perth when chips are down is economic driven. In truth, we place Singapore in our thoughts because many of us still regard it as home subconsciously. Thusara and Alvin put me to shame with their latest Singapore news on Christmas Eve. I realised how 'detached' I was just a few weeks of not keeping up with Singapore's happenings.

The speed of change in Singapore is something that most of us here could not feel. It was amusing to see how each Singaporean here having a different image of Singapore in their mind. The differences were stark, according to how many years the Singaporean had been away. In time to come, a newly arrived Singaporean would be telling me exasperatedly, 'Nooooo. It's not like that anymore!' or 'The population isn't 5.18M long ago' or 'There isn't anymore HDB flats under 400k.' The first time I felt I have been away long enough was when I heard about the new COE prices. My eyes was dislodged from their sockets and left bouncing on Grace's new tiles.

Back to the Singaporeans' mentality of wanting two bites of the cherry. In truth, there can never been two harbour bays waiting for one ship. All these are illusions. Singapore would have changed beyond our recognition by the time any of us decided to return for good. The employment dynamics would have changed, so will the environment and the people. It will be a stranger in a familiar place, almost another migration all over again. Do any of us have the luxury of starting all over again, once again? Unfortunately it wasn't a case where we could discard changes, load the game and redo it.

Sure, any one of us can do a U-turn anytime we want. There is little to stop us for doing so. If we had made the difficult decision to leave the safe cosy shores of Singapore, we can do the same thing again. In reality, it is easier said than done. Until then the red passport is just a psychological relief that we hug to sleep at night and tell ourselves everything will be okay and if things don't go well, this little book to open up a portal to safe haven. If we sit down, disenchant ourselves and think over it clearly, most commoners will see one path ahead no bridges behind us.

So the end of the world didn't happen. What am I going to do with the 3 houses and 4 cars I've bought last week on credit? Life goes on, I reckon and I think a handful of us out there are secretly disappointed we are all still alive. With that, guess the blog goes on too. I had been asked over the weekend about how my blog was. Surprised. Anyway, there was so much to share that it was hard to find an opener.

We took a drive to Mandurah for a crabbing trip on Christmas day. After some running around we managed to find a good spot with adequate crabs roaming about. Alas they were too small to be legally harvested. As law-abiding good permanent and temporary citizens of Australia, we hauled them back to the water each time we caught one undersized crab. It was still worth the effort because we needed to level up on crabbing skills. I have the mind to make another trip perhaps a month later and see if I can get anything.

We returned empty handed but the drive down to Mandurah reminded me once again what a huge country I am living in. It is easy to forget once we get into a comfort zone. Unfortunately, most Singaporeans I observed do exactly the same routine once they moved over. It cannot be helped I guess. It's in our DNA, we are structured city dwellers who know little outside one survival route. It is tough to break out of a tried and tested model, but it is a worthy goal not to give up on and keep exploring possibilities.

I met another Singaporean with two young sons a few weeks back. These days, I didn't talk to 'new' Singaporeans here much and prefer to listen and let others do the talking. It seemed like it was another case of a Singaporean coming here for the future of the kids. Ironically, the first thing they do was to find out how to buy or rent a house in the suburbs of Willetton or Shelley and get their kids into renowned Rossmoyne Primary School. That would be the equivalent of moving to Bukit Timah and trying to get into Nanyang Primary School, without the 'voluntary' work and 'donations'.

As a parent I can fully understand how we want the best for our children. But this made me wonder where we should draw the line. I asked myself often if we should even make the move if we did not have the motivation to remove the Singaporean mentality of wanting the best and nothing but the best is good enough. I mean, I don't have a problem with people gunning for the finest for their lives. What I cannot figure out is that, why move to Perth if you are not prepared to forsake old traits? For a start, if you want 'the best' for the children, didn't they say Singapore has a much better educational system? I've even heard of people sending their kids back to Singapore to do with primary school education to get a 'better foundation' and had came across people who advised me to do the same because the primary school kids in Perth don't even bring books to school and 'do nothing but play'.

On the other hand, parents here want to get their children into reputable schools so that they can learn music, pottery and sports and whatever they could get them to be enrolled into cheaply. I was told that 'normal' schools get less funding from the government and thus they would not be able to provide so much facilities and extra curriculum activities for their pupils. Teaching wise, there isn't much of a difference because teachers are rotated around so that schools have a fair chance of getting an ace teacher. That being said, a reputable school seems to get its name from the birds of the same flock - children pushed by parents for academic excellence. Parents nosing around to compare grades of their kids with the others and stuff like that.

So are we here to go through the same old shit at a different place? Are we here for the fresh air and sparse space only? That is something Jen and I have to sit down and talk about carefully. Once our goals are aligned, we will know where to go.

There is another lucky soul in this world besides me born to a great woman. Her name is Grace. It wasn't difficult to observe how strong the bond between mother and daughter, despite being physically distant. Every time Grace announced her mum's impending visit, she would wear a glorious beam on her face. It was obvious they enjoyed each other's company and when it came down to work, Grace's mum transformed her house with a wave of the fairy wand each time, from nothingness to awesomeness.

It was curtains and furnishing the last time round, transiting walls of bricks to a cosy home. This time, she added a finishing touch by turning Grace's sandy belt into secret refuge for the mind, accessible through two magical portals from Grace's home. Grace's mum called her work "The Crooked Path to Heaven." An amazing piece of project done in two days, after a one-stop trip to Bunnings where they got all their supplies from. Grace proudly shared that it would cost her double the price if she would to hire a landscape company to dress up her garden.

Some of us will rather throw the money down to get things professionally done in such a situation. Many of us may even think of the day we sell the house even before we stay a day in it and form up the house based on this purpose. Nothing wrong with that. Different strokes for different folks. Just felt it will be such a pity. As by doing so, we lost a chance to build a sanctuary of thoughts, for a home is built on memories, preferences, effort, uniqueness and imperfection. Taking all these away, there isn't a much meaning under the roof and four walls. With that, Grace's new home has its healthy stash of love and stories close to the heart by now. Memories that she would never forget and forgo. I couldn't imagine Grace flipping the property for a profit, never.

How I would sit on that lawn on any Autumn afternoon, with the boundary walls behind my back, reading and falling to sleep eventually with the Autumn breeze falling gently on the face. That's all the luxury I want from life.

Xiaobai, the impressive ultra big JRT

Xiaobai is the biggest Jack Russel Terrier I have ever seen. Believe me, photographs are deceiving. He is bigger than he looks. We finally met this legendary dog last weekend. Xiaobai is the pet of Karin and Dennis. I know I've relate this story before but it is worth a 'repeat telecast'. Just a short one, I promise.

I found Karin's blog quite a few years back by chance when I considering migration like many of you who reads this. When I noticed she has a young JRT like I did, I took an immediate interest in the blog. We managed to get contacted and chatted via MSN once in a blue moon. Our topics would not surprisingly, revolved around her new Perth life and her dog.

It was an eye opener last weekend. Karin was not simply a girl who hugged dogs and that was it. She was some kind of a dog whisperer, able to make Xiaobai do her bidding. Well ok, I had seen amazing things JRTs were trained to do on youtube but it was amazing to see how a JRT perform tricks in person to a 'normal person' I know personally, not some kind of professional dog trainer. Karin, mai siao siao. Upz.

There were 3 kids around with us that afternoon, 2 boys and a girl. All of them were saw Xiaobai as a fearsome wraith, screamed and cringed whenever I took him a few metres within their range. The little girl even cried. Baby Albany however, chuckled delightfully each time she saw Xiaobai nearby. It was the first time she saw a barking dog up close. She looked visibly shocked and puzzled for the first 10 minutes at the sight of an unsettled Xiaobai and soon took a liking to him as I whispered 'dog dog' in her ears. She was too young to know fear so it wasn't an indication how she would react to dogs when she grows up. But I could sense she might grow up to love dogs like her parents do.

Albany remained in my arms in when Xiaobai was within range, even on leash. I was well aware of the ability of a JRT to make a quick pounce or high leap that his minder couldn't react to. Xiaobai's leap ability was much more controlled compared to Chocolate was, due to his exceptional size but I wrapped my arms around Albany's dainty feet at all times, knowing clearly they would be the first target if a JRT decided to leap.

Karin joked several times about Xiaobai being the 3.5k dog. (The amount they spent to import him over) I threw her an offer of $500 to buy him over which she agreed in mock gratefulness. Of course not. Looking at how they got along, Karin probably loves Xiaobai as much as I did for Chocolate, if not more. When I saw Jenny dashing around with Xiaobai on leash, I couldn't help but recall the moments with Chocolate. Since his death, I had many recollections of him regularly. It remains a bitter regret that I was unable to give him the last pat when he left us. I sorely miss him. It was great meeting Xiaobai. I would have love to spend more time with him that afternoon. A long walk will be lovely, if there lure of the brilliant BBQ was not that strong. Perhaps the next time, soon, hopefully.

真是不破裤纽不掉泪。

We were munching happily last night again. Penny decided to make Nasi Lemak. With Samantha's recipe in hand, Jenny was able to marinate the chicken to taste the way it should. She even took the effort to arrange her sliced cucumbers and made me feel a hard day at work was well worth it. The cucumber ended up saving our tongues by providing relief to the spiciness of the specially made chilli that would make even Singaporean Mum, M, run for her iced coke with her iron tongue charred.

Spicy as it was, the chilli was well blended with other ingredients such as sauteed onions and deep fried ikan billis. Penny managed to put aside a full box of ikan billis for the meal as well. Fried to perfection, I must say for they would be too crispy and bitter 10 seconds more, not browned enough 10 seconds less. She wasn't pleased with the rice but it wasn't too bad really. There was always room for improvement. Overall, it was a terrific meal.

I reckoned we had took easily available good food in Singapore for granted. Yeah, there were observations that the standard of cooked food has dropped over the years and great tasting, affordable meals are getting less available compared to the yester-years but the convenience is still there. Like everything else, convenience has its problems at its extreme end. It removes our knowledge about simple things in life, it deskills us and effectively dis-empower us in the long run. I'm talking about how this generation don't even have the knowledge to grow potatoes, make soap out of raw ingredients, make simple food without designer food equipment.

I was particularly impressed by Meefong's willingness to make everything herself. That coincided with the small talks with a senior researcher in food science with UWA, who comes by to my company as a casual factory worker when we need extra hands as well as Herosha's (the company's new accountant and a keen reader on food) er... account of his findings on food quality. It remains a fact that hawkers are only interested in making their food delicious, compromising our well being. In recent years, even fresh raw cooking ingredients are no longer as good as it used to be.

Everyday, I see food and health activists spam stuff on their facebook wall. The vegans are particularly aggressive. I don't have a problem with the idea of saving animals from their fate by going vegan. But tell me it is healthier to eat only veg, I don't buy it. In these times where the world is getting more capitalistic by the day, be it poultry, seafood, fruits or vegetables, farmers have done things that you don't want to know to their produce. There isn't much we can do about this unless we grow our own food and know exactly what we are eating. This is tough even living in Australia but it is realistic. A good patch in a common house can yield enough to feed a small family. We may be able to get enough eggs from 2 hens for our needs. That's vegetables, 1-2 types of fruits and eggs covered. In the long run, that's what I want to do for my family. Can't do much about meat and seafood though.

Whiteman Park

When Singaporeans talk migration, it has been always about push/pull factors, mainly focused foremost on economic comparisons. Then standard of living and work-life balance come into play. And ends it all with the stayers bashing the quitters, citing the degrading about their new class of citizenship and their pride.

The first questions a migrant wannabe will ask are how to apply for a permanent visa, whether there are jobs for them, will they be treatedf like how Singapore treats their foreign workers, will we be discriminated at work, is there racism, will we earn more money than back home. As someone who walked the path before you, I will like to share that these are trivial matters. Most of these are either procedural or there is nothing much you can do about it other than choosing to buy the rumors or find out the facts yourselves.

The tricky part will be the moment you received that permanent visa approval. After the euphoria dies down, you can break out in cold sweat not knowing what to do next. We are a bunch of structured, organised folks who find control in our lives mind-settling. That source of control comes from knowing what is going to happen next - even if we don't quite like what the future looks for us. Living in Singapore, life is smooth and predictable. Your house is not going to be ripped off by a hurricane today, even if it is supposed to be the end of the world. Work, as work, will be work tomorrow. Life goes on like a well oiled machine in Singapore.

From the point you get your PR approval, all these will come crashing down on you. You have to give up the all assuring certainties to walk into a tunnel with no light at the end in sight. You don't know where this will lead you, you don't know where you'll emerge at the end of the tunnel. You realise it is much harder to move, to make the real move than actually getting yourself legitimate to move.

How would you explain this to your friends? Some would not see your plan as seeking for a better work-life balance but an act of betrayal. How would you break the news to your beloved family members you are not bringing along? How do you ensure they will be well taken care of in your absence to perform your piety duties? Some of you may even find a bother to leave your beloved boss and colleagues.

While you are flustered about migration mechanics, never forget to mind your mental state and prepare yourself early for the emotional challenges. For these are severely undermined by many, it has brought many migration plans crashing down and will continue to do so.

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Milestone: Breaking Even

Milestone: Renting a House

Milestone: Landing a Permanent Job

Month 8

Month 9

Month 10

Month 11
End of Year 1
Month 13

Month 14

I received a curious comment.

******

Dear Sir/Madam,

On behalf of the National Library Board (NLB), we would like to invite you to pledge your blog to the Singapore Memory Project as part of efforts to collect memories that are already manifested in existing online channels.

The Singapore Memory Project (SMP) is a national initiative to collect, preserve and provide access to Singapore’s knowledge materials. Spearheaded by NLB, the SMP aims to build a national collection of content in diverse formats (including print, audio and video), to preserve them in digital form, and make them available for discovery and research.

By pledging your blog to SMP, you are affirming that every memory matters. Whether your posts are an account of your daily life, or an expression of your thoughts, the SMP hopes to find a home for your memories so that it can help build towards an understanding of Singapore. You will also receive a badge that you can display on your blog in recognition of your contributions.

Contributors to this blog pledging initiative will be listed on Singapore Memory portal’s blog pledging webpage. All blogs pledged to SMP will archived using NLB’s web harvesting software, in addition to images of each blog’s landing page.

If you are keen to pledge your blog to SMP, simply fill up our response form at this following URL: http://singaporememory.simulation.com.sg/Public/Pledge.

You may find out more about this initiative at http://www.iremember.sg/?page_id=2822.

We are looking forward to your contribution.

Simulation Software & Technology (S2T) Pte Ltd
583 Orchard Road #14-02 Forum The Shopping Mall S(238884), Singapore
|w: www.simulation.com.sg

******

You probably had received it too. Any Singaporean blogger would have, no? It looked like there wasn't any selection criteria on their part. I like NLB. I really do. If I am asked what organisation I love about Singapore for a change, NLB will be the first one my list. Needless to say, I was a lifelong customer of the NLB. It grew up with me as my playground, my refugee and my shrine.

A part of me thinks this initiative is merely another form of archiving, that is an important role of the library but I don't feel comfortable when the word "pledge" is used here. In Singapore, pledging is a dirty word. I couldn't help by think of how the government urge us to pledge our HDB flats when our CPF funds run out during retirement. And then, how we pledge our organs to when we die. Well I don't have a problem with donating organs when I die but we know how things work in Singapore, ya? Remember how we felt when they revealed about our donations made to TV charity shows? Only 10 cents per dollar goes to the patients or needy.

I'm sure the NLB wouldn't profit out of the Singaporean pledgers. I like their idea of creating an archive of memories. In fact, I think it is essential to do so - we saw how rapid we change. There will be a day when we can not recognise ourselves anymore. This initiative will be a museum of culture, spirit and love, timely for an impending extinction.

But leave me out. Singaporeans does not need a quitter's memories. No one is interested in it. Some memories are meant to be left to die.

Penny's Hor Fun

Jialat.

When I came to Perth I lost 7kg within my first 6 months due to the physically straining first job. Within the next 6 months, I gained it all back - and probably more by the end of Winter. More because it was 'normal' to eat more during Winter, just as it was normal to lose weight during Summer because my appetite will wane due to Mr Summer and his evil minions. A bad start to losing weight this summer so far. Look at the picture above. That was my dinner tonight.

We are improving in our cooking skills, particularly Penny and Jen. They have been really adventurous in attempting new stuffs, especially my weakest area in pastry. Jen even made ice cream last week and it was good, but not too good if I want to reduce the waistline to breathe better in my work pants. I'm not complaining about good life. Having home cooked food 95% of the time is good life, in my opinion. [read why] What is interesting is that Jen does not cook at all when we first came. Not saying she is a masterchef of any sort already, but she has improved leaps and bounds over the year. It never fails to amazed me. For the record I've known her for 11 years and there wasn't a moment I could imagine her being a better cook than me one day. It may be a possibility in the future from the looks of it.

I hate to plant a cliche here but it represented our situation best. As the saying goes, there is opportunity in every crisis. Many Singaporeans cannot cook and simply adore the convenient, affordable delicacies we can get within walking distance anywhere where we live. Ask any average commoner in their respective countries outside Singapore how many meals they take outside in a week, I daresay there will not be any which top the average Singaporean. There isn't anything wrong with that. This is a blessing that we should celebrate. But I've heard people who returned to Singapore for good because she missed the wanton noodles in Singapore, or people who don't even want to contemplate moving out of Singapore because they will miss the food so much. Let me assure you this little pseudo crisis is an opportunity for anyone to learn one of the best skills you have acquire in life - cooking. Embrace it.

Karing's Scallopon

We had a BBQ over the weekend. It was interesting enough to write a few posts on it. I would like to highlight something Karing specially whipped up for us over the pit. She didn't come up with a name for it. I'll call it Scallopon. I couldn't decide if that was evilly divine or divinely evil. You should try and decide for yourself.

Separately, when Pat and I were shopping for some stuff to bring to the BBQ, I came across a Christmas special for one of my favourite drinks, Bundaberg Ginger Beer. I was a regular drinker when I was in Singapore. It was a surprise when I came to Perth for a holiday in 2007 to find out it was actually an Australian product. That meant, of course, a better price for the same product as what I would have gotten in Singapore. Believe me, the price of this magic brew is very reasonable even at normal price. At a sale like this one, 10 fucking bottles for 10 bucks!

A Singaporean In Australia

Past Rants