A Singaporean In Australia

Hope all is well with you and family. 

I've been reading your blog since a long time back and it has never failed to provide valuable insights into what we can possibly expect when we finally do our Big Move.

We have already gotten our PR and will be moving over with our 2 pre-schoolers (same age as Albany!) in May/June this year. 

We have in mind that the hubby will likely move a month or so earlier to try and sort out rental, medicare and schooling, amongst others. Although we have been looking at property sites frequently nowadays, we unfortunately have not been able to locate many units for sale/rent in the area we are targeting. So we suspect renting might take awhile - fingers crossed. 

In the midst of our planning and research, I wonder if you are able to share some ideas on these:- 

1) How we can potentially plan our shipment of household goods well. We are thinking of shipping our beds over and hoping that the children get their beds and also other essential items with as little gap in between departure and arrival as possible? It sounds impossible to me given that we have not settled lodging but i wonder if you might have any ideas around this

2) Medical care and medical facilities. We do not have private insurance and may not get it unless necessary. But recently, an incident at home got me thinking of potential crisis management. So our child fractured his arm late one night, and so being in Singapore, it was easy (and fast) to hop onto a cab and hospital was max 15min away. He was cast up and back home within 4-6 hours. Just wondering if you have an idea if things are similar in Perth? I read that calling an ambulance would already cost between AUD 500-1000 and patients may have to spend many ramp hours before they get treatment (20 hours for Royal Perth!). I'm hoping to manage my own expectations as it will be mostly just me with the children while the husband is out / overseas on work. 

We do not have friends in Perth at this point and sincerely hope to hear back from you. Thanks much for your time :) 

Regards 

The rental market is awfully soft in Perth at the moment. Some landlords are even offering free rental for x weeks in their lease lately. There is no chance you are unable to find suitable properties for rental or purchase. Unless you are looking for something very specific, you shouldn't be having any problem getting a place at this point of time.

1) There are a lot of international freight fowarders around who can ship your personal effects and household goods to Australia by sea. (You don't want to try air freight, seriously). Once goods arrive in Perth, you can appoint a custom broker to clear your goods on your behalf if you don't want to do it yourself. An alternative way is appointing one of those removal companies that specialise in international good transportation and often offering door-to-door service for your convenience.

2) In many cases, i.e a fracture, high fever, going into labour, etc. it will definitely be faster to drive the patient to the hospital than waiting for the ambulance to fetch. (1 way vs 2 way - I think it's a no brainer) For the other cases where the family requires assistance, or critical medical help that may be administered in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, then the ambulance service is critical. Since private health insurance for the family is around the price of an ambulance call-out, if you think you need an ambulance at least once a year, it may be wiser to get private health insurance.

I will share my limited experience about medical treatment in Perth

My wife's child birth for both my kids

I have absolutely no complains whatsoever.

My wait for my cancer surgery

It took me 3-4? months from my GP's (and radiologist's) diagnosis of my condition to the surgery bed in Royal Perth Hospital. I am not sure if the waiting time is normal. It could also be my cancer is not at a critical stage. I'm not sure. But trust me, if you are waiting to be saved from any type of cancer, every second extra feels like eternity. Personally I felt it was a grueling wait.

My minor eye surgeries

I got metal spinters pieced into my pupils on 2 occasions. From my memory, it didn't take me that long in A&E before I was ushered in and gotten my spinters drilled out. Pretty much the waiting time in A&E in Singapore - during "those days" I was in Singapore.

My wife's sudden uncontrollable chattering

We spent close to 5 hours in the hospital before discharging. I couldn't remember the ratio between waiting and treatment. It certainly wasn't anything like 20 hours waiting time.

In our first 2 years, we did not get private health insurance. Things were ok. In fact, I don't really see what private health insurance is doing for us. We probably got them because it isn't much costlier than the medicare levy. I think it isn't one of the key issues to worry about for your migration.

Yesterday, an event was held literally at my "backyard" and I thought I'll share it with you. The location was just a minute's drive away. I could actually walk there if I wanted to but since I had strained my lower back cleaning old paint stains on the bathroom floor that morning, I didn't feel like it at all.

In fact, I didn't even want to go until Judy texted me from the venue and said, "Atmosphere is great. There is a young girl singing. Food looks good." She even offered to come back and drive me there. Before long, I was there and these were scenes I saw.

Food trucks. You know, that uncle who drove his van filled with contraband to serve Pasir Labar Camp firing range had already made that cool long before I have seen hippies doing it. At the back of his Hiace was only food - not drugs or explosive. Contraband because it wasn't legal to do that in Singapore without a license. Well, it isn't legal to do anything in Singapore without a license but uncle don't give a fuck. Neither did any of the army personnel who benefited from his services. Personally I see nothing wrong with food trucks. There are all over the place in Perth, bringing food to factories during break and lunch times. There are licensed of course but without the restrictions slapped onto the entrepreneurs in Singapore who tried to start this culture a decade ago. Needless to say, it flopped.

Apparently, the locals love the food truck events here. The attendees were mainly the whites. You could count the number of Asians with 1 hand, despite the fact some 30 - 40% of the food trucks were actually peddling Asian food. All the tables provided were occupied but the Aussies do not stand over tables and cluck impatiently at patrons who look like they have almost finish their meals. They bring their own picnic tables or simply spread a mat on the ground to have their meals. 

Can you imagine that happening near a Pasar Malam in Singapore? Singaporeans bringing tables or chairs or mats for an impromptu Alfresco dining? Singaporeans taking photographs and sending it to town councils to report Singaporeans going against regulations. Food business owners complaining to NEA for "unfair competition." Cave dwellers complaining to HDB for "noise" or "unsightly congregation." 

Since we were there, Judy urged me to take a look inside the host shop at that venue. She told me the price of the food and drinks were similar to those fancy cafes in Singapore where Singaporeans who want to feel atas will choose to have their breakfast there instead of the reliable hawker centres. You could have delicate sweet treats and coffee and stuff like that. I thought it was nothing special. However, the sitting area looked inviting. The owner tried his best to make it blend with the original surrounding when he bought over the place. As usual, the place is made children and family friendly.

Should I take the family here for breakfast one weekend? I'll think about it first.

The house belongs to Savvy Steve, why should I make effort to improve it, unless the additions are fixed assets that keep their values well and I will be able to take them along with me if I were to move again one day.

As usual, Savvy Steve had no objection on me installation a solar system on his roof. It seems like as long as I pay my dues, he'll pretty much leave me alone. After all, for Savvy Steve and his ilk, his profit is already made when the deal is sealed. He need not care about what happens in future. At worst, he can evict me from the house. Win-win situation for them. Anyway, the idea of installing a solar system on the roof has always been bugging me.

A solar system is supposed to be an investment. So, the earlier you start, the earlier you can recover your cost. Time is precious and remains a major factor if the investment turns out to be favourable or not. Until the cost of installing a battery comes down dramatically, the cost-effective option is to install solar panels on the roof connected to an inverter which supplies the energy the house requires. Since there is no battery involved, the system has to channel excess energy back to the grid for a small rebate. (i.e. selling energy to the government) As such, the only way to recover back the installation cost of such a system is to use the energy in the day when the solar system is generating more energy than the energy demand of the household.

I called the company that Singaporean Mum, M, signed up with. She is a meticulous person and would have vetted numerous contractors before deciding on one. I decided to save my energy and simply go for her choice. The chap turned up on Friday morning, we had a nice chat, asked our questions and signed up a 3.7 kW panel system with a 3 kW inverter for $3,100, inclusive of GST.

Meanwhile, I have asked the questions Micky wanted to know. So if anyone knows Micky, please let him know the answers. I don't have him on my FB and somehow cannot find his number on my phone.

1) Overclocking is possible.  He was right. The price of panels are low, the inverter is the heavy hitter. As such it is possible to maximise energy generation at a certain time of the day by adding a few more panels at the correct position.

2) There are plenty of inverters in the market that are battery compatible for a later addition, if required.

Back to the system, if our power bills come out to about $80 a month, how much of this are we able to reduce? The answer to this question is critical to the ROI of this expensive purchase. To maximise savings, we have to change our lifestyle such that we benefit from the "free energy" generated during the day. For example, we can run 2 slow cookers simultaneously to prepare for enough meals to last us 2-3 days. By dinner time, these cookers should be switched off. We will always have food and no energy or gas is being used for food preparation when the sun is set. Likewise, our hot water should be boiled and stocked during the day. Laptop and phone batteries should be charged during the day. If I were to write a blog post at night, it should be done on the laptop into of my PC. Heating during Winter should be done before last light and switched off after sunset. Cooling during Summer can be done during the entire day without using energy from the grid. So on and so forth. 

If we are able to shave $50 off the bill, it'll take us 5 years to recover the cost of the system. Perhaps 2 months earlier, if we include the 6 cents rebate from the government for every kW our system supplies to the grid. Meagre yes, but things like that add up. Since both the panels and inverter has a workmanship and replacement warranty of 10 years, we should have at least 5 years of "free energy" thereafter, longer if the system survives beyond 10 years. That should cover the "opportunity costs" Singaporeans like to talk about. We all like to think if we were to leave the $3,100 in the pocket, they will double in 5 years' time or something. Most of the time, they are converted to dust collecting handbags instead. Those do nothing but to fill empty souls.

Rod the solar guy told me the system will be up in a month's time. That should leave us enough time to look for a dryer. If anyone is giving one away, great. I'll take it. If not, I'll spend the money so that the wife will have a much easier time with the laundry during Winter. As long as we use the dryer in the day when the panels are generating enough energy, the additional power output of the household will be waived. That way, it keeps the wife happy. As my friend Lex said, "A happy wife is a happy family." 

Angie told me 5 years old may be the last year before a child loses his or her innocence. "After 5 years old, talks like young adult, not cute anymore," she said.

I agree with Angie. Already, I've seen Albany chiding me with the tone of an adult for not doing things right or reminding me when I forget my tasks. She is gradually learning how to stand up for herself by verbal debates instead of resorting to whining and crying. It is clear her child-like innocence is clearly slipping from us day by day. That affirms my decision to give top priority to my family, at least at this stage when living moments with children are the the most precious. 

"Wow! Donut cake!" exclaimed Albany at 6.30am in the morning when she saw the Chiffon Cake Judy baked the previous night.

"Shhh!" I interrupted her sternly. "Everyone is still asleep." Deep inside, I smiled at her childish enthusiasm. I remembered what Angie told me and will cherish the last slices of Albany's innocence as she grows to 6 day to day.

I wonder often if I have been a good parent and what I should be doing for her. The hardest thing I find being a parent is setting a good example. Imagine if I want to teach my child an important life skill. Say, handling rejections and mustering a positive mindset and reaction after every rejection. I couldn't even do it properly myself to save my ass, let alone qualify to be her mentor. Imagine, trying to expose her to entrepreneurship, where I struggle to do a simple sales deal myself. I believe grooming a better generation is not about throwing the money in for enrichment courses. It has a lot to do with setting a good example at home first. The benefits of external enrichment is limited to the correct mentality. We cannot preach good financial management if we do not demonstrate that to the children in our daily lives. The same goes for personal hygiene, civic mindedness, table mindedness, being considerate, being responsible, being trustworthy, being confident, having good customer service and so on.

A week later, we went down to town to meet up with a businessman with a unique preposition for Judy. I told Judy to keep her mind open and worry about the money involved later on. Our purpose was to find out if there was a way for Judy to get a working visa. All other things were secondary and would be examined in detail only after we have establish that her visa and route to PR is secure.

The ex-Singaporean businessman shook our hands one by one and asked for our names. All of us introduced ourselves informally by our first names. However when the businessman turned to Albany, she gave a response that raised my eyebrows.

"I'm Chin. Albany Chin," she said with a straight face and extended her hand for a handshake.

All of us laughed. We didn't see where that could be coming from. None of us had ever introduced ourselves in that manner in her presence, even in jest. Neither did she catch a James Bond movie before. It was an amusing moment but only to remind myself that my little daughter is growing up fast.

I must strive to improve myself for her sake. To set a better example to her. To put my. money where my mouth is

3 months to go.

That's all the time Judy has before she says sayonara to her Australia dreams.

There is zero chance she will extend her stay by taking another course, like what many students here do. Ah.... those... they'll do anything to achieve their goals and many of them do. 

Thank you Gillian from Nothing Territory for the lead (left pic). 

If I were in Judy's shoes I would be gunning for it for sure. I'll cook them version of chicken chop they have never eaten in their life before and blow them away and they'll never suspect I was engineering and information system trained. I am willing to go to the depths or the heart of Australia to work in the harshest environment, with a pseudo identity, if I need to. That is how far I'll go for things in the past and how far I'll go if the need arises in the future. If one secures a job like that in rural NT (if that can be even more rural), the job is yours to keep until you don't want it. The PR, is basically a formality.

I don't expect Judy will be interested in the opportunity that Gillian shared. (but thanks so much!) I did suggest going there but it wasn't something she would consider from the start. How unfortunate though. The Nothing Territory has nothing.... but opportunities.

Meanwhile, what do we have here on hand? The lead that Joanna provided.... I hope Judy followed up. With time running short, every single opportunity should be pursued like a crazed rabid dog. Judy was also offered an opportunity where a working visa could be offered but she would have to get a franchise for a low 6 figure. She wanted to find out more to discern if it is dodgy or plausible. Even if it is legit and the cost is around $100k, it'll be difficult to find investors to help her out. Any interested investors with cash to splash can contact me. asingaporeanson@gmail.com

We'll have to push harder. 3 months is a very short time but as far as I know, if we believe hard enough and if she is willing to go a bit further than an average Singaporean will, miracles can still happen at the 11th hour. Keep the ideas, leads and information coming.... spread the word for her.

Since Gillian is living in the Nothing Territory and told me how life is unbearably boring there, I told her, "Go Harriet bar find Julian lah!"

"Oh, I think no more Harriet. Saw signboard change. Now Kopi Stop."

I was shocked to hear that and checked with Satki Yoda. He simply replied, "You dunno meh! I thought you have Fartbook."

No? I don't know. My current Fuckbook account was created by Angie and it has .... what... 10 friends or something? I don't use it much and have no intentions to reconnect the previous links unless they come looking for me. However, that is the reason why I missed out the business name change of the legendary Chiobu Kopimaid of NT. Did I give her the inspiration for the new name for her shop?

It is so disappointing Chiobu Kopimaid didn't come consult me for a name change. Kopi Stop is such a lame name. For a mere $30,000, I could have thought of something great for her. Since she is a Kopimaid, her shop should include the word Kopi to reflect both her expertise as well as her heritage. In Nothing Territory, nobody hang around too long. They call it the transient city. People come, make money and leave. So the place is like a stop-gap, a bus stop, a train station. So a name like Kopi Stop will be apt for her shop. In fact, I think it is brilliant and I claim my $30,000. 

I know it is a tad too expensive. Mind you, this is nothing compared to spending $400,000 to rename Marina Bay to ... Marina Bay and a likely similar sum to rename Budget Terminal to.... hey presto! Budget Terminal! So what is $30,000 to rename Kopi Stop to Kopi Stop? When you visit Julian in Kopi Stop in NT, please tell her to send her cheque over. 

The Singpass password reset arrived and elder sis sent me a screenshot. I used it eagerly and changed my password. Before long, I realised a Singapore mobile number is mandatory to proceed to F2P activation. When I clicked "I have no mobile number" it led me to a dead end. So.... what? Does that mean they are going to send me the token so that I can use it to activate and for future logins? It said nothing of that sort. Fucking shit user interface. Nothing surprises me. The other alternative was to inform ICA of my overseas address. I have to provide them proof of my address by sending them official documents such as power bills, as well as the usual shit, NRIC and passport copies etc. 

Over my dead body.

The ICA or Singapore government has no problem locating me if they want to. They won't even need to lift a finger. However, they will have to come and get it. I will never volunteer these information myself. I'll have to call Singpass helpdesk to find out what the heck do they want. I expect to see the token sent to my sister by the following week. Yes, I'll see to that. I do not have time to waste. I'll still need to deal with the Singapore embassy clowns later on.

I had a further chat with sis for nearly an hour. That was something, given that we never had a single conversation that last 5 minutes during my entire 30 years in Singapore. She told me she might be moving to Melbourne in a few years' time. Hmm... interesting. Apparently an Australian chap fell in love with her, didn't mind my niece and asked her to fly over to live together. I was told he was willing to marry my sis so that she would have the valid visas to stay and work in Australia permanently. Well, that was news to me.

I did not bother to do a character check, as what a member of a family should rightly do. My sister intend to delay the move for a few years so that her daughter can complete PSLE before moving. At the same time, save some money to tide themselves over like any migrant would. If all goes well, she would be closer to 50 years old than 40 by the time she land in Australia. If she is unable to do her own assessment on her safety and happiness, then that's life. Moreover, it isn't as if anyone can dissuade her of anything. So we might as well give her the blessings and help her out. I told her I could be my niece's guardian if the need arises. She can send her over to Perth and I'll watch over her until she is independent. 

I gave sis a long list of things to take note of. What she have to do from now on, how to segregate her income and savings, what visas and requirements she have to be aware of and prepare for. I told her a similar financial strategy she could use similar to what I suggested to TT (but she never took action as usual) At the moment, it feels like a 50-50% thing. I'll be surprised if it really happens in a few years' time but let's see.

If elder sis moves, I will have to think of a plan to ensure my parents are taken care of. I cannot expect 2nd sis to take on the responsibilities on her own. She has a big household to take care of too. I am not discounting the possibility of moving back to SG for short period. It happens to some of us. Sometimes we have no choice. I'll have a long chat with mum today over the hypothetical scenarios.

Autumn starts on 1st of March in Perth on the calendar but it rarely happens in reality. The searing wet heat of Summer usually lingers for another couple of weeks into late March, before the unmistakable cool crispy air of Autumn is ushered gently in. It happened well into April last year but this year we may have better luck.

By the following Monday, we will be expecting a significant dip from temperature across Perth. I don't expect any reversal, if any, to last beyond that. You rich Singapore holiday go-ers can start coming to Perth during these upcoming 9 months of amazing weather. Maybe I should let out a room or two for tourists. I'll beat any Air Bnb rates around. I'll throw in a plate of fried rice free to fill your hungry stomach. Let's see if you can find a better deal out there.

There are a lot more I can list down but there isn't a need. If I can complete half of these, I'll be contented. There are only 10 Autumn weekends left by the end of this week. If things go well I'll assess by mid Autumn and squeeze in more if necessary. 

When I arrived at work at 0545 hrs, I caught the sunrise while unlocking the gate to the compound. I stopped to snap a pic with the phone. I like it so I thought of putting it up to share.

I was informed an old colleague of mine is out of job and is currently doing Uber driving to occupy his time. I was slightly taken aback to hear that. Back when we were colleagues, he had the sky in his hand. The boss favoured him over me. So did other employers out there. He was the ones getting job offers "left, right and centre" and I struggled to even get a single interview. Even Australia wanted him over me. The migration agent he went to told him he was highly eligible and they were 99.9% confident in getting his Australian PR if he gave the go ahead. The same agent told me my chances were zero. Imagine how indignant I felt when he told me he wasn't too interested. 

"I won't go to Australia unless I have a job waiting for me there and it has to be at least $6,000 to $8,000 a month for me to survive in Australia."

I wished his chance could be given to me. I would have taken it with two hands and kissed his boots. He took me aside at work on two occasions to chide me for my bad working attitude at work. Ironically, I am still employed today, despite how terrible they describe the Australian economy nowadays. Perhaps I acquired better work ethics after I came here. He should be happy for me. I am counting my blessings despite not having a $6000 - $8,000 a month job here. On my side, I am feeling a little sad for him. Don't get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with driving Uber. It is a terribly hard job to do. In fact, that clearly demonstrated his steely attitude in life by doing something, compared to my staying at home mopping during my unemployed year in 2008. However, I could imagine him having more joy driving Uber in Perth. The roads are wider here, cars still give way and the traffic flows much better. It was a shame he didn't take up the PR whilst he had the chance to.

Meanwhile, TT told me how unhappy she was with changes in her company. Over the decade knowing her, her dire work conditions have only gone worse by the year. I lost count how many times I told her to look for another job before a health hazard claims her. However each time I suggested that, it would be met with a passive silence.

RR has quit his cancerous job to go freelance. I'm sure he is happier for it. He was the one among us who made job security his sacred mantra. Who would have thought he was the first to ditch it? Will he regret it? I doubt so.

Lady A will return to working in the hospital as a nurse instead of continuing her sales job with my advice, to get herself eligible for opportunities that awaits her.

Liza Nizar is still trying ways and means to get her family the Australian PR. I wonder what her friends and relative will think when she announce their impending departure one day. Deem her crazy for moving from paradise to an ailing economy? Likely so. Will they have a better life though? I have absolutely no doubt about it. I advised her to go to NT - the Nothing Territory, where things can be created as long as they have hope in their hearts. A place where her family can go fishing and sip mango juice in the evening, watching the sunset in their Wagait Beach home, away from hippies like Satki Yoda. I want to dedicate her a line from the theme song of an old Chinese drama serial in Singapore about our migrant forefathers. It goes this way “走出去就有路寻见了就有福”. My poor attempt to translate it to English goes this way, "There is a way if there is a will, blessings await if you walk that way."

Life is full of uncertainties. The wheel of fortune turns. The cheese moves. We cannot be afraid to get out. If the gate is closed, climb it. If the path is blocked, clear it. 

Get out. 

Beyond, is a path where very few threads. Do you dare to walk on?

Sometime back, I stayed up one night to help a Singaporean lady to do up her itinerary for her 5 day Perth trip later this year. I realised it isn't that straightforward doing that for a stranger than, say an old friend. You do not know the stranger's personality, budget, traveling objectives and needs. It went smoothly, as she wasn't too fussy on the items I recommended. Looks like a pissed poor peasant's idea of cheap but meaningful trip isn't as unpopular among Singaporeans than I initially thought so.

With that done, she disappeared back to her busy Singapore life only to emerge a couple of weeks later asking for my help. Apparently, the farmstay I recommended her did not get back to her with a confirmation of booking email despite payment was being made. Hmm... that sounds bad. I did a check on the dates. Payment was made 10 days ago. Minus the weekend, it would be around 8 working days. After being here for so many years, I didn't think anything was amiss but I decided to help her check things out anyway.

The lady at the farmstay answered the call. Friendly people. Family business. I told her the story and she revealed that they had not left the farm and gone to the bank yet but they would do so today. She does not foresee any problems with payments and will send a confirmation email to the lady once she view her bank statement. I thanked her and wished her good day. Since the booking was done 2 months in advance, I could almost imagine the lack of urgency on the farm's owner's part. This is, after all, Western Australia. 

So they say, Western Australia means Wait Awhile. The first time I heard of this was from Micky. Yeah that Micky, Cheeky Micky. Well, the little acronym play is funny because it aptly done. Things do move a little slowly here in Perth as compared to other cities in Australia. To an average Singaporean, the pace of life in WA can be vexing or even infuriating. Things get done slowly here as compared to the breakneck efficiency in Singapore. However, people do get used to it and don't see the point of rushing anyone or flying into temper to get their ways like we often see in Singapore. There is no need to even queue here. Just go home and wait awhile.

We will be suffering, if we aren't yet. We will never be able to compete with other countries and the Australia lucky show will end before long. Till then, Perth remains slow.... and beautiful. Why rush the soul and toil and toll, when you can simply wait awhile.