Well it HASN'T been as smooth sailing as we had hoped. Mya took a lot of readjusting again with outbursts aimed mainly towards me. We're both tired and run down and emotionally and physically depleted. It came to a head for me in the first week back when after 2 lovely days off on the weekend after we arrived- I felt completely overwhelmed by the need to find a school, a house and a helper. George left for India on the Monday and within a few days I was completely not functioning. He flew back immediately and was here to help. We also had help from our good friend Colin M.
I received this lovely floral arrangement from George's colleagues at the office which was very very sweet of them.
(Mya and I are still having serious discussins as to who owns the flowers - she thinks she does because she hasn't got her own garden.... Hmmm children and their egocentric logic. You know who will win this one don't you!!)
In a few days Mya started adjusting back to the routine of school (temporary as it might be) and life in Singapore. Her demeanor improved and we're almost back on track. Our neighbours upstairs continue to wake us nightly with their stomping and trying to catch up sleep during the day is interrupted by occasional jack hammers or dogs barking, You can see I'm sick to death of this place - almost literally, through sleep deprivation we have had a few very scary moments which I won't go into, but one of them shook me to the core. We have to move before something does happen. Luckily our lease finishes next month and I pity the new tenants coming in who have to pay twice our rent for this hell hole with it's constant roof leaks, consequent mould, shoddy cheap repairs by the landlord and incessant noise.
On the school front - Yes the Australian International School did not come through with a placement for the beginning of the scholastic year in January. They have however had the audacity to ask for more fees - bringing the total so far to $10,000 without Mya even getting her toe in the door until mid scholastic year - JUNE next year!!!!! We're pretty disappointed that they seem to be more interested in their infrastructure and buildings fees than actually giving children on the waiting list an education. I rang 7 other schools in Singapore and none of them had any places for Grade one. We either have to drop her down a year or escalate her without the proper foundation education. So we're opting for the former and leaving her where she's happy until June.
I went to re-visit another Australian curriculum school, but it left me for completely cold, even on the second visit, when I knew it was the only alternative that would see her education kept consistent. This situation is a reflection on the great education and environment she got in a government run school in Australia - which by the way were without these exorbitant fees.
Anyway we have decided to leave her where she is at Lorna Whiston where I had her in September, because she is happy there, adjusted to their routine (even though it's quite local in its set up - like showers and naps during the school day- which Mya doesn't do!!), but mostly when I leave her there in the morning, she's instantly happy, the staff are smiling and I leave feeling happier than when I arrived too- that says a lot!!! And their art work is fabulously creative. SO the Australian school will have to bring her up to their standard in a few short months - not a problem I created. They have 22 kids on a waiting list for grade one - taking in $220,000 in fees now, certainly they could find a classroom somewhere on the island and employ a teacher for that amount of revenue.
As for house hunting - it's been absolutely heart breaking. All the rents have risen by double and triple. Many people are leaving Singapore to go back to their countries of origin - so sadly I am losing some lovely friends. Others have to downsize or move further to the outskirts. But most companies are wearing the costs. With the rents rising 100- 150% our company has raised our allowance by tuppence hapenny. We were looking around areas we wouldn't live in in Australia and areas so far north we thought we'd need our passports.... we were nearly in Malaysia. Hopefully we will find one soon. Even if we have to downsize and move out to other areas. The other option is too scary and too disruptive. Because the Landlords have the upper hand, they are taking whoever can give the most and we don't have the most - we lost a gorgeous home the other day. It's called gazumping, and it's rampant now with rents rising through the sky.
As for the helper, we haven't even got there yet. We have Cindy who is a lovely local lady coming a couple of times a week, and occasionally for babysitting. It's the baby sitting that's the most important because I can do our whole house in a few hours. But Cindy’s not available very often and certainly not at short notice for baby sitting, so we'll have to get a full-time live-in helper - (which we don't like) but are forced to - so that we can run our lives here with some social life and some freedom. When you don't have family as a backup you need someone constant. With George away a lot I need some free time to meet with other adults. So we'll start looking as soon as the house is found.
Going to health. Mya's been quite off colour and off school several times. She's currently home with a virus. My health issue has been put down to "that time of life". And George is healthy - thank goodness. Mum is doing so well at this very minute she's entertaining her 8 neighbours in the attached units to hers. She's apparently lost more weight which is worrying, but is in fine spirits. She's a better adjuster than we are. I suppose we're doing it so often it becomes less than novel! Anyway our health and happiness is all that counts in the long run, so if all is not bright and shiny right now, maybe it will be in a few weeks time when our lives are back in place, back to routine, in a nice environment, with enough support to have a life outside the four walls of our home.
We put up the Christmas tree last weekend. We invited Mya's best friend in Singapore and a young neighbour - they had a ball for about 10 minutes and then we had to do the rest. We decided it already looked "over the top", so chose not to get the second box of decorations out of storage. Given we'll be leaving in the first week of Christmas for another house - the less packing the better.
We're head on into making our own Christmas cards this year, but soon running out of time. So we hope you'll understand if our Christmas cards don't arrive by post this year - we've kind of had quite a bit on.
Please note we're not doing Christmas presents this year. We're trying to get back to the REAL reason for Christmas - celebration of life, NOT COMMERCIALISM. I get so disppointed when I hear the common groan "I hate Christmas - its' so busy, just running around buying presents" . Well I've always loved the Christmas season and I'm not forcing myself to run around the shops buying manically and worrying if someone will like what I've bought them or not. My family and friends are not dependent on my buying them gifts. We are just giving presents to Mya - which is really easy because she's not into "Girl things" this year. Santa will bring her "Boy things" like Spaceship Legos, maybe a microscope or a mecano set and definitely Transformer toys - her eyes almost pop out when we go down the BOY isles in the toy stores.
And from her Mum and Dad her Christmas present from us will be a special book as we do each year, and tickets to a live theatre show- which there are three fabulous ones to choose from this year (as always in Singapore the Arts are really wonderful). Last year we went to Disney on Ice and she loved it. She's missed a lot with her move in and out of Melbourne. She was selected into the Singapore School of Dance, but we left just after the audition and selection notices came through. Maybe this year our little ballerina can find her feet in the right country at the right time.
Like a friend of mine said today. If God isn't shining on you this minute, there's always Buddha and Allah, and all your friends are praying for you. So thanks everyone. - Just a slight glitch in life's interesting pathways, and we still have a lot to be grateful for - especially that we still got great friends and a sense of humour. Here's a friends' interpretation of an Australian Christmas!!!! I got a belly laugh out if it. I hope you do. Remember Christmas is about celebrating life, not shopping trolleys full (or empty) of presents.
And this was before Santa arrived!
Raffles Hotel always decorates itself magnificently.
The Main Christmas Tree at Raffles Hotel.
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