Official beginning

After lumbering around for almost 3 weeks since we got here, our life officially started on the 9th April. Nothing "officiates" it more than making 2 major commitments: Signing the lease on a House and Buying a Car, both on the same day.

It was a funny experience and eye-opener going through the process for both.

First, the house. We actually wanted to get the keys on Fri but we didn't have

 a document they wanted. The agent promised that we can officially hand over on a Monday morning when we bring the document. Come Monday, with document on hand, we're all excited abt getting the keys. Several calls later, we found out that the silly woman was on medical leave and for 2 days! Maybe after closing our "sale", she partied too hard over the weekend n she decided to give herself 2 days off at the beach.

Oh well, we thought since we were in no big rush and since we ARE in oz, gotta do as the aussies do, just chill. ( Also cos, they're usually so nice that it's hard to get mad at them)

So on the 9th, the agent finally came back to work (with a tan), we finally got the keys to our new home. Here's a sneak preview:

 

view from our courtyard

As for the car, the transaction was too simple: Handover a wad of cash, sign form and viola! the car's ours. And since buying a car in cash is totally unheard off in S'pore, I couldn't resist snapping a shot of the stack of cash we used for the car:

Raindrop

As promised, here's what raindrop's been up to since she arrived in sydney:

See video HERE .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l50S6uFCHrc

Raindrop & me locked up

Raindrop's other locked up neighbours

Raindrop quarreling with her neighbour (already!)

As you can see from the video n photos, raindrop is surprisingly completely at ease with her new surroundings. Knowing her nervous nature, I really expected to see her huddled in the corner looking terrified but instead, she's there running around with tail wagging, excited and even man-ja. Incredible! 

And oh the pen you see in the photo is raindrop's home while she's at the quarantine station. It's like a small terrace "house" comprising of an indoor "bedroom" with a bed (yes literally a bed with blanket) and a outdoor courtyard with a automatic water cooler. She's even got a nanny who's assigned to take care of her. Very nice young lady who unfortunately had the privilege of learning that Raindrop bites (sometimes). 

I'm really relieved and happy to know that Raindrop's doing great. We're gonna visit her again on Friday. Can't wait!

What I've been up to

We've been out & about from mornings till late evenings since we got here. There always seems to be something we wanna do or have to do. So here's a pictorial summary (too long to write):

(1) Enjoying their lovingly made coffees at the many cute cafes. But it's getting to be a costly luxury so we've decided to invest in a good coffee machine once we've moved to a more permanent place. (i'm already eyeing a slick looking delonghi machine =P)

(2) Been Bio-ing Dogs. Met this Raindrop-look-alike waiting outside a pub while his Daddy's getting a beer inside. 

(3) Meet Samson, our friend's dog. Had a nice Bbq 

lunch at their house on Sunday. The food was so simply made yet so yummy. Had too much to eat and too much to drink as well. Between 4 of us, we had 

2 bottles of wine, a shot of tequlia, 2 mugs of homemade beer, tia maria, all this in the middle of a sunday afternoon! Much less to say, we slept really well that night and amazingly we weren't hung over the next day.

(4) Roamed around Chinatown getting our Asian food fix. We saw this long snaking Q from the shop to the street and were immediately curious. Turns out it was a shop selling PRATA and SATAY! Think it was started by a Malaysian, the prata made 

fresh, looked nice and fluffy. We're definitely gonna check it out one day. 

Ok la, it's not all fun and games here. We had to do serious and boring stuff like set up bank accounts, meet accountants n lawyers to get the company registered and work visa done, house hunting (which is becoming increasingly NOT fun), finish up a project here, meet up with some existing clients & partners.

Can't wait to find a place and really settle in so we can get business up and running. 

And oh, went to visit Raindrop at the Quarantine station on friday. She's doing surprisingly well! Will post an update on this once I've downloaded the photos i took of her =)

Super excited about getting her back soon. She's become more brave and I think she's gonna like it here. 

Shoot me

Ok I know this sounds pathetic but it's only been 6 days and I'm already having a serious case of intense longing for some tongue-numbing, gut wrenching jolt of super hot CHILLI. I don't care if it's sambal balachan (i'll just scream if i ever find this here) or fresh cut chilli padi or chicken rice chilli as long as it's tongue-numbing, gut wrenching jolt of chilli......er ok i said that already, think the dire lack of chilli is having it's effect on my brain.

Actually, there do sell chilli padi here. I almost died and gone to heaven when i saw those cute lil red things but believe it or not, I didn't buy it. 

2 reasons:

1. It's called Chilli Bullet.

My immediate thought was "Er, hot or not?"

2. It's FRigging 4 bucks for like 15 pieces!

So combine the sceptic in me and my singaporean sense of how much chilli padi should cost, i simply couldn't bring myself to get it.

This was 3 days ago but i confess right now, I'm seriously tempted to give in to this daylight robbery just to get my chilli fix. 

Then again, I think i'll wait till C comes then we go marketing at the Chinatown market where asian foodstuffs prices are alot more sane. I might just buy myself a chilli plant! 

Anyway this is gonna be one of the many boh-liao post you'll be reading here. The little details in life we take for granted: LIKE CHILLI!

Finally

Yes, having arrived in Sydney last nite, I've officially crossed the over to the new frontier.

The excitement didn't really hit me till I was on the plane and having nothing to do, i had alot of time to daydream & dwell on this new chapter.

Today's my first day here and maybe because I'm fighting a flu and maybe because the apartment's too comfortable, I've not gone out or done much yet. I'm staying at a really nice studio apartment along bondi road, just 10mins walk to bondi beach. The owners are a young couple who are currently holidaying in India. It's amazing how they've kept the place so clean and neat, it looks better than some of the service apartments I've stayed in! 

I guess it's alot less dusty n humid here but still, it's been one day and "signs" of my mess around are already quite apparent =) and I've not even unpacked yet! 

Gonna see some houses for rent tomorrow morning and probably head to the beach after. Can't wait to take my favourite bondi to tamarama beach walk, am determined to lose at least 2 dress sizes while i'm here. 

Well, now that I'm finally here I just have 2 things to worry about. Raindrop and Business. 

Everytime I think about this 2, my mind goes into a frenzy. I'm gonna church to pray for both haha, need divine intervention. Coincidentally, there's a church just 2 mins away so really no excuse not to go. The best part is i made a wrong turn and stumbled upon it so I think it's a unmistakable invitation back to church. 

Ok that's it for now, will keep updating my adventures in the land of OZ.

Klee

I was writing a long raving post about the cocktail bar Klee 2 days ago but got wiped out when the blog page crash on me &!*#$^!(!

So here's the long-short of it: 

Go try it! The drinks are amazing and deceivingly healthy. The experience very novel & fun.

Ever since Klee, all cocktails pale in comparison.

And oh, go with a girlfriend. You get more attention from the bartender that way =)

The next frontier

In less than 19 days I'm about to embark on the greatest adventure of my life or at least that's how i feel. I've been dreaming about this for the longest time but now that it's really happening i'm both excited and afraid. In fact, for the past few days I've been bouncing from one extreme emotion to another, one of immense anticipation and excitement and the other, fearful & anxious about the unknown.

I really hope once I've cross the threshold, things will just fall in place and work well for everyone who has a stake in this. I hope next year this time, I'll look back and be amused with the anxiety my silly mind put me through. 

Well the big plus side about this move is my 2 darlings will be with me and I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time exploring a new life, a new place together. 

I'm thankful that I've been able to experience so much diversity, adventures and fulfillment in my life. I'm thankful that I'm never content with the mutiny of routine that many people I know have grudgingly embraced for fear of "trying something new". Finally, I'm most thankful that God has blessed me with the courage and faith that He will always be by my side, smoothening out my journey for me. Even where there're obstacles, it's just Him playing prank and working in his usual mysterious ways. 

So guys, stay tuned and find out what happens once I've taken my leap of faith on the 19th =)