Life's Just Exciting!

Singapore, Here I Come!

Now that it’s official I can already tell you about the details of our upcoming move to Singapore. Whew, what a relief to be able to ask questions away without hiding half of the story or pretending they are somebody else’s. Being able to freely share with friends what’s been happening and what’s about to happen is liberating. Now I can pester people who are close to me about my plans, excitement, worries, and fears. Har har har, I’m wicked.

First, a little backgrounder. Do was offered the position of Regional Finance Director, and although it took a while for him to decide and for the office to finalize the details of his new assignment, here we are finally making hurried preparations for our move to the regional office based in Singapore. In three weeks time max, we have to pack and ship out of Seoul! This is the reason why we went there a few weeks back to house and school hunt (if you read my previous blog on this, there’s no way you couldn’t have guessed it).

A bit inconvenient on one side since we’ve only been in Seoul for 1 year 7 months, meaning, I’ve almost just finished unpacking and decorating – if you know how O.C. I am – and now we have to pack again. Add to that the fact that I’ve almost doubled my knickknacks. If I bring everything to Singapore, and chances are I will since I hate to part with anything that has value -- sentimental or financial -- it will be a chaotic move. I will need extra pair of hands, or make that lots of extra pairs, when it’s time to set up again. Plus, I will need to fit everything in a condo unit half the size of our current house. If you still think housekeeping is peanuts, think again.

Another challenge will be the heat and humidity. It’s still spring in Seoul and the temperature’s lovely for long walks. In fact, you’ll never sweat here except at the height of summer, which is really very short (to some people’s disdain). Singapore means hot, and humid, and sweat, and yes, body odor. As I’m sure you very well know, one doesn’t need to have body odor to be bothered by it. Have you tried riding the MRT and having the misfortune of standing or seating beside one with body odor? In most cases it’s not a testament to one’s hygiene, so I make sure not to judge a person instantly by his/her smell. Of course it’s important to be able to tell when hygiene is the issue, though.

Unlike in Seoul, we will not have a full time maid in Singapore. The decision not to have one was influenced by a lot of factors, and was almost just my own. First is the amount of “investment” we need to put forward as required by the government, in the form of monthly levy, personal insurance with a minimum amount of S$10,000, 100% medical expense coverage, and a S$5,000 bond which we can lose if the maid suddenly disappears or commits a crime. All these are of course on top of the monthly pay and other perks the government is encouraging employers to give. The second reason is the educational attainment requirement, which our current helper does not meet. I know that some recruitment agencies in Manila can make “miracles”, but I don’t want to dip my fingers on it and it seems that’s exactly what my maid is waiting for. For me to find ways again so she’d qualify, just like I did everything so she can have a passport despite problems with her birth records (she was given a man’s name, would you believe, and was recorded as a male!). Plus, Singapore has a “no direct hire policy” which means I still need to send my maid back to Manila, find a recruitment agency that will process her in-principle approval papers, go through POEA, etc. despite the fact that we’ve known her since 2002 and has stayed all the time with us here in Seoul. I don’t mind the POEA part but I do mind the recruitment agency bit. The last reason is independence. No matter how much I remind myself not to rely too much on the maid, it’s always easier to find excuses and before I know it, for instance, for 3 nights straight I left dinner preparation completely in her hands. So this time around, I’m determined to stick it out with only a part-timer who will come once a week to help clean up some and iron.

Despite all these (and more, which I will share in detail soon), just the thought that my son will finally be able to attend a montessori school and have regular playmates who can speak English is enough to buoy my spirits. That it will be convenient for my husband and me, too, in as far as language is concerned come as a bonus. At this point, my greatest concern is Luis growing up with a very limited social interaction with kids around his age. And I believe Singapore will be able to open opportunities for him in this area.

Don’t think that I’m heartless. I told Do I think I’m having separation anxiety and he laughed till his eyes watered. But this is another long entry and will be the subject of my next blog.

posted by lala @ 12:24 PM