Of trials and tribulations 2

Week 3 since touch down. Let's run week by week.

Right before we flew, we left our very very important MacBooks and iPad on the Grab car. Found out only 2 hours later when we are entering the departure gate. So much panic and frantic and worry. People who came to see us off were so kind, reassuring and helping to contact the airport's lost and found, and Grab company to trace down driver. Eventually we flew without our potential work gadget and boarded with a heavy heart. We retrieved it one week later, when Fen's cousin got them back from the driver and flew here to pass us during his work trip. We are beyond blessed.

1st week flew by so fast, and yet so much drama. And so much was done! In order (which worked out favourably for us because some documents were pre-requisites):

• Got a prepaid mobile SIM
• Rented car for 5 days
• Bought furries' necessities (litter tray, sand, food bowls, food)
• Applied Tax File Number (TFN)
• Applied/Activated bank accounts
• Applied Medicare
• Subscribed to internet, gas and electricity providers
• Bought a 2nd hand car
• Started tenancy period
• Converted driver's licenses at VicRoads
• Bought car insurance
• Bought a new mattress
• Collected car and returned rental car
• Bought washing machine and refrigerator

In between the above, we had to make time to visit Ginger at the hospital daily, and still try to be home as early as possible for Pitch. Basically the day was worked around Ginger's visit, which was pretty challenging. Applying TFN, subscribing to service providers and buying car insurance were done online, but needed some reading up and careful filling in. Didnt take super long. Took 2 weeks to get the official card for TFN and Medicare, and at least 3 days for the subscriptions to be activated. Gas took 1 full week! Because complications with outstanding bills from previous tenant. And for 1 week we had icy cold water from the tap and had icy cold showers which I found out were absolute excruciating torture. Landlord was kind and took pity on us, asked us over to have showers.

The drama: Left my wallet at Medicare centre, a public place with many migrants. All our critical identification was inside that wallet. I left it on a telephone booth halfway filling up the medicare application form. Because I was caught on the phone call with Ginger's vet. And everything else didnt matter. Fen also didnt watch out because our names were then called to the counter. And for the next 10 minutes we were sitting at the counter, until Fen asked "where's your wallet?". And my heart froze. I stood up and walked stiffly back to where we last sat. Wallet was not there. I went stiffer. The security guy at the door saw my white face and asked if we needed anything. I could only blurt out "my wallet..". Security guy quickly led us to a guy who was walking around, HOLDING MY WALLET. The guy was trying to contact the owner of the wallet (me). He was tracing the computer to find if our info is with the system. When he turned around to face me, he immediately asked for my name and the contents in the wallet, the country of the identity cards. OMG this guy knows his shit. I'm so glad he was the one in possession of my wallet. GOD BLESS HIM. A false alarm but a terrible scare. We were really out of sorts and not in our game the first week. Very jumpy and constantly worried.

We got our 2nd hand car within 2 days of car shopping. 

Car shopping in a sea of cars

Our rental car, upgraded to Toyota Kluger 3.5L. I actually enjoyed this gigantic white beauty!

A crappy but only photo we took of the car, because the 1st few days were really moodless about fun.

Subaru 2009 Forester
O yea, this is our car, casually taken in the wilderness~

Not too bad, and the car is in an otherwise decent condition despite 300+k freeway mileage. My only criteria is that it works. Fen loved it and has bonded with it immediately. Cant jazz it up in the meantime, but will be a work in progress.

Most things above were done fuss-free, and it definitely helped we did our homework/research and made prior appointments and had documents ready for proof of identification. Blessings everywhere as we had kind landlords and kind-hearted souls who gave advice and offered help along the way. Thankful for all the help rendered. Thankful for God.

Week 2 was more settling. Did more shopping for essentials and had stuff delivered. Bed, fridge, washing machine, dining table (we got a 2nd hand 7-piece solid wood set for $200, woot!) helped make the house more habitable, when we can finally sleep better, keep and cook food, do our laundry, and sit at a table. With the gas activated, we can also use the cooktop, turn on the heater, and have hot water for showers. The nights have been cold, down to 6℃. So cold we needed 2 quilts. Our landlords also brought us around the area, to know where to get good deals and go for road trips. Things we found out here:

• Grocery prices are like the stock market. Case in point - broccoli can easily go for between 99cents/kg to $6.50/kg.
• By default, people enter your house with shoes on. I havent tried asking them to remove before entering, but it's my house and I mop my ass off to keep the floors clean, so I can exercise that right.
• Driving on the road is less courteous than before. We've been to Oz  since 2014, and the road ethics have definitely changed, possibly because of more migrants? But I must say, if you signal, 95% of the time the car will slow down and let you go ahead to change lane. Still beautiful people~ Singaporeans have much to learn about graciousness.
• I've heard stories about the gazillion unique creepy crawlers that are only found here in Oz. So the house has been pretty much shut tight from Day 1 of moving in. Even with windows open, there will always be a mesh (to prevent big slow flies during summer). Still, I keep finding one bug after another in the house. Freaks me out every time.
• Speaking of big slow flies, they are really ridiculously easy to swap and kill! I killed 3 in 2 minutes on first attempt. 
• When the people say something is clean, it is NOT. Zzz standards can be quite low here.
• Cheaper than SG stuff include Lush products, storage containers, (good) coffeebeans, fresher fruits (kiwi and blueberries!!!) and vege (kale and broccoli!) etc. Sorry the stuff I buy are boring. O yes! Cars, lol.

In short, I dont feel much is different. It's almost like we never left Singapore.

We're ending Week 3 soon. All is good. Weather is turning warmer. I do look forward to days where I can just wear a t-shirt, and wear thongs (slippers/slip-ons/flip flops. Forgive me I'm getting aussified). These days I'm furiously buying thermals and warmer jackets (because I left my beautiful awesome fashionable jackets back in SG, kicking myself alot), and watching my pocket burn.

Every night, furries crawl under the sheets to steal our warmth (and our hearts), and I really love spending quality time with them as they acclimatise and adjust to their new home.