Wednesday 28 August 2013

Time will tell

Hello, Hello, Sheila here I thought I would actually do a post instead of lurking around just reading lots of Singapore blogs and letting Mark do all the writing.  I have been extremely touched by some kind emails I have received whenever I have commented on peoples blogs.  I have been given lots of advice, or more links to help us and offers of trips and tours so that I can start to find my way even though I’m far from family.
I thought I would list out some things I am excited about and worried about in the hope that all of the exciting things don’t disappoint and all of the things that cause concern turn out to be irrational…here goes:
Things I am worried about:
1.    I really hope that I can start to meet people and form friendships, as I have a really good circle of friends here in Scotland.
2.    I’m freaking out in case I ‘get’ culture shock and end up quite irrational.  This post from The Expat Bostonians explains and I don’t want to  look back at this amazing opportunity and remember being cross and unhappy.
3.    Our little dog Daisy who I really hope doesn’t get too upset on the move.
Our little cottage
Things I am excited about:
1.    The opportunity to travel to amazing destinations we would never have visited from Scotland.  I can’t wait to take full advantage of the airport and ferry links.
2.    Living in the biggest house I’ve ever stayed in.
3.    Being in  a big city.
4.    Being able to save more money for wherever we eventually buy a home of our own.

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Movers, Moving, Moved........

We have moved house a couple of times in the past and this move was gong to be a lot less stressful as it was being looked after by other people.

However, in reality its not really stressful (yet) but there is so much paperwork to be completed and emailed or faxed etc.

We are going to relocate some of our possessions with the remaining going in to storage. My car is being moved and the most important item to be relocated is little Dasiy the Westie.

Her process kicks off this Friday where she will get her first of a series of injections and her passport will be applied for.

Thing really are moving forward fast now and with less than 10 weeks to go its going to fly past!

Saturday 24 August 2013

A little info about our proposed living area

We’ve been trying to find out as much about our new area as possible now that we finally know where we are moving to.  Apparently it is an ex-military area and was the residence for Non Commissioned Officers and Officers.  Our new home will be the biggest we have ever stayed in and looks really pretty from the outside.  We can’t wait to decorate it for Christmas time.

“Dover is a relatively small neighbourhood of Singapore, located in Queenstown. It is south of Ghim Moh and north of Kent Ridge. It is often a noted location due to the sheer number of educational facilities it holds, while lying in a zone between Singapore's central business district in the Central Area and her industrial zone in the vicinity of Jurong. The general geographical area is classified under the Queenstown Planning Area by the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and is a few kilometres away from Queenstown itself.

The Dover neighbourhood was formerly a British military and residential area. Hence, many road names in the area are derived from English (specifically Kentish) place names. For example, those in Medway Park off Dover Road include names associated with the southern coastal areas of England, including Folkestone and Maidstone, apart from Dover itself. The name "Dover" is from the Celtic word meaning "The Waters", alluding to the English Channel. Medway Park, for instance, is named after the River Medway, which marks the middle of Kent. Interestingly, Kent is the nearest English county to Singapore.”

Wiki Info

Wednesday 21 August 2013

More accommodation updates......

Well, things really are gathering pace! I now have a Liaison Officer looking at supporting us in the run up to our relocation. I have sent off our housing requirement forms and from the information I now have we are going to have a very nice split level house with garden and possibly a pool! But it gets better, because of my "Diplomatic Status" I also have the option of taking my car over which is going to be a major boost for us!
I have a 50 page document from my L.O, when I have had a look through this I hope to pull out the useful stuff and post it in the blog!
The houses are all the same and here are the pictures of the house my colleague has just signed for!

Saturday 17 August 2013

Accommodation Update

Well, it looks like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has agreed to provide diplomatic housing to us! This is going to save us a heap of time and it means that the house should be ready and waiting for us when we get there. From what I've been told these are all in a green area, on one level, have a garden but more importantly we could opt for one with a pool as long as we agree to take care of the pool maintenance! This is a massive step forward and a bit of a relief if truth be told. Hope to post a few pics soon.

Saturday 10 August 2013

Expat Singapore Website & Forum

I've obviously looked all over the web for sources of information that will enable us to move smoothly. These sources cover everything from packing, moving, accommodation, getting our dog moved, lifestyle and lots of other things.

In the main most sites are really good BUT beware the Expat Singapore site (I'll provide a link at the end of the entry) 

The site generally is really good, lots of useful and helpful information cover lots and lots of topics. Where this site lets itself down is the forums and messaging boards. When I first got told we were moving I put a post on the messaging board asking for information about getting our dog into Singapore. I received one or two helpful comments, the other dozen or so were people picking up my spelling, grammar and one even suggested that I was a White master coming to tame the locals!

I have probably posted about a dozen or so comments on that site all with very mixed responses. I did get involved in a little war of words and was told "we are lifelong expats and are fed up of newbies coming on to this site asking the same questions over and over, we are tired of people like you thinking you are special. Why don't you try Google for your questions"

Nice comment and very friendly and welcoming! There are a few good people on the site but just be wary that there are trolls and spammers on the site as well!

Expats Singapore Site......

Thursday 8 August 2013

A Book Review - Dan Brown's INFERNO

Okay, this blog is all about the run up to and arriving in Singapore. However, I am also including a few things about us, what we do, what we like and things like that. So, Sheila and I went to the library the other day to collect our reserved books. I collected Inferno and Sheila picked up Call the Midwife. 

I am a HUGE HUGE HUGE Dan Brown fan (did I mention that I am a huge fan?) and couldn't wait to get my hands on this book. It had been reserved for a couple of weeks and I was on the waiting list. I collected it on Saturday at 11:30am. By 2pm I was unable to put it down, I was gripped!

I'm not going to give a synopsis of the story as I tend to give away all the twists and turns. However, if you have read any of Dan Brown's other books then this one is the best. I stopped reading with about 40 pages left the other nigh, I thought that everything have unravelled and the plot was out. Imagine my surprise as it continued to spiral one way then the other! A great great book worthy of a few days of solid reading!
In his international blockbusters The Da Vinci CodeAngels & Demons, and The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown masterfully fused history, art, codes, and symbols. In this riveting new thriller, Brown returns to his element and has crafted his highest-stakes novel to date.
In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon, is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante's Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante's dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust . . . before the world is irrevocably altered.

Monday 5 August 2013

Keeping fit.......

In preparation for getting to Singapore I've decided that I could lose a few pounds! I know that carrying excess weight in a hot climate is not comfortable so anything to help must be worthwhile! 

I have three months to do what I can. I would like to have lost 2 stone (28lbs) before we go and this will be done by increased exercise and diet modifications! 

Tonight was a three mile run, same again on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday. Will be increase by 1/2 mile each week up to 5 miles!

Thursday 1 August 2013

Hop, Skip & Jump......

One of the many things that is exciting us about our move to Singapore is just how easy it is to hop around the world. Being in Aberdeen doesn't offer us the same luxury when selecting holiday locations. It does however mean a 3 or 4 hour drive to another airport but then your choices are still limited.

I've been to Borneo, Australia, Vietnam and Hong Kong with my work. I want to experience all of these locations with Sheila. We can be across in Perth, Australia in 5 hours! Some of the places on our H,S & J (Hop, Skip & Jump) bucket list are :

Borneo

Hong Kong Skyline

Bali

Perth, Australia