Job, baby and adoption

I've been thinking whether to do a contract or permanent role when we head to Sydney.

Looking at my resumé, on average I change job every 2 years. It's bad!! I dread going for interviews as they would ask me the reasons I moved from company A, B, C, D, E and F (you can guess how long i've worked roughly). So I think doing a contract job will probably suits me. I think I like the possibility of changing work environment every 2 years. My only concern is that I would miss out on company's benefit such us maternity leave, bonus, etc.

Today, my hubby and I were in a cab back from my parents' house and we talked to the taxi driver. He's above 40 and just quit (or was sacked, not sure) from his previous job and took on the cabbie role while looking for a new job. He lamented that it's not easy to get a job if you are above >35yrs in Singapore. It hit me that maybe I need to get a 'retirement' job before I'm 35! A job that would secure me an employment until retirement age. It will not be easy to keep jumping jobs when one is getting older.

Talking about getting older, my hubby and I have been trying for a baby for a year now and we have not been successful so far. We have not done much though, just some visits to a gynae, check-ups (sperm check, 'tube' checks, ultra sound). Basically, both of us are not in the best condition to have babies. Gynae suggested a date (Day 12) for us to try for a baby after giving me an injection (to release egg or something) but it was not successful. As expected, we were disappointed when we found out and we did not go back to the gynae since. Instead, we were distracted with our migration project and me with my exams.

My hubby suggested that we try it later in Australia but somehow I feel guilty about not doing anything now or at least make an effort to seek 2nd opinion from other gynae. But I think I will concentrate with my exams for now until November and maybe embark on this baby project again in Australia when we both settle down (read: get a rented place and jobs).

So if by God's miracle I am pregnant anytime from now until then, we will have to decide whether to have the baby here or there. My hubby think we should deliver there as the baby will be a citizen straight away, while if having it in Singapore we will need to apply for PR for the baby again (maybe..). Well, I think it's a slim chance anyway....

Personally, I prefer to adopt than to bear my own child and I have been thinking about adoption since I was in primary school (when daydreaming about growing up)! But since then, I realized that most people don't have the same thinking and they prefer their own flesh and blood. So, I put the idea behind me as I think that most probably most husband will not prefer adoption. Frankly, I dread pregnancies and worse, the pain of childbirth. I made my hubby to promise me that I could choose C-section. I think I like watching a baby grow up, feeding him, teaching him, seeing how he will turn out to be, but he doesn't have to come out of my tummy or have our looks.

Oh well, I don't think adoption is easy anyway and I'm under 'social' pressure (family and friends) to try having a baby the natural way. A 3-mth (or 6-mth) maternity leave would be nice anyway (if I am in a permanent role, that is). I have 2 sets of parents who would help me housework and (if any) babies, so it's easier for me to juggle work and baby later.

Things I won't miss

This month is the hungry ghost month in Singapore. And I dread the air pollution from the burning.

I know it sounds bad and a bit biased against another's belief or tradition, but I do find it disturbing. The air is polluted, the debris sometimes fly into my living room. Instead of enjoying the breeze, we have to close our window or else suffocated by the smell.

It's a small thing, really. I 'm just trying to make excuses to justify my move to Australia hehehe....

There was some earthquake here yesterday and even today. It was quite strong yesterday that I thought my head is spinning from eating too much Champagne Mooncake. It happened last night around 7pm. I was planning to stay later in the office, skipping dinner after eating so much mooncakes for tea-time (given by the traders, who got them from their brokers). But after feeling the vibration and with everybody's asking us to leave the building, I took the opportunity to leave early :P.... I was in a rush to leave that I left the 2 boxes of mooncake on the table behind me, open with no lids on. Could we still eat the mooncakes after leaving them overnight in the open? Oh well, I had another bite today and no stomach ache yet.

I felt it the earthquake again today during a meeting. My boss was talking halfway and I shouted "Earthquake!". The funny thing is, nobody at home felt the earthquake last night! Either they are not sensitive or my house is shock-proof (naaah....)

Being in a small country, I feel a bit insecure. What if there's a strong earthquake that caused a tsunami and drown the whole island? Hmmm... I think I read somewhere that Singapore is sheltered from open seas so chances of tsunamis are quite slim.

Finally

Finally, we got our PR approval! Praise the Lord :D

So excited that I want to get the passport stamped with the visa tomorrow!

Things I'd miss

My PIL, my hubby and I just came back from Shape Run (www.shape.com.sg) today. My MIL and I took part in the 5-km all-women run while my hubby and FIL were supporting us by carrying our stuff and taking picture of us before and after the run. Two of my friends joined to run with us; it was fun, although I did more walking than running. The weather is good too, cloudy but bright (read: not so hot)

After the run, we queued for goody bags (the best part!) and boy, it was fun. With the 6000-crowd (plus husbands+kids), it was a challenge to find a place to have breakfast but we managed to find a quieter place, a Hongkong cafe.

I like to do this kind of mass-run, although I hate running and I do not train at all. It was fun to observe people of different age groups, sizes, styles, running pattern all on the road walking, jogging or running. My MIL found her timing is better for this run compared to the 2 previous run we did. Personally, I do not like to run on the highway or CBD, preferring the greener East Coast side as it is more shady and breezy.

So, I managed to persuade my friend to join us for the next run on following Sunday, Run-for-Hope (www.runforhopesingapore.org) in Sentosa. I did this run a couple of years with my colleagues and we had fun on the beach after the run. I'm thinking of bringing beers to drink after the run, but not sure how to carry them while running hehehe... My husband said it is not appropriate to drink beer at charity-run. Hmm.....

I told my MIL that she could ask her sisters to join Shape run next year but I just realized that we may not be here next year. It dawned upon me that this year is the last year I'm going for all these runs. I'm having fun collecting all the t-shirts from the run hahahaha....

Now that it is nearing the Mid-Autumn Festival, marked by the sale of mooncakes everywhere. I'll be going down to the company's cafetaria next week to try all the mooncakes on sale there. My auntie asked me to buy 2 boxes of those mini snow-skin mooncakes in exotic filings (Snow-Skin Rum & Raisin Chocolate Truffle Mooncake, Mini Snow-Skin Baileys Chocolate Mooncake and Mini Snow-Skin Champagne Truffle & Chocolate Ganache Mooncake) from Raffles the Plaza (http://singapore-plaza.raffles.com/z882/restaurant_promos.html), which i'm getting 25% discount from my company. I heard Raffles Hotel ones are good too (expensive,though) so I asked my friend to buy me 2 boxes from there and I'll do a snow-skin mooncake review :)

So I just realized that I'd not do these 2 events next year... running events (I signed up for 6 events this year) and mooncakes.

Visiting or staying parents

I would prefer for my parents-in-law or even my parents to stay wtih us once we're there. But how?

If they apply to visit us, how many months will they be given for their visa? If it is only 3 months and I make an assumption that they would be visiting us 3x a year (3mths each), that would cost us $6K on airfares (1K x 2persons x 3 visits). Is it possble to get 6-months visit pass? Is it possible to extend a visitor's visa when a visitor is in Australia?

I read about Sponsored Family Visitor visa (subclass 679) but it seems to be more unnecessarily complicated if they could only get 3-mths visit terms, similar to visitor's visa. It requires certain security bond ($). But I'm not sure if this visa would help subsequently when we try to apply for residency for our parents.

In the end, we wish to have our parents to stay with us without having to travel in and out of the country. They may get older and travelling would be more and more difficult for them. But I think it would be a long journey to reach there and there's a possibility that they won't even get the residency.

If we decide to leave for Australia sooner, it will be a good idea too so we could satisfy one of the conditions for our parents' residency application, i.e. that we have stayed in Australia for 2 years. I hope my hubby's brother will also go to Australia soon so all my PIL's children are in Australia and their apoplications will stand a better chance.

Until then, our parents will have to travel up and down Singapore-Australia. They would stay with us when in Australia and stay at their other son when in Singapore. Luckily, they are still very active, healthy and strong (they could outrun me and my hubby in any running events), and they love to travel.

Cars

I don't like cars and don't understand why people are crazy about cars. But maybe that's because I can't drive..... hehhee...

My hubby started to see cars now. He planned to get a used one for our first car. It seems we can get one at less than $7K. I wonder if we need to go to a reliable car seller so we won't get a bad used car. Are there any reliable place we could get used cars? Maybe I should ask in the 'overseas singaporean' forum one of these days.

We dream of having 2 cars, one for me and one for him. Probably another one for family car. Oh well, it's always nice to dream.... I never noticed about differences in car models. To me, they look alike, four-wheels objects on the road. It wasn't until I saw a striking lime-green Peugeot 306cc passing by my rented house. It was so cute.... the driver had the top open and I knew that I like convertibles. I could imagine myself driving a convertible car in places like Great Ocean Road with my long hair flying here and there :)

Back in Singapore, I noticed another car that caught my attention all the time, RAV4. There is a little fan club for RAV4 too it seems, my friend was one of them. She and her club (and families) drive their RAV4 cars for road trips to Malaysia.

My girlfriend advised me to take driving lesson when I was in Sydney the last round. She even gave the book for me to read and learn. The book was still lying on my table until the last day I was there before I returned it to her. This round, I have my hubby as my driving teacher so I hope I could get around learning how to drive. That's why he is gonna get a used car first, for me to practise and crash.

My PIL would definitely enjoy themselves there. They love to drive and 'kia-kia'... Yoohoo!!