160mm

A little bit more update on our house. Just before we embark on our Easter holiday, we were informed of some bad news. It appeared that due to our land being a corner lot and set next to a road, the house is required to have a minimum setback of 2000mm from the edge on the side next to the road. Ours had a 1840mm setback, short of 160mm or 16cm. Simonds informed us that since our house is already parked right to the edge on the other side, we will need to reduce the width of our house by 16cm. Straight away, they proposed to cut the width of the entry area. It was only after asking than I found out this meant we can't have double doors any more and I'm not happy about that. What made us confused and astonished was why no one from Simonds had the knowledge to inform us of this policy until now. If we had known that in the beginning, we might have chosen another house design.

One thing I have learnt from dealing with Simonds is not to trust every word they tell you. Sometimes they don't know their facts or sometimes they'll doing it on purpose for their advantage. So first of all, I asked Hubby to double check the 2m setback policy with Council but it turned out to be true. Then I challenged the fact that the 'road' next to our site is actually a 'lane' as stated in its name 'Alana Lane'. I was told that even though they name it a lane, it is in fact classified a road as it is 6m wide. I made them send me documentary proof for this.

We later learnt from the developer, who has by now become like an ally, that we could actually ask for a dispensation of the rule. (See? Simonds didn't even tell us about this option. We only found out by asking someone else.) Since it was only 16cm, we were likely to succeed. The night before we set off, we wrote an email to Simonds requesting that they ask for a dispensation. While driving along Hume Hwy the next day, they replied that they could but asking for a dispensation involved giving notice to all the adjacent neighbours and asking if anyone objects to the dispensation.What? How come reducing the setback on our own land needs the consent of neighbours?

Worse, this process of asking and waiting for their response might take 6 - 8 weeks before we get the green light! Again, the concern about the site start date comes to play. The Customer Service rep recommended that it would be faster and easier to work on where to reduce the 16cm from our house. She compromised by saying that if we want to keep our double doors, we can sit down and work together on where else the reduction can be. After considering, we agreed to meet her after the holidays.


Much as we would like to keep the original size of the house, we agreed that a cut of 16cm is not a significant difference in a house that's 14.5m wide. Even though we know that agreement from the neighbours to the dispensation would not be difficult to get through the developer's help, we also wanted to start construction as soon as possible.

All the finance approvals are in place and the land was finally settled on 20 Apr. We are ready to go as soon as we decide whether to shrink the pantry/study or the lounge. In the end, MY pantry won. Storage space for all my cooking ingredients and appliances is precious. The lounge, it will be a little narrower, but I don't think it'll be missed at all. I hope I'm right.....

 

The Building Contract

Finally, some progress on the building of our new house. Between the last update and up till last week, pretty much NOTHING happened. The land, that was supposed to be titled in December last year finally got titled last week. Settlement is due by 20th this month, afterwhich we will officially own it. In preparation for the building to proceed, we also started negotiating the building contract with Simonds last week and eventually signed it on the day of Hubby's 40th birthday.

When we first bought the land, the developer was confident that the title would be issued by December last year. But, like many inefficiencies in Australia, the title did not come on time. It was quite usual for titles to be late but no one expected it to be so late. This caused us to have some contention with Simonds due to a fixed price clause. Simonds would only guarantee the fixed base price until 30 April '11. If we do not get the building permit by then, we could be charged a $1000 per month contingency.

Of course we were not comfortable with that. But we had no choice then as we wanted the land. We were hoping we will not have a need to challenge that clause. But as time progressed and it became clear that we are walking on a thin line, we started to worry we might be charged for a delay that was not our fault or even within our control.

Luckily for us, we refused to sign the contract with Simonds any earlier. We told Simonds we will only sign the contract after the land is titled. Simonds people kept reminding us that if we did not sign the contract we might incur the contingency charges. We didn't care. As long as we had not signed the contract yet, we had the bargaining power. When we knew the date of the title was near, we agreed to meet them to start negotiating the contract.

We took the contract home after the first meeting where we talked about the contingency charges issue and had no compromise. They kept using the contingency charges to pressurize us to sign the contract which was really irritating. And the more they do so, the more we refused. At that time we had no idea the exact date the land will be titled. We needed to feel sure that we will not be penalised for any delays that was not within our control. I was prepared to walk away if they ever charged us any penalty.

At the same time, we also consulted a solicitor over the terms in the building contract. As this was our first time, we felt it was worth it to pay $200 for some professional advice and we were glad we did. The solicitor went through the whole contract with us and told us which items were against our interest and to negotiate with Simonds. Since this contract was written by Simonds, naturally all the clauses inside protects them more than us. Simonds was rather cocky and initially tried to 'con' us by saying that this is a standard contract, implying nothing is negotiable. But don't be fooled. As with any contracts, many terms are negotiable.

We managed to up the amount that they have to pay us if they failed to complete building within 220 days from $200/week to $250/week. We also refused to go for a new progress payment schedule that will give them 50% of the price by the frame stage. There was a clause that said 'fixed site costs' but we had to pay for any 'importation of fill' if they need to fill up excavation holes. We got them to remove that as well. Most importantly, they agreed to extend the fixed price timeline by another month. By then, the land was titled and we were confident we should not be charged any contingency.

At the end of the day, we agreed to sign the contract only when we were satisfied and achieved what we wanted. We closed one eye to some conditions that they refused to budge but overall we were happy to proceed. But not without first complaining about their high-handed tactics and threatening to walk away. :-p

The building contract is one of the most stressful yet important stage in building a house. We spent a few days reading through the whole document and scrutinizing the plans. One of the most unreasonable condition inside stated that if we made any 'variations', we would incur administrative charges of $1,000 on top of the cost of the variation! So we had to make sure that we make any mistake or don't change our minds once we signed the contract, otherwise they'll make a lot of money from us. But the most important thing is, don't be pressurized by the builders to sign a contract you are not comfortable with. Remember, if you walk away from the deal, they have more to lose than you.
  

Taekwondo Grading

KK, who has never known an exam in his life, got his first real experience of one last Saturday. His Taekwondo yellow belt grading. 

Since February this year, he has been attending TKD training 2 days a week. Hubby also took it up and they both started from the most basic level, as a 'white belt'. Both of them really enjoyed the sessions. Hubby renewed his interest and refreshed his memory of the moves he'd practised 20 years ago in the army. It was a good cardio exercise for him as well. KK also became fitter, doing push-ups and sit-ups and I saw improvements in his kicks and punches over the last two months.

But still I worry how he'll perform on grading day. There won't be Dad to remind him and there won't be teachers to correct him. He'll be watched carefully by the testers as he goes through his kicks and punches and he'll have to complete the whole sequence by himself. I hoped he won't forget his moves. I worried if he'll sit down halfway through. Worse, will he refuse to even participate on that day? Afterall, he had never been tested seriously. I was anxious yet keen to watch how he'll perform under pressure and scrutiny.



Relax lah brother



The kind of anxiousness I felt was probably natural for all mothers letting go of control. Feeling a little helpless yet excited to see if the tree you've planted will stand on its own after you let go of your hand. For that moment, I willingly gave up my beauty sleep and woke up at 6.30am to attend the grading.  

While waiting for their turn, some people practised but KK did not. If he was nervous, he did not tell me. Hubby was also going for grading that morning, but I have no issues he will definitely get it as he wanted it. KK, I'm not too sure if he took it seriously. We had to remind him not to crumple his uniform and he appeared nonchalent as we fussed over his hair and length of his pants. 

At the end of the day, KK did not fail us. He went through the whole 20 mins sequence without quitting halfway or getting confused. He stood straight and followed all instructions correctly. Most importantly, I saw him seriously doing his best. Getting a TKD yellow belt is not a big deal but I'm proud he kept his nerves and achieved it on his own efforts. I hope he will always have the right kind of attitude as he tackles challenges that comes along and put in his best effort in everything he do. I breathed a sigh of relief when the tester walked up to him holding the yellow belt in her hand. 

  



Congratulations KK and Hubby!



Kinder Fun

I can see why XX really likes going to kindergarten. Each time I drop him off at school, I see that enthusiastic sparkle in his eyes mirrored in so many other kids there. Since the 2nd week, all those kids that had cried and clinged on to their mothers had now adjusted to the separation and shows no signs of homesickness. I credit all these to their teacher, Sue and a well-planned and fun-filled kinder program. 

To keep 28 restless 4 year olds occupied for five and a half hours is not easy but in XX's kindergarten, there are always so many different activities to do and play that time passes easily. Each time I send XX there, I take a look at the tables of activities laid out and I get a glimpse of what they are gonna do that day. All sorts of materials are used for the kids to create stuff in addition to painting, stamping and simple handicrafts. Recycled cardboard boxes and cartons are used to build models with sticky tapes; bottle caps, patty cups are pasted onto paper for some crazy artwork; a big basin of gruel is prepared for the children to mix with a handheld mixer. 

Today I had a chance to get a deep experience of what they do after the parents leave. It was my turn to do "parent duty" at the kinder. I took this opportunity to see how my son behaved in school as well as get to observe him at play. At the same time, I also got to know some of his kinder friends better.

As it was a sunny day, Sue brought them outside to have their lunch. The children settled on mats and rugs with their hats and sunscreen to enjoy their food. First thing I realise, compared to the other kids, I gave my son too little for lunch. I usually just give XX a ham or tuna sandwich, 1 type of fruit and a few biscuits. Even then, he couldn't finish it. The other kids' lunch boxes have basically the same things, but the portions are bigger. Like they had two or more fruits (like a whole apple/pear), cheese and even yoghurt for their lunch and afternoon snack. Guess I need to add in a few more stuff to increase the variety. No wonder some of them are so big-sized.

Right after lunch, the children played outside. Even outside, there were so many options for them. They were free to choose to go to the sandpit, which XX loved, and play with the buckets and spades. They collected water from a special tap that pumped collected tank water, to make mud pies or sand castles. Or they could go on the swings, take a slide and jump on the trampoline. There was also a shady area set up with some books on a carpet for them to browse. Under a big tree, an easel stand was set up with paint and brushes. Sometimes, they pretended to be carpenters. Real pieces of wood and nails were available for them to hammer. I thought that was kind of dangerous but the teacher thought it was good for them to learn how to use these tools early. Surprisingly, I saw some of these 4 year olds hammering away on the nail quite proficiently. No one came away with a nail in their hand thankfully.

I spent half the time there just walking around the different "pit stops" in the yard and watching the children. They were basically left on their own to play with each other, the teacher and assistant went around to help them a little. XX spent a great amount of time at the sand pit until one of his friends, Matthew, invited him to play on the swing. Then they ran around with a few other boys playing hide and seek. XX didn't do any of the painting or quiet stuff today. It was all active play. I managed to get talk to some girls as well. They were pretending to be twins and I got them to do fun "twin things" like sing a song or run together. Soon more joined in and they were all racing to touch the fence and come back. 

Later on, one boy asked me to make him a paper aeroplane. I folded for him one of the most un-aerodynamic aeroplane, but he was happy. Another one saw it and wanted as well and before I know it, there were like 10 other kids crowding around me that wanted one too. It's funny how little it takes to amuse these kids. Just a bit of our time and attention. 

After they packed up, the teacher decided to keep them outside, making them lie down and look at the clouds to soothing background music. It was not easy getting twenty over fidgety kids to lie still but she managed to keep them down for about 15 minutes. Along the way, she talked to them, asking them what they could see in the clouds and later, to imagine that they were in the clouds. By the time my duty was over, it was time for them to eat their snack, again, out under the clear blue sky. 

It's pretty clear to me by now how the kindergarten program here is different from what I know in Singapore. There wasn't any alphabets recognition or numbers taught in class. Certainly no homework or anything too difficult. It's all fun, creative play but along the way, the teacher do incorporate some counting skills and general knowledge into the activities they do. Like asking what day (Friday) was today, yesterday, tomorrow and XX was asked to look at the sky outside and report on the weather (thunder/snow/sunny/rainy etc). They did a headcount together and learnt about grasshoppers when they found one outside. Social skills were being emphasized. The children were reminded to respect the teacher by not yelling at her and speaking one at a time. They were not supposed to play rough and were taught to ask for their turn at activities politely. I'm not an education expert but I sure wished my kinder was fun like this when I was a kid.

 

Crazy Times

The news over the past few days have been focused on the same things: the earthquake in Christchurch, the uprising in Libya and the latest tax on carbon in Australia. Not very good news, especially the first two.

My heart goes out to our kiwi neighbours, whose unfortunate geographical position has caused much disaster and devastation over the last 6 months. I am saddened by the many losses of lives, many of them probably had no chance of escape when it happened. They did nothing wrong, except to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This leads me to reflect, once again, on the fragility of life. Here one moment, gone the other. How small we are compared to the forces of nature. This tragedy has a humbling effect on people and we can only accept that we don't control Nature but instead is subject very much to it.

On the other hand, some thousand of kilometres to our northwest, in Libya, people are trying to take control of their destinies from a tyrant leader. For the people there, I say 'jia you' (fight on)! It's time to say enough is enough. They deserve to live in peace and prosperity just like everyone else. I cannot imagine what it must be like to live under the rule of such a crazy control freak of a leader for so long. And I can only fear for them if this leader do not get defeated and has a chance for revenge.

Nearer to us, Australia's PM has just annouced that there will be a price to pay for carbon emission from next year. Companies will be taxed, a fixed rate initially, on the carbon emissions they produced. This increase in cost for them will no doubt be passed to the consumers at the end and have a direct impact on our livelihoods in terms of increased prices on basically everything that involves carbin emissions in its production. While I agree that we must reduce our carbon footprints on earth and this green policy is aimed as such, I'm not sure if it will be effective enough to have a visible impact. Companies will still produce what they need to produce because there is a demand for consumption. Will they really try to research for alternative 'greener' methods of production to reduce their carbon tax or won't it be easier to just pass on the increased cost? At the end of the day, even if it is effective, the benefits of such a policy on climate change will only be felt in the long term. For the time being, perhaps in our lifetime, all we'll ever feel is the pinch to our pockets. Nonetheless, if we are buying the future for our children, then perhaps the sacrifice will be worth it.   

XX Loves School

All ready with schoolbag and hat

What a difference 1 year makes. Last year this time, we were struggling to send a reluctant and tearful XX to experience 'school' two days a week at a childcare center. We gave up after about 2 months. He wasn't enjoying it and obviously not ready to stay somewhere unfamiliar, away from us, for a prolonged period of time. 

Based on my experience with KK, I knew XX still needed more time. When I tried to send KK to playschool at age 2, he didn't like it either and we stopped. When we sent him to nursery the next year, he was so much better. So for the rest of 2010, XX stayed by my side. This year, however, there was no more excuse to delay his entry to official kindergarten. I was both eager yet anxious to know how he will react about going to school now. 

I had enrolled XX for a two-day kinder program that stretched for 5.5 hrs each day. Versus the three-day, 3.5hrs program, I thought this would give me more free time at a stretch and less hassle of bringing him in and out. Well, it was a decision based on my covenience and as the day approached for the term to begin, I started to regret if I had been too selfish and if I was subjecting XX to torture. Would he be able to adjust suddenly to spending 5 long hours at school? Furthermore, he had swimming lesson on one of the days before school. Would he be overtired? What a bad mummy I was.

Washing his hands after hanging up his bag

Luckily, after I voiced my concern to the teacher, she was pretty understanding and suggested that if he can't cope, I could bring him home earlier and slowly lengthen the amount of time he spent in school. At home, that first day, XX was pretty excited about preparing his lunch box, a present he got for his 4th birthday. I made him a ham & lettuce sandwich for lunch and packed some cransins and biscuits for snack. He happily packed the Thomas Train lunchpack it into his rollerbag and obediently dressed up. No fuss, no tears. Good start, I thought.

XX sniffing on the floor with his tissue

On the way there, I took a few photographs of him and he posed like a pro. Inside the class, he looked a little distracted by all the toys and kids around. After hanging up his bag in his designated "mouse" locker, I brought him to wash his hands and led him to the play area while waiting for the teacher to organise everybody. I already saw 2 other boys clinging tightly to their moms. (Notice it's boys again?) XX was still looking cool until I said that I'll have to leave soon. Then he started to wipe his eyes. He knew the inevitable was coming. As the other mommies started to leave, one of the clingy boys started to wail. He was comforted by the assistant and immediately distracted with a basket of toy trains, which was good cos I was worried that XX would be affected and start yelling too. I hung around for a while as the teacher started to talk to the children. I had given a tissue to XX and I watched him busied himself with it clearing his nose. After a while, I waved goodbye and walked out. As I closed the door, I heard fresh wailing. Phew, it wasn't XX but another boy who just realised his mom had sneaked out with me.

I stayed around for another 30 minutes outside, talking to another mom and secretly went to peep at him again. He was eating his lunch. I couldn't see his face but I saw his swinging legs. A relaxed posture. About 3.30pm, after I picked KK from school, I couldn't resist dropping by XX's kindergarten to check on him again. This time, they were having their snacks outdoors. I saw him, (he didn't see us) sitting under a tree with the teacher and other kids. The teacher saw me and came to update me that he was doing very well. No sign of distress and tiredness. She reckoned I should just let him stay till the end.

  

Yay, we finished our first day! (XX and Callum)

From that point on, my fears were thrown out of the window and things got better and better. By the 2nd week, XX declared he LOVED school. He even asked him when is it time to go to school and would say 'hurray' when I told him today he's going to school. On the day itself, he would keep bugging me if it's time yet. At school, he's still abit uncertain as he didn't know everyone yet. So he told me "Can you stay until Callum (his only friend)  arrived? Then I'll stay with him." When Callum came, I said goodbye and I got a big hug and kiss and a happy wave from him. I cannot ask for more. This is the perfect scenario already. My toddler is going to kindergarten and enjoying it and I have 3.5 hours of free time all to myself.

          

Pregnant Flower

Did you know that some flowers have gender? I didn't know that until recently. I have a pumpkin plant in my garden, which grew from the seeds that we kept from the Japanese pumpkins we eat, to this gigantic crawler with leaves the size of my palm. They started flowering recently, lots of them with huge soft yellow petals. Unfortunately, they wither after a day of bloom and then drop off. None of them produced any pumpkin. I read up a bit and discovered that only female flowers will bear fruit. Apparently all those flowers that bloomed so far were male flowers. Obviously you don't get babies from males. This rule is pretty consistent with plants as well. I was a little disappointed even my plants were like me, no luck for female flowers.

A few days ago, I finally saw it! A flower with a 'baby bump' below it! A tiny pumpkin! My pumpkin flower is pregnant! And not just one but three of them!! Finally, the babies are arriving! This might be interpreted as an auspicious sign for those who believe.....I'll take this chance to wish all who are wishing for babies a fruitful and productive year ahead!!

      



The female flower - see the bump below?

The male flower