Big Changes Down Under....

What would one expect?
Moving from Asia... to a DEVELOPED COUNTRY. Speaking of DEVELOPED COUNTRY, I should change the write-up about "MYSELF". I am no longer living in a developing country, and no longer an expat wife. I'm sure is still a Nomadic Mom... cause we are still living in a rented home, and we WILL be moving sometime or other!

When are we buying a home here? Donno the answer at this point in time. So don't ask. :-)
So the part where we are living in a rented home (like what we have been doing in all our expat relocations) has NO CHANGE.

So what are the big changes?

For one, I NO LONGER have a driver, and I have since become THE DRIVER. I didn't mind this at all.... until soccer started last week ...IN THE EVENINGS! It's the time that I am usually changed in my ugly, loose and comfy pyjamas and plonked in front of the tv kind of time. So you can imagine the 'inconvenience' of having to pop out to drop and pick-up and hour later. What time? Start times ranging from 6.50 to 7.30 depending on days. 3 days of Soccer (split between the 2 boys) and then there's a day of tennis... and now Saturdays with Archery.
Actually, there's the Sunday for S2's Parkour down at Southbank. But I had to draw a line and ask him to drop it. Tooooooooooooooooooo far a drive, plus the $8 parking is off-putting. And I don't know how to kill 2 hours in the city on my own. Once Twice is okay lah... but every week, cannot tahan. Soccer and Tennis is actually quite close by.... to drive, but not close enough to walk laaaa

What about the other main change? NO MAID? Actually, I didn't have a maid back in Jakarta for awhile... Too much problem. How am I coping? Not too bad lah. Boys help out with the dishes after meals, and they will mop and vaccuum in the weekend. Only once in awhile, I will clean their toilets.... I get them to clean their own toilets weekly. S2 was like "EEWWWWWW" when I showed him their urine stains.. and it was quite funny cause the next day when his friend came, he said "please aim properly cause I have to clean it!". Hahahahha...

Not having a maid in Jakarta was not a problem, cause we could still send out our laundry to the "Laundry Kilo-an" - Laundry done by the kilos. They will wash, iron and fold (ironing not perfect but who cares??). Here... I gotta do the laundry and the ironing. Winter has its perks. Everybody wore their jumpers and NO NEED TO IRON! Now, Spring is here, more of those white shirts are seeing the sunlight... and thus have to iron. Bought myself a terrer super-duper steam iron, which actually made ironing easier. I wouldn't say that ironing is pleasurable, but it sure is easier.

What I find really hard about moving Down Under is COOKING EVERYDAY!!!!!! In Jakarta (or anywhere else in Asia for the matter), going out for a meal is soooooooo easy, convenient and cheap. Australia is blardy expensive. H keeps insisting that the noodles are almost same priced as Jakarta, cause you get double the amount. Yes. Portions are bigger, but still expensive. $$ aside, I find the larger portions also a bit troublesome... cause I would then have to ta-pau the other half, and EAT IT THE NEXT DAY. Yerrrrrr... donwan to eat same thing over and over again wor? But I don't wanna waste it either. SO how?  And I find I can't eat what I want. Because of the larger portions, S1 will order what he wants, S2 will order what he wants, and I end up with whatever they cannot finish. Damn sien... It's better if H is around, then he becomes the one that eats everybody's leftovers. Hahahahah

Biggest change? Is not having the other half here with me 50% of the time... cause of the business in Jakarta. Is kinda lonely.... especially after I drop the boys to school, and I come back to an empty house. Really need to get a job of whatever to just get out.... otherwise damn sien and bored. And you know what is worse? EATING WHEN BORED!!! I've put on about 4 kgs since I moved here. How not to? The cheeses, the ice-creams, etc etc....

Speaking of jobs... it's not easy.... They stress for  'local experience' blah blah blah. I thought I'll just volunteer for something, but even that seems a bit ma-fan with the hours and days that they want you to commit. No such thing as just go and help out when you are free kind. Know what I mean?
Anyway, See how lah.....

Other than that, I think boys are settling in quite well, and at least I don't have to worry about them. Just somehow ... NO HOMEWORK ONE WORRRRRRRR...

Still so much to update.... maybe tomorrow lah...