Dear All,
what a long time between 'blogs'! I decided that I had no excuse at this stage, as I am off school at home recuperating after a small sinus/nose operation. Ah such air we breathe!! Didn't actually know there was so much air in the world, so I guess that means that the problem has at least been partially solved - if not completely...Hard to tell at the moment with the routines I am going through - and I will spare you the gory details - but needless to say - what is in, must come out! Just wish it would all hurry, and the internal nasal stitches are a 'bitch'.
BUT - can't say enough for the care I received! Great surgeon (professor actually - wanted to tell him I was a professor too, but it sort of seemed to pale in comparison). Hospital was more like a hotel, and the nurses etcetera were great. Food and beverages - well - okay, that could have been a bit better, certainly no Starbucks (as was a common feature in Kuwait hospitals).
So now we merrily submit the bills and see just how nice this Health insurance group is!! I did have it pre-approved, but they may balk at the private room (worth every cent in my book regardless).
SO - I am off for a week, which I sort of 'pooh-poohed' initially, thought it was all a piece of cake, nasal douches, drops and all for the first day or two, and then they removed the internal plugs...Yeah, that was interesting. So since then, have actually spent a great deal of time sleeping and groaning - didn't know that even I could sleep quite this much. Have broken all previous records!
Yesterday was much better, and today is a good day, so I guess one should just trust what the good professor says, and understand that when he says a week there is good reason. Thankfully there is a long weekend now to help the whole process. We had already arranged to go to Macau as Andy is there today to visit a school, so have continued with the original plan. We are off to the Cirque de Soleil which is now based at the Venetian there.
What, then, has happened in the past (almost) year! Oh boy, where to begin... Guess it may be easier to try to remember highlights and go from there.
HK - yeah, we are still here, have just moved places. I would sooo love to live in a country and remain settled in the one home for the duration of our stay, but it seems it is not to be! The housing prices just continued to rise astronomically during last year, and so we knew that we would be in for a bit of a rental 'hike', but that word really doesn't convey the result! More like a long distance marathon! Our landlords, in their ultimate wisdom and greed, decided to put up our rent over 50%! Actually it amounted to an extra $8,000 US per month!! And we were already paying "way" over our housing allowance. Strangely our salaries had gone up - well - not at all, so there was no relief there, and when we tried to negotiate (at that stage there were 7 villas empty out of a total 19) they were kind enough to suggest we could pay$200 US a month less. Terribly big of them. So we really were left with no choice. Would have thought that they had it in for us, except that the exodus has continued and they now have 11 of their 19 villas empty.
By the way - new address, same phone numbers...
2/f, Block 2, Villa Martini, 8 Stanley Beach Road, Stanley, HK
(825) 61147365 (andy), (825) 61147364 (Me) and (825) 28131329 (home)
In some ways we were lucky, we moved just to the next complex down the hill, but still pay much more than our original rent, for a smaller place, and while the kitchen is better, it really feels much more like an apartment, which is, of course, what it is, but what I was trying to avoid. Ah well...Still if the school doesn't recognize something it could well be the death knell for us. We are not loving living in HK, and this is just too much out of pocket to make it worthwhile. Not to mention the school gets a sweetheart deal with our housing anyway - with 2 administrators in the same family!
Which is really the next point - I guess that is part of our problem here, and I, for one, am getting a little 'jack' of it. The school really eats into our lives big-time as we are 2/3 of the admin team. Can't escape anything and everything seems to involve us both at the same time. It really is too much. I did take on the principalship of the middle/high school to get the high school started last year, but that, of course, has made things worse. I have never wanted to be a principal, and while I think I am doing fine, the arrangement was that I would drop back to part-time if I wanted to for a 4th year here, and let a new person take over the reigns for an easier transition. Only problem is that we really can't afford to do that now! So to stay - or to go...That is the question. Still on the drawing board at the moment. Jury is definitely out. Small schools are just soo much work, and there is no-one to delegate too, and no budget to hire extra as so much of the budget goes into our small class sizes and instructional hires. Hmm. Catch 22. So there is no end to a work day ever, and while my hubby is (as you all know) the original energizer bunny, I, most certainly, am not. Brought home this week with Sidhonie throwing herself into my arms each night to say "it is so nice to have you home when I am mummy." Don't get me wrong, don't ever think I will become the stay home mum type, but she definitely has a point.
And Andy, as usual, has too many fingers in too many pies - and has no idea how to pull them out (or so I say). Keeping busy is not even a choice in Andy's life, it is just 'life' and I have to admit it is driving me crazy at the moment. Lifestyle is a word used a lot in our household at the moment. We do compensate by making sure we have decent breaks, but even so, the computer reigns supreme for us both - sort of takes the 'down' out of 'down-time' to a large extent.
Anyway, enough of that...
As for the little lady - still heavily into the dance (thought that may go this year, but no such luck it seems, the allure of the stage seems to have got to her), as well as gymnastics. She is now a 'big girl' evidently, at all of 9 years of age, and nagging us like crazy for a phone for her 10th birthday...Bit of a problem when so many of her friends have one! Still we are STRONG! (and it is still a year away almost). Pulled out some old "pre-wedding party games for the party with the masses of little girls like sucking the cotton wool up with straws in relays, and balloons between the legs. Just 'knew' those party games would come in useful one day! My nephew, who is currently living in Hong Kong with his wife, was quite amusing..."I just thought kids ran around and just played at parties, but I guess, when I think about it, you do need to organize things for them". Ah, yeah! So the whale cake went down well, and the theme for next year is being discussed - already!(She thinks she may have a 'mixed' party next year - oh dear!).
School is still not easy, but she has pretty much caught up all round, and is such a diligent little worker, and so enthusiastic still, that I think she will always be fine. I know a lot is said about medicating children, but she is very able to verbalize what it does for her, and thus far, her growth and development is doing nicely. To see her without those tablets now almost seems cruel as she is so unable to concentrate and make sense of things. Still it will be her choice as she grows older. It still amazes me the misunderstandings about ADD out there. I still hear from people all the time "oh, she will grow out of it". Very unlikely dear readers...She may well become better able to handle it as she grows older and more mature, but very few people grow out of it. Having met many adults with it now, they certainly back this up, and of course, had to go through schooling without the benefit of people knowing anything much about it. It is, afterall, a brain development problem, and that is very unlikely to change unless diet or environment related, which we have ruled out for Donie. Such is life, we are just happy that it was discovered early enough to save her a lot of heartache, and to be somewhat 'treatable'.
Now - a little venture into the unknown came about as a result of a holiday last year...After a 20 year lapse, we decided to return to Bali. Had an absolutely great time (may have been helped by being upgraded to a villa in the hotel we were staying in - sometimes complaining does serve a purpose!) and started - as we do - taking a look at property while there. End result, we returned a few months later and bought a lovely little 2 bed villa there. It is on a complex of three, all owned by expats (one bought by 2 friends of ours as a result of our raving) and with onsight management. There have been a lot of teething problems being expats, but all is settling now, and they are all paying for themselves thus far. Infact, trying to book to stay in our own place has proved problematic!! Can't (and won't) complain. We will go in October to inspect our and our friends property to organize a few little jobs, but they really are quite lovely, a 5 minute stroll from the beach in Seminyak (just above Legian) next to the Oberoi, and a 5 minute stroll to what is called "eat street" in Seminyak. Shopping an easy stroll too (a must for 'moi'), and we have our own swimming pools with each villa. Yes, for those nay-sayers, Bali is still messy, traffic is bad, and of course, there is always a possibility of another bombing. But, as you may have gathered by now, we have had a very nice lifestyle from using common sense and not watching CNN. Life is short, who knows what it will bring, and you get nowhere by doing nothing! So say I! Even if there is another bombing or similar, Bali will recover, and for the moment, the investment is far better than any Australian ones we have!! We still loved Bali (obviously) it is beautiful, vibrant, Bali belly is no more an issue anymore than most other places (Gee, I got salmonella poisoning here at a very well known place early last year!), and it is now very cosmopolitan with just about anything you could need or want. Can't wait to redecorate (though Andy is trying to keep my enthusiasm down, down, down) butfurnishings there are fabulous, and bathroom stuff - Oh my god - and so cheap!!
Having said all of that, we currently have one of our Sunshine Coast places on the market...Keeping the one we stay in (which we recently added a 3rd small bedroom/study to) and trying to offload the other. Don't know how we will go, but would prefer to keep an eye out for something in Brisbane down the road. So, we shall see.
HK has also helped us re-examine finances - and we now have reviewed our loans and have them offshore - but still through an Australian bank, at less than half the interest. Has certainly helped the finances given our housing issues here. If we move, we evidently have 10 months to reorganize again. Keeps life interesting. Having said that the economic recession is not helping, and the loan people are suggesting that we may have to "top up" if things don't improve very soon. Now that would be interesting...We don't exactly keep a lot of extra cash hanging around.
Other than the little foray we did have a short break in Kota Kinabalu (where we are returning shortly to a regional Administrators conference), nice, quiet, orangatangs and other interesting wildlife (Malaysian Borneo if you need a better fix). Spent Xmas at our place in Coolum, and will probably head back this year to do a few more things to the place. Did our usual dance between Coolum and Tas over the summer/winter break, where our Tas upstairs bedroom and bathroom are finished and were very much enjoyed. Did a weekend or two in Macau, and one in Beijing - with the main aim of seeing the Great Wall and Forbidden City - and to catch up with friends. The weather was very kind, and we had a fabulous day on the wall, could see for miles!
This year, Bali, as mentioned, and back to Coolum to renovate a little more. It really is time we took Sidhonie back to Vietnam, but...my love/hate relationship with the place still makes it hard for me. We shall see...So many places within easy reach from here (Phillipines, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, more of China, and on) and all places we would like to return to, particularly now that Donie is old enough to take more in. Watch this space (but not too closely - despite good intentions, I am not terribly efficient with these things these days and you may well find out after the fact!!). Regardless, I do think that we will, at most, only be in HK one more year (AT MOST) so if you are thinking of calling through - get your plans in action!! As always, we love to catch up with old friends, and this is a great 'stopping off" place, as many friends have already discovered.
Oh and by the way - have already been to the Cirque de Soleil in Macau, and it was brilliant! If you ever get a chance, don't miss it!
Do keep us posted on your whereabouts and antics...We love to hear from everyone. Short messages (even two liners) are perfectly acceptable!! Just do it!!
We think of you all (truly!!)
Merris, Andy and Sidhonie
what a long time between 'blogs'! I decided that I had no excuse at this stage, as I am off school at home recuperating after a small sinus/nose operation. Ah such air we breathe!! Didn't actually know there was so much air in the world, so I guess that means that the problem has at least been partially solved - if not completely...Hard to tell at the moment with the routines I am going through - and I will spare you the gory details - but needless to say - what is in, must come out! Just wish it would all hurry, and the internal nasal stitches are a 'bitch'.
BUT - can't say enough for the care I received! Great surgeon (professor actually - wanted to tell him I was a professor too, but it sort of seemed to pale in comparison). Hospital was more like a hotel, and the nurses etcetera were great. Food and beverages - well - okay, that could have been a bit better, certainly no Starbucks (as was a common feature in Kuwait hospitals).
So now we merrily submit the bills and see just how nice this Health insurance group is!! I did have it pre-approved, but they may balk at the private room (worth every cent in my book regardless).
SO - I am off for a week, which I sort of 'pooh-poohed' initially, thought it was all a piece of cake, nasal douches, drops and all for the first day or two, and then they removed the internal plugs...Yeah, that was interesting. So since then, have actually spent a great deal of time sleeping and groaning - didn't know that even I could sleep quite this much. Have broken all previous records!
Yesterday was much better, and today is a good day, so I guess one should just trust what the good professor says, and understand that when he says a week there is good reason. Thankfully there is a long weekend now to help the whole process. We had already arranged to go to Macau as Andy is there today to visit a school, so have continued with the original plan. We are off to the Cirque de Soleil which is now based at the Venetian there.
What, then, has happened in the past (almost) year! Oh boy, where to begin... Guess it may be easier to try to remember highlights and go from there.
HK - yeah, we are still here, have just moved places. I would sooo love to live in a country and remain settled in the one home for the duration of our stay, but it seems it is not to be! The housing prices just continued to rise astronomically during last year, and so we knew that we would be in for a bit of a rental 'hike', but that word really doesn't convey the result! More like a long distance marathon! Our landlords, in their ultimate wisdom and greed, decided to put up our rent over 50%! Actually it amounted to an extra $8,000 US per month!! And we were already paying "way" over our housing allowance. Strangely our salaries had gone up - well - not at all, so there was no relief there, and when we tried to negotiate (at that stage there were 7 villas empty out of a total 19) they were kind enough to suggest we could pay$200 US a month less. Terribly big of them. So we really were left with no choice. Would have thought that they had it in for us, except that the exodus has continued and they now have 11 of their 19 villas empty.
By the way - new address, same phone numbers...
2/f, Block 2, Villa Martini, 8 Stanley Beach Road, Stanley, HK
(825) 61147365 (andy), (825) 61147364 (Me) and (825) 28131329 (home)
In some ways we were lucky, we moved just to the next complex down the hill, but still pay much more than our original rent, for a smaller place, and while the kitchen is better, it really feels much more like an apartment, which is, of course, what it is, but what I was trying to avoid. Ah well...Still if the school doesn't recognize something it could well be the death knell for us. We are not loving living in HK, and this is just too much out of pocket to make it worthwhile. Not to mention the school gets a sweetheart deal with our housing anyway - with 2 administrators in the same family!
Which is really the next point - I guess that is part of our problem here, and I, for one, am getting a little 'jack' of it. The school really eats into our lives big-time as we are 2/3 of the admin team. Can't escape anything and everything seems to involve us both at the same time. It really is too much. I did take on the principalship of the middle/high school to get the high school started last year, but that, of course, has made things worse. I have never wanted to be a principal, and while I think I am doing fine, the arrangement was that I would drop back to part-time if I wanted to for a 4th year here, and let a new person take over the reigns for an easier transition. Only problem is that we really can't afford to do that now! So to stay - or to go...That is the question. Still on the drawing board at the moment. Jury is definitely out. Small schools are just soo much work, and there is no-one to delegate too, and no budget to hire extra as so much of the budget goes into our small class sizes and instructional hires. Hmm. Catch 22. So there is no end to a work day ever, and while my hubby is (as you all know) the original energizer bunny, I, most certainly, am not. Brought home this week with Sidhonie throwing herself into my arms each night to say "it is so nice to have you home when I am mummy." Don't get me wrong, don't ever think I will become the stay home mum type, but she definitely has a point.
And Andy, as usual, has too many fingers in too many pies - and has no idea how to pull them out (or so I say). Keeping busy is not even a choice in Andy's life, it is just 'life' and I have to admit it is driving me crazy at the moment. Lifestyle is a word used a lot in our household at the moment. We do compensate by making sure we have decent breaks, but even so, the computer reigns supreme for us both - sort of takes the 'down' out of 'down-time' to a large extent.
Anyway, enough of that...
As for the little lady - still heavily into the dance (thought that may go this year, but no such luck it seems, the allure of the stage seems to have got to her), as well as gymnastics. She is now a 'big girl' evidently, at all of 9 years of age, and nagging us like crazy for a phone for her 10th birthday...Bit of a problem when so many of her friends have one! Still we are STRONG! (and it is still a year away almost). Pulled out some old "pre-wedding party games for the party with the masses of little girls like sucking the cotton wool up with straws in relays, and balloons between the legs. Just 'knew' those party games would come in useful one day! My nephew, who is currently living in Hong Kong with his wife, was quite amusing..."I just thought kids ran around and just played at parties, but I guess, when I think about it, you do need to organize things for them". Ah, yeah! So the whale cake went down well, and the theme for next year is being discussed - already!(She thinks she may have a 'mixed' party next year - oh dear!).
School is still not easy, but she has pretty much caught up all round, and is such a diligent little worker, and so enthusiastic still, that I think she will always be fine. I know a lot is said about medicating children, but she is very able to verbalize what it does for her, and thus far, her growth and development is doing nicely. To see her without those tablets now almost seems cruel as she is so unable to concentrate and make sense of things. Still it will be her choice as she grows older. It still amazes me the misunderstandings about ADD out there. I still hear from people all the time "oh, she will grow out of it". Very unlikely dear readers...She may well become better able to handle it as she grows older and more mature, but very few people grow out of it. Having met many adults with it now, they certainly back this up, and of course, had to go through schooling without the benefit of people knowing anything much about it. It is, afterall, a brain development problem, and that is very unlikely to change unless diet or environment related, which we have ruled out for Donie. Such is life, we are just happy that it was discovered early enough to save her a lot of heartache, and to be somewhat 'treatable'.
Now - a little venture into the unknown came about as a result of a holiday last year...After a 20 year lapse, we decided to return to Bali. Had an absolutely great time (may have been helped by being upgraded to a villa in the hotel we were staying in - sometimes complaining does serve a purpose!) and started - as we do - taking a look at property while there. End result, we returned a few months later and bought a lovely little 2 bed villa there. It is on a complex of three, all owned by expats (one bought by 2 friends of ours as a result of our raving) and with onsight management. There have been a lot of teething problems being expats, but all is settling now, and they are all paying for themselves thus far. Infact, trying to book to stay in our own place has proved problematic!! Can't (and won't) complain. We will go in October to inspect our and our friends property to organize a few little jobs, but they really are quite lovely, a 5 minute stroll from the beach in Seminyak (just above Legian) next to the Oberoi, and a 5 minute stroll to what is called "eat street" in Seminyak. Shopping an easy stroll too (a must for 'moi'), and we have our own swimming pools with each villa. Yes, for those nay-sayers, Bali is still messy, traffic is bad, and of course, there is always a possibility of another bombing. But, as you may have gathered by now, we have had a very nice lifestyle from using common sense and not watching CNN. Life is short, who knows what it will bring, and you get nowhere by doing nothing! So say I! Even if there is another bombing or similar, Bali will recover, and for the moment, the investment is far better than any Australian ones we have!! We still loved Bali (obviously) it is beautiful, vibrant, Bali belly is no more an issue anymore than most other places (Gee, I got salmonella poisoning here at a very well known place early last year!), and it is now very cosmopolitan with just about anything you could need or want. Can't wait to redecorate (though Andy is trying to keep my enthusiasm down, down, down) butfurnishings there are fabulous, and bathroom stuff - Oh my god - and so cheap!!
Having said all of that, we currently have one of our Sunshine Coast places on the market...Keeping the one we stay in (which we recently added a 3rd small bedroom/study to) and trying to offload the other. Don't know how we will go, but would prefer to keep an eye out for something in Brisbane down the road. So, we shall see.
HK has also helped us re-examine finances - and we now have reviewed our loans and have them offshore - but still through an Australian bank, at less than half the interest. Has certainly helped the finances given our housing issues here. If we move, we evidently have 10 months to reorganize again. Keeps life interesting. Having said that the economic recession is not helping, and the loan people are suggesting that we may have to "top up" if things don't improve very soon. Now that would be interesting...We don't exactly keep a lot of extra cash hanging around.
Other than the little foray we did have a short break in Kota Kinabalu (where we are returning shortly to a regional Administrators conference), nice, quiet, orangatangs and other interesting wildlife (Malaysian Borneo if you need a better fix). Spent Xmas at our place in Coolum, and will probably head back this year to do a few more things to the place. Did our usual dance between Coolum and Tas over the summer/winter break, where our Tas upstairs bedroom and bathroom are finished and were very much enjoyed. Did a weekend or two in Macau, and one in Beijing - with the main aim of seeing the Great Wall and Forbidden City - and to catch up with friends. The weather was very kind, and we had a fabulous day on the wall, could see for miles!
This year, Bali, as mentioned, and back to Coolum to renovate a little more. It really is time we took Sidhonie back to Vietnam, but...my love/hate relationship with the place still makes it hard for me. We shall see...So many places within easy reach from here (Phillipines, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, more of China, and on) and all places we would like to return to, particularly now that Donie is old enough to take more in. Watch this space (but not too closely - despite good intentions, I am not terribly efficient with these things these days and you may well find out after the fact!!). Regardless, I do think that we will, at most, only be in HK one more year (AT MOST) so if you are thinking of calling through - get your plans in action!! As always, we love to catch up with old friends, and this is a great 'stopping off" place, as many friends have already discovered.
Oh and by the way - have already been to the Cirque de Soleil in Macau, and it was brilliant! If you ever get a chance, don't miss it!
Do keep us posted on your whereabouts and antics...We love to hear from everyone. Short messages (even two liners) are perfectly acceptable!! Just do it!!
We think of you all (truly!!)
Merris, Andy and Sidhonie
posted by PS newsletter at 7:54 PM
3 Comments:
Hi there Merris, Andy and Sidhonie,
It is great to get your newsy update and see photos of you all and your Bali villa. What a beautiful place!You must love it! Sidhonie is as gorgeous as ever. It is great to hear that she is doing well. Steve asked if you could tell us the details of the Coolum place you are selling. We would really love to catch up with you one of these days. This year we are doing small trips around the island as Steve is not working and we are saving for the wedding- Still no date yet but most likely will be in Sri Lanka during summer.
This will probably be our last year here too. As I have said before and I will say again I would love to sit with a Starbucks and have a chat with you. We miss you all a lot. Take care of yourselves. Love Liz and Steve
Dear Merris and Andy,
I look forward to seeing you at EARCOS to catch up. Wow....Bali is really close to Surabaya.
Cheers
Robbie B
How do you want to make your party so special? Hire the services but keep in mind the idea should be completely yours. Come and join a Party with us, and see what we can do!!!!!!!!!!!!
Party Rental Miami
Contact Num: 786-953-6147
Post a Comment
<< Home