The House Hunt (Perth)

in the UK, at least based on our experience renting out our place, if you want to lease a house, you book an appt to view the property (this is PRIVATE viewing, mind you) and if you like it, you pay a holding deposit to at least secure the house unless the owners decide otherwise (based on initial background info as presented by tenant/s). the next step is for the estate agent to run a full background check, and referencing. if all is good, then you get the property. if there’s something amiss in the checks, it’s in the discretion of the owners whether to take you on or not.

coming to perth, we had to book a holiday home because the estate agents would not entertain us until we see the property. we booked the house only for a month thinking it would be long enough to look for a house and secure it. then came the shock of our lives! prior to the trip, we have shortlisted some houses that we thought would suit our family best. we set an appt with the estate agent and come viewing day, we were so shocked to see a lot of people viewing the houses! we learned that most viewings are open viewings. it was intimidating and scary because you see all your competition and your hope of securing the house really gets deflated!

we were initially looking at renting somewhere close to the boys’ school. but finding a big enough space within the budget was very challenging. then after being rejected one after another, we decided to broaden our search area.

yes, our application was rejected 3 times! the first one did not give any explanation. i was fine with that because i didnt like the house in the first place. it was the hubby’s first choice because of the space but i found it too dated. the 2nd one i really liked. but we got denied because of lack of rental history. obviously, we’re new to the country and having owned our house in England (since 2005), there wouldnt be a rental history, would there? the third one was really laughable. instead of feeling regret, i was dumbfounded! because we were having difficulty securing a house, we really went all out to get the property: we offered 6 months ADVANCE rent apart from the bond/deposit, hubby’s company gave an indemnity letter, we gave them a copy of our house’s land register in england. those, on top of very solid referees. and their reason for declining, they werent sure if we can pay the rent! seriously???? what annoys me with all these applications, none of our referees was contacted!

we then found a house with a very kind estate agent. he was really enthusiastic and helpful. even the owners seem keen. but doing research and having asked around, the area isnt nice at all. so we kept looking but didnt really say no to the property just in case. then we found another house in a really good suburb. unfortunately, the owners became greedy. after seeing that we’re happy to pay 6 months advance rent, they decided to increase advertised rent. they also probably thought we would readily agree since we were in a hurry to move in (our holiday house booking was coming to an end). out of principle, we said no. we would have happily paid the (new) rental price that they were asking if only it was their advertised price! why increase rent all of a sudden!? we were desperate but their attitude was a turn off. then they said, ok, you can have the house at the original price. and by the way, we are selling the house to investors. the house will be leased to you for a year but you have to open the house for viewings. HELL NO!! sorry, that’s too much of a hassle and that says a lot about the type of people you really are! there’s no way we will deal with you!

we were on our way to view a house when hubby asked me if i fancy this particular property. it has so much space but the pictures were crappy. but because we were in the area, we decided to sneak a peek. and boy, were we surprised! dont judge a book by its cover!! it was soooo much better in person! the area is nice as it’s just 5-8 minutes to the beach. this is also one of the original areas that we were looking at. still a bit far from the kids’ school (30min drive) but the route is quite scenic so it’s all worth it! we were encouraged as well because there were only 2 families that viewed it. and that other family can only move in at the end of march! that’s 1 month income less! we submitted the application/requirements that night and come lunch time the next day, we received a call from the agent telling us we got the house. YEY!! but wait!!! the advertised availability was the 23rd of feb but the owner decided to have the floors done. so instead, moving in will be delayed by a week (27th)! they were apologetic but that’s the only hurdle in securing the house. we told the agent, we’ve waited for so long already, a few more days wouldnt matter. that being said, we only booked our 2nd holiday home for a week. extending the move-in date meant we had to look for a 3rd holiday home. yes, we have moved 3 times already in 40 days!

im glad the boys are troopers! we all cant wait to finally settle in our “final” home. i miss having a routine (without house viewings!) and the boys need somewhere to burn their energy! we havent signed the tenancy agreement yet but we have paid the bond and advance rent (just 2 weeks!). the agent assured us that we got the house. we FINALLY have a HOUSE!

 

Hello From Perth!

Sorry for the lack of updates. the last 4 months have been really CRAZY! thinking back, i still wonder how we’re able to accomplish (or not :p) a lot of things in so short a time! in the last 4 months, we have packed our whole house, had it renovated (well, i say renovated but more like repaired :p), searched for an estate agent to manage our house (and eventually lease our house), flew to Perth, house hunt while trying to live as normally as we possibly can, at least for the sake of the kids. It has been really stressful but at the end of the day, we had to toughen up as this is what we wanted for our family. Perth has so much promise that I know, those hardships will easily be forgotten. There were times when i was ready to throw in the towel and just go back to England. but then i remembered, I have no house to go back to! anyways, we’re still thankful for the opportunity and cant wait to get into the groove of things. more posts to follow (i hope!)

St. Thomas

leaving for australia last summer, we havent really decided on whether to accept the relocation offer or not. we actually only said yes towards the end of the trip. but nonetheless, we acted as if we have (and that we are relocating) already.

prior to the trip, i researched for schools. i studied in a catholic school all my life (21 years!) and i want my kids to attend one too! thankfully, the husband agrees. we have nothing against other school types, it’s just our personal choice. our eldest goes to one here in uk. imagine my disappointment (and shock) when i found out that catholic schools in australia (at least in perth) charges quite a substantial amount! We’ll be paying 100% more compared to here, excluding extra curricular activities (this is considered low already compared to other private schools. by a lot!)! not to mention the uniform and stationeries that you need to buy in school so all pupils will have the same things. because of the high fees, the daddy suggested looking at public/state schools because they are not really bad at all. in fact, most of them are good and at par, if not better, than a lot of private schools. that is, if you look in the right area. but at the back of my mind, i felt like we’re short-changing them if we send them to a state school (my opinion! no offence meant) because they can go to a catholic school here but not there!? anyways, with a heavy heart, i made a shortlist of schools (both state and catholic) i think we would like so that when we get there, we can have a look around and know more about the school.

i searched for the top schools in terms of academic performance, overall ranking, reviews from parents, curriculum and location (if the boys are to study in a state school, we have to live within the school’s boundaries). i emailed my prospective schools to ask for additional information. i ended up with 3 choices: 2 state schools and a catholic school (i wasnt ready to give up on this!). fortunately, we were in perth at the right time. we were able to apply within their deadline!

next, we set up an appt to see the principals of the state schools. we liked the schools and their location. we totally saw ourselves living within their catchment area, which is the ultimate criteria to get into these schools. downside though, the rental price for the houses is a bit steep. we wont have much choice for the rental budget that we have (i.e we might need to downsize or let go of some of the amenities we want). this is what i was talking about above: looking at the right area. you see, most good state schools are located in really expensive areas (at least the ones we feel would suit our kids best).

as for the catholic school, tantan phoned beforehand to ask for possible placements for the kids. they said they can confirm a place for kid 2 (incoming kindergarten, which is probably comparable to nursery stage here in uk) but not for kid 1 (incoming Year 1). obviously because they already have kids that started with them (from kindy and pre-primary) moving on to year 1. this school is very small, in terms of building size and population, it has to be very strict. the usual process is: (1) submit application form (2) pay the fee (3) interview with the principal. this is why tantan was a bit hesitant to file an application because he didnt see the point of paying for the application fee (£66/child) if there are no places for BOTH boys. we didnt want to separate them and send them to different schools because school run would be a nightmare! however, we were invited to the school to talk to the principal and to have a tour first, skipping the first 2 steps, at least until we’re satisfied and happy!

yes, the school is pretty small. but we were impressed with what the school offers. i was sold from the get-go! i told tantan the boys NEED to attend there. the principal was very confident in saying that all their pupils are bright. well, robotics at 9?! seriously! we asked about penalties if kids are pulled out for holidays during term time (because they do that here in england). they said they dont charge anything and the principal thinks that going on holiday is beneficial for the child – within reasonable limits. of course, the parents should understand the consequences of doing this. but the principal is very confident that no kid gets left behind with their lessons because all their pupils are smart, they can easily catch up! we were toured around by two Year 6 pupils and they presented themselves really well. any parent will be so proud (no exaggerating!). and every single pupil that we passed by, said hello!

we filled out the forms and paid the fees. we were however reminded that kid 1’s chances are nil to very slim. but the registrar suggested that once our visas have been granted, to get in touch with them and they’ll try to lodge an appeal to the board to reconsider a place for him. being a sneaky mom, i tried to touch base and update them (of where we were with our visa application) every now and then, reiterating how much we love for the boys to attend their school. one morning, i received an email from the registrar. i didnt want to open it at first because i was expecting bad news. and what do you know?!:

alleluia!!!! i couldnt believe what i was reading!! they didnt even have to appeal! kid 1’s place was confirmed even before we got our visas sorted! so yeah, all my prayers have been answered. getting into this school sort of made house hunting less stressful as well. we are not pressured anymore to find a rental within the school’s catchment area. we can live where ever we choose to. although i really dont care where we live because finding the right school was my priority, this just made our lives a little easier.

i must have been really good in my past life! thank you, lord (and st. thomas!) for answering our prayers and making sure that everything is in place for the big move. ask and you shall receive!

Over Under Adventure

newsflash: our family is moving down under!

fr timeanddate.com

when i was little, i always knew i would live overseas. whenever i imagined it, i would imagine it to be in london. yes, not in the US like most filipinos’ dreams (back then, the US is like the promised land), but in the land of fish and chips (sige, harry potter na lang para sos!) :p. my dream came true in 2003. you’d think that after 11 years, pledging allegiance to the queen and starting a family, england will be our permanent home. never in my wildest dreams have i thought that we will accede to another BIG change.

it’s not like we’ve been planning it for a long time. true, there were times when hubby would suggest we move to australia (dont ask me why australia!), even inviting our friends for a mass exodus. but it’s usually made in jest. i also feel like i wont be able to handle another life changing expedition. it took me at least 6 years before finally “settling” in my new home. i dont want to uproot my whole family for the unknown, when we already have a comfortable (and familiar) life where we are.

but as fate would have it, a great opportunity presented itself. something that even this hard-core skeptic couldnt pass! as i think about it, though, i realised that all the decisions we’ve made in the past (i.e me resigning from work, amongst other things) were really to prepare us for this bigger thing. god really has other plans!

as i’ve said, this move was not “planned”. hubby has been asked to go to australia (several times) to carry out some work for their aussie clients. he went in december last year and then again in january and march to april this year. come end of may/june, a serious “relocation” offer was brought up by hubby’s company. let’s just say that their main headquarters is being moved to Perth, in Western Australia and the company heads want him there. that is also why, when tantan was asked to go back in july, the family tagged along: to see what life would be like there… to see if the boys and I would like it there.

when the idea was first brought up by tantan, i was vehemently saying NO. I WILL NOT MOVE!!! EVER! END OF CONVERSATION 🙂 I was not being unreasonable. I’ve got several (valid) issues: (1) cayden has started school. he loves it there and loves his classmates. sure enough, he didnt want to move! (2) i have established a routine. im not good at starting all over again… not at my age! (3) it took me a long time to get acquainted with things here and i dont like the feeling of being “lost” again in a new environment. (4) i havent really seen much of mainland europe (i know, i know!!!) (5) amazon (6) costco (7) online shopping… well, shopping in general (need i say more? :D). Although, at the back of my mind, i knew that if we are to move, now is the perfect time. the kids are young enough to endure a change. cayden has barely started with school. and i have no work to leave behind. it really is a no-brainer! tantan has been wanting to go and this is the opportunity he’s been waiting for. after several “debates”, i found it in my heart to at least be open minded. But what do you know, when we went there, it didnt take much to convince me! i was sold! it was actually our eldest that needed convincing. no amount of bribing could change his mind. the littlest one, he’s all go, go go!! 🙂

so what sealed the deal? of course, main point was the relocation package. it really is very attractive. why move if it wouldnt be any better? but what swayed me the most was the fact that it’s pretty close to the philippines, closer to family! they even share a time zone! also, since school starts in february and ends in december, spending christmas in the philippines wont be as impossible and expensive as when we’re in england (it’s nearer so flights arent as expensive)! WEATHER (enough said!) :). as for cayden, the promise of a pet dog changed his mind! 🙂

after weeks of waiting, finally, we got the visa for the move! we’ve started renovation works in our house because we are planning to rent it out. even before we received the grant notice from the Australian embassy, we acted as if we’re definitely going. after all, hubby’s boss and the immigration consultant, who handled our application, were very positive that we will be granted with the necessary visa. there are still some kinks we have to iron out but for the most part, we are good to go! we have already booked our temporary accommodations in perth (while we look for a more permanent one) and our ONE-way tickets! school starts in feb (thank God that is sorted! story in next post) that’s why we chose to go there early january to give us enough time to find a house and get ourselves settled. We’ve already packed about 2/3 of our stuff, ready to be shipped over. i think that was the most difficult part: packing! how do you decide which to bring and which to leave behind!? we have a house full of memories!!! thankfully, we wont be leaving any financial obligations (except for our mortgage, which should be completely paid in 11 years).

so yeah, this little family is off to a new adventure! we will definitely miss our friends. we are grateful to england for adopting us and giving us all the opportunities we have been blessed with for 11 years. im happy to say that it’s all been a good and fruitful experience for us. but we’re ready for the change and the challenges that we are going to face. im sure england’s cousin will be as welcoming and accepting. i now believe, more than ever, that if something’s meant to be, the universe will conspire to make it happen.

fr kids.britannica.com

wish us luck!!!

Summer Adventure

well, hello there, friends! letting my (blogging) presence felt once again. i have a lot to share but im overwhelmed with a lot of things that need to be done in so little time. story of my life! cant complain, though. it’s all good good good! 🙂

anyways, to start of, let me tell you about our summer adventure. we didnt really have anything planned, much more something as grand as another holiday on the other side of the world (when we’ve just been on a bank-breaking holiday to disney world in february!).  it’s not really a holiday for the husband (for the most part). he was asked to go on another business trip to australia.  for 3 months! since cayden’s school summer break was approaching, and since the universe has its own way of making things happen, this little family decided to tag along!

let’s rewind a bit. 1st, there’s the problem of pulling cayden out from school early. as you know, school break = exhorbitant air fares (perth, western australia is 8991miles from london. more miles = more expensive!). the only way we could afford to go was to leave during term time. but since we have already pulled out cayden for 2 weeks from school (without penalties) for our florida break, i was really anxious asking for permission again. cayden would be missing another 8 days of school! fortunately, since cayden was not in compulsory education (which starts in year 1) yet, he was allowed to go without penalties. and since evaluations have already been done and grades distributed, cayden didnt really miss any important lessons.

Perth:

Perth CBD

Nedlands with a view of the Swan River

Sorrento Quay, Hillary’s Boat Harbour

Audiology Friends (Mary Ann and Misu)

Matilda Bay, Swan River

One of the many scenic routes in the city of Perth (yes, in the city itself!)

next concern was, what would I and the kids do while daddy’s at work. we would be in perth a total of 48 days (excluding travel time), surely we’d get bored just staying home and going out only on weekends. the daddy had a brilliant idea and suggested me and the kids go to the philippines to spend time with family and friends, since we’re relatively near and in the same time zone. but wait, i havent travelled alone, how on earth will i manage 2 young kids, all by myself?! nightmare, i thought! but luckily, the boys were well behaved and didnt really give me a hard time. plus, we timed it so that for most of the journey, they’d be asleep!

Philippines:

Best Friend from college (Kat) and Husband (Edwin)

Best Friend (Mike Inkee) and Family from ENT

Cousins!!

Online Friend (Eper) and cute son (Quino)

UP Beta Epsilon Friends and Families (Mitch, Rica, Gelio)

My sister’s family

since there are no direct flights to the philippines from perth, i chose singapore for our lay over. i have 2 brothers in singapore and wouldnt it be nice to spend a few days there as well? it wasnt difficult to convince tantan. he loves me :p. we planned to go to the philippines with only 4 hours lay over in singapore. but coming back, we’d stay in singapore for 5 days, before continuing on to perth. my mom and youngest brother tagging along! too bad my sister had to go to bangkok for work so she skipped the trip. all 5 of us siblings would have been complete!

Singapore:

My 2 brothers based in Singapore (on the R)

Marina Bay Sands’ Infinity Pool (Spot us!!!)

Audiology friends (Pia and Malen)

Night Safari with Family

Sentosa with Family

since we’re already in australia, we couldnt NOT see the iconic sydney! tantan has been twice on previous trips but i havent and i wasnt going to let the opportunity pass! afterall, it might be a while before we can go again :). he asked for a week off and luckily, he was permitted.

Sydney:

Touch down!!!

Bondi Beach

Sydney Harbour view from Taronga Zoo

With our Godparents

BESAs Kapihan (Brods and Wives)

UP Beta Epsilon Friends and family (Jeana, Vera, Alvin, Ochok)

all of a sudden, an unsure summer turned out rather eventful. imagine 50 days, 10 plane rides! our schedule was really hectic, not to mention, cray cray!!!! only downside, we (me and the kids) could only be away for 50 days. cayden was starting Year 1 on the 1st week of september. daddy had to stay a further month and a half!! so yes, i embarked on a 21 hour flight (including lay over) with the kids, no help at all. and i conquered! =D

we spent 23 days in perth, 13 days in the philippines, 5 days in singapore and 7 days in sydney. we are very thankful for the opportunity and the provisions. i am thankful to my family for all the help they extended when we were in manila and singapore. and to my precious friends for making our side trips really memorable and fun! you see, all the stars aligned to make this trip happen! thank you, Lord!

Healthy Smoothies

in 2012, i bought a smoothie maker. i used it until i resigned from work in march 2013. ironically, i got lazy making smoothies, when i was supposed to have all the time in the world! but truth be told, the one i bought cant really crush ice! at best, i can only use frozen fruits. anyhoo, before our disney world trip last february, i told tantan im going to buy a new blender while in the US. i said im going to buy the blendtec one in costco (here, the cheapest costs around £400, while a similar one with extras in the US would only cost around £250!).

we have actually allotted a “costco trip” out of our hectic disney schedule. that’s how intent i was of getting one. the nearest costco from our home resort is 30mins out. and to my disappointment, it wasnt available in store! i wanted to order online but i needed a US costco membership number to register. they wouldnt accept my UK one.

tantan suggested we just buy whatever’s there so as not to waste the trip. i think he’s just happy it wasnt available and the ones there were within “his” budget lol. tantan suggested buying the oster brand blender for $60 but i refused! why waste baggage space for something we can buy here, right? we spent more than 30minutes just in the blender section because i couldnt make up my mind. tantan then suggested we get this ninja brand. i was skeptical at first. ninja what?! the brand sounded funny! we did a quick “google search” and the ratings said it’s a good alternative for the blendtec one. ok, fine! we bought the set for less than $200. it came with the big blender jug, 3 single serve glasses (with one blade) and a food processor/mixer. it felt like a good buy. and it was!

we havent really used the food processor/mixer yet but the single serve glasses have never been put to rest! we use the big blender once in a while but we feel that the single serve glasses yield the perfect serving size.

here are some of the smoothies that we love to make with this blender:

energy boosting: celery, cucumber, mango, blackberries, raspberries

classic: strawberries, blueberries (option: banana), milk

kale, spinach, parsley, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, almond milk (this is a bit on the sour side. if you want it to be a bit sweeter, just use 2 types of berries then add a pear or banana)

spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, parsley, ginger, red apple, pear, lemon

this is our most favourite: spinach, kale, parsley, celery, cucumber, green apple, pineapple, lemon (refreshing!)

this is just a variation of our favourite green juice: kale, parsley, celery, cucumber, pineapple, orange, green apple, lemon

another recipe that i love is mango, pineapple and pear yogurt (or the onken mango, papaya and passionfruit yogurt). this is yum! but i dont think it’s too kind to the hips  =D

Benefits:

Mangoes contain a hearty dose of healthy carbohydrates, sugars, vitamins and carotenoids that offer an awesome (not to mention delicious) energy boost. University of Florida researchers have stated that they contain potent antioxidants for health and may even help to prevent cancer

Berries are another yummy combination of carbohydrates, natural sugars and vitamins for energy, and they are also high in antioxidants

Pineapples contain the enzyme bromelain which has anti-inflammatory effects that have been attributed to helping activate cells which strengthen the immune system against allergic responses, as shown in a study published in International Immunopharmacology (2009)

Green apple has vitamin C which help to strengthen the immune system, as well as excellent cleansing properties for the body

Pears are high in heart-healthy phytonutrients, flavonoids and fibre. Research has shown that pear fibres are able to bind together with bile acids in the intestine, lowering the pool of bile acids and decreasing the synthesis of cholesterol

Cucumber has the proven ability of strengthening connective tissue (including muscles and joints) because of the silica, vitamins and minerals it contains

Blueberries for your brain: British scientists at Reading University found that a blueberry smoothie in the morning boosts concentration and memory 20% for up to five hours after

Strawberries are very rich in antioxidants and offer a high-fibre, low calorie fruit option that is also rich in stress-fighting vitamin C

Spinach Has calming effects because of its high amounts of magnesium

Bananas trigger the production of the chemicals serotonin and norepinephrine, which are mood-lifters and are believed to help prevent depression

Ginger encourages circulation and have anti-inflammatory properties. This helps to relieve some of the aches and pains you may feel after (or before) a long day

Celery lends lutein for your eyes

Lemon and Parsley are potent cleansers that flush the system of toxins, preventing future breakouts and allowing the skin to heal

–> all info above courtesy of young and raw. they are just a sample of the many benefits you can get from each fruit/vegetable

Kale, Oranges, Almond Milk

at the moment, im trying to lose weight. i may not look like it but i swear, i have gone 2 sizes up for my bottoms. i usually drink a glass before meal and that limits my rice intake (rice is my nemesis!). i can even forego rice if i had a drink! tantan is also happy with the smoothies because they’re healthier and they fill you up! if you’re not good with eating your veggies, juicing is a good way of increasing your veggies intake. i swear i hate celery in my food. but i love it it my drink!

now, im happy we bought the blender. it’s worth the excess baggage we paid for (ok, it’s not all because of the blender!) =D

Nappies to Toilet!

kid 2 is toilet trained! i had my plans but the littlest one beat me to it! just a week prior to him going nappy free (daytime), i was sort of psyching him to use the potty already. i’d say he’s a big boy and shouldnt be using nappies anymore. he would say a big, fat NO and say he’s still a baby.  so i wasnt sure whether to push potty training or not.

and then one day, he came up to me and just said, “mom, i want to pupu”. he was wearing a nappy so i told him, “ok” being a lazy mom and all =p. and then he said, “i want to pupu in the toilet“. i brought him to the toilet but didnt really believe he’d actually do it. he’s said he’d do it but didnt many times in the past so i was getting ready to call his bluff. but to my amazement, he did poop and he has never looked back! since then, he would poop in the toilet, every single time!! it was actually the part of potty training i was dreading: doing number 2. his older brother got constipated because he didnt like pooping anywhere else but his nappy! this really proves that every kid is different! but i think because kid2 is used to seeing his kuya do the deed, he kinda knew what to do already.

giving me the thumbs up!

the wiwi part is another story though. after starting to poop in the toilet, he refused to wear nappies during the day. i thought, since he nailed the hardest part, he’d get the wiwi part more easily. the first day was ok. there werent any accidents. but then the 2nd day, the whole day, he was weeing in his jammies! he just couldnt remember that he needed to wee in the toilet. and then the next day, he’d get it. it only lasted a week though. and luckily, the accidents were just leaks. he’d start to wee, wetting his briefs/jammies (not enough to get the carpets wet, thankfully!), and then remembers that he has to go to the toilet and finishes there.

i guess the difficulty is because he’s too short for our toilet seat and couldnt really wee standing up. he would wee squatting on the bowl but didnt really like it (if he’s not pooping, that is). i then put a small stool where he could stand and give him the height leverage he needs. it worked! =D.

what surprised me was that he totally skipped the potty and went straight to the toilet! he uses the potty rarely, only when he’s too lazy to go upstairs to wee. but he enjoys flushing the toilet too much that he’d rather go to the toilet than use the potty =D

he still wears nappy at night because he still bottlefeeds. but yeah, my baby is not a baby anymore! he now wears briefs =D

Heaving a Sigh Of Relief

10 months of stress and finally, my nightmare with SMDC is over! i dont blame it all to them but i can say, 90% of it was caused by their very inefficient customer service department.

back in 2010, when we celebrated kid 1’s 1st bday in the philippines, we impulsively bought a condo unit preselling at that time. it was in the Light Residences, along EDSA. what sold the unit to us is its location and accessibility. there’s an MRT station right by it. as i understood it, there’s direct access to Boni-EDSA MRT station. Another plus is the availability of a Light Mall (Savemore Market, Dining, shopping, cinemas – according to their press release). it’s like everything’s there already. what’s not to love, right?

because it was an impulse buy (read: decided to buy day before we flew back to england), we have appointed my brother as attorney in fact. he had to process the documents for us and unfortunately, he only wrote my name as sole owner (hubby excluded). he even got my birth year wrong =D! smdc put in “single” as my status because my brother forgot to fill it in. we didnt mind though, when he told us. although fast forward to 2013, when we had to apply for bank financing, i had to correct them all and the process was so complicated. fortunately, we were able to go to the philippines to deal with (parts of) it and to have a holiday on the side (but really, we only tagged along daddy who was there for work. it was truly blessing in disguise). ooh, i forgot to mention, my brother also bought a unit there. same unit number but 1 floor below us.

Ours is unit 33 somewhere in the upper 40’s floor

there shouldnt have been a problem had i not resigned from work, which meant i could have applied for a mortgage on my own accord. of course, being unemployed, it’s no brainer that i couldnt. now my husband has to do it. but because his name wasnt written on the contract to sell, we had to request for him to be included. i had to change my status to “married” and they required that i submit a valid ID with my married name on it. you see, i dont use my married name. i never have. all the official IDs that i use here bear my maiden name and it didnt matter. i dont even have to present our marriage certificate to do business. but it’s here. in the philippines, it’s necessary. to have an ID, i had to apply for an NBI clearance (i had the worst NBI experience!). then, i had to change the status on my TIN as well. but because i was running out of time, SMDC’s agent volunteered to send his accountant to have this changed. it took 2 months to process and you know what the biggest boo boo was? the accountant processed my husband’s TIN instead of mine! i couldnt get mad because it was done as a favour. i wasnt there! i was getting frustrated so i asked over FB if any of my friends know anyone working in BIR. luckily, a distant relative works in BIR pasig. he did it in 1 week (only because my tin is registered in manila)! 2 months < 7 days?!

still with me? ok, that’s not even the most stressful part. because of all the complicated things that we had to address, i knew that we wouldnt be able to apply for a mortgage right away. before we left manila, i applied for In-House financing. and even on the payment schedule that was given to us, it states that “your account will be converted to In-House financing until loan approval is secured”.

click for bigger view

when i was in their office, i asked how long it will take to process. i was told 3 weeks. i thought, ok, just about right as our first payment should be around that time. 3 months on and it’s still being processed! i have emailed them every month, at least twice but did not get any replies. i tried phoning the number they gave us but no one answered (think about the time difference! i had to wake up early just to make sure i caught them)! in the 20+ emails i have sent them, i only got 2 replies. what the fudge, right?! when i requested for my latest statement of accounts, i was billed 500k as penalty for late payment! LATE PAYMENT?! how could i pay when i didnt even know how much i should pay for (the schedule of payment above was only an estimate)! i’ve been consistently contacting them and following up the status of our in-house application, but no one replied! this mental torture and lack of response from SMDC caused many sleepless nights for me! i told the agent (who has kindly volunteered to follow up things for me) and the customer representative that replied (one time!) to my emails that i will not pay the penalties and i would happily face them in court. i am that confident that it wasnt my fault and that i should not pay a single centavo. but of course, we are at their mercy. also, my unit was supposed to be turned over 3rd quarter of 2013 but it was done only this march (2014). the agent suggested i submit a request to waive penalties. he gave me numerous reasons to state to argue my case. after 3 months of following up (request to waive), again, with no replies, i decided to just request for my latest statement of accounts. after 1 month of waiting, i got this: (hallelujah!)

waived, thankfully! if not, 720k+ of penalties ALONE to pay!!

imagine if my request was denied?! penalties alone will eat a big chunk off our savings. not to mention, the actually monthly dues: 10months’ worth (estimated at 60k+/mo)! *shivers*…

my unit was finally turned over early this month. it’s small (what did i expect!? =D) and the furnishing it came with is very basic. i am so wanting to go home to decorate and make it homey. but tantan is keen on selling it. we originally planned on having it rented. i dont know…. because of the stress, i want to get rid of it the soonest. but a tiny part of me wants to keep it. it’s our “own” home in the philippines. i like the amenities and location. even if we rent it out, it’s still ours. but as hubby puts it, we can stay with my family (parent’s house, my brothers’ condos, sister’s house) when we’re there. we dont really need our own place. what to do?!

clockwise: hallway, lounge, kitchen, shower/toilet, master’s bedroom (one of 2br), pool area (there are 4)

Happy Feet 3

i have made an itinerary for our trip to orlando and vowed to follow it to the T. as we know, nothing turns out 100% as you plan it to be. just as expected, something happened that threw my plan off: the kids getting sick. and the only day that i have allotted for shopping would have fallen on the day kian was hospitalised. of course, with all these things, you also set room for adjustments or at least leave enough room so you can move things around. kian was hospitalised towards the end of our trip. and who would leave a shopping trip at the end?! what was i thinking?! imagine if my only shopping day had to be cancelled?! nightmare!!

i’d like to think it’s a blessing in disguise that the kids had fever. we were supposed to spend the day in the water park. but because the kids just recovered from sickness, we decided to forego another swimming outing. we decided to just go to the outlet shops. luckily too, we already went swimming (on the day we were supposed to just stay in our resort, to recover from jetlag). as it turned out, it was our only swimming day!

i promised tantan i wont be shopping for clothes. me and the kids have tons of NEW clothes that even have tags on them that we havent worn. i was looking at designer bags but it turned out cheaper to buy here. they dont even do sales tax refund, at least on the brand that i was eyeing. so i told tantan i’ll just buy here (it was supposed to be part of his bribe to me for being away on business trips but he initially said i can only buy in the states). i made him promise i can buy here =D! that narrowed down the things that i can buy! =D

i dont really like buying expensive footwear. many times in the past, i’ve found pairs that screamed “IM YOURS” but practicality always prevailed. not this time though. when i went inside that tory burch store, my feet wouldnt let me walk away (i know, im exaggerating =D)! i swear, before, i can just go out, get a breather and even go back to say NO. what do you know? the hubby said “i’ll buy them if you want them” (yes, THEM: the 2 pairs that i didnt want to part with!). i said yes right away (before he had the chance to change his mind).

tantan has been going to australia for work. during his 1st trip, i asked him to buy me ugg boots (because i thought it’s cheaper there since it’s an australian brand). he said he would buy me a pair when we go to the states instead because his colleague at work said it’s cheaper in america. so i sweetly reminded him of his promise in orlando. i didnt want to get the classic style but tantan was coaxing me get one. he was teasing me of course because they were the cheapest in that store =D. i just feel they’re too casual. frankly, there werent much to choose from. it’s either the classics or the cardies. i was about to give up when tantan pointed out this leather pair and i fell in love!

now my feet are ready for the coming seasons! i dont think i’ll ever buy expensive shoes again though. i still dont think they’re practical. but i made an exception this time. i truly deserved to be pampered! and when cayden said the 3 pairs are his, kian’s and daddy’s valentine’s day gift, i didnt feel any guilt at all!

Sickies

**Edit: another cool thing about the hospital, around lunchtime, a “child life specialist” came to visit kian and she brought a box (with “kian’s fun stuff” writtten on it) of toys, crayons and colouring book. she said it’s to help entertain the kids while in hospital. she also mentioned about kiddie activities for abled kids, at certain times of the day, that are available in the department. how thoughtful is that?!

**long post ahead!

i can guaranty that whenever we go on holiday, the kids will get sick (touch wood it ends soon! getting sick in general is not nice). they dont share toys all the time but the germs, they’ll share every single time! this is why a bag full of meds (paracetamol, ibuprofen, antihistamines, vicks, nasal spray, creams, bandages, eye drops – the whole shebang), otoscope and a very trusty braun ear thermometer are staples in our baggage. cant be without! our trip to orlando was no different.

a week into our holiday, cayden developed a fever. he was also sniffling and coughing but not consistently. between the boys, im always paranoid and scared when cayden gets sick. he has a history of febrile convulsions so the first sign of fever, i give him meds right away. im always vigilant, making sure i control his temp. fortunately, no episodes of that. im hoping he has outgrown it already. after all, his last episode was 2 years ago. anyhoo, to better control his temp, i alternately gave him paracetamol and ibuprofen. he was fine with meds so we were able to still go around and spend time in the parks.

however, on the 2nd day of his fever, when we got home at the end of the day, i noticed his fever wasnt going down despite giving the 2 meds. usually, his temp will go down right away but his was like stuck at 39.8. we decided to call the resort’s on call doctor. the call taker asked for the symptoms and what meds i have given him so far. that was around 9:30pm. the doctor came 2 hours later. he did another round of history taking, checked cayden out (pulse, heartbeat, chest, ears, did an abdominal exam) and gave the diagnosis of viral infection. he changed the dosage of cayden’s meds and that did the trick. he spent around 30 minutes with us and we got billed for $485. good thing we had travel insurance though we had to pay out of pocket first because it happened out of office hours.

cayden all better the next day (R) on call doctor

sure enough, 2 days later, kian developed a fever. his was more manageable and got over it 2 days later. however, on the 4th day, he woke up with lots of spots/rashes on his legs, near his bumbum and a few on his back. i thought it was just a nappy rash (i checked for signs of meningitis first!) so i put some nappy cream on him. i also put a different cream (one for insect bites that our doctor friend has prescribed) on his back. he was fine though, very active but i made sure to constantly check his spots. i also checked with doctor friends in the philippines and they somewhat put my mind at ease. but as the day progressed, i noticed his spots were getting worse. at around 8pm, he already has spots all over his face and a lot more came out on his body. he was itching all over. i knew right away that it was an allergic reaction. i’ve given him the antihistamine that our gp here has prescribed. it didnt work. we decided to call the on-call doctor again but unfortunately, he said we need to go to a hospital as they’re not equipped for such cases. around midnight, the family had our first trip to the ER.

1st ER trip

kian was seen right away. no tests were made. he was diagnosed with (unknown) allergic reaction. he was given a dose of benadryl and a dose of steroids. we were given prescriptions for the same meds for when we go home. we were discharged. our bill was $345, again out of pocket, to be reimbursed when we get back. kian was fine the whole day.

2 days later, kian woke up with slightly swollen eyes. there were spots all around his eyes, none on his body. he was itching and he was squinting his eyes. on occasions he would say his eyes were ouchy. he also complained of pain on his right foot. we went back to the ER around lunch time. when we got there, kian didnt want to walk anymore. he was dragging his right foot. upon checking, we noticed that it’s swollen. and this was when our nightmare started!

12pm – arrived in ER

12:30pm – called in

1pm – saw junior doctor. did history, symptoms. she was worried too much with kian’s foot. she ordered a foot xray. *nevermind his allergy symptoms!*. she looked in kian’s ears and because of SUPER HARD wax, she couldnt see his TM. to my annoyance, she decided to force clean his ears. kian was crying and screaming of PAIN!

2pm – kian had a foot xray

3pm – given benadryl (which i said over and over again, didnt work!). kian’s spots around his eyes were getting worse and worse, aggravated by his crying. spots appeared on his forehead and around his head. he was scratching. his foot more swollen than ever.

4pm – was told kian’s foot xray was ok so he had to have an xray of his hips, the fibula and a more detailed xray of his foot. hello! it was clearly an allergic reaction but they’re not doing anything about it. they were obsessing about his foot when there was no history of trauma! i told them that but they insist they have to look at all aspects!

5pm – doctor finally ordered a blood test

6pm – kian developed a 38.8 fever. he was given acetaminophen. kian looking like a boxed-out boxer by the minute.

7pm – we were told blood test was ok, xray ok. he was swabbed for flu test.

8pm – we were told he has the flu (but probably caught the last stages of it). he was given tamiflu. junior doctor told me to GO HOME AND COME BACK AFTER 24HOURS IF HIS CONDITION GETS WORSE. what the fudge?! he was worse than when he came in and you’re telling me that?! the hell, we’re not going home! you didnt do anything for his ALLERGIES! i found the senior doctor in charge and i argued our case. she said yes, the flu doesnt explain the rashes. it’s uncharacteristic of it. and yes, she will refer us to the paediatric hospital on the other side of town to better handle our case.

8:30pm picked up by an ambulance (which shows disney movies =D) with 3 crews (a driver, a nurse and a doctor) to be transferred to the specialist hospital.

imagine, we spent more than 8 hours in the ER and nothing vital was done. we were billed $2.7k for nothing (in my opinion)! the amount has been discounted already because again, we had to pay out of pocket because it’s out of office hours in uk. our insurer will be billed $6k+ after we have been reimbursed.

9pm we arrived at the hospital and kian was wheeled straight to his awesome room! we were met by his nurse for the night and she explained what will happen (during the night, kian will be visited by a nurse every 2 hours and during the day, every hour – to check on him). she showed me the room (own toilet with shower, sofa bed, wardrobe, how to use the tv, adjust the lights/bed, use the recliner), gave us the menu for room service (yes, you can choose your own food and can order any time!) and asked me if i needed anything. cayden and daddy just followed in our car and brought our things. they went back to disney for the night.

poor baby!

10pm – kian’s main doctor (no less than the medical director of the pediatric icu himself) came to check on him with a resident doctor. we discussed symptoms, history and course of treatment. he’s to be given IV steroids every 12hours.

12am – kian got his first dose of the iv steroid. i slept around 1am

8am the next day – met the new day nurse. met kian’s other doctors, one of which is a filipina born in the US but can understand tagalog and bisaya =D. kian’s face looked more normal though he still had a few spots around the eyes. they were also a tiny bit red, where they swelled the previous night. he can also walk with very minimal dragging of the right foot.

(L) upon admission (R) day after. kian looked unrecognisable and ER wanted us to go home! wtf!?

we were visited by the nurse every hour. aside from looking after kian, she also asked me if i needed anything (water, pillows, etc). every 2 hours (or was it 3?), kian was visited by his filipina doctor. at 12noon, he got his last dose of iv steroid. **another cool thing about the hospital, around lunchtime, a “child life specialist” came to visit kian and she brought a box (with “kian’s fun stuff” writtten on it) of toys, crayons and colouring book. she said it’s to help entertain the kids while in hospital. she also mentioned about kiddie activities for abled kids, at certain times of the day, that are available in the department. how thoughtful is that?! anyways, the doctor ordered for a urinalysis just to make sure there’s no infection. cayden and daddy came late morning and kian and kuya played the whole day. we were discharged at around 10pm, kian already jumping and running =D.

we spent 24 hours in the hospital. kian got better and better. we still dont know what triggered the reaction as we didnt feed kian anything different and he has no known allergies – he can eat peanuts and eggs with no problem (we’ve seen our doctor here and just waiting for an appointment with the allergologist). daddy was able to contact our insurer and they got in touch with the  hospital directly so we didnt have to do anything or pay for anything. i wonder how much our insurer paid……

view outside our room

based on our experience, i have come to appreciate our own NHS, especially when it comes to A&E (ER department). we’re no stranger to ER trips and i have compared the quality of service. to think, NHS is free! but being admitted though is a different story. the US one was more superior! it was like you’re in a hotel (though, the department where kian was admitted is called “disney pavilion” and looks like it was sponsored by disney) and service was impeccable! that being said, nhs care is free. im scared to even think of the amount our insurer had to pay for our stay. and if you live in the US and has no insurance – what are you going to do?

anyhoo, we lost a few “fun” days, even had to give up our swimming days (one of the things the boys were looking forward to in our trip) but heck, our kids’ health is more important. we can always go back. we are so lucky that we have the means and the cover that we need for all these expensive “side trips”. remember: ALWAYS have travel insurance when you go on holiday. you’ll never know when you’ll need it. especially with young kids, who are still developing their immune systems.

special thanks to our insurer (HSBC): hassle free and straightforward. they were even going to handle rebooking our flights and extend our hotel stay, had there been a need to (they already asked for details). kian was admitted 3 days before we’re set to fly back. fortunately, it was not necessary. and we got home safe and sound.