Bah
I am stressed, stressed, stressed!
Things to do:
Pack
Make sure Virgin send a big enough car at the other end to take all our luggage.
Arrange with the letting agent so that we can get into the flat when we arrive from Heathrow.
Arrange educational psychologist’s assessment for Mo, as the school won’t offer him a place without it. I think they might have mentioned this 3 months ago when I sent in the application form and made it clear that there were issues there.
Sort out UK dental plan as I have to get some prolonged dental work done stat!
Organise remote access to office e-mail during July.
I got the settlement visa, only now it turns out that, since 2 April, in order to get indefinite leave to remain in the UK, I need to take a test to demonstrate my familiarity with life in the UK. I looked at some of the information which I am going to have to bone up on. Sample: What powers do the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales have? My answer: Who gives a shit? If they really wanted to test my familiarity with living in the UK, they should be asking questions like: Jade Goody: Why?
Make list of handy numbers, addresses and e-mails.
Turn UK bank account into a joint account.
Activate HK account in the UK as my personal account.
Complete 2007 tax return.
Buy a rubber mat. Mo has suddenly started wetting the bed. Moving-stress-related presumably. We have him sleeping on a tatami, which is just uncomfortable enough for him not to fall into such a deep sleep that he doesn’t wake up in time.
Things that are sorted (hopefully):
We have somewhere to live in Barnes for 2 months.
Our tenants called up yesterday to say that they would move out of our flat at end July if we let them off July’s rent. This was what we had proposed to them about a month ago. If they had just called up last week, we wouldn’t already have committed to taking the Barnes place for 2 months. So the whole thing is costing us (or rather the company) one month’s more rent than it should have. I suppose the way to look at it is that it was always going to cost 3 months’ rent, so it would just have been a bonus if it had ended up only costing 2 months’. Anyway, we will be back in our own flat by beginning August, which is definitely A Good Thing.
The hole on my leg is healing up nicely.
We have sold the car for HKD35k less than we bought it for 6 months ago. Considering the car before that only cost us HKD20k in total, I would have to say that Euromoney are not going to be writing this one up in their Deal of the Year awards.
Granted the first car was a useless pile of junk that stopped working after 6 months when part of the engine fell out onto the road, but this second one was little better, made funny noises, sprang strange leaks, wouldn’t start if it was too damp and had an aircon that wouldn’t work if the day was too hot (seems a bit counterproductive for an airconditioning unit). In short, I am not impressed by either French or German cars. It’s Japanese for me, next time round.
Finally finished Chateaubriand. Back to volume 3 of Gibbon.
I am in such a bad mood I feel positively homicidal. No-one had better cross me this afternoon.
Things to do:
Pack
Make sure Virgin send a big enough car at the other end to take all our luggage.
Arrange with the letting agent so that we can get into the flat when we arrive from Heathrow.
Arrange educational psychologist’s assessment for Mo, as the school won’t offer him a place without it. I think they might have mentioned this 3 months ago when I sent in the application form and made it clear that there were issues there.
Sort out UK dental plan as I have to get some prolonged dental work done stat!
Organise remote access to office e-mail during July.
I got the settlement visa, only now it turns out that, since 2 April, in order to get indefinite leave to remain in the UK, I need to take a test to demonstrate my familiarity with life in the UK. I looked at some of the information which I am going to have to bone up on. Sample: What powers do the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales have? My answer: Who gives a shit? If they really wanted to test my familiarity with living in the UK, they should be asking questions like: Jade Goody: Why?
Make list of handy numbers, addresses and e-mails.
Turn UK bank account into a joint account.
Activate HK account in the UK as my personal account.
Complete 2007 tax return.
Buy a rubber mat. Mo has suddenly started wetting the bed. Moving-stress-related presumably. We have him sleeping on a tatami, which is just uncomfortable enough for him not to fall into such a deep sleep that he doesn’t wake up in time.
Things that are sorted (hopefully):
We have somewhere to live in Barnes for 2 months.
Our tenants called up yesterday to say that they would move out of our flat at end July if we let them off July’s rent. This was what we had proposed to them about a month ago. If they had just called up last week, we wouldn’t already have committed to taking the Barnes place for 2 months. So the whole thing is costing us (or rather the company) one month’s more rent than it should have. I suppose the way to look at it is that it was always going to cost 3 months’ rent, so it would just have been a bonus if it had ended up only costing 2 months’. Anyway, we will be back in our own flat by beginning August, which is definitely A Good Thing.
The hole on my leg is healing up nicely.
We have sold the car for HKD35k less than we bought it for 6 months ago. Considering the car before that only cost us HKD20k in total, I would have to say that Euromoney are not going to be writing this one up in their Deal of the Year awards.
Granted the first car was a useless pile of junk that stopped working after 6 months when part of the engine fell out onto the road, but this second one was little better, made funny noises, sprang strange leaks, wouldn’t start if it was too damp and had an aircon that wouldn’t work if the day was too hot (seems a bit counterproductive for an airconditioning unit). In short, I am not impressed by either French or German cars. It’s Japanese for me, next time round.
Finally finished Chateaubriand. Back to volume 3 of Gibbon.
I am in such a bad mood I feel positively homicidal. No-one had better cross me this afternoon.
posted by FBT at 7:53 am
11 Comments:
So no point in offering a short lecture on the devoled powers of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembley, then?
I know a good ed psych, if you need one.
When the G used to revert to bed-wetting (some time ago), I used to cut him off liquids a couple of hours before bed. It really helped.
Don't forget you'll need to swear you're leaving HK - this will enable you to get your retirement money back. if you leave this to your company, it can take more than 6 months. I did it myself (dropped off the tax return and got my clearance) and got my money back in 2 weeks.
By the way, no matter what you have to get done, you'll still leave. I was surprised at how many things were on my list that ended up getting ignored and I didn't give a hoot.
we are using the one that the bank pays for, Jadis Blurton. Who is yours, in case she turns out to be a dud?
Moving is a stressful thing.
When you are feeling homicidal, just take a deep breath and think:
If you kill someone, you will be locked up in jail. It doesn't worth wasting your life. Besides, the pleasure would last only for a brief moment. Torture might lengthen the pleasure a bit ;-)
I did say that about the UK knowledge test a couple of posts ago.
By the what is the Scottish and Welsh assembly
Do you have to sit there while the headmaster says yucky Dah or some other symbolic bullshit.
All I know is that the roof fell in on the Scottish building and the Welsh one is another hopeless effort by Richard I have my guts hanging out Rogers
However
Let it all flow over you pass the test and you will be able to meet that old bitch on the weakest link and win.
We are all here for you.
As for German and French cars you were lucky you didnt go Sweedish, puzzle, why are Mazdas so reliable and Ford so crap when they own Mazda.
PS do you have to surrender your permanent residency to get your pension dosh back?
I guess Ford bought Mazda so they could say they had at least one good product.
I don't have residency here - only been here 4 years unfortunately. It is definitely one worth getting.
As far as I know, you do have to surrender to get the dosh. I didn't have to as I was only 6 years there.
Mine worked out to be enough to travel on for 4 months in Europe. I was pleased.
(For the referral, let me know if you end up needing it and I'll email you a couple.)
you spent your pension dosh on gadding around Europe?! What will you do when the winter comes, my little grasshopper?
For the record, you don't have to surrender permenant residency to get your MPF money back. But if you want to keep your pr going you have to return to HK every three years. If you don't, the nice immigration official who greets you at the airport can let you back in on a permanent basis but it's at their discretion.
I expect I'll live in one of the other countries that's been taking blood from this stone for years.
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