The damage so far

for our plans this year:

* Deposit for apartment : $2550
* Agent's fees : $1275 (why do they say agency's fees when half the time it goes right into their own pocket?)
* Stamp Duty : $126
* Renewal of Silvano's passport : $175
* Legalised copy of marriage cert : $10
* Cabfare to Ministry of Foreign Affairs to legalise : $12
* Photos for ID : $12 (for 8 pieces, wtf)
* Cabfare to Italian Consulate at United Square : $5
* Ice-cream while waiting for the Italian Consulate to be open to public and because Silvano wanted to rest his old legs : $8 (argh!)
* Cabfare home : $10

Don't chide me for spending on cabfare please, I hardly even go further than Parkway lor. I'm not the one with a 9-5 job for which I'm late daily and end up cabbing!

Anyway, discovered that the legalised copy cannot be accepted and that yesterday, when the nice Italian guy told us "extra copy", what he meant was "extraCT copy". So now, we have to apply for a duplicate copy from ROM which will cost $50, regardless of whether the search turns up anything or if you had a typo. I will be trembling when I type my particulars online tomorrow.

I want to pay the first month's rent ASAP so that I can stop worrying about it and move on to worrying about the following month's rent. Gah.

In preparation of

of my new home (well, at least for a year), I decided to do a little research on the area - like facilities and the cheapest tastiest food. Great variety but I think I might end up sticking to the kopitiam next to the makeshift NTUC (for some reason, it still looks makeshift although it's been there for nearly 5 years now) because dining anywhere else in the area requires an occasion. An occasion worth spending on. Lol.

Found this photo:

via mysglap. I don't know if it's a personal blog, a personal blog of someone who frequents the Siglap area, a personal blog of someone who hangs out at the Siglap CC, a personal blog of someone working at that CC or a blog actually set up by the CC. I didn't think CCs would be this cool (or unofficial). Whatever. Anyway, the point is, I found the above photo quite adorable, on kids the "I <3> SG" tee is less cheey and it's nice to know some foreigners joined NDP celebrations. I can't remember where I've placed my national flag. Might have left it behind in the old house ten years ago. Ha!

The TA will be signed today. I'm glad that so far, things have gone quite smoothly, from the house (which happens to be a gem in my opinion), to easy-going landlords who allow pets. The only little hiccup was with the agent's commission, but we're still going ahead with it since the "in" phrases on every agent's mouth seem to be "market/common practice" and "market price" and when someone says things like "basically" and "generally" or "usually", you know you should just decide whether you want to just get it over and done with or not. And until the government introduces SPECIFIC rules regarding sales/renting of properties, customers are still going to have to be at the mercy of loopholes and grey areas. Luckily, the agent has had an excellent attitude - can't say the same for the rest I've met. A complete bunch of crooks who think nobody's actually read the papers about their little Cashback schemes. Even if a term hadn't been coined for that declaring false information to HDB (one of the gahmen's many tentacles) is quite stupid.

I'm a bit panicky, trying to list down all the questions I may have for the agent and remember the things I need to make sure are working! Gaaaahhhhh....

Starting 2010 & tracking...

Learn a new language - undecided
Polish my Chinese
Pick up crochet (and quit spelling it as crochet)
Increase the number of regular walks for dogs within my neighbourhood
Religiously document each dog's stay via photographs
Go to mass (erm, at least once a month? lol)
Remember my friends' birthdays ON the day itself and not 1 month later
Settle into the new house (god this is one big ?)
Get rid of vampiric people (yearly affair)
Make effort to stay in contact with friends
Take cabs less - quota of only 4 cabs per month
Have a nice Christmas tree (party is optional, ha)
Be sweeter to the husband
ALWAYS put on sunscreen in the day and REMOVE make-up before bed
Stop waiting for the laundry to pile up before washing - you are the only one doing the chores. :(
Resist temptation to diss the French, Americans or Italians at every opportunity (!)
Pick up a new sport - Capoeira
Get teeth fixed - crowns!!!