I'll get this one out of the way as I sit here waiting for yet another late night conference call. One of the bad things about working in a satellite office is that meetings with corporate are always on THEIR schedule, and it is seldom good for mine. Between the 6 AM meetings to start my day and the 10 PM meetings to finish my day - sometimes with the same people - finding enough time to sleep is difficult.
That's why Singapore came at just the right time.
Per usual, we took the 8:30 flight out of Jakarta. We arrived at the airport much earlier than normal. Our new house is closer to the freeway, which cuts about twenty minutes off of our airport commute. Checked in without a hitch. Normally I would then obtain a stamp indicating I am allowed to leave the country without paying a $250 departure tax because I have an Indonesian tax ID. Turns out, that office closes after 7 PM now so I didn't have to show anything! Interesting concept - pay a tax if you leave before 7 PM. Are they trying to get people to take later flights?
Saved me a line, so I didn't complain. Stood on line for immigration and discovered that two different agents were serving my line - SCORE! - so we moved twice as fast. I hand over our four passports and he asks me where the departure cards are. I show him the departure cards the immigration agent who processed our multi-entry visa stapled to the passport. He said he couldn't use those and I needed to fill out new cards for everyone.
UGH! Back to the ticket counter, time to fill out the forms, back in the immigration line - which by now had split into two lines, one per agent. Lost my twenty minutes.
We stop so our son can eat dinner and he decides this is the time to go on a hunger strike. Wouldn't eat a thing. Not even if I put sugar on it. Five bucks down the drain.
We arrive at the gate and check in. The gate agent looks at my wife and says: "Do you have a doctor's note saying she can travel pregnant?" I reply: "No, your website says it isn't necessary under 30 weeks. Nor did your corporate office when we called to confirm. She's only five months." "New policy. Anything over 3 months needs approval."
That's when the fight began.
Long story short, we signed a liability waiver and they let us on the plane. I expected better from Singapore Airlines.
Once we arrived in Singapore, everything went smoothly...except our son started convulsive vomiting shortly after we entered the room and I had to call room service to come and change the sheets. (That's one way to guarantee they are fresh!) We all finally crashed around 1 AM.
Our trip to Singapore had two purposes: see some doctors and find a place to live. My wife had her medical appointments on Friday morning and we were able to confirm that yes, indeed, we are having another son (which means I only have to save for one wedding!! - notice the use of 'we' and 'I') and that the baby is healthy and, like his siblings, growing on the large end of the average.
After the examination of our incubating son, it was time to tend to our birthed son. He had a fever, diarrhea and was still, as they say in Singapore, throwing. Doctor gave him a quick, ten minute look over, told us he had an intestinal issue, and sent us on our way with an antibiotic she didn't want us to use unless he wouldn't drink fluids and a bill for $100. I guess that's what peace of mind is worth?
The doctor's visits out of the way, we took a tour of three new serviced apartments near Orchard Road. My favorite was the three bedroom unit walking distance from the metro station. My wife's favorite was the place we stayed at last time that requires me to take a taxi to work every morning and charged extra for internet and the only sports channel worth watching. Anyone want to place a bet on where we'll be residing?
We finished Friday with dinner at Muchos, a relatively new Mexican restaurant on Clarke Quay and then watching Shrek 4 back in the hotel room. I was out by 8 PM - before my daughter. I finally woke up at 7 AM Saturday morning. I needed my sleep.
I had my annual physical at 8:30 Saturday morning. This was the most extensive physical I've ever received and more than any insurance company I've ever been a part of would have approved for me in the US. I had the traditional bloodwork and urine tests as well as the consultation with a doctor. That's about standard for my US annual exams. Then they did a resting EKG, a vision test, a treadmill stress test, a body fat test, ultrasounds of my internal organs, a chest X-ray and a urine flow test. Three hours later, I was back on the street with instructions to lose weight (15 pounds!) and eat more salt to increase my blood pressure.
Saturday afternoon we did a little shopping and had lunch at Subway. We finished our stay with dinner at Black Angus and watching Despicable Me for a third time.
The biggest event that happened on this trip? Our daughter did the whole trip without her beloved blanket, DeeDee. We made a big deal about this major event in her life and bought her a gift of her choice to celebrate. She choose a book (that's my girl!), eschewing the option for shoes or a new dress. She even threw the blanket in the waste basket when we arrived home. Of course, when we checked on her Sunday night, she obviously had second thoughts. There she was, at the foot of her bed, holding on to her blanket. The blanket was not on the bed, though, so she at least made a step in the right direction.
We may make one more trip to Singapore before moving there. If not, we'll move after our daughter's recital at the end of May and stay there until we have a passport for the new addition (name still under discussion). We're still looking for someone to stay with us for our duration in Singapore to watch the kids while we deliver child number three. If you know anyone looking for 8 weeks off near the equator, let me know.
That's why Singapore came at just the right time.
Per usual, we took the 8:30 flight out of Jakarta. We arrived at the airport much earlier than normal. Our new house is closer to the freeway, which cuts about twenty minutes off of our airport commute. Checked in without a hitch. Normally I would then obtain a stamp indicating I am allowed to leave the country without paying a $250 departure tax because I have an Indonesian tax ID. Turns out, that office closes after 7 PM now so I didn't have to show anything! Interesting concept - pay a tax if you leave before 7 PM. Are they trying to get people to take later flights?
Saved me a line, so I didn't complain. Stood on line for immigration and discovered that two different agents were serving my line - SCORE! - so we moved twice as fast. I hand over our four passports and he asks me where the departure cards are. I show him the departure cards the immigration agent who processed our multi-entry visa stapled to the passport. He said he couldn't use those and I needed to fill out new cards for everyone.
UGH! Back to the ticket counter, time to fill out the forms, back in the immigration line - which by now had split into two lines, one per agent. Lost my twenty minutes.
We stop so our son can eat dinner and he decides this is the time to go on a hunger strike. Wouldn't eat a thing. Not even if I put sugar on it. Five bucks down the drain.
We arrive at the gate and check in. The gate agent looks at my wife and says: "Do you have a doctor's note saying she can travel pregnant?" I reply: "No, your website says it isn't necessary under 30 weeks. Nor did your corporate office when we called to confirm. She's only five months." "New policy. Anything over 3 months needs approval."
That's when the fight began.
Long story short, we signed a liability waiver and they let us on the plane. I expected better from Singapore Airlines.
Once we arrived in Singapore, everything went smoothly...except our son started convulsive vomiting shortly after we entered the room and I had to call room service to come and change the sheets. (That's one way to guarantee they are fresh!) We all finally crashed around 1 AM.
Our trip to Singapore had two purposes: see some doctors and find a place to live. My wife had her medical appointments on Friday morning and we were able to confirm that yes, indeed, we are having another son (which means I only have to save for one wedding!! - notice the use of 'we' and 'I') and that the baby is healthy and, like his siblings, growing on the large end of the average.
After the examination of our incubating son, it was time to tend to our birthed son. He had a fever, diarrhea and was still, as they say in Singapore, throwing. Doctor gave him a quick, ten minute look over, told us he had an intestinal issue, and sent us on our way with an antibiotic she didn't want us to use unless he wouldn't drink fluids and a bill for $100. I guess that's what peace of mind is worth?
The doctor's visits out of the way, we took a tour of three new serviced apartments near Orchard Road. My favorite was the three bedroom unit walking distance from the metro station. My wife's favorite was the place we stayed at last time that requires me to take a taxi to work every morning and charged extra for internet and the only sports channel worth watching. Anyone want to place a bet on where we'll be residing?
We finished Friday with dinner at Muchos, a relatively new Mexican restaurant on Clarke Quay and then watching Shrek 4 back in the hotel room. I was out by 8 PM - before my daughter. I finally woke up at 7 AM Saturday morning. I needed my sleep.
I had my annual physical at 8:30 Saturday morning. This was the most extensive physical I've ever received and more than any insurance company I've ever been a part of would have approved for me in the US. I had the traditional bloodwork and urine tests as well as the consultation with a doctor. That's about standard for my US annual exams. Then they did a resting EKG, a vision test, a treadmill stress test, a body fat test, ultrasounds of my internal organs, a chest X-ray and a urine flow test. Three hours later, I was back on the street with instructions to lose weight (15 pounds!) and eat more salt to increase my blood pressure.
Saturday afternoon we did a little shopping and had lunch at Subway. We finished our stay with dinner at Black Angus and watching Despicable Me for a third time.
The biggest event that happened on this trip? Our daughter did the whole trip without her beloved blanket, DeeDee. We made a big deal about this major event in her life and bought her a gift of her choice to celebrate. She choose a book (that's my girl!), eschewing the option for shoes or a new dress. She even threw the blanket in the waste basket when we arrived home. Of course, when we checked on her Sunday night, she obviously had second thoughts. There she was, at the foot of her bed, holding on to her blanket. The blanket was not on the bed, though, so she at least made a step in the right direction.
We may make one more trip to Singapore before moving there. If not, we'll move after our daughter's recital at the end of May and stay there until we have a passport for the new addition (name still under discussion). We're still looking for someone to stay with us for our duration in Singapore to watch the kids while we deliver child number three. If you know anyone looking for 8 weeks off near the equator, let me know.
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