Banks and transfer of money

It's early days yet but looking ahead, am already wondering about the logistics of the move. One of the things that came up was how to move our money from Singapore to Oz?

We could move it by cash. There is no limit to the amount of cash you can bring into Australia but amounts of $10000 or more have to be reported. There are no fees associated though with carrying physical currency. Let's leave that on the back-burner though think about the banks.

According to Wikipedia, in Australia, the big four banks are National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ). Between them, they hold 80% of the home loan markets etc etc.

Decided to take a look at the four banks and see what they had to offer;

Commonwealth Bank (CBA):

1. Dedicated page for migrant banking @ link 
2. Open up to 3 months in advance
3. Bank online (NetBank - Australia's #1 online bank)
4. Access to the largest ATM and branch network (4300) in Australia
5. Need to go to an Oz branch before you can withdraw money
6. Email the Migrant Financial Services at mfs@cba.com.au
7. Able to open the account in SG. Call 8006162219
8. Rate check on 31 Oct, AUD 1 = SGD 1.073300
9. No monthly account fees for first 12 months.
10. Debit Mastercard ready to collect upon arrival in Oz.
11. Unlimited electronic transactions free of withdrawal fees

Westpac:

1. Dedicated page for migrant banking @ link
2. Open up to 12 months prior to arriving in Australia
3. Bank online (Westpac Online Banking)
4. Access to Westpac ATMs network (2800 - 3000)
5. Need to go to Oz branch before you can withdraw money
6. Email Westpac Choice at migrantbank@westpac.com.au
7. If calling from Singapore. 8006167062
8.  Rate check on 31 Oct, AUD 1 = SGD 1.07
9. No monthly service fee for first 12 months. Conditions apply after that.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ):

1. Dedicated page for migrant banking @ link
2. Open up to 12 months in advance
3. Call them at 66818041. Branch is at 50 Raffles Place, #01-03 Singapore Land Tower
4. Rate check on 31 Oct, AUD 1 = SGD 1.0740
5. Access to the ANZ ATM network (2600)
6. ANZ Internet Banking - visit anz.com
7. Need to visit an ANZ branch to complete identification process. If you visit the branch after 6 weeks of arriving, you need to bring additional identification documentation etc.
8. No number offered for SG to call but all calls can be directed to +44 (0) 203 229 2436, +61 3 8699 6943.
9. Fee structure is muddled but goes something like this
1. $5 monthly fee waived if you deposit $2000 a month
2. waived for 12 months from your application date when you apply online
3. The only time you'll incur additional fee is if you overdraw or transact overseas.

National Australia Bank (NAB):

1. Dedicated page for migrant banking @ link
2. Open up to 12 months in advance and have been in Australia for less than 6 weeks
3. Access to NAB ATM network (3400)
4. ATM access in 8 different languages, Chinese being one of them - if that's important to you.
5. Free to set up, no minimum deposit or balance requirements.
6. No monthly account keeping fees
7. Email them at nab.migrant.banking@nab.com.au
8. Call them at 6419700 (0900 - 1700, Mon to Fri). Branch is at 12 marina View #20-02 Asia Square Tower 2
9. Dedicated migrant banker allocated upon application.
10. Rate check on 31 Oct, AUD 1 = SGD 1.0746

Yet to arrive at a decision but of all the 4 websites I've visited, ANZ was the most confusing. If I have to make a decision now, would definitely lean towards CBA, Westpac or NAB.

WWF Live Planet Report 2014

Read a report which had Singapore at 7th position on the list of countries with the largest ecological footprint.

USA is 8th and Australia is 13th.

Amazingly, China is 76th, way below the world average.

Take a closer look though and note that even if you add up all 7 countries on the list before USA and you won't even have a land mass close to it.

This is how they calculate the ecological footprint ... The size and composition of a nation’s per capita Ecological Footprint is determined by the goods and services used by an average person in that country, and the efficiency with which resources, including fossil fuels, are used in providing these goods and services.

Basically, the countries ranked at the top of the list are there because they import most of the stuff they use. Consider their small sizes and the chances they have of being self-sufficient based on their own resources and you arrive at the problem I have with the report.

Not doubting that humans are living beyond the means of the Earth to support but questioning the way the report goes about formulating its results.

Statement of Employment

Don't read on if you're not a MOE teacher. This post will mean nothing to you.

Teachers can approach HR for a consolidated statement of employment - they will not however list down for you the number of working hours. Even then, I felt it was worth the trouble because the MOE statement looked as if it carried more gravitas.

If you're determined to have that in writing you will have to approach the AMs of each school that you've taught in. There is apparently no agreed upon number of working hours so you'll have to arrange with each of them.

Hassle, hassle, hassle.

Skills assessment sent!

Just a quick note;

22nd Oct - Date that skills assessment was sent to AITSL.

How sudden a move?

Thinking back, in February we were looking at condominiums. First around our area, then further away, always coming back to the conclusion that we would be priced out anyway, especially by the hefty down-payment.

Next we explored options to buy a small property in Geylang for rental purposes but came up empty again.

Followed that up by looking at property in the Dangar Bay area but was not totally sold on the idea.

It looked like we would not be able to own a piece of property that we could pass on to our kids.

I even switched to planning for renovations for our flat once we hit the 15 to 20 year mark, just to freshen things up - meaning hopefully, we'd leave a larger nest egg once we passed on.

Step back though and look at the whole process. Would my kids have it any easier or would they still be caught in the same circle? Would they, like us, be caught in this life of constantly servicing loans and debts till they are no longer economically viable in the eyes of Singapore?

Surely, there must be more ... whether we'd find that at the end of our move? I'm really not sure. It could turn out worse but we have to try. For all our sake.

At the very least, we won't have to pay 80 to 100k for a car that would have to be condemned after 10 years - a renewable debt, designed to keep you working.

Dad, we want to migrate ...

Years ago, when I first received my driving licence or maybe in between attempts at obtaining that driving licence, I had taken Dad's car out for a drive and was returning to the carpark, which at that time at the entrance/exit, featured these, for want of a better word, kerbstones, which were huge so that they stuck upwards from the kerb line. I had taken an acute turn into the carpark and the side of the door scrapped against the stone. It wasn't a gentle scrape either, there was the sound of stone grating on metal. I quickly parked the car, went over to the passenger seat and my heart dropped. There was one heck of a awful scar along the side of the door.

In that short space of time from the carpark up to the house, I must have run through a million ways to explain the scrape but in the end settled for the truth. To cut a long story short, I went back expecting to be yelled at for the rest of my life. The response I received shocked me and has guided me till this day in how I deal with my own kids. After, checking to make sure I was ok, all Dad offered was that the car was just a material object, all that mattered was that I was safe. The lesson really stuck with me and I've been forever thankful.

All my life, I was never really comfortable with hiding the truth. Hence it hasn't been easy the last few weeks.

Last week, Dad was finally informed of our decision to migrate (not that it's confirmed yet) but I thought it better that it didn't appear as a bolt out of the blue. I think he took it pretty well. I have my doubts how well but he appeared supportive. Is this an example of a parents' love? I certainly think so.

Next up was to let my sister know but during the weekend when we met up for our family dinner, it appeared Dad had already told her and some other family members! I had been planning to keep the circle small so if the move fell through, no big deal. Ah well. Anyway Sis took it well too. Now that both of them were told (I have a small family) and I was truly faced with the prospect of leaving them, leaving Singapore, the twinges in the heart started getting stronger. Dad's not young and I'd be basically leaving Sis to hold the fort. It doesn't matter how I rationalize the move, in my heart, I'm abandoning them. Don't really care what other people say about our move to Australia but this is a conversation I need to have with myself, in greater detail.

On the other side, Jas is getting really worried about what she's going to say to Mother. She's going to wait till the skills assessment is done before deciding when to tell. Personally, I'm worried too. Mother's looked after S and D since they were young. It will not be an easy goodbye.

One day, when S and D are old enough and they look me in the eyes and say "Dad, we want to migrate". How would I react? Would my heart break while smiling and encouraging them? I would like to think so but truthfully, I don't know. I don't. Were these the thoughts in Dad's mind as I told him? I don't know that either but thank you Dad.

Sale of flat

How much cash will you get if I decide to sell my HDB flat?

A few things I'll need to know...

1. How much  was the flat bought for? 
2. How much is the outstanding loan? (don't forget the dang interest)
3. How much do we need to repay CPF?
1. log on to https://www.cpf.gov.sg
2. Click on myStatement
3. Scroll down click on link that says Property
4. Click on "I wish to view My Public Housing Withdrawal Details"
4. What's the current resale price in your area? (check here)

I also realized that I'm really really bad at Math. :p

Cash I'll have in hand = resale price - CPF repayment - Outstanding Loan

Will update this if I run into any additional costs whilst letting go of the flat.

Things to bring

Have spent a little time lately, looking at the things we have at home and wondering if and when we do move what would we bring. Are our lives a sum of the things we own or a sum of our relationships? I'm siding for the latter but I cannot deny that the former has its moments.

Always considered myself as someone who's not hung up on the things I've owned but each moment I've spent thinking about it, the list of things to bring keeps growing. I think it is because I have so far been unable to differentiate between my needs and wants - or rather an inability to confront the fact that the move will greatly change our lives.

Anyway, would love to have with me (bear with me the impracticality of certain items), in no order of preference;

1) sister and my dad

2) my pillows and bolsters

3) Beanie, our hamster

4) my books ... oh my books.

5) PC and PS4

6) bicycle

7) my photo albums

8) oven (have got so used to the timings!)

9) my phones/tablets, basically my gadgets.

10) the plant my mom gave me for my wedding. The same one I've tended till this day.

And that is the sum of me that does not exist in me.

I'll have to ask J and kids and see what their lists are!

I do know J wants to move our wedding portrait heh.

Road Block

Yeah. That's how I feel tonight. Like I ran into a road block.

Let's backtrack a little. If you're a teacher looking to do your skills assessment with AITSL, you will require a little document, Statement of Employment from each school that you've taught in.

I thought that was simple enough, so I wrote in to each of the three schools I had taught in. Listed very carefully the information I needed from each of them, stating that I needed it signed by the Principal with the school letterhead on the document.

This was about 2 to 3 weeks back and I'm still awaiting all the necessary documents. If you're a teacher and you're planning to apply. Plan way ahead.

School 1 , emailed me the document, with no letterhead, looking like something I could've forged in 5 mins with my computer. Called the AM, who vouched that it was printed on a paper with the school letterhead and who appeared surprised I needed the actual document mailed to me.

School 2, I ran into a 'meticulous' AM, who demanded an addressee before she would generate the document. Next for the required field of information 'Number of Hours Employed Per Week', she was of the opinion that it should only take into account the teaching periods that I had. It took a while and required that I show her the statement from School 1 which stated 42 hours before she agreed to do the same.

School 3, was very prompt and efficient and sent me a letter saying that I had 16 hours plus of teaching periods. I was disappointed because I had made the trip down to collect the statement personally. Firstly, that wasn't the information that was required so I wrote them, requesting that 'Number of teaching hours - 16 hours plus' be changed to 'Number of employed hours - 42 hours'. The AM agreed and mailed me the new version the day itself. I received it the next day and the crucial line read 'Number of employed hours - 16 hours plus'. I stood there dumbly staring at the letter. Another email to the AM who told me it was the Principal who was adamant that it remain at 16 hour plus.

Thoughts?

1) If a teacher's work week was 16 hours plus, I have been putting in some serious overtime.

2) Are they serious or is someone messing around with me?

3) Went online to research a teacher's working hours. Nada. Zilch. Nothing at all on MOE websites. Nothing on STU. Just plain nothing. It's as if the number has been surpressed for fear of comparison.

4) Maybe I just suck at searching for information.

Honestly though, it just felt so surreal that I was dumbfounded.

16 hours plus means I work 3 hours daily and I work from 7.30 to 10.30am, approximately. Anybody can see straight away that that is kind of ludicrous.

Accepting 42 hours employed is already being very liberal with the truth, what more a figure of 16 hours?

As it stands? I'm still waiting for School 3 to get back to me. Fingers are crossed and hoping that common sense will prevail.

Also outstanding is the NIE Practicum statement. Phoned them this week and it turned out they were sitting on it. They've already assured me it's in the mail and on it's way.

One item which did arrive by mail this week was the IELTS results so that's one item off the checklist.

Man-made road blocks. Bah!

Let's squeeze shall we?

Had some time on my hands and was a little curious. I mean we talk about Singapore being packed but how dense is it actually?

Singapore

Total population: 5.4697 mil

Residents: 3,8707mil  (3.343mil citizens, 527,700 PR)

Density: 7615 per sq km

Land area: 718.3 sq km

Information gathered from www.singstat.gov.sg

Perth

Total population: 1.972358 mil

Density: 310 per sq km

Land area: 6418 sq km

WA land area: 2 529 875 sq km

Melbourne

Total population: 4.327955 mil

Density: 430 per sq km

Land Area: 9990 sq km

Victoria land area: 237,629 sq km

Population wise, Singapore has roughly 2.5 times more population than Perth and about a million more people than Melbourne.

The whole of Singapore as a country is slightly larger than Perth as a city and is about two-thirds of the size of Melbourne City.

Pointless to Singapore's size to the state of Western Australia or Victoria, it's miniscule in comparison.

Singapore however has a population density of 7615 per sq km. That's 24.5 times Perths' density and 17.7 times Melbournes' density.

What if population should hit the proposed figure of 6.9 million?

It'll give us a population density of 9606 per sq km.

What if the rumoured long term goal of 10 mil is achieved?

13921 per sq km will be the figure we'll be looking at.

Frightening to think about but interesting to note though that at the moment, there are two countries with a higher population density than a 10 million population Singapore. The two countries are Macau (21,190) and Monaco (18,475)

I have no doubt they will reclaim more land but I think it is evident to see population growth will outstrip any gain in size. Whatever the case, in the long run, Singapore will be looking at a population density in the 5 figure region.

If you think Singapore is packed now, brace yourself for the future.

I'm old enough to remember when a stroll down Orchard Road felt carefree and relaxed.

Old enough to remember that bus

Old enough to remember that station

Old enough to remember that patch of greenery

(the above photos were found on remembersingapore.wordpress.com and www.nowhere.per.sg)

Looking at this in another way ... with help from here.

Singapore is 3rd on the list of countries with a high density. In the picture, our little red dot has become the little black dot.

Still clueless

A decade of parenting and I'm still clueless.

We went to the movies today and it was a choice between Boxtrolls and Maze Runner. Having been fed a diet of animated movies for the past 10 years, I guess I was restless and decided that the kids were ready for a PG movie. Come to think of it, they've watched a few here and there.

They didn't fare well with the Green Lantern movie and Godzilla. I should have had the foresight to preempt today's situation.

They were put off by the beastie below ... referred in the movie as a Griever.

Maybe it's the teeth. I need to get Hollywood to make toothless villians.

Shania was unable to sleep which was bad as that has not happened in ages. Had to resort to humming her to sleep, which was pleasant as it brought to mind all the times I had done that when she was much younger. Have to treasure moments like this as they come along.

Checked on Dylan and he was fast asleep though he had confessed to his mother that he was afraid too.

All in a all, a bad movie choice by me. At least we didn't watch Annabelle, otherwise I would have three sleepless people in the house!

A silver lining from today's movie going though was when Shania asked about flawed plot-lines in the movie. Extremely pleased that she was watching and thinking about the movie.

I will make better movie choices - I can live through more animated movies.

IELTS results

Results arrived on 3rd October, exactly 13 days after the test. Not the actual result slip but the online preview of the results.

Applying for the Skilled Independent Visa (189) meant that I was relying on my qualification as a teacher. In order to do that I would have to submit my teaching records to the assessing authority, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). I was required to take the Academic version of IELTS and needed to achieve scores of 7 for Reading and Writing and 8 for Speaking and Listening.

The other point of consideration was the amount of points you would earn for your points test.

Proficient English would be demonstrated by a component score of 7 in all 4 areas and would earn you 10 points. Superior English would be signaled by a component score of 8 in all areas and garner you 20 points.

Had been worried prior to the test but have to admit I had been targeting the 20 points as I have a feeling, we'd need it.

Unfortunately, I fell just short. 0.5 of a grade short.

Appealing the grade would mean paying $180 with no guarantee of an increase or decrease in the current score.

As it stands, we've at least qualified to apply and that's what we'll do.

As to why that extra 10 points is needed? I'll be 40 next year and the 25 points I'm getting for being 39 will be reduced to 15 points next year. Would have been nice to have that buffer and have one less eye on the clock.

                           

Whatever will be, will be.