Top Stories July 27

July 27, 2007 Melbourne 12C - 16C.
Showers in late Afternoon.

Top Story in Melbourne

Labor's leaders quit

PREMIER Steve Bracks has quit politics for family reasons. And deputy

Premier John Thwaites has also just announced his exit from politics.

Market fears

THE share market was a sea of red at noon today as stocks tumbled in

line with the US market, which suffered its second worst trading day

this year.

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YARRA VALLEY WATER GIVING AWAY 2 SHOWERHEADS !!

July only use 67 litres !

Compare usage July to July07

WTF ??

Water is cheap but the additional charges are ridiculous

water usage 24 Apr to 23 July $4.97

sewage disposal $5.51

Service charge $54.35

Drainage charge $23.55

Annual Parks charge $53.84

total bill -----------------> $142.22

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Stage 3a water restrictions

Lawns cannot be watered by residents, businesses and local councils. There are some exempt playing surfaces that can be watered.

Manual dripper systems can be used between 6am - 8am on your watering days.*

Hand-held hoses fitted with a trigger nozzle, watering cans and buckets can be used to water gardens between 6 am – 8 am on your watering days.*

Households with at least one resident aged 70 years or over may water their gardens manually on specified watering days between 6 am - 8 am or 8 am - 10 am.

Automatic dripper systems between midnight - 2 am on your watering days.*

* Even numbered houses can water on Saturday and Tuesday. Odd numbered can water on Sunday and Wednesday. There is no watering on Monday, Thursday and Friday.

An efficient commercial car wash that uses 70 litres of water or less per vehicle can be used.

A bucket filled from a tap can be used to clean windows, mirrors and lights; and spot-remove corrosive substances.

A new pool or spa of any size capacity cannot be filled with drinking water. However, a new or existing swimming pool or spa may be filled with an alternative water source such as approved groundwater.

Penalties and Enforcement

Stage 3a water restrictions must be followed and water patrols are out in force across Melbourne. If you are issued with a warning notice and still breach the restrictions, you may have your water supply restricted or face prosecution.

At 10am I have to tidy the front yard !!

A "Hair cut" before the path disappeared !

Finished the job at 1pm !!

I hug my palm tree to-day and pray will not die
due to water restriction

This twin bulb cost $4.98 ! Brought 2
replaced the blown light in the hall !

FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD

ECONOMICAL MEALS !!

YET TO TRY THIS PIZZAS !!

NO BOOKING NO SEATS !

NOT TOO BAD ! AMPLE PARKING SPACE

Melbourne 19 - 24 May 2007

This posting wrapped up my 4 days stay in Melboune !

19 May 2007 (Saturday) -ARRIVAL
20 May 2007 (Sunday)

Doris Lim apparently left Parkes Property and now with Landfield . She said " It is tough to earn a living now as property agents from China are offering "No sales No charge" I got to bear the charges for house inspection, petrol etc. No charge means no commission . My angmoh boss is following this tactics " How to make a living when cost of living is so high in Melbourne ?

DORIS LIM @ LANDFIELD

RAYMOND WIFE - BIG TIME NOW ! WAS TOLD GOING TO DEVELOP
A PIECE OF LAND @ POINT COOK

20 May 2007 -Sunday Night

Dinner at All People with Gee Lim and LEILA .

BOOKING STILL A MUST AT ALL PEOPLE !

22 May 2007 -Tuesday

On Tuesday morning we went down to Immigration Department and we did insert $4.00 coins for the parking fees for an hour. But the parking warden issued us a parking ticket IMMEDIATELY after we left . Totally absurd ! In all there are 6 parking lots and we did inserted coin for parking lot # 1 . Quite impossible but this is happening in Melbourne especially when they know the car belongs to an Asian . WTF

23 May 2007 -Wednesday

A day spent on cleaning up the house and our regular window cleaner was cleaning the gutter next door and he walked over requesting to clean all our windows . For that 1/2 hour job the charges was $140 .Phew !!

Ivan was there cleaning the pool at 9.30 pm .
The spa was left without water .
To be filled with wine since Melbourne having
acute water shortage . Haha

The front & backyard lawn needed a "hair cut" badly !

The front nature strip is the owner's responsibility unlike in Singapore . Singaporean are lucky back home !! .Fuck in Melbourne if you dun lawn your nature strip you get a ticket from the council . WTF . A cool 2 hours job.

23 May 2007 - Wednesday

The insurance contractor arrived at 8.30 am
to have the door fixed and painted .
He finished his job around 12 noon .

One miserable apple left .The rest eaten by the birds.
The Buddha with a broken butt is finally covered by some plants .
Looks great !

23 May 2007 Wednesday - FINAL DAY

Went to Boxhill for lunch with Uncle Lim and bumped onto my fellow
Singaporean friend whom I have lost contact some 20 years ago .

This is what he got to say about Singaporean broken dreams !

It was a pleasure having met you in Boxhill and thanks for the diet coke at your home! Next time it got to be SHIRAZ or Cabernet with lots of beef!! Do not invite me to swim, it will freeze my butt off!

Australia is a place of many broken dreams for Singaporeans.....they came with great expectations, but over time they get disappointed with how things work, and the glass ceiling(less apparent now). But it is a good place for retirement though. Just bring money, the rest will sort itself out.....
If you are back in Melbourne before 20th June, give me a call! 61 3 989 33790. Stay in touch. Call John Quek and tell him how we we met by `accident '! His number is 96447469.

quek

On 23 May I had dinner with Steve Leung and family at a chinese eating house off Blackburn Road 2 doors away from Canton Restaurant .

Went to my regular workshop as my car battery
(fitted 3 years ago) went flat .
Battery cost $210 n Australia . Rather expensive .

Road Tax expiring soon and pretty cheap here $560.20 per annum
regardless of the car capacity .
No COE or Annual Inspection required .

Gull Wing Motor dd 22/05/07 for 12 Volt Din88 Battery @ $212.50
RACV INSURANCE $632.51 PAID ON 22/05 MOT099876536

24 May 2007-Depart

Liquor and wine are still relatively cheap here . 2 bottles of whisky for $48.00 . Duty free 20/200 Marlboro Menthol will set you back by $41.99 . You call this Duty Free. ??

Melbourne is facing acute water shortage .Bananas cost $5.99 per kg . So guess you have to drown your sorrow with the the cheap liquor and wine before the price goes up . Filled up your bath tub with wine and shower with it might be the solution .

Palm trees that need plenty of water are dying in Melbourne and guess you have to plant more cactus and Hugh Ala Vera since Melbourne is fast becoming a desert . Smart move initiated by an Italian restaurant operator .

24 May 2007 - Heading for the Airport !!

On the way to the airport look out for this Italian restaurant .
Very big portion and reasonably priced .