A Lot of Lasts

It's funny how we've started marking meaningless moments as our "lasts." Last weekend in our house is complete. Last orders from Pearl Cafe and Grafton House of Pizza have been made. Last time shovelling the driveway. And my last smoke last night. I'm watching the news with the barely noticeable tingle of the patch on my left arm - hey so far so good. I guess I couldn't argue with the realization that I'm being handed a perfect opportunity to quit smoking. I am a little weary about the effect this is going to have on my, ahem, digestion.....

By way of update on where we stand, today is Kellie's last day in the office in Hopkinton, and this will be our last night in the house. We've turned in the cars and are adjusting to being a one car family with our rental. We have started packing our bags, and getting the rest of our things into the basement is top priority for today and tomorrow. Other than some little things, it looks like we're ready to go, which by the way, is freakin crazy. I find my mood switches between frustration over the "hurry up and wait" feeling, the worry that everything won't get done in time or that we'll forget stuff, and the desire for just a little more time!

My meeting last week at EMC about a new job went very well (in my opinion) and I'm extremely hopeful that this will pan out, however I'm not so naive as to think I don't need to put in some time once I arrive in Singapore to open up some other doors (just don't forget to take your shoes off before you walk through those doors!).

Skype is up and running (chrisleger79) and we've had some good practice sessions and just need to set up my mother and we'll be ready to roll.

Unless you've had the pleasure, it's hard to truly understand just how long the flight time is to Singapore - SO- to lend some perspective, here's my movie plan for the flights:
Boston to London:
1.) The Social Network
2.) Red
3.) The American
London to Singapore:
1.) Megamind
2.) Due Date
3.) Unstoppable
4.) The Town
5.) Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
6.) 127 Hours
7.) The Big Lebowski

Ok - and just for fun:

I got hep-A

And 3 other shots yesterday in case we go to India. Now, anyone who knows me at all can take a wild stab at just how excited I am about the prospect of going to India. Put it this way, Kellie couldn't get me to disembark the Singapore tour-bus at the "Little India" stop while we were there. I mean, imagine a place for which you still need a polio vaccine to visit. I have malaria pills! Granted, I'm extremely fortunte to have visited 13 countries in my lifetime and can't wait to add a bunch more, but.... India? Maybe we can go to Hollywood and find the set for Outsourced and call it a day.

Anyone want to hang out in Ireland in April? Part of Kellie's plan for the first 6 weeks is to make a trip to Cork to visit with the Europe team, and I may tag-along depending on the work situation. Part of MY plan for the first 6 weeks involves Bali.

Today I have to pick up our rental car as we are planning to turn in our Hondas this week. This is bumming me out as my short-lived love affair with my hatch-backed rocketship is coming to end. I love this car. For those who don't know, it's a black Accord Crosstour, and it hauls noodles. The car only has 8,500 miles on it. The good news is that upon our triumphant return from the Far East, I get to outfit us with new rides.

This just in (seriously 30 seconds ago), I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon at EMC about some perspective job opportunuties! I look at it this way, it's costing EMC a pantload to relocate my fat-ass half-way around the world, if there's an organization that should benefit from my being in country, it should be EMC. Wouldn't it be a kick in the pants if I got there and started working at HP? Anyone know someone at HP just in case?  :)

Thanks to all of you for reading this, it should get more interesting when we're over in Singapore. I'm sure I'll have some terrific pictures, and my goal is to pick up a flip camera so I can share video as well. To date, the blog has been viewed more than 400 times, which is mind-bottling. If any tech-savvy folks want to help me make this more fun for readers, here are some widgets I want to add: a better currency converter that is just from Sing Dollars to America Dollars, current time and temp in Singapore (with conversion from C to F), a map of where I am, that kind of stuff.

While in S'pore in December, Kellie and I enjoyed one of the single greatest eating experiences in recent history. Nothing like sitting outside on a beach near the water, letting someone else order all the best foods, having some cold Tiger beer, and strapping on the feedback. Anyone who knows anything about food in Singapore (or who watched Top Chef) has heard of Chili Crab. It's terrific. Here's the food network's take on this Spicy Singapore Staple: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/singapore-style-chili-crabs-recipe/index.html

The calm before and after the storm

A number of hurdles are jumped, and many more lay ahead. Today feels like intermission. There's things I can't do because it's the weekend, and there's things that it's too early to do. So I'll sit (with a dog on one arm looking out the window), watchin Casino Royale writing my blog, waiting till early evening when I'm off for a night out with the boys.

Since my last post, a lot has gotten done. In fantastic news, I did very well with taxes - I promised Kellie there's a weekend trip to Bali in our future. The needed bank accounts have been created (if only wealth was measured by number of accounts and not what's in them. . . ), our shipment has left for Singapore (about 1400 lbs), and we've changed our seats on the flights. We had a night out at the Elks and I bowled my last Friday night with the league (had my BEST string of the season - 157, and my worst 74).

Bless her heart, Kellie navigated through the British Airways site and landed us exit row to London, and bulkhead from London to Singapore. Miraculous as now I don't have to spend 19 hours counting split ends on the guy who's sitting in front of me.

It was a strange feeling watching two men carry our possessions out the door yesterday. They were amazingly effecient, and I'm so thankful that EMC takes care of lining up so many of these services. I think it became very real for us though. There go our clothes, kitchen stuff, pillows, etc. on their 6-8 week journey of 10,250 miles. This is actually happening. This process, set in motion back in August (when it was Sydney), is in it's final, unbelievably intimidating stages - and yet there's still so much to do.

When do I move furniture downstairs, when do we turn in the cars and get a rental. When do we give up on the rest of the food in the cabinet? Do I have to throw out the spice rack? Will nutmeg and ginger keep for 2 years? And then came the realization late yesterday that we might have kept too much of our clothes here, forcing us to be those people with 5 suitcases and 3 carry-ons holding you up in line at the airport.

And then, sort of a biggy, when/how am I going to find a job in Singapore? I've been relishing this as my opportunity to try something new. To not have to worry about maintaining a standard of living (thanks EMC) and do something that I enjoy. I think it's time for me to move on from sales, that much is clear, and I'm thinking Sales Operations/Management/Productivity/Training is where I want to end up. And while I have some leads, nothing is cut-and-dry from this far away. The good news for readers (and followers. . . .) of our exploits is that I think my job hunt and work experience should make for pretty interesting reading.

Finally, I leave you with this, a top story on a Singapore news site. I ask, does this article actually say anything? http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1111811/1/.html

Oh the places you'll go . . . . (and the games we'll play

Lots happening. Flights are booked. Two one-way tickets to Singapore on March 3rd. The moving company is coming on Friday to pack up our stuff, and the inventory with values has been completed. It's only Wednesday and we are worn. So, here are some things I've put together for gits and shiggles:

Provided I can trust a site called HappyZebra, here are some flight times from Singapore (airport code - you guessed it - SIN - yeah baby):
Fiji: 11 hrs
Shanghai: 5 hrs
Bali: 2.5 hrs
Sydney: 8 hrs
Tokyo: 7 hrs
Hong Kong: 3 hrs
Saigon: 1.5 hrs
Dubai: 7.5 hrs
Bangkok: 2 hrs (yup)
Manila: 3 hrs
Aukland: 11 hrs
Kuala Lumpur: 28 minutes
Mumbai: 5 hrs
Beijing: 6 hrs
Las Vegas: 18.5 hrs

I'm open to suggestions - but here are some of the games I want to play (and maybe even video) in Singapore:
- Where's Whackjob: have Kellie take pictures of me in random settings so you can see just how much I stick out
- Who's your favorite Yankee - anyone who's travelled outside the comfort of these United States has seen the amount of Evil Empire gear, so Curious Jorge here will see if they know some of the players, or if they are just wearing the "brand"
- Walking in the mall - oh just you wait - the experience is walking through a mall is something you have to see to believe
- Find it and price it - by request only - you give me a something, I'll try and find it (and obviously a funny version of it) in Singapore or someplace we're travelling to

Screwed Negotiator

This was going to be a fun blog, in fact I put together a good slice of it's masterpiece last night when I couldn't sleep (as well as made some updates to the template). It's this lack of QT in the King-Size that has me going in a different direction tonight. Fear not, I'll get back to the goofy crap tomorrow.

It's reality check time. As Don Kirby, my drum teacher from back when girls were icky, would say - "the excrement has hit the air conditioner."

What I've discovered about this process is that it is a never-ending parade of self-negotiations. Some of these mental math tests are small - "should I bring my 'cut your mullet' t-shirt" to Singapore - part of me doesn't want to seperate from this gem, the other part of me, the one that LEAVES the house, says space in our shipment could be otherwise utilized.

The big negotiations are the hard ones. When I find that I'm terrified about trying to find a job (one that I'll enjoy and that will actually pay me), or I'm outside playing with Winnie and get this tidal wave of sadness over how much I will miss her, or when Dad emails to say he was in a car accident (he's fine), not being able to spend time with Mom (and her chicken parm and cookies) - these are the times when I need my sales training. I go back to the beginning, to the library of PROS dangling from this opportunity, and tip the scales (yup, was in a courtroom today) back to realizing that I'd actually be as noodles-for-brained as people think I am to pass this up. While here, buried in the lists, I'm living all the cons. Everything I see/do/eat is something I'm leaving. The Pros, they are waiting for me 10,250 miles away.

Thankfully, I think some of these decisions and internal struggles get resolved in ways you can't control. For example, Kellie hates the "cut your mullet" t-shirt, so, it's not going.

My VCR broke today. It slid off a pile of books on the counter. I was actually quite upset. Then I laughed at myself because I threw out all my videos when we moved from the condo. Someone should just follow me around.

Now - I'm going back to tomorrow's blog which I'm preparing for you like a Top Chef Master.

My To Do List, and other verbal vomit

So I'm sitting here, amid the chaos that is our house, fresh off a thrill-a-minute V-Day excursion to Bed Bath and Beyond and Wal-Mart. There's furniture everywhere, there's bedding and new luggage where the dining room table had been this morning - and my mind is racing through the Mt Wa-Wa-Wachusett of stuff I need to accomplish. We move 2 weeks from Thursday. Let that marinate for just a second.

Did I mention I have Jury Duty tomorrow? Yup - the universe, or at least the Commonwealth, has a sense of humor. I swear, I can't make this stuff up - only me. Jury Duty tomorrow, this past Friday I had a root canal. Last week I went to pick up my dry cleaning (and get language barrier patience training) and found my dry cleaners had been shut down for "Failure to comply with State Compension Policy" - so Saturday morning I had a clandestine rendezvous with my dry cleaner in the parking lot behind a Lutheran Church. I poop you not.

This morning, the "Global Relocation Consultant" came by to get an idea of what we are shipping to Singapore. The process leading up to that was Kellie and I walking through the house and pointing. Then I re-pointed for Hal. Looks like we're shipping by sea (like boat, big slow boat) instead of air - mind you - it will take 6-8 weeks for our gear to show-up on the Singapore-side. Why is this worth blogging about? Why do you care? Because it means it all has to go this week so it's there in time for us moving into our perm flat (would flat perm be an oxymoron?).

Jury Dury

Here is my To Do List (or a portion thereof):
- I have $381 worth of rolled change that I need to write my account number on and forklift into the Supermarket
- Get my taxes done (Thursday night) to find out how much money I have to sent the Government of a country I'm moving out of
- I've got to bring a Crosstour full of stuff to Fitchburg and come back with the carpet cleaner
- I have to create Bank Accounts with Mom for Rent Checks and Bank Accounts with Kellie in Singapore as evidence of our Domestic Partnership (more on that later. . . . )
- Get the motorcycle ready to sit dormant and sad through 2 riding seasons
- Clean the fireplace
- Sort through the stuff we'll need in Singapore and decide what's going in the Shipment and stuff we're carrying (mind you, we need to survive on the stuff in our baggage for the 6-8 weeks before we get the shipment)
- Give back our cars to Honda
- Shopping - we've done a ton, and many things (anything with a plug) we'll have to buy in Singapore - I'm sure that'll be a blog all on it's own. Do they even HAVE coffee makers there? Can we get Maxwell House there? How will Santa Claus and the Girl Scouts find me in S'pore?
- Download copious amounts of stuff to iTunes

Good news - I have checked off some items from the list. I got a haircut, vacuumed (yup, that's spelled right) the garage, you know, the critical elements of the relocation battleplan.

Now, some asides - this is where we'll be staying prior to finding our apartment: http://www.panpacific.com/pan_pacific_service_suites_singapore/index.html - it's a serviced suite, keep the comments PG

Since we're not married, this is what Kellie wrote, signed, and had notarized today so that I won't spend 2 years at Singapore airport:

"I, Kellie A. Kilcoyne, of North Grafton, Massachusetts do solemnly declare that I am in a common-law relationship with Christopher L. Leger.  Christopher and I started our relationship in December 2007.  We committed to living together, and providing emotional support and domestic interdependence in August 2008.  Commitment of our intentions to become legally married occurred in May 2010 when we became engaged to each other." Ahhh romance

Remarkable - someone would notarize their love for me. Anyway, I'm glad she did it, my version went like this: "Dear Singapore, I like Kellie and Kellie likes me. We're more than friends. Love Chris"

Should have our flight info tomorrow, unless I'm not clever enough to dodge getting put on a trial

So here's the deal

I've been told that I should blog, that people would be interested in my ramblings about our adventures. To bring everyone up to speed, Kellie and I are moving to Singapore on March 3rd. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions:
- for Kellie's job, which is in finance at EMC
- 2 years
- 19 hours in the air, and it's a 13 hour (right now) time difference for Massholes
- someone will be staying in our house (yup, the one we bought in September)
- I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself
- Hot, really really freakin hot

We went for a visit in December, and judging from that trip, readers of my blog should be in for a treat. I will try and write as much as I can before we leave, however there is so much to do.

So please follow the blog, please share it with people, and please, for the love of noodles, come visit us!

Tomorrow I will share my to-do list (after the dude from the moving company comes to "look at" our stuff).