July 1st.
It’s happening.
Well, let me rephrase. The building isn’t happening yet. Delays, plans not ready, IMB, Ramadan, etc. So it is going to take another while. But we found a place to operate from until then, so July 1st it is.
The place is great, beach front restaurant with a pool, and we are excited to finally start taking people diving!
For the last couple of weeks, it’s been craziness. Make list, buy stuff, go ten times a day “Oh wait but we need xxxx” (paperwork, logbooks, first aid kit, lunch boxes, etc).
At the same time, we got started on the house so I can actually move in next month (and move the content of my house at the same time, lots of fun ahead that). We had a few days of running around the island to buy stuff and then some serious house work. Since I am pretty useless when it comes to building work, my job was to paint the entire inside of the house. I am not going to lie, it was no fun. But now we can start moving stuff in the house.
We went a bit nuts on the Ramadan sale and even got a water heater and an AC unit. Our pad is going to be a little fancy after all.
Ramadan though. Can we talk about how the entire country pretty much shuts down for 2 weeks for Lebaran?
The most surreal conversation this week was with our accountant, also in charge of our visas.
- Your work permit is ready but immigration won’t issue your visa paperwork until your company taxes are paid.
- Then let’s pay them?
- Cannot. Banks close on the 29thof May. Taxes are not due until the end of the month.
- We can’t pay them ahead of time?
- No. And then no banking until Lebaran is over.
- You know we both have to get out of the country June 7th right?
- Yes. But your visa won’t be ready because everything reopens on the 10th. Then the backlog etc.
- So?
- Fly out, come back, go again week after.
- Are you serious?
- I am afraid I am, yes.
(the company is paying for the visa flights. But now I am painfully aware how, really, company money is my money also).
Two trips to Singapore within two weeks it is then. Might as well stuff my face twice I suppose. So we stuck to our original plan to spend a weekend in Singers and will make the most of it. Let's call that the "shareholder annual meeting" or something, sounds more serious than "girls weekend in Sing biiitcheeees"!
Second most surreal conversation was with our lawyer about the building permit. We have sent in the drawings and paperwork and our landowner is in charge of processing it, but he came back to us saying some of the paperwork has to go to the province and not to the district. We were a tad confused until the lawyer explained it to us:
- So it’s like this: you can’t get an IMB (building permit) for a dive shop without environmental assessment and approval. But in order to get that approval, they need to see the buildings.
- But if we don’t have an IMB then are we not supposed to hold off and not build?
- Correct.
- So how are they going to assess?
- They can’t.
- So we can’t get that approval but we can’t build to get the approval?
- Eeeeer.
At this point I was holding back a good egg and chicken joke and also some swear words about the regulations, but then he went: no problem, we get an IMB for an office first, then we worry about the environmental assessment, then I will work something out. OK then.
So here we are. A month to go. In the meantime, a great deal of setting up, moving houses, getting organised. Shit’s is getting real!
Good Monday to you all, I am off to buy a toolbox and a pick up truck. Sexy, I know.