As of Friday we continued to have challenges with the owner of the DaVinci house ... seems he wants to collect the 10% taxes (on $3,850/mo) but not pay them to the govt - non-starter for us.  I know what the problem is ... its called $$$.  He knows our allowance is $4,350/mo and he wants some more of it.

However, we have advised him that the $4,350/mo is for a FURNISHED house and he has nothing in his ... thus, the difference is to help us buy furniture.  Of course, he doesn't care ... he just wants the money and he figures that as an expat I have more than enough.

So, went looking for alternative housing over the weekend as a fall back position and to give us bargaining power on Monday. I didn't see anything I liked ... Decy has done an excellent job in finding a house and the DaVinci is head and shoulders above what is currently available ... its just this Indonesian thing.    Bottomline, told our agent to negotiate on Monday to close this deal once and for all ... and to go up to the limit to do it .... but start with a much smaller (perhaps $100/mo more).  Here's hoping/praying ... b'coz, we've just got to move forward on a lease ... its already 1 month in a hotel and this is an impossible situation long-term ... and even if the owner is ready to "do the deal" we are probably 3-4 weeks away from move-in.

On cars, think I previously advised we put down earnest money on the Fortuner ... as soon as money from the US arrives (this coming week) we have to make the down payment (US$11k) ... then upon collecting the car in approx 2-3 weeks we pay the balance of $29k - $40k total).  Financing is clearly unattractive here with interest rates at approx 20%PA.

This week we will begin shifting focus to the CR-V ... which will require similar financing but total cost is "only" about $30k.

Have to take my Toshiba to the shop - its still overheating severely and shutting down all the time.  Hopefully just a dust problem ... but I will have them check the fans at the same time.

First wave of furniture is pretty much queued up .... just waiting on the house ... not much sense in working on the second wave until we have a move-in date.

*** On a completely different note, have 27 days of 2006 vacation remaining, which I can't schedule yet .... maybe this week ... thus, impossible to plan the holidays.  In the meantime, I can't wait on booking flights ... so booked Chris and Paul from Nashville to Singapore ... we will figure out the rest later ... maybe Sri Lanka, maybe Thailand, maybe Vietnam, maybe Indonesia .....

Today (Sunday) we are going to the Regent Hotel for a very special brunch (excellent quality and gazillion memories from 2001).  Today we celebrate Chely's 18th BD as a family. 

Gotta run ... time to celebrate. ciao ciao.