Well, we got taps installed in our bathroom basin on Monday. It has been a long haul getting to this point. Our general water supply problems at home have basically been resolved, even though we know there is a leak somewhere.

There are still a few outstanding issues like “when will the contractor fill in the hole in the back porch outside and re-tile it”. But basically, we are finally over the hill and in theory, it will get easier from now on.

The biggest gain over the last week has been the installation of satellite TV with access to the IndoVision satellite system. It provides most of your standard world-wide satellite stuff (eg BBCWorld, CNN, HBO, Star Sport etc.) It also has the Australian ABC AsiaPacific service which provides a fairly boring menu of older programs BUT replays around 6 or 7 Australian Rules Football games in full every weekend. I am in some sort of football heaven, given I have not had access to this sort of wall-to-wall football for well over 5 years.

But I have learnt one valuable lesson. You do have to be careful commenting on your own water problems (or electricity etc.) to other expats who may in fact, not have very good water of their own and who have accepted their lot as being as good as it is ever going to get.