I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve written in my blog. I don’t know how people blog about their lives every few minutes or hours. Why is it that they have so much happening in their lives that is worth telling everyone about and I don’t?
Well, just because I’ve not written anything doesn’t mean life’s stopped for me.
We completed shooting the bulk of PG by December and it wasn’t without it’s ups and downs. Mostly, it was up.
I was very pleased with this season’s props and wardrobe was much better than previously.
Although we hit some lows with on-set attitude, the drastic reactions were mostly resolved quickly.
(How do I say stuff without revealing too much?)
On my set (why not the other more experienced directors?) I had to deal with some tender egos, which is not exactly something I’m good at dealing with. Thankfully, I had some help.
It just reminded me that sometimes, a lot work a director does has very little to do with actual directing. You can do as much prep as you want. But the minute you offend someone, boy there’s a lot of smoothening of feathers to do.
In the meantime, we’ve started renovations – what Singaporeans like to call A&A – Additions and Alterations on our house.
That has been another disaster. Basically, my mother signed a contract with a friend with some rather difficult – I would even say – unreasonable payment schedules. My mother assumed that it was the normal terms of contract.
But it really isn’t.
For example, for A&A, there is usually at least 6 months warranty period where you withhold about 5% of the payment. There is only a one month warranty period. This is simply not long enough to test the house and quality of the work.
Furthermore, the contract is so vague, it doesn’t even include a schedule of works, completion date, nor the progressive steps of A&A.
When the house is barely complete, 90% is the payment is expected to be made. No mention is made of tiling, electrical, plumbing, painting – works in progress. Nothing!
If you think that’s a small matter, let me ask you if you know ANYONE who has paid a contractor 50% of the total contract on the first day of work? No one right?
Except my mother.
I wasn’t aware of this strange contract. Since it was my mother’s friend and all this happened when I was fully engrossed in PG, I assumed that no friend would cheat another.
Until I heard about that 50% payment. So I asked to see the contract – my mother didn’t even have a copy!
So I asked for a copy. A copy was not in my hands until last night – more than a month after work started.
This is really not surprising. In fact, this “friend” contractor has continued been late for appointments, re-scheduled appointments and been late for appointments. I even pointed this out to my mother the first time we had an appointment. By this time, mind you, this contract had already been signed.
I had met this “friend” contractor on other occasions at home, but that was because I happened to be home or just came back from shoot. However, I was not present when the contract was signed.
This “friend” contractor keeps talking about “trust” all the time. Trust between him and my mother. He even pulls the friendship card, “we’re friends” but damn it, I wasn’t fast enough to say, will friends give such horrible terms of contract?
Tell me it’s unfair for me to put friend in inverted commas.
What is remarkable is my mother seems disturbingly calm. I don’t know if it’s because the mind of a 67-year old is so slow that she is unable to compute the magnitude of what’s going on. Maybe I’m not reading her right. Maybe she has some secret weapon she is waiting to unleash on him when this thing is over.
Thankfully, we decided to go with an independent Professional Engineer (PE). Whenever this “friend” contractor talks about the PE’s plans, he turns red and angry and the way he talks moves from a smooth talker to an Ah Beng. This “friend” contractor wanted us to use his recommended PE. His unreasonable behaviour makes me suspect something is amiss.
One day – just after Christmas – when I was calling all parties trying to make sense of what was going on, the PE told me “don’t worry, I’m on your side.” Six hours later, this “friend” contractor said exactly the same thing. At this time, my mother was away on some cruise.
By that time, I was so frustrated, I yelled to my father, who was in the car with me, “the only person I know on my side is me!”
The thing is, the PE only makes a small amount from us. The “friend” contractor has a much much bigger contract. I’m thinking the PE is closer to my side than the “friend” contractor. The PE really has nothing to lose by being on my side since the plans are already drawn.
Well, works are still continuing. But I want to re-negotiate the contract. Any advice?
On a happier note, I head to Japan on Sunday.
I haven’t taken photos in ages. Not for myself, at least.
These renovations will be on the back of my mind and I know it will be a bigger mess when I return, but I have to go.
I am heading to Hokkaido for work, then extending to Tokyo, Hida Takayama, Kyoto and Kobe.
Problem is, I’ve been so busy, I’ve not really been able to research on where to go. And it doesn’t help that Tokyo Station where I’ve got to get around in as I move from city to city, is so complex. I’m a bit scared.