people like us

There is only one class in the community that thinks more about money than the rich, and that is the poor. The poor can think of nothing else. That is the misery of being poor.

Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man Under Socialism

While dad was away, something like half of his friends upgraded or increased their real property holdings. So yesterday the parentals made their rounds upon said new acquisitions, officially to offer their congratulations, unofficially to check out the competition, obviously.

Incidentally, in light of such developments, continued non-acknowledgment is expected of his purchase abroad of comparatively more depreciable assets. But I'm over moaning about that.

What I was wondering, apart from where these taxi drivers, cable guys, tilers, nurses, fish-&-chips-shop owners, Centrelink customers (or combinations thereof) find the deposits for 7-figure waterfront mansions and/or multi-acre farms, was how many repressed disgruntled or generally ill-adjusted offspring these folks will one day let loose into the world. Every dollar that flows into the family asset pool is one less for the Fun Fund. Every weekend spent accumulating pecuniary wealth is one more blank in a little ABC's childhood memory.

vincible

Moments like this, I forget why it is that I think I can walk away anytime I want.

The picture is perhaps best painted in numbers.

Upshot of his latest business venture, as it affects our home loan:

• 47% increase in the balance owing,
• 37% increase in the minimum fortnightly repayment,
• which translates to 250% of the additional loan being repaid over the entire loan period

The damn thing will need to average 10% p.a. net return over the next 30 years to break-even. And nobody, even in the monstrous Chn economy, makes that kind of profit on a capital outlay measly as this. But of course, I'm all for being contradicted on this point by concrete fact.

Meanwhile:

• Mum may need to look for paid work shortly in order to continue receiving Centrelink parenting allowance => she doesn't want to => I don't want her to, she has enough on her plate as is => methinks some ingenious income tax reporting under my guidance is called for.
• One of our lodgers (the Macau money-pit) moved out yesterday => amidst the celebrations we're alert to the fact that the B&B is now operating at only 2/3 capacity.
• 2.5-day working weeks for dad don't appear to be subject to review => buggered if I know how to coax him into further gainful employment.
• 30yr loan vs. 15 employable years left of the parentals => gee I wonder who'll put their hand up to cover the remaining period? Any takers?

Moments like this, I can but (pretend to) be a mercenary.

mercenary

No idea how I survived last year working 40+ hours a week plus uni plus living with my parents. Tried easing myself back into that nolifestyle by going half-throttle this week (20+ hours' work, ignoring the 2 units with no mid-year exams, dealing with just one parent).

So, lab.

Minuses

• Stuff smells / is radioactive / hides from me
• Regular visits by Azn-wannabe (a politer alternative to 'Asiaphile'?)
• Showing up to tutes afterwards in odourous/radioactive attire
• Being reminded of one man's undying devotion to me whenever I ask him for a work-related favour

Pluses

• $$$ obviously (one of the Honours students asked whether I did it 'voluntarily', whereupon I visibly choked...)
• Internet access 2m from where my gadget is set up
• Getting more study done during the waiting periods than at home (where there's always some matter to attend upon) or in libraries (which categorically put me to sleep)
• The nerd that I am, I get a small kick out of knowing what I'm doing (which kick my legal study seldom provides)
• Did I mention the $$$?

On balance, albeit by a margin, a worthwhile pursuit.

There are prospects of working for this Asian lady lecturer (bugger political correctness) next door. Couple of reservations about the proposal: 1) a general reluctance to work with Azns (I know how hard we work ... our subordinates!); 2) a preconceived inability to maintain sterile conditions (incompatible with any tissue-culture work).