Moving is Not a Simple Thing

How long would it take for someone to successfully and completely relocate?

It has been nothing like madness since my last entry. The air is still bad, it is like breathing with a carbon monoxide mask on. The food taste ok, although I might not have been at the best places for food and my stomach seems not to agree with the local cuisine. Close to no work has been done, and all I have been doing was literally running around to set up my apartment.

Almost 2 days were spent looking for furniture and furnishing of the right price that could be sent as soon as possible. Since the peak season starts this weekend, the company is trying hard not to extend my stay in the hotel; thus, we are looking at me moving into my apartment this weekend with the bare minimum. If everything scheduled turns out as expected, I will be moving into a an apartment with only the bedroom furnished, a working bathroom with working shower and a heater, and a kitchen equipped with a stove, the cooking hub, and a fridge. I look forward to having a washing machine by Sunday too. (Well, I am not complaining that much as I mentioned that I do not want to spend Christmas in an empty apartment with just a mattress.)

My furniture and furnishing experience here was incredible. It is a wonder that most finished products in the world are made in China but such taste and quality has not rubbed off in the land of their origins. Almost every piece of furniture to the curtains I have seen were nothing but gaudy and loud. It would be simply proud to say that I can read a Chinese (typical China-man) well, but I can. Just because people who can afford to buy furniture and furnish their own place relates to does who can afford it (meaning that they are well to do enough) does not mean that everyone wants to flaunt their good fortune. The furniture were screaming to be noticed and the fabric and designs for curtains can be flashy enough for places where the sun does not shine.

I have looked at a few furniture pieces that look like they have been through a chop-shop-makeover with what seems like two different designs of a same category of furniture joined together: a bed with a country like headboard that ends with a modern design at the foot of the bed. (What is that?) Simple patterns and designs are considered out of fashion and obsolete. (Me?) And when I do find something that I like, for example curtains, they are so freaking expensive. Come on, you have to be kidding that it cost THAT much for plain colored materials with no prints!

Another thing I need to adjust is to the Macanese/Chinese time. In Japan, I can almost always expect people and deliveries on time, but no way that is going to happen over here. For the past few occasions, I see myself waiting for the delivery guy, the guy who is here for the curtain measurements, etc. So, I look forward (sarcastically) for my week ahead of waiting for the curtains to be installed, the Internet to be connected, and the rest of my furniture to come in. I do hope I would at least get a weekend in a fully furnished apartment around New Year or just before I start work on the 7th!

I feel much better knowing that things are slowly taking form and knowing that I have been shopping and will be living with things I like. I will keep you posted about my move and hopefully be able to post some before and after pictures of my apartments in the coming days.