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New Home


Sunday, August 02, 2009


We moved into our new apartment yesterday and although it's practically empty, it feels like home already. And how do I know I'm in Singapore? Well, just this morning, upon entering the kitchen, a big fat gecko scurried right across the floor. Now I have a love-hate relationship with them. I hate them, they love to appear right in front of me. This was the first one I met in nine years and what a fright I got. I screamed and screamed and even though shaken, had the presence of mind not to drop the new bone china plate which was the reason why I had to be in the kitchen in the first place.

This happened again later. Same big, fat gecko, but across the door leading to the utilities area this time. This will not do. I cannot be terrified day in day out like that. It's not good for the heart nor my neighbours' ears. So, I've taken to naming the gecko, thus making it the unofficial mascot of the kitchen, hoping it'll take some of my fear off it.

Everyone meet Gekkie. Gekkie, meet everyone. Incidentally, gek in Dutch means crazy or insane. Never let it be said I am devoid of humour.

We are extremely happy with our new digs. All thanks to a very helpful estate agent who took the time to listen to us and knew what we were looking for. We, being Sonny-boy and I ( Hubs had to be in the office to make rent) saw this apartment on the first day of our house hunting. It was the last on the list and completely not what we had requested in terms of location and type of housing. But it sounded good and we like to keep our options open. Besides, viewing is free.

To keep a long story short, I completely fell in love with it the minute the front door opened and revealed this expanse of space. And like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, there stood this decent sized patio, complete with an assortment of potted plants, shrubbery and get this, three tall palm trees! I was sold. Those of you who have been following my blog would know we practically live in our backyard during the summer. To be able to have this again in Singapore would be perfect. The rest of the place is nice with good-sized bedrooms, two of which possessing ensuite bathrooms. The kitchen is a bit old, not as flashy as my black marble back home but usable with lots of cupboards, drawers and enough counter space. The refrigerator, washer and dryer are brand new. And best of all, a good sized European dishwasher. Dishwashers are not the norm in Singapore so having one included is quite special. Call me spoilt but after years of dishwashers, it's next to impossible to go back to washing by hand again.

What more can a girl ask for? We have to have this apartment!

With that thought in mind, I arranged for a second viewing with Hubs in tow and his face lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw the patio. We came, we saw, we made a bid. And here, we hit a snag. The landlord was extremely optimistic about rental prices in Singapore but (there's always a but isn't it?) we didn't quite share the same optimism, having made an offer lower than what was asked. I'll have to discuss with the Missus and see what she says, was the reply. It took them a week and I suspect, other potential tenants to realise we were their best bet. So here we are, in an apartment along Holland Road, near Holland Village. For obvious reasons, Parents-In-Law had a bit of a laugh at our new address. I suppose it means I can hold on to the tag of Dutchess for a while yet.

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The Dutchess of Cookalot whipped this up at 12:28 pm

7 calories