A Home of My Own

My vagabond days were finally over. I officially moved to my own apartment February after many months of living with different people. The sense of solitude is emancipating. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. Most liberating, I can now walk around the house naked again. Yeehaw!

My current abode is as humble as humble can get. Most of the stuff I have are donations from friends and relatives. I have only started to work recently so it will take time to save-up and fill-up the house to make it homey.

I am exhilirated of my vintage television. Ever heard of the brand Zenith? It works on dial controls which I have to turn to change channels and pump up the volume. Yup, no clicking. How exciting is that? (,") It has a separate knob which, if cranked with the right amount of effort, captures UHF channels. Yes! I have UHF! Whoopee! (,") And the antenna has to be adjusted and the control knobs wound to get a clear reception. Considering it's a second-degree hand-me-down, I happen to get very decent transmission.

My microwave oven and rice cooker are also a second-degree hand-me-downs. Just a little spic and span and - voila! - almost as good as new. As long as it works and serves the purpose, right? Good thing the apartment came with a refrigirator and a conventional stove-oven, as well as a study table, drawers and a lamp sans shade.

Everything in my cupboard - mugs, plates, bowls, cups, saucers, cutlery - they were all given. A chopping board, frying pan and dish rack were thrown in, too. My first meal - breakfast - which I cooked right after stepping out of the shower, was a modest tuna omelette which I enjoyed with a pair of whole wheat toast and not-from-concentrate orange juice.

Since there's no bedside table I place my evening essentials on a small floormat beside my bed. As for the bed, it's a single layer airbed from my sister.

All my five pairs of shoes don't have a shoerack yet so they all manage on a makeshift docking area of clear plastic lining stretched flat out on the carpet.

My kitchen trash bin is part of relief goods. Since I don't have a wastebasket in the bathroom, I make use of a strong paper bag into which I fit a plastic bag as trash receptacle.

I always put my delicates in an enclosed container. Being an advocate of recycling, I have my undergarments hygienically stored in a rectangular, clear, spring salad mix plastic container. Can it get any fresher than that? (,")

And that's all there is. No sofa, no dining table, and just one single wooden folding chair to sit on. I don't have a phoneline yet, whether mobile or landline. No personal computer as well. How do I manage my blog, you wonder. Public library. That for now is my only communication line to the world beyond my turf. I did take pictures of the things I mentioned for this post but uploading will have to wait til I get my own PC.

It will take time to transform my dwelling into a fully-functional home, but it's alright. If I have to be philosophical about it, a seed doesn't bloom at once or a butterfly doesn't take on its wings overnight. Patience can be very much a virtue, specially when it comes to delaying gratification for rational/practical reasons.
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Photos in this post are author's property.