28 September, 2012

This and that

I can't believe that a whole week has gone by (again!) without me posting.  

Last Saturday we had our shipment from the US delivered to the house.  Which resulted in one destroyed bookcase, and little delights like this where they had put both Remi's longboard and Oscar's guitar unwrapped into the hanging box with my clothes.  
 As they kept bringing in all the boxes I kept thinking "where am I going to put it all?".  Lots of furniture to buy...  Consequently the house at the moment is somewhat disheveled looking.

At the moment, it is the lead up to the mid Autumn or "Moon" festival, which means lots of lanterns around and even more moon cakes.
 Everywhere you go there are stalls set up like this one in one of the big shopping malls selling every conceivable kind of moon cake (interesting article about moon cakes here)
 Even Angry birds ones (Singaporeans love angry birds).
 The moon cakes themselves vary from tasting quite bland to quite nice.  Apparently there's about 1000 calories in each, so you only ever really want a little taste.  Tonight at the pool of the serviced apartments they are doing a little mid autumn festival celebration which Kit and Ella are looking forward to so they can light their lanterns.

I am still on the hunt for furniture for the house, which has meant another trip to IKEA this week, and yesterday I went out (with great hope of finding what I wanted ) to the "Furniture mall".
 I had to include this map, as standing on the corner of Boon Lay Way and Jurong Gateway Rd, waiting for the lights, I took the next 3 photos: (the IMM building on the map is already a big shopping mall)
 A hospital,
 A shopping mall,
and another shopping mall; all under construction. 
 This is so typical of Singapore at the moment.  A few weeks ago one of the kids counted 36 cranes looking out from our roof deck.  Getting around, there are whole areas I just don't recognise; so many new buildings, so many areas under construction.

I was very disappointed in the furniture mall.  Like most of the furniture stores in Singapore, it's all uber modern (and ugly) leather couches, and shiny surfaces; glass, stainless steel etc.  Really not my style.  And while there is still some gorgeous furniture out there in reclaimed teak etc, it is mostly, sadly, out of our budget range at the moment.  Looks like we will be furnishing another house with IKEA furniture, at least to begin with.

Although my trip to IKEA earlier in the week did provide me with a solution to our privacy problem.  I bought some bundles of twigs (used for sticking in pots or baskets to look pretty) and, using fishing line, tied them together and then tied them to the balcony.  I think with a few plants in front it will provide enough of a visual buffer.  I've been at the house a few times in the afternoon in the last week, and there is a steady stream of kids coming down that hill for a few hours every day.
Still got quite a way to go with it, and I may have to call on my friend with a car to do an IKEA run with me to pick up some more bundles as it was somewhat difficult to get these home in the taxi.
Today, none of the kids have school and another trip to IKEA is on the cards (to actually buy things this time).  We are hoping to move into the house next week, so at the very least we will need beds!

5 comments:

  1. I think perhaps you should acknowledge that bunch of sticks as your first Singapore Art piece.
    love
    Dad

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  2. he he, your Dad makes me laugh! NExt week! Fantastic! That will be us in 4 weeks!

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    1. actually Chelsea I was not joking, remember I am at art school, and anyway it looks not unlike what the Uni bought as the most impressive work from 2004 graduates, the maker of which now takes first year.

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  3. I think your fence and plants will look fine. I love IKEA, cause it's the same everywhere. I remember Colleen and I sitting in Dubai IKEA eating a donut and having a coffee and feeling like we could be anywhere in the world - then we went out into this exotic airconditioned shopping centre with robed shoppers and a temperature of 40C outside & I bought a persian carpet!

    Have fun shopping , mum xx

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  4. love the sticks for a screen...you can see through and they cant see in...happy unpacking..Oh love the pool party ..ella looked like she had so much fun...

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