The new house

I hate time. It flies when I am having the most fun and drags when I want the day to end fast. Oh, time what more can I say about you? That it's been a year since I've gotten married, that I missed my very first wedding anniversary just because one of us (me, naturally) had to stay back and take care of my MIL, that I had to struggle between Banting, Malacca, moving out, and my guests from India and UK, that every now and then someone unthinkingly says and does things that causes a rift between me and my husband (two times already) That my husband thinks collectively of everyone but not everyone in his family does the same for me and him, that I was at my wits end with the travelling and maintaining status quo in Malaysia and Doha. The responsibilities stack up every time I go back Malaysia, coming home to Doha is a boon. Enough rant, let's talk business!!

We started off the year with booking a new condo in Bangsar South, and took the rest of the year convincing my MIL to move out of Malacca for good to a new rented apartment in Seri Kembangan of our choice but of convenience to her. Add to that the amount of energy and time it took me to clean the house single handedly, arranging for movers, plumbers, apartment works and finally arranging all the furniture, appliances and things to make it feel like a home. Sometimes I think I am a man in a woman's body-there is nothing I haven't done in the house that a man ought to get done, but couldn't because of this long-distance thing we have. I drilled holes in the doors, did prayers in the house, wiped the entire house tiles with vinegar solution and gloves-on all fours no less. The only thing I couldn't manage was boring holes into the cement, simply because I had no cement drill to work with.

And finally, driving the mother in law around to banks to change the addresses from Malacca to Seri Kembangan. Finally, we're out of Malacca for good. I have never liked the Malacca house, it was too big to begin with, and it consumed all my energy and time cleaning it that nothing else ever gets done. I am glad the new apartment is only 800 sqft, a big change from 3400sqft!

The night after the movers had left

The sewing machine in place

On all fours wiping dirt n grim off the tiles

My most trusted and eco-friendly cleaning solution; vinegar + water

My room; still a mess because we haven't done our bed and cupboard shopping yet

Taking measurement of the kitchen window

The new kitchen cabinet which I hauled up with the help of my dad's truested lorry driver

Velcro'ed the kitchen window and covered the gaps between the grill and wall with cardboard pieces. Making it cockroach proof

Nailed the mango leaves and hung the Gujerati hanging (which fell off because apparently double sided tape couldn't hold it)

The brand new washing machine which did my laundry in 30 mins flat

The cooking area, note the paint job on the wall behind. I used the leftover paint the handyman forgotten to discard