Type Delete Retype

Update on reducing my stuff

Gone are all my furniture (including the rocking chair and balinese teak wood bedroom set), half of my wardrobe content, picture frames and nearly all of all my toiletries, books and kitchenware.

I really thought I was doing great, until I came home with N late one night and she (at my behest) pointed out the extra stash I still harboured. She left at about 430am, the movers came at 11am and I used the hours between 7-11am to give away more things to sensibly avoid incurring a hefty transport bill. 

Sigh.

The new owners will appreciate the stuff much more and I will only consume consciously from now on. No more “just in case”. I found this essay the same morning I was struggling with the idea of letting go of my bedroom set - perfect timing - serendipitious almost.

To N with love xxx

Print from madrid early 2000, framed in KL in 2005, left behind in HK 2011 

 

Joys

One of my new joy is G's old one - to focus on finishing specific bottles of cleansers, face creams, bath gels etc (vs. my old habit of using a few products at the same time, losing count of them and buying some more). It's super fantastic. I've discarded a number of empty bottles in the past few weeks; yesterday I threw out an empty mosturiser bottle which took some time to get through. 

I emailed G to share my joy. She takes great pleasure in slathering and dispensing empty bottles before starting on new ones. She also likes throwing out thoroughly squeezed toothpaste tubes and empty roll on deodorants and calls it easy pleasures in life. I totally get her now.

 

Bathroom in soon to be ex-apartment, HK 2011 

Further downsizing

I've culled my wardrobes of dresses for the nth time convinced that there are many pieces-with-better homes still lurking. My formal-clothes-wardrobe is looking much sparser; my second wardrobe is a far cry from its previous bursting let-me-out-of-here condition. I reckon both wardrobes need one final pruning before they're all set to go. This one below for example is going to a new home. 

  

Nice strangers

Busy Monday - visits to various goverment deparments and offices. The taxi drivers were nice to me today: wishing me a good day, waiting for me to hop off completely before slamming the door shut. So were people in general. The older lady infront at the cab rank (during peak time) offered to not only share her cab with me but picked up most of the cost. Amazing grace - for HK.

Drinks with a couple of mates from the Dragon Boat team (picture of our team below) in a bar close to work and then to home cooked Malaysian dinner at Hello Kitty's where I recounted the day's event, highlighting the non-typical encounters with the Hong Kong peeps (although I suspect the older lady was a main lander based on her Mandarin accent). Hello Kitty's BF suggested it's the cosmic way of giving me a lovely farewell-to-HK. This cheered and touched me (notwithstanding Hello Kitty's objections to all the fluffiness).

Not long now before I leave!  

The Motley Crew this year ---

 

No urgent need to scan the pictures

I hinted here that I was feeling lonely re:moving? Well, I received a text from M asking whether she should come over to help me. "Yes please". She arrived with breakfast in hand and we spent a very pleasant morning sorting out my tubs and cupboards. 

The highlight was reducing the quantity of pictures. Similar to the boxes of postcards, I just chose the more special ones and ripped the others to pieces. I felt liberated getting rid of old baggage. M is inspired to do the same with her stack of pictures at home.  

This tub was overflowing with pictures before.

My soon to be ex-aparment, Hong Kong 2011 

Insomnia

 

Sample nice picture from my fujitsu notebook

I have not been sleeping very well since I started this whole leaving Hong Kong affair. It's not worrying about the future that is keeping me awake but the whole process of wrapping up my life here. Alone. Tax forms to fill (urg) and payments to be made (double urg), decision regarding the destination of furniture (charity is now the answer) and the execution of transporting and storage of things.

++

Si, I'm back from Phuket, and resuming the decluttering process. In Phuket, I gave away even more stuff after I wrote here (a pair of jeans and 2 more t-shirts) eager to keep up the momentum of decluterring. Here at home, I've trimmed my wardrobe some more and set aside a box of scented candles as well as a few non-neutral colour oil burners and a tub of notebook, blank cards and files. I feel bad that I am getting rid of things I purchased (money wasted) but keep reminding myself that it will cost even more to transport/store them and of course making real my now usual mantra of "I am not my things".    

* * *

What to do with old pictures? I wish I had a robot to help me scan them all so I can just bin the tub I have been lugging around these past few years. Maybe the robot can also help me with the 2 boxes of cds and dvds I've packed (without covers, to save space). 

As for  old post-cards, well, I spent this afternoon perusing them, stacking them in piles to bin (some bitter sweet ones from ex-boyfriends and arrogant sounding ones from my 20+ year old self ..sigh); to give away (blank ones - no longer to my taste) and finally a selection to keep (mostly thought provoking and funny ones from G and the Toronto based BFF). 

  

There are towels to be folded in Phuket

I've decamped from the girls-villa to the G+T family-resort and postponed my return date to HK by a few days. My rationale: I don't know when next I will be able to spend as much leisure time with them and their bubbas with my impending move etc and I will surely miss them! My reorganisation of home can wait for a few days.  

There are a lot of activities here: Aside from hanging out by the pool and getting beach massages, there are also  meditation, yoga and art classes. Handicraft has so far been my favourite: This morning, G and I learned to fold towels. It will be fun to surprise my house guests with these novelties.

 

 
Towel folding class with G, Phuket 2011   

Continuing to declutter while on the move

I packed holiday things I'm either going to wear or get rid off for this Phuket trip. I.e. off they will go if I still don't feel like wearing them even with a limited wardrobe. 

On the confirmed list of items to shed: a breezy gray top with funky sleeves which I've held on for 2 years thinking one day I just might (hah); a sundress which looks far nicer in the wardrobe/shop than on me (confirmed by G); another gypsy oasis top which was once a favourite (already passed on to spa buddy) and a couple of random mediocre tops and a cut-off pair of mango jeans. 

My bag will be lighter returning home. Full disclosure: I was semi-tempted to purchase a delightful looking oil burner at the boutique in the villa when LS picked up hers (it was a big square one, possessed depth and was a lovely white) but thankfully remained rationale. So far, the only purchase I've made is a t-shirt for a cute little boy in a different time zone, in his favourite colour. 

 

Phuket boutique, 2011

Heavenly

 

Breakfast view - Phuket 2011.

Wish you were here.

It's all very nice

 

The quiet elephant in G+T´s family suite - Phuket, 2011

They sure do hospitality quite well here. Reminds me of Bali. Orchid petals on tea trays, the wafting scent of lemon grass, fluffy pillows and soft white sheets in the rooms. The people are friendly and smiley too. It's all very nice.