NEW HOUSE!!!!

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I have a house!

We found it on Wednesday night, and moved in on Thursday morning! I just love it, it was exactly what I was hoping for. After the past month, I was beginning to think I was not going to find anything. I am very relieved I stuck with my gut decision not to move into the big AYA house. After I made that decision, I was doubting myself for 2 weeks, as it is so hard to remain calm about finding a place to live when you are alone - your first instinct to just find anywhere to settle.

It's on street 282 between 51 & 57, so really central. Work is very close, as are some of my favorite places to eat and drink. It is an old area, with made roads and big old houses with lots of trees. I think the area was established by the French during the colonial time. I am living with a German girl, Romy, who has just arrived to work with handicapped sports players (mostly mine victims). She may be training some to go to the Para Olympics in China! We were introduced earlier in the week by one of the AYADs from the last intake.

We have the upstairs section of this old wood house, with a stair entrance from outside. A young French couple live downstairs with their young daughter and baby son. They are really cool and relaxed. There is an International School next door, so it is a busy area during the day, which makes our belongings a bit safer.

It is so nice to have some space. We are now planning major shopping sprees this weekend to start to make the place our own. It has amazing old dark timber boards (hidden under lots of mats at the moment) which I want to clean up and have showing. It has high ceilings with beams, is very light, and we even have a TV, DVD player and brand new washing machine. We get a million channels, including ABC Asia Pacific which is nice. All for US$350 a month!

When I first walked into the house, I knew it was for me. It was a bit creepy - there was a sign...... The only thing on the empty walls was a 2005 Australian Bureau of Meteorology calender!!! For those of you who don't know this story, every year mum gets one of these calenders, which she loves - except this year - we didn't get one. The 2005 calender even has a photo taken on the road my school bus used to take through the Dandenongs!
When I saw that, I thought

OK, whatever powers at be, I get the message, I'm taking the house

- good thing I also love the place, with or without the calender!

So, I am feeling much happier now! The next challenge is going to be finding an old Vespa to get around on... The traffic is a bit chaotic, but it actually works quite well, you just have to forget everything you have learnt about driving norms in the West....

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Photos

Entrance
Romy at the entrance to our place

Living room
Need to get the floor cleaned up so we can ditch the mats!

My room
The house has recently been pained, so has great potential. I am planning my room at the moment: new curtins; silk beadspread; custom made ratan draws for under my bed and shelves instead of a big cubbord... hehe market here I come!

Ceiling in my room
As we are on the second floor, we actually don't have a ceiling, just beams and the roof. It is lovely, and is good for keeping cool.

Kitchen
Romy inspecting our new kitchen

The 'sign'
Sherbrooke forest in the BOM calender!

First Supper
Our eclectic first dinner

Cheers
Cheers to the first night

Lunch
Nice to be able to go home for lunch!

Shoes glorious Shoes
My first three pairs of 'Beautiful Shoes' - notice the copy of my shoes I bought in Madrid - perfect!

Comments

[Lee]

Wow!
Fantastic place. Saw Rhonda today, and traded o/s daughters stories! All the best.

[Mum]

neat place
Hi honey, it looks like home already, Hags would be pleased with the BoM link. Show me the cooking equip! I agree with Stina... I just saw the leaving photo, thanks! I think you made the right gut decision, love you xx