I've had fun the past two month setting up our new home (for the 2nd and last time). Don't get me wrong, who wouldn't love to shop for new stuff to furnish an entire house. But, the next time (when ever that is) we move (where ever) we will definitely choose to ship.
We moved into our house on the 6th of June already but have been living with the bare essentials while I spend my days shopping for all the goodies to make the house a "home". After a week of sitting on the floor in the empty study, with the laptop on a washing basket we finally got a wireless router and I am all to happy to be able to sit on a chair at our (borrowed, until ours are ready) dining table. The store that we purchased our furniture from let us use a bed, bench (can't wait for the sofa to be delivered), coffee table and dining table until ours is ready. Some of the furniture was delivered on Monday and hopefully we will get the rest of the stuff in about a week's time.
I guess we could have stayed in the furnished apartment until then but we figured it would just be a lot easier being in the house and shopping for things we need, as supposed to moving in when the furniture is delivered and then having to shop, unpack etc. which would have prolonged the "settling in period" by probably another 3 weeks.
Even though watching TV isn't the most comfortable we really love the house and already feel so settled and at home. But, not without Siti though. When we stayed in the apartment they sent a maid over to clean twice a week and after 3 weeks in Mutiara, I got rather attached to Siti and was very happy when she told me that she would like to work for us when we move into our house. It is such a treat to have clean and perfectly ironed clothes every day, I especially like the way she folds our underwear into little parcels, all tucked in. The toilet paper even gets folded into a point like the do in hotels. And of course the biggest treat of all is that she cooks too ;-)
I still prefer to cook myself but it's great to know that she can do the preparation work and even the occasional nasi, bakwan and dumplings, (our favorites)! She is by no means a chef though and the mashed potatoes with mince meat, green beans and peas attest to that.
LOL! I was very surprised when I got home to find a bowl of what I can only describe as baby food, decorated beautifully with tomato wedges, celery sticks and even a tomato peel rose. It actually didn't taste bad at all so after a little intervention I served a make shift cottage pie for dinner.
Unfortunately I can't say the same about the coconut milk - rice with broccoli and pea's I found in the fridge yesterday, which I just couldn't stomach. What do you do with that?
My bad though....I just had to explain to her that she only has to cook when I ask her to, and not to attempt any surprise continental dishes. Well, her version of continental dishes anyway.
Some pics:
Home sweet home
Marc, our day jaga and driver.
We are still amazed by the big, clean streets in the city and the organised traffic.
Jakarta traffic is a mare, but to be honest I'll take the organized, no hooting traffic over the crazy India traffic any day.
Even the bajas (auto's) have lane discipline.
We took a drive out to Anchol Marina to find out about trips to the Thousand Islands, which we are looking forward to doing in the near future.
Someone recommended the Bandar Djakarta restaurant and fish market for lunch.
These crabs actually still move. Well, trying to move. Poor things!
We enjoyed our fist local restaurant experience.
We even have our own pool! A necessity in this heat!!
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