This time though, there is a much better reason for it.
I don't recall mentioning it here before earlier this year, mum has finally , after dithering about it for (insert your choice of deity here) knows how many years, bought a small flat in Hong Kong. Ok, technically, it's not really in Hong Kong but in the New Territories.
Before this, every time any of us has gone to HK, we've always stayed at a relative's place; either at one of her sister (my aunt's) places or at one of my uncles' (her in-laws') place. This was never ideal, especially seeing as there is a very specific reason why I don't have a home where I'm supposed to but seeing as the parties involved aren't around anymore, that's never really been an issue but still; not ideal.
So this is it.
After many years of being homeless, I now do have a home.
That was why I made two successive trips to Hong Kong with a 3 week break in-between travelling at the beginning of this year; to sort out the paperwork and attempt to make a start at settling into the place.
Like the best laid plans, waste followed.
Admittedly, I only had just over a week. not including the weekend, to complete the exchange, before looking for and buying furniture and pushing them to deliver withing 5 days. That's the bit that failed. I had planned to exchange the day after I landed, then spend the first day/evening checking out furniture (praise whatever is holy that stores don't close until 10ish) and at the latest, buy stuff within the next two days. I was effecient enough in my browsing to manage to buy a fridge/freezer and bed. Unfortunately, my not understanding of how HK pay as you go mobiles work, meant I couldn't confirm and take delivery of the bed until the day I was due to fly. I also managed to stand up a friend I was due to meet for dinner who probably still hasn't forgiven me...
Short of it is that I never even got to stay at the place for one night, let alone the four I had planned. Once the fridge had been delivered, I had even bought some basic cooking ingredients, a nice big Tefal Wok, dining set, knives& forks, glasses, cups, chopsticks and other essential household bits; all of which are still sitting there gathering dust and probably going mouldy in the damp HK air.
But that doesn't matter.
Come January, for the first time ever, when my sister and I land in HK, we won't be making our way to an aunts' place, or an uncles' place, or my grand-ma's place but to our place.
I know I've said that I'm not one for sentimentality or that I am one who needs to feel like I belong but there's something about even the thought of having our place that does something to a usually miserable git.
It helps that I also already have a bed there and three rather big and plump pillows waiting for me.
There's still work to be done before it's a proper home though and that's something that's a little worrying as mum will be there two weeks before me and my sis arrive, which is two weeks of potential shopping disaster...
Anyway, it isn't a big place and there's nothing in it to make it interesting and I've only really got a few pics to show for it.
The View
The bathroom sink and the shower
The kitchenette
It really isn't much but it makes such a difference mentally to even the idea of a trip there.
Maybe there's something to that "feeling at home" lark after all.
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