Moving tomorrow... Again...

I have been moving house every year since 2006.
April 2006, Kuala Lumpur to Auckland.
June 2007, Auckland to Perth.
July 2008, B suburb to A suburb in Perth.

It's 11 pm now, and tomorrow the mover will come at around 8:30 am.

I am still packing the kitchen stuff, after which I need to clean the stove, mop the floor, wash the bathtub, clean the toilet bowl, then clean the sand at the entrance brought in by my shoes.

Tonight is the last night staying here.

Tomorrow a new chapter at a new place.

I couldn't help wondering what is going to happen in August 2009??!!!

I am yawning now... Yabai!!!

Carpet and 土足厳禁 (no shoes allowed)

It's quite common to leave shoes at the entrance before entering the house for Asians.

In fact, it'd be unrespectful to the host if you didn't show sign of taking off your shoes at the entrance until you are told no need to do so when visiting someone.

This is a social etiquette in Japan, and an accepted practice in Malaysia too. For houses that allow shoes, I haven't found one that has carpet through out. It make sense to me because without a carpet makes it easier to sweep and mop the floor in order to remove the dirt brought in by the shoes.

What I find interesting, but yet to understand the reason, is that my Kiwi friends did not take off their shoes when they walked into my house in Auckland.

Before vacating my current rented property, I need to engage a professional carpet cleaner nominated by the realestate agency to clean the carpet in the living hall and all the rooms. Yesterday, when the carpet cleaner, a friendly white middle age lady, came over to clean the carpet, she too did not take off her shoes even though I took off mine before her while entering the dwelling.

Interesting cultural difference eh?

是非以不辩为解脱，烦恼以忍辱为智慧

Sometimes, life is not as straight forward as what we were taught at school. Didn't all of us learn at school that if we don't do our work assigned to us by our boss we will be scolded?

How many of you actually got yourself scolded by your superior because you have done your job and be responsible?

It's a funny world isn't it?

Property inspection

There is a term in the property lease contract that I find quite unique. Six weeks after you moved into a rental property, the realestate company will send a property inspector to check on the property, and thereafter every quaterly.

Despite the fact that you have stayed awake the whole night doing cleaning, it's quite intimidating when you get such comments as "Floor dusty", "Windows need cleaning" etc, in the inspection report.

Any comment about this?

東京タワー 〜オカンとボクと、時々、オトン〜 Tokyo Tower: Mom and I and sometimes Dad

先週の週末に久々映画を観た。

オダギリジョーと樹木希林の主演「東京タワー 〜オカンとボクと、時々、オトン〜」。

Last weekend, I watched a movie.

It's "Tokyo Tower: Mom and I and sometimes Dad", starring Odagiri Jyo and Kiki Kirin.

ごく普通の親子の話だけど、なぜか心を打たれた。

聞きなれた九州弁での会話、いまでも響いている。

いまでも優しい気持ちのまま。

It's just a simple story about a mother and her son, but I was touched.

The conversations between them conducted in Kyushu dialect, left quite an impact on me as I lived in Kyushu for a long time before.

Until now I am still feeling affectionate.

暖かい気持ちのまま。

And warmth.