Tuesday 25 October 2011

A spanner in the proverbial works

Unimpeded views of one of the most famous skylines in the world. Close to the escalator. Swimming pool, basketball court and onsite Karaoke room. Enough room to swing a cat, a large jungle cat. As you may have guessed I am not talking about my new apartment but the in fact the three bedroom apartment sourced by my two mates. The irony is, they were shown this place 1 week after I signed my contract, it's like a cruel prank played by the Hong Kong Rental Gods. Yet another instance where I am faced with a dilemma, stick with the new one bedroom or go along for ride and live in the Mansion.

So I draw up a table, "Pros" on one side "Cons" on the others. Cheaper rent, pro of a shared household. Complete privacy, pro of living alone. Living with two very close friends, pro of a shared household. Feeling like a recluse, con of living alone. Need to buy furnishings, con of living alone. They won't move out until January, pro of living alone. Not having to worry about how I get home, pro of a shared household. Ability to walk around the house naked, I mean freedom, pro of living alone.

The repercussions of prematurely ejecting from my contract would be to forfeit my two months deposit. Which will probably will offset any savings made by sharing rent/bills. It's a tough decision. However, since they don't have plans to move out until January 2012 I have decided that for the next few months, I'll experience and enjoy my time being that naked recluse.

Saturday 22 October 2011

Bierfest 2011

Exhibiting the same traits of many imitation products that roll out from the countless Chinese Factories it's similiar, behaves and feels the same but just lacks the tact and quality of the genuine article. The steins aren't quite the right size, nor is the fact that it's actually in October. Oktoberfest, Hong Kong style!


Tuesday 18 October 2011

Leased

Congratulations, they say. It's almost preposterous to think that I have seen over one hundred properties (84 single and 26 triple living arrangements). This isn't the first place that I've made an offer for, but it is the first place that the landlord has come back agreeing to my offer. One bedroom, unfurnished, open kitchen, oven, bright , modern and relatively central. I've met with the landlords, they don't speak much English, I don't speak much Cantonese. The contract, I sign. The deposit, 2 months rent for a two year contract with a one year break clause. Even then I still had hesitations, it's by no means my ideal apartment, I don't think I'll ever find that. But this little shoebox of a property will probably be as close as I can get with my budget and patience threshold. Congratulations, indeed.


First and foremost I need to buy a bed, once that's sorted I'll be looking to move out. I have most definitely overstayed my welcome, but it's been an excellent time living with two very close friends. Plenty of fun times, plenty of TV series and plenty of sport. Still I can't imagine how it feels to come home to me, the guy sleeping in the living room. Since I have started working, I've been helping out with the bills, chipping in for  electricity, water, gas and the helper. Still, how do I even begin to repay these guys?

"Spend a little more on your bed and shoes, because that's what you spend the most time in" - Heng, quoting somebody.

Saturday 8 October 2011

Mainland

Sneaky weekend trip over to China for the weekend. 1200 HKD Express China Visa and a short coach ride over the border to Shenzhen for an evening of spas and massages, followed by a day wake boarding at the Dongguan Water Park. The thing I look forward to the most about traveling is sleeping in a proper bed.