It has been exactly half a year since Mon and I have both last eaten in Banapple. These past few days, I could not stop thinking of their hickory smoked barbecue (the same thing I ate from there the last time) and we had a perfect reason to visit the row of restos in Tuscany, McKinley Hill (HAPPY 5Y8M!!). For the record, I have been only once to the Venice Piazza since December, and I have never set foot in Tuscany. Tagging along Faye, we walked all the way “uphill” to the Banapple branch there. I was relieved to feel that I no longer have any uneasy feelings on my chest over challenging walks. In fact, I always have a happy feeling of finally being able to go places on my feet again, as if the ordeal from months ago was just a surreal memory. Thank you Lord. =)
Over dinner, the three of us were having grown-up talks about our plans and our lives in general. I always enjoyed having conversations with Faye and Mon because they are two of the very few people I get along so well. (Ikle was the other one, but as he is still in China finishing his graduate degree, fat chance on having him personally speaking with us). The three of us are also currently in the process of moving out of our respective apartments. Faye has been living in the same place for more than five years, and she reckons that a new environment would be good with her well-being.
Sleepy Nami
The only drawback was that she’d be forced to leave one of the kitties in her place. Mon happily assumed responsibility over its two siblings and brought them to his home in Cavite. In the true tradition of giving Korean names to these kitties, he named the female kitty as Nami, while the male one was Seom. Yes, that’s literally Nami Island! For some people, the time required to recover from a loss of a pet is debatable. However, Mon’s family was deeply saddened by the loss of their beloved Uyu that they had no problem taking care of the two kittens. I wish I could convince Mama to let me adopt the last one but I highly doubt she will oblige. Although Miso remains a lovely kitty, Mama already has a lot on her plate and another pet will definitely drive her up the wall. Mon and I could have adopted him if we were to stay in our current apartment, but alas, we are moving next week as well.
I had been passively thinking of moving out of our apartment for health reasons. The rainy season is always an excellent gauge to see the pros and cons of an area one is staying into. Not that our current apartment is deplorable, but I feel that it could have been better. Besides, I have been really trying to make some space for the stuff I am selling on Ebay, and previously lamented on finally storing them on wooden hangers instead of just boxes for the clothes’ sake. Again, a better ventilation is what I need, given what I have been through recently. It has been exactly a year since we looked for and rented an apartment; and while my plans of working two full-time jobs did not work out, we still have more plans ahead and it would be best to stay in Makati, relatively nearer the options.
A piece of the Makati skyline from the window
After getting our laundry, Mon and I decided to walk around the neighborhood just to look at possible places to transfer to. We saw a newly-constructed building several blocks away from us with spaces for rent, but I was hesitant because it might be too expensive. However, Mon was adamant that we should inquire because it would not hurt after all to ask. We don’t mind staying in another studio apartment, as we both got used to living in our small space and studio types tend to cost less than the others. We went all the way up to the 5th floor where all the studio units were located, and I was happy to see a well-ventilated, south facing window with a piece of the Makati CBD skyline. We had to decide carefully if we should transfer, but all justifications point out to us moving to this room. Just like Faye, a new environment will be good for us. It was definitely bigger than our current one, and I had an immediate visualization of where I can put all my Ebay stuff. =P
Needless to say, we got the place and what followed was the same as what we did last year: measure up. We already have existing pieces of furniture and a couple of appliances, whose dimensions were meticulously considered for such a small space. But rather than arduously taking measurements using a tape measure, we now have a retractable measuring tape that made the task a breeze. I arrived all ready with a rough sketch of the room, so that we would just have to jot down the numbers.
On the way to the topmost floor
Measuring the place, yet again
So there, exactly nine days from now, we will be finally moving to our new apartment. We still needed to pack our things, but I think it won’t take more than a day because most of stuff are strategically placed inside compartments. I still do not know where to place all of my bags and shoes, though, and I might not have separate boxes for them. Nevertheless, we are excited for this new change ahead of us!
