bathroom exhaust fan

17Feb10

When I woke up on Tuesday morning and went to the bathroom, it smelled of fried fish. A few minutes later when I was about to hit the shower, it smelled cigarette smoke. As I gazed as to where the smell was possibly coming from, I saw the gaping hole on the bathroom wall. My apartment bathroom didn’t come with an exhaust fan. I have to provide my own as the previous tenant  did.

So the hole is 7.75″ by 7.75″ square. I had to find and put one fast! I went to the nearby mall and saw the cheapest at 800 pesos. I sighed and went on to ask myself when will the spending stop. I didn’t get an answer from cosmos.

I couldn’t rely on anyone to install it for me so I diligently read the manual for installation instructions. I shoved the thing to the hole, screwed it in place, replaaced the plastic frame, plugged in the thing and voila! The bathroom exhaust fan is installed! Now, not only will I get strange wafts of exhaust from other apartments but the gaping hole eyesore is now covered.

My small bathroom is now prettier than ever.

Filed under: everyday talkies   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: 2010, bathroom, exhaust, february

curtains

16Feb10

Since my apartment is an inner unit, my only window faces the other unit across on the opposite side of mine. I feel that the others can see the every move I make while inside my apartment.

Thus the need to have some privacy.

For this, I ended up getting green curtains for the beige curtain rod and the beige walls of the apartment. With this color scheme, it’s like the color scheme of trees. Not bad at all and it’s very relaxing still.

green curtain on a beige wall

For the bathroom, I got a white curtain rod and blue shower curtain to separate the wet and the dry areas of my tiny bathroom.

blue shower curtain on white bathroom walls

I like it!

Filed under: everyday talkies   |  1 Comment
Tags: 2010, curtains, everyday talkies, february

budget stretching

15Feb10

photo image from http://www.flickr.com/people/smaku/

Today is payday.

When living on your own and depending on no one, there are so many sacrifices to be made when it comes to spending. Since you live from paycheck to paycheck, every centavo of your spending counts and you have to be wise with your spending and your budgeting skills gets tested all the more.

For this, internet banking becomes the most visited site and is on top of my Favorites list. It’s the quickest way to check on my financial status. Every withdrawal made is checked to ensure that I’m still within my spending limit. Next, my budget tracking spreadsheet is revisited so very often to check and balance my spending. My wallet gets filled with sales and ATM receipts as I account for all spending by the end of each day.

I am in no position to do whimsical spending as before. I am still estranged with my credit cards as these will for sure complicate things if I start living beyond my means. For now, to make ends meet, certain sacrifices have to be made starting with my internet connection. As I write this blog, I’m perched at the corner of the mall to take advantage of their free WiFi. I do the groceries but I only buy what I really need– food, toiletries and house cleaning stuff. I’m hungry but it gets to the point that instead of splurging in the mall because I get hungry I’ll opt to walk home and cook.

It’s hard as it is but all will be well. Things will get better.

Filed under: everyday talkies   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: 2010, budget, everyday talkies, february

katorse

14Feb10

photo image from http://www.flickr.com/people/92943860@N00/

Me: Manong, puwede ka ba sa Robinsons?

Him: Sige. biyahe na tayo? Ano bayaraan mo na lang yung dalawa?

Me: Magkano ba?

Him: Katorse.

Me: Magkano yon, twelve?

Him: Fourteen. **The guy shakes his head that I don’t know how to count.**

Me: Sige.

Note to self: Learn how to count in Spanish at least up to twenty so that they don’t think you’re stupid at numbers. He was such a mean person. I’m so sorry I only know how to count in English and Filipino.

Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!

Filed under: everyday talkies   |  5 Comments
Tags: 2010, everyday talkies, february, katorse, people, valentine, valentine's day

housewarming gift 1

13Feb10

Cleaning aids to keep a clean house.

Prior to my moving in last February, a colleague from work gave me my first housewarming gift way before I moved in. She handed me a bag full of household cleaning materials since she knew I’d need it to have a clean house. She gave me a liter each of dishwashing liquid, fabric softener and a toilet bowl cleaner. In the event that I do my laundry, she included a kilo of laundry detergent. It’s not much but for someone who can’t afford even the bare essentials, anything given is much appreciated.

Life is truly good. And when you show kindness to others, it gets returned to you in unlikely ways.

Filed under: everyday talkies   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: 2010, cleaning, cleaning aids, everyday talkies, february, housework

not the usual breakfast

12Feb10

photo image taken from http://photos.travellerspoint.com/153182/taho1.jpg

It’s Friday, the last day of my work week. I woke up late today and had to run to work hence no chance to prepare breakfast. Walking along the street nearing my office I saw a taho vendor. I bought a small cup for 10 pesos  then continued my trek to work.

photo image from http://www.flickr.com/people/chesca/

At work before everyone started getting all busy I received an email from a colleague of tikoy for breakfast.

This is not my typical Friday. I’m all set to end Friday and embrace the coming weekend when I go home.

Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Chinese New Year 恭喜发财to everyone!

Filed under: everyday talkies, food   |  2 Comments
Tags: breakfast, chinese, chinese new year, food, taho, tikoy, valentine's day, 恭喜发财

the stove is without gas

11Feb10

photo image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeljosh/

Last weekend I bought a small gas stove for me to do my home cooking. It’s the basic, no-frills single burner stove. Little did I know the further complications it would cause as I didn’t buy a regulator and an LPG tank. It just slipped my tiny little head. Moreover, there’s no place nearby to buy gas or a dealer that can deliver it to my doorstep.

Imagine me dragging an LPG tank two blocks from where I live. Disaster.

Later this weekend I have to buy an empty tank, have it filled and get the appropriate regulator before I could start frying an egg.

Why is this too complicated? I could have easily gotten an electric stove but since I wanted to save on my electric bill so I opted for gas. it’s a cheaper alternative.

Filed under: everyday talkies   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: 2010, cooking, everyday talkies, february, gas, lpg, stove

cold drinks, anyone?

10Feb10

the newest acquisition in the house!

Things in the apartment have been quiet lately. Not because my life has become uneventful but because work (as usual) has taken so much of my time and the fact that I don’t have an internet connection in the apartment so I’m unable to regularly post updates.

And now for my newest home acquisition– a refrigerator! *clap* *clap* *clap*

I didn’t know how much I took a refrigerator for granted up until one week of not having one. No cold drinks, no ice and I couldn’t store food. Good thing that my colleague from work stays one floor above me and she sold her ref to me. It’s not big but it will suffice for my current needs. Now I can buy meat, fish and veggies. I can now cook and store leftovers. I could even put up a ref magnet collection if I want to. Most important of all, I can offer cold drinks to my guests when they come over for a visit.

Speaking of guests, why aren’t anyone visiting yet?

Filed under: everyday talkies   |  2 Comments
Tags: 2010, everyday talkies, february, refrigerator

the uninvited guest(s)

03Feb10

photo image from enigma.in.a.riddle°° (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rockofages/)

Today I resolve not to complain, rant or sulk much. It has been a recurring theme for this blog since it started a few weeks back. It should be a balance of both. The joys and pains. The ins and outs. The ups and downs.

But this one i just have to share– I have roach issues! I’ve heard it’s not unusual to have these creepy crawlers lurking around your apartment. These informal settlers are crawling all over the apartment and it’s driving me insane. They have to go and have one solution in mind.

Blattanex.

Blattanex them and have them obliterated from the face of the earth! Angsty much…

blattanex

Did I also say that there are big spiders in the cupboard? :S

Filed under: everyday talkies   |  2 Comments
Tags: cockroach, everyday talkies, infestation, informal settlers, insects, rants, roach, spiders

new tenant’s remorse

01Feb10

photo image from ivy_style33 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivy_style33/)

So I finally got to move in! Finally!

Overall, the apartment does look the same as the other apartments I’ve seen within the building including the color scheme. It has already been cleaned up and ready for occupancy. I will unpack my stuff later when I get home. Since I couldn’t skip work to tidy things up in the apartment, that will have to wait until later in the evening or in the days to come.

Right now I think I’m having new tenant’s remorse.

First thing I noticed were that the walls need some work done. It needs repainting and for that I have to ask the broker how it will be possible without me shelling out a penny.

Second, the bathroom doesn’t have an exhaust fan installed but has a provision for one. That I have to put up one soon. The shower head has a leak and its wasteful.

Third, the wood parquet flooring haven’t been maintained for some time now. The previous tenants may have been too lazy to wax the floors.

Last, the locks of the door would have to have their lock combination changed for security purposes. This I was told would cost me another 500 pesos.

So when will all the spending stop? Probably never.

With or without regrets, I just have to take things as they are and work on those that I can. I’ll keep calm and carry on.

Filed under: everyday talkies   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: 2010, everyday talkies, february, remorse