Home away from home

When I first thought of buying a condo 5 years ago, it was because I always wanted to live the life of a single female professional in KL. I relished the idea of having a whole address all to myself, with my own private study, my own kitchen, my own TV and space to entertain friends and family. And no garden to worry about (too much work la). And since the condo I bought is barely ten minutes' drive from my mum's house, I could always quickly hop over for a family meal and leave again when things start getting too uncomfortable. In a way, it was supposed to be my escape portal from whatever family issues I don't want to get involved with.

Things didn't quite turn out the way I planned. I got married just before the construction was completed, so it made sense to make this 900+ sqft space our first marital abode. And it doesn't quite look the way I wanted, because who would expect that my husband's personal property amassed throughout his bachelorhood and the wedding gifts we received would fill up the whole house? And we still have some of the gifts left at our parents' in DU and Alor Setar, while my clothes are transferred to my siblings' wardrobes at mum's (some without my prior knowledge).

But it's okay. We could still build this into our little lovenest. Or so I thought.

The first four months or so after the wedding, hubby was outstation in Bintulu so we only met up every three weeks. Sometimes he would take leave and come home for a week, when we'd go shopping for furniture and display cabinets to house the 15 or so crystal vases we received as wedding gifts. And as most neighbours hadn't moved in yet, I would stay at my mum's place whenever he was out of town. So the condo wasn't quite lived in as much.

That pattern seems to have continued till now, and it's been two years already. The space still isn't quite as lived in as I'd like. That ambience (or lack of it) seems to be an aspect of the whole building, with its shoplots on the ground floor that barely seem to be generating any business, let alone make a roaring profit. And this despite having IKEA and The Curve just down the road. Or maybe it's because of having IKEA as a neighbour that's pulling the business away. But that's another story too.

My idea of a lived-in home would be to have traces of the inhabitant's personality stamped on it. This place doesn't. Apart from our some family photos on the sideboard, nothing much in the condo says it's my house. The walls are bare, and the only decor are the crystal vases that reflect more of the givers' personalities and status than mine. If it was up to me, I'd have frsh flowers, vibrant paintings and rows upon rows of bookshelves in the living room. Like in Impiana or House & Garden. But, despite having redeemed precious Maybankard points for a Black & Decker drill, Hubby is reluctant to put anything up on the walls as 'this is only temporary till we move to a proper house'. And I bet he's going to say the same thing when we move to a 22x70 link in Bangi (that's all we can afford right now) and he starts dreaming of a bungalow in Putrajaya.

Whatever it is, hurry back home sayang, because any house isn't a home without you.