My furniture...
I'm quite honored to have so many dedicated blog-readers... several have seemed quite interested to see the furniture in my new apartment. So, this is kind of like the instant-request /dedication blog... "you asked for it... so here you go"...
Now... keep in mind there is still work to be done. I think that getting curtains will help A LOT because I've got these ugly pieces of plywood in the windows next to the a/c. This nice old man who literally peddles curtains (he rides a bike) is supposed to bring me a sample tomorrow.
There isn't the same concern for aesthetic here, it seems. You may recall my SHOCK in an earlier posting when I was told that I'd have to put this large blue metal box with my inverter in it right the middle of my living room. Luckily, as with everything here -- just because someone tells you that you must do something and that there is no way around it... it usually means exactly the opposite. Often it's quite easy to accomplish what it is you'd like to accomplish... you just have to ask/demand a few more times.
Yesterday I worked from home - which was quite nice for a change. I had logged all of my tapes and I only had to write a script -- which is easier to write in the seclusion and quiet of my home than at the office. Now that I've got wireless Internet at home (a luxury I never had in LA) it's all quite easy. I set up at my dining table (still without chairs -- but I actually like these suede cubes -- I'm thinking I'll just order more cubes instead of chairs). Sibi made me lunch (pictured)... it was all quite lovely. The only thing that is not picture - but that is important to imagine... is that I was sweating ALL DAY... I don't mean that I was a little warm... I was sweating profusely. It's still 95 degrees here... and the "heat index" brings it up to about 110 or so.
This is the bed in my bedroom -- oddly I'm finding that I sleep better positioned ACROSS the bed in a DIAGONAL fashion. Strange, yes... but when brining up this odd fact with my friend Nick who slept there while I was in London... HE TOO found he slept better diagonally. Strange, huh? Maybe it's a feng-shui thing... I should check that out.
Sibi makes the bed each day with the two pillow shams placed on top of the duvet cover... it has a sort of maharaja feel to it -- I used to go and move everything back into place (photos, flowers, pillows)... now I've just resigned to do it her way and it's growing on me.
My friend/colleague Tess (and now my neighbor) and her husband, Peter, came over for drinks last night. They have the same furniture designer and commented that our places looked surprisingly similar. We'd both had some issues in the process of the furniture order/delivery - Tess had bigger issues than I did -- but I received a 2-seater sofa -- not the 3-seater that I paid for. Thanks to Tess' arguing... it looks like we'll both be getting what we want. Her husband Peter explained to me last night that in Hindi most speak in a passive tense... so when there is a problem and Americans speak in a direct/active tense -- the translation is very difficult and jarring -- and people get defensive. Peter explains that it is much better to say the equivalent of: "Wow - the sofa appears to have arrived as a 2-seater. Imagine that! What a pity. Who is to blame, probably no one? But, my gosh! A 2-seater... this won't work!" Then the response can be... "Wow - imagine that! No, a 2-seater won't work". The other scenario: "This is a two-seater sofa... and YOU made a mistake"... could often be met with the response, "What are you talking about?? This is what you ordered... it's not MY fault!"
Sibi appears to be keeping all of my plants alive in my botanical garden (aka terrace). I want to get a table and chairs (ideally and umbrella too) so that I can sit outside when the weather gets better.
Ok... enough for now...