Post #56: Moving Out

What we did two days ago proved how small things can turn out to be heavy on the body.

Two days ago, we left our house and moved to a new one, somewhere nearer the main road but farther
from the shops and boutiques. It’s no more than 5 minutes away, so I really didn’t think moving would
be hard. I mean, I’ve been through the same thing last February of 2009 and I don’t remember being so
worn out after moving and fixing our things.

Well, it turned out that this moving out would be one of my hardest days of this year (so far?). I had
started by disentangling the wires and chords from our computer, scanner, and printer and taping them
onto the body, so that it wouldn’t break or anything. Then, I wiped all the surfaces of the tables and
other small things scattered about. I got a large bag and (carefully) stuffed all the small accessories and
papers and whatever into it. There were a lot of personal stuff dispersed (no undergarment included,
thanks) so I just repeated my routine until the floor was clean from anything small.

A few minutes later, dad came home from work and told us that the helpers would be coming any time
soon, and that we had to make sure everything is ready for taking. We then got busy for hours after
that, sorting out which furniture to take and which we would dispose of. (We’ve been here for only 3
years, but the number of our stuff outdates us.) A could thing too, ‘cause the movers asked which things
they should take to the truck, unlike others who just lift anything they see on the floor. One of my most
valuable bags almost made it to the truck too. 

We ditched a lot of stuff: our beds, pillows, sofa, refrigerator, and other small, insignificants. We had to
let our beds and pillows go due to bed bugs, as well as our sofa; and regarding the fridge, it had
defrosted a month before for no apparent reason. Mom gave it to the helpers after they assured her
they could fix it. As for the other things we gave away, I sure feel happy about it, since we gave things to
people in need of them.

That same night (June 22), the whole family went shopping for new beds and pillows. My brother was
thrilled to hear that he would have his own bed for the first time. He quickly got up, though I knew he
was as tired as all of us, and put on a smile of eagerness. Yep, JP’s one cute bundle of energy; he never
runs out. But then he had to face disappointment, when he learned that instead of getting 3 beds (one
each for JP and I and one for mom and dad), we would only be buying two, since we had little space to
put them, and for the fact that dad would be vacationing in the Philippines on June 25. We were tight on
our budget and had to save. JP’s face crashed. He really, really, desperately wanted to have a bed of his
own no matter the cost, and he just couldn’t see why only two beds could be had. I tried to snap him out
of this weird wish of his, but he stayed stubborn. Our nice family shopping wasn’t as fun anymore with
JP’s new mood.

Casting those dramatic details aside, we’re all finally settled in the new house, though our possessions
claim otherwise. There are still loads to be done. Oh, and did I mention we were sharing the house with
our fellow church member? Yes, we’re two families under one roof, and I love the fact that by July, his
family are going fly up here to Oman and stay with him for good! Isn’t that just fabulous? His wife and
two kids will be coming soon, and I doubt that we’d have a hard time getting to know one another. This
brother of ours is very kind, and I hope his family is too. JP and I will finally have some company during
vacation! :D

Though our house is far from organized, I’m starting to adore this one as much as our previous
residence. Everything is new, from the tiles to the painting job, and the bathroom is more than clean.
We actually have two bathrooms at our disposal, since the other is too small to take a shower in and can
only be used for those “earth-calling” moments. I’m actually kind of glad we moved out. Kind of.

I greatly miss the hustle and bustle of Al Khoudh Souq, the sounds of the people closing up shop in the
afternoon for a nap, and the smell of freshly baked bread from a bakery near by. What I loved about our
old place was its closeness to all the shops and small stores. It’s a very convenient location, especially in
a country so beautifully hot, because when you need to buy something, you can access everything just
by going out of the house. But this new one is better in a way. For one thing, we’ve noticed a
tremendous change in the amount of dust our furniture can accumulate in a day. So even if we have to
walk to get to the shops, we don’t have to be so busy in dusting off the things at home. And we’re
SUPER near KFC.

I’m still pretty burned out today (June 24), but I can’t let that stop me from my duties at home. I still
have dish washing to do, clothes to fix, and boxes to get rid of. Add to that helping daddy out with his
luggage for tomorrow morning, and you get one tired Olivia.  It’ll be worth the tiredness though.