Drapes Up

I finally decided to make some changes to my apartment.

For a long while, I thought it was a temporary place, and I would be moving very soon. I kept the place clean, got some furniture to make it liveable, but would not buy anything to make it more comfortable. I always told friends that I’m going back, or I’m going back to my place, but I never said home. 

It is hard to explain the way the brain works, like people really cannot learn to cherish something until they almost lose it.

I have been looking for a job, off and on, for a while. I had an offer back in September. The company is located in Nantou county. The distance and location makes it impossible for me to commute from Taipei. Of course during the interview, location was not a problem, commute was not a problem, relocation was not a problem.  I was so determined that nothing, and nothing could stop me from taking this positin. I negotiated with the HR, asked for a couple of weeks to clean up my mess in Taipei and was about to get ready to go south to find another place to live. That’s when I had a second thought.

I felt the urge to stay.

Yes, urge. It was so strong that I almost could not bear the thought of moving out at all, out of this apartment, or out of Taipei. Yes, I know I am renting, and do not have the ownership to this place, but I did not want to leave. I declined the offer.

I sought to change.

The owner had large wide windows built in the living room. However, they could not seem to find blinds that fits the windows, so the current blinds installed are few inches shorter than the windows. It would be fine during the day; however, I never felt I had complete privacy at night when the living room was bright, and the neighbors across the narrow alley could see right through. I want drapes, and always wanted to have drapes up to block some sunlights in the winter and add some colors to the living room. The blinds are dusty and in very bad shape. They are bolted right in to the concrete, so I have no way to remove and clean them.

That’s when friends came to help.

Those helps are just little talks over supper or over MSN, or some other fancy modern online chat. One advised me to buy those removeable 3M tape to put on the wall to support the drapes, and be sure to get the strongest kind. Some told me there is a new store right by IKEA that sells all kinds of Japanese merchanise. I went to supermarket, looked at the 3M tape, wrote down the maximum weight that they could support. I went to the Japanese store, and they have a very good selection of drapes, well marked with the dimensions, installation guides, accessories displayed.

I did not get everything right in the first place. Had to go back and forth because I did not get the dimensions right, because I forgot to buy the rings for the drapes, because I could not wait for the tape to set and put the drapes up right away and the whole thing ended up collapsing and made an astounding noise. A friend came to my aid and showed me how to use epoxy to glue the hook to the wall properly.

At least now the living room has a new look. Something new, something refreshing, something different, something comfortable, and something homey. After nearly 2 years, I’m making it home.