Bahay-bahayan

What's kept me busy this past week was my moving-in--to my new "place." You can call it a condo unit or a pad, but I prefer calling it my place--chez moi.

my not-so-girly-Spartan-like room

Friends have been telling me I'm finally living the independent life. Before, I used to think "independence" means simply having your own place, no curfews, and freely doing whatever I damn wanted to do. Surprisingly, independence is both a wonderful and scary concept. It is wonderful because you make your own decisions, but it is also scary because there is always the possibility that your decisions will not be the best ones.

Purita na ako ngayon. I've exhausted my financial resources, and borrowed some from my parents and tita, just to push through with Project Independence. But really, I only wanted to be independent from one thing: commuting. The tiring and sometimes irritating task of commuting was the main objective of this project (naks! research na research!). Also, I can now work fully on my research-writing, which I've somewhat neglected because of work and commuting.

Of course, chez moi is still a work in progress. Cable TV will be installed on Saturday, but I haven't applied yet for an Internet connection, which is actually the most important utility for me because of my research work. Kaso saka na 'pag nakabawi na'ko sa gastos ko, wala na'kong moolah eh.

Now, I must get used to the idea that:
1. I would be sleeping and waking up alone (not everyday, since I have my happy camper CROI friends as "transients");
2. I will wake up having no idea about the time of the day, whether it is rainy or sunny;
3. the only thing I'll know about my "neighbors" (other tenants) are their profiles (behind the curtains) and voices; and
4. I'll be working overtime at the office. OK lang daw kasi malapit na ang tinitirhan ko (says my boss).