We do not have our own home. We have been living a nomadic lifestyle since we returned to the Philippines. However, when we left the Middle East, we had a 20 ft shipping container with us carrying all of our previous furniture.
In the last 5 years, we have moved three times. Along with every move, our 20 ft container of household goods followed us. It wasn't easy, but we couldn't part ways with them for two reasons:
- Good quality furniture in the Philippines is extremely expensive
- Sentimentality
For the last day's topic of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge by @tegoshei, I will be sharing a tour of the house we have previously lived in for three years in Cebu.
House Spotting
We spent months looking for a house to rent long term. The main challenge was to find a house that would fit all of our existing furniture. A house that would comply with the right orientation and floor layout according to Feng Shui.
Feng Shui is something that I believe in and apply whenever I design a house, so it was automatically integrated into our home as well.
We visited 20 plus houses in total.
We almost gave up after we have been used as a bargaining chip for a house that we have previously set our eyes on. Luckily. we found this 2 bedroom bungalow with 2 bathrooms that was still under construction at that time. The landlord was kind. The area was safe and we had absolutely lovely neighbors.
We waited until it was finished. I was able to ask the landlord to add minor modifications with plumbing and to paint all of the intricate moldings in white.
The View and the Location
We lived in the middle of a rice field. What I like most about that house was the 270 degree countryside view of rice paddies.
The local market was just one block away. The main poblacion (town) is less than 2 kilometers away.
I propagated the chrysanthemums from one small plant throughout the years and filled the perimeter of the house with them and even gave some to friends and neighbors.
It was peaceful. I watched farmers plow the fields, plant rice and harvest them in different times of the year. The mountain backdrop and mango trees were always a sight to behold. Before sunset, we regularly took leisurely strolls around the area. Croaking of toads was our evening soundtrack.
The house was still undergoing fence construction and exterior work when we moved in. This went on for another two months. We enjoyed daily visits from our neighbor's cows, goats and chickens.
Home Improvements
The house already came with its materials, lighting and paint which I didn't select. I had to work with whatever was there. We didn't want to spend more than we should because it wasn't ours. I worked with the space to fit our own furniture.
Living Area Before:
Work in Progress: Lengthened the existing short curtains into two-toned drapery
I bought a cheap taupe fabric and lining in the city and had textile students supervised by their teacher from a nearby university sew them.
Living Area After:
Living Area Before:
Living Area After:
Dining Area Before:
Dining Area After:
The Dining Table is my workstation. I could watch my daughter from where I was sitting and work on projects peacefully.
I had this 1.5 meter x 2.0 meter empty canvas. I finally finished it while we were living here. It's entitled The Golden Child
Our Bedroom
This was the view from our bedroom upon waking up in the morning. I do miss this landscape sometimes. We had three beautiful years worth of memories in this house.
Hope you enjoyed the house tour.
That's it! Mission accomplished. I will be going back to my usual travel, food and life musings.
Thank you @tegoshei for creating this 30 Day Blogging Challenge! Join in the fun and check out previous posts if you haven't yet:
Day 1 What's the Story Behind My Username
Day 2 Random Things About Me Over Coffee
Day 3 My Unusual Day Last Weekend
Day 6 Mes Bêtes Noires (My Pet Peeves)
Day 7 Create a Life Story Playlist
Day 8 Anyone Up for a South Korean Food Crawl?
Day 10 The Odd New Girl in High School
Day 11 If You Had a Superpower, What Would It Be?
Day 12 Simple Things to Do to Slow Down and Unwind
Day 13 My Top 5 Most Used Smart Phone Apps
Day 14 Movies that Inspire Me to Travel
Day 15 The Girl that Flies Off at a Tangent
Day 16 The Girl Who Wore Her Heart on Her Sleeve
Day 18 A Childhood Memory: Through the Hole
Day 19 What My Minimalist Phone & Laptop Look Like
Day 20 [Eng/Fr] A Letter to My Baby Girl || Une Lettre à Ma Fille
Day 21 Who's Your Life's VIP (Very Important Person)?
Day 23 Play The Piano At The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Tower
Day 25 Imaginary Travel Through Food
Day 26 My Top 5 Best Animated Movies for the Whole Family
Day 27 The Road to a Happy Place