Wednesday morning friends popped over to relieve us of our pantry, fridge/freezer/laundry items. What a fun couple of hours. We sipped Moet and laughed about what foodstuffs I had, where I bought them, what to use them for and more.
Everyone who leaves does this. Depending on where you are going, most countries do not allow foodstuffs to be brought in. As we are being ‘professionally’ packed and shipped on a container, we can’t skirt the system. Had to re-gift our grog too.
There’s a number of transitional Ying and Yang situations to be experienced when moving, tho international moves for some reason are a bit different.
· Get rid of food, grog etc from home you are leaving.
· Go shopping for food, grog etc when you arrive at new home.
· De-clutter home you are leaving prior to packing.
· De-clutter new home as you unpack from boxes.
· An air of contentment with ornaments and souvenirs collected prior to leaving
· ‘OMG’ feeling ‘where will it all fit’ when you arrive at new home.
· Selling Ikea, electrical items (and other bits’n’bobs) before you pack.
· Shopping spree at Ikea and electrical items when you arrive to replace the stuff you got rid of.
· Having just the right amount of furniture in the house you left.
· Not having enough/or having too much furniture when you arrive.
Around 4.30pm I schlepped one suitcase and 2 on-board bags to the car, picked MissM up from a play date, picked DH from work and checked into the Pan Pacific Hotel, Yokohama.
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| Hard to see the Pan Pacific in this photo but this is the local area. L-R: Landmark Tower, Queen A, B, C buildings, Pan Pac is behind them. The building with the arc shaped side is Yokohama Intercontinental. |
We’ve come full circle. Two years, eleven months , 16 days ago we started our Japanese Adventure at the very same hotel; we had two packing boxes, 4 suitcases and 3 on-board bags with us which lasted us til mid January when our shipment arrived.
What a fabulous time we’ve had here! Apologies if I keep repeating myself, but we have! Ms-havachat is planning a FINAL IMPRESSIONS OF JAPAN blog, but won’t post it for a while. Be interesting to see what lasting impressions hang around in a month or longer.
Anyhow ……… back to the present.
MissM still had homework to do, and it was pouring outside, so we decided to have room service for dinner. One plain cheese pizza, one prawn fried rice, one Chinese green vegetables, one beef’n’noodles, 2 Coke, 1 apple juice Y11,500 (around AUD140, EURO 103).
Not having had room service in a hotel in Sydney or EU for many years now, I’m not sure if this is expensive or not, but it did seem so to us. Didn’t matter, we were hungry, it was wet outside and it was very tasty.
MissM did her homework with DH for a change, and then enjoyed a long, hot bubble bath before bed.
I soaked in a long, hot bubble bath with bath salts before bed.
DH went back to the apartment to finish packing his stuff, and to prepare all the electrical cords to his liking. By the time he got back to the room, MissM and I were fast asleep.
With 5 suitcases, 3 on board bags we’ve decided to try the ABC luggage delivery service to Narita. The bags have to go Friday and we collect them Saturday. We’ll have to reorganize our clothes for the two days, but it’s worth it not to schlep so many cases to the airport.
So long as MissM and I take the new black one that slides along with us (not the ones you pull behind you) we’ll be right as it has our summer clothes for Singapore.
Thursday
As organized as we are, we forgot about MissM’s school lunch! She wasn’t fazed - we can buy a Panini and crisps from Starbucks on the way to school mama.
Packers are here; two lovely guys (both speak fabulous English) and one lady. All I can hear is the folding of thick packing paper and the screeching of packing tape. Our huge lounges suite looks so funny wrapped in brown paper.
I hae to stop looking around the apartment cos all is are loose ‘bit’n’pieces of MissM’s that we thought we’d put away but she’s obviously gotten out to play with. You are never 100% ready to be packed.
Just taken a few photos. I’m wondering do they finish the Japan albums or start the UK ones??????????
MsG is bringing coffee and lunch later and staying for a chat, which will be fun. I had planned on reading but my Kindle just ran out of batter UUUGGHH. Fortunately I can recharge tonight. Imagine flying for hours with nothing to read.
Lesson Learned: ALWAYS CHECK POWER on electrical ‘toys’ before long trips.
A friend who I met in Dublin is now living in Singapore and has emailed to ask if we can catch up. It’s pure joy to have friendly faces to welcome you in so many cities.
I could keep blogging as my Kindle has no power, there’s no TV left to watch but I won’t. Think I’ll download The Gruen Transfer and The Gruen Planet and watch it for a while.
With friendship
x
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