We received the shipment of the vast majority of our household effects (HHE) this week. For the uninitiated, when you move overseas you get to take 2 suitcases and a carryon with you. You get several hundred pounds of stuff that you can ship by air and all the rest comes by boat. This last part is your HHE.
If you heard faint gleeful exclamations in the night, that was probably Mrs. S.A.M receiving our boxes. Clothes, extra pots, the mixer, bulk quinoa, artwork. You can probably read more about her pleasure here at AdventuresInWonderland4.Blogspot.com.
I, on the other hand, am rather ambivalent.
Having started this big adventure 9 months ago, I’ve been living with a small amount of my own stuff for a while, and I gotta say it’s been pretty liberating.
Of course, there are things that I’m glad to have. I’m really glad to have my camera. I thought I could suffice with a cell phone, but there are a number of times I wish I could have had more. I’ll never travel without one again.
It was a great relief to get our Tempur-pedic mattress. I hate to sound like a commercial or a grumpy old man, but I have not had as good a nights sleep as I have the last few nights in months.
I’ve been dreaming of having my Vitamix. With so much tropical fruit around and a spouse who makes yogurt, it is the perfect place for a smoothie fan.
I’m happy to see photos, too. They’ll make the place feel more like home. Those and a couple other things, golf clubs, tools, a warm coat just in case, that is about all I’m glad to see.
The other stuff, I wonder about. There were two large crates towering in two smallish utilty trucks that rolled up and I wondered what was in there that I could possibly need.
After months of living on minimal stuff and free of knick knacks and all the little bits that one collects and can’t get rid of, it was all back and this week I’ve suddenly felt heavy and weighed down.
Maybe it’s the fact that so many here lack and up rolls two trucks with more clothes and magazines and electronics and bedding and dishes. Our pembantu, though was almost as excited as my wife. Especially about the kitchen goods. “What’s this? What’s it for?”
One of the boxes we received was labelled in large letters. “PARTS BOX” This is the box that is supposed to have all the nuts and bolts that comes off of everything that you ship. The bed parts, the dresser hardware, etc. Our parts box had half the bolts to the bed. The other were wrapped with the bed itself. The remainder of the “Parts box” was filled with dog food, peanut butter, and... cranberry sauce. 6 cans of it. Enough for three years of holidays.
I had to ask Mrs. SAM if the men who packed our house were native English speakers. She said they were and asked why? I pointed to the two small heavy boxes labelled “Boozes” filled with wine and liquor. I think boozes may be my new favourite non-word. I’d encourage its use in your everyday lives.
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