I have a spring roundup post in my drafts, but I feel like making a low-effort text drabble for the meantime.
Ben and I are finally, finally settled in in Melbourne. We’ve moved into our apartment and although we’ve bought most of the things we’d like to furnish the place and make it liveable, the delivery schedule is an entirely different story.
At the moment Ben is playing Overwatch on our new 65″ TV… on the floor. Our TV bench doesn’t arrive until like, November. Neither does our couch.
A lot of knick-knacks we packed from Manila are still in the boxes, because we don’t have drawers or shelving units yet where you normally store and hide your household knickknacks.
It’s… not difficult. I wouldn’t call it uncomfortable, either. It’s just… different? Quiantly challenging? Reminiscent of being in your twenties and living on your own for the first time? We feel more like newlyweds at this state compared to after we actually got married.
In many ways perhaps you never run out of milestones or rites of passage in life. When Ben first took me to our apartment and we drove into our parking slot I felt an odd sensation of… having my shit together. ‘I’ve never had a parking slot before,’ I blurted out. ‘Neither have I,’ said Ben. I mean, we don’t have a car (we drove Nikki’s) and I don’t even know how to drive, but it still felt like a powerful moment. Like, this is how it feels to have a parking slot, lol.
We set up our IKEA dining set—a dark wood long table that comfortably seats six. It’s my first dining set, too. For the last four years we just ate our meals on the couch while watching Netflix. We still watch Netflix, except now we crane our necks at odd angles, because the dining table isn’t in front of the TV.
After continually being in transit in the last two months, I still feel odd that we don’t have to pack up and leave this apartment, at least not for a year. Since leaving the Philippines we’ve unpacked and repacked our belongings four times—from hotel quarantine in the Gold Coast to my in-laws’ house in Brisbane, from my in-laws’ to an Airbnb in St. Kilda (we flew into Melbourne during a particularly bad time lockdown-wise, so we had to isolate for two weeks) our friends’ house in the suburbs, then from our friends’ house to our apartment. It’s a huge relief to not live out of your suitcases. (Our family and friends did do their best to accommodate our clothes, but to be honest it’s really difficult to unpack an entire wardrobe system into a few drawers and hangers, plus the mindset that you’re just going to pack them all again.)
Friends noticed I was underdressed for the cold, or was ‘making things difficult for myself’ by not piling on heavier clothing while at home. I’d wear my Uniqlo pajamas or dressing gown as they’d cover my legs, but then get that sense of shame when I look like I’d just gotten out of bed at three in the afternoon and everyone else is ‘fully dressed’. (In the Philippines you don’t wear your heavier clothes, such as jeans, unless you actually plan to leave the house. Kasi ‘di ba iba ang pambahay sa pang-alis. People here don’t make that distinction. You could spend the day at home or out and you’d still be wearing jeans. And sometimes shoes. Also, did you know ‘slippers’ in native English can mean something that completely covers your feet? Surreal.)
I have since been reunited with my cold-weather clothes. My Def Leppard hoodie, which didn’t make sense in Manila, is now a go-to. It surprisingly carries me through the low tens (in centigrade) of cold weather. Now I understand why my sisters in Washington seem to wear nothing but hoodies every time I see them during my Messenger calls with Mom.
Speaking of cold weather, I’ve… been skipping more showers as of late. I don’t feel good when it happens but yeah sometimes I feel clean enough. In the Philippines even in December you don’t go through the day without sweating, unless of course aircon ang bahay niyo at nakakotse ka tuwing lalabas? I remember when I first started living with Ben he found it peculiar that I showered twice a day. (Also when Filipinos say ‘take a bath’ they usually mean take a shower or otherwise wash yourself with a bucket and pail. Only the super rich draw baths, because probably only 1% of households have a bathtub. Also, sayang sa tubig.)
Rain here hits different. Ambon lang talaga. Most people are not fussed and will go about their day walking in the rain. If the ambon gets heavier you’ll see maybe one in ten people holding an umbrella.
After spending most of the last nine years working a mid-morning shift, I’m not used to starting my workday at 9 AM. In most tech companies I’ve been in, coming to work at 10am is like coming to work at 8 AM. Most Manila offices had counterparts in India, EU, and North America, so it didn’t really do any virtue coming to work earlier, in fact it can be debilitating. Needless to say, my mornings feel hectic and half the time I fail to shower before my first meeting. What a disgrace. (I don’t truly feel ready for the day unless I’ve showered.) Now I remember why, when I was still a student, I washed my hair at night. (Pinapatuyo ko siya sa electric fan, relax.) It feels so much of a hassle doing it in the morning.
I feel guilty stopping work before dinner, and feel the need to check in on my work after seven or eight o’clock.
Food portions are huge, and for some reason, richer. This morning I saw a ‘pizza slice’ bigger than my face. I used to not understand how Westerners can have, like, a sandwich or a wrap for lunch. Then I realise their sandwiches and wraps are about two times bigger, with more fillings, because richer nations don’t scrimp on ingredients. That’s why a croissant can cost 7.50 AUD.
OK, it’s near midnight and I have to wash my hair early tomorrow. Hope this was worth your time. Cheers.
Great read Jean, thanks for sharing some of how life is like for you in a new country, I hope that you feel welcomed here 😊