Shop Till You Drop...And Then Some!

Never thought it would happen….but, we’ve been completely and totally shopped out. After spending 2 months choosing toilets, tiles, lighting fixtures, etc…we have now begun the task of buying everything else that we’ll need to complete our home. Since things take an average of anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to hand make…we decided that we needed to get on the ball…and order everything prior to my visit to the States.

So….with that in mind,  we have spent almost every waking moment of the last 3 weeks shopping, shopping, shopping…and eventually; buying, buying, buying. Everything had to be bargained for to some extent. Now we just ask them for their ‘best price’ and decide if we want it or not.

First there were the necessary items; such as a fridge, oven, stove top, air conditioners and water heaters. Then came the beds, night tables, mosquito nets, console tables, outside chairs, inside chairs, loungers, umbrellas, sofa, cabinets, day beds etc, etc and so forth.

So now, that’s done and we have everything except for lamps and a coffee table….which we will get soon.

But folks, it’s not over yet…because just prior to the construction being completed, we will need to start shopping again! For garden statuary, fountains, plants, trees, vines, flowers, paving stones etc. It’s a thankless job…but, someone’s got to do it!

Here are some of the photos that we’ve taken during our buying trips…and the total cost of furnishings???? A little over $10,000!

 

Progress and Our Kids' Visit

Upper Right--Last Roof Going Up

We have been busy with 3 of our kids visiting and having a great time.  New Year's Eve was spent at a fabulous estate and a Michael Franti concert who was a perfect accompaniment to the rain and mud surrounding us.  We did a whitewater rafting trip that we all loved--very exciting; danced at the Jazz Cafe and took Salsa lessons at Cafe Havana;  and rented motorbikes which resulted in a minor accident.  The kids took a boat out to the Gilli Islands for snorkeling and a taste of magic mushroom shakes and went surfing off the Kuta Beach.  All that plus many memorable meals, and lots of laughs, as always.

Master Bedroom with Bathroom in Back

Both Bedrooms--Upper & Lower

Bungalow--with laying of Floor Tiles

Swimming Pool

Outdoor Shower--Behind Master Bedroom

The kids are gone and things are quiet again.  We spent much time supervising the house building and construction is moving along quite rapidly.  Today, for example, we had a crew finishing up the last or our 3 roofs; 4 men whitewashing the rafters and trim; a team laying tile in the bungalow; and a group plastering concrete on the outside wall.  

We seem to be ahead of schedule and have tentatively scheduled a move-in date of April 15.  We'll see, but we are getting tired of this little place in which we presently live.

We have met a few other ex-pats here and are doing a few things to keep busy.  Barbara has found a Scrabble partner and we starting a bi-weekly movie club.  I have been downloading a lot of films and there seems to be quite a few film fans (dare I say buffs?) here.  There are other groups to join and as time goes by we'll meet more people.  This area, Ubud, attracts a more thinking, creative ex-pat than the south which has large, modern villas and a more of a money crowd.  The ex-pat crowd all over the island is made up of  older and retired people from America, Canada, Australia and Europe. 

One thing we are looking forward to doing when we move into the house is cooking.  We eat breakfast and lunch at home and eat dinner out, and although we don't spend a lot on dinners, it will be fun to cook in our new kitchen.  We have a good TV and watch movies and read a lot--we both love our Kindles!

On Left--Main Living Room

Since a picture (as they say) is worth a lot of words, here are a few taken yesterday.