running out of juice

I have nothing left to blog about! oh no! maybe it's because I'm too fussy about what to write, having reached a certain standard of published content... or maybe my life really is that mundane... or maybe I'm just too shy. Whatever it is, I don't have anything worthy to put down here, because well,..... one of the main blog audiences is me, and I don't read this blog every day. The rest of the world account for about 19 people, on average.

There has been some stuff going on in my life that I'm not at liberty to mention here, so in a way, it is quite frustrating. The stupid apartment is still not complete, and we've been told it's going to take a few more months, and I'm just about ready to kick some corporate balls. Some good news is that some Block E residents have reported the availability of Streamyx broadband (which seems more like cacatband nowadays).

Anyway, that gets me thinking that I have a few more months to think about how to decorate my apartment. I'm in the process of acquiring an espresso machine thanks to my dad. Give me a moment.....

hhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeehhehehhehhehhehehheheeeeeee...........

I just had to do that.

I still haven't found out how to do a proper dropped ceiling. I suppose the best way is to drill metal rods into the ceiling and suspend the frame using the rods. I have to also source for some good multipurpose wood to piece together the frame. I wonder if MDF boards work well for this. If anyone is in the know, do buzz me.

I have, however, found one light shops that carries light fixtures that you can slot into a drilled hole or plaster cut-out... so that it would look like part of the wall. Those things go for like, RM20 to RM30 a pop, which isn't too bad for ambient lighting. You can light up the place like a christmas tree with those. There are spotlights that do that work too.... they serve as good worklights for kitchen use underneath cabinets and so on:



Other ideas I've had so far...... carpets. I'm looking around for a nice, hall-size carpet. Preferrably white, to match the blue-gray walls. I've come across some carpets that are made from some shaggy material, kind of like rastafarian dreadlocks... but bleached in white. A few places (including Ikea) have been selling those. Incidentally, I found a really nice carpet shop in Plaza Damas.... I just have to avoid falling sheets of metal when I'm there. Here's a version of the carpet from Ikea:



I also have to start looking for kitchen cabinets and the like, as well as ovens and fairly cheap cookers or gas stoves for wet kitchen use. There are a good number of vendors out there, but it's hard to match price with quality. I would try to avoid locally manufactured furniture. They tend to have a poor finish, even if the ingredients are good.

I'll try to use this blog as a journal of sorts for tracking stuff I want to work on for the home. More updates to come.

IKEA: The Swedish Feeding Trough - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

IKEA: The Swedish Feeding Trough - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News: "Furniture giant IKEA lures customers with homey interior landscapes and cheap warm meals. But more and more people are starting to use the stores as an ersatz for social services and babysitting."

I guess a lot more people have a lot less stigma about hoarding free condiments and services offered at this place. You know, I strangely feel connected to them.

For one, I don't get the feeling that Ikea is trying to stop me from having a good time at their expense. The coffee is free (after swiping my Ikea card at the voucher machine), the food is cheap, and the place is well lit and is fairly clean.

It must be the work of an interior designer... I can actually find places I can eat in peace, during a crowded day. Perhaps it's the placing of the tables and chairs, or the height of the ceiling, or the gray panels and walls and dinner table lighting.

I can't say much about the babysitting service. I don't have a baby, though I may revisit this post again in the near future. But the general consensus on this endemic has been right so far. Folks shouldn't be abusing it.

Still, despite these odd occurences, there's something about Ikea that wants you to just lay back for awhile (apart from the reallllllllly long lines at the cashout counter). Love it or hate it, but you can't beat the fact that it's got a selling point.... for almost everyone.