So how is everyone doing today? Me – well after work I walked in the pouring rain towards the bus stop and waited for about 10 minutes for a bus to Chalakudy. I got in, glad to get some respite from the rains. Within a few minutes I got down at my stop and had a cup of coffee at a shop nearby. The hot coffee was quite welcome, even if it wasn’t that great (some low cost brand). After that I needed to buy a couple of things from the nearby shops – washing powder for my clothes, a loaf of bread and some instant noodles for dinner. I bought these and then headed towards my new home.

Once there I noticed that I could not see anyone in any of the houses near the one that I was staying in. Not a single person to be seen, not even a silhouette and it was only 7:30 pm! Must all be hiding due to the rain! Anyway, I unlocked the door, took my shoes off and got in, placed my dripping wet umbrella in a corner and closed the windows of the living room. Let me explain – the windows were open but they have a separate screen door on all the windows, which lets in the air but keeps out the mosquitoes! So I closed them and then switched on the light in my bedroom and then…. “I thought I saw a puddy cat!” I looked closer and yes “I did saw a puddy cat”! Bugger was in my kitchen and I chased him out through the kitchen windows and then closed them.

I then spoke to my landlord and his wife – turns out that the cat is theirs and he had wandered in. I spend about 20 minutes talking to them and then closed the door that connects their part of the house to my section. I then unpacked the plastic table from it’s carton and set it up. It was easier than I expected it to be. Over it now sits my laptop, with two speakers and a mouse (the computer kind, don’t worry I didn’t have another visitor). I changed my clothes and then unpacked the kitchen stuff – electric stove, electric kettle, plates, vessels, glasses, knives, spoons & forks. I put aside some stuff into the two cupboards that are there in the kitchen and placed some on the kitchen counter. Then I went to lie down on my bed and switch on the lappy. I soon got calls from mom, dad & my sister to find out how the move went.

After speaking with them, I selected a movie – Airheads to put me in a good mood – and watched about 20 minutes of it before I began to feel hungry. I went into the kitchen and got some water in a vessel and cooked the noodles on the stove. It was slow going, as I have never used an electric stove before. Unsure and a little apprehensive, I did manage to cook the noodles and then took the bowl and a fork to my bedroom and ate my dinner in front of the laptop while I watched the movie. Oh and I also killed a cockroach in the bathroom – no way was I gonna share the tiny bathroom with it! Once the movie was over I laid back on my bed and tried reading for a bit. I must have however fallen asleep quite quickly and I woke up at around 6:15 am with all the lights on. Morning had arrived and after a while I made some coffee and sipped it while listening to some tunes on my headphones.

I took a cold but refreshing bath and for breakfast I had bread & jam sandwiches, which I ate without using a plate (hey, that’s less cleaning for me). I then dressed to get ready to go to the office and then locked the house and went to work.