Live well, work hard, play play? 
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It’s moving day. What do I keep, what do I throw away?
It’s more than a week into the new year already and my friends are asking me why I haven’t posted a new entry yet. 2010 is supposed to be a fresh start, isn’t it? New resolutions (and new ways of going about achieving them… well, at least till February when we either conveniently forget about them or give up completely, putting it off till the next new year).
Mostly I’ve been busy with moving into the new apartment — packing up stuff, calling the movers, cleaning and more cleaning all the time. There are times when I wonder why people even move: Why not just stay where you are and never budge again?
I guess the answer to that is simply we gotta grow. Life is full of changes, and if we gotta change too if we wanna grow. Sometimes moving into a new place, bigger and with more space for the next stage of your life, that’s just what is needed. A home to call our own. To fill with love and dreams, with new highs and lows to experience together.
It’s not always easy. Sometimes you argue with your better half, maybe over the smallest, least significant things (and you wonder later, why). Sometimes you don’t see your best and closest friends for weeks and for some, years. (And some of you I haven’t even met in person yet, but you know the special place you hold in my heart.) Sometimes the job gets to you, the endless travel, lightless mornings spent in the air, the nights held by the neon light of a strange, lonely city.
Sometimes you are an insomniac and sleep escapes you. Sometimes sleep passes like a heartbeat; you wake almost an instant after your head hits the pillow (only to find out later it’s been seven hours, and you are rested if not restful). You promise to exercise and to eat well, and it all slips away, again. The book you wanted to write, the vacation you wanted to take, the movie you promised to take your nephew to, all good intentions and nothing more.
Some days you wonder, why bother?
We all have days like these. Maybe that’s why a change of place, a change of pace, ain’t too bad an idea after all. Sure, it’s tiring (what I’d give never to see another roll of masking tape and another packing box again) but once the dust settles, when the home comes into its own, the rows of bookshelves gleaming in dark hardwood and the tomes of comfort reading; the kitchen spick-and-span, its cabinets hiding sugar and spice and really all things edible and nice; the living room with a brand new sofa set you can sink into while arguing over which films to watch on the 32-inch LCD TV you won at your company dinner’s lucky draw last year (and happily accompanied by the home theatre system your partner won at another lucky draw, another company dinner); and the bedroom you share, endless wardrobes for all the clothes you wear (and a lot more you will again once you lose a couple more kilos), a new bed never used before but by the two of you, a damn good life of your own.
It’s moving day. What do I keep, what do I throw away?
I say throw away all your regrets, all your doubts you can’t make it, fears that you can’t win. Give up the guilt and the embarrassment from all the years past: It’s a new decade, and why suffer anything more than once, let the first time be the last, and then never more.
Let every day be a moving day as we move to a better way to live this life. Live fully, live gently and with love. Give life everything you got, and you’ll have all that you could want and more. This I believe, and heck, it’s better than any New Year’s Resolution I don’t plan to keep.
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Happy New Year, everybody… and may this be your best one yet! 
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Words & design by Kenny Mah. Image sourced from the Internet.
Happy new year! moving day is not an excuse not to blog, and misses reading blogs. I expect better from you my friend. HAHAHAHA
Well, it was more of a Moving Month, than a Moving Day, if that excuses my absence from writing & reading blogs somewhat…
But really, did you expect better from me? I’m the King of M.I.A., aren’t I?
moving’s a pain isn’t it? 7 yrs of my life in adelaide is now sitting in boxes, ready to be transported across the border. wat do i keep? thankfully, my friends
here’s a toast to ur new yr and ur new place!
But that’s just Life, isn’t it? Constant change, one way or another, even after years of us being comfortable in one place or one state of mind. But I see this as a good thing — keeps it exciting, heh heh.
Here’s a toast to you and your impending move too! Here’s to new places and new adventures!
Well I’m down with that “wink”. So is this metamorphical or you are moving into your new home?
Happy New Year to you too Ken!
As of yesterday (Sunday, 10th January 2010) I am completely moved to my new apartment! Of course, I was so tired that I fell asleep on the new bed almost immediately and had to wake up at 4:30am today to head off to the airport. More travel, more work.
One night only at new place. But that was enough. I’m in love with my new home.
Yeah I’ve not met you in person this year either.
Nice picture of the box.
Yes well, you are also very busy ma… You’re a V.I.M.A.W.A.P., you know? Very Important Monkey At Work (And Play). Hehe.
We’ll meet up soon, promise. After I’m back from the South. No, wait. After I’m back from HK & Macau. I’m almost 100% certain of that…
so well said!
Not really. But it did take all I had left after weeks of moving just muster it… I don’t really feel like any sorta of writing right now… just zzzzzzzzzzz….
“A house is bricks and wooden beams
A home is made of love and dreams”
Here’s hoping that you’ll be settled comfortably in your new home. *hugs*
Here’s to love and dreams, my dear, here’s to those lovely beams of light.
*hugs*
You know what’s the most important thing for a gay man during a move! The new apartment’s decor! Pictures! What kinda theme did you go for?
Decor? Haha, we have barely enough time to pack and move the stuff! Right now the new apartment (which was so nice and pristine before, after we got the cleaners in to do their magic) looks like a warzone.
O there shall be many, many days of unpacking and re-storing the crap we have accumulated to come… (So much for decluttering. Bah.)
reading this inspires me to move too! i’ve been living in my apt since 2003, and in some ways, it underscores how i’ve been stuck in a rut for years…
Well, that’s a good thing, methinks. I am all for living in one place for a long, long time to come…
Yup, sound thoughts to keep me in check come time for me to move! Hopefully soon… this protracted apartment hunting is starting to take its toll on rationale and logic! I am so longing for exactly that change, having my old things rearranged in a new environment interspersed with new things, that I fear I can’t wait any longer for the right place to materialise!! Hope you’re loving your new digs! What a great start to the year!
“… that change, having my old things rearranged in a new environment interspersed with new things…”
Oh my dear, you have no idea how LONG I’ve waited for this exact change you described so beautifully. It’s a work of love in the making, it is.
how true.. we really need to throw away all the shackles that bind us.. and get on with the Living! excellent post.. you really picked up my spirits.. i am psyched for this coming week.. woohoo:D
Me too! Psyched for this week! (Mostly cos I’m flying off down South in another 15 minutes and don’t have to deal with the unpacking… poor Devil will have to take care of that… Hahaha…)
Have seen the exterior of the new place, looking forward to the day to see the interior too! Any house warming along the way?
Haha, no housewarming plans yet… so many boxes still unpacked and all over the apartment and I’m out of town to add to that! But one day…
Wait wait. U won a 32″LCD??!
Happy New Home!
I totally did. I just hope my 2010 will be as good if not better than my 2009 luck… LOL
Things to throw away.. Sounds like a plan. =) Life’s too full of clutter anyway, and even at the start of every year, we look for stuff from the previous year to throw out. What kind of monstrosity are we looking at when we talk about a whole decade’s worth of things?
Good on ‘ya for moving. (I’ve moved a total of 7 times in the last 14 years, I know what it feels like to never wanna see packing boxes and masking tape ever again…) But hey, “rows of bookshelves gleaming in dark hardwood”?! I’d love to see them one day (and maybe pinch a book or two off them while I’m at it..). I wonder if I’ll be allowed… Teehee..
(I’m hoping I’m one of those “not met, but special anyway” people..)
Have a good year Kenny! You and yours both.
You’re totally one of those very special folks I have to meet one day but will definitely meet. And pinch as many books as your arms can carry… I’ll prolly still have more left than I can handle (or finish reading, for that matter)!
Have a great 2010, dear!
Move??
Oh my..I definitely do not want to do that anymore!
But I’m stil a nomad at heart & physically..so i guess atr move is inevitable soon. Sigh.
Even nomads have to settle down some day, right? Here’s to the end of moving…
yeah it’s always hard for the beginning but once you ahve settled down… more stuff you will get and more to keep… =p is there any vip guest room for me when i pay you a visit? j/k
And more to keep? Oh this is making mockery of my de-cluttering exercise…
P.S. There totally is a VIP guest room for you and our other friends when they visit. We’re getting the wardrobe for this second room delivered tomorrow, too! Yippee!
I wish I could win a home entertainment system as well *looks at becks* I feel and share your pain bro. I moved back in in early December and I am still unpacking! Hahahah.
Ooo dark hardwood floors do I hear you say. I heart wood, gives any house a very earthly, homely feel.
Oh no… does this mean I’ll still be unpacking in February??
And aiks… not dark hardwood floors lah. I wish!
can’t wait to see your new place!!!
(eh macam like i sudah invite myself over la…. tak tau malu
)
happy moving! (it’s never fun, but i guess we make the best of it ya?) new place, new furniture (IKEA!!!), new surrounding… and hopefully a fresh new perspective on life
I like that last bit… hopefully. Nothing like a new way to see old things, eh?
P.S. You’re totally invited to our new place, you don’t even have to ask!
Change is good , and change invigorating ! We’d regret like Hell if nothing changes, and depressed beyond words if the same old same old stares
There’s the new faces , new loves , new fun at the back , the front
Who knows whats next , bring them on
Happy new Year …again
New fun at the sides too?
Nah, it’s never too late for a Happy New Year greeting… In fact, here’s another one now:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
P.S. Aye, I do hope we get to meet this year. You are definitely one of the “faces” I mentioned in the post above that I’d love to meet in person in 2010.
I love this post. It’s meaningful. It’s true. The calendar is just a book of numbers. Life is not like a business where it closes at the end of the year and you have to settle all your transactions and accounts before year ends. The earth moves at the same speed, the sun rises and sets at the same place and today is not that different from yesterday and tomorrow. 31/12/2999 is not going to be any more vastly different than 1/1/3000, so what’s with all the resolutions and promises? I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve beaten myself up for not meeting all the imaginary deadlines I’ve set for myself! I didn’t even go beyond the first day of January before I broke my 2010 resolution of being more patient!!
Anyways…. moving is good. One tends to get stagnated after a while if one stays put for too long. Good excuse for a thorough spring clean anyhow. Isn’t it wonderful how in the midst of packing you find something which you thought you’ve lost forever?. I really gotta spring clean my house after leaving it for 2 years and start giving away things. A nice clean start for 2010. Ermm.. except it’ll be middle of 2010 when I finally get down to it!
Congratulations on your new pad. I’m sure in time you will build a truly beautiful and loving home in it.
p/s: sometimes I am shy to leave comments for fear of misunderstanding your post and looking stewpid. So if I did, please be kind and know that I just dropped in to wish you the best in your new house. One can never get enough of good wishes, ya?
“The calendar is just a book of numbers.”
I love the way you describe this — it’s pitch perfect and oh so true. I honestly believe your comment put everything in perspective better than my entire post!
And moving..? It definitely puts a different dimension to things, that’s for sure. Right now I am in my new living room surrounded by small hills of unpacked boxes (that don’t look like they are gonna unpack themselves, all the more’s the pity) and it is slowly sinking in… this… is… home.
I like the sound of that.
P.S. Don’t be shy to leave any comments at all… there is never a misunderstanding of what is written because as readers, we take what we want from a piece of writing. We own the writer’s words as our own by how we “read” them.
And your read is beautiful, dear. *hugs*
P.P.S. Thanks for the well wishes… One truly can never get enough of them.
Alamak! I didn’t realise how long-winded I was until I posted the comment!! Sorry-ah..
Long-winded? You? Compared to ME? You haven’t seen long-winded till you read one of my posts… oh wait. You have. LOL
Happy 2010 & Happy Moving to u !!!! (I assume u dy in ur new apartment ?)
Happy 2010 to you too! (And hopefully you’re not going through the madness of moving too, haha.)
I am totally at my new place and while it is still a complete mess, I love it absolutely and unconditionally. If I don’t have kids, well, at least I have our apartment to love and adore and spoil endlessly with new pieces of furniture…
Great post for the start of a new year. Throw away all that’s old so there’s space for new. I felt that way with our home two years ago. We do outgrow it. And then its time to move on to a bigger place. Bigger dreams. Bigger plans.
I think you and ToyBoy would fill any home you occupy with great joy, happiness and fun fun fun!
Moving days are nightmares! Hate the packing and esp when I have to decide what to throw away.
Oh the packing is murder, isn’t it? Finding the right-sized boxes for the oddest-shaped stuff that we own… Measuring the dimensions of the new place to determine which furniture will fit and which won’t (and therefore must be sold, given away, recycled, donated, etc.) — it all takes a toll on the soul, it does.
Which is why I am real glad I am on a vacation right now. Still have four days left… ah the bliss!
A Happy Belated New Year! Alamak, I am so late!
But it’s still Jan. phew!
You know what? I still have boxes unopened from my move more than 10 years ago!
Happy Belated NY to you too! But oh no… dun tell me I’ll have unopened boxes for over a decade… NOOOOO….
I guess sometimes, when we packed things in boxes, not knowing what to do with them, eventually, we would forget what was inside the box at the first place.
If we tend to forget what we have boxed up all these while, meaning the things inside are really petty.. Sometimes, it’s so petty that we forgot what life is all about. There are many things in life to look forward to, than to look back into old boxes and ponder over and over again. So, move on and learn to let go.
Excellent point. Excellent.
Most of what was stowed away I ended throwing cos out of sight, out of mind, and when in view again, not that important after all. Hence the huge (and still not completed) de-cluttering exercise I had.
Out with the old, in with the new. A yummier life to come.