House Hunting

We've been in Singapore for about 30 hours now; I've slept for about 10 of these, eaten Singapore's national dish, Chicken Rice, taken two showers and a bath, grocery shopped, unpacked, signed my very official application for my residency pass, and only felt so tired that I wasn't sure I could feel my feet one time. I don't like that feeling, having my brain disconnect so thoroughly from everything except the desire to be asleep that I feel like I'm a head on wheels, and as I watch the sun set on my second full day I'm hoping my internal clock is resetting.  It's hard to tell if I feel alert because my body thinks it's 7 pm or because it thinks it's 7 am, though; it's mostly at the corners of the day, the 3's and 4's, that I'll know if my hypothalamus is on board with the move yet, or not.

We're currently living in a serviced apartment.  Having spent our last few days in Houston in a hotel, my kids kept asking me to explain the difference between a hotel and an apartment, and I felt we had that defined until we arrived here.  We have more space than we would in a hotel room, but we still get free breakfast and daily maid service, so it's both kind of awesome in the vacation-y way a hotel is, but also kind of sterile and impersonal in a way a real home is not.  On the excellent advice of a friend who has done this herself, I packed a few of the kids' tchotchkes and games and a favorite set of brightly-colored placemats, and having those out and in their proper places is making us all feel a little more comfortable. Also, hot sauce.  Having a bottle of Crystal hot sauce in my cabinet not only makes me feel comfortably at home, it had the bonus of making feel a little Beyoncé-esque knowing I had it in my suitcase the whole way over.  

Our adventure for the day was house hunting, and it was exhausting and amazing and hilarious and thought-provoking on both practical and existential levels.  In other words, it was an average episode of House Hunters International.  I'm going to assume you're as big a fan of the show as I am, because of course you are.  I'd guess, actually, that I'm among a very few who likes to watch obnoxious humans set impossible parameters for their next residence and then completely oversimplify the decision-making process, but there are memes about it, so I must not be completely alone.

In reality, we've been working with a super-nice real-estate guy for a while long-distance, as well as researching online and talking to friends to sort out what we want in a house or apartment and what we can reasonably expect, but the fact that we looked at eight apartments today and we'll look at as many tomorrow, then likely decide on our home for the next three years over the weekend makes it seem like the same straightforward drama that makes an episode of House Hunters so strangely engrossing.  And as fate or my brain would have it, we're left at the close of today with three favorites, just like they do in the show, so let me unspool for you our "episode."

First, the players (consider these descriptions caricatures of reality, ok? A true likeness on some level but not perfectly accurate):

He is a corporate lawyer, and wants a clean and modern, maintenance free, spacious condo in a private, quiet complex proximate to public transportation to his work. She is an unemployed life enthusiast who loves old places with lots of "character" and wants to be in a neighborhood with cozy cafes and clever bookshops, with lots of space to wander and scope for the imagination.  And if we hadn't yet made the task impossible, they have two kids who want a condo on a high floor in a complex with a pool as large as possible and a playground. Here we have the making of great tv; someone, at least, is going to leave the table unsatisfied.

Option One: Brand New and Modern

 

Those Windows!

We start the day with probably the Homeric ideal of apartments.  The building is brand new, and our players would be the very first occupants of the condo.  It's always fun to get to be the very first occupants of the building, and He is particularly pleased that the complex is not terribly large and still largely unoccupied.  The apartment itself is on a high floor with a great view, fantastic amenities, and every modern bell and whistle imaginable.  She wishes to turn her nose up at the sleek finishes and shiny everything, but has her head turned by the floor to ceiling windows and the built-in coffeemaker and steamer, to be honest.  The kids like the pool, it's in a good area not too far from a good train station, and the whole family walks away wondering if they should even look anywhere else.

Option Two: Location, Location, Location!

As seemingly perfect as Option One might be, Option Two finds a crack in the armor and loads it up with explosives.  You want a place close to public transportation, you say? How about a subway station on the perfect line directly across the street from the condo? There are probably less than a hundred steps from your door to the train. 

 

That grey roofy bit is the station. As viewed from the roof of the condo. It's RIGHT THERE. 

You want a great neighborhood? How about living across the street from the Singapore Botanic Gardens, with a great children's garden, spectacular lakes, a breathtaking orchid garden, miles of paths, and even a little bit of a rainforest? 

 

All those trees? Botanic Garden. As seen from the apartment. 

Also, there's an adorable cafe next door.  And a nice grocery store.  And a mini-mall in a heritage building with no fewer than five shops of adorable children's clothing, a nail shop, a yoga studio, an Italian restaurant, and a couple of those stores that you can't categorize but they have good-smelling candles and pretty doo-dads and it doesn't really matter what exactly they are. And you're across the road the other way from one of the best noodle shops in the country.  The apartment is fine, a little wonky in layout, and the pool is a little small, but really, those are such small potatoes.  You could probably live in a tent in this location and live happily forever.

Option Three: Family Paradise

It's nearing the end of a long day, and everyone is tiring. Our players pull up to a super-large complex, and everyone just wants to be finished.  But then they take the elevator up to the apartment and everyone starts picturing their furniture in the sunny spacious apartment.  It just feels like home, and everything is lining up so well.  You can't figure out why they feel so comfortable there, but they do.  And the pool, you guys? Massive. 

 

GIANT POOL! As seen from the 24th floor. Check, check. 

 Reportedly full of children every weekend. Playground.  Koi pond.  

 

I knew we were in trouble when the children started naming the fish. 

Walking paths.  Game room.  The benefit to a huge complex is that it has all the things, and this place has a few extra.

And here we are at that last commercial break, and maybe you already know which of the three we're each preferring and arguing with yourself which way the decision is going to go.  If you know, fill me in! I'm tired and overwhelmed with the awesomeness of all of the choices; everything here is ridiculously awesome, and these three top choices are each so perfect I can't see how to sort out which one is best. And we'll look at more tomorrow, so stay turned for this multi-episode special!