Stoneware or earthenware

Apparently, both are microwave and dishwasher safe, and heavier and harder than porcelain.

However, stoneware appears to be the better of the two due to several factors : water tight, chip-resistant, has a textured feel, can withstand high / low temperature, oven-safe and generally heavier and harder, making it less ready to break.

Earthenware, on the other hand, cannot hold water (although most nowadays come with a waterproof glazed surface), chips easily, has an off-white colour, feels chalky, cannot withstand temperature, and not oven-safe. It contains some impurities, making it fragile and absorbent.

Of course, these details were taken off the Seeleys website about pottery art. I'm particularly interested in these details at the moment because I'm trying to choose a set of tableware for the new house. The Bed Bath and Beyond website (yeah, the same store featured in Click starring Adam Sandler) lists tableware according to grade, from good to best : earthenware, stoneware, porcelain, fine china, bone china. Obviously, porcelain onwards is not an option, judging from the prices in Jusco.

Apparently, too, stainless steel knives with a high carbon content tend to stay sharper longer and are easily sharpened when needed.

Okay, that's all the housewife knowledge acquired today. Stay tuned for another upcoming lesson. "Creating A Home" is a life-lesson in progress.

Work in progress

The house is looking nicer and bigger by the day, with each demolition of old walls and creation of new ones. Of course, there are the nitty-gritty details that make this project a rather tedious one. But, I'm a nitty-gritty person :)

Check out the progress pics here.

51 days

before we celebrate the new year of 2007. Now's the season for that frantic rush to renew resolutions before we make new ones again. To salvage what we can to improve our standing in the boss' eyes before that final-year appraisal in hopes of a good new year bonus. To slim down that figure in order to look good for the new year feasting.

To look forward to a brand new year which will bring new hopes and carry our dreams further. New opportunities, new beginnings, new days.

I'm looking forward to 2007.

Roger!

Newest addition to the family - Roger the puppy! Adorable hor? Born on 22nd September 2006 to a stray and has 2 other "siblings" all adopted to different families. The vet says it has a cold, needs deworming and has a small fungus patch under its chin. But otherwise, it's not running a fever and is perfectly fat and healthy. Both Max and Bobby (our other 2 dogs) have quite taken to it, but at night we keep Roger in the wet kitchen - don't want it to be exposed to rain or unnecessary dogfights when we're asleep. Cracked our heads for names for him, some of which included King Kong and Bak Kut Teh, but finally parents settled on Roger, coined by KF. It's utterly cute and has this adorable habit of literally falling asleep every 10 minutes, wherever it happens to be. He cannot be more adorable, and that's saying something, because even KF takes time to play with it :)

Vacant possession

Today we officially receive the keys to the house. In another 2 weeks, after getting the necessary approvals, we'll begin our renovation works. And hopefully, a month after that, KF can move in :)

The vendor is actually liable to pay us about RM900/- as interest charge for late delivery. But, aiya, never mind la. After all, with the Raya break and everything, it's understandable that it's been a bit difficult to clear bills and everything. He still owes us the Indah Water bill, but out of good faith, I'll let him sit on that until he deems fit to pay. Or I seek him out the next time the bill arrives.

We went to the developer's office yesterday to sign the Deed of Mutual Covenants. Cost us RM180/- just for those few pages of paper. But these are the costs of living in a gated community. We'll have to put an RM3,000/- deposit with them later when we want to apply for a renovation permit. The lady forgot to collect RM500/- from us as "performance deposit" - whatever that is. And we have to pay about RM28/- monthly as service charges.

Another hidden cost we didn't expect - submission of renovation plans to MBPJ for approval. It'll cost us about RM1,000/- for MBPJ to draw up the plans and submit and process and finally, approve. But the guy has promised to get it done quickly for us, so it should take about a week. Then I have to submit those plans to the developer again for approval, which will take another week.

Tedious-ness.

Money is gushing out very quickly, but trickling in oh so slowly. That's the way the world goes, isn't it?

By the time my house is ready for move-in, it should be worth at least RM300,000/- ... muahahaha!