My walls are up

\"My

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DISCLAIMER: vanity post
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When I saw these walls–concrete and solid–it hit me.  I\’m moving.  In three months.  To a place far from home.

Any big lifestyle change brings with it a certain level of stress, but to be honest I\’ve found the delay in moving more stressful (target construction start was pushed back 6 months).

I first moved out last year as an experiment, and reading about what I thought of living alone makes me excited to do it again:

This year–2010–has been my big living alone project. The point was to freely explore possibilities that would open up in the process, to have no other agenda but to clear the path. Five months into it, I’ve been asked by at least two good friends for output, an honest concern as to whether I was getting somewhere, or anywhere for that matter. Without second thought, I gave an exuberant YES to their questions, but in complete honesty, I can only claim this– that my life has become lighter, I have lighter everydays, and although it has its gains, it has also come at a cost.

Remembering even the costly side of it is making me smile now:

On cleaning: I used to cherish neatness and wiping my floor with tissue paper just to see that it was squeaky clean. Now I don’t even bother scrubbing the bathroom tiles. What’s happened? I’ve grown into living with no helpers, and household chores have shown their true nature– hardy, time-consuming, and persistent. They just never stop coming.

Lovely. Really. 🙂

By November, I\’ll be living within these walls in Nuvali, a full-fledged adult with a house to maintain, uprooted from Metro Manila which has been home for 30 years.

While driving to Sta. Rosa the other day I had a random thought: I\’m going to have to register as a Laguna voter now.

Other random thoughts:

  • Gas money is going to kill me! P400 for each trip to \”the North\”
  • Goodbye to futsal in Club650, boo.
  • But there\’s always frisbee/ultimate (I get to wear Pink again!), especially if the league goes back to Nuvali — just have to work around the sun issue:  irreversible skin damage, double boo!
  • So much furniture and appliances to buy!
  • I wonder how hard (or easy) it will be to clean my house
  • Should I get a dog?  Can I take care of a dog?

On my to do list:

  1. Check if Sun internet works on my street / lot.
  2. Check the lights around Nuvali at night– hope the area is lit enough
  3. Get Nuvali and Greenfield stickers
  4. Get to know my neighbors!

I cannot wait to plant in my garden.

I cannot wait to bike everyday.

I cannot wait to set up my workstation and paint away!

15 thoughts on “My walls are up”

  1. Weee!!! Same sentiments here.  Planting, biking and strolling and relaxing everyday 🙂
    My Globe Tattoo’s pretty decent, I was in fact able to do “online, office work” from Nuvali (though, my Nuvali home should really be a no-work zone 🙂 ).

    Where I’m from (Phase 3), there are not much lights at night, except for the barracks of the workers.  But in your area, and since you’re fronting a green ribbon, for sure there will be lights…

    And I totally agree, cleaning the house is very time-consuming.  But it is a lot of fun as well, which doubles as a workout and a meditation session for me.

    I’m targeting to move in on November 3.  So, see you in two months!

    1. Agree, cleaning is meditative. Physical/external purging  = internal purging, that’s why when I’m stressed I also like to rearrange furniture! haha

      No work zone! Are you going to be working in Laguna also come November?  

      November 3– you have a preference for 3? It’s my lucky number as well 🙂 🙂  Pero mauuna ka pa sa kin, baka end of Nov pa ko.  But woohoo, hello neighbor.  I’m very near the boundary of Phase2 and 3.

      Thanks for the heads up on Globe Tattoo– did you get the landline-based one or plug it?

      1. Yeah, I also made sure I can rearrange furniture because it makes me feel “new” afterwards.

        My current job allows me to work from home once a week, so I just tested if I can connect using my Globe Tattoo.  It’s the USB device I’m using.  So far it’s ok.

        Ahahaha, no preference for “3”.  It’s just that I gave my contractor 60 days to finish the improvement.  Perhaps a few more landscaping after Nov 3.  Sobrang excited lang talaga ako 😀

        And, yeah, I see your unit everytime I do my Sunday jog 🙂  Exciting diba?  Mine’s in Ph3, in a courtyard.

        1. How’s renovation coming along?  🙂

          Looks like a more realistic timetable for me is Dec to move in… excited for you, lapit na! 

          1. Yeah, really exciting.  Every weekend umuuwi ako dun para makita ung progress.
            If you’ll be there in December then lagyan mo na rin ng Christmas decors 🙂

          2. Yes all out Christmas decor–first Christmas in my first home! 🙂 
            Do you know any of your neighbors already?  I drove around Phase 3 last weekend and saw just one occupied house along the Green Ribbon nearest me.   Saya sana kung marami nang nakatira, para maayos na rin yung mga open spaces.  🙂

          3. They’re fixing all the green spaces now in Ph2 + 3.  Mukhang hinahabol sa Pasko.  Pati sa courtyards.  Tinanong ko rin ung mga nagtatanim kung ano pangalan ng mga puno na tinatanim nila.  Hehe.  After the house construction kasi, I’m doing landscaping na.

          4. Thanks for the update!  This is great news, especially kung matapos nga nila before Christmas 🙂

            Have you decided on what plants to use for landscaping? Are you doing a vegetable garden?

  2. I’m really concerned about the cost of fuel and toll fee. I computed it’s going to cost us around P700/day for gas and toll fees roundtrip ortigas-nuvali 🙁 that’s without the VAT!

    Hope the shuttle services will be up and running soon, and will have routes going to city centers like ayala, makati and ortigas. I wonder though how we can get out of Venare (next year pa) to get to the shuttle terminal at Solenad 2.. will there be another shuttle just going around Nuvali? Or are there bike racks close to the terminal where we can leave our bikes? assuming this is an option for some 🙂

    1. The VAT on toll is a big ouch indeed 🙁 

      We’ll really have to find ways to be more efficient with travel, part of which is to travel only when needed.   We just got our Nuvali and Greenfield stickers, so now we can use the Mamplasan exit.  The savings on toll and gas are significant also. 

      We’re also based in Ortigas now, and we travel to Tagaytay every weekend.  Hope to start a business in the South though, to lessen the need to be in Manila.   Will you be doing the daily Ortigas-Nuvali commute if ever?

      I think transportation is a major concern for all Nuvali residents, and I’m just banking on Ayala’s vision and follow through that something workable will be done to address it.I’m sure though that by the time you get to build and move into your Venare home (maybe late 2012 right?), the terminal/transport system will already be in place.   As of now I only know of the shuttle from Avida Settings to Solenad, but I’m pretty sure Ayala (and the homeowners associations) will also set up a service for Avida Village and Venare residents when the time comes. 🙂

    2. I think they’re setting up more frequent shuttle routes in ASN.  They’re building a “terminal/waiting shed” just in front of the main community area, near the pool.  Sana rin nga magtayo ng tram along Nuvali spine road, kahit hanggang Solenad or Paseo 🙂

      1. The tram/dedicated mass transit on the spine road is part of the masterplan, just don’t know the timetable for implementing it.  But the Transport Terminal along the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay road is taking shape– I’m sure Nuvali management will provide ways of getting there and back from the Nuvali villages.

  3. ramenandgelato

    Hello!  I’ve been going through your blog because I am hoping to get a house in Nuvali soon.  🙂 I just wanted to ask — the ultimate disc league you spoke of is by the PUA, right?  Pink — Breakfast Club?  It’s great to know the league/s was/were held there.  But, how about pickup games?  Are there any pickup games in that area?  🙂 I used to play with Sunken Pleasure, many many many years ago haha.  

    1. Hi !  I’ve been out of the Disc loop for years now, but yes, used to play for BC.  I think they only did one league in Nuvali though — and are back in Alabang these days, which still isn’t so far away.  I have yet to see disc being played regularly in Nuvali, puro soccer and running for now.  But who’s to say we can’t start it? 😉  

      Where are you planning to buy?

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