Adventure 1: The Side Table in the Bus and MRT
Yesterday I invited Cate to go to Ikea with me so that I could buy a bolster pillow and side table for me as well as a full length mirror for our room. So we headed to Tampines MRT station to ride the free shuttle to Giant, Ikea and Courts. Cool marketing tool, huh?
When we got there, the first thing we did was eat at Ikea’s food court. Then we spent a couple of hours going around Ikea, and I fell in love with the place. There is just so much to see! If I had a ton of money and my own pad, I would definitely buy a lot of stuff here.
Cate and I were so happy about finding a four-piece mirror because we were worrying about how to transport an entire full length mirror to our house. The four squares could be easily handled and could be mounted as one full length on our wall.
As for my side table, I bought one in Ikea but ended up returning it when we found a cuter one at Courts. It was originally priced at S$39, but was marked down to S$20. It turns out that was for a reason – there were no flat packs left, I had to take the fully assembled one.
Of course we could get this home quite easily in a cab. But Cate had other ideas.
Yes, I blame her for what happened next. But I also blame myself for agreeing with her so quickly.
What happened next was an image straight out of a sitcom, quite reminiscent of the Friends episode with Ross and Rachel and Chandler carrying Ross’s couch up the stairs and Ross yelling “pivot!”
It wasn’t as bad as that, but close. I had to transport my brand new fully assembled side table to our flat via bus and train. Cate and I were laughing so hard at the way I looked. I had to rush through MRT turnstiles, afraid that they would close with the table in and me still outside.
A good thing that the thing had wheels, so I did not have to carry it all the way, but it hurt my back to keep hunching over while pushing it along, so I had the brilliant idea of throwing it forward while I ran fast to catch up with it.
Then when we got to our building, it had no elevator, so I had to carry it all the way up the stairs. Cate was amazed when I did not once put it down on any landing. Straight up. Macho man, that’s me.
Adventure 2: The Cabinet in the Pedicab
When I got home, first thing I told Gelle was, “Hey, remember my cabinet in the pedicab story? Natalo na sya today.”
I was referring to my first weird furniture adventure, one that’s actually popular to my former officemates in P&G.
It was my second year in Makati, and my closet was falling apart. I decided it was high time I bought a new and bigger one, Ss I commuted to Paco, Manila, where they sell cheap furniture. I found a closet, one with 2 drawers at the bottom and a plastic-cloth body on top that needs to be assembled.
Just as the cashier rang up my purchase, a guy approached me and offered to bring me and my cabinet home in his pedicab.
I told him, but I live in Makati. He and the cashier assured me that he brings a lot of folks that way. Since they obviously knew better, I agreed.
I blame them for what happened next.
Turns out that the Makati he frequented was much nearer to Paco than my Makati, which was so much farther away.
We actually got lost, ended up in the Makati cemetery which I had never been to before in my life, and had to ask for directions from bystanders.
By the time we found our main road, Gil Puyat Avenue, he voiced his observation that pedicabs are probably not allowed here, and I noted with my own eyes that there were indeed no other pedicabs in sight.
When I got home, my housemate wondered why I looked exhausted. I’m pretty sure the pedicab driver was even more so. I mean, come on, you know how far Manila is from Makati? Imagine travelling that distance on a pedicab.
Why do I get myself into these situations??