I have researched the words "condominium" "apartment" and "flats" and I think the main difference is that apart maybe from a few small legal differences is that it depends on which country you live in. "Condo" seems to be the preferred term in Canada and America and definitely in Malaysia and "flats" is used in the UK and South Africa.
It is all fine and dandy living in these high rise apartment blocks IF the lift works and each of these enormous blocks have several lifts! How can it happen then that last week all
three lifts were not functioning and we had Nick downstairs waiting to take us to a play date!! So, brave Joshua and I decided to walk down the twenty two floors! No problem! Joshua was like a little impala the way he hopped and skipped down all floors, enjoying counting backwards. Being Chinese owned, the number four is deemed to be unlucky so there is no no. 14 or 4th floor but 13a and 3 a instead which leads to a bit of confusion in a five year old' s mind.
No worries, we made it and we were off to the play date. Well......the next day I woke up feeling a little sore and by bedtime I actually couldn't sneeze without aching! It took three days of swimming and rubbing to get rid of the aches and pains! I asked Warren if I should consider running down the stairs every day to build up my fitness and he reminded me of the "burro" story on our honeymoon.
We visited the Greek Island of Santorini. From the Harbour to the top of the island are at least 600 steps. My ever fit husband thought it a great idea for us to walk up these steps and not use the donkey/ burro taxi offered. Being brave I tucked my bottom lip in and started the Great Trek. Half way up I just could not walk another step. No wayHose!! Warren stopped one of the donkey drivers as they were coming down the steps to ask what his rate would be to take me the rest of the way....and of course knowing my desperation, the driver doubled the price!! Did I care ...no way. Later on we read that these same donkeys only had a working life span of four years before they dropped down dead! So I guess I won't be running down 22 floors every day. Swimming a few lengths is far more healthy and just does not hurt at all!
The "playdate" we were off to also has a funny story attached to it. The previous week Joshua had attended a Soccer Camp. Every day when questioned about the friends he had met at the camp he would talk about "Ben 10" . He really liked this little fellow and we had no further details about him. On the last day of the Camp, Moira wrote a note to Ben Ten's Mother asking her to make contact so a play date could be arranged. This Mother Ben Ten did. So here I was taking Joshua to a total stranger's home armed with my basket of treats a bit like Red Riding Hood. I just hoped that there would be no wolf on the way. But he came in a different form. Ben 10 lives in the poshest set of condos imaginable. Nick managed to get through the main set of security gates, dropped us off, and then we got to the front doors leading to the specified apartment block. Mr Wolf or rather the security gaurd arrived and asked whether we had an access card or not. I told him that we were visiting friends and all I knew was the apartment and floor number. His English was non existent but he suggested we sit and wait in the sumptuous waiting area while he called the guard house. The minutes ticked away, one excited little fellow started eating the contents of the basket and forty five minutes later and much pointing and stamping of feet the hostess arrived to escort us to her apartment. The security is so tight in these blocks, it's crazy. But I guess it's necessary when you live in foreign countries and earn the kind of money these condos cost. Susha, Ben Ten or rather Tex's Mum was so lovely and was so pleased Moira had written to her. The family have only been on the country for a few weeks and they too needed friends. Their home is huge and lovely. The boys could chase each other round without bumping into anything. It even has its own movie room. It really is the biggest condo I have ever been into! It is on the thirtieth first floor and has a birds eye view of the whole of Mont Kiara....meaning you can see mile upon mile of condos!
"Birds eye view" is the newest phrase I have introduced Joshua to. He has been ill with a cough and cold so we have been indoor bound and keeping him busy has been at the top of our list. He is amazing how he plays on his own chatting away to himself and every now and then calling "Come and play with me". We are experts on Angry Birds, Thomas the tank engine etc. and in between, we have been doing lots of drawing, painting cutting and creating, which is more my forte. While painting I suggested we paint the view which I described as a "Birds eye view". He loves to chat about the birds eye view and did some lovely paintings too!
Tomorrow Ramadan ends for all the Muslim folk in Malaysia and there will be much celebrating. As it is, the fireworks go off day and night all around us. We are heading off for the coast, which I will tell you more about next week.
In the meantime I really do want to thank you for reading my posts. I had three mails this week from different friends who actually READ what I write and I am ever grateful. PLEASE sign on as a Friend and boost my friends list and leave an occasional comment. I can't tell you how happy it would make me knowing I am not talking to the walls or in this instance "cyberspace".
