Our 'Casa' On The Hill

Having a home intrigued me when since I was 4 and watched 'Little House On a Prairie' on TV. The warm fuzzy feeling about getting married, buying a home and settling down came all over me.

It lasted 2 days.

Now, 29 years later I'm trying to get that feeling but its more out of necessity. My parents (read: landlords) are demanding rent. Plus overdue restitution. Okay, I've been a little late leaving the family 'nest' but it's not what you think. My family resides in Melbourne. My Dad works in Kuala Lumpur (good ol' KL) and his overly-generous employer provides a free, comfy terrace house. I figured Dad wouldn't mind the extra company all these years. So I'm not exactly living in the family home to be precise.

Anyway, I took a long, expensive drive in my over-priced coupe and drove around looking for a nice house on a hill to call home. Fact: I didn't really make it out of my suburb as CSI:Miami was due to air in 20 minutes. Fact Two: in dense, dysfunctional, inner Kuala Lumpur a home on a hill requires a spare RM3-5 million in change for the buyer and I don't really have that. So I settled for a condominium on a hill, and a 3 bedroom unit in it at that. The developers call it Casa Desa. "You'll love this little gem," cooed Devikar, the fifty-something sales assistant as she tried to prise the cheque out of my hand a few days later.

"I'm sure I will," I smiled, through gritted teeth.

Thus began Part 1 of this little Terrence Malick-length saga on home buying that my girlfriend Nim and I will endure for the next 12 months. Next planned was a visit to the resident leech, er, bank manager, at Mid Valley Megamall. Begging for money. Hmm. I wonder when the warm, fuzzy feeling is going to begin.