December 31, 2013

Last day of 2013.  I am looking forward to 2014 with a vengeance.

The big news is that I have to move.  My lease is up on January 7.  One year in this house is gone already.  I have been paying Rs.30,000 rent.  I contacted my landlords to ask for the lease to be extended for another year, and they informed me that they were willing, but for Rs.40,000.  I was shocked.  I have maintained the house as if it were my own, spending Rs.300,000 of my own money on improvements.  I got back to them saying I would not stay unless the rent stayed as it was.  After a week, they responded with Rs.36,000.  I responded with Rs.32,000 against my better judgment, but I thought I could buy some time while I sorted things out.  They came back saying they were not interested in negotiating and it was Rs.36,000 or nothing.  So it is nothing.

All this back and forth would have left me with only one week to pack up and move, which I pointed out to them.  Now I have until January 31 to make the move. 

My friends have been great.  I will be moving in with Sonali.  She has a spare room with bath in a large house quite close to where I am now further up the river.  Jayanthi has said I can store my furniture at her estate in Thalatuoya and Jez has mobilized his entire team to help with the move.  I will be removing all the electrical enhancements I have made; 6 ceiling fans, 14 plug points, a geyser, etc., etc.

I gave all my boxes to Sonali when my stuff arrived from Canada.  Luckily she has kept them, so between them and what I can pick up from the big grocery stores, I should be fine.  The Kawasakis are providing the packing paper.  Veenitha is here to help me pack and so is Jayanthi.

But the big news is that Jayanthi, maybe her husband (that is another story), and I will be moving into her estate at Thalatuoya.  It is 12km. from Kandy sitting on 9 acres of timber and mixed crop; coconut, jack, teak, aloe, pepper, coffee.  The house is 100 years old and needs work, but we will get it done in the next few months.  There is ample room even to expand the house and it needs new bathrooms.  There is a servants house and 2 other houses that can be rented out or made use of in some other way.  The place is paradise.  There is even a perfect spot for a swimming pool.  The best news of all is that I don't have to pay rent.  I have offered to pay the utilities, but I will be saving a pack of money, will have great company and will be able to set up some kind of income generating business.

The village is lovely and when you have to go to Kandy, there is a good road which only takes about 20 minutes by tuktuk.  Luckily my car has not sold, as we will need one there, so the Universe has conspired again to make things as they should be.

My dream before I left Canada was to live on a plantation, and I had been hoping that Jayanthi's estate would be suitable.  My dream is coming true.

Ain't life a kick in the pants.

Hooray, 2014!