The blue room

This is my room at our house in Marilao, Bulacan, in the Philippines.

When we were little (some would say I have remained little, but that's another story, down boy!) I always wanted a room of my own, having always shared space with one sister or another. But when you have five kids in the family, two adults, and just three bedrooms there will inevitably be compromises. So I guess when I relocated to Hong Kong more than 10 years ago - although I had lived in the odd boarding house during my work stints in Manila - something in me expanded, was immensely grateful, and terribly excited, to have my own place at last. Even if I had to pay rent on it.

My first flat was the tinest bedsit in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong's overcrowded, 24-hour noisy shopping district. The place was all of 300 square feet, perhaps less, and when you pushed open the main door you would immediately be staring at the bed, living room and wardrobe. The toilet had the WC and immediately above it, the shower head. You can imagine what contortions showering entailed. Directly facing the bathroom door was the kitchen stove under which was an alcove that housed a mini fridge.

That was the smallest space I'd ever lived in, but it was the first true room I could call my own. What followed after that was a succession of rental flats, including two on Lamma island, where I had a balcony and could enjoy looking out on trees, green hills and the odd banana plantation.

Where I live now, in Pokfulam on the southwestern side of HK Island, is probably the best flat and location that my budget can afford (so far). The flat is over 500 square feet, which would make it about the size of my blue bedroom back home plus part of our kitchen. But the best thing is it overlooks green hillsides and in the summer the air is alive with birds. It's autumn-y now and I hear few or no songbirds of a morning, and although I still see the hawks wheeling there aren't as many of them as in the warmer months, they must be wintering in Barbados or something. the community is quiet and solidly middle-class, so no major dramas. Also, the 2-bedroom layout beloved of developers in these parts has been converted by the owner into a large single bedroom that has tons of space for my stuff. I like the sense of space.

When I moved to this flat I was dismayed by the Victorian-like wallpaper in the living room, in a kind of geometric floral pattern on silver-toned and textured grey background. The bedroom was awash in more wallpaper - an emerald green with thankfully no design, just texture. I wanted something more modern, more cleanlooking. I had visions of repainting but gave it up as it would have cost a pretty penny.

It's grown on me though, and I rather like that it looks like few other flats in my part of town. Other residential estates are newer, but they cost more, or don't have my panoramic green view. The only thing I regret is when the *##&*^&#&*^ water heater refuses to work and reduces me to marshalling my palanggana fleet, just to be able to wash my hair. And also the kitchen faucet keeps falling off - surprising quite a few friends when they come over for a meal or coffee and then try to help with the washing up.

But back to my blue bedroom. It's quiet, serene, peaceful, rather bare. I feel sometimes that I have abandoned it. It holds so little of me, so few personal effects, because I am abroad 11 months out of 12. But it's always going to be my haven, and it's always going to be home.