I am a boxer. Oh yes, a very seasoned boxer and in fact, as professional as the ones who earn their keep at it. I hold no punches when it comes to ensuring zero-hairline-breakage to my gratin dishes and precious beer mugs and pint glasses. I wrapped them all up - piece by piece - with clean larger-than-broadsheet-size paper. I am reluctant to leave them in the hands of professional movers because insurance cover is merely that. Insurance cover can never replace sentimental value.
It is through our relocation experiences that I've learned to respect all forms of paper. From the softness of tissue wrappers to how a 500-pack of broadsheets can cause a very bad lower-backache. And the sheer volume 20 sheets can create just being crumpled up individually (especially useful for cushioning). Likewise, volume that can be reduced down to a fraction by tidying and flattening of the same (when unpacking for disposal). I also learned to appreciate the difference between single- and double-wall carton boxes. And that a box is only as good as its ECT strength.
Another type of "paper" which I have learned to respect: inventory lists for customs and insurance purposes. If you are considering relocating to another country, please, with immediate effect, stop hoarding. We don't consider ourselves hoarders and yet, we're already having migraines filling up the inventory lists. How many cushion covers do I have? How many caps are there in the box? How many BOOKS do we have in the house? Oh God!
Speaking of books. Somehow moving companies never learned. When asking for boxes to be delivered to our place prior to packing day - and because we prefer to pack some things ourselves - we've always specifically informed the movers that we have a lot of books, and would be great if they could give us smaller boxes for these. But they never learned.
They always gave us boxes that can easily fit a microwave oven with polystyrene protection all-round. Just filling it up to a third of the volume with books and the box becomes "unliftable". As a result, we always had to mix all sorts of stuff into these boxes. One box could have books, pillows, clothes, shoes, even a salad spinner all thrown in. Not very nice when it comes to unpacking, really.
So why can't they wise up and give us small boxes, enough only for a toaster oven? How can I make them understand that the books in our house are in much better condition than those found in Borders, and that we intend to keep them that way? How can I make them realize how much we respect our "papers" and that they should too, given the amount of paper - cartons and sheets - they come in contact with everyday?
Another type of "paper" which I have learned to respect: inventory lists for customs and insurance purposes. If you are considering relocating to another country, please, with immediate effect, stop hoarding. We don't consider ourselves hoarders and yet, we're already having migraines filling up the inventory lists. How many cushion covers do I have? How many caps are there in the box? How many BOOKS do we have in the house? Oh God!
Speaking of books. Somehow moving companies never learned. When asking for boxes to be delivered to our place prior to packing day - and because we prefer to pack some things ourselves - we've always specifically informed the movers that we have a lot of books, and would be great if they could give us smaller boxes for these. But they never learned.
They always gave us boxes that can easily fit a microwave oven with polystyrene protection all-round. Just filling it up to a third of the volume with books and the box becomes "unliftable". As a result, we always had to mix all sorts of stuff into these boxes. One box could have books, pillows, clothes, shoes, even a salad spinner all thrown in. Not very nice when it comes to unpacking, really.
So why can't they wise up and give us small boxes, enough only for a toaster oven? How can I make them understand that the books in our house are in much better condition than those found in Borders, and that we intend to keep them that way? How can I make them realize how much we respect our "papers" and that they should too, given the amount of paper - cartons and sheets - they come in contact with everyday?
