We haven't had a decent bed in the Chiang Mai office till today.
Its kinda nostalgic remembering the first time when we rented this office.
At that time, we had to get to Chiang Mai every few months to get governmental paperwork done. And we really didn't have much money at that time. We were sleeping on the cold floors of a friend's rented office and we were grateful to have a floor to sleep on. Our backpacks were our pillows and jackets and jeans were our blankets.
After months of saving, we decided to take the "step of faith" to rent an office which we needed in order to register our charity. We had so little funds and we chanced upon a place that offered the cheapest rental. It was far out from the city, it was just hard concrete and really minimalistic- it had absolutely nothing !
But there was still much to thank God for, though we slept on the floor, at least we had a roof over our heads and it was our first office in Chiang Mai !
Months down the road, we saved up enough for a pillow and a thin polyester mattress. It was strange to sleep on one of these, it didn't do much of a job as you can feel the hard ground through the thin mattress. But at least it was better than sleeping on the cold hard floor.
After years, we saved up for the cheapest spring mattress we could find in the hypermart. It was exciting ! We finally had a bed, of sorts. The rainy season came and to our horror, the roof leaked and the beds were soaked, the spring quickly gave way and we couldn't bring ourselves to splurge any more money on a bed. The money can be better used to help someone out there.
It was funny every night ! Our butts will sink into the mattress while our legs and head will be supported by whats left of the bed. After a while, we got used to it and it kinda felt more like a Styrofoam bean bag than a bed ! And the roof leakages ? We joked that it was like an infinity pool up there !
For months, red ants will start infesting the place and we'll be bitten all over. These are really nastly little fire ants and swelling was enormous ! And many times when we just needed a shower, there was just no water from the taps. Yes. Thats probably why the rental is so cheap !
Last year, through project lives, we were offered a sofa bed, we grabbed it ! It was a little cranky. It just didn't open up fully, so it was another "V" but at least we're away from the ground and few more cm away from the nasty red ants!
Last month during project lives, when the manager at Salvation Army asked us what we needed. Shirleen our local coordinator quickly chirped "Our director is still sleeping on a sofa bed ! Can we get him a bed ? He just refuses to buy a bed !
Yes. She knows I've been hoping to get a mattress and have been looking in Ikea Singapore. But its just all so overpriced. Nice and soft, but it was just too pricey. I silently whispered to God and said "It'll be nice to have one yeah ?"
At the salvation army warehouse, the manager acceded to the request of Shirleen and made the rest of the arrangements and a dismantled bed frame + a mattress squeezed into the remaining space on the container before it left Singapore.
After the relief distribution last week, we transported the bed and frame to Chiang Mai in a little truck and got it assembled!
My staff joked "Finally the director has a proper bed". We laughed and it sure looks new. I had to try it out ! Lying on the mattress, it has this strangest feeling, as though as I have slept on it before.
I turned the mattress around and there was a little sticker label at a small corner of the mattress.
I was taken aback..... It read IKEA.
I kinda remembered the moment where I lay on the IKEA bed in the showroom and made that little whisper. But I guess God heard :)
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