setting up house

I have been in Cardiff two months and two days. I have been in my apartment (flat) almost three weeks.

I'm still awaiting a five-week paycheque (due next Friday!) and living off savings, sticking to a tight budget. But the area of Cardiff I live in -- Cathays, which is primarily a student and immigrant area -- makes this relatively easy.

My flat is furnished with the basics: kitchen table and chairs, fridge, washing machine, stove, couch and chair, bed, bedside table and wardrobe.

Nicky Harris, on my first day in the flat, took me to a giant Tesco's -- a bigbox store -- for some cleaning basics and cooking and eating basics: pot, pan, silverware, a few dishes, a mug, some towels. The Harris' were also very generous in providing me with some bedding and later, a T.V., a DVD player and more pots and pans.

Here in the U.K. there are no Salvation Army, Goodwill or Value Village stores, but rather hundreds of little charity shops. In many areas every fifth shop is run by a different charity: cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, hospices, etc. These all sell second-hand goods at very cheap prices, so I have been able to go in and pick up extra bowls and pans relatively easily. I've also been able to pick up a few jigsaw puzzles at these stores for only a pound each and was able to buy a camping table on sale that works double duty as an eating surface and puzzle area.

Canadian Tire or Home Hardware should open up shop here though. It is very difficult to find basic hardware necessities. It took me several days of scouring the City Centre and my neighbourhood before finding anyone who sold such a thing as a broom. Scores of garbage bins -- garbage bins of every shape and colour for inside your home -- but no brooms or dustpans.

Because there are many Middle East, Southasian and Polish shops in my neighbourhood I have been able to buy vegetables, grains, breads and spices at prices even cheaper than the larger stores -- and in many cases, better quality. I also have a local butcher. Butcher shops here are so quaint -- a la Coronation Street, the butchers dress up very fine in white.

Many of my clothes are still packed in my suitcases though. Once I get a little extra cash, I can make the trip to satisfy small furniture needs in style -- IKEA awaits.