First entry from land of conspicuous consumption

I've just been on a carefully thought out shopping spree. Two cups, two plates, two forks... you get the drift. We have three coffee tables, one rickety chair,one rocking chair, a queen size air mattress and a computer. He bought the computer specially for me because he knows how important it is to me to write to friends and keep in touch, via the internet. Its the most expensive thing in our apartment and definitely the most decorative.

The apartment itself is just about big enough to swing a cat in: if it was a reasonably tolerant cat and didn't mind the odd crack on the head. One bedroom, middle level of a two story block, balcony, built in dishwasher/washing machine/dryer. One tiny bathroom that assumes the two of you are already acquainted rather intimately. From our balcony we can see the mountains in the distance, through a screen of fir trees. The fir tree just outside our balony has a colony of little grey squirrels scampering up and down and the whole situation is disgustingly cute, like one of those desperate Christmas cards painted by people with their teeth.

It's furnished in early Salvation Army/late parental castoff style, a decorating theme I thought I had left behind forever. Ahh, welcome back to the world of poverty.