Setting Comfortable Home in a new Place

Moving to a different place or country involves various tasks such as planning, shopping, packing, travelling/moving, unpacking and finally settling down. A safer and a smoother transition requires everything to be in sync. Not always things happen as planned and may often result in turmoil and trauma leading to messing up things.

A life saver idea is to be prepared well ahead of time with minimal tools and tips. One such life saver tool is 'LIST'. It helps us to stay smart and plan perfect to avoid last minute tensions. List doesn't need any formatting or alignment, so just pick up a note/scribbling pad and start listing items. Think in all possible angles and start listing tasks or items related to one room at a time.

Example: Start with kitchen, write down all the related tasks and items required and leave some extra space below to update later. Keep updating the list as and when you recollect and think of any tasks/items. Once done with kitchen, move on to other rooms like bedroom, kids rooms, pooja room, patio/yards/balcony and living room.

Once listing is complete, validate the items listed, shortlist the items and sort by categories like items to be sent by transport, items carried by you personally, packing style, validation of the items to check if they meet a country's custom policies. Ex: As per few countries' customs policies, perishable food items like sweets, fruits or vegetables or sometimes even pickles are strictly not allowed and may be asked to discard at the airport. Consider pros and cons of every single task to minimize wastage and unnecessary tension.

Follow the smooth list life cycle below:

Listing items > Updating list on a timely basis > Review > Shortlist the required items> Sort per categories> Finalize the list > Validation > Implementation

Kitchen

• First list down all the essential things you need for a convenient cooking.
• Depending on the destination place, take a call on how to gather or arrange for the required items.
• Do a little research on net, check forums or check with your friends/relatives living in that area.
• If you are moving within a same country, then its more like a cake walk but, if you are moving to a new country, you got to check various options like availability of all essential food items in that location, utensils catering to our cooking and their price, quality, accessibility to the nearest stores.

Note:
This is a common suggestion from most of my friends and relatives who settle here. This list can vary as per our regional cooking and preferences. You may customize the list or shortlist few items as per your interest or luggage permitting weight convenience.

LIST

Utensils and Cutleries

Pressure cooker (small) - any metal except steel as it burns food at the bottom
IDLY Plates
Rolling Pin BELAN (to roll chapathis)
Rolling pin Base Chakla (optional)
Mixer grinder (Preethi high power 110 W is good)
Chopping board (Anjali) Small - knife attached to board....for comfortable chopping
Desi Spice rack (steel spices box)

Wet grinder (for frequent batters)
Spoons and forks - 1 dzn
Mortar pestel - to grind fresh spices/garlic - small - optional
Dosa Tawa - light weight - Nonstick
Steel Spatulas and scoops to serve rice/dal

Steel Plates - 4 - small
Steel bowls - 4 - small
Apple cutter
Peeler
Long Coconut scrapper
Food
Sambar/Rasam powders....home made
Masala powders
Achars/pickles
Tamarind pulp home made (optional)
Vadiyams - home made and the list on and on.......as per your convenience

Miscelaneous Items (for living room/kids room/bedroom/personal)

Portable Family Snaps
Photo albums
Personal phone number diary
Travel safe Wall decors

Indianised dresses for parties
Regional language wall calendar for festivals
Animation Regional kids movie CDs/DVDs (you may not find them all in abroad stores)
Regional cooking books
Regional music CDs for car/IPod
Gods' photos
Pooja items
Favorite Indian designer bed sheets (optional)
Designer fancy Hair clips, Bindi, hair bands, comfort combs etc.