Some things are better left alone...

My parents decided to renovate the house beginning of April.  They wanted to extend the kitchen to make it bigger.  That will make us officially joined the majority Chinese community whom are known for tiling up everything in their house, leaving no patch of grass.  I, on the other hand, was protesting this the whole time because...

1. Firstly, I think it's a complete waste of money.

2. Secondly, I am losing the grass.  Although we have potted plants at home, it's different compare to grass.  Madhyam also misses the grass because the grass cools him down. 

3. Thirdly, we have been staying in the house for more than 20 years and it was fine the way it was.

Anyway, since it's their house, I can't say much.  

From the beginning of the renovation till now, my dad has been complaining about it.  Poor workmanship, absenteeism, slow, dusty, dirty, etc.  He was grumpy everyday and he make sure we know about it.

I am glad to say that right now, the renovation is 98% completed.

Since they were doing the kitchen, I told my parents, might as well do the bathroom upstairs.  My parents are giving me the master bedroom and in the bathroom there is a bathtub.  Of 20 years, we only used the bathtub like twice.  So, I said, renovate the bathroom also, remove the bathtub.  They said OK.

Since it's going to be my bathroom, I get to choose the tiles and how I want the bathroom to be.  From choosing the tiles to the workmanship, I have been very 'cincai', i.e simple-minded unlike the two of them who have been so particular about what type of tiles, the size of the room, the design of this, that and so on.  They rushed into the renovation and throughout the whole time, they have asked the contractor to change the design several times because they don't like how it look like.  

There was some times when it was too late to change the design.  Like when they asked my sister (someone who studied graphic design) to choose the tiles and then they regretted it after the tiles were fixed.  Then after partitioning the bathroom downstairs, fixed the tiles, toilet bowl, basin, etc, they now realised that the bathroom is too small but it's too late to repair.  They wanted to install a shower closet in the bathroom but because it's too small, they cannot do it. 

On the other hand, since I like green, I chose green tiles for my bathroom upstairs without fuss and within minutes.  When it was first fixed, my dad questioned my choice of colour (they never asked me about design advice because I am deemed a design idiot).  I actually wanted just a simple bathroom, nothing fancy.  They said have to change the toilet bowl because when they break the tiles to take out the bathtub, the toilet bowl will break too.  I said OK.  Then when my parents wanted to install the shower closet for their bathroom, I said, OK install for mine too.  

Now, because of my cincai-ness, my bathroom is the best looking thing in the house.  Both of them commented that the choice of tiles is beautiful now that it is almost completed.  And since my bathroom is bigger, there were ample space to install the shower closet.  I am getting mine, and they are not.

So, you see, somethings are better left alone.  No need to over-fuss.