There are two types of people in the world: hoarders and purgers. I fall into the second category, although recent acts of reckless disposal have made me wary of clearing clutter with abandon.
The first inkling of trouble arrived when the men renovating my home started peering into boxes they'd already examined and surveying dark corners with narrowed eyes.
'Lost something,' I asked, hoping to magic whatever it was from a shoe or flower pot.
They shot each other a 'we'll have to tell her' look and one asked: 'Seen those spare bathroom tiles anywhere?'
'Check the terrace,' I said, forgetting it had just been cleared.
After weeks of demolition and reconstruction, my outdoor area had started to resemble Manila's Smokey Mountain and I wanted the rubbish removed. 'Rats will be moving in soon,' I told my project manager, Joe, who informed me that renting a skip would cost HK$1,800 and it was better to wait until it could be filled. But when a neighbour wandered casually into my yard to scavenge, it was time to act.