Ze meerchat 'as a new 'ole!
'allo, 'allo, 'allo!
Ze meerchat zigning in!
Well, it has been one crazy week! I have experienced, walked my feet off, seen, felt more then in many many years. In the evenings I have been so bushed that I basically crashed in front of the TV!
First of all, the job. In the morning, I step in the shower, put on my office clothes and join the migrant workforce in transit to the hundreds of Euro establishments in a place called the Kirchberg plateau. I work in one of the high rise buildings called appropriately albeit a bit morbidly the Twin Towers. Thankfully, my office is on the first floor.
The work seems to be interesting and at least I don't feel entirely lost. It's in many ways very similar to what I was doing before. The colleagues, too, seem to be a nice bunch, not very emotional but not mean either. I have a nice room all to myself, a good computer and a window that's really more of a glass wall. I like that! There's one colleague who smokes and has a cat, so I have an instent friend in her. Other colleagues have been giving me information concerning the practicalities of everyday life. All very nice!
Last weekend was wonderful. My friend K called and we went to see a religious procession that was supposed to take place in the city. But we must've gotten something wrong because there was a service at the church but no procession! It was interesting to watch how much the Catholic church has adopted new elements in its service. They all were recited Our Father together with hand signs, that gave it an extra ooomph! And they were singing Kumbaya! Wowee! All in all, it doesn't matter what words or form people use, it's still all about the age old yearning for communion with the highest spiritual aspect, the quest for meaning, that keeps us going. And energy-wise, it works all the same! In addition, the number of people participating in a ceremony, the upward direction of the sacral building ... it all helps. Ceremonial magic at its very best! I used the opportunity presented to me and hitched a free ride as well ;)
There's one more place I particularly like in Lux and that's the river valley surrounding the central cliff or rock (called the Bock). It's very deep and houses some of the oldest buildings in all Luxembourg. It is hyper romantic. A silent green river, trees that almost touch the surface of the water, the apple-pie like houses right on the river, places to have beer ... ohhhh that was heaven!
'allo, 'allo, 'allo!
Ze meerchat zigning in!
Well, it has been one crazy week! I have experienced, walked my feet off, seen, felt more then in many many years. In the evenings I have been so bushed that I basically crashed in front of the TV!
First of all, the job. In the morning, I step in the shower, put on my office clothes and join the migrant workforce in transit to the hundreds of Euro establishments in a place called the Kirchberg plateau. I work in one of the high rise buildings called appropriately albeit a bit morbidly the Twin Towers. Thankfully, my office is on the first floor.
The work seems to be interesting and at least I don't feel entirely lost. It's in many ways very similar to what I was doing before. The colleagues, too, seem to be a nice bunch, not very emotional but not mean either. I have a nice room all to myself, a good computer and a window that's really more of a glass wall. I like that! There's one colleague who smokes and has a cat, so I have an instent friend in her. Other colleagues have been giving me information concerning the practicalities of everyday life. All very nice!
Last weekend was wonderful. My friend K called and we went to see a religious procession that was supposed to take place in the city. But we must've gotten something wrong because there was a service at the church but no procession! It was interesting to watch how much the Catholic church has adopted new elements in its service. They all were recited Our Father together with hand signs, that gave it an extra ooomph! And they were singing Kumbaya! Wowee! All in all, it doesn't matter what words or form people use, it's still all about the age old yearning for communion with the highest spiritual aspect, the quest for meaning, that keeps us going. And energy-wise, it works all the same! In addition, the number of people participating in a ceremony, the upward direction of the sacral building ... it all helps. Ceremonial magic at its very best! I used the opportunity presented to me and hitched a free ride as well ;)
There's one more place I particularly like in Lux and that's the river valley surrounding the central cliff or rock (called the Bock). It's very deep and houses some of the oldest buildings in all Luxembourg. It is hyper romantic. A silent green river, trees that almost touch the surface of the water, the apple-pie like houses right on the river, places to have beer ... ohhhh that was heaven!
We had a long and lazy afternoon with K, exploring the valley and consuming beverages. There's a little church hewn out of rock! And another one, the oldest in Lux. I saw 2 little lizards and a water bird, and ducks. Found a little antiques shop where I'll come back to buy things for the apartment once I'm settled in. There was coloured glass, and wedgewood-like china that I'm quite fond of!
That brings us on to the matter of apartments and the reason I've been running my feet off. First of all, despite of the fact that there are hundreds and hundreds of advertisements, the apartment market is pretty empty. And especially when it comes to one bedroom apartments that are furnished. I mean furnished with real stuff, not some unimaginable horror that the greedy immovable property people imagine that someone would take for furniture!
I saw two of such places and it was clear immediately that the answer would be: never! not in a million years! In one of the places, teh bedroom had no window! In the other, the shower was part of the bedroom. I mean, inside the bedroom! I dubbed the immovable property agency as The Agency of Creative Solutions! For people who look with something differfent! Ha bloody ha! And it could be so easily avoided ... just a few photos, pals! As if your hands would fall off for the extra effort! But no ... they prefer a wild goose chase. I really can't believe they have nothing better to do at 18.30 Friday afternoon than to show a client (me!) a place that nobody in their right mind would rent!
But, as they say in Finnish: the third time is the right one! And so it was in my case as well. After seeing the horrors before, I decided to have a look at one of the adverisements that actually had photos provided and the photos looked promising! And I immediately understood that I had struck gold.
The flat has everything I require. It has 2 rooms, a very large living room with two windows and an American kitchen. A small bedroom with built in closets with mirror doors. The bathroom has a bathtub and a washing machine. The house is recently built and has great isolation. Oh, and a terrace. There are 2 lovely modern leather couches in the living room and a glass topped coffee table. In the kitchen, there is a dishwasher which I don't suppose I'll use but it's good to have anyway, don't you think?
But what I absolutely love about the place is the apartment owner. It's not a local immovable property shark but the sweetest young dad, a Yugoslavian, who works in one of the large banks here. He's recently married and they have a newborn baby, that's why they had to get a bigger place. So in the future, i'll be communicating with him. I'll be so easy, the man speaks English! And what a difference it makes that he's just a person, not a professional landlord!
I felt so blessed yesterday, so thankful to all my ancestors and protectors! They did an excellent job! I feel undeserving ... but so happy, so happy. I'll move in 1st of June. And that'll be so great, to buy bits and pieces for the new place and not having to spend fortunes on the really big pieces as beds and cupboards. I saw some Tiffant lamps, maybe I'll get one! It's been a dream of mine since I was a child ...
So, as you can see:
Ze meerchat 'as a new 'ole!
Bravo! Yippee! 'ooray, 'ooay, 'ooray!
Way back when indeed ... 2009. I loved that apartment! It was pretty! And the lovely apartment-owner, the Serb. Until he got greedy and started to want more money. Well, that's simply not done in Letzebuerg. So I thought, why should I help pay his mortgage when I can get a place of my own and pay my own? And that's what I did. Just one more week and i'll be moving in. Ha! And, thank you, Goran!
ReplyDeleteMaybe NOW I'll buy that Tiffany lamp?
ReplyDeleteI saw that you posted your link on Tracy's page on multiply and decided to take a peek at some of your blogs here. I liked what I read and decided to follow your posts.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read about your quest to find a decent apartment, I was reminded of an apartment that a friend and I shared the second year I lived in Spain - 30 some years ago. The wallpaper was in one word hideous, especially in my bedroom. It actually gave me nightmares. I know lots of people still put wallpaper up, but the only kind I would even consider is a plain pattern. I wouldn't want anything jumping out at me. LOL
I hope you get your Tiffany lamp. It's infinitely better to own your own place. One question before I leave you. What's an American kitchen for you? In Spain it's a tiny, tiny kitchen usually hidden behind a curtain or sliding door.
I look forward to reading more of your posts. You write beautifully. I know I've seen your comments on multiply.
Hello Brenda! Or should I say Hola? I'm glad I saw your post here, I haven't figured out how to keep track here. Are you on Ipernity too? If yes, do you want to be contacts? My page is at http://www.ipernity.com/home/246432
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember you from Multiply. Although we weren't connected there,I'd like it to change now.
Strangely enough I too have my connections with Spain and although I haven't lived there, I have lived in a Spanish speaking environment for 5 years. But, truth be told, my Spanish is very colloquial ... street-Spanish, I'd say.
As for your question, I think the American kitchen here is a bit different. It's an open kitchen, meaning, your kitchen is in the living room. Or whatever. Maybe even bedroom if you sleep there. In that case it's called a studio.
I don't expect to get a Tiffany lamp after all. My old lamps fit so perfectly, I will never be rid of them! What a joke!