Before i get carried away, i just wanted to say thank you to all my readers for tolerating with my long-windedness and at times, useless nonsense. I apologize if my slight obsession with the weather is of no interest to some of you but really when my warmth depends on it, then you'll just have to deal with it too.
By the way it's 0˚Celsius at the moment and there's supposed to be snow showers later.
Anyway, the past twelve months has been a roller coaster of emotions.
But amongst all the tears and laughter, i've learned to be patient [sort of], calmer and dare i even say, more mature. I've slowly gained my independence [thanks to my bumble bee bicycle] and i've even learned to think more positive.
And here is a short recap of 2010 to keep you all company whilst J and i drive to Koeln to get the keys to our new home! 2010 Highlights
Learnt some German [to be continued]
Had major surgery done; no thanks to an ectopic pregnancy, they had to remove my left fallopian tube too
Bought a corner sofa bed
Visited Hannover
Went to In Qontrol in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Adopted Luna and Yoshi
Got a new iMac
Turned 30
Learnt how to ride my bicycle again after two decades
Went to Ruhr in Love in Oberhausen, Germany
Little L came for 2 weeks in Summer - she now speaks English
Drove down to Wiesbaden for a family reunion
Finally got to see my parents after 2+ years of not seeing them
Tried to get to the Love Parade in Duisburg, Germany
Made it to 3 years with J
Wrote an ultimatum to J
Traveled solo and went to visit my sister, her boyfriend and my niece in Wiesbaden
Completed several ongoing jobs & got payed for them
Lost Misplaced my diamond ring
Found my diamond ring
Hired some guy to do my 2009 taxes
Visited Hamburg
Visited Koeln
Went apartment hunting in Koeln
Christmas with J and his family
Found a new home
***
Oh and should i get swept away with the rest of the packing tomorrow, here's wishing all my friends, silent readers and randoms a great start to the new year!
But without further ado, let's just hope 2011 brings in more smiles, laughter, friends, an active lifestyle and a much healthier bank account.
Time is speeding along. Two months shy of three years ago, i arrived to this side of the world with an overweight suitcase, my design folio tucked under my arm and a back pack strapped on my back.
And last night we managed to pack fifteen relatively big boxes, of which more than half of them belong to me.
I have yet to pack the contents of the bedroom but i reckon there will be at least another five boxes there. As for the kitchen, i'm guessing another two or three boxes on top of the two that have already been packed. The bathroom, there will probably be two boxes. And another two more boxes for the hallway which includes all the shoes outside.
Seriously, where did all this stuff come from?
But i've made a deal with J, since i packed most of the things in the apartment, he's in charge of packing all the stuff in the cellar. And the last time i checked, there's heaps of odds and ends in there to sort through which equals to about one whole room.
So anyway, this morning i transferred 33 Euros to the City of Koeln so we could get a license to block a section of the street on Monday. And an additional 73.19 Euros to some company to put up the signs to prevent cars from parking there from 9AM-6PM. That way when we unload our things from the truck, we have direct access to the front door and don't have to worry that some idiot has parked in the way.
The more we can avoid additional stresses, the better. Money wisely spent, i say.
08:14
I checked my weather widget and it looks like Sunday's forecast is looking good. It'll still be freezing but at least it won't be snowing. Yay!
J's brothers have graciously accepted to help us with our move... again. But unlike last time where we did it on our own, traveled back and forth and nearly broke our backs, we're paying a moving company a.k.a Big Russian Men to do most of the heavy carrying and assembling.
*Grins*
But with only three days to go until the movers comes and takes our things, the apartment is looking messier than ever.
Many of the shelves are empty or have items wrapped in newspaper waiting to be placed in boxes. But it's those random little items that have yet to be packed and are just lying around taking up more space, that are more annoying.
Visual pollution everywhere.
And when i'm not paying attention, every so often Luna and Yoshi will try to squeeze themselves in an open box. My main worry is not so much them crushing what is inside but my fear that they might pee in there.
One can never be too careful. It's happened before.
*Throws an evil glare in Luna's direction*
I guess i should be thankful that it was an empty box.
***
But ohmygawwwd, i'm so excited! I can't believe on Monday morning the Big Russian Men, J and i are going to drive 170 km South-West to our new home/life in Koeln!!!
I'm not exaggerating, this move deserves three exclammation marks, if not more.
And to even think that tomorrow is New Year's eve, just doesn't make sense to me.
Christmas lunch was non-traditional, in the sense that there was no turkey to carve, instead J's older brother made beef wellington. But because i don't eat meat, he made one with salmon and a champagne white sauce especially for me - which was super yummy.
And as side dishes; potatoes and brussels sprouts. It's taken me over thirty years to fully appreciate the taste of brussels sprouts. I can safely say, i can eat them now without gagging.
The trick to brussels sprouts comes down to not cooking them for too long but most importantly, boiling them in milk first.
And for dessert, Oma M's homemade apple cake.
Then after dinner it was time to open presents...
I had baked vegan shortbread cookies and bought some IKEA jars the day before. Wrapped them up and gave them as presents to J's grandmother, mother, his two brothers and their girlfriends.
Oma M bought me a black scarf which is featured in the third photo from the bottom of this post.
This year Santa [J] bought me a pair of house socks/slippers which i found out later were super expensive. They're so nice, i'm scared i'll ruin them by running around the apartment. Plus a knee-length coat with embroidered flowers that are a wee bit too feminine for my liking and one size too big.
J said it would look much nicer if the coat was more fitted and suggested the next time we're ever in Hannover, we could go back to ey Linda where his friend works to exchange it for something else.
I'm not usually the kind of person to ever exchange presents but with this coat, i may just have to make an exception.
So what did i end up getting J for Christmas?
A tealight holder made out of pink quartz which is said to bring love, calm and harmony. Intended it to be placed beside his computer to relieve stress and perhaps, more for my benefit, bring me at peace with him and his gaming.
Rose Quartz enhances and strengthens all forms of love, including self-love, parental love, platonic love, and romantic love. It can attract love and bring unconditional love to a relationship. It can dissolve blockages to love and help develop, rebuild, and renew love. It strengthens family unity, kinship, friendships, and all other relationships. Placed throughout the home, rose quartz will fill it with love and harmony. [source]
So far so good, we've only argued once. I think it's working.
We then drove to his mom's house which was only 10 minutes away and spent the rest of the evening learning how to play Mahjong.
It was the first time i had ever played and by the end of the night i had even learned how to read numbers one through nine in Chinese characters - my mom will be so proud when she finds out.
There wasn't any Triple Sec in the house so we improvised and made pink margaritas instead.
After 8 hours of playing Mahjong and actually winning because i had the most chips, we decided to call it a night. It was 2:30 AM already and it had dipped down to -11˚Celsius by the time we drove back to J's grandmother's place which is where we had our own room.
***
After sleeping in and later taking Oma for a very short walk up and down the street so she could get some fresh air, it was already time to say our farewells.
With Oma M, she's a whopping 87 years old.
And there's us, standing outside his parent's house where J grew up in as a child.
It took us just over two and a half hours to get home because on certain parts of the highway there was still ice on the ground. Sections of the highway that would normally have no speed limit was brought down to 80 km to prevent accidents. Hence the reason why it took so long to get home.
And when we finally got home, we saw how much more snow had fallen in just one day. The small snow hill that we had created last week had grown.
***
The next day, J came home with another present saying that Santa had forgotten to give it to me. And inside was a massive and very heavy Himalayan Salt lamp. It measures to about 31 cm in height and sits right beside my computer. It's absolutely beautiful.
Himalayan crystal salt lamps are carved from natural Himalayan salt crystals, which are prized for their purity and clarity... Himalayan salt lamps, which actually originate in the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan...
There are also many claims of health benefits from Himalayan crystal salt lamps. Salt lamps are said to be ionizers: objects that release negative ions, which are believed to purify air and promote good health.
Natural salt lamps are said to:
Improve air quality by reducing air pollution, airborne dust particles, and airborne bacteria and viruses
Reduce symptoms of asthma, allergies, bronchitis, sinusitis, and other respiratory diseases
Reduce the effects of Season Affective Disorder (SAD) and other mood problems
Reduce stress
Improve concentration
Relieve headaches and migraines
Reduce feelings of fatigue and insomnia
So yea, that was my Christmas. How was yours?
***
Oh yeah, on Monday we went to choose the final touches to our new IKEA kitchen. We've gone slightly over our estimated budget but that was expected. We're going to go and pick it up next Monday, i'm so excited!
But i seriously need to stop procrastinating and get back to packing.
This Friday we're going to drive to Köln to pick up the keys to our new place. Our plan is to stay just after the countdown and spend the first few minutes in our new home before we have to drive two hours to get back here and finish packing.
Which really doesn't leave me much time. The movers are coming in to take our things on Sunday.
According to the news report on the radio just now they said an additional 20 cm of snow fell last night. And anyone heading in the direction of Hannover and Hamburg should be extremely careful because that part of the highway is completely iced over. One of the main causes for accidents and super long traffic jams.
Not good because that's the way we have to travel.
So J's decided that it's best that we not risk it and just stay at home instead. Hopefully, the weather will be better tomorrow and the roads will be clear.
And not because i was spying...
But check out the icicles that are growing on my neighbor's balcony!
So wherever you might be spending this Christmas holiday, here's wishing you a stress-free and safe journey home.
Seeing that we were planning on going to IKEA yesterday, i was craving IKEA's bread pockets filled with tomato and mozzarella all day. And so i suggested to J that we get something to eat first.
They say one should not shop when one is hungry. Apparently, it leads to unnecessary purchases.
"EAT ME HOW YOU WANT!"
But prior to yesterday's excursion i had no idea that designing a kitchen from scratch would be so complex. And more so if one is on a budget and doesn't have an expert on hand to give pointers.
So J and i went to IKEA last night thinking that maybe in the two and a half hours we had before closing, we could at least sort out what we wanted and that would be the end of it.
Wrong.
After snaking our way through IKEA we finally arrived in the kitchen area. We asked for help and the IKEA lady guides us towards a computer and briefly explains how to work IKEA's Kitchen Planner.
Hmmm.
We had less than two hours to go until closing...
One and a half hours later and we were no where near completion.
At which point, i'm not liking the layout at all. I think the only thing that was correct was probably the room size.
So trying to shift pieces that wouldn't budge and generally not understanding how to use the programme meant a lot of time was wasted.
Why is it so difficult?
But the good part is, the IKEA Kitchen Planner can be used in the comfort of my own home. I just had to download the necessary plug-in and i was good to go.
Depending on the country you're in, the language obviously adjusts accordingly.
Oh and did you know that IKEA, Save the Children and UNICEF have a joint campaign called 'A smile is worth so much'?
For every soft toy sold between November 1 and December 24, 2010, IKEA will donate €1 (approximately US$ 1.30) to Save the Children and UNICEF, to support children around the world’s educational needs. With soft toy prices ranging from just $0.49 to $19.99, these cuddly toys make perfect stocking stuffers, grab bag items and affordable gifts for all of the children on your list. [source]
Well J and i did our part and bought a colourful toy butterfly. Here's hoping it brings a smile to some child's face.
***
This morning i woke up at 6:30 AM and went straight online to try and figure out the damn kitchen planner on my computer.
Eight hours and several dozen versions later, i was still not finished.
Each time i thought i was close to being done, i'd find something wrong. Seriously, it's so annoying! It's moments like these that i wish i chose to be an Interior Designer.
However, there's one version that i'm leaning towards but it's like double the amount that i've budgeted for. Obviously some changes have to be made and J has to have a say in it too. But i'm thinking positive and hoping that with a few adjustments and cheaper alternatives we'll get the kitchen that we want.
Fingers crossed we get the design sorted by this weekend because we're moving in eleven days!
ELEVEN and nothing is packed... yet.
***
Anyway i must go now because i need to start baking the shortbread cookies i'm planning on giving J's grandmother and mom for Christmas.
Oh!
I nearly forgot, here's wishing all my friends, silent readers and randoms a very Merry Christmas!
For the longest time J's been whingeing that his laptop that he bought just over three years ago is really slow.
I can't remember how many times i've heard him complain that the graphic card is so bad that even the most basic games out on the market can't run on his good-for-nothin' laptop. And that each time he gets kicked out of a game it's because his computer was lagging.
I think it all started to go down hill when he had that argument with his ex on the phone over two years ago. And in a fit of rage, he threw the phone at the screen [by accident of course] resulting in a massive crack right in the middle of it. But due to financial constraints, he never got around to fixing it and has since been using an external monitor.
Fast forward to now...
For the benefit of those silent readers who have just tuned in, my relationship with my boyfriend's obsessive gaming has been everything but good. In fact, at one point it even tore us apart and i threatened to leave.
But i'm happy to report that ever since the ultimatum and those 6 days he had to go away for business, life at home has been going relatively better than i ever expected.
Perhaps it was the distraction of trying to find a new apartment in the last month which has forced him to spend less time playing Battle Ships/World of Warcraft/chatting with his online friends. Or maybe my tears finally struck a nerve and he actually thinks our relationship is worth fighting for.
*shrugs*
Anyway, for the last two months J's been going into Mediamarkt [a store that sells electronics] nearly every week hoping the sales person would reduce the price. And each time he's gone, he has been successful.
Then yesterday he went back and spoke to another sales person and he was even able to knock down the price lower!
So when J's Christmas and birthday money finally arrived yesterday, J called me to ask whether i wanted to accompany him to Mediamarkt so he could finally get the laptop he's been dying for.
I was having a relatively good day when he called, so instead of being a bitch and throwing sarcastic hateful remarks about his gaming as i often do, i agreed quite happily to go with him.
I've realised i've wasted many precious hours of my life arguing about how i've felt ignored due to his new habit/hobby. So now i just have to remind myself to stay calm and get on with whatever i was doing.
And anyway, seeing that it's not my money to begin with, he should be able to do pretty much whatever he likes [within reason of course].
***
So first protocol was to find a mouse that didn't click so loud.
If i had my way, the mouse would be silent. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be one.
Many times i've been beyond annoyed with how loud his intense clicking has been. I can tell his computer is lagging not only by his yelling but by those irritating repetitive forceful clicks. Currently his desk is less than a metre away from the sofa in the living room, so you can imagine how distracting that can be when one is trying to watch TV.
Plus the sound travels so well through the apartment that even if i'm in the next room with the door shut i can still hear it.
A.N.N.O.Y.I.N.G!
We eventually settled with a Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse. It's not the best for gaming but for the time being it'll do. It still makes a little noise when he clicks but no where near as annoying/loud as the one he currently has.
It retails for 41.99 € but J managed to bring the price down to 40 €.
Next was trying to find the correct sized laptop protector. He settled for a 12.1 inch Philips Netbook sleeve with HeatProtect in yellow/grey, the other option was lined in pink.Apparently the HeatProtect layers prevent heat build-up and protects the netbook from scratches.
And last but definitely not least, unveiling the 11.2 inch Alienware M11x by Dell and inspecting the contents of the box.
As they were about to make the final deal the sales guy who originally said he could lower the price down to 800 €, suddenly forgot he ever mentioned it.
But lucky for J, J had gone into the store earlier to speak to another salesperson and he also agreed to 800 €. Thinking that J was probably lying, the guy that was serving him went to go ask his colleague if he did quote that amount.
He did.
And because of J's persistence the guy included the Philips Netbook sleeve with HeatProtect which retails for 19.99 € for FREE! So for the Alienware M11X + Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse, it only cost him 840 €.
Dell is selling it for 949 €. And although cyberport.de is selling the exact same machine for much cheaper at 699 €, the amount stated doesn't include delivery charges. Plus one has to wait several days maybe even a week or more until it arrives.
***
So we get home and i start preparing dinner whilst J's already unpacking the items out of the box. Minutes later he calls out to me and says there's a problem.
Oh shit. Now what?
Placed on a flat surface the laptop wobbled side to side if i touched one corner. And whoever screwed on the casing from underneath didn't do a good job because it wasn't even screwed on properly.
J was so annoyed that he didn't see these mistakes at the store, he got back into the car in a huff and drove to Mediamarkt which so happened to be only 5 minutes away.
20 minutes or so later, he's back with a new laptop and the whole procedure of unveiling the ultimate netbook gaming machine repeats itself.
And would you believe it, J finds ANOTHER mistake!
The side of the screen where the glass meets the edge was not aligned properly causing it to stick out.
At this point i'm starting to think maybe J's horoscope was right when it said that he should refrain from buying electronics during December due to malfunctions. I tell him this and that just irritates him even further.
Oops. Bad timing.
So he repacks everything up... again and drives to the store for the third time believing that all good things must come in threes. But this time wishing harder that he doesn't find anymore mistakes as that's the last of its kind at the store or at any of the other nearby branches.
After having installed everything at the store and triple checking the hardware, he's back within half an hour.
And here it is...
J's new toy accompanied by his 23 inch Samsung SyncMaster F2380 monitor that i bought for him last month from his brother for 130 €.
For those who are interested, above is the review.
***
So what do i think?
Well the resolution and the machine itself is far more superior than what J used to have. Although a wee bit small for my liking, i can only hope for J's sake that it means less frustrations and less shouting.
But another positive angle would be should we ever be traveling by train anywhere again, J can easily carry his new laptop with him and we can watch movies or use the Internet should we get bored.
So now that he has possession of the ultimate travel-size gaming laptop, how do i feel it will affect our relationship?
I dunno but all i do know is he woke up this morning in a better mood. I'm not sure whether the laptop had anything to do with it or that him and his team won yesterday's online battle.
Here's some advice for anyone who plans on traveling by train to and from Germany via Deutsche Bahn in Winter : PLEASE DON'T!
J and i spent a total of eight hours traveling [including waiting time] for our trains yesterday. We were either freezing our arses off waiting for delayed trains or sitting in an overcrowded cabin.
On the last leg of the journey the dumb arse train conductor was so inconsiderate that he left all the doors open for a whole twenty minutes in minus degrees Celsius temperatures. So J made his way up the front of the train to tap on the train conductor's glass door to ask if he could shut the doors and turn up the heat.
Anyway, one would think we were traveling from one end of the country to the other. We weren't.
By car it would take about an hour an half but since many people were warned beforehand to be very careful on the highways as some parts were/are iced over, we opted to take the train.
The estimated time [including one change over] would have taken about two hours and twenty-three minutes but due to many other trains breaking down and tracks having technical glitches and not functioning, schedules were interrupted.
But the funniest part was, we only spent one hour at our destination before we had to rush back to the train station to get back home.
What originally was meant to be a two hours and fifty-one minutes journey back, ended up being just over four and a half hours.
Waiting on an exposed platform for a train at night that first said it was going to be 20 minutes late but ended up being nearly 45 minutes late can be really uncomfortable. However, for a normal situation when the temperature is decent, i can imagine it could be an inconvenience but when you're standing there and you can't feel your toes or fingers, it can be damn right irritating.
We get to the station where we're supposed to change trains and realise we're half an hour too late. Our train is not there. Lucky for us another regional train passes through there every hour.
So J wanders off to look for the loo.
And as usual, the second J leaves me alone, some random guy starts talking to me. I did my best to answer him in German and i even used grammatically correct sentences.
Was that his attempt to chat me up? Maybe.
I didn't get his name but if my tired brain serves me correctly he was relatively good-looking, perhaps in his late 20s and had a friendly persona.
Had i been single and he spoke English, who knows what could have happened.
I'm joking. Nothing would have happened except maybe a nice conversation just to occupy some time.
So J returns just in time as my learnt German vocabulary was about to run out and before i began stuttering. But by the looks of it, i don't think J was too impressed with the other guy standing so close to me. Of course i introduced J straight away as my boyfriend and i could tell the other guy looked slightly disappointed.
One could immediately see a change in his body language.
Oh well.
Forty-five minutes later the train arrives.
And delirium is starting to kick in.
As time ticked on and all the food we had brought along with us was consumed, we had no choice but be creative when it came to entertainment. That teaches me a lesson, never doubt whether or not i should bring along my iPod and headphones. One never knows when you might really need it.
So our journey started at 3:38 PM and by the time we arrived in Köln we were delayed by only half an hour. Which meant we arrived at our destination at 6:35 PM. Our train back was at 7:57 PM but due to so many delays we finally reached the end of our journey at 12:30 AM. Most of which were spent in the freezing cold by the way.
But i'm not complaining.
At least we weren't in the fast train that broke down half way between stations and in the middle of nowhere. Seriously, that would have totally sucked!
We were lucky it didn't snow the whole of yesterday because i'm sure that would have made it a whole lot worse. Apparently, the weatherman predicts more snow for the next three days and i just heard on the radio, they're planning on shutting down a few airports.
Last night there was a full moon. Maybe she's partly to blame for the chaos.
After walking for what felt like the longest five minutes in my life to get to the park house, i checked the thermometer and it was a frosty minus 15˚Celsius!
No wonder i couldn't feel my face.
At 1:30 AM we were in bed and i passed out the second my head hit the pillow. Five hours later our alarm clocks were screaming for us to get ready for work and cease the day.
So i have this friend whom i first met shortly before she announced her pregnancy. I'm calling her a "friend" because in my head more than a few conversations and laughs seem far more personal than "acquaintance".
We chit-chatted about life and did the obligatory 20 Questions & Answers to get a brief understanding of the other. This in turn influenced whether or not i thought we would get along.
We did. Well i think we did.
And in the close-to-three years that i've been living on this side of the world, i've learned how important Communication really is.
But apart from my sister and J, whom i can speak to about nearly anything and everything, there really isn't anybody else that i can run to should i need a shoulder to cry on.
Believe it or not, meeting people and feeling a deep connection with others is quite hard for me. Once again, i blame my nomad lifestyle.
So anyway, back to that "friend" of mine.
Earlier this year she had the baby and life for everyone including herself couldn't be any different. It's as if the world now evolves around her precious little being and that her "whole purpose in life was to have this child". I'm not exaggerating, that's what she said.
Her baby is cute, just as most babies are, but i doubt he's as "perfect" as she claims he is to be.
I believe, perfection is in the eye of the beholder.
OK so i don't have a child of my own... yet and probably won't understand the deep connection that a Mother & Child has for one another until i am a mother. But maybe some of my silent readers who are parents will agree with me when i say, i am insensitive or i simply just don't understand.
Just for the record, i have no issues knowing what her baby is up to.
In fact, i have no issues with her baby or with any babies for that matter. For instance, knowing more about my niece and how she's progressing in life makes me SO happy - i mean that in a non-sarcastic way by the way.
I love Mimi!
However, the difference is my sister and i can still have a "normal" conversation. One that doesn't include the mention of her offspring in every other sentence.
***
But then i think, it's no wonder there are many friendships out there that are suddenly put on a standstill.
We reach a point in our lives when our priorities shift. And the one common interest that once brought us together is no longer on the top of ones' agendas.
It's a fact of life, we all, eventually, move on.
And depending on the perspective, some move on faster than others.
It's Saturday and it's been snowing all morning. I really hope for J's sake the snow stops because he's in his car driving 180 km north. Yup, in the direction where apparently more snow has fallen and turned to ice.
His grandmother is showing early signs of Alzheimer's disease, so as the caring grandson that J is, he's gone up to go see how she is doing. Perhaps even discuss with her the option of moving into an old peoples' home which has 24/7 care or to hire someone to come by her place to help out with daily errands.
Oma M is a very independent lady and at 83 she still drives around in her car.
As for me, my weekend will most likely involve being trapped indoors. I have work to finish off and an apartment to sort though but as usual, distractions keep me busy.
But as of next week, i'll be busy as a bee.
On Monday we're planning on taking the train to Köln.
There's a train station just around the corner from our new place. If everything runs smoothly, it will take us approximately two hours to get there from here. Considering how iced over some of the roads are, choosing to go by train may end up being a wise choice. I just hope they're able to clear the snow off of the tracks by then.
But i bought the two-way tickets online the other day and it only cost us 48 Euros for the both of us. Tickets bought on the day would be about three times the price. So planning in advance does help.
So anyway, we've arranged with the young family who is currently living in the apartment that we would like to come by the place and measure out the space for the kitchen.
Apparently, they're only moving out on the 31st of December. Which means we have to make another trip down to collect the keys and possibly even paint some areas.
Ya, i know, on New Year's Eve.
But once my client finally pays me for several outstanding bills, our plan is to go to IKEA and begin the gruelling task of designing and picking out items for our very own kitchen.
My fingers are crossed that the bank processes the payments by this coming Tuesday or Wednesday.
The other week we so happened to be in IKEA and saw one kitchen layout that seemed to be within our budget. We're going to try and stick to a 1,500 Euro budget. I'm talking a full functional kitchen including a kitchen island. Minus an oven though because we already have one in storage.
But this move means investing a lot of hard earned money. In turn also means, i'm not moving for at least a few years!
It'll be the first time that J or i have bought a full-fledged kitchen unit.
Seriously, i feel so grown up.
And unlike most countries where kitchens are part of the rent, in Germany it is common that apartments come empty. Knowing our nomad lifestyles, we've been limited to finding places that come with a built-in kitchen and have been lucky so far to have moved into places that already have floors installed and wallpaper intact.
However, that said, we're moving into an apartment that has no kitchen simply because we fell in love with the overall place.
But it's no wonder people choose not to move apartments/cities or move out of their own parents' home. It's just plain expensive!
Living on this side of Europe is damn expensive full-stop.
***
But in a moment of procrastination, i was browsing through IKEA Hackers and came across one piece in particular that i'm liking. Siebrenna calls it the Bookcase with scratching post and hammock.
I need another bookcase in my work/guest room anyway. And considering our kitties spend most of their time in which ever room i'm in, i thought this would be perfect. Plus it looks rather simple to put together.
It only requires an Expedit Bookcase, a LACK Wall shelf, Shelves Carriers and Material from an old scratching post.
Luna and Yoshi are not huge fans of hammocks. But i may just install one anyway since my sister had bought one for them and they don't seem to know that they can lounge on it. I can hang it up and store all their toys in it.
Currently when their toys are not scattered everywhere, i put them all in an old cardboard box. The very same box that used to house both of them at the same time. Yoshi's now outgrown it but once in a while he tries to squeeze his butt in there.
Anyway once we get all the pieces, i'll be sure to post up the finished results.
***
But the best deal so far has to be the package deal that J was able to organise with the guy that plans on moving our things.
Not only will him and his team move the contents of our current home into our new place 164 km away but he's also going to pick up all the contents of our kitchen from IKEA, deliver it to our new place AND assemble it. All for a low price of 1,200 Euros.
Sounds expensive but with all that's included, it's a pretty damn good deal.
I guess that's one of the benefits of living in a smaller town, they tend to charge smaller rates.
***
12:30
7 days from now it will be Christmas. In 14 days it will be 2011 and in 16 days we will be in a new apartment unpacking boxes and starting a new chapter in yet another city.
So what are your plans for Christmas and New Year?
Quite the opposite from yesterday's blog post, eh?
The sky has a habit of turning to a cooler shade of a grey each time it snows. Unlike Autumn where the sky is much darker and feels so much more gloomier, Winter skies are much brighter. Perhaps it's the surrounding snow that reflects the light up which makes everything seem much sharper.
But yesterday it pretty much snowed all day.
At one point it even looked like there was a semi-blizzard going on right outside my window. You know how i said i thought we would be at the arse end of the huge snow cloud, turns out we were pretty much right in the middle. It has been drifting across Germany and parts of Europe causing chaos on the highways and several towns.
Apparently, by law residents are forced to clear the snow away from their entrance and the sidewalk directly outside their home. Osnabrück, a city about an hour away from here, has even gone to great lengths of writing out 50 Euro fines to those who do not clear their walkway.
So when J got home at 7 PM last night, he called me to say we should clear the driveway.
I forgot to take my camera out but i couldn't believe how much snow had fallen in just a few hours. Everything was completely covered and i was standing in snow at least 15 cm deep.
It took J and i about an hour to clear the driveway and my arms were so sore by the end of it.
But each time i thought i was done clearing the snow, i would turn around only to see that the falling snow had already started covering it up.
It was so annoying!
I eventually gave up because i had already prepared dinner and i was really hungry. So i ran upstairs to get my camera so i could just take a few snaps of all my hard work.
Then this morning as i was saying good-bye to J, i had a peek outside to see if there was anymore snow. Turns out our landlord had a go clearing the driveway too and must have sprinkled road salt at the front because the ground is now clear of snow.
Check out that small snow hill we've created beside the driveway. It just keeps getting bigger! Now the concern is the snow melting and turning to ice.
***
This is my view from my work/guest room window. I can't imagine what the rest of the town looks like, let alone those cities covered in snow as deep as a metre and more.
It wouldn't surprise me if people start bustin' out their skis to get to work.
08:04
So anyway, as i was attempting to take a panoramic view of right outside the room this morning, Yoshi thought he would be smart and jump onto the balcony via the open window.
But i don't think he thought that idea through very well. I had to then call him back inside with the help of his favorite crumpled up plastic bag.
Who needs expensive toys when one can just recycle.
Seriously though, there's so much snow on our Christmas tree outside, i don't think switching on the lights would even make much of a difference.
And with Christmas only 8 days away, it looks like it's going to be a frosty one. Which by the way, we will be driving up north to be with J's brothers, his elder brothers' girlfriend, mother and grandma.
Yup, it will be my very first Christmas with J and his side of the family.
And even though J and i have been together for just over three years and i know him and his family since i was thirteen, family gatherings still make me slightly anxious.
