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October 2009

Bloody Red Tape October 2009

Well, what a summer !

I was so happy in my job and my home. I finally felt as if life was going straight for a change.
I spoke to my school in May regarding the enormous time off they have for summer holidays. I needed to know where I stood, as I have bills etc to pay.
They agreed to pay me 40% for July and when I asked about the rest of the summer, they said, no problem..would be normal. I asked again, and I said if you are not going to pay me full salary, I will need to find another job. Nooo they said. It will be OK
So June came..school finished. I did a 4 week summer school for them and at the end of July collected my 40%. I knew this was happening, so I had saved some money for the last 3 months. I was going to have a 2 week holiday by the sea. I felt I deserved it after everything that had happened, and I had not had a holiday in 2 years.
So I flew to Dalaman. Met my dear friend of 3 years and her family.
Then overnight, she became an aggressive drunk, and threw me out of the hotel room!
Now, dilemma.
I had booked a day to a Greek island to renew my visa. I could not fly back to Istanbul without this visa. So I stayed in a cheap room for 1 night, went to the Greek Island, got my Visa, and flew back to Istanbul.
Holiday was 5 days long.
Ok, lesson learnt. Be careful who you choose as friends.
August finished. I was asked by the school to do a summer school every day for the teacher’s children throughout September. Great!
August salary..40% !
When I questioned and confirmed what had been said in our meeting in May, I was told..well we never put anything in writing! Another lesson learnt.
So, with heavy heart, I did the lessons in September. But I was disappointed and felt let down. I sent an email to another school.
Out of the blue, they contacted me and asked me to go and have a chat.

So I went, met them and decided it was a good move. It also meant a move of a home. No problems. I saw a lovely apartment, not 5 star like my present one, but a good 4 star.

So I moved.
One elderly man and a young boy came to move me. Nightmare. He did not want to do any lifting and carrying, and they dismantled everything they could, to fit it in the lift!
Finally, after 3 hours, we were ready. I put both cats into the basket, took the lift downstairs, only to find they were still loading the Van. I put the cat basket down, and mucked in..it was by now 10 pm! I wanted to get gone.
At 10.30 they said..OK let’s go.
I grabbed the cat basket and somewhere inside my befuddled brain, it felt lighter. I did not register and they put it in the lorry.
We arrived at my new home at 11.30.
Ohhh Major Issue.
3 flights of stairs (No lift here) He moaned and grumbled. They roped a young lad in from one of the other apartments.
Finally after one and half hours, I was in.
They went.
I opened the cat basket..and one cat jumped out !
Oh God, the elder one was not there. I realised he must have escaped in the lobby of the old apartment.
I put the bed together, and collapsed.
Sunshine and birds singing woke me in the morning. Heaven. I lay there for a while just listening to the silence.
OK time to sort.
My good friend came and together we managed to make some semblance of a home in one day.
Then I started to see the little things I had not noticed.
Flat had been renovated totally. New Combi boiler and heating system…but no Gas Meter! Incredible. My friend and I stood looking at the gap where the meter should be and shook our heads.
So, the realisation of NO HOT WATER sunk in.
I made some enquiries and discovered that it was up to me to go to the main gas office and sign up, and collect the meter. Which I then had to bring home on the bus and organise a fitter to install and test.
I had organised the phone, internet and television to be moved to new home.
TV guy arrived on Monday. Guess what..no Dish or wire connected to home. Anyway, he installed and charged me for the fitting.
Next, where was phone line. I rang and they said we send someone.
Telephone man arrived. Did the wiring in the box downstairs, plugged the phone into the wall…ohhh, surprise..nothing. After half an hour of looking, it was discovered the wires in the wall to the main box, had been cut. I’m besides myself now. You need electrician, he said. OK I said..organise it..NOW
So he made some phone calls, smiled, nodded his head, and said goodbye. The electrician arrived an hour later. They had to run a telephone cable all round the building. Drilled a hole through from the landing, wrapped the cables around each other..taped them up..and BINGO..Telephone. Charged a fortune, smiled and went. But where was the Internet. Modem was saying NO. I rang the Internet Company, to be told..oh, we just moved the phone line. You need to go to main office and organise Internet move.
The problem was I had just started a new job. How could I go the office, which was one hour away.
Fortunately we had a public holiday a few days later. So, along with a very very good friend who could speak Turkish, we trooped off to TurkTelekom office.

2 very frustrating hours later, I had met everyone who worked in this office !
They assured me it would be sorted. 3 days later, it was. BUT the same night, the Phone died !
Then I had to take an afternoon off to go to the Gas Office and collect said meter.
No problems. That was painless.
I held the meter tightly on the bus all the way home. I called the gas fitter, who came one hour later.
A few minutes later, installation was complete. Bear in mind, I had no hot water for nearly 2 weeks, I was ecstatic. Short lived ! There was a problem with the Combi. OK. He called the service Company and arranged for them to come 2 days later.
Sure enough, at exactly the time arranged, they came.
Took one look at the electrics, shook their heads and said..goodbye. I sat and cried.
Then I called the electrician again. He came next day, and moved the offending wires.
3 days later, the Service company returned..and yeaaaaaaa, it worked. Finally, hot water and heating.

There are still some small niggles, like 2 kitchen cupboard doors missing, patio doors not locking..but hey, after the above sagas , they are nothing.

So on a sunny Sunday afternoon, my good friend and I sat on my balcony, drinking coffee, enjoying the forest views. Suddenly my front door opened, and 2 men were there. They immediately shut the door. I ran after them and called them. They said in Turkish..no problem, nothing wrong.! I am shouting..yes there is..you have a key to my apartment..but they were gone down the stairs. Dear God, what else could happen here 

Posted by muppetbrains on 2009-10-26 17:59:11 | Rating: