May Mayhem!

Frank and I are expecting a period of chaos at the end of this month. We are preparing to shift to another appartment a few yards away from this one. The decision to move was an impulsive as well as emotional one for both of us.

Frank started looking for a house even before I joined him in Belgium. He is very used to living in spacious and luxurious surroundings. The only exception to that came when he started living in Europe. The appartments in Brussels (Europe) are generally small and cramped compared to other parts of the world. I would say that they are miniature copies of those in the United States.

I remember asking him over the phone about his new house when he moved into his tiny, serviced appartment before I came to Brussels. He didn't sound happy at all. He said it resembled something of a dark hole. Mom and I had a laugh over his comment in India at that time.

He was still living there when I arrived in Brussels in October. He had already booked another furnished, one bedroom appartment nearby. We were just waiting to shift after that place became available.

We shifted to this place on a cold, winter morning early in december. The appartment was small but sufficient for a couple. It was on the eleventh floor at the end of a row of appartment complexes. The building was quite old and the appartment required some maintenance.

The Land Lord was quite understanding. He managed to fix up the leaking faucets, damaged cupboards and replace the broken furniture within a few weeks.

We even started decorating our new abode with photographs and paintings. Frank managed to get souvenirs from his many business trips across the continent to fill up the showcase in the living room.

The lack of space to accomodate any relations who may visit us during our tenure here was bothering us. We were once again on the look out for an appartment with a couple of extra bedrooms for this purpose. That is when we saw an advertisement for a bigger appartment in the same area.

Frank contacted the advertiser and took an appointment to visit the place. We both went there the following weekend.

The appartment was spacious, had the extra bedrooms we wanted and was well designed. I liked the snazzy kitchen and the large balcony space. We loved the fact that it was on the first floor right in front of the bus stop.

Frank was eyeing me the entire time during our visit that day. He was searching for my reaction. I liked the design, layout and location of the appartment. I was still concerned and cautious about making a decision.

The appartment came unfurnished. This meant that we had to buy our own furniture for the house. I was not too happy about bearing that initial investment.

The kitchen was fully equipped meaning that it had the refrigerator, oven, stoves, cupboards, microwave and dishwasher installed. We had to bring our own crockery. We didn't have any furniture or crockery of our own since we currently live in a furnished appartment.

I knew Frank would not back down just due to furniture. He is the kind of person who would strive to make a dream come true despite all odds. Within a week, he managed to round up the essential furnishings for the house. Yesterday, he hauled in a giant TV from somewhere for our new house.

He is still running after all the legal wrangles of renting a house in Belgium. This includes the hefty security deposit, bank guarentee papers and contracts. We are almost done except for the trouble of shifting our belongings.

The new Land Lord and his wife were not so sure about renting their appartment to an Indian employee. Frank asked him to come to meet him in his office. The Land Lord was more than happy to rent it to us after visiting Frank's attractive office in a prime locality. I can even imagine Frank giving his usual business talk in his deep voice to convince this chap.

Shifting into a new house is a big responsibility. We have to change our address in the commune for updating our Belgian identity cards. We have to transfer our phone and internet connections. Our electricity account also needs to be changed. All this is in addition to moving our personal possessions.

This last week of May will be a very hectic week for both of us. I am excited about moving to a new place but afraid of the tiring procedure. Then again, there is no gain without the pain.

I will miss my view from our eleventh floor balcony. I can see the flights taking off and arriving at the Brussels International Airport from here. I also have the sight of a beautiful garden below.

We will be closer to the ground in our new home. It will not be the same as living in the air like on the eleventh floor. I am hoping that the increased space and better facilities will make up for this small disadvantage.