Lost Horizons

Oh, my Buddha! What a relief

I was getting very stressed in the last few days – the apartment still wasn’t ready, and there was no sign of my employment visa. Living in a hotel, even one so nice as the JW Marriott, can make one go stir crazy.

Then, yesterday afternoon, it all just fell into place – my visa turned up and ten minutes later the keys to my apartment (but I wouldn’t be able to move in until this morning).

Last night, I paid my final visit to the happy hour at JWM’s bar; and, was I a happy bunny – I had a massive grin on my faced from ear to ear. Every flash of an ankle from the girls who serve there, was a like a little jolt that on Friday night I could slob out in my underwear, if I so wanted to.

Like an excitable schoolboy, I woke up early on Friday morning – far too early, so I managed to go back to sleep and got up around 8.30. I went down to breakfast and it was really heaving, but I managed to get a smoking table in the corner, and had a long drawn out brekkie.

Then, back to my room to pack, and a quick call to reception to ask the porter to help me with my six bags. Paid my bill and found a taxi driver who spoke English enough to understand where I wanted to go (not so important as the porter translated the address into Cantonese for me.

Got to the apartment block unloaded the taxi, and I don’t think the concierge was going to let me in. Fortunately, my landlord’s sister came out of the lift at that stage, so it all got sorted and the lady even helped me with my cases!

Oh what a feeling of relaxation and distressing came over me when I finally had the apartment to myself, start to look around. There’s a bottle of wine from the relocation agency and a card, that’s nice, carry on poking around. OK no toilet paper hmm didn’t think of packing any. Hang on where’s my welcome pack? My colleague, Eric, got one with toilet paper, soap, etc in it.

At about eleven thirty the landlord turned up with a bottle of Champagne and the other set of keys. He seems like a really pleasant chap, and was telling me that I only secured this apartment by two hours. And I beat a German who works for Deutschebank to it. HA! Now I don’t care if the Germans do get up really early and reserve the sun beds, because I have the better apartment!!!!!!

Once the locksmith had come and changed the locks, I was off to Park’n’Shop to get some bare essentials like loo paper! I was amazed that a locksmith would come out on a public holiday. You wouldn’t get that in the UK and it would cost a lot more than forty pounds!

Still need to sort out some other things like a telephone, tv, internet access, etc. But I would be just as happy slobbing out here!

posted by Luke @ 6:31 PM