Good Friday
English , pleaseI have made a few mistakes trying to get by with my lack of Dutch. The other day I purchased the wrong strippenkart from a vending machine and got busted by the tram inspectors. Apparently I had bought a child’s ticket. Three uniformed inspectors towered over me barking something in Dutch and then in English when I gave him a blank pathetic look. The big one snapped “this is not OK” and I felt the dread wash over me. I think my genuine and very obvious fear got me off. They got a good laugh out of terrifying a stupid Australian and let me go with a warning, which was nice. I was for their further amusement when I tried to alight from the tram and the door wouldn’t open because I forgot to press the “open” button (and that was in English).
Sometimes I am able to buy something from a shop without letting on that I speak no Dutch, I just smile inanely and it gets me by. We have prepaid mobile phone SIMs from the telco KPN. Luckily their shop is just around the corner from the hotel as we have been there about 10 times asking them to translate the text messages they keep sending us about ‘special offers’ and our available credit left. I am determined to learn Dutch because I am probably missing out on a great deal without the language and some people don’t speak English.
Sean however feels it will be unnecessary for him to learn Dutch. He says that he will be able to work it all out using just the 'power of his mind'. He was telling me this the other day when we were visiting the town hall. At a desk, near the entrance, sat a woman with a telephone and above her desk was a sign - “Receptie”. “See that sign”, says Sean “that means Reception, I can work it all out when I use my mind”. He’s so smart.
The trials of finding a decent apartmentApparently it’s a renters market in the Hague but everything is overpriced. We have viewed 11 apartments in the last two days and all are vacant but none are really quite right. The real estate agents (makelaars) are very crafty with their photography – soft focus, air brushing and unique angles make the apartments appear much more desirable on the websites than in actual real life. Yes, I know this is nothing new. Many of the old houses have been divided into small apartments but as all the beautiful old houses were skinny to begin with, the apartments are little mouse holes. Even descriptions in English need translation, for example:
- Cozy living room with open kitchen = cramped loungeroom with a sink and stove squashed along wall.
- “No need to go to the gym” * = 4th floor, no lift, ladder-like stairs, hold on and don’t look down.
- Shared entrance = literally no door separating your apartment from the other apartments, the neighbours can hear every intimate conversation and don’t even need to knock to borrow a cup of sugar.
List of Reason’s why Apartments have been unsuitable1. Stairwell too smelly
2. Stairs too steep and too many (prefer no greater than 150 steps please)
3. Crap in the Stairwell (old bikes, piles of junkmail,)
4. Yucky carpet – stained or yucky colour (I mean really yucky colour)
5. Street too busy
6. Bedroom too small – not enough room for both our bodies
7. Bathroom too small, unable to sit on toilet with door closed
*actual quote from our real estate agent
We will keep looking!
No comments:
Post a Comment