Getting Closer to Normal
Yesterday was the lasts hang-up in getting Ash's visa, the form returned to me for incomplete information that the person I submitted it through told me was fine not to include. The form went from him, two days ago, to another person in the company. That person, rather than call me as he could have easily done, you know, to help out a fellow company employee and all, sent the form back. This would have cost me two days in application procedure and have made me need to book another plane ticket. Instead, I found out there is express service available that gets the visa back in two days, it does cost 100 dirhams, about $30. I paid the fee, and concealed my annoyance they didn't tell me that in the first place.
If all goes well Ash will be out here in Abu Dhabi next Wednesday morning. The house has some basic furniture and, of course, it has two cats. So life will be back to normal finally. Our household stuff should arrive by the end of the month, and then we'll have everything in place and can just live here. Not a bad deal.
The other thing going on this week is buying a car. For the first time in a long time I'll be owning a car. Being carless in Portugal really sucked. Not that we needed one, but as an American a lot of my self-identity is tied up in driving. Or as a Coloradan who took a lot of roadtrips when I was younger. I'm not sure all Americans identify with driving so strongly, but I do.
The car is an old, by car standards, Jeep Cherokee. A 2002 just after the body style had changed to the new Liberty version. So, it looks like a Jeep Liberty but is branded on the side with Cherokee. The previous owner is Lebanese man with red hair and blue eyes. The car was driven by his wife, as evidenced by a baby seat and toys under the chair. The engine purred nicely, brakes were good and looking at the engine and under the chasis I saw no major faults or damage. On that I agreed on his asking price of 19,000 dirhams.
Work is going well, with the semester ended and finals going on this week and next. After next week there should be a break, then summer classes to teach. All in all, it looks like a fine new normal life here.
If all goes well Ash will be out here in Abu Dhabi next Wednesday morning. The house has some basic furniture and, of course, it has two cats. So life will be back to normal finally. Our household stuff should arrive by the end of the month, and then we'll have everything in place and can just live here. Not a bad deal.
The other thing going on this week is buying a car. For the first time in a long time I'll be owning a car. Being carless in Portugal really sucked. Not that we needed one, but as an American a lot of my self-identity is tied up in driving. Or as a Coloradan who took a lot of roadtrips when I was younger. I'm not sure all Americans identify with driving so strongly, but I do.
The car is an old, by car standards, Jeep Cherokee. A 2002 just after the body style had changed to the new Liberty version. So, it looks like a Jeep Liberty but is branded on the side with Cherokee. The previous owner is Lebanese man with red hair and blue eyes. The car was driven by his wife, as evidenced by a baby seat and toys under the chair. The engine purred nicely, brakes were good and looking at the engine and under the chasis I saw no major faults or damage. On that I agreed on his asking price of 19,000 dirhams.
Work is going well, with the semester ended and finals going on this week and next. After next week there should be a break, then summer classes to teach. All in all, it looks like a fine new normal life here.
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