As (most of) you know, I've recently moved house. As (most of) you know, moving house comes with a ton of annoying address changes and trying to figure out where you have accounts, contracts and subscriptions.
Most normal people, being normal in their ever-so-normal way will order mail forwarding in order to give them time to get their ducks in a row and take note of all the crap they get by mail on a daily basis.
The last time I did this (as in, last year), mail forwarding was just that -- I got (most of) my mail forwarded to me.
Fast forward to this year, and after sending in my request to Deutsche Post, I got an email from my insurance company where I have my Haftpflichtversicherung saying that they'd gotten my new address from Deutsche Post and they'd kindly updated it for me. (All this, despite the fact I made sure to uncheck the "forward my new address to the appropriate peoples" box since I'm a control freak.) At least they were nice enough to inform me. When I (finally) went to update my address with O2 today, I was rather surprised when my updated address was already in the system.
Maybe I didn't check/uncheck that stupid box properly in the first place.
Still, the whole thing is more confusing than if I'd just have done all the address changes myself. Sure, my phone and third-party liability insurance automatically updated themselves, but neither my health insurance nor my internet provider did.
How am I supposed to know who updates my address and who doesn't unless I just go into each account and check anyway? (I may as well update all my addresses myself, frankly. I'm completely durcheinander.)
Dear Deutsche Post,
Either go to town and ask everyone to update my addresses, or don't do it at all. The last thing you want is for people to "rely" on your service, only to find out they are missing a whole whack of mail after their mail forwarding ends.
Or maybe that is what you want. *conspiracy*
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
21 July 2013
07 June 2013
BLIP: Go Figure
Of course I find the sunglasses I lost the day after I bought a new pair. *facepalm*
05 June 2013
Moving Again
Yeah, that's right -- unbelievable, eh? I'm preparing yet another move.
Despite all its challenges and tendency to be completely and utterly wasteful of energy and monetary resources, there's something liberating about picking up and moving again, something completely wonderful in the excuse to get rid of the old crap that's been broken/is no longer in use.
Today marks my one step down, one step to go in getting rid of all my useless, broken stuff.
After hemming and hawing for way too long about making an appointment for the Elektroschrott to be taken away, the appointment for the city to take away my crap is finally tomorrow. Not only is it somehow relieving to finally be able to get rid of the TV you accidentally broke a year ago when you let it fall down as you were moving furniture around, but also to finally be able to say good riddance to the microwave that started on fire that time you were melting butter.
I'm sure my friends -- who are kindly helping me move soon -- will be happy I lugged the heavy/awkward bulk out of my flat and onto the sidewalk by myself, since they're less than thrilled (I'm sure) that I've enlisted them to lug ten odd boxes of books to a new city as it is.
(Thanks in advance, friends).
Despite all its challenges and tendency to be completely and utterly wasteful of energy and monetary resources, there's something liberating about picking up and moving again, something completely wonderful in the excuse to get rid of the old crap that's been broken/is no longer in use.
Today marks my one step down, one step to go in getting rid of all my useless, broken stuff.
After hemming and hawing for way too long about making an appointment for the Elektroschrott to be taken away, the appointment for the city to take away my crap is finally tomorrow. Not only is it somehow relieving to finally be able to get rid of the TV you accidentally broke a year ago when you let it fall down as you were moving furniture around, but also to finally be able to say good riddance to the microwave that started on fire that time you were melting butter.
I'm sure my friends -- who are kindly helping me move soon -- will be happy I lugged the heavy/awkward bulk out of my flat and onto the sidewalk by myself, since they're less than thrilled (I'm sure) that I've enlisted them to lug ten odd boxes of books to a new city as it is.
(Thanks in advance, friends).
07 April 2013
BLIP: Just a Little Homesick
Of course the homesickness ebbs and flows, and the last few years, the homesickness has slowly but surely started to minimize itself. I've found, though, that I've been more homesick (read: reminiscent) than not these couple days.
Why do I wish I was in Canada?
-To wake up, drink a pot of coffee with one of those Irish Cream or French Vanilla Coffeemates for flavouring, preferably while watching the news and complaining about how the world is still going to hell in a handbasket.
-So I could go to the mall, just wander around and maybe hit up Chapters.
-After going to the mall I'd like to go to a run-of-the-mill generally crappy but totally homesick-inducing restaurant like Moxie's or Boston Pizza for some greasy/happy food.
-Drive home (holy moly I miss driving), blasting the music and singing along.
-And then watch whatever sport is on TV. The Oilers don't play tonight, so I wouldn't be able to watch them lose spectacularly (again), but I'd settle for pretty much anything right now.
And all of the above preferably with people who make me homesick and reminiscent in the first place. Otherwise, without the people, I'm pretty sure I could find reasonable substitutions here.
It's always the people I'm missing.
I keep waiting for things to get better, but it always keeps coming back.
Why do I wish I was in Canada?
-To wake up, drink a pot of coffee with one of those Irish Cream or French Vanilla Coffeemates for flavouring, preferably while watching the news and complaining about how the world is still going to hell in a handbasket.
-So I could go to the mall, just wander around and maybe hit up Chapters.
-After going to the mall I'd like to go to a run-of-the-mill generally crappy but totally homesick-inducing restaurant like Moxie's or Boston Pizza for some greasy/happy food.
-Drive home (holy moly I miss driving), blasting the music and singing along.
-And then watch whatever sport is on TV. The Oilers don't play tonight, so I wouldn't be able to watch them lose spectacularly (again), but I'd settle for pretty much anything right now.
And all of the above preferably with people who make me homesick and reminiscent in the first place. Otherwise, without the people, I'm pretty sure I could find reasonable substitutions here.
It's always the people I'm missing.
I keep waiting for things to get better, but it always keeps coming back.
03 April 2013
Hello, Lovelies!
I'm sure most of you guys know I'm a sucker for times past. For all the time I spend hopping from thing to thing, place to place, I'll be the first one to get all overly sentimental and have my eyes brimming over with tears at the memory of *all the good times*.
So anyhoo, today I went into the city centre to wander around since my semester breaks are usually good for little else than getting cabin fever from only going into the city on days I'm working. I wandered into Deichmann, and I saw some shoes which almost made me cry out with joy.
You see, I bought these shoes a number of years ago (probably around 2008-ish), and wore them until I literally wore the sole out and was walking around barefoot. And then I found them again today in the store (way to be trendy and current, Deichmann).
They were shoes I threw away with a heavy heart, so of course I figured they were worth the 16 yoyos of getting again, since I know I'll wear them. Also, 16 yoyos is completely reasonable for a pair of shoes, even if I'm probably too old to be wearing this sort of thing these days.
Every time I walk past them on the way to the kitchen, I smile at them. Yes, they're inanimate objects, and no, they're not the same ones that trekked through a number of mighty adventures with me, but my brain gets tricked just long enough to forget those things. And here I am, happy as a clam. Heck, just looking up at the picture as I write this post gives me butterflies in my tummy.
(Yeah, I'm a weirdo. Whatevs. At least I'm of the happy variety.)
So anyhoo, today I went into the city centre to wander around since my semester breaks are usually good for little else than getting cabin fever from only going into the city on days I'm working. I wandered into Deichmann, and I saw some shoes which almost made me cry out with joy.
You see, I bought these shoes a number of years ago (probably around 2008-ish), and wore them until I literally wore the sole out and was walking around barefoot. And then I found them again today in the store (way to be trendy and current, Deichmann).
They were shoes I threw away with a heavy heart, so of course I figured they were worth the 16 yoyos of getting again, since I know I'll wear them. Also, 16 yoyos is completely reasonable for a pair of shoes, even if I'm probably too old to be wearing this sort of thing these days.
Every time I walk past them on the way to the kitchen, I smile at them. Yes, they're inanimate objects, and no, they're not the same ones that trekked through a number of mighty adventures with me, but my brain gets tricked just long enough to forget those things. And here I am, happy as a clam. Heck, just looking up at the picture as I write this post gives me butterflies in my tummy.
(Yeah, I'm a weirdo. Whatevs. At least I'm of the happy variety.)
27 March 2013
Why in the WORLD Would I Look Forward to Easter?
Yesterday someone asked me if I was looking forward to Easter.
In return, this person got the blank stare I've gotten in the habit of giving everyone who asks me if I'm looking forward to one holiday or the other.
No, I'm not.
Listen, I don't mean for this to be a sob fest/pity party. The fact of the matter, though, is that as a single expatriate, you don't live with your family. Full stop. When the holidays come around, you may Skype with them or what not, but you're normally spending that day alone.
I can only speak for myself, of course. Some people may do things with friends, or some people may go home for whichever holidays they can/want to.
In the last five and a half years, it's become very clear to me that spending my holidays alone is a fact of life. It's really not the end of the world. I'm not religious anyway, so I don't really feel like I'm missing out on anything in that respect. The most I'm really missing out on is whatever seasonal bird is ending up on the table back in Canada.
All the holidays/long weekends/whatever give me are an extra couple of days away from work/uni to work on whichever writing projects I've got on the go at the moment. It's not sad, mopey or depressing. It's just the way it is -- another day.
Still, don't ask me if I'm looking forward to the holidays. Sure, it's nice to not set the alarm for an extra morning or two, but really. No. I'm not looking forward to the holidays. Why would I?
In return, this person got the blank stare I've gotten in the habit of giving everyone who asks me if I'm looking forward to one holiday or the other.
No, I'm not.
Listen, I don't mean for this to be a sob fest/pity party. The fact of the matter, though, is that as a single expatriate, you don't live with your family. Full stop. When the holidays come around, you may Skype with them or what not, but you're normally spending that day alone.
I can only speak for myself, of course. Some people may do things with friends, or some people may go home for whichever holidays they can/want to.
In the last five and a half years, it's become very clear to me that spending my holidays alone is a fact of life. It's really not the end of the world. I'm not religious anyway, so I don't really feel like I'm missing out on anything in that respect. The most I'm really missing out on is whatever seasonal bird is ending up on the table back in Canada.
All the holidays/long weekends/whatever give me are an extra couple of days away from work/uni to work on whichever writing projects I've got on the go at the moment. It's not sad, mopey or depressing. It's just the way it is -- another day.
Still, don't ask me if I'm looking forward to the holidays. Sure, it's nice to not set the alarm for an extra morning or two, but really. No. I'm not looking forward to the holidays. Why would I?
24 March 2013
BLIP: I like Candy
Tyrkisk Peber makes me happy. So does finding it on Amazon, which gives me the feeling that I can go ahead and eat the 12984 bags I brought back from Finland when my heart so desires.
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