Today is the day that we meet the landlords at our new home, do a quick walk through and then get the complete set of keys to the place. Our new landlords, Hammadi and Fatma, are very nice people. They have already told us that if we want to make any changes to the place to go ahead and do so. According to them, "this is your house now!"
I find that a refreshing attitude. Not that I'm going to paint all the walls wild whacky bilious colors... but if I wanted to, I could!
We got a single set of keys a week ago. We've been running over to the house every couple of days to check on the progress of the work being done. Today, the finish work is ongoing and the cleaners are going to do a final deep clean.
Then it's our empty house. Just waiting for our personal effects to clear customs.
I've been waiting for the landlord to tell us the complete mailing address. I wanted to get it down exactly before I shared it with our friends and family. The house is new construction so it doesn't have a street number yet. Today I asked how long it takes before the street number is assigned... guess what they said? About five months before the municipality gets around to giving all the new houses in the neighborhood their street numbers. This is a far cry from the US where the plots in a builders' neighborhood have street addresses before anything else happens.
We are going to live in a neighborhood/town called Gammarth. You say that Ga-MART. Very French. We tell people we live near Gammarth Plage, which means Gammarth beach. Even the Arabic script on the signs looks like a Happy Face! Very upper crusty, isn't it? Doesn't sound like a place that can't be bothered to assign street addresses.
At this point, I'm considering doing a permanent change of address to DH's office address and not even try to get mail at the house. Seems like a better bet all around. I KNOW that mail gets delivered there every day.
We are just that much closer to being out of this hotel and into a new home. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm hoping that customs doesn't choke on my household goods and really keep us waiting!
--Sandee Wagner
5 comments:
I can't wait till you guys get settled in and post pictures. May Customs smile on you and let everything pass without more than a glance.
Marilyn,
You say the NICEST things!! From your lips to God's ears... I hope so too. I want to get settled in and be stable again.
I think that smiley face is too cool!
I'm glad your so much closer to leaving the hotel :o)
Em,
Whenever I drive past a sign to Gammarth, it makes me smile. Emmanuelle said I should name the new house "Casa de Smiley Face" in honor. Unfortunately, only the owners can name the house. It would just be wrong to convince them that name was nice when they don't speak good English... spw
Hey... "this house is yours now"
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