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A Special Day

Published by Sula H.

October 3rd marks another holiday for me (though no one else around here usually is aware of this). October 3rd is the German national holiday, and I think it’s really convenient that it’s so close to the local national holiday, because that way I always get to have the day off, since the local holiday usually spreads over the entire week. And this year, I was even more fortunate. Because (though unaware of this holiday) my friends decided to have a hot pot deluxe dinner. So I got to hang out with my favorite people, enjoy great food and have a lot of fun – all on the day which marks a special holiday for me!

And Then You Realize: There’s No Problem After All

Published by Sula H.

Remember the water heater issue I was talking about the other day? Well, over the last couple of days, I was able to make a couple of observations.

Observation #1:
If I switch the handle to have more water run into the heater (following the instructions of the worker), it never heats up the water in the heater, because it just keeps running through the tank.

Observation #2:
If I don’t touch the handle and don’t switch anything, there’s always hot water in the heater, and the water in the kitchen tap doesn’t run out either any more. Plus it’s hot any time of the day.

Conclusion:
Maybe there’s no problem with the water heater after all. Maybe everything is working as it should, and there’s nothing to worry about. Maybe the worker just didn’t have any clue and got everything mixed up himself.

Whatever the case, I’m just happy that the water’s been working just fine, and that there’s no problem with either – the hot water heater or the kitchen tap!

October 1st – A Holiday

Published by Sula H.

There’s a rule of thumb I usually try to abide by, and that rule is: Stay away from the public whenever there’s a public holiday around. Usually, it’s not a big deal for me to keep this in mind. So, I don’t know what has gotten into me that of all the days of the year I decided to go into town for some shopping today. I must have been out of the country for too long to remember this, but as soon as I got near the supermarket, I realized my mistake.

The first thing I was able to observe was the sheer number of people, cars, three wheelers, bicycles (and other modes of transportation) which flocked around the shopping center.

The next thing that struck me was the noise. I’ve known that people around here like to crank up some music in front of the stores (probably thinking: the louder the noise, the more customers they will draw or something). At this store, however, it wasn’t just one type of music yelling for customers to stop by. In fact, they’d set up two music stations, one running modern pop music, the other some classic music. And the entrance – you may guess – was right in the middle of the two. Talking about some serious musical competition here, and a definite stretch to the ears.

So, never forget that note to self: Do not ever try to go shopping on October 1st again, period!

A Water Heater Dilemma

Published by Sula H.

The place where I live only has hot water twice a day – in the wee hours of the morning and at night. Now, you may call that unfortunate, but I, in fact, call it “being blessed,” because most everyone else around us only has cold water to work with, period.

But it’s also the reason for why a hot water heater is very essential to me. Now, the thing with a hot water heater is that it needs to move when you switch apartments. And here is where it gets tricky. Because in the new place where it ended up, I can either have hot water through the water heater, but no water at all in the kitchen and the heater doesn’t get filled up again and will run empty eventually, or I can have water in the kitchen (according to schedule of the daily warm water hours) and fill up the heater, but no hot water from the water heater. Sounds complicated? Yeah. To me, too! So, let’s hope this problem is easier to fix than to explain!

 

Things Are Moving …

Published by Sula H.

… and I’m on the move with them. More particularly, I had to move a lot of things since I was asked to move to another apartment.  Fortunately, I had some strong helpers who did the most challenging parts of the move, and enough time on my hands to get everything settled before I’m going back to work. And now it is my job to make this new place my home again.

Fighting Those Dust Bunnies

Published by Sula H.

Boy, I can tell you: Nearly four months away from home can do a thing or two to your home. Most notably: those dust bunnies which delight in keeping you company as soon as you keep things untouched for just a couple of days. The dust bunnies in my apartment have multiplied miraculously over the summer, and there’s hardly any way to get them under control.

In cases like this, I actually consider it a good thing that I have to move into a new place, since it also means that I can simply leave those disagreeable dust bunnies behind!

Funny How Things Change …

Published by Sula H.

It’s funny how things change. The other day, when I was at an airport, traveling somewhere in Europe, I saw an Asian lady wearing a surgical mask. And as I watched her walking by, I thought to myself: she must be terribly afraid of catching some bug while traveling among a lot of strangers. And then a thought struck me: Only a couple years earlier, I would’ve thought this lady was terribly sick herself and trying to protect others from getting what she suffers from.

And then I realized: It’s funny how a couple years abroad can change your perspective so drastically. I used to laugh (secretly, of course) about the silliness of people wearing such masks. Now, that I’ve learned to understand why they do this, I’ve learned to be a little more sympathetic with people like that Asian lady at the airport …

One Last Day

Published by Sula H.

Alas! Last days can come and go so quickly. At least my last day in Germany included a very special treat: lady’s breakfast, otherwise known as the breakfast feast! One last time, I got to have all the good stuff that makes a great German breakfast, and I was able to have it all at once. For this occasion, I allowed myself a little more than I know is good – but then, I won’t get to have anything like this in another whole long while. So, I took it all: breakfast rolls and dark bread, cheese in all shapes and flavors, fruits, vegetables, meats, and all the other good things which were offered. And in the end I’m able to leave with a full stomach and a full heart! Good-bye homeland! Till we meet again!