Still waiting so not much to report. We've been exploring. We found a couple of playgrounds for the boys to blow off steam and wandered down by the river. We went to TGI Friday's for the first time last night. It was good to have something familiar. I've been making an attempt at speaking my pretty pathetic Russian. It's odd that now that I (Larry) can't really speak English here that I now remember a lot more French from college than I ever did while taking the classes. In my head, I can now have pretty much complete conversations in French.
We had the meter reader show up at our door. She knew no English and we really didn't understand what she wanted. It was rather comical but we finally figured it out, her pointing up at the lights, showing her clipboard, finally the word electric we both understood. Luckily we knew where the electric meter and fuse box was hidden, she read the meter and went on her way. I saw her in the building the night before and thought she was some kind of solicitor going door to door.
We had learned early in our stay here that the fuse box is hidden inside the wall behind a large mirror next to the front door. Mary blew a fuse using the hair dryer (the second night?) and we went that night without lights in the bathroom and half the power in the kitchen knocked out. (the fridge was on a different fuse) We both searched the apartment and the hallway and could not find the fuse box. All we could find was the gas meter and phone lines. Our coordinator called the apartment manager for us the next morning to find out where the fuse box was located. We (Mary) blew that same fuse probably a half dozen times over the next few days.
Rules for our apartment:
-do not use the hair dryer and the microwave at the same time
-do not use the hot pot and the oven at the same time
-do not use the microwave and the oven at the same time
You get the idea ....
I am glad that we found the gas meter too. The stove has gas burners and an electric oven. The 'off' for the burners is easily confused with super low which puts out the flame but still lets gas flow on one of the burners. We check the meter now when we are done using the burners to make sure they are really turned off.
1 comment:
Larry - I just thought about a place you could take the boys. There is a war museum not far from the embassy - it is directly below the IRON MAIDEN. They boys will love the tank and "stuff" to climb on. I didn't so much enjoy it buy my husband did. The entrance fee is cheap, Just thought it might be a place to occupy your time while you are waiting.
Lisa
Post a Comment