...At the End of the Tunnel?

Success is the taste of a large hunk of grilled meat chased by a cold beer, which is exactly how Marnie and I celebrated finding a place to live yesterday.

Considering that the day previous everything seemed to be slightly dysfunctional, this was a welcome change of luck. On Monday we went to get our cell phones, but had to return to the store three times because their system was down. Apparently, so was the plumbing, as the water in the entirety of Rosebank mall was shut off. When we returned to the hotel, we were treated to a four hour power outage (after dusk no less). While the locals would greet such whining with a sarcastic “And?” it is a reminder of the things we take for granted in the good old U.S. of A.

When the power was finally restored, Marnie feverishly poured over local real estate listings, with a few good leads. Unfortunately, the reply from the agents the next morning was “Taken”. After a few more demoralizing rejections, we were able to view a flat in Parktown North and signed the papers on the spot. Our agent informed us that someone else was scheduled to view the place an hour later, and that recently rental properties in the area stayed on the market for a day at most.

Our flat is fully furnished, situated above the garage of the family that is renting the property. Shops, malls and parks are all in close proximity, as well as a high end liquor merchant with a fine selection of single malt (Yeah!!!). It is just about everything we wanted, with some added perks (maids and a laundry service?!?). It underlines the tremendous disparity between the haves and have-nots in this country.

Today we are visiting dealerships to look for a cheap car. Our lease does not start until Feb 1 so we will have to be confined to the prison walls of our hotel room for a few additional days, though the car will make it easier to take some day trips. I hope to post some more pics on here soon, but we aren’t exactly staying in a “camera friendly” area.