Moving anywhere can be difficult and trying on the nerves. Moving in Mexico is a whole new experience. My Realtor (who spoke perfect English) went on vacation shortly after renting me the apartment (or he is just refusing my calls). Neither the manager or the "super" speak one word of English (mind you, there isn't a Mexican in the building). I have a list of 15 questions and complaints and no one to give it to. I still have no signed copy of the lease (which is in Spanish). It has now been over a month, since I paid three months rent in advance. Since all the furnished apartments were rented, they told me that they had to order new furniture (thus the three months in advance). Did I have a choice? NO! It would be the same ugly Mexican modern that the rest of the units had. I did insist on a queen size bed. A king would be too large for the room and since I sleep alone (regrettably) it would be a waste of space. We will see.
I was given permission to paint, providing I returned it to the same ugly off white when I left. What I did not realize at the time is that the entire apartment would have to have been painted for any other tenant. The former occupant had a dog. You can tell by all the dirty spots on the wall where the dog scratched himself. Either the apartment had been vacant for a long time of the former tenant was a real pig. I had to clean the walls and base boards before I could paint. I am still waiting for the apartment to be cleaned (as they promised).
I told you of my problem in getting a painter, so I have painted the entire apartment myself. I bought small cans of paint first, as I was not sure of the colors I wanted (I now have four unused paint cans). What I did not know is that each time you order a can of paint, it is a slightly different shade. It gives the walls a sort of water color look, and I thought it looked more Mexican so I did not fuss. When I decided on the yellow I wanted, I did want to make the same mistake so I ordered a gallon of paint. It was so different from the one I selected I had to repaint every bit of yellow. It was a Sunday and the paint store was closed and complaining would do not good anyway (complaining never does here, they do not care). Their thought would be, "Hey they are both yellow. What is your problem?". As it turned out the new yellow was a little more subtle than the brilliant Mexican yellow I had picked out and maybe easier to live with anyway.
The customer may be King in the U.S. but in Mexico he is a second class citizen. I was told that I needed a powerful "surge box" for all my electric gadgets because the electricity goes on and off so often. I bought one at Office Max, but in six months it died. I took it back with the receipt and they said that their products are only warrantied for one week. If it does not fail in one week, you are out of luck.
Gas and water were included, but I had to pay for electric, cable and Internet. After my four month fight with Telecable, I did not want to go back there, but found out that they are the only cable company that has the English channels. I was hoping they would not remember me. In order the get electricity you must go to the main office downtown to sign a "contracto". Even a Mexican can not do it by phone. I was told where the office was located and I was sure I knew how to get there by bus (I did not) Once I found the office it went very smoothly. Since I do not have a signed lease they took the receipt I have for the three months I paid in advance. You have to give them a deposit (normal) but you also have to pay what ever the last tenant left without paying (fortunately for me, he did not owe that much). Then it was off to the dreaded Telecable. No one recognized me (all old, fat, grey haired gringos look alike to them). It will cost me more money each month since I am no longer sharing the Internet with my neighbor, but hopefully I bought a more reliable and faster network. They also needed the name and address of a local who knew me, and my pass port. WHY? Well, because it is Mexico.
The cable company could not install until I had electricity. The electric company said the power would be turned on in one to five days (that is Mexican days). After eight days I had the building manager call them. The electricity had been connected a week ago. There is a switch below the meter on the street that had to be flipped (wouldn't you think that the manager or super would know that?). I still have not been able to get an answer from Telecable.
Since I needed permission to install tile in the kitchen, I had to wait until the following Monday. The tile man needed 7 to 9 days to finish the tile and he needed money for materials. I went ahead and gave him 2,000 pesos and ordered the tile. I had to have it finished before moving in and I wanted it done before the furniture arrived. There was no margin for error. I know, I know, in a country where nothing happens on time or goes according to schedule. I got permission and the tile was started two days later. The problem was the new sink I bought. It was not "exactly" the size of the old one. That was just the first problem, when the old sink was removed the rotted pressed wood underneath collapsed. One good thing about Mexicans is that they can fix or salvage almost anything (In the US the whole thing would have been thrown out).
The tile is almost done and looks gorgeous (photos will have to wait until I get back). So I went down to the office to find out where my signed lease was, and where the furniture was and when it would be delivered. The don't have the lease back from the owner of the building and they are going to bring the old furniture I don't like, down from an empty apartment (the man died). They said my Queen size bed would be delivered later and they would take the old King out (what are the odds??). I still have not been able to arrange for my "stuff" to be brought across the border or I would have taken the apartment unfurnished.
The blog is becoming a " Book". I have been so busy painting and cleaning that I have not even begun to pack. I leave for Turkey in less than two weeks and must move before packing for the trip. The air conditioners do not work and they have yet to install my fan. The ceiling light in the bathroom is broken and the buzzer to the downstairs door does not work.
Stay tuned.......
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Larry, you really need to save all this and bind it into book form. I would have had a nervous breakdown by now for sure.
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