Warning: Awfully long post ahead, and one filled with complaints

We have finally moved into the new place and this move was comparatively less hectic than all others, maybe because we were moving just across the road and also because we had the keys one week before we had to give up the apartment we were in. We started moving things bit by bit and so it was not that much of a problem. Still, cleaning up the other apartment was a task. They deduct the deposit money if we don't leave it spic and span and also have to leave the apartment as how we found it. Basically we had moved stuff around to make more space and we forgot what went where at the end of it, leaving us utterly frustrated and irritated. So we left it as is and the agents haven't complained till now, so i presume its alright. We also had to go back and clean the windows which we conveniently forgot and they were nice enough to let us do it, otherwise 125 quid for four small windows. The new apartment is amazingly spacious, which means more space for junk. We have no clue how we accumulated so much of stuff in spite of living in fully furnished apartments all throughout. God forbid we will not have to leave UK after 6 months for Ro's next project. If that's the case we have quite a bit of stuff to be thrown out. It breaks my heart to throw off stuff that have been barely used.

Coming back to the apartment, we tremendously miss the views and privacy we had on the 5th floor. Now on the first floor, we have to draw our blinds because one side looks into the neighbours' apartments (more or less) and the other into the courtyard, which is alright but Ro being the incredibly private person he is, doesn't want to leave the blinds open there as well. I feel claustrophobic and most of all miss watching the rains. The locals have absolutely no issues with privacy and no one peers into apartments, but us desi's are really nosy. We have a couple living diagonally opposite, who are always out on the balcony and very OBVIOUS. If you know what i mean!

There is still some more cleaning/fixing work to be completed and Ro is eating the agents head about it. I would have given up long back. The apartment has been vacant for a long time and so things are not in the best of conditions, which means loads of cleanliness issues, lights/ switches not working etc. hoping to be fixed by next week latest. Sometimes i think the 'improper' way of doing things back home is such a blessing. You call someone up and the persons at your door that very day or max the next day..electrician, plumber or whoever it is. No appointments, nothing! For an Internet connection here...mind you, this is just a transfer from one building to the other, the exchange is the same, and no one needs to come fix stuff or anything.....we need to wait 10 working days. C'mon how on earth can it take this long in this day and age?????????? It irritates me like crazy that i don't have Internet. Oh btw right now I'm getting someones open wifi which has really really low connectivity. But somethings better than nothing right?Also, i need the Internet for my cooking. I have no clue how to even make a simple chutney without a proper recipe. I'm lost without the net and the dependency kinda scares me, seriously! I am now bored outta my mind because day time TV sucks big time in UK. They have the most boring, uncreative programmes and BBC has full control over the entire system, which means American sit. com.'s etc. are all shown in ration, that too reruns and old old old episodes. When we were in Chicago i used to be so confused as to what to watch because each and every channel had interesting stuff. Why Chicago, i think India has more interesting programmes than out here.

Since I'm on a complaint spree i shall ramble for some more time about things that bug me. I recently called the NHS practise to fix an appointment, regarding a rash on my face. The earliest available appointment was a week later. I went ahead and fixed it, but after about three days my rash disappeared. How am i supposed to go to the doc and say. I had a rash that looked somewhat red and was obvious but its no longer there, but can you anyway tell me what it is. DUH! (Secretly i am kinda happy about it because i hate hospitals and docs and I'm scared of even a blood test. I have sleepless nights and butterflies in my stomach the moment i realize i have to go see the doc). This has happened to me twice already. Health care in UK is free and probably that's why the GP's really don't care a damn about you. We have been talking about going the family way and so my husband being the research specialist he is, wanted to know all proper details. Well, we wont have a doc doing check ups etc. any time during the term unless there is a complication...and that too it has to be really really complicated for the doc to come take a took, so I'm told by friends working in hospitals. We either have a nurse or a mid wife doing the needful. They told us not to make a big deal out of something as small as having a baby. Well, for them it might be the millionth case, but for us its the first time and we are apprehensive and scared. We deserve much better. Back home, you all know how different it is! A close friend was given a wrong diagnosis, which almost cost her life, and later was apologised to...like that solved all issues!

Ro on the other hand thinks its Gods gift to us...the free medical treatments. And to make matters worse, the NHS walk in centre is just around the corner, exactly 3 mins walk from our apartment. He goes to the GP for even the slightest ordeal. Like the other day he made me fix an appointment because he noticed his nail had ridges on them and was worried (yes, i laughed too). I insisted i go along with him just so i could take his trip later on. The doc had no idea what the hell Ro was so worried about and she said she cant even feel the ridges. Ro gave her major gyan saying his research on the net proved he had iron deficiency. She said usually women have iron deficiency and not men. But no, my man wont take that for an answer. He insisted something was wrong and then the doc opened a book and started referring it (this is where we start questioning the medical service we get). I was almost about to burst out laughing, seriously! And then she suggested a blood test so he could be sure. How happy Ro was, but to his disappointment the blood test was just fine. I still take his ass about the ridges on his nail. If you think this is weird, i am not even gonna start on his other issues. All i can say is, not many docs like it if you question them and Ro is an expert at that.

Settling into the current apartment is a tedious job, with figuring out the controls on the complicated shower, topping the list. Ro and myself have already started fighting about where to put what...Ro being more practical, and i being more 'but it doesn't look pretty there' orientated. I have an empty shelf staring back at me and its depressing. I cannot spend lots of money, nor can i accumulate stuff, but i need to put something or the other on it. Do pass on affordable ideas so i can work on it till i get my Internet connection back. I will try my best to visit your blogs, thanks to someones' wifi connection, but do pardon me if i don't leave comments, since it keeps disconnecting every now and then.

PS: Will upload pics later. Like i mentioned, limited connectivity.