When we first moved here this summer, we lived in an apartment, temporarily, until I was to report for work. The school would be providing the teachers with subsidized accommodations.
Remember that first apartment? We frequently were without hot water. We didn’t have internet at all for the first 3 out of 5 weeks that we lived there. I kicked out the Internet Master by saying Goodbye! in Russian. I was home alone during the day while Stephen was at work, watching FoxNews repeat itself in 4 hour cycles and watching Friends on my computer because the DVD player wouldn’t play our DVD’s. I knitted a lot. I didn’t know anyone and I was lonely. I wondered what we were thinking.
We were so excited to move into our staff accommodation! Although we moved in a week late, since they weren’t finished yet, we were going to have internet, a large apartment, the quiet of living just outside of the city, better t.v.! Things were looking up!
Now, I don’t want to seem ungrateful, so I will tell you the good things about living here before I inform you of all the problems.
- We have made some good friends while living here than I’m not sure would’ve happened if we hadn’t lived in close proximity with the teachers.
- This place is huge! 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms that I get to clean, a large kitchen, two living rooms…Huzz and I lose track of each other sometimes! Much different from our NYC studio.
- I have free transportation to and from the school with these little buses the school has.
Now, for the gripes.
- We had no t.v. service or phone service for the first 5 weeks we lived here. We still don’t have internet service. The first month we received our bills, we got one for a “service charge,” which came to about $200 a month! This is essentially a home owner’s association fee, which the teachers were not informed of, ever. We were promised that the school would pay that for the teachers.
One week later, they said they couldn’t pay it because it wasn’t in the school’s budget.
Believe me, this is only one of the issues the teachers have been fighting since August. The downstairs units are falling apart, due to faulty plumbing and wiring. Just last week, we didn’t have water at all on one side of the house because the pipes were clogged with plastic bags and building materials. The plumber made known his disdain for us in Russian, because as you know, we love shoving plastic bags and drywall down the toilet. We are forced to stay at the school at the mercy of the bus schedule, which most days come to twelve hours. It seems that everyday, there is something new. It is incredibly wearing.
The teachers have had it. Last weekend and this weekend, several teachers have moved out of the accommodation houses, at the risk that they will not receive the subsidy that has been promised, as yet not fulfilled. We have learned that the Soviet apartment buildings, while ugly on the outside, actually have pretty decent apartments inside. You have to tread through dark, smelly, syringe-filled hallways. But, once you get inside, all is good. Then, today they had another meeting with the housing people. Apparently now, they have offered to pay the service charges for us and pay our bills, plus have “promised” to get internet installed.
Now, I am not a stupid person. Based on past experience with these people, I’d say they’re full of it. I’d say these are empty promises. I’d say we still won’t have internet by the time we report for school in January. I am not being pessimistic. I am being realistic. And smart.
If they actually did fulfill all of these “promises,” I would love to stay where we are at. #1 reason is because I am sick and tired of moving. This would be the third move in 4 months. Doesn’t that seem a bit excessive?
More pros to moving: All of our friends are moving out of the staff accommodations, so we could get an apartment near them, hopefully. And without them, I’ll be lonely again. The school will have one less thing to have a hold on me. No more taking rent money out of my paycheck! We’ll actually save a significant amount of money by moving. I actually think I might be a lot happier if we moved away from the accommodations. I say might because I don’t want to commit myself to some feeling that I’m not ready to display.
Anyway, that’s just a taste of what we (I) have been dealing with for the past few months. Now, just apply that to starting a school, teaching for 6 weeks without any books or supplies….the list goes on.
Now, I have that song in my head Should We Stay or Should We Go?
I better turn on some Christmas music. That’s much better to have in my head!
While we were at the City Center, Stephen bought me this new little prize! Isn't it so pretty? It's for our anniversary/my birthday.
Here is the combo platter we ordered. Fried goodness.
