Summary

We've been here almost exactly two weeks now and we are somewhat settled in. To be honest, after our first two weeks in Belgium, we were a lot farther along than we are here. We've run up against lots of paradoxical stumbling blocks that have really hampered our progress. None of it was directly government red-tape like that which we found in Belgium, here it is more societal.

Our ferry arrived at around 6:50 pm on August 29th. Getting through immigration and customs was a piece of cake. Even though our BMW looked ridiculous with a rolled up mattress and two plastic-wrapped suitcases strapped to the roof (not to mention a completely stuffed back-seat and trunk), we were waved through with the scarcest of glances. Then it was time to drive on the left side of the road. We made it to Norwich in a little over an hour and found our B&B with minimal problems.

The next morning we got up at a reasonable hour and took advantage of the ""Breakfast" part of the "B&B". You just have to start off your time in England with a Full English Breakfast (fried eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled mushrooms, baked tomatoes, hash-browns, baked beans and toast). After that, it was time to strap the suitcases and mattress back on the roof of the car and check out of the hotel. We left it in the parking lot and walked to meet our new landlord at our new apartment.

Our landlord is a nice enough guy. Though he works at a realty agency, this is the first property he has owned to rent out and we are his first tenants (we'll break him in). We were a bit nervous about the apartment because the pictures we had seen weren't very detailed. However, we were mostly relieved, partially pleasantly surprised, and a teensy bit dismayed. Relieved because it was very clean and the neighborhood seemed OK. Pleasantly surprised because the kitchen and living room are a good size, the ceilings are relatively high and there is more storage than we thought (including a large nook under the stairs to the upstairs apartment where I can hide all of my imported beer). The twinge of dismay came when we saw how tiny the bedroom is. You can fit a queen-size mattress and maybe one dresser in there and still be able to get in and out of the room without killing yourself. Our parking space is at the back of the building, right outside our bedroom window, which is comforting.

The 30th was a bank holiday, so we couldn't get much done after we unpacked the car. John Lewis, the big department store where we intended to get a bed, was closed. So, we just wandered around the town a bit. We peeked in some furniture stores in the mall, but everything was out of our price range. Then we decided to go to a movie to kill time (The Bourne Supremacy... very entertaining). After that, we headed back to our disheveled apartment and Kristen made our "bed": our mattress pad (3 inch thick foam pad) and our comfiest sheets. Despite the fact that the entire apartment is carpeted (including the bathroom), this bed was not even remotely comfortable to me. It was a VERY firm "bed". On top of that, we only had our wool throw and a sheet to keep ourselves warm. At some point during the night, I grabbed one of Kristen's long jackets to cover myself. I did not have a good night's sleep, but Kristen somehow slept perfectly fine. That's usually my job!

The next day, we fueled up with some Starsucks coffee and set our priority to get a real bed. We didn't find a bed in our price range at John Lewis, but we did buy a TV (a 28" widescreen JVC) and a fridge (though the one we wanted was out of stock for the moment). The TV was scheduled for delivery later in the week and the fridge was on hold. Then we went to a futon store and purchased a futon couch for the living room and another futon mattress for our bedroom. It's a mattress on the floor, but it's queen-size and comfortable.

We tried to get a mobile phone, but no one would take us because we did not have an appropriate document to prove our address (like a bank statement or utility bill). This is what proved to be our biggest stumbling block: we didn't have a utility bill because we just moved in. So we tried to open a bank account, but they wouldn't take us either for the same reason. We tried to rent a washer/dryer, but they required a bank account for direct debit. We booked phone installation with the local monopoly, but they couldn't install it until the 16th. It became quickly apparent that we would have to have a lot more patience and just wait it out. Sooner or later, some form of suitable proof of address would make its way into our lives. The bad part about having to wait was that Kristen couldn't really apply for jobs until we had a phone number to provide.

Until last Wednesday, we went to the library every morning to get on the internet. I kept looking for mobile phone and internet providers. What I was discovering was that most of the broadband providers required that you have a telephone line from BT (the aforementioned monopoly). I tried with NTL, a telephone, broadband and digital TV provider, but the post code search told me that service was not available. However, a few days later, it became apparent that the post code we were given was incorrect. When I tried the correct one, NTL became a reality. Time to give them a call! We went immediately to a pay-phone we had used a few times already, but someone was using it. So, we wandered through the centre to find another one and, lo and behold, we came upon a NTL promotional booth offering an even better deal than what was on their web-site. Breakthrough! We swarmed the guy and got signed up for telephone, digital cable and broadband with installation much sooner than BT would have done. We were finally getting somewhere.

Yesterday, we received the initial bill from NTL, so we went straight to HSBC to open a bank account. After that, we went to arrange for our washer/dryer rental. It will be delivered on Tuesday, so we can get rid of the ever-increasing pile of laundry. We're holding off on mobile phones for now because we don't need them at the moment.

Our fridge was delivered this past Friday, putting an end to almost two weeks of eating take out and not having any cold drinks in the house. At Salvation Army we found a coffee table, shelf-unit and a dresser which will be delivered to us this Tuesday or Wednesday. Kristen has a few nibbles for job prospects. Registration for me at UEA is later this week. Little by little, it's all coming together. Before we know it, I'll be at school, Kristen will be working, and we'll have an eclectic, but cozy little apartment to come home to. Patience is a virtue.

-RP-