September 4, 2010: Saga of the apartment

September 4, 2010: 
Recap of the apartment situation to date: My school, Ujpesti Bilingual Technical High School was to have had my apartment available to move in on August 15th. Due to unforeseen problems, this date was slipped to September 28th, the last day of orientation. However, when Fekete Kati went to see the apartment, she declared in "uninhabitable" and therefore requested some more time to find me something more suitable. Meanwhile, since I have a friend in LA who owns a great apartment in an ideal location, he agreed to let me stay there until the school's apartment search was over. On September 2nd, Kati took me to an apartment near the school that seemed reasonable. The real estate agent and owner met us there and indeed the apartment was acceptable. However, my inner vibes told me that the owner wouldn't agree to renting it to me. This feeling was confirmed on September 3rd when I learned that we were back to square one with respect to finding an apartment for me to live in. Kati requested an additional one to two weeks to arrange my new apartment. Middle September?!!!

Update: In the evening of September 3rd, the cousin of the apartment owner who tends to the apartment for my friend in LA visited me to inform me that there is a significant water leak emanating from my apartment and that I should cease using the washing machine and also significantly limit the amount of water I used in the kitchen. She told me that a plumber had been called to fix the problem and that there would be significant disruption to the apartment and that the water would be turned off for 2 to 3 days. She wondered when I would be moving so that they could begin work. I took the hint and contacted CETP as well as Kati to let them know that I need to make other arrangements soon. 

The next morning, I got up, made breakfast using as little water as possible, and proceeded to wash my laundry in the bathtub. Then I sat in the living room in front of my computer wondering whether things could get worse, when Pfffftttt! The lights in the living room flashed and the electricity went out! Fortunately, it was only the lights in the living room that went out and not the rest of the apartment; unfortunately the internet connection is in the living room and since I had corresponded with  everyone via e-mail and was hoping to hear from them via e-mail, I felt a little desperate! My cell phone was dangerously low in minutes I could use to call people (although people can still call me and I won't be charged for the call). So, I called Hajni of CETP and asked her to call me back so I wouldn't use up my minutes. She did so and I explained the problem. Hajni acted instantly. It wasn't four minutes later when she called back to say that I could move back into Corvinus University where we had had orientation. She told me that I would be given a small two room suite immediately. She asked when I could be packed and ready to move and we agreed on noon. She called me at noon to see if I was ready; I was, and five minutes later, a taxi arrived that Hajni called for to transport me to Corvinus. I arrived a short time later, filled out the registration form, and moved into my immaculate suite that had a foyer with clothes closets, a separate toilet room, separate shower room, a sitting room, and a bedroom.  The sitting room has a microwave and refrigerator and the rooms are air conditioned.

Sitting room (Corvinus University)

Sitting Room (Corvinus University)

Bedroom (Corvinus University)

Bedroom (Corvinus University)

Although the suite is very nice, it has no cooking facilities and needing to save on cash a bit, I really need to be cooking my own meals. At 1:30, Hajni called to make sure everything was okay and we discussed the cooking situation. She will call the University on Monday to see if I can use their kitchen. She also agreed to upload my phone with more minutes so I'm fixed there. We also discussed my apartment options. As I was leaving the apartment to get the taxi, Szuszi, the apartment owner's cousin had just arrived in her car. We talked briefly and one of the things she told me was that she has friends who know of apartments that are available near her cousin's apartment. Since that would be in the heart of the city, I became quite excited -- to live in that area would be very exciting and close to everything. Although it's a ways to the school, it certainly has been very easy to go to the school by subway (only 35 minutes including the subway and short walk from the subway to Ujpesti). Hajni had also talked with Szuszi and heard the same thing so Hajni will call Kati to check into this possibility.

So, losing out on the apartment near Ujpesti may not have been so tragic after all! We'll see what transpires in the saga of the apartment this coming week. Stay tuned! 

Later: After settling into my apartment, I decided to see where I could buy tickets for the tram so that I can get back to Pest. I looked for the ticket booth that Hajni told me about but could find none. I just walked and before I knew it, I had walked all the way back to my former apartment! Since I knew about a cheap pizza place near the former apartment, I had dinner there and then returned to my new apartment in Buda. On the way, I stopped into the Gellert Hotel (where the famous baths are located) and asked where I could buy a tram ticket. The doorman told me they sold them inside the hotel. I went to the place where they sold tram tickets and learned that a tram ticket is really a transportation ticket that is good for one ride on the subway, tram, bus, metro, or HEV. In other words I already had a ticket and didn't even know it because I had bought a book of subway tickets last week. So, I'm all set to return to Pest tomorrow to go to the Opera House to hear Mahler's 2nd. Tomorrow will be a good day.

Gellert Hotel and Baths (front view) with tram