written Wednesday 30 April 2003
| Fasten your seat belts |
The Netherlands work visa came through in record time--3 weeks, and I've never heard about less than 2 months. Woof. And now, everything else is falling into place, and the acceleration of events is furious...
"Apartment ready?" Check!
"DSL available at apartment address?" Check!
"One-way airline reservations?" Check!
"Air shipping ready?" Check!
"Surface shipping ready?" Check!
"Lab ready in Netherlands?" Check!
I'm impressed, and caught by surprise. I will fly out in 15 days, not 2 months.
I must still:
- Close on house sale (lovely 470, in Winter Park, Florida).
Clean up the messesFinish the projects I started at work (Illinois).- Sell the car. It got me here safely, even at its age and through its very first snow--and now I'll abandon it. Shame.
- Buy all the things I will need there. If only I knew what they were!
- Cut off cell phone, arrange bulk mail forwarding, etc etc etc
Check your airbags. Here we go.
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Readers' Comments
why on earth buy in the usa things you'll need in the netherlands and travel with them ? รด man of little practical sense !!!!! :):)
hmm and your cellphone number might come in handy, say, to receive a text message from france ahem ahem !!!!!
*give away* the car to french lady ? teehee... don't mind me. i'm just feeling goofy !!!
You ask: "Why buy things in the US that I'll need in the Netherlands?"
A good question. Here are three answers...
1. Some things are more expensive in the Netherlands, e.g. computer stuff.
2. Some things might be unavailable in the Netherlands: software, hardware, books, CD, ibuprofen, US-size printer paper and files and file folders, even shoes in my ridiculous size. And of course I have preferences in simple things like dental floss, shampoo, etc. I will not have a lot of time to shop, and further: Dutch stores seem to be open only 1-2 hours per day, 3-4 days per week.
3. There are other things that may well be available and cheap in the Netherlands, but they won't do me any good because I can't read the damn labels. I don't plan to spend the rest of 2003 with manky hair just because I don't know the Dutch word for shampoo. OK, OK, I exaggerate, but you get the idea.
No matter what I buy here before I go, I'm sure I will waste plenty of money in inappropriate purchases--much to the enrichment of Dutch shopkeepers and the amusement of their cashiers.
you forget, apparently, that most people in the netherlands can speak english (contrary to france for instance shame on us)
however, if i ever had a fantasy about being a dutch shopkeeper and/or cashier, hehehe... :):)
Hey, watch out. Those one-way airline tix will give the security spooks fits!