School officially opened today, which apparently included some speeches or something. I'm vague because when I checked the time of the event this morning, I had the idea that 13:30 was 3:30PM and not 1:30 PM and so while more together students heard an inspiring lecture, I was taking a (desperately needed because I was too tired to tell time) nap. I arrived at school 5 minutes after everything concluded.
I got my student card but not my course schedule. When do classes start? Theoretically, tomorrow, but I don't know. Hopefully, I'll find out when I post this as somebody will have answered my email.
Cola and I went to a rental agency in our quest to find housing. The rental person explained that since we were looking for less than a year, we absolutely have to rent a furnished apartment. This adds 100+€ to the price. Agency fees are equal to one month's rent (therefore, rent = ((stated rate) * (1 + 1/9)) + utilities, Utilities = 120€ ish). Den Haag should be cheaper than Paris, damnit! I computed that it might be cheaper to take the year lease and just pay for the extra months that we won't be here. Nicole is going to look at two expensive apartments tomorrow. Squatting looks better and better.
We just bought a requisite lamp from a Turkish shop. I am proud of myself that I bargained down from 15€ to 12.50€, but I made some errors. I said 10€ when I meant 10€. I should have offered 5€, which is what it's probably worth. It has a little trophy figure of a footballer on it. We've got the requisite 4 books. If we steal the air mattress which I inflated this morning, all we need is a table and a chair and we're set. Maybe also a residency card, since neither of us has registered yet. This is theoretically not a big deal but I think I might make an appointment tomorrow despite our lack of permanent address. I'll be fine but I'm worried that staying at an anti-squat might look bad for Cola since she's coming in as a person looking for work.
Anyway, now our current lodging will have two sources of light, although still no hot water, as my attempts again today to light the heater failed. Gas here has a scent added, but it's different than in the US and I don't know what it smells like. Nicole can apparently detect it, but so far, nothing. That's good because there will be no explosions but bad because there will be not hot showers. I need a place to live. What am I doing here? I wake up with absolutely no idea where I am.
I'm going to have homework and tests and stuff. Tests! What's up with that? I'm too old for tests. I'm too old for school. What the heck am I doing here? Bay Area prices for furnished apartments? Tests? Hideous, insufficiently bargained lamps?
If anybody calls me a "girl" again (or one of "the girls") in the next day my head will explode. I. Am. Not. A. Girl. Thank you.
1 comment:
Have you considered not living in den Haag? As a grad student, your course load will probably be light enough that you can come to town for classes and advising, and most of your composing will be done at home anyway. I don't know who's in Sonology now, but it used to be that the bulk of the staff and students lived in Amsterdam and commuted to den Haag. In principle, you could live anywhere in Holland and study at the Conservatory.
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