Day One

I have to say, I did an amazing job clearing out the refrigerator and pantry before leaving Brentford. Granted, I ate some very...unexpected...combinations of food during my final week, but I threw out very little, and I only took with me some soba noodles, two packets of instant oatmeal, a bottle of sherry, some ketchup and bbq sauce, and half a packet of fajita spices. These stayed packed while at Jessica's and so arrived at my new flat, where they practically filled the available cupboard space. (Did I mention the place was small?)

Today, I took an inventory of everything I needed for the flat. Now, bear in mind that I was essentially housesitting in Brentford, so it was fully stocked with dishes, cutlery, utensils, spices, etc. I only bought a few things to complement what I had; now all I had were those few things. So I had a rice cooker, but no pots. I had a mixer, but no bowls. I had an apple corer, but no peeler. You get the idea.

I took my (rather long) list down to the Robert Dyas store, which bills itself as an "ironmonger," but it's more like a Big Lots in that they have a bizarre selection of household goods, from hammers to tupperware. I bought some ice cube trays, a soap dish, and a screwdriver. (I can't imagine anyone who knows me being surprised that, of all the things I needed, these are the things I bought.) I also added a number of things to my list, such as a water filter, a colander, a cheese grater, a can opener, a kitchen timer, a kitchen scale, a toilet brush, coat hooks, candles, an hibachi grill, a bird feeder, and a printer/scanner. (I told you they had a bizarre selection.) However, I didn't buy any of these until I could do some price/quality comparisons.

I also got my utilities in order. The landlord took care of water and council tax (similar to property tax), and gas and electric just took a phone call. Internet, on the other hand, took six hours, cost £10 in cell phone charges, and I ended up doing exactly what the landlord suggested I do, which was ordering phone service from the local cable company.

The thing is, I didn't want a phone or a TV. I just wanted Internet, because nowadays you can make phone calls and watch TV over the Internet. I checked the local cable company--Virgin Media--and they charge £20 per month for Internet, or £25/month for phone, TV, and Internet, plus a £50 credit if you order all three. In other words, a phone and TV would only cost £2/month more, so it seemed silly not to take them. The only thing I didn't like was that Virgin required a 12-month contract, and I don't know that I'll be in this flat more than six months.

My other option was DSL, which was cheaper -- about £18/month -- but then I had to get a phone line. I called British Telecom (BT) and they said they could activate the phone line "within 4 weeks" and it would either be free or £122, but they couldn't tell me which until I placed the order. Then they told me they required a 12-month commitment as well. I also looked at a dozen DSL providers; O2 was the cheapest, but to get the lowest rate I would have to switch my mobile!

So cable was looking pretty good--it was £5/month more than DSL but twice as fast, included TV, I only had to deal with one company, and I'd probably get it sooner. But the real death knell for DSL came when Jessica pointed out the telephone jack: it was by a window, three feet off the ground, next to the dining table. There wasn't even an electrical outlet nearby, so I'd have to run a wire across the entire room, and hide the router behind a chest of drawers. The cable, on the other hand, was conveniently located, so I called Virgin and signed up. Even better, the rep not only gave me the £50 credit, but also gave Jessica a £60 credit for referring me.

My final goal was to go to the gym, since I haven't been in two months, but it was almost 7pm before I packed my gear and headed off. Then I realized I didn't bring any water, so I popped into the market on the way. Then I realized I was starving--I only had 2 bagels and a biscuit all day--but they didn't have anything that was appetising, and I thought eating a candy bar before going to the gym was self-defeating. Then I saw flour tortillas, and I remembered the half packet of fajita mix in the cupboard, and a little light bulb went on in my head and I bought a bell pepper, onion, and a big mushroom. Then I realized a) I was still starving, and b) what the hell was I going to do with this stuff at the gym? So I went home.

I mentioned in my last email that there were two markets on Pitshanger Lane, but I didn't mention they were both the same market. It's called "The Co-operative" and it's just a chain, but it's kind of weird having two on the same street, one block apart. This evening, though, it was very convenient because I realized I forgot cooking oil, so I popped inti the other one. When I got home, I also remembered I didn't have a knife, a pan, or a spatula. Instead, I sliced the vegetables with a plastic knife, cooked them in a pot Jessica had loaned me to boil water, and used a potato masher as a spatula. I also used the serrated edge of the cake server to open the pack of tortillas (scissors are on the list) and ate off a paper plate.

Oh, and did I mention the sofa was in the kitchen? The landlord was supposed to clean the carpet before I moved in, but naturally that didn't happen. He assured me it would be done today, so this morning I moved everything out of the living room, pushing the sofa into the kitchen. Naturally, he called in the afternoon and said it would be the next day, but it was too much effort to move the sofa back, so I just cooked around it.

Well, I think that's enough adventures for one day. Tomorrow I will pick up the rest of my belongings which I left at the hotel, including my camera bag, tennis racket, and all of my clothes hangers. (Why I didn't bring those with the clothes is beyond me; right now my clothes are literally stacked in the bottom of the closet.)

P.S. Here is a photo from Wadi Rum. From left: Martin, Anita, Gerald, Marcelle, Jessica, Ella, me, Yael, and Simon. (There was another photo of us all doing the high kick.)