Bicycle Trials

So, on Monday the landlady (Ekta from India) brought over some missing things, but not everything. Still missing sheets, curtains, and large body towels. The body size towels seem to be about a third smaller than were used to. I think we must be looking in the wrong shops. She did bring an entire set of glasses, so we don't have to wash the two large ones we had after each use anymore. And she got us a nice big spaghetti pot, so I don't have to rely just on the 5 quart pot with wobbly handles.

She's supposed to be making an appointment for a fixer guy to come and check the couple of heater panels that aren't heating (most notably by the shower), and to repair the coat hooks that have fallen out of the wall. The walls are not the drywall I'm used to at home, but seem more like concrete almost. So, the screw or nail hole begins to crumble with repeated weight regardless of how well it's anchored. Matt was sure that we'd be responsible for the repair, but seeing that they were half out of the wall to begin with, our hanging a jacket on one and having it fall the rest of the way out, falls under the category of existing damage and will get fixed by someone who knows what they're doing. She also brought an extra heavy blanket for the guest bed, since the one that was here was immensely stinky, and in need of a washing, but won't fit in my washer here. I thought she'd just take it away, and wash it. Instead she brought over a new hot pink one, in it's original packaging plastic bag, and she says, that it's new and unused. I said thank you, and after glancing a few times at the brown fuzz balls not matching the blanket, and the few random dark hairs on the INSIDE of the plastic packaging, sent it down to the storage unit for use by some other future renter who doesn't mind other people's hair on their bedding.

Oh! I finally tried out the bicycle from the storage unit. The bell works, and the brakes, but the tires are both flat. One of the sisters here (Naomi Ruth) offered her husband's bike repair skills when I told her about the bike, and now I know what to tell her is wrong with it. And it still needs a headlight. During the day it's fine, but we're hoping to bike to the gym, which will be mostly in the evenings. Also, it will make it a lot easier to get to the less expensive grocery shops. After service yesterday, the sister I worked with showed me one of her favorite shops and pointed out the good buys, and good brands. I can get live culture organic yogurt for .35 a pint at this shop called Aldi. At the local Alert Heijn, it's more like 2 euros. I didn't even look at the prices on the huge variety of sandwich sprinkles. I still can't get over how popular these things are. Who thought chocolate sprinkles on a sandwich sounded like a good idea? Like lunch? At least they always add butter so that when you tip the bread to take a bit, the sprinkles stick.

I've found the happy medium between the grocery outlet (the Lidl, or the C1000) and the Whole Foods (outdoor organic "bio" market on Tuesdays) I think. The AH is a super convenient 2 minute walk, but with a bike, I can get some excersize, and save some money on food. I've taken the bus a few times to the C1000, but it takes 30 minutes, whereas the bike would take 10. Same with the gym, and a whole other row of restaurants and shops in the old part of Amstelveen that we've hardly explored at all. If you don't have wheels of your own, you only see what's along the bus route, and what's close enough to walk to without fear of rain and carrying heavy bags long distances. I'll see how long it takes to bike to the Hall, because the territory would be easier to get around in on a bike too...Although that presumes that your partner has a bike as well.

The sister I worked with today (same one who lent me her extra mobile phone, thanks Claudine!) says that we can borrow her daughters unused bicycle too. That way, once we get the tires repaired on the bike in the storage unit, we will have one for each of us. Then I'll feel like I really live here. You can't live in Amsterdam without a bike. It's illegal. But tolerated, like so many other things here...