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I got my flat! On Thursday, the lady who has been helping me find a flat (she has been calling up places so that the initial contact is a) in German and b) from the MPG, to make a good first impression) asked how the viewing on Tuesday had gone. I told her that I loved the place but wasn't sure if I would get it and she offered to call the estate agent for me to find out more. Apparently there was another person also interested in the flat and the only possible problem with me is that I would want to flat for a short time only (3 years! This is the upper end of a short-term contract in the UK and not considered to be that short at all!) but she assured them that the department always has new people in need of accommodation, so she had no doubt they would be able to fill the apartment again if need be. The estate agent seemed happier about this and said that they were trying to get through to the owner but had been unable to reach him, and they would let me know by the end of the day, if possible.
A little later in the afternoon, I got a call from the owner to ask if he could meet me - which we arranged for today. I still didn't know at that point if this was a case of basically having the flat, as long as I didn't punch him in the face or let slip that I kill babies in my spare time, or if he was also seeing the other person and he would then judge us both from the meetings. Either way, I thought it wouldn't hurt to go to the other flat viewing I had organised; it was an our before the meeting, and a five minute walk from the other flat so hardly an inconvenience. And I'm really glad I went - because it was fine and would do at a push, but it wasn't nearly as nice as the place I saw on Tuesday. The bedroom was tiny, barely room for a double bed, and the lounge was large but quite dark and the balcony overlooked the high street. So I was all at once feeling better about the prospect of going for the first place I viewed, and terrified I wouldn't get the place I wanted.
But it was fine! I turned up five minutes early to the flat downstairs where the owners parents live - the owner wasn't there and his mother was lovely but didn't speak a word of English and my German is still not good enough to actually have a conversation not lifted straight from the textbook on a very specific topic. But then the owner arrived and he was lovely and seemed to like me and so I got the flat! It was a bit of an awkward meeting because there wasn't really anything to do once he had realised I wasn't an axe murderer or a complete nutcase. The estate agent will deal with all the details, contracts and where I should pay money and all of that stuff. He did show me pictures of the school in Sri Lanka where the rent money goes - it turns out he and his wife have an adopted daughter from Sri Lanka and as a result of this they set up a girls school in Sri Lanka to promote the education of women; I think they spend a few months of the year there teaching. And all the rental money from the flats goes to the school, which is fantastic. Education of women of something I feel very strongly about and support a number charities that focus on the education of girls and women, so that my rent will be helping to fund the school is kind of awesome.
After the meeting, I wandered around the local area and fell even more in love with it; I'd had a good general impression from February when I'd gone for a short potter around the day following my interview after finding out that it was a popular place to live to see if I liked it and could imagine living there. And an even better impression from when I'd seen the flat on Tuesday and had walked from the tram stop to the flat. It's such a gorgeous area; loads of quaint, beautiful, buildings, lots of little shops and pubs, and a little market too - though I guess that is probably just Saturday. And I discovered a little park too, not five minute walk away from the flat. I HAVE A FLAT AND IT IS AWESOME!
A little later in the afternoon, I got a call from the owner to ask if he could meet me - which we arranged for today. I still didn't know at that point if this was a case of basically having the flat, as long as I didn't punch him in the face or let slip that I kill babies in my spare time, or if he was also seeing the other person and he would then judge us both from the meetings. Either way, I thought it wouldn't hurt to go to the other flat viewing I had organised; it was an our before the meeting, and a five minute walk from the other flat so hardly an inconvenience. And I'm really glad I went - because it was fine and would do at a push, but it wasn't nearly as nice as the place I saw on Tuesday. The bedroom was tiny, barely room for a double bed, and the lounge was large but quite dark and the balcony overlooked the high street. So I was all at once feeling better about the prospect of going for the first place I viewed, and terrified I wouldn't get the place I wanted.
But it was fine! I turned up five minutes early to the flat downstairs where the owners parents live - the owner wasn't there and his mother was lovely but didn't speak a word of English and my German is still not good enough to actually have a conversation not lifted straight from the textbook on a very specific topic. But then the owner arrived and he was lovely and seemed to like me and so I got the flat! It was a bit of an awkward meeting because there wasn't really anything to do once he had realised I wasn't an axe murderer or a complete nutcase. The estate agent will deal with all the details, contracts and where I should pay money and all of that stuff. He did show me pictures of the school in Sri Lanka where the rent money goes - it turns out he and his wife have an adopted daughter from Sri Lanka and as a result of this they set up a girls school in Sri Lanka to promote the education of women; I think they spend a few months of the year there teaching. And all the rental money from the flats goes to the school, which is fantastic. Education of women of something I feel very strongly about and support a number charities that focus on the education of girls and women, so that my rent will be helping to fund the school is kind of awesome.
After the meeting, I wandered around the local area and fell even more in love with it; I'd had a good general impression from February when I'd gone for a short potter around the day following my interview after finding out that it was a popular place to live to see if I liked it and could imagine living there. And an even better impression from when I'd seen the flat on Tuesday and had walked from the tram stop to the flat. It's such a gorgeous area; loads of quaint, beautiful, buildings, lots of little shops and pubs, and a little market too - though I guess that is probably just Saturday. And I discovered a little park too, not five minute walk away from the flat. I HAVE A FLAT AND IT IS AWESOME!
