I put on my to-do list today, TO BLOG. So here I am.
I have six minutes until the first round of kids walk through the door, and I'm pretty sure Giddie just fell asleep while watching Wild Kratts. (I'll know for sure if I don't hear a "MOM! More Wild Kratts within another minute or two)
I think I'll write about our Air Conditioning woes. While it's pretty serious, and not funny; there's always a funny side in the middle east. Since we moved here, there has been a terrible smell in our AC vents. Our house always smells funky. Wet dog, some people describe it as. Stale hotel room? Urine? But in the end; MOLD is the best description. But, we have called a million times and get the same responses. Usually, things like "change your air filters every two weeks" or "I don't smell anything and they look fine to me". It's been three years of trying to get maintenance's attention.
Meanwhile, I've decided I'm allergic to living here. My eyes itch all the time and my throat itches and burns constantly. We all feel sluggish here with little energy and Peter has sneezing fits all the time, along with regular headaches.
Are you getting my drift?
Well, I've had enough. I haven't had air run through the vents in over 6 weeks, yet the stench just wafts out into the rooms. Oooh. I hate it. I've complained so much, Peter has finally written a very serious letter. Worded very carefully. Yesterday two technicians came out to the house. In other words, two Pakistani's in jump suits. This is where the funny starts, btw.
Now I have had many a Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian out here trying to help me with my problem. They all say, "I smell nothing madam." Arggg! If you could read the bubble above my head it would say this "Well of COURSE you don't!!!! I've seen where you live. I KNOW how your laundry is done. And I KNOW you use your hand, NOT toilet paper in the bathroom! Of COURSE you think it smells fine!!!" Why are they sending people who live in places where things just outright stink?! It's nothing personal, I really like them - but sorry, the above mentioned countries STINK! Pretty much anything besides raw sewage in the street will smell "fine madam."
But yesterday....YESTERDAY! My nice little Bangala climbed up his little ladder in his stocking feet, having left his shoes at the door as all good workers do, and sniffed. AND HE WINCED!!! He WINCED!!!! Hooray! Victory! He smelled it too and said, "Yes madam. It smells very bad."
Whew!
After taking more things apart my nice technician friend found there to be mold all throughout the unit. And today found more in the vents. So Peter's letter was like poking a stick in a bees nest. Literally. At 1:30 my doorbell rang, there was the first local man, tea in hand. (must these people drink tea ALL THE TIME!! Sheesh!) He then told me I was very lucky. There were many more people coming to my house. And he was right. 8, people, in fact. It was hilarious. Men, all 'bosses' on ladders, sniffing, arguing, snapping at 'the help' to bring ladders, or clean that up. But mostly arguing in one way or another, very loudly, in Arabic. "Three years? Three years this has been going on!?" Yep.
I felt like a rooster in a hen house - only opposite. As in out of place. I laughed a lot as they got louder and used their very middle eastern hand and arm gestures. That is always funny to watch. In the end, they all agreed we had a pretty severe mold problem and would be taking the next measures to solve the problem. Many 'steps' must be taken, they said.
Alrighty. Fine by me.
They asked a lot about who had been there and why nothing had been done before. The lowest level boss that was there, is the highest that had been out previously. He seemed to be getting yelled at, a lot. They really like to blame here. They want to appear perfect, and will blame anyone they can to make themselves look better. I felt bad for the guy and told them it's not his fault. Although, really, he certainly didn't investigate like he should have. But I hate to see anyone fired for any reason, so I tried to stand up for him.
Anywho. It was all quite exciting and they will be here first thing Saturday to begin their 'steps'.
In shallah.
(That means 'if God wills it to be' - and is used in almost every single plan/commitment these people make. It's kind of like saying 'I'll see you on Thursday, Lord willing'.)
BTW, this took way longer than 6 minutes and I have been interrupted 106 times so far.
I have six minutes until the first round of kids walk through the door, and I'm pretty sure Giddie just fell asleep while watching Wild Kratts. (I'll know for sure if I don't hear a "MOM! More Wild Kratts within another minute or two)
I think I'll write about our Air Conditioning woes. While it's pretty serious, and not funny; there's always a funny side in the middle east. Since we moved here, there has been a terrible smell in our AC vents. Our house always smells funky. Wet dog, some people describe it as. Stale hotel room? Urine? But in the end; MOLD is the best description. But, we have called a million times and get the same responses. Usually, things like "change your air filters every two weeks" or "I don't smell anything and they look fine to me". It's been three years of trying to get maintenance's attention.
Meanwhile, I've decided I'm allergic to living here. My eyes itch all the time and my throat itches and burns constantly. We all feel sluggish here with little energy and Peter has sneezing fits all the time, along with regular headaches.
Are you getting my drift?
Well, I've had enough. I haven't had air run through the vents in over 6 weeks, yet the stench just wafts out into the rooms. Oooh. I hate it. I've complained so much, Peter has finally written a very serious letter. Worded very carefully. Yesterday two technicians came out to the house. In other words, two Pakistani's in jump suits. This is where the funny starts, btw.
Now I have had many a Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian out here trying to help me with my problem. They all say, "I smell nothing madam." Arggg! If you could read the bubble above my head it would say this "Well of COURSE you don't!!!! I've seen where you live. I KNOW how your laundry is done. And I KNOW you use your hand, NOT toilet paper in the bathroom! Of COURSE you think it smells fine!!!" Why are they sending people who live in places where things just outright stink?! It's nothing personal, I really like them - but sorry, the above mentioned countries STINK! Pretty much anything besides raw sewage in the street will smell "fine madam."
But yesterday....YESTERDAY! My nice little Bangala climbed up his little ladder in his stocking feet, having left his shoes at the door as all good workers do, and sniffed. AND HE WINCED!!! He WINCED!!!! Hooray! Victory! He smelled it too and said, "Yes madam. It smells very bad."
Whew!
After taking more things apart my nice technician friend found there to be mold all throughout the unit. And today found more in the vents. So Peter's letter was like poking a stick in a bees nest. Literally. At 1:30 my doorbell rang, there was the first local man, tea in hand. (must these people drink tea ALL THE TIME!! Sheesh!) He then told me I was very lucky. There were many more people coming to my house. And he was right. 8, people, in fact. It was hilarious. Men, all 'bosses' on ladders, sniffing, arguing, snapping at 'the help' to bring ladders, or clean that up. But mostly arguing in one way or another, very loudly, in Arabic. "Three years? Three years this has been going on!?" Yep.
I felt like a rooster in a hen house - only opposite. As in out of place. I laughed a lot as they got louder and used their very middle eastern hand and arm gestures. That is always funny to watch. In the end, they all agreed we had a pretty severe mold problem and would be taking the next measures to solve the problem. Many 'steps' must be taken, they said.
Alrighty. Fine by me.
They asked a lot about who had been there and why nothing had been done before. The lowest level boss that was there, is the highest that had been out previously. He seemed to be getting yelled at, a lot. They really like to blame here. They want to appear perfect, and will blame anyone they can to make themselves look better. I felt bad for the guy and told them it's not his fault. Although, really, he certainly didn't investigate like he should have. But I hate to see anyone fired for any reason, so I tried to stand up for him.
Anywho. It was all quite exciting and they will be here first thing Saturday to begin their 'steps'.
In shallah.
(That means 'if God wills it to be' - and is used in almost every single plan/commitment these people make. It's kind of like saying 'I'll see you on Thursday, Lord willing'.)
BTW, this took way longer than 6 minutes and I have been interrupted 106 times so far.
1 comment:
So glad that you blogged! I like to hear what your doing WAY over there:) hope your house smells clean and fresh soon!
Post a Comment