Saturday, March 10, 2007

My first apartment in Geneva

When I landed in Geneva I moved into a fourth floor apartment of this building but in a month’s time I moved out. Reason ? I have described below. Please don’t laugh, my reason was very peculiar and a simple one. First something about the apartment.

It was a three bed-room apartment with a large living room, a small store room, kitchen, a full-fledged bathroom (without the commode) and a separate toilet. There was a passage in the middle and on both sides there were rooms. Here is the map (not to the scale), just to have a rough idea. Click on any of the pictures to have an enlarged view.

Now the reasons.

First (which was my official reason also), it was far from office. Office being on the other side of the lake, I had to take two buses or a bus-tram-bus combination to get there.

But most important, genuine and basic reason was, that the toilet was sans a water tap !! Only a tissue holder.
It was just a small toilet with no water connection and between bathroom and the
toilet there was a small room.. all the doors were opening in the passage from right side. On left side there was kitchen and other rooms. So if one wanted to use the water in bathroom, he had to cross more than half the length of the passage to go to bath. Ha Ha.. With all strangers around, one can very well imagine.
Now while I am writing this post, it makes me laugh at the stupidity but I needed water, if not on all days then definitely on certain days. I somehow managed there for a month then opted out.
And mind you, this is not only in
Geneva but I think the whole of Europe has same funda. Even in Lille (France), they have similar dwellings. Hmm.. one more secret is out. :)

This was the only solace for me in that unknown city. The lone Indian shop just below my building. And in the whole year I never saw this shop opened because of my odd office timings. But on regular intervals the objects displayed were changing, so I can’t say that the shop was non-operating or an abandoned one.

Once I saw Bindi packets being displayed for CHF 2. Almost Rs. 64/- for what we get for Rs 2/- in India. I immediately knew what I am going to do if I am bored with my current job. Sell Bindis in Switzerland !!

CHF = Swiss currency called Swiss Francs approx Rs. 35/-

12 comments:

Amey said...

Hey, they did the easy thing. Just changed Rs. to CHF and kept the numbers same ;)

Wasn't the shop open on weekends?

Cuckoo said...

Sunday is official holiday for everything. Nothing is open.
Saturdays I was out early morning either to office or to my grocery shopping spree. And since this shop was not a part of any shopping mall/complex so I think the owner was taking it easy. ;)

Anonymous said...

haha..the apartment looks spacy, nice one!!
that toilet is really inconvenient tho...
im really tired of my commute from office too. u are lucky to be able to move, cuckoo-chan :)
bindi is also like US$2 in japan. that would be a good side business!
have a happy weekend!!

Amey said...

Yes, sundays is acceptable. But you had office on saturday? :o

Cuckoo said...

Nikichan,
Lolll yes.
Joining me in the business ? ;)

Fleiger,
Yes, most of the time on Saturdays too. When I said 65 hours per week, it was excluding commuting time.
Unlike US where they discourage working on Saturdays, here we were allowed. I think because the schedule was very tight and when I went there we were very much behind schedule.

One more reason could be that my company was earning a hefty amount for every hour put in by me (my perception). ;) At times I was in office for 14 hours at a stretch !
Do you remember my HOD wanted me to join ASAP on the first day itself ?

Amey said...

Oh, remembered that...

The system must be different that there, I guess. In Germany, if we had to office on weekends, some very high-ranking people from the client's office needed to be present. Which meant that we were encouraged to go to office on weekends only in case of emergency (though 14 hour day and weekend work at offshore was a norm) sleep

Bendtherulz said...

Lol at your recounting...of loos...!

That's one of the reason when I pick up stuff abroad I check the "Made in Tag" - paying double out there is so crazy...!

Cuckoo said...

Fleiger,
Yes, 14 hours at offshore is a norm but not abroad that too on regular basis.
There also the main person we had to deal with, was unfortunately an Indian settled abroad & he didn't mind coming on weekends.

BTR,
loll.. that was a big problem.

Yes, I too do that.

Prashanth M said...

waterless toilets are one of the major issue we Indians face in foreign countries... :)

Wonder, you took so much pain to draw the plan of your first appt, just to explain the reasons!! lol

Cuckoo said...

Prashanth,
Yes, we Indians are very much conditioned to use water.

Wonder, you took so much pain to draw the plan of your first appt,, No, it wasn't for me or you. This blog is like my diary and I want to read it say after 20-30 years from now. My memory may not support me that time. :)

Mridula said...

Interesting, very interesting I must say :)

Cuckoo said...

Mridula,
:)))