The Golan Home

There was something very anti climatic about the move. After all the time, effort and attention, it felt like collapsing in, exhausted.

We immediately started setting up the house, putting up curtains, blinds, light fixtures and setting up the rooms. The biggest issue is that the communication pipe cannot be found (!) and we don’t have phone or Internet, which is why there have been no updates.

More to come.

These past few of weeks have been hectic, to a crazy degree. We have crews working on the house six days a week, usually a number of them at the same time. It seems like that is how it is supposed to be, but it wasn’t until now.

Our original move-in date of August 1 has past already. The new move-in date is August 15 – this Friday and it’s set in stone: our apartment is being packed, the movers were invited, and everything will be ready.

In the past four weeks we saw electricians, carpenters, A/C installers and ironsmiths work side by side one day, and tile setters, (different) carpenters, door installers and plumbers the next. Coordination, timelines, cajoling, even applied pressure became the central elements of our day, interwoven into our regular activities that kept on going as usual.

A square meter of missing tile or a worker who did not show up were part of the pressure applied on us.

In the midst of it all, Gali is already nine months pregnant and I, just a week before move-in day, flew out to Mumbai for work (I’m writing this post at Zurich Airport on my way back home).

We now have stairs, water, lights, windows and doors (not to be taken for granted!), banisters, even a deck, trees and grass.

In the remaining days the parquet floor will be installed, a last coat of paint will be applied, the front door will be fixed, last bathroom fixtures installed and the house will be cleaned.

Come Friday, we are in!

PS – To our reader Uri: turns out that transfers to India do need to go through border control in Vienna. I hope you got to your flight on time.

Started the morning going out to buy sinks and faucets. The first place I walked into had decent prices (not cheap, but reasonable), good selection, quick service and everything in stock except the kitchen sink that will arrive Sunday.

An hour and a half after walking into the place I was already outside looking for a falafel.

Next stop was the house, where I was to meet the guy that built the ramp and driveway. As noted already, the ramp did not come out as it should and he has to fix it.

We agreed that we will test two ways of fixing it, basically removing a layer of the white cement between the stones. He suggested one way of doing it and the landscaping guy another.

We met today to try both methods and decide which is best, but unfortunately he came prepared only to try his own idea. Shimon and I thought after the Tuesday meeting that the landscaper had the better solution, and it was immediately evident, as we started the partial test, that the other method does not meet our needs.

He simply didn’t understand that we don’t want to touch the stone at all and that we have to create grooves between the stones. Instead he tried to sand it all down. Argghhhh

And here are the images of the white stucco. These images don’t do it justice, but trust me, it looks great!

Start of stucco work on the house, wide view:

A closer look from a different angle:

 June 13th, 2008  Edahn   No comments