The lights are OUT and someone IS home!

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Going back to moving into the flat cause we haven’t quite finished that story yet!

As the electricity wasn’t connected on the Friday, we had little option but to spend a few more nights in the serviced apartment. Given we had hired the large four wheel drive bus type thing for the Ikea trips, we took the opportunity to move everything that we had brought with us on the flight (and carried numerous taxis across Thailand) into the flat when we got back from Healesville on the Sunday night (and we had an awful lot of stuff!).

The company that arranges for the electricity to be connected had told us that we had to be home between 7am and 7pm on the Monday to allow access, so I dropped Claire off at the apartment at 7am before returning the car - and she waited, and waited and waited.

We were both calling the company more or less hourly during the day and were continually being told that they couldn’t give us any better indication of a time - just between 7am and 7pm. This was less than ideal as Claire was stuck in the apartment with no electricity - so no lights, no heating and not even any music - what a horrible way to spend the day. She occupied herself by gutting (and I mean seriously gutting) the kitchen (which as far as I could see what already spotlessly clean anyway!) and building the tables and stuff we had got from Ikea. I was relieved that I had no input into any of that following the criticism I received the last time I tried to make up Ikea bedroom furniture back home!

I could tell you about every single conversation I had with the both company that organises the electricity to be connected and, now, the actual electricity company as I was going directly to them who also continually confirmed it would be done so to sit tight - but I won’t. However - I am certain that I spoke to every single operator at least twice (and I believe that there are more than just a handful of them!).

At 5pm I had had enough (and in all honesty realised that it wasn’t going to happen) so called them up ready to demand to speak to someone that could get in touch with the engineer and find out exactly what time he was planning on going - I was so annoyed. But, what I wasn’t ready for, was potentially the chattiest girl ever to have left Glasgow to answer the phone and start asking me all about how I was finding Melbourne and giving me suggestions for places to go and drink. It was very difficult to be angry with her - and she also confirmed that it would be done that day.

Anyway - at 7pm I called back and got put through to the out of hours people who said, yes we were asked to do it by a phone call at 10am but we asked for a proper purchase order to be e-mailed through which didn’t arrive. So Claire had been there from 7am (the job wasn’t even instructed before 10am despite us being told to be there) until 7pm - when there was no chance it was going to be done. I actually couldn’t believe it - and the only thing I could do was laugh.

Of course, we had nowhere to stay that night as we had checked out of the serviced apartment (and been charged $150 as Claire lost one of the keys - to be fair, she found it later that day and I got the $150 back, and even made about $2 on foreign exchange differences from when they took it off my card to when they put it back on!). So, as well as laughing I went onto lastminute.com.au and book a hotel room for the night, cause there was no chance I was staying in an apartment I don’t know without any lights, heat, hot water etc.

I called Claire and told her the great news that she had wasted a full day in a cold flat without food only with water to drink for nothing. I felt awful about the whole thing - but what could we do. I promised her that I would sort it out - and asked if she could bring a change of clothes and an overnight bag for both of us into the office. This wasn’t the easiest of tasks for her as, by this point, it was pitch dark in the apartment and she had unpacked everything in cupboards etc.

She managed - and came into the office about half an hour later. The place I had booked turned out to be a great wee serviced apartment right in the middle of Chinatown called Impulse - apparently a small chain of serviced apartments in Melbourne. I really would recommend it for a night or two - ultra modern, very clean, great staff and, more importantly, less than $100 a night (which is less than 40 pounds). It would be impossible to get somewhere like that in Blackpool never mind Glasgow.

Given we were staying in Chinatown it would have been rude not to go for some Chinese beers and a Chinese - it was fab. We even went to the Chinese casino (which wasn’t fab) - but the food, drink and atmosphere in the place is unreal.

So that was our Monday - or more Claire’s Monday. Things can only get better!!!

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