March 11, 2014
March 09, 2014
Another very productive week
What a week!
Monday: signed a lease for the house and the apartment! Yiepeeee! That went incredibly quick. Also got all the unpacking and laundry done from the skiing trip. Do we bring the gear? Skiing in the Himalayas? Would be cool ... do they have ski lifts?
Tuesday: spent hours on the phone trying to locate/get answers from our contact at the removal company (on holiday), the carpenters, who promised quotes for a window in the bedroom wall (on holiday), the cleaning company (confused), and a window cleaner who is not also an extortionist. The day ended with the first of three rabies shots for all of us ... not so fun. Wondering if I will be foaming around the mouth the following day ...
Wednesday: spent all day on a train ... more or less. 3,5 hrs to Munich, and then 3,5 hrs back. The Indian Embassy in Germany has commissioned Cox and Kings (I keep wanting to call them Cox and Orange ...) to handle visa applications. For us in Baden Württemberg the place to go is Munich. "Cox and Kings GmbH - India Visa Application Services Centre endeavours to ensure complete ease and convenience to applicants." - ok, a little suspicious, but hey, we really don't have a choice.
I got a trackingnumber with which I can track the progress of our visas online. Well, if the information is correct I bow my head and must admit that it looks like they keep their promise - the visas are already in the mail and on their way to Gaienhofen. Considering it took my cousin 6 months to get a visa, we are slightly surprised, and very happy. If all goes to plan we will be on a plane heading for Dehli in 19 days.
Thursday: meeting with the tax consultant to prepare the income tax declaration for 2013 (record early for the Stokoe Westbergs :-) ). Ian fitted a door in the cellar... as you do ...
Friday: spent the afternoon with Maia and a few of her friends from school at a fun factory, then pizza in the evening with our lodger and very nice boyfriend from New Zeeland - the first of many goodbye-dos. Ian fitted 8 thresholds and improved the mastik around the floor in the bathroom.
Saturday: prepared the foundation for the extension of the deck (in 12 degrees sunny spring weather), FINALLY got the "little" 1-ton pile of pebbles shifted and had the last organ lesson with my first and so far only organ student.
The more we accomplish the more difficult it will be to reverse the process. I think we might have already passed the point of no return so, India - we are on our way.
Monday: signed a lease for the house and the apartment! Yiepeeee! That went incredibly quick. Also got all the unpacking and laundry done from the skiing trip. Do we bring the gear? Skiing in the Himalayas? Would be cool ... do they have ski lifts?
Tuesday: spent hours on the phone trying to locate/get answers from our contact at the removal company (on holiday), the carpenters, who promised quotes for a window in the bedroom wall (on holiday), the cleaning company (confused), and a window cleaner who is not also an extortionist. The day ended with the first of three rabies shots for all of us ... not so fun. Wondering if I will be foaming around the mouth the following day ...
Wednesday: spent all day on a train ... more or less. 3,5 hrs to Munich, and then 3,5 hrs back. The Indian Embassy in Germany has commissioned Cox and Kings (I keep wanting to call them Cox and Orange ...) to handle visa applications. For us in Baden Württemberg the place to go is Munich. "Cox and Kings GmbH - India Visa Application Services Centre endeavours to ensure complete ease and convenience to applicants." - ok, a little suspicious, but hey, we really don't have a choice.
I got a trackingnumber with which I can track the progress of our visas online. Well, if the information is correct I bow my head and must admit that it looks like they keep their promise - the visas are already in the mail and on their way to Gaienhofen. Considering it took my cousin 6 months to get a visa, we are slightly surprised, and very happy. If all goes to plan we will be on a plane heading for Dehli in 19 days.
Thursday: meeting with the tax consultant to prepare the income tax declaration for 2013 (record early for the Stokoe Westbergs :-) ). Ian fitted a door in the cellar... as you do ...
Friday: spent the afternoon with Maia and a few of her friends from school at a fun factory, then pizza in the evening with our lodger and very nice boyfriend from New Zeeland - the first of many goodbye-dos. Ian fitted 8 thresholds and improved the mastik around the floor in the bathroom.
Saturday: prepared the foundation for the extension of the deck (in 12 degrees sunny spring weather), FINALLY got the "little" 1-ton pile of pebbles shifted and had the last organ lesson with my first and so far only organ student.
The more we accomplish the more difficult it will be to reverse the process. I think we might have already passed the point of no return so, India - we are on our way.
March 03, 2014
A much needed break
This blog was started to be mainly about India, and here I am posting pictures of Austria, but we need to remember the cool times now that we soon are going to get very hot ...! Let's just say it will be about travels :-)
February 25, 2014
Skiing in Austria for a week. We decided that we needed a little holiday in the middle of packing, sorting and organising. Matrei in Osttirol is proving to be a perfect place for relaxing with friends and family. And more importantly, there is nothing to pack, sort or organise!
February 18, 2014
Removal company has been in to assess what size container we will need ... the bigger one ... well, that was expected.
2 estate agents are busy trying to find subletters for us.
Ian went to Munich last week to hand in all the papers needed to apply for an employment visa to India. The following day they called and said it was ready!!! Amazing - must be some sort of a record. I'll be going on Thursday probably to apply for visas for me and Maia. Hope that will be quick as well.
The house is pretty much sorted - things not to bring stowed away in cellar/attic, things that we have not used since we came to Germany (!!) taken to the tipp, this and that given away to people who can use it and thus we are pretty much on top of things ... or so we like to think anyway :-)
Only insurances, tax declaration, car selling and a few more things to take care of, then we are off on our big adventure.
2 estate agents are busy trying to find subletters for us.
Ian went to Munich last week to hand in all the papers needed to apply for an employment visa to India. The following day they called and said it was ready!!! Amazing - must be some sort of a record. I'll be going on Thursday probably to apply for visas for me and Maia. Hope that will be quick as well.
The house is pretty much sorted - things not to bring stowed away in cellar/attic, things that we have not used since we came to Germany (!!) taken to the tipp, this and that given away to people who can use it and thus we are pretty much on top of things ... or so we like to think anyway :-)
Only insurances, tax declaration, car selling and a few more things to take care of, then we are off on our big adventure.
February 13, 2014
The die is cast
We now have 2,5 months to get visas, clear out the house (sell, give away and throw away - which, by the way is not so easy in Germany!), get the shots needed, cancel TV, phone, internet and insurances, do our income tax declaration, sell two cars, find subletters for the house and apartment, decide what to bring and what not, and last but NOT least have good bye parties! A piece of cake ...
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