First of all, we needed a closet and dresser (that will double as a changing table) made for the baby. In fact we just wanted the factory who made our bedroom furniture to make exact copies of my dresser and closet (that they have already made once). No big deal right? Of course this time they cut corners and used pieced together wood, that they glued together and charged us the same amount for solid wood. So that has been an adventure to get fixed.
Also, the furniture factory said they would deliver it on a Friday evening. I got a translator (who we pay) to come to our apartment. They did not show up at all. They then said they would come on Saturday. I once again paid a translator to come. They were 3 hours late.
Then through a friend we found a painter to paint the baby's room. An ill-informed foreigner told us that the paint in this country is different than in the U.S. and that we should pay a professional to do it. So that is what we did. Unfortunately the first painter was a slime ball and we quickly got rid of him. Then our apartment manager told us we had to use the apartment contracted painter or pay a fee. So we decided to use the apartment contracted painter. I don't know who the guy was lying to, but if he is truly a professional painter then I am Michelangelo. They said that the fee we paid covered all painting supplies, labor, including 3 coats of paint. They showed up and started asking us for rags and other things that would fall under "supplies." I told them they were not prepared. Then they took my color swatch and told me it was too dark and they wanted to paint it lighter. I told them I liked it darker and they said once their color dries it will look darker. I said if I was not happy with it they would have to fix it. They agreed.
Then they had a discussion as to whether or not they would paint behind the baby's closet. Lazy, lazy, lazy. They did not think I could understand them, but I did! They just did not want to have to move the empty closet out of the room. I told them to move the closet and paint the room.
So they shut the bedroom door and they painted. Afterwards I walked into the room and to my horror they also painted the ceiling. The yellow was so bright! The room is filled with yellow. They said it will be darker tomorrow, and I thought "it better be." The next morning I looked and it was like a beam of sunlight hit me in the face. So, we called and said to make it darker. They did not return for 5 days. They said since it was raining outside that they could not paint inside. Then the painter disappeared for awhile. Finally they said they would come on Friday at 2pm to paint. At 6 PM they showed up. They stayed in the room, with the door shut, for 3 hours and afterwards came out announcing that they had put 2 coats on the walls and were now finished. We did not think they put on 2 coats of paint in that time. They asked me to sign off on their work so they could get paid. I said I would sign it after the walls had dried.
The next morning the walls were all streaks, drips, and runoffs! I could not believe they wanted me to sign off on it. I told them they would have to come back and fix it. They were not happy. They said they would come back at 2 pm on Saturday. Of course they showed up a 6 PM. They shut the doors and painted. The next day I still was not satisfied, but in exhaustion I signed off on it. The paint color is not what we wanted. To them yellow is yellow and the shade is irrelevant. Also now I know that I must specify if I do not want the ceiling painted.
Then I asked when they were going to clean up their mess. They said they do not clean up their mess, I have to pay someone else to do it. I told them if they used painter's tape and put something on the floor I would not have to pay someone else to clean up what they should have prevented in the first place. They could not have cared less.
The apartment manager arranged for a local to come clean at a set hourly rate. After she cleaned I gave her the money she was to be paid. Then she said the manager told her that she was getting a higher hourly rate. K was furious. We have been forced to make these people do their job in the first place, they have lied to us, and now they were tying to swindle us. I told K to just pay it. This seems to be a common thing in this country and the foreigners cannot figure out if they are taking advantage of us or if it happens to the nationals as well.
Then we had to get the doors to our balcony replaced. Our dog was able to open our old doors, and since the doors did not truly close there is no point in installing an air conditioner in the baby's room if we did not get new doors. That was a 3 week process. I kept thinking about Home Depot and how fast and efficiently this could have been done in the U.S.
Lastly we purchased an air conditioner for the baby's room on a Monday. They said they would come install it at 10 AM on Tuesday. So we waited, and at 3 PM they showed up. They put down the air conditioner and said someone will come on Wednesday at 10 AM to install it. At 3 PM on Wednesday some men came to install it. However the geniuses who built our apartment put the outlet for the air conditioner on a wall that it is impossible to install the air conditioner on. So what should have been a very short installation took about 3 hours. Before they drilled new holes in the wall, they taped a bag to the newly painted wall to catch debris. It ruined that part of the wall.
We counted it up and we spent a total about 56 hours over a 2 week period just waiting at our apartment. We were unable to leave our apartment because if they try to deliver or come do some work and we are not there, it could be two weeks before we see them again. So, that is a little taste we wanted to share with you of waiting in a foreign country for people to do the things they are paid to do.
Next time: Getting our phone line fixed.
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