Boxes and Nuts, Part 1

Not my favourite place in Sofia

If you have been dutifully reading my blog, then you will know that one of the most annoying, frustrating and time-wasting activities is trying to arrange an international bank transfer in a Chinese bank. Slightly less irritating and exasperating is to visit the office of the Bulgarian electricity company in Sofia. In some ways it was a bit like our endless visits to the Microwave Woman. Yes, you have to wait a lot. And then some more. Finally, when my number came up, it was my turn to talk to the lady at the desk, but my wife had not arrived yet and she had all of the important bits of paper. So I had to take another number and start waiting all over again.

Woman with a desk, not a microwave

Then my dear Irisha duly arrived and our number came up, so we went to talk to the lady at the desk. She told us that we were in the wrong queue. 

After getting our third number and doing some more waiting, we spoke to another lady behind another desk and she was fairly positive. Yes, it would be possible for the box that has our electricity meter inside it to be moved to another location, probably by the gate. Well, dear reader, you are probably wondering, "Yes, but why bother moving the stupid box anyway?" That is an excellent question and one of these days I might perhaps have an answer for you. More importantly, we arranged to have an extra little box that monitors whether you are using the electricity during the night or during the day. This is important because we have arranged to have "off peak" electricity, so the power we use during the wee small hours will be a third of the price of the power we use during the day.

While we are on the subject of boxes, I can also tell you that AGS, the freight company, have promised to deliver our bits and pieces to our home in Kalotina at the end of this week or the beginning of next week. From Shenzhen in China to Kalotina in Bulgaria has taken about three months, from early June to the middle of September.

And if you were wondering what finally happens in Downton Abbey, Mary marries Henry Talbot, the racing driver, Edith marries the Marquess of Hexham and Barrow becomes the new butler. 

On a more positive note, autumn means collecting the walnuts that fall from our trees. Well, yes, and maybe one or two other trees around the village.

  
We were here once before in October, when all of the walnuts fell from the trees, but this year everything seems to be early. There is something very satisfying, real hunter-gatherer stuff, about going out into the garden early in the morning and collecting walnuts, to add to the growing collection on the floor of the dining room.