Getting Settled

For the first few days after arriving it was spent more or less trying to get stuff set up so I could get my own place.  Opened up a bank, and did some searching for a car and apartment.  I had my eyes on one apartment out in Pirita.  Looked like a really nice place, in a quiet neighbourhood, with a sweet roof top patio.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, in retrospect), it had already been rented/bought by the time the real estate agent got back to me.  After that Onu Mati and I went by a few car dealerships to look at cars.

It's kind of hard finding a car here in the price range I was willing to pay since most people either buy brand new or serious beaters that need constant up-keep.  I actually ended up getting lucky and finding a 93 BMW 3 series coupe in my price range that ran like a dream.  Took the car out for a test drive and the previous owner had done a great job of keeping the car in amazing condition.  I consulted The Boy about the vehicle, and he said if I can get it at the right price it's a great, reliable automobile.  I low balled an offer, the owner countered, and after some back and forth we had a deal.  Paid a little bit more than I probably should have, but I think the owner and I were both happy with the deal we came to.  I still don't have the car because the owner had to drive back to Tartu to pick up the summer tires and do a couple other things for the sale to go through, but I get it on Monday.

Next on the agenda was finding a place of  my own.  Staying with my relatives out in Viimsi was great, but after spending five or six nights there I was ready to get out on my own.  Spent some time on-line searching.  Some places looked really nice, others were serious dumps.  I went and looked at a few places in various areas of Tallinn.  One apartment I looked at didn't really seem that appealing from the pictures posted online, but I figured it was in a nice part of town (Kadriorg), so I'm looking anyway, might as well pop by.  The pictures really didn't do the place any justice.  It's a little two room apartment, with a pretty spacious living room (with fireplace), and a good sized bedroom.  What really sold me was the cool looking original doors and antique cabinets.  Fell in love with the place, and got the agent to organize the rental.

Yesterday (Tuesday, April 12), I signed the rental agreement and moved in.  Before I could actually get settled in, the owner of the apartment asked that I head out for a couple hours so he can get the rest of his stuff out of the place.  This suited me just fine since I had promised Mike that I'd go watch the National hockey team play the Finns.  I figured since going to a hockey game by yourself isn't much fun, I gave my good friend Eva here a call to see if she'd care to join me.  As she had never been to a game before, who better to go with than a big-dumb Canadian?  We had a great time watching the game even though Eesti ended up loosing 6-3 (I think).  After that Eva and I went for a quick bite to eat, and swung by a Prisma so I could get some stuff for the apartment.  I tell ya, it's useful knowing locals who know where to shop.

So after getting dropped off at the old homestead I spent the remainder of the evening getting settled in.  It was like christmas in April!  I had shipped over 7 boxes of various stuff a month or so ago, and it was nice seeing everything coming out of boxes in one piece (thankfully the big bottle of Frank's Red Hot I brought didn't break).  I did however learn that suits and dress shirts don't particularly enjoy being shipped in boxes.  After having unpacked I watched ManU beat Chelsea in the Champions League with a wee nip of scotch to christen the new crib.

Unfortunately for Mike his dream of playing for the National hockey team has come to an end.  He's officially been told he's ineligible for the World Championships in Ukraine.  Really sucks for him, but (this is going to sound strange) I couldn't be happier for him.  He came over here following his dream, gave it his all, and things didn't work out for him because of IIHF rules.  So because he's not travelling to the Ukraine he's going to be my first house guest.  All he's been able to see of Eesti until this point is the airport, the rink in Tartu and Tallinn, the residence he's been staying, and some stores close by.  It'll be nice getting to show him around Tallinn for a couple of days before he heads back to Canada.

Nothing terribly exciting on the horizon.  Mike's going to give me a hand cruising around town to help me get stuff for the apartment, we'll go out and see some of the sites, and on Friday night I'm having some friends over for a house warming/birthday party.  I get the car on Monday then sometime next week I'll go visit the golf course and beg to start work early.