We’re more than a week into the hunt for a flat in Edinburgh, and it’s been quite the rollercoaster. We’ve seen some horrible places, and some less-horrible ones, but nothing that we’ve fallen in love with yet.
The main problem is our stuff. It’s always the stuff. When we moved from the US to Italy nine years ago, the agent had a hard time finding apartments for us to view because we were adamant about not wanting to buy a kitchen. In Milan (and Munich), the vast majority of rental flats come completely empty – no light fixtures, no window coverings; the kitchen is usually just an empty room with a water pipe coming out of the floor where the sink should be.
While it would be delightful to design my own kitchen one day, it’s hard to stomach the expense when we don’t know how long we’ll be in a place. Luckily that’s not a problem in Edinburgh. The issue keeping us from considering 90% of the rental flats in the city is the opposite – they come fully furnished. Sofas, beds, often dishes and cookware, too. We own all those things already. And, despite the high Ikea content of our pile of stuff, we actually prefer it greatly to the stuff that Edinburgh’s landlords want to provide.
It’s still novel that I can speak my native language with everyone here (without it being a lazy shortcut), but opening my mouth still outs me as a foreigner, even more quickly than my accented German did in Munich.
Here Americanism seems to enjoy the same status as a mildly disfiguring physical affliction – a large scar or webbed fingers, perhaps. How to let someone know that you’re comfortable with their little difference without making the afflicted feel self-conscious? Often we get asked where we moved here from. “Munich” seems to leave the askers unsatisfied, as if we’ve rejected their desire to discuss the large, hairy moles on our foreheads. But politeness reigns, and there are no follow-up questions. I’ve found I can provide significant relief by voluntarily adding “… but we’re originally from the US” to my answer. This elicits responses along the lines of, “I thought so but didn’t want to offend…”
Is this a general polite approach to foreignness in Scotland, I wonder, or are Americans the only ones who get this? I’ll have to start asking other foreigners I meet about this. (If it’s only Americans who get the kid gloves, I have a feeling that the blame could be shared between easily-offended Canadians and everyone who voted for George W. Bush).
But I digress. We’re still hoping to land the perfect flat before I head off to Japan next week. I should be looking for new listings now, but keep getting distracted by this show “Prime Minister’s Questions.” Brilliant writing, if a bit unrealistically presented. Will they solve the root causes of world hunger by the end of the episode, or will it end in a cliffhanger?
Hotel rooms OK, but I cannot imagine renting a place with a used bed that has been slept in over and over and over by the same people for who knows how long before me, even if it looks clean. A used bed! Deeeeezgoosting!
Ha, think that’s hilarious about ‘not wanting to cause offence’! Very Edinburgh, that! Don’t think you’d get the same reaction in Glasgow somehow. They prob thought you might be Canadian, that would be my guess. Good luck with the flat hunting anyway, will keep my eyes open for you.
@ian – I find myself having the same visceral reaction to used beds, illogical as it is. I’m glad I don’t have the same thoughts about hotel beds!
@Jools – I’ll have to note if we receive a different reception on our next trip to Glasgow and let you know. 🙂 Thanks for your help with the hunt!
When we traveled to England and Wales a few years ago for vacation, we noticed that if we replied to the “where are you from” question with “Germany” (or “we live in Germany but we’re Americans”), we usually got cold and awkward silence. However, “from the US” usually got us chatty and friendly replies–so we quickly learned just to say we were from the US. This wasn’t just a fluke because we picked up a friend half-way through who would introduce us as living in Germany until we warned her off of it. I’m not sure the source of this issue. I suppose one possibility is that there is still some lingering antipathy toward Germany. However, I suspect that perhaps we just shared too much “personal” information all at once. Relatedly, I’ve also suspected–and had my suspicions confirmed–that introducing myself with my name is also tantamount to sharing too much personal information at once. Apparently, if one wants to share their name, one typically does it at the end of the conversation with a “by the way, my name is…” I don’t know when the appropriate time to share information about where you (‘ve) live(d) is.
Interesting… perhaps we should just stop mentioning Germany all together and see what changes.
I’ve noticed the difference with names (and handshakes) here, too. We’ve had letting agents show us flats without ever introducing themselves.
I remember it all too well! I don’t WANT somebody else’s furniture, thanks!
It’s been almost two years and two flats since relocating here.
Best decision we ever made.