Childproof
B was installing lights this past weekend. We noticed that our apartment had been thoroughly childproofed. To plug anything into a electrical outlet you have to slide the plug into place, and the balcony doors have locks and alarms on them.
We are using energy-saving bulbs as much as we can. IKEA has some cool and inexpensive lighting solutions. For the dining room and the living room we want to install something fancier. B and I disagree a little on that point - he wants to put a fluorescent tube on a wide ledge above the balcony door to shine up and provide indirect lighting against our cathedral ceiling. Well.. ok... as long as it doesn't hum, flicker and give off the warmth of a meat locker.
The electrical wires have different colors in Germany than in the US - green/yellow for ground, black and blue. Just about everything electrical and electronic is different. We had to buy a SCART (huh?) to cinch connector for the TV and the cable TV outlets look different too. B paid the mandatory TV and radio tax online. The particular agency handling this is called the GEZ. Their motto: "GEZahlt?" means "Have you paid (your TV and radio tax)?"
We were also introduced to our town's "Recycling Hof", or recycling center, this weekend. We took our IKEA furniture boxes and were amazed at all the things that are recycled - aside from the usual paper, cardboard, plastic and glass they had bins for corks, batteries and fluorescent tubes (ha, ha).
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4 comments:
Flourescent tube indirect lighting is *so* 80's. How about a halogen track system instead?
Hi Martina,
yup, we already have halogen track lighting in mind for other parts of the living room. I agree about the fluorescent tubes. If we install one, I'll have to dig out my leggings from the 80's to match. I think we'll just have guests wear coal miner's hats with built-in lights until I can make up my mind.
LOL, then I'll come visit you wearing a hugely-shoulder-padded blazer and ankle boots :-)
Ah, these posts bring back the memories of our first weeks in our new home. So much to do and everything so confusing.
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