After weeks and months of searching, we managed to find an apartment that sort of meets our needs. It's not exactly what we need, but I guess that happens when one is working towards starting a centre with the beginnings happening from home. And so, move number 43 for me has happened. It's become another one on a very special list. With so many of my moves, I end up saying, this was the worst move! I have a list that I hope does not grow, of all those "this is the worst move".
It's hard
enough to have to move. It's harder still that our previous landlord was
bullying us dreadfully. He wanted to pressurize us into staying, but his
behaviour had the opposite effect. The more he tried to prevent us from being
able to make this move, the more I just wanted to get away from him. Who wants
a landlord who is a bully? I don't think anyone in their right mind would
consciously want to be treated the way many of these landlords treat their
tenants. I wonder if there is any way to inspire landlords to increase their
Derech Eretz and honesty in business?
There were
so many details that made this move hard. Factors that were totally out of our
control. One fact I thought would ease everything was the mover. We had met
him, received a quote, were promised that he had insurance in case of breakage,
had positive references. We even had promises that he was different. I made the
mistake of believing him. The promises turned out to be empty ones. There were
a few warning signs along the way, but things really came to a head when it
came time for payment. We wanted to pay with a check, giving us proof of
payment. We learned from one of our first moves that paying with a check that
is made out to the mover only is — imperative! However, he did not want a check
and certainly not one made out to his moving company. He wanted cash and cash
only. Who has thousands of shekels lying around at home, especially on moving
day? Besides, we have a right to want to have proof of payment! The moment we
began unpacking we realised just how important having paid my check will
become. Incredibly, the mover adamantly refused. He wasted about half an hour
of our time trying all kinds of ways to force us to pay in cash or with an open
check.
The hour
that this was taking place did not matter to him. The fact that Shabbat would
soon be approaching and we had no idea where any item necessary for Shabbat
was, made even less of a difference. All he cared about was trying to force us
into paying in cash.
Open checks
in Israel
are a big No-No. They really are a bad idea. It's impossible to know when your
check will be cashed or how many hands it will pass through before finally
getting to be banked. We have been down that road, got the T-shirt and enough
experience to know not to fall for that again. It totally messes up one's
budgeting and can cause some serious problems. So, no, we were not about to pay
with an open check.
With this
move, it's not as though the price was cheap. It's not as though we expected a
free service either. We were paying a considerable amount of money, at least in
our opinion. Well over ₪5000 is not
small money. I would think treating a client who is paying so much with respect
would be important. But somehow customer service in Israel is one of those details that
needs some work and improvement.
Thinking
back on the move, there are so many hard memories. Like the time I noticed a
box about to be thrown out. I opened the box to discover it contained our
"Blessing for the Home" that was given to us as a gift. The box was
not as light as an empty box, anyone picking it up could tell there was
something inside. But it seems our framed picture with the blessing for our
home was not important to the mover.
Then there
were two pictures of mine that I had to beg to be wrapped and put onto the
truck. When I say, paintings of mine, I do not mean that they were given to me
as a gift and therefore belonged to me. Neither do I mean that I purchased
them. I mean that I had painted the pictures myself.
Most of my
paintings I wrapped myself, but with all the bullying from our landlord, we
simply ran out of time. We paid the movers for the assistance with the last
items to be packed. Our intention was that they help us to move everything, not
that they select what they wanted to discard of.
Another box
they wanted to throw out contained my husband's hat. While a book, left face
down on the floor was none other than the Hebrew version of "Tuvia FindsHis Freedom" a book written by ourselves. I really hope our writing and
books are not just garbage. We put time, thought and effort into every book and
product we produce. It was hard to see it discarded face down in a pile of
dirt.
Though
there was quite a lot more damage, we will leave our list and turn to another issue that was distressing, which was their
attitude to our food and fruit juice. None of the workers brought their own food.
No, providing refreshments was not stipulated in the quote or mentioned when we
met. Virtually every place of work I have been to I have taken my own food. I
think the only times I was given food at work was when waitressing, the
restaurant gave us a meal in our break and when I was au-pairing. Since the
Au-Pairing job came with board and lodging, I would expect that food was
included. But for all other jobs, I have always taken my own, even for small
jobs like baby-sitting, house cleaning and the like.
These
movers just helped themselves to whatever they wanted. Fruit juice, biscuits,
even items from the fridge they took. I might not have minded if they asked,
but they just presumed that all our food and drinks were available for them to
help themselves.
As time
progressed we began to realise breakage was happening, items were disappearing
and the move was turning into one of those traumatic experiences of our bad
moves. I was quite flabbergasted towards the end of leaving the old apartment
to find a waste paper basket dismantled and collapsed on the tiny balcony. You
can find out about this waste paper basket in my YouTube video about OT and
Art.
Well, once upon a time, the item had meaning for me and served a purpose
in my home. Today, the base was forcefully removed for no reason, the bin was
collapsed for no reason and later discarded. I no longer have this item. For
about 25 years, it did well in my treatment room. It has been moved at least
about 10 times if not more and it has moved well. Until now, when a mover had
other ideas for an item that was not his.
Another
item to upset me was the journey of our toolbox. I noticed it in the corner of
a room and wondered why it had not been wrapped in the Keter cupboard as
promised. I was told it was their box and not mine. Somehow I had a feeling it
was mine. I should have opened it up and taken a look, but I stupidly trusted
when they said it was theirs. Later I saw it on the back of the truck and
mentioned it was mine. Again I was told it was theirs. Well, as we progressed
in our packing, we could not find out toolbox. We called the mover to ask if he
had seen it. He tried to pretend he did not know what we were talking about until
I said it looked exactly like theirs. A few hours later, mysteriously our tool
box was found. A day or so later it was returned to us, broken and bashed
around. When my husband opened the toolbox, the once full box that was hard to
close now was almost empty.
Some people
tell us well it's just things and things can be replaced. Here is an example of
the ripple effect of those missing tools. In one compartment were the screws,
nuts and pieces to put my computer table together. They were very specific,
certain sizes and types of these screws, nuts and bolts. Some shaped so that
the screw is sunken when the computer table to assembled. Of course the Allen
Keys that were needed for some screws is nowhere to be found either. I do have
the wood of my computer table, but without the pieces to put it together, the
parts are pretty useless. Yes, one can hire a carpenter to put the computer
table together, but the cost will not be worth it. So not only did we lose
tools but the use of furniture we had and needed to use too.
The move
has been traumatic and painful. Some details have been quite laughable, like
the way they decided to repair a cupboard that could not stand properly due to
breakage. Instead of repairing the broken side, they found a pair of cork
innersoles and used that as a prop. Of course, they did not ask permission to
use an item they noticed in our home. The image below shows what became of a
new pair of inserts meant for shoes not for cupboards.
The only
good I can say about the move is that the experience has triggered the creation
of a few services and some more printable documents. My aim is to use these
difficulties to help others to have a better moving experience than we have
had. Stay tuned for the list of new services. They will be added to our
websites in between our working to straighten out our apartment.
Do visit
our online store where you will find our printable documents to assist you with
various aspects of your daily life, including helping you to have a stress-free
move.
This
post is prepared for you by
Occupational
Therapist, healing facilitator, certified infant massage instructor, freelance
writer, author of "Healing Your Life Through
Activity - An Occupational Therapist's Story" and co-author of "Tuvia Finds His Freedom".
