Summary of the past two months. Pt. I

Hi Everyone,

I have e-mail in the office at last so I can contact the outside world!

I arrived safely thanks after a very stressful flight. Flights were ok it
was the checking in, going through security and hving excess baggage that
caused all the problems. Glad you didn't come to the airport Sayyeda as you
would only have seen me running backwards and forwards. At Heathrow I only
just made the Bucharest flight - they were calling me as I arrived!

The flight from Manchester to London cost 65 quid in excess baggage and the
flight to Romania another 54 quid (and that was only less because the check
in bloke let me off 5kgs!). I should be able to claim it back sometime in
2010 knowing the beaurocracy of the system.

The weather has been lovely and warm and sunny since arriving, except for
this morning, Thursday, when it is raining. However I have not had much
chance to appreciate it because things have been so hectic. Just to get the
most simple thing arranged you need to talk to 500 different people, get 27
copies of the order form each one signed by the world and his wife and just
when you think it is done you find out that the lady who cleans my hotel
room does not like the type of paper the order is written on so you have to
start again. OK that may be a slight exaggeration but you get the idea.

There are some beautiful buildings in Bucharest and quite a lot to see.
There are also quite a few parks. Of course there are also lots of horrible
ex communist buildings but the city is quite nice. Apart from the traffic.
There is a collosal amount of traffic and they all drive like maniacs with
their hands permanently on the horn. At times it is deafening.

I haven't started looking for apartments yet, I think that will begin next
week. So far I seem to have spent my time criss crossing the city going to
the EU delegation, the Contracts and Finance Control Unit (CFCU) and the
Romanian Customs Authority. Next Tuesday I am going to the British Embassy.

Well I had better start my work for the day. Lavinia will be in any minute.
She is very nice and good fun, I don't think we will have any problems
working together.

Hope everything is OK with you all. Hope you are all behaving yourselves!

Lots of love

Andrew