[July 17 update] If you’re a regular reader you may remember my explosive, water-induced “flashy” start of 2008, when my AC power blew due to water infiltration in these cute historic walls. Well, it just happened again, fortunately only affecting the circuits powering my bedroom, hall and front area of the house. ‘Fortunate’ now sounds inappropriate: I lost many AC outlets, turning my home into a camping-area-with-AC-extension-cords. And obviously, I always dreamed about using a flashlight to find my SO in my pitch-dark bedroom.
Finding an Belgian electrician in July is slowly becoming the archetypical nightmare (the real pros all seem to fly off to Spain together, like a flock of birds).
Part one of what may become a long story (brace yourselves, here we go). I got up real early today, browsing the online yellow pages for a qualified electrician. So I let my fingers do the walking/talking, only to notice that most were on vacation, too busy, ‘did not understand what I was talking about’ (this country is multilingual with an influx of labor from East European countries) or politely reminded me that Monday July 21 was Belgium’s national holiday. Finally, I found my pink elephant: “sure”, a ‘qualified electrician’ said on the phone, “I’ll be there asap”. ‘Asap’ turned out to be 7h later.
My pink elephant was kind of rude, pulled all the AC sockets out of the walls (without bothering to put them back) and finally claimed he ‘found the culprit’: the main AC power lines under my bed (buried deep in concrete and as dry as they come) were short-circuited. So he claims. No clue what caused it, but yes, he would call me back to schedule ‘repairs’, obviously ‘asap’, meaning ‘after July 21′. Repairs might involve trying to pull out all the damaged wiring, or just cut into the concrete, under my bed. Eh, wait a minute, did someone actually say ‘cut into the concrete under my bed’? Oh yes, he sure did.
OK, care to join me while I pour myself a great Spanish wine? I’ll turn on an old-movie cable channel (yes! the TV still has power!) and we’ll pretend we don’t need AC power at all. Bare with me, and feel free to share your “juice”/AC power stories: they will make me feel better. For the time being, I still have internet access (and a sense of humor). Both may evaporate, and there’s no telling when. [Update July 22, six days later: power was finally restored]
This blog is not affiliated with or endorsed by the city of Antwerp, Belgium.
You SO need Paulie. Unfortunately I have an uncanny feeling you would not return him. *winks*
[Blog author: ":P You can trust me Claudia: I'd return him along with a certified check. Wish we were neighbors: I'm convinced Paul would be able to solve this problem before I could blink my eyes. Anyway, I've got a great excuse to get up late tomorrow: no power in my bedroom. "]
Comment by Claudia — July 17, 2008 @ 12:06 am
Oh sheesh Peter, I wish I had words of wisdom, but I don’t. However, it’s nice to know that incompetence knows no borders, oceans, or country markings. We’ve had that problem here, trying to get a contractor to come and reset our stockade fencing. The posts need to be reset on several sections of the fencing, and getting a contractor to call us back with a quote has been a nightmare. It almost seems as though they don’t really want the business.
Good luck, and does Belgium have anything akin to the Better Business Bureau here in the states? (monitors businesses, especially shoddy ones, so customers can stay clear of them.)
[Blog author: "Thanks Mr. Nighttime. Indeed, incompetence knows no borders, oceans, or country markings: they just make promises, don't they? Electricians always seem to be 'fully booked'. Yes, Belgium has an entity resembling the US Better Business Bureau and requires (lots of) qualifications and paperwork.
My AC power incidents last January were finally repaired by a very experienced older electrician, who is no longer available. As there is a long weekend coming up (July 21 is Belgium's independence day) I may be stuck camping in my home for a while, without the usual fun associated with camping.
Most disconcerting is the doubt whether this house is still "safe" after a 2nd major, invasive short-circuit incident in 6m.
Homes/apartments/condos near the river in Antwerp have become extremely expensive: moving is no longer an option. Besides, this is my 'home' (in spite of my downtown complaints): living near a river in a port town has its benefits. "]
Comment by Mr. Nighttime — July 18, 2008 @ 6:48 am
[Blog author: "You know Veronica, there must be a deeper meaning to all of this 'AC drama': Belgium just lost its government (again), I lost part of my AC power, just before Belgium's independence fireworks on Monday. 'Fireworks' are no longer my favorite these days, but fortunately, I did not run out of (Italian) wine and I still smiled when a neighbor cracked a joke about AC power, water and fireworks. "]
Comment by V-Grrrl — July 18, 2008 @ 1:58 pm
Ugh on this major hiccup in your electrical systems. At least it’s not freezing cold this go round. It’s true that everyone experiences these contractor issues. I even received an email a while back with a photo of a guy’s work truck in St. John, USVI. The bumper stick was ISHOWUP. Like the email said, as a result, the guy was thriving in his business! Sure hope it all works out, Peter. I know you will keep us posted. As long as you have internet, wine, and your sense of humor, I think you’ll make it through.
[Blog author: "ISHOWUP: Great concept! I was promised someone might show up between 8 am - 3 pm: at 3 pm I got a call that I'd have to wait till way after Tuesday 21, the Belgian independence day.
I'm glad you noticed I still have internet, wine, and my sense of humor. My SO is getting quite grumpy though: he tripped in a room without power and uttered all the F words. "How did I end up in this dump" he said angrily. "Oh", I said with a smile, "you mean this superb penthouse with a free cathedral view in the best part of town?". I handed him the remote and he switched on ESPN. Aren't men simple to please?
"]
Comment by Shirley — July 18, 2008 @ 4:26 pm
Ugh. The only thing that has gone wrong here was the air conditioner going out while I was in Virginia. They replaced it the same day I called them, so it’s really nothing to complain about. Not when compared to the difficulties and inconvenience you’ve had with your power. Good luck.
[Blog author: "Thanks Granola-grrrl. Customer service is often way below standard in Belgium. I hope I'll see my "emergency" electrician tomorrow, 6d after the incident. I'm still without power in half the house. Nobody was available during this long (independence) weekend, not even if I paid them triple the regular hourly rate."]
Comment by Granola-grrrl — July 21, 2008 @ 7:42 pm