I've blogged earlier about getting an apartment. That's just one of the things I have done here. There are more.
I now have a German cellular phone number. I have a prepaid account, so all I need to do is buy a phone card when my balance goes low. I don't have a contract, so there is no obligation to pay it until a set time. I can just pay as I go. In getting a prepaid phone number, I had to give a local address. I gave my work address, and showed them my passport. That sufficed.
I am signing a lease in a couple of days, and paying the first month's rent as well as the security deposit. Once I get the lease, I can now go to a bank and set up a bank account. I went to a bank earlier, and they told me that I should have a document proving where I live. So the lease can do that. I have an appointment with a bank manager next week to set up an account once I have all the paperwork ready.
I am slowly filling the paperwork for my employment. Jeez, they ask weird questions. There was a form where I had to check whether or not I have previously lived in the German Democratic Republic, whether I used to work in the former GDR's Ministry of State Security, whether I did military service with the GDR, and so forth. It was quite interesting.
I also paid a visit to the Philippine Embassy, which turned out to be just a couple of blocks from where I live. I went there because I decided to register and make my presence known. Hence, in case of emergency, there will be people that are notified.
So there, so far so good. After this, I still have to take care of the electric company and report my new domicile. And I am also looking for Internet providers for my new apartment. And in doing all these errands, my German is slowly coming back. Well, that's the idea, right?
