Upstairs, Downstairs
My new tenants appear to be settling in well, and from what I can gather, so far the only real furniture they have is a lounge suite. It's unfortunate that they don't speak a lot of english...there is a definite language barrier.
Mum is staying with them for a few months to help them settle in, and she seems to speak better english than her son and daughter-in-law. I've had to come to the conclusion that if I need to talk to them about anything at length, it's better I go through the older brother who's english is impeccable. I can explain it to him, and he can be the unofficial interpreter.
Saturday morning I received a phone call from downstairs. The husband announced himself, and after that I had no idea what he was talking about. His mother gets on the phone saying "There is music...coming from roof...I don't know what it is, I don't know what it is."
I didn't have the television or the radio on up here...both the boys were still asleep, so it can't have been noise from us. I go down to investigate. Walking through the back door I find the three of them pointing at the ceiling....at the smoke alarm. Apparently it had gone off the morning before, and again just before they rang me. The wife had been cooking. The mother kept nodding her head and assuring me "no smokers here, no smokers here". Lots of hand signals and smiles later, I return to my own lounge.
Monday afternoon I pull into the garage at home...as I walk up the stairs, my heart just about stopped when I find the mother standing at the top of those stairs waiting for me. She's such a tiny wee thing, 5 feet tall if that and she's pointing, laughing and talking about washing.
I round the corner of the house to find her also laughing daughter-in-law perched on top of one of the large planter boxes, kitchen window wide open, and about to climb through it. Apparently they'd been hanging out the washing and had locked themselves out of the house.
They appear to be friendly and happy people, with a good sense of humour. If nothing else, they are certainly keeping me entertained! lol
Mum is staying with them for a few months to help them settle in, and she seems to speak better english than her son and daughter-in-law. I've had to come to the conclusion that if I need to talk to them about anything at length, it's better I go through the older brother who's english is impeccable. I can explain it to him, and he can be the unofficial interpreter.
Saturday morning I received a phone call from downstairs. The husband announced himself, and after that I had no idea what he was talking about. His mother gets on the phone saying "There is music...coming from roof...I don't know what it is, I don't know what it is."
I didn't have the television or the radio on up here...both the boys were still asleep, so it can't have been noise from us. I go down to investigate. Walking through the back door I find the three of them pointing at the ceiling....at the smoke alarm. Apparently it had gone off the morning before, and again just before they rang me. The wife had been cooking. The mother kept nodding her head and assuring me "no smokers here, no smokers here". Lots of hand signals and smiles later, I return to my own lounge.
Monday afternoon I pull into the garage at home...as I walk up the stairs, my heart just about stopped when I find the mother standing at the top of those stairs waiting for me. She's such a tiny wee thing, 5 feet tall if that and she's pointing, laughing and talking about washing.
I round the corner of the house to find her also laughing daughter-in-law perched on top of one of the large planter boxes, kitchen window wide open, and about to climb through it. Apparently they'd been hanging out the washing and had locked themselves out of the house.
They appear to be friendly and happy people, with a good sense of humour. If nothing else, they are certainly keeping me entertained! lol
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