One apartment, hold the mold

March 27, 2008 at 07:02 · Filed under Homes in Greece, Personal

Moving south to a supposedly good area of Athens is not reflected in the construction of this home. The latest issue — a furry foe called mold.

To recap our 3.5 months here:

1. Doorbell didn’t work
We bought parts and fixed it at our expense.

2. Toilet had no seat or lid (A first)
The plastic one provided by our landlord for 1.99 broke after one use. We spent 29.00 for a new one and installed it.

3. Fireplace is poorly built and has no flue (A first)
See, “No smoking in the house” for details. Fireplace now sealed off, and the landlord did not appear surprised. Wonder why?

4. Double pane glass is a hoax (A first)
Glass is not fitted to frame on sliding doors and windows. Nothing we can do, it’s just cold and noisy; I sleep with earplugs (a first).

5. Window and door frames not fitted to wall
Big gaps allow breezes from the mountain range to whoosh into the house; bugs, rain, dirt and noise enter at will. I did a lot of caulking, weatherstripping and plugging.

6. Outer doors let in light when closed, so it’s never dark when we sleep
We’d bought and put up drapes, but had to take them down because condensation forms on the cheap uninsulated glass, moistens the drapes and causes mold.

7. No insulation
Landlords told us there is insulation, but it’s a lie. It’s freezing, it’s noisy. See, “How to stay warm in winter” if you have the same issue.

8. OTE installed a “Miracle on Thiseos Street,” but service is shoddy
We live in a “dead zone,” where DSL can blackout at any time and for days. Installation of a new cable was started for us at the beginning of March, but the strikes interrupted that until today. We have a phone number, but it has never worked and we’re still expected to pay our bill; if we don’t pay, we’re required to schedule and pay for another installation after we’re disconnected.

9. The dog downstairs
I love animals, but this is a ridiculous creature. Howls all day, barks at absolutely everything, but runs away if you bum rush him. Some watchdog.

10. The landlords downstairs
Nice people, but bad landlords and their surround sound big screen and stereo leave little to the imagination. Cooking often smells like something died in the building from which there is no escape!

11. Radiator fell off the wall
* Added morning of March 27

12. Kitchen cabinet door fell off
* Added March 28

13. Knob flew off kitchen cabinet
* Added April 18

14. Roof started leaking
* Added November 2008, January 2009
Destroyed: a) Standalone closet we purchased for the living room and everything inside (my shoes, boots, coats, hats, bags); b) kitchen wall against which the food pantry stands; c) second bedroom wall against which the desk (once) stood.

Martin told me there’s a Greek saying that goes something like, “If you don’t praise your house, it will fall on you.” OK, but what if you praise your house, and it’s falling on you anyway? Shall I try cursing? LOL!

Fuzz is not fashionable

On Sunday, I thought I saw some specks on the wall where we’ve placed our bed. Upon closer inspection, it’s mold. Great, another first. More prolific near the ground and sparse as one goes higher, it’s only on one wall, which not coincidentally faces the elements. Fine. I clean it up according to sound advice I found in “Mold Resources” from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Telos, right? Wrong.

Last night I went into my good closet to fish out a tailored suit from my days in New York as a “rich American” and what did I find? More mold. Superb, another first! I make a habit of covering everything expensive with plastic, but other items were not so lucky and covered with fuzz and stinky mildew. The closet wall — also facing the elements — is overrun with big black spots and streaks (like water was running down the wall), and there are water stains on the closet floor. To me, it looks like it’s happened before and was simply cleaned up and painted over for the next unsuspecting tenant…which would be us. We already called the Tenant’s Rights Agency, and it could take months and legal action before anything is done.

At this point, we have two choices:
1. Show it to our landlords, watch them fain ignorance, have them blame us and ask us to pay for it.
2. Show it to our landlords, they’ll promise to fix it and then do nothing, as past history has shown us.

So then we’ll have the choice of:
1. Moving (again), breaking our lease (again), incurring moving costs (again) and losing our deposit (again) *Sigh*
2. Living with discontent landlords downstairs and exposure to spores that could make us repeatedly ill. Woo hoo!

We ended up showing it to our landlords, and they knew about it. They explained that the roof needed to be fixed since before we moved in and they neglected to call anyone, thinking it wouldn’t be a big deal to wait until after winter was over. (Note: Two winters passed and a lot of complaining before anything was finally done, and by that time it was too late to save our health or our possessions for which we were never compensated). They also didn’t feel a need to warn us. Figures.

Fun with fungi

From reading about mold — this must be the “exotic” part of living in Greece everyone keeps telling me about — this is caused by dry wall rot, a leak either in the roof or the plumbing, ill-constructed balconies that tip toward the house and allow water to seep into the concrete and through the walls, excessive humidity in the house or all four. If no repairs or renovations are planned by our landlords, our choices are pretty much a dehumidifier/fan, vigilant and continued cleanings, sandbags and/or a waterproof barrier on the balcony, or moving. For the time being, we’ve moved all of our furniture away from the wall and put lamps/fans in strategic areas to keep them dry.

Living in New York for 2 years and spending a year in Miami — where weathermen use adjectives like, ‘oppressive’ and ‘overbearing’ to describe humidity in those cities — never ruined anything of mine. But non-humid winter weather in Greece molds my walls and wardrobe? Ridiculous. I can think of some other choice words, but I’m trying to keep it PG-13.

So thank you Greece for all of these “firsts” and forcing me to own a tool set since 1999 that both impresses and frightens all the men I know, but I’d rather have one good apartment, hold the mold. Is that really so much to ask?

Related posts

“Cockroaches and courthouses, landlords and leases”
“Give me a break!”
“O klimatismo dude no cometh”

* Hat tip to Cheryl for providing much needed comedy relief that brought tears to my eyes, including: “If you can’t beat it, wear it” and “Isn’t it nice to smell like a problematic basement?” and “Your landlord should look at his sh!tty house.” My other favorite is not PG-13.

Comments (32)

Things I wish would go on strike

March 20, 2008 at 22:53 · Filed under Personal

1. Barking dogs

2. Finger-pointing

3. Greek radio stations playing the same 25 songs, and MadTV showing the same 25 videos

4. Pulsing house music on my street at 3 a.m.

5. The five phone calls/day from my fiancé’s father trying to close us for Pascha — He’s a sweet man, but come on!

6. People who say they support strikers but don’t know what the pension reform is about

7. Rising cost of living

8. Chicky chicky noises from men in passing cars

9. Farting gorilla commercials

10. Westerners outside Greece telling me, “Smile, it can’t be that bad”

True, it’s not the end of the world, it just smells like it.

* Feel free to add your own

Comments (22)

Acquiring EU citizenship through ancestry or naturalization

March 18, 2008 at 07:51 · Filed under EU

Are you an American or other non-EU citizen looking for a way to live and work in the EU, but cannot get a residence or work permit?

The easiest path to living and working in the EU is to claim EU citizenship through descent or origin should you have an ancestor born in one of the current European Union member states or non-EU countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway. Many times, there are no language or residency requirements, and applications for repatriation are processed quickly. Citizenship from an EU country would then entitle you to an EU passport, since only those with EU citizenship can apply for an EU passport.

There are only two ways of getting EU citizenship and an EU passport:
1) Birth in an EU country (yourself or an ancestor);
2) By living in an EU country legally with a residence permit and going through naturalization.

If you are married and/or have a child with an EU citizen, all non-EU spouses and minors of EU citizens are automatically entitled a residence/work permit, which essentially grants the same rights and privileges as an EU resident. You may also be eligible for a shortened waiting period for citizenship by naturalization, but there are almost always language and residency requirements. There is no automatic way of getting EU citizenship through marriage for obvious reasons. Thus, there is no such thing as marrying for EU citizenship.

Please be aware that all countries still recognize citizens by nationality, i.e., Belgian, Greek, Spanish, British, etc. The EU has not fused into one big country, and there are no one-size-fits-all rules for the whole of Europe. The EU is a collective made up of separate member states (countries) — much like the United States is a country made up of separate states such as California, Florida and New York — with each retaining its unique borders and laws.

If you do not have an ancestor or spouse from the EU, see other options for EU citizenship and living and working in the EU by clicking, “How to get EU citizenship, passports, visas and permits to live and work in the EU” if you have not already read this article.

* Article last updated on June 13, 2010

Dual citizenship with the EU

It is imperative you consult directly with an official government authority in your homeland (not a friend, forum or other third party) regarding your country’s stance on dual nationality or dual citizenship with the target EU country before starting this process. If you do not, you risk getting misleading information and possibly losing your current citizenship. Certain countries allow it, some don’t.

If you are an American citizen, see the U.S. Department of State’s page titled, “Advice about Possible Loss of U.S. Citizenship and Dual Nationality.”

If you are already an EU citizen, seeking dual citizenship with another EU member state is redundant and carries no real benefits.

Helpful links to official sites

Should you have questions, you must consult directly with an official government body, such as the consulate or embassy in your homeland, or the appropriate government ministry in the country of concern. Do not consult forums, a friend or relative or lawyers advertising citizenship services on the Internet, or you risk being cheated of time and money, in addition to getting damaging advice as each case is unique.

Austria - Obtaining Austrian citizenship and Applying for Austrian citizenship from abroad

Belgium - Acquiring Belgian nationality/citizenship

Bulgaria* - Acquisition of Bulgarian citizenship

Cyprus - Repatriation of a Cypriot citizen from abroad or Acquisition of Cypriot citizenship by Registration or Naturalization

Czech Republic – How to get Czech citizenship/dual citizenship and Czech nationality law

Denmark – Declaration of Danish citizenship and Obtaining Danish citizenship and Danish Citizenship Act

Estonia – Application for Estonian citizenship and Estonia Law on Citizenship

Finland – Acquiring Finnish citizenship and Nationality Act of Finland

France – Conditions for applying for French citizenship, French citizenship and immigration, “French nationality: A convoluted history” and French Nationality (Consult with the French Consulate in your homeland)

Germany – Law on German nationality and FAQ German citizenship

Greece – Official site has old Greek Citizenship Code (in English) and Κώδικα Ελληνικής Ιθαγένειας (in Greek, as of May 28, 2010). Check “Greek citizenship by claim or Greek origin, ancestry, descent,” or “Who is entitled to Greek citizenship” and “Greek citizenship by naturalization” (free articles based on official documentation/real-life experience) or consult directly with the Greek Consulate or Greek Embassy.

Hungary – Hungarian citizenship and passports and Hungary Act of Citizenship (New law passed on May 26, 2010 allows people of Hungarian descent to claim citizenship without living in Hungary, but candidates must speak Hungarian)

Ireland – Irish citizenship and Entitlement to Irish citizenship (and forms)

Italy – Ways to become an Italian citizen (Italian Consulate) and Italian citizenship (City of Torino, Italy)

Latvia – Ways to acquire Latvian citizenship

Lithuania – Ways to acquire Lithuanian citizenship and passport and Law of Lithuanian Citizenship

Luxembourg – Official website offers “The Luxembourg Nationality” in PDF (in English) and Luxembourg nationality online (in French). Luxembourg now allows dual citizenship

Malta – Acquisition of citizenship from Malta

Netherlands – How to acquire Dutch nationality and Obtaining Dutch citizenship

Poland – How to acquire Polish citizenship and Repatriation as a Polish Citizen

Portugal – Portuguese nationality (in English), Portuguese citizenship (in Portuguese) and General information (also check directly with the Portuguese Consulate in your homeland

Romania* – Applying for and obtaining Romanian citizenship and Documents required to submit for citizenship (guide only)

Slovakia – Slovak Nationality Law (Also see Czech citizenship)

Slovenia – Acquiring Slovenian citizenship and FAQ

Spain – Granting of Spanish citizenship and Spanish nationality (may also consult directly with the Consulate in your homeland)

Sweden – Applying for Swedish citizenship and Swedish Citizenship Act

United Kingdom – All about British citizenship

*There are restrictions on citizens from Romania and Bulgaria in 13 EU member states. The EU will make an official announcement when these restrictions are lifted.

Non-EU countries with bilateral agreements with the EU

The following countries are technically non-EU countries, however they all have bilateral agreements with the EU that allow their citizens the right of movement, residence and employment in the EU member states.

Iceland – Residence Citizenship of Iceland and Icelandic Nationality Law

Liechtenstein - How to obtain citizenship in Liechtenstein (PDF from the Migration Office), Right to Liechtenstein Citizenship By Birth, Legitimation or Marriage (PDF from municipality) and Nationality Law

Norway - Who can obtain Norwegian citizenship by application and Who can obtain Norwegian citizenship by notification

Switzerland - How to become a Swiss citizen and Swiss citizenship overview

* All questions should be directed at the respective Consulate or Embassy in your homeland, where personnel are authorized to dispense official advice and accept citizenship applications.

Related posts

For related articles, see “EU.”

Comments (4)