* Now that’s a new one on me, Olga: faked degrees! I think the biggest problems the UK had with that level of education were language schools that were visa fiddles: there was a scandal about whether the schools were properly accredited. Blimey: there’s something I never had the cash for, good old fashioned property speculation! It’s a good earner. At work, we organise the emergency repairs for social landlords: a lot of councils have a certain amount of properties they rent from private landlords, like yourself, and then rent out to they tenants. From the little I see, our engineers are obliged to visit them: but they have to fill in a different set of paperwork for these visits, so the cost can be passed to the private landlord. Don’t quote me on that, though!
† I figured it would be playing to your strengths, Debbi. I was thinking it’s the USA’s best known legal document, I wonder who’s going to have an easy time of it … ? Oh, thinks for The link: I’ve added it to the relevant bit of my spreadsheet …
Q1) Uganda Q2) New York Q3) Old Faithful Geyser (not much in the imagination department) Q4) 144,000 days Q5) George I (I’m sure I’ve read he arrived in 1714 not 1618) Thanks, Paul. No, I’m not well off, especially as I left my job a few years back to try my hand at books and other things, and for family reasons and because translations and books are hard to sell, I’ve been living of my savings. I sold the house in the UK and I wanted to invest that on something, because banks don’t give you anything (they charge you for their service rather than the other way round). Unfortunately, since Brexit was announced, the pound has gone down a lot, and I ended up with only half of the amount of euros my house would have been worth if I had sold it before (and, of course, I bought it when the prices were up and then they went down, so I just about broke even, that is without taking into account the money I spent on the house). There are similar schemes in Barcelona, where you can sign up your flat with the town hall and they look after things, including reduced taxes, insurance (as there are many cases of squatting here and people who stop paying the rent, so you need to pay an insurance to prevent that) but I could not afford an apartment in Barcelona and ended up buying a small flat in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, that is very nearby (next door, same underground and good connections) but a bit cheaper. I have an agent to deal with it, and she is very good and knows the area and the market. It won’t be a fortune, but it is a way of ensuring the money is put to some use, and it is not a bad flat, especially after the renovation. So you recommend Solo? I heard mixed things about it. I’ll have to try and catch up. All the best.
I love it when someone comments. But, having had anonymous comments I feel may be libellous, actionable or just plain offensive, over the years?
I’d appreciate you* leaving your name — with a link to your website or social-media profile†, for preference — before you post a comment.
Should you choose to use a pseudonym/name, I’d appreciate it if that name were to be polite and inoffensive. I’d rather you kept it clean, and relatively grown up. Comments left with a pseudonym will be posted at my discretion: I really prefer a link.
Contentious, actionable or abusive posts left anonymously will not be posted. Nor will comments using offensive pseudonyms or language, or that are abusive of other commenters.
Thank you.
* I know many value their online privacy. I respect that. But hope you respect my wish to see who’s commenting on my blog: and my wish for you to introduce your self to me, and to your fellow commentors.
† Your Facebook, X/Twitter, Blogger, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn profile are acceptable. I also like seeing folks webpages.
Q1) Uganda
ReplyDeleteQ2) New York
Q3) Old Faithful Geyser (not much in the imagination department)
Q4) 144,000 days
Q5) George I (I’m sure I’ve read he arrived in 1714 not 1618)
Thanks, Paul. No, I’m not well off, especially as I left my job a few years back to try my hand at books and other things, and for family reasons and because translations and books are hard to sell, I’ve been living of my savings. I sold the house in the UK and I wanted to invest that on something, because banks don’t give you anything (they charge you for their service rather than the other way round). Unfortunately, since Brexit was announced, the pound has gone down a lot, and I ended up with only half of the amount of euros my house would have been worth if I had sold it before (and, of course, I bought it when the prices were up and then they went down, so I just about broke even, that is without taking into account the money I spent on the house). There are similar schemes in Barcelona, where you can sign up your flat with the town hall and they look after things, including reduced taxes, insurance (as there are many cases of squatting here and people who stop paying the rent, so you need to pay an insurance to prevent that) but I could not afford an apartment in Barcelona and ended up buying a small flat in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, that is very nearby (next door, same underground and good connections) but a bit cheaper. I have an agent to deal with it, and she is very good and knows the area and the market. It won’t be a fortune, but it is a way of ensuring the money is put to some use, and it is not a bad flat, especially after the renovation.
So you recommend Solo? I heard mixed things about it. I’ll have to try and catch up.
All the best.
Sure thing, Paul. Thank you! :)
ReplyDelete1. Uganda
2. New York City
3. Old Faithful
4. 144,000
5. George I