Note to Self: It Could Always Be Worse

One thing to keep in mind in a situation like this is that, no matter what goes wrong, it could always be worse. We have had our share of problems thus far, but we would do well to remember the saga of Brian and Elsa, who recently arrived from the States. Not only were they given an apartment in a building far from everyone else, the apartment itself left a great deal to be desired. The kitchen was infested with insects, the washing machine had half its parts piled ON TOP of it, the toilet ran continuously with an almost roaring gush of water, and the place was, all in all, filthy. To add insult to injury, someone in the building called the police and said there were “foreigners” traipsing up and down the stairs. And so, one night, there’s a knock at the door and poor Brian and Elsa open it up to find three plainclothes policemen wishing to speak with them. They asked them many questions, examined their passports, and then finally left, having apparently determined the American couple and their cat were not endangering building, neighborhood, municipal, provincial, or national security. Thank-goodness, they have just today moved over to our building and are now safely installed in an apartment on the third floor. We haven’t spoken to them yet, but our American neighbor—Pam—tells us they are very, very relieved. It is isn’t big, but it’s clean, near many other Americans, and no one here will call the cops on them.