What a day!

Things have been hectic this week. This is my... 6th day in the States. I've been spinning a little getting things sorted, but today, so much of that fell into place.

It started this morning when I bought my car. It was crazy. I've been looking at dealerships and 'gumtree' websites, finding all sorts of cars. I've gone from wanting a small hatchback like a Golf (they call them Rabbits here, but they're harder to find than a set of lost keys), to looking at Camaros. As the Kings of Leon sing, it's black as coal and it goes boy, it go go goes. In between there have been Cadillacs (fuel guzzlers); Honda Accords and Kia Sportages. Cars are dirt cheap here, it's pretty awesome.

But eventually I found quite a bolter - a 1998 Audi A6. Quite a boat. But cars here are not for ants. They're all pretty huge. And I got a killer deal.

I called the guy yesterday and as luck would have it he was having lunch around the corner from my offices. After chatting with Mike (my friend from Cape Town days - otherwise known as Jeremy Clarkson), he suggested I offer about $300 less than the asking price for paying in cash. So when the guy arrived, I had a look at the car and it was in great condition. I then asked him if he was negotiable. He thought for a second and then said, "I'll take $500 off the price, but no less." I tried really hard to keep a poker face, paused for a few seconds, and then replied, "yeah, I can do that."

Awesome!!

So he came to drop the car off this morning, I gave him the cash, and I am now a proud owner of a car in the United States. Thinking of a name now. Suggestions welcome...



So, car was now sorted. But the day was just to get better...

I had an appointment to go look at apartments in Hoboken - a vibey little city on the Hudson River with a killer view of the Manhattan skyline. Sharon, my effervescent relocation agent, took me to the appointments and we looked at about 9 places together.

The first building I looked at was in a very chilled area of town. The atmosphere of Hoboken is great. It kind of reminds me of Stellenbosch crossed with liberal doses of Sea Point. Lots of joggers and dog-walkers; lots of trendy little coffee shops and restaurants; and lots of young professionals. The apartment was great, with a cool view of Manhattan. The building has a fully-equipped gym and doorman, which is standard for most buildings. Sweet.

But the next building had the clincher. The area was a little busier than the first one, and the building itself was a little older, but when I saw the apartment, this was the view...



From the balcony!

It was sick. You can see the Empire State Building, and from the bedroom too, meaning I could wake up to that. Ummmmm, where do I sign?

So it looks like I'll be moving into Hoboken around 14 November, after I get back from a training trip to Toronto. I am so stoked to be getting my own place and to be able to set up home. And I'm getting good vibes about the city too. Easy access to New York, MUCH cheaper than New York, and not too far from work (about a 50min drive in traffic, max).

The buzzphrase at all the electronics places I've visited today was "deal of the century". After ticking off the car and the apartment today, I kind of feel the same way.