For 2008, The wish list

Thanks to all the Residents who have contributed to this blog with their questions and comments. A reminder: this blog is yours! please use it and spread the word among residents. Also, the city is yours, is ours, wherever we live and whichever activities we engage in.

Safety, leisure, cleaning, sound, all the environment in good or bad shape is ours. What do we need to make the best of that? Here begins the wish list (some possible, some fantasy)… please add any thoughts!

Happy Christmas for those who celebrate it, Happy end of the year for all people from all beliefs!

I wish:

- A Park instead of a Car Park, where the fox that sometimes hides behind the green wood fence, could have more interesting walks… reminding us of how amazing is nature!

- Less cars and more respect for pedestrians, we are vulnerable!

- I wish all “residents” would use this blog, send me posts with your ideas, as since last month I no longer live in Metropolitan Apts… However, I still care for the building and for all surroundings in Leicester.

Safety in Metropolitan Apartm_nt_

Did you notice that we live now in Metropolitan Apartm_nt_ ?

In “Caution” the first post of this blog there was a discussion about safety. Weeks ago I found pieces of this fire inlet glass on the floor, and really wonder how symbolic this image is for our fragile street.

Can we go on discussing our Safety issue?. It is not just about fire… and neighbours meetings at 2.30am. One night ago I arrived in a Taxi and a drunk man opened the door of the taxi just to scare me (I supposed). People shouting in the car park, and so on… Are we waiting for a major incident? What is the council doing in this area? Has anything happened to you?

People who work for us: Garry and Marleny, Thanks!

Fronk has suggested a couple of times Garry’s significance for our building. This post is dedicated to Garry and Marleny, people who work for us every day, to maintain Metropolitan Apartments in good shape.

Garry Cornthwaite was born in Blackburn, England, but the place where he has spent most of his life is Leicester, almost 40 years. He joined the Army and travelled all over the world. He went to places such as Egypt, Kenya, Spain, Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus, Belgium, France, Tanzania, Italy, Germany and Tangiers. He especially remembers his job at British United Shoe Machinery where he worked for 13 years. He worked as chairman of Humberstone British Legion for approximately three years and has worked the last six years in Security. He likes to be busy all the time and it is his secret for a long life! The last 9th of October he had his 71st birthday. He enjoys being in Metropolitan Apartments as a concierge because he can meet and talk to people from all over the world, and of course from places where he went during his period with the Army. He is also a sportsman (darts, crib, pool, snooker, whist).

Marleny Cobo was born in Vijes, a very small Colombian town near Cali. She worked mainly as an Assistant to Surveyors, thus she had to be accurate in the measures used to build motorways and public developments all over the country. She misses the exuberant nature of her country, but she loves living in England because of … the food!!! The variety of food from different cultures that she finds here is something that makes her happy. Being with her family, and also meeting people from different countries is great for her. She likes all people and of course she likes them more when they are polite. Her dreams: seeing the education of her grandchildren and becoming a voluntary worker for a Humanitarian cause.

The Sky is blue, the Star is “lite”: a non statutory nuisance!

Boom, boom, boom, BOOM bOOm, booM… , anunciation of a bad night of sleep on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and last Friday until 6.00am (I swear).

“Thanks, I’m calling from Metropolitan Apartments to report Noise, it is an old complaint, reference number C133678″

1 hour later in the apt…

Noise Service: “They [Starlite] had the door open.” A microphone records for about 1 minute. They measure the decibels (dB), and they look at me: “Sorry this is not a Statutory Nuisance”. I feel powerless…

I think that a drop of water falling on your head is not a nuisance, but if it does so throughout the entire night, you really can get a cold and possibly go crazy. It is my experience that continuous “unwanted sound”, especially during my sleep, can make me feel tired and very irritable.

I wonder if more neighbours have had this nuisance?

20+ possible things to do while you are living here…

Either to enjoy, complain, relax, or make our environment an enjoyable and interesting place to live we develop activities around this building:

Our neighbour Kathryn has discovered enjoyable things to do such as:

1. Picking blackberries in Western Park in September

2. Finding a once beloved treasure of someone else at a charity shop

3. Shuffling through autumn leaves in Abbey Park

4. Picnicking at Watermead as dusk settles on a warm summer evening

I wonder if we can continue filling up this list?

Caution! Good morning

This is one of the main sonic features in the morning. My great neighbours thought that the man who speaks this intriguing and repetitive message was German and that he says “Achtung”. Well, not far, the automated voice says in English “Caution. Sweeper approaching”. Any ideas, feelings, about our emblematic feature?

To listen to “caution” click here