Xpaths. Episode 4. The Unluckiest Expat

Bradley’s luck, always been getting into awkward situations. Was it is just bad luck or his air head. It seemed whilst everyone else would pass smoothly through lifes little situations Bradley somehow encountered unforeseen problems. Seemingly the main reason was his absolute self-confidence even in fields of expertise he knew nothing about.

He was confident in his knowledge of local language after two years spent in the country.

His parents helped him to buy a small apartment in the centre of town. He was very proud of owning it and it came in useful for rental income generation whilst he went off travelling.

And that is where the unfortunate case happened. Because Bradley wanted to save money on translation so he told the notary that he understands the language. The new tenant being opportunistic used this to his advantage. The agreement turned out not to rent the apartment but actually sell it.

Can you imagine his shock when returning from his travels after a few months and wasn't allowed on the doorstep of his own apartment as it appeared to not be his property anymore. On ringing the doorbell a guy in fury slippers explained he was the new owner and handed Bradley the agreement he had signed.

After a week of depression somebody suggested to hire a lawyer even though it meant additional expenses there wasn't really other way. Bradley was too ashamed to tell his parents that he had sold his apartment for six months rent. Luckily the lawyer was able to help in this pursuit of justice even though it took several months. What a relief.

Despite such a drastic case Bradley hadn’t learnt his lesson and made the same mistake again. After several years of coming and going he started to think up ways to stay in the country for longer then 3 months at a time. First suggestion was on the grounds of volunteering but halfway through Bradley decided he was not the volunteering type and canceled at the last minute. This caused a big scene as the agency who was organising it as they didn’t want to return his money having done a lot of the work.

Anyway he finally found a job and started thinking about settling down. He met a good looking female visas consultant who didn't speak English very well. This is where his ego again played a trick on him. He tried to make an impression with his knowledge of the local language which was good to a certain extent although sometimes he wasn't sure of the exact meaning of words and just nodded in agreement. Whilst he was extending his temporary permit he thought she asked if he would prefer a permanent one to which he obviously agreed. She also was very interested in his Ukrainian roots.

Whilst standing in a long queue of priests Bradley thought due their similarity, black cloak, grey beards and glasses, they could all share the same passport photo to speed up the process.

Finally it was his turn in the queue at the immigration office and what a surprise it was when instead of his Australian passport returned he received a Ukrainian one from a good looking girl with a big smile.
What’s......???
It took quite a lot of effort and another lawyer’s involvement to return things back to normal as Bradley wasn't really ready for change of citizenship.
Poor Bradley. Just hoping it had taught him a lesson.

Please find the next Episode 5 here: https://steemit.com/writing/@dovetail/meeting-parents.

Previous Episode https://steemit.com/life/@dovetail/xpaths-episode-3-yphone-why-bother-with-an-iphone Cheers