I live in a rooming house. I know how that sounds (or do I?). There are seven bedrooms in the house, a bathroom with a bath, a shower/toilet room, and a kitchen. I think there are eight people living here (but I have yet to meet them all and so really can’t be sure)and because of the uncertainty of sharing a house with so many there are some inevitable shocks.
Shock 1 – no paper in the toilet. I guess that everyone just brings it with them when they go. I’ve left a roll in the toilet for myself, and I hope that no one minds… but it doesn’t seem that any do.
Shock 2 – everyone has their own kitchen equipment. Obviously we all share the oven, stove top, fridge (one upstairs and two down), toaster, microwave, sink…etc… but they all have their own plates, utensils, pans, pots etc…
This was a huge shock to me today when I got home with a work friend (after shopping for other household goods – pillows, sheets…) with a load of food to cook some thai green curry and discovered that I was meant to have my own pots, pans, plates etc… Thankfully one of the guys that lives upstairs told me I could use his in the meantime, but it was just so foreign to me.
Is this my first foreign experience in England? Yes and no. In most flats people share things and live together, but because this “home” I’ve found is more like a rooming house, it seems like this could just be normal. I have yet to verify this with a ‘native’. Regardless, it was a shock to me. I really didn’t expect that I’d have to buy all those things that you have to get when moving into a new place.
There are a few things, as mentioned above, pillows, duvet, sheets that I expected the expenxe for, but I seriously believed that my flat would come “all-in”. I had a nice chat with my landlord this evening about it all. We’ve come to an amiable agreement – he will pay for it all, within reason. He’s really very nice for a landlord, and I really like my room. I feel comfortable here.
Of course, my room came with almost everything I need – bed, dresser wardrobe… I just need to get a few necessities and a couple of extravagancies, and it will truly be all mine. But I guess what I’ve learned is not to take anything for granted and not to assume (ass out of U and me) anything, which I really should have learned in Korea, but sometimes in life we need to make the same mistake more than once for it to really stick.
I’m okay with the situation. Maybe I’ve rationalized it in my head… but I’ve told my landlord that I’ll sign for six months and if I really don’t like it (even before) that we’ll figure something out. For now, I’m happy to have my own room and an underwear drawer, even if I have to go shopping for some pots and pans… at least I’m not paying for them.
Shock 1 – no paper in the toilet. I guess that everyone just brings it with them when they go. I’ve left a roll in the toilet for myself, and I hope that no one minds… but it doesn’t seem that any do.
Shock 2 – everyone has their own kitchen equipment. Obviously we all share the oven, stove top, fridge (one upstairs and two down), toaster, microwave, sink…etc… but they all have their own plates, utensils, pans, pots etc…
This was a huge shock to me today when I got home with a work friend (after shopping for other household goods – pillows, sheets…) with a load of food to cook some thai green curry and discovered that I was meant to have my own pots, pans, plates etc… Thankfully one of the guys that lives upstairs told me I could use his in the meantime, but it was just so foreign to me.
Is this my first foreign experience in England? Yes and no. In most flats people share things and live together, but because this “home” I’ve found is more like a rooming house, it seems like this could just be normal. I have yet to verify this with a ‘native’. Regardless, it was a shock to me. I really didn’t expect that I’d have to buy all those things that you have to get when moving into a new place.
There are a few things, as mentioned above, pillows, duvet, sheets that I expected the expenxe for, but I seriously believed that my flat would come “all-in”. I had a nice chat with my landlord this evening about it all. We’ve come to an amiable agreement – he will pay for it all, within reason. He’s really very nice for a landlord, and I really like my room. I feel comfortable here.
Of course, my room came with almost everything I need – bed, dresser wardrobe… I just need to get a few necessities and a couple of extravagancies, and it will truly be all mine. But I guess what I’ve learned is not to take anything for granted and not to assume (ass out of U and me) anything, which I really should have learned in Korea, but sometimes in life we need to make the same mistake more than once for it to really stick.
I’m okay with the situation. Maybe I’ve rationalized it in my head… but I’ve told my landlord that I’ll sign for six months and if I really don’t like it (even before) that we’ll figure something out. For now, I’m happy to have my own room and an underwear drawer, even if I have to go shopping for some pots and pans… at least I’m not paying for them.
**nb... it's been a few days since I wrote this post and haven't had time to post... sorry... but I have found out from my 'native' Londoner, that it really isn't normal that everything isn't included.
