August 6th - The Big Shock - Moving out again?

Morning everyone,

Anabel studied Languages applied to Commerce and Translation in France. She showed me her GUITARSSSS, meaning she's got two, one electric and one acoustic. She also showed me how to use the washing machine.

New vocabs of the day:
-washing detergent, washing powder
-tchotchkes, bric-a-brac (Nippes)
-badger (hetzen)
-spunk

Twinings Breakfast Tea is also very good. Watching the IT Crowd as the washing machine goes. :-)


UPDATE:


I really hate to admit it, but again my Mum was right to urge me to sign a contract before paying money. On the other hand, I thought the tenancy letter from my University which Eunice had signed already, should suffice. Eunice just told me with a very remorseful face that she'd been feeling very uncomfortable since she's moved into the living room. As far as I can tell, she simply doesn't feel "at home", with all her stuff crammed there and it being a little colder than in this room and she's sleeping on an inflatable mattress. Besides, she still hasn't moved all her things out of my room. So she told me, she'd come to the conclusion that it's been a very bad idea of hers to ask me to move in here. She said she'd been desperate for the money, because she needed it for her studies, but now she was thinking maybe she should get a better job instead. So she declared that she'd rather I got myself a different apartment. She offered me help in finding one. This reminds me of the couchsurfer I'd asked before, who'd first agreed on sharing a flat with me but then had second thoughts. Only that Eunice told me while I'd already moved in. At least she realised it was very unfair to have me move out so early without any help in finding another place to stay, so she said she wouldn't badger me and I could stay another month.

Now I've been trying - successsfully, I think - to talk her into letting me stay, because the rent really is cheap and I don't expect to find another flat for that money within this short time and for the short time that I'm staying; the flatmates might be worse too. I told her that it'd be very unlikely we find a place as good as this for the same money, especially not now that university is about to get started, even if we both looked for one together. Besides it's time-consuming and a lot of effort. And she can't make me take an apartment that's worse than this one, now that she's agreed to have me here, can she?

I really refuse to move out. I have no problem moving out and going back after December 17th already - after the term's finished - I can book my flight very early, so they can rest assured I'll be out at that time - and I think that was a little comforting to her. I also told her that the living room's fine for me too, I don't really need much anyway, just a wardrobe and some boxes/chests...so I offered to sort things out, check if there's free stuff on Couchsurfing.org (they have a group for free stuff in Glasgow which I've only found yesterday) and see if I can get those things for free. I told her she needn't get all of her stuff out of this room, if she didn't need it urgently and we could just move her stuff back in, once I've found things to make myself comfortable in the living room. Maybe I can even talk her into letting me stay in this room till December if I can make her feel more comfortable in the living room, because I really like the room I'm in now as well and for the short time I'm here, I don't see why she shouldn't be able to bear some small concessions. I mean, I'm not the one who's caused all this trouble. I don't want to be complaining all the time and I don't want the atmosphere to be hostile for the next few months, so I'm trying to solve the problem as diplomatically as possible, while obtaining as many advantages as possible out of the situation.

I've also brought up the issue with the deposit again, because she still hasn't signed anything to assure me I'd get it back, once I'm out of here. So she now gave me the deposit back and told me I could hold on to it, till she's spoken to our other flatmate and asked her if she's fine with all this, because she hasn't done so in advance. I generally agree that this is only fair to Anabel, but first it didn't seem as if she'd mind, second I think Eunice should've done so long ago, third: Eunice is the only tenant for the flat that's signed the lease, so she's responsible for everything and has the power to decide that I can stay, even if Anabel didn't want me here. I'm sure Anabel won't threaten to move out, simply because I'll be staying here for 5 months. I think till December there really shouldn't be a problem.

This situation makes me wonder if I trust people too easily or if I hadn't taken enough precautions. I guess I really had taken some risks, but they didn't seem too high. I really don't want to walk through this life mistrusting everybody all the time. I think I don't trust people too easily anyway, and I really don't want to end up all grumpy, complaining all the time. If I'm not able to trust, I won't get much trust in return, right? I really wouldn't have wanted to agree moving in to other people's flats simultaneously, just to have some sort of "security back-up" and then having to turn the others down last minute. Besides, Eunice told me after I'd already moved in, so it wouldn've helped having a back-up, because I would've already turned them down by the time I was told I couldn't stay here. I don't know if it would've helped knowing more about Eunice beforehand. Really, I couldn't have told just by her nationality, by what she studies or her hobbies if she's generally trustworthy or not, because I don't want to live with prejudices and clichés either. And speaking to her in person I would've been convinced she's more trustworthy. She really is a nice person after all. Seems tidy and polite and everything. I couldn't have known. Not with any person.

I really don't want to be prejudiced, but I wonder if this is more of an African mentality sort of thing, not planning properly, doing things on short notice and not informing other people about it. I've experienced this with German people as well, so one cannot generalize it...but there may be tendencies, due to conditions in the society she came from. No idea. I know she didn't mean any harm, but this was certainly most inconsiderate. Eunice also told me there'd been some emails which had bounced back, so she wasn't so sure anymore if I'd really be coming, or else she would've moved out earlier and may have realised sooner that she was feeling uncomfortable in the living room - but then if she had done so, she may have told me on very short notice that I couldn't come stay with them and that would've been even more irresponsible, because I would've had to find another flat for this very short time. So I'm glad that I'd kinda surprised her after all.

UPDATE 2:

Went to Alexandra Park. When you go in it looks quite impressive, but the biggest part is just golf court. Sometimes reminded me of Final Fantasy X - the plains where you could ride Chocobos.