Adventures In Accommodation: Success, More Or Less

During one job, due to extenuating circumstances, I found myself in need of housing for a couple of months before my contract ended. Via a totally unrelated website, I had come across a roommate site, and was able to understand enough of the local language to peruse it. I ended up visiting four different flats to meet potential roommates – I’d started out my calls in something close to the local language, but fortunately for me three of them spoke English well and the fourth well enough to give me basic directions.

While I was able to communicate alright with the fourth in person, I think it would have been challenging to live with that level of language difficulty. It might have improved my language skills, but would probably also have resulted in quite a bit of frustration on both our parts.

I ended up with quite an offbeat place…

…renting a room from a couple – with a small baby – because of the price, their willingness to rent for the short term I wanted, and the amenities included. The first weekend there, they went to visit family in the countryside and left me alone. I was glad to have the place to myself but ended up scaring myself silly be reading about missing EFL teachers and imagining someone lurking on my route to the bus stop coveting my kidneys. Fortunately I still have both kidneys and had no problems with safety there. As for my roommates, we mostly kept to ourselves, but the husband was a “notebook specialist” and helped me with my computer from time to time, and the baby occasionally did cute things. I left her a singing bear as a gift when I moved.

I must say, renting a room from a couple with a baby is really not my ideal living situation, but they were quite nice and it turned out okay, considering one past housing experience.