Mr. Busy!!!

The past week has been amazingly busy. I have been doing one thing after the next, without being able to sit and relax. I am not complaining though, I am really enjoying myself. I just don’t like sitting idle not doing something…

Around 7 months ago, I had to move from my then house since my house mate was leaving London and of course I couldn’t afford a two bedroom flat on my own. I tried to see my options and I decided to give a try to finding a nice (?) house share around the area I work. I knew that it would be much cheaper than renting on my own and I thought that it would be fun.

So, I found a nice big double bedroom with two other professionals in a two bathroom house. The house was located in a walking distance from work, cheaper than the one I had before and equipped with a weekly cleaner as well. It seemed too good to be true, so I moved in.

I don’t exactly know how other house shares work, but ours cannot be described as very functional. One of the girls living with me (who actually looked normal) moved out the second month I was there and was replaced by a foreign student, who wanted to learn English during his gap year. However, he only hangs around with people from his own country, literally hates London and I don’t think he learned any new English words apart from the very basic (unless he’s hiding them from me). I’ve only been able to chat with his cousin / translator who told me how my foreign housemate hates London.

My other housemate is doing a post doc in a very good university nearby. She can be described a bit uptight, unsociable and hostile. She also doesn’t like London and misses her country / village! I tried having some kind of conversations with her but at no use. Her life is around her studies and laboratory experiments. As far as I understood they keep and breed mice, implant viruses in them and check the results. I totally respect what she does (I could NEVER do this kind of work) but it’s not a very nice subject to talk about having dinner in the kitchen. Ok, I’m probably overreacting, who wouldn’t like to hear about how to slice open a HIV positive mouse to check the side effects of a new drug over a plate of spaghetti?

Anyway, these things wouldn’t really be a major issue, (I don’t stay home much and I seldom see my housemates anyway) if my lovely landlady wasn’t added to the equation. Since she probably doesn’t have a life, she loves to pry on ours. She keeps a key of the house and uses it amazingly often. I know she’s been inside my room many times. The house we live in is part of her daily walking route and she comes very often to check her mail etc (and us of course). She is one of these nonstop talkers and gossipers.

Also, she loves to complain about her dreadful financial situation (she ONLY has two houses that she rents). It was a major issue when my ‘wife’ was staying over. She wanted me to pay more rent for that. In addition, since all bills are included in my rent, there is the constant issue of how much water I spent, how much electricity, etc…

I know that probably these things are common in house shares but I am getting too old probably to deal with them. I want to be able to bring ‘friends’ that stay over at night, without having to hide them.

After all these, I don’t think you’d wonder why I chose to move out and live with a very close and dear friend of mine in the same area. So, at the moment I’m viewing properties and will be moving in the next month. That takes most of my free time. I can feel the side effects on my aching legs as well. It can be really fun though… It’s back to packing boxes