Up to a few months ago if you had told me that I would be living in commune, I would have looked at you for a few moments then burst out laughing and in the process, depending on whether I'm drinking one, I would have spat out my iced smoothie at you. Funny thing, you think you wouldn't do something after time passes, you find yourself doing it anyway.
When I got word that I've been hired at my job, the process began to find a place to live within walking distance to my work building. I spent weeks, spent a lot of airtime and data searching and calling places around the area, places I could afford on my tiny salary. I shortlisted a couple of places and sent my sister to check them out. She did, some where a no-no, some were okay, some were occupied (dammit,at least take down the advertisement) and there was one great studio apartment but the rent was a little steep and I couldn't have been able to afford it unless I had help from the parents but I was adamant to make it on my own so I turned it down, even when the landlord told me it's mine if I wanted it. It was nearing time for me to start my first day at work and I still hadn't found work! Luckily, my mother mentioned my predicament to her colleague and she said she'd ask her daughter about any available places because her daughter went to the University around there and would you know it, the daughter told my mother that yes, she knows of an available room in a commune because her friend stays there.
A commune! Me!? It wasn't even an all-girls residence.Well, I had no choice and it was available so I took it. The house is huge and upon moving in, I liked my room. It has a large bay window overlooking the grounds below and I knew it'd be perfect for painting in. Natural light, hello? There is even enough room for me to dance around in, which I do, everyday. Haha. I was happy. There was just one problem, if you could call it that. I am shy and socially awkward when meeting new people and I did not know all my housemates (I still don't know all of them, 3 months later. There are more than 8 of us and I only know the names of 3). I knew my caretaker, who I think is a university graduate. Most of the people staying there are either Varsity students or young working people, including me. The weekend after I moved in, my caretaker told me there'd be a braai (barbeque) on Sunday and that I must come down and show my face. I reluctantly said I will. Later on that Sunday I was watching a movie on my computer and I kept hearing loud voices, I looked out of my window and saw a LOT of people assembled in the garden below. Yikers. Coincidentally a message came on my phone. It was the caretaker. Come down. I did. I slowly went downstairs and
I'm used to most of them today though. Whenever I'm not being a hermit and locking myself in my room, I talk to them for lengthy amounts of time. The kitchen acts as the house common room where we would meet and just chat about anything and everything. Like yesterday for example, I walked into the kitchen to find three of them talking animatedly and I joined them, partaking in hilarious conversations about dating, family, work and all sorts of things. I talked to them for more than two hours but then I had to excuse myself because I was getting tired, it was getting late and I wanted to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2. Didn't end up watching it though. It's not that I wanted to escape them, but whereas I can talk a lot, sometimes I just want to be silent and bask in silence and I wasn't going to get much silence if I had stayed in the kitchen as they kept asking me my thoughts on stuff. They are all good, lovely people who make me laugh, even if I don't know some of their names.
That's not to say commune living is without its cons; we have to share a kitchen, 2 bathrooms (some rooms have their own en-suite bathrooms and sadly mine isn't) and a toilet so there are a lot of weird encounters and frustrating events. Since most of the people who live here are guys, I had to experience many a dash from the shower to my room with just a towel protecting me in front of the guys and their friends! I also had plenty of 'no hot water' vexes which were especially unfortunate on cold winter Fridays. These were the days where I could be found shivering with a pissed off expression on my face. Geez guys! Inconsiderate much? Which led to me waking up earlier than usual to be the first one to shower. There were also a bunch of embarrassing moments, and awkward moments, once when I went into the kitchen and it was full of men! I got afraid that I might perhaps be the only girl in the entire house as I knew that 3 of the girls were away on holiday. One embarrassing moment was where a group of the guys were talking outside my door on the landing when I went out to use the toilet and one hurriedly belted up his pants (dude, how do you exit the toilet without securing your pants first?) and I had to walk through them towards the open toilet door where I found a guy peeing with his pants down. *sigh* A little warning guys, maybe? And close the door for my eyesight's sake! And people say girls go to the bathrooms in groups. Guys do it too! I also had to content with pee on the toilet seats numerous times, which is the WORST of all atrocities.
I have accepted long ago that commune living isn't for me but hey, at least I'm surviving this experience by keeping to myself 80% of the time and avoiding the common areas as much as I could. Three more months to go! Seriously, this house is like a Big Brother house. We even had to gym together (thankfully this was abandoned a couple of weeks in *airpunch*). If you have had an awkward living situation of any type, don't be afraid to comment. I would love to read your comments!
P.S Sorry for the long post yet again!
-Bella
