After two months of much needed cleaning, I finally got down to it yesterday since I have the day off today. I got into an argument with my mother and I was so angry that I just went on a cleaning rampage. Let's say, it was extremely therapeutic and it got the job done... very, very well. I threw away a lot of cardboard boxes (either it's from packages sent to me, or cereal boxes, etc), and a lot of paper and trash. I collected all the plastic bags in my room and shoved them all into two paper bags to use for trash bags later. I organized all the boxes in my room (that I got from the office) and set it up so that now I have places to put my pots and pans. I put all my clothes back into my closet, and now all I have to do is to do the laundry for my sheets and some of my clothes. Just finished vacuuming the room after I sprinkled the carpet with that deodorizing baking powder stuff ^__^ Now it smells so good~~~ Not that it smelled bad to begin with, but that's one of my fave things about vacuuming XD~
I was supposed to go with my friend to her hair appointment today, but I went to the post office too late and forgot my other friend's address so I just told her to go without me. I then texted one of my best friends and had her go into my email account and find my other friend's address so I could send her her birthday present today so she can get it by tomorrow @_@; (Yeah... I really procrastinated till last minute on this one) Well, since I couldn't go to the city anymore, I came home to finish up my cleaning.
I haven't really been able to do much housework 'cause I've been going out so often that I'm never really ever home and when I'm home, I'm too tired to do much so yeah ^_^; Ah, a nice, clean room really is good.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
My Life the Eternal Rollercoaster
I have a hard time expressing my feelings. I hardly ever tell people the truth about how I feel, and I am always pretending that things are ok. I do things I don't enjoy doing to make other people happy, which then in turn satisfies me as well. I don't ask for anyone to cater to my needs and I generally try to take care of myself, because I know no one really takes care of me. When I get angry at my friends at the offensive things they say to me, I tell myself that I am being too sensitive about it and I should let it ago instead of telling them that it hurts me. But I think I'm festering right now, because I'm emotionally wounded and very upset.
I don't know how to act around my friends anymore. If I don't hang out with them, they make me feel guilty for not going out and staying in by myself and feeling lonely 'cause I have no one around me. They make it seem like it's my own fault for not going out and having fun. Then when I do go out, they say that I'm not enjoying myself at all so then they feel awkward. If I smile, they think I'm faking having fun, if I don't smile, they think I'm bored. I'm exhausted, I don't know what kind of expression they would like me to have, but regardless of which one it is, it's always wrong. I'm sick of them making me feel like I'm the bad one, I'm the lame one, I'm the ridiculous one. They say that I take life too seriously, but I think they take it too lightly. They're insensitive and they're mean to me. Do they think I'm made of iron or something? That I won't get hurt by the things they do or say to me?
My friend just said to me yesterday that I don't talk enough, I never say anything when I'm hanging out with other people. I tell her that even if I do say something, she or someone else will interrupt me so what's the point of trying? I'm not going to fight for the lead so I can continue talking and once we're off the subject, I don't want to talk about it anymore. So I've developed this inability to socialize, because my friends don't know when to shut the fuck up. They're rude, they talk when they want to and don't care how you feel, and when you're talking, they text right through it. It's too much for me to handle. I've made myself as malleable as possible so that I don't clash, so I fit in, so they won't feel uncomfortable about anything and still they find things to complain about when I haven't said one thing yet.
They tell me that I can say anything to them, because they're my friends, but whenever I tell them how I feel, they shoot me down and make me feel like I'm being ridiculous, that I'm being overly sensitive, that I'm taking things too seriously. Then one day when they finally hit a snag and start feeling some of the feelings I feel, I tell them, well now you know how I've felt then, and they're like "That doesn't count!" Nothing I say counts, nothing I do counts, even how I feel doesn't count and I'm so exhausted. I'm so tired, I'm so angry, I'm so frustrated, I'm so upset. And I take it everyday like an adult. I tell myself that it's life, it's a lesson, I'm learning from experience. I tell myself that I can take it and that I've made this far, so why do anything now? But I want them to love me. I want them to treat me better with more respect. I want them to stop trampling on my perspective. I'm not saying anything about how I disapprove of them going around having one-night stands, and making out with married men, so why are they all so against me and attack me when I simply state that I do not condone having a married man try and kiss me. I do not look favorably upon a man who's married with children, who wants to sleep with me. Regardless of how good he treats me, I do not agree with that. But when I said it, they all attacked me. Granted, I guess when I said it, I was angry and drunk so my words came out a bit more maliciously than intended, but they were not on my side at all. They were defending him and making me seem like the bad guy. It's not fair.
I'm so exhausted, I don't even have the energy to cry.
I don't know how to act around my friends anymore. If I don't hang out with them, they make me feel guilty for not going out and staying in by myself and feeling lonely 'cause I have no one around me. They make it seem like it's my own fault for not going out and having fun. Then when I do go out, they say that I'm not enjoying myself at all so then they feel awkward. If I smile, they think I'm faking having fun, if I don't smile, they think I'm bored. I'm exhausted, I don't know what kind of expression they would like me to have, but regardless of which one it is, it's always wrong. I'm sick of them making me feel like I'm the bad one, I'm the lame one, I'm the ridiculous one. They say that I take life too seriously, but I think they take it too lightly. They're insensitive and they're mean to me. Do they think I'm made of iron or something? That I won't get hurt by the things they do or say to me?
My friend just said to me yesterday that I don't talk enough, I never say anything when I'm hanging out with other people. I tell her that even if I do say something, she or someone else will interrupt me so what's the point of trying? I'm not going to fight for the lead so I can continue talking and once we're off the subject, I don't want to talk about it anymore. So I've developed this inability to socialize, because my friends don't know when to shut the fuck up. They're rude, they talk when they want to and don't care how you feel, and when you're talking, they text right through it. It's too much for me to handle. I've made myself as malleable as possible so that I don't clash, so I fit in, so they won't feel uncomfortable about anything and still they find things to complain about when I haven't said one thing yet.
They tell me that I can say anything to them, because they're my friends, but whenever I tell them how I feel, they shoot me down and make me feel like I'm being ridiculous, that I'm being overly sensitive, that I'm taking things too seriously. Then one day when they finally hit a snag and start feeling some of the feelings I feel, I tell them, well now you know how I've felt then, and they're like "That doesn't count!" Nothing I say counts, nothing I do counts, even how I feel doesn't count and I'm so exhausted. I'm so tired, I'm so angry, I'm so frustrated, I'm so upset. And I take it everyday like an adult. I tell myself that it's life, it's a lesson, I'm learning from experience. I tell myself that I can take it and that I've made this far, so why do anything now? But I want them to love me. I want them to treat me better with more respect. I want them to stop trampling on my perspective. I'm not saying anything about how I disapprove of them going around having one-night stands, and making out with married men, so why are they all so against me and attack me when I simply state that I do not condone having a married man try and kiss me. I do not look favorably upon a man who's married with children, who wants to sleep with me. Regardless of how good he treats me, I do not agree with that. But when I said it, they all attacked me. Granted, I guess when I said it, I was angry and drunk so my words came out a bit more maliciously than intended, but they were not on my side at all. They were defending him and making me seem like the bad guy. It's not fair.
I'm so exhausted, I don't even have the energy to cry.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Has This Drama Always Been This Annoying!?
I'm pretty sure I've hit at least one other drama that's driven me up the wall, but this one really is doing a great job at making me want to bang my head against the wall till it cracks.
So I'm watching Bimil up to episode 6 at the moment (My god... I still have like 12 left?), and I'm severely annoyed. Usually, I'd like dramas that truly invoke emotions out of me, but this one is really annoying. The sad part is that I loved this drama back in the day, now I find myself hating it as much as the Twilight series =_= (Ugh... don't get me started with Twilight).
Ok, so all these problems in the drama could have been so easily resolved if someone would just LISTEN or use COMMON SENSE, which most of the characters seem to be lacking =_=; First the father was cruel in raising his biological daughter as though she were adopted and constantly throw verbally-abusive comments at her. Then to make things worse, his second daughter is probably the most evil antagonist I've encountered in a series yet @_@. Next, the fashion designer is stupid enough to just call the second daughter her OWN daughter instead of researching more into it. God, these people are annoying.
I've got to say that Korean dramas have come a long way though. Things from back in the late 90's and early 00's were just terribly formulaic and annoying as hell like the drama I'm watching at the moment -- why in the world did we even like them then @_@? (So puzzling). The Korean dramas nowadays are a lot better, like "My Name is Kim Sam Soon" or "Coffee Prince." Of course, we've got some occasional annoying ones now and then, but nothing's perfect. At least it's not as annoying as the one I'm watching right now =_= *sigh*
Anyway, I just needed to rant so rant I did.
So I'm watching Bimil up to episode 6 at the moment (My god... I still have like 12 left?), and I'm severely annoyed. Usually, I'd like dramas that truly invoke emotions out of me, but this one is really annoying. The sad part is that I loved this drama back in the day, now I find myself hating it as much as the Twilight series =_= (Ugh... don't get me started with Twilight).
Ok, so all these problems in the drama could have been so easily resolved if someone would just LISTEN or use COMMON SENSE, which most of the characters seem to be lacking =_=; First the father was cruel in raising his biological daughter as though she were adopted and constantly throw verbally-abusive comments at her. Then to make things worse, his second daughter is probably the most evil antagonist I've encountered in a series yet @_@. Next, the fashion designer is stupid enough to just call the second daughter her OWN daughter instead of researching more into it. God, these people are annoying.
I've got to say that Korean dramas have come a long way though. Things from back in the late 90's and early 00's were just terribly formulaic and annoying as hell like the drama I'm watching at the moment -- why in the world did we even like them then @_@? (So puzzling). The Korean dramas nowadays are a lot better, like "My Name is Kim Sam Soon" or "Coffee Prince." Of course, we've got some occasional annoying ones now and then, but nothing's perfect. At least it's not as annoying as the one I'm watching right now =_= *sigh*
Anyway, I just needed to rant so rant I did.
Activities To Explore
So... for the weekend, I was rather lonely 'cause all my friends disappeared on me to other great adventures so I kind of sat and stared most of Friday night. I scrolled through my phonebook on my cellphone and there was no particular number I wanted to call at all 'cause either that person is busy, or they're just mere acquaintances. I ended up calling up two of my friends from college and my mother to try and ease my boredom and find an outlet for my growing depression. Well, the conversation with my mother did not help much, but then I chatted with my friend from L.A. and she gave me some ideas to explore.
Right now, I feel like I'm trapped in a job that I may not ever get better in and am not sure if it's something I want to do for the rest of my life. I feel like I was never really allowed to dream, so I'll never really get to do what I want, but because I've banished so many of my dreams down the road back in the day, I don't even know what it is that I really want to do with my life. The thought's really depressing so I've just been re-evaluating my life. I currently have nothing really that stimulates my interest in any way, so my friend told me that I should try out some activities that I may like. Even if it's something I might not be interested in now, maybe once I try it I will like it. She said cooking classes can be fun, or dancing classes, pottery classes, etc.
I've never really thought about participating in any local activities before so that gave me something to think about. Right now, I think one of my desires is still to open a restaurant with a bar, so maybe if I take some cooking classes or bartending classes, I'll be able to move closer to that dream. I don't think I'll ever be able to be a mangaka or a writer so I should still stick with something that's a bit more practical. I still need to work the job I'm currently at to get to the stage where I can open my own business, but it's not too bad if I find something else that'll make me happy.
Since most of my girlfriends are basically attaching themselves to men, I'm going to be pretty lonely in the months (and probably years) ahead if I'm still by myself, so I need to expand my circle of friends by going out and trying new things. I really hope I'm not lazy about this and actually try to do something fun and useful lol. I'd like to take salsa or tango, and I'd like to take pastry-making classes. I was told by my friend that I need to be happier, I need to do things that make me happy and not care what other people think. She says that I have this tendency to believe that I don't deserve anything good in this world, and that's one of my problems that I need to fix 'cause I do deserve better and I do deserve to be happy, so I need to go out there and have some fun with, or without my current set of friends.
So... I'm looking for activities around town now to do. I hope something pops up and gets me inspired for the future.
Right now, I feel like I'm trapped in a job that I may not ever get better in and am not sure if it's something I want to do for the rest of my life. I feel like I was never really allowed to dream, so I'll never really get to do what I want, but because I've banished so many of my dreams down the road back in the day, I don't even know what it is that I really want to do with my life. The thought's really depressing so I've just been re-evaluating my life. I currently have nothing really that stimulates my interest in any way, so my friend told me that I should try out some activities that I may like. Even if it's something I might not be interested in now, maybe once I try it I will like it. She said cooking classes can be fun, or dancing classes, pottery classes, etc.
I've never really thought about participating in any local activities before so that gave me something to think about. Right now, I think one of my desires is still to open a restaurant with a bar, so maybe if I take some cooking classes or bartending classes, I'll be able to move closer to that dream. I don't think I'll ever be able to be a mangaka or a writer so I should still stick with something that's a bit more practical. I still need to work the job I'm currently at to get to the stage where I can open my own business, but it's not too bad if I find something else that'll make me happy.
Since most of my girlfriends are basically attaching themselves to men, I'm going to be pretty lonely in the months (and probably years) ahead if I'm still by myself, so I need to expand my circle of friends by going out and trying new things. I really hope I'm not lazy about this and actually try to do something fun and useful lol. I'd like to take salsa or tango, and I'd like to take pastry-making classes. I was told by my friend that I need to be happier, I need to do things that make me happy and not care what other people think. She says that I have this tendency to believe that I don't deserve anything good in this world, and that's one of my problems that I need to fix 'cause I do deserve better and I do deserve to be happy, so I need to go out there and have some fun with, or without my current set of friends.
So... I'm looking for activities around town now to do. I hope something pops up and gets me inspired for the future.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Bimil (비밀) Drama
I remember watching this back in 2004 or 2005-ish when it aired in Cantonese dubbing on the Chinese satelite TV thingy and I really loved it then, but now that I'm watching it again, it's hard to stand in a way.
This drama was made back in year 2000, so most of the Korean dramas then had the same formula. There was always the main heroine or hero who was poor, then they're actually related to or falls in love with someone in a rich family, next there's always a deceptive evil sister or something that prevents people from finding out the real identity of the main character or allowing the main character to get together with the other main person, and lastly, someone dies in a car crash or leukemia. I think this was the second to last drama I watched before quitting K-drama completely since they were basically the same in almost every way.
In Bimil, it's a story about a girl who wants to be a fashion designer, but currently works in a clothing wholesale shop within a department store. She believes herself to be an orphan, taken in by her father, a truck driver whom once owned a clothing store, and is thankful to him for bringing her up all her life, except... she is actually his real daughter. The man was resentful towards the woman whom left him behind nearly 25 years ago, so he brought up his biological daughter as though he adopted her. He then met another woman and had a daughter with her, but he was abusive towards this woman and then she died. He raised this second daughter as his biological daughter, and she grew up with a deceitful streak.
Now in the present, the woman whom left her lover and infant child behind 25 years ago, is back in Korea as a famous designer. She wants to find the daughter whom she left behind years ago and support her as she should have, but she makes a mistake and thinks the younger daughter is her real daughter. The younger daughter, becoming more power-hungry and twisted, tricks the fashion designer and makes herself into a rich lady while her half-sister, the real daughter to the fashion designer, has no idea of what has happened.
At the same time, the director of the fashion designer's company falls in love with the main girl, but the fashion designer wants her "daughter" to marry the director, and it causes quite a rift between the two sisters. In the end, the main girl finds out that the fashion designer is actually her mother when she is diagnosed with leukemia and the younger sister runs to the main girl begging for her to donate bone marrow. However, despite that, the fashion designer eventually passes away without ever really reuniting with her real daughter. (Yeah, the fashion designer telling the main girl to call her mom as she lays dying by her bedside doesn't really count as a reunion =_= even if she does acknowledge that the girl before her is her biological daughter).
This is basically the entire story summed up in a nutshell. It's a bit excruciating to watch at the moment, because there's nothing more irritating than watching one of the sisters be a complete bitch, while the other accepts all the abuse. Frankly, it's annoying.
I used to love this drama, but now I can't seem to like it at all. Oh well.
This drama was made back in year 2000, so most of the Korean dramas then had the same formula. There was always the main heroine or hero who was poor, then they're actually related to or falls in love with someone in a rich family, next there's always a deceptive evil sister or something that prevents people from finding out the real identity of the main character or allowing the main character to get together with the other main person, and lastly, someone dies in a car crash or leukemia. I think this was the second to last drama I watched before quitting K-drama completely since they were basically the same in almost every way.
In Bimil, it's a story about a girl who wants to be a fashion designer, but currently works in a clothing wholesale shop within a department store. She believes herself to be an orphan, taken in by her father, a truck driver whom once owned a clothing store, and is thankful to him for bringing her up all her life, except... she is actually his real daughter. The man was resentful towards the woman whom left him behind nearly 25 years ago, so he brought up his biological daughter as though he adopted her. He then met another woman and had a daughter with her, but he was abusive towards this woman and then she died. He raised this second daughter as his biological daughter, and she grew up with a deceitful streak.
Now in the present, the woman whom left her lover and infant child behind 25 years ago, is back in Korea as a famous designer. She wants to find the daughter whom she left behind years ago and support her as she should have, but she makes a mistake and thinks the younger daughter is her real daughter. The younger daughter, becoming more power-hungry and twisted, tricks the fashion designer and makes herself into a rich lady while her half-sister, the real daughter to the fashion designer, has no idea of what has happened.
At the same time, the director of the fashion designer's company falls in love with the main girl, but the fashion designer wants her "daughter" to marry the director, and it causes quite a rift between the two sisters. In the end, the main girl finds out that the fashion designer is actually her mother when she is diagnosed with leukemia and the younger sister runs to the main girl begging for her to donate bone marrow. However, despite that, the fashion designer eventually passes away without ever really reuniting with her real daughter. (Yeah, the fashion designer telling the main girl to call her mom as she lays dying by her bedside doesn't really count as a reunion =_= even if she does acknowledge that the girl before her is her biological daughter).
This is basically the entire story summed up in a nutshell. It's a bit excruciating to watch at the moment, because there's nothing more irritating than watching one of the sisters be a complete bitch, while the other accepts all the abuse. Frankly, it's annoying.
I used to love this drama, but now I can't seem to like it at all. Oh well.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Drinking Again
So after nearly six months of sobriety, I've started drinking again. These days have been incredibly tough on my mental well-being so the old habits have kicked in again. It's been so long since I've drank though that I get drunk off of just one glass of alcohol. My tolerance level is so low right now it's not even funny.
We went out to this restaurant two towns up from where I live and I ordered a beer and drank that on an empty stomach -- which we all know is not a good idea. So of course, like I expected, I felt the ceiling-swirling effects of the alcohol after I drank half of it. Of course, that's not exactly something to be proud of. I used to never get drunk like this even after a glass, even on an empty stomach, which goes to prove that my body has done such a splendid job of detoxifying these last few months that it not longer remembers how to process alcohol in my body.
But yeah... I'm not sure I can even drink like I used to anymore, but we'll see what happens.
We went out to this restaurant two towns up from where I live and I ordered a beer and drank that on an empty stomach -- which we all know is not a good idea. So of course, like I expected, I felt the ceiling-swirling effects of the alcohol after I drank half of it. Of course, that's not exactly something to be proud of. I used to never get drunk like this even after a glass, even on an empty stomach, which goes to prove that my body has done such a splendid job of detoxifying these last few months that it not longer remembers how to process alcohol in my body.
But yeah... I'm not sure I can even drink like I used to anymore, but we'll see what happens.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
アパート探し
Right now I'm in the process of finding a new place to live 'cause my roommate drove me up a wall, and my friend's roommate drove her up a wall. Because of this, the two of us have decided to move in together, but so far, we've had minimal luck at finding a place we can call our home.
The places here are either too far away from work, or too far up a hill -- and I'm not fond of hills, too expensive, too old, not enough parking space, too big, too little, too smelly, too claustrophobic-inducing, or no washer/dryer or laundry facilities on site.
I swear, we've looked at EVERYTHING. If the rent (+ utilities) is over $1000/person, she scrunches up her face. If the deposit is over $2500, I scrunch up my face. If the area smells weird or the apartment has an old smell, she gets really turned off. If the area is just downright dangerous, I am vehemently against it.
We visited four places already (and revisited one) and contacted at least 6-8 different places in the course of a week. We both have our own set of deal-breakers and flexible deal-sealers, so that's why we haven't been able to find a good place yet.
Some things we have in common are price sensitivity and convenience, though our interpretations are slightly difference.
I like lots of space and even if I can't have lots of space, I would at least like a value that is worth the space I am getting. I want a washer/dryer in the unit and if I can't have that, I have to at least have laundry facilities onsite. I would like two parking spaces, but if not, then at least lots of street parking. If I'm getting lots of space, I don't mind paying rent over $1000 and having a large deposit, but if I have to pay $3500 in deposit and $1750 in rent (not including the utilities) for a place that has a weird set-up and is very small, then I am very much against that. One of my deal-breakers is living on a hill 'cause that requires me to drive up hills and I am NOT a fan of hills in general. I love the views up on the hills, but I hate driving up them. I also hate noisy areas and dangerous locations. Some parts of town are not exactly the safest and I do not want to be living in an area where gunshots can be heard at times. The low-housing section of town is definitely not ideal.
So in short, my deal-breakers are heavy deposits for small spaces, hills, dangerous locations, loudness, and lack of w/d.
My friend doesn't mind small spaces, but like me, if we walk into a room and it makes us claustrophobic, then that is a definite no-no. She does not mind hills, and she does not mind laundry facilities -- I rather have the w/d in the unit, but I can live with just laundry facilities too. She does mind high rent and not high deposit -- unlike me. She does not want to spend over $1000/month on rent, 'cause she could be saving that extra $200/month for other things, which I agree to an extent, but if I'm getting a really good deal for that rent, hell I would take it (like a townhouse for $2000 is really sweet, but she was against it so we didn't go for it). But even if the rent is extremely cheap, she would like want to live in a place if it looks really old and smells funny. She is very sensitive to smell too, not that I am not sensitive to smell, but she is like my mom in which the faintest smells can drive them insane so that is a definite deal-breaker for her. She has no problem with living in more dangerous areas of town, but she is adverse to loud sounds like me. She also likes things that are not so strenuous, so things like having to walk up several flights of stairs to use the laundry facilities and back down to the apartment is not ideal for her.
The first place we looked at was beautiful with hardwood floors, spacious kitchen and living room, and two huge master bedrooms, plus two bathrooms, but the deal-breakers included:
1. laundry facility in a building across from the condo, and up 2 flights of stairs. (Her worry is that if she trips, then all her clean laundry will need to be re-washed, for me, it's just inconvenient 'cause I like everything inside one unit).
2. the hill drive is EXTREMELY steep and for some as adverse to hills as me, that was NOT a happy thing.
3. only one parking space close to the condo, and the other is up on the hill behind it (that makes it a pain in the ass)
The second place we looked at was a very unique apartment that was very homey and comfortable for the two of us, but the set-up was weird. The two bedrooms were joined together, so you had to go through one bedroom to get into the other bedroom. The kitchen was tiny, but the living room was not all too bad. It was very quaint and homey, but very tiny. We loved it for the most part and didn't mind the bedroom situation, but in the long run, it might not work out too well so it was a flexible deal-breaker. Our major deal-breaker for this place was:
1. $3500 deposit. (For that small of space and that bedroom arrangement, $3500 for a deposit is really a rip-off, it's like buying a Civic for the price of a Lexus. At first, I didn't realize it was that much, because I thought the deposit was the extent of the rent which was only $1750, but it was actually double that amount. I don't care if the rent is good and the place is quaint, there is no way I'm putting all my money into a place like that, it is not worth it).
2. Another for me (and not for her) was the hilly slope that the apartment was on 'cause my car was rolling down that thing when I didn't have my foot on the break and that freaked me out. This didn't really bother my friend all that much, but it definitely bothered me.
The third place we saw was a boathouse, which was very nice and very cute. The kitchen was big, the living room was spacious, and the deck was very nice as well. The bedrooms were good-sized, there was a w/d in the unit, and storage space was not bad. Parking was good too, and it was still close to work, but... the big deal-breaker was the smell. When the tide goes out, the house is basically located in mud so it smells REALLY bad. The smell permeates through the house too 'cause the wood is weak from being around water so much, and since the bedrooms are on the floor below, the smell gets pretty pungent. My friend has a nose like a beagle's so that was her biggest deal-breaker. For me, I could get used to it, but it was not ideal for me either. It smelled like sea lions.
The fourth place we saw was WAY UP in the hills, but the slope was not overly steep so it was doable for me. I was willing to try living there. The apartment community had nine buildings with a common community area where there's a pool, hot tub, gym, and barbeque area, plus plenty of parking. There were laundry facilities on site as well, which isn't as ideal as inside the unit, but it was flexible for us. The deposit was only $199, which was very nice compared to the hefty $3500. The rent was nice and low at $1388-1508, but the deal-breakers are as follows:
1. the small bedroom in the house could rival a large closet, no joke, it's that small.
2. storage is minimum
3. the hallways are darkly lit, looks like old college dorm set-ups, and smells like old '70's paint and we know that that is definitely NOT good.
Though I like the community, the quietness, the area, and the price, even I was a bit unsettled with the place. My friend was very against it, because she didn't want to pay to live there even if the rent is super cheap compared to other places since it was so old and smelled funny. One of the bedrooms was so small that it couldn't be called a bedroom, and it just wasn't a fair set-up. We decided to give up on this one too.
I then called this management company about this duplex they have on their website and found out there's no w/d or laundry facilities on site at all, so we gave up on this completely before even looking at it. So basically, we're back to square one and waiting to hear back from two more other places, but we'll probably never hear back from them, because people suck at replying to emails. I like calling them better 'cause then I can get a hold of them faster. *sigh*
I want to call one more place today, but I'm so tired of looking around. I need a day off, it's been a week of work + getting off work to look at places and contacting various people. It's so exhausting looking for a place to live =_= *sigh* I wonder if we'll ever find a place that we like at all.
The places here are either too far away from work, or too far up a hill -- and I'm not fond of hills, too expensive, too old, not enough parking space, too big, too little, too smelly, too claustrophobic-inducing, or no washer/dryer or laundry facilities on site.
I swear, we've looked at EVERYTHING. If the rent (+ utilities) is over $1000/person, she scrunches up her face. If the deposit is over $2500, I scrunch up my face. If the area smells weird or the apartment has an old smell, she gets really turned off. If the area is just downright dangerous, I am vehemently against it.
We visited four places already (and revisited one) and contacted at least 6-8 different places in the course of a week. We both have our own set of deal-breakers and flexible deal-sealers, so that's why we haven't been able to find a good place yet.
Some things we have in common are price sensitivity and convenience, though our interpretations are slightly difference.
I like lots of space and even if I can't have lots of space, I would at least like a value that is worth the space I am getting. I want a washer/dryer in the unit and if I can't have that, I have to at least have laundry facilities onsite. I would like two parking spaces, but if not, then at least lots of street parking. If I'm getting lots of space, I don't mind paying rent over $1000 and having a large deposit, but if I have to pay $3500 in deposit and $1750 in rent (not including the utilities) for a place that has a weird set-up and is very small, then I am very much against that. One of my deal-breakers is living on a hill 'cause that requires me to drive up hills and I am NOT a fan of hills in general. I love the views up on the hills, but I hate driving up them. I also hate noisy areas and dangerous locations. Some parts of town are not exactly the safest and I do not want to be living in an area where gunshots can be heard at times. The low-housing section of town is definitely not ideal.
So in short, my deal-breakers are heavy deposits for small spaces, hills, dangerous locations, loudness, and lack of w/d.
My friend doesn't mind small spaces, but like me, if we walk into a room and it makes us claustrophobic, then that is a definite no-no. She does not mind hills, and she does not mind laundry facilities -- I rather have the w/d in the unit, but I can live with just laundry facilities too. She does mind high rent and not high deposit -- unlike me. She does not want to spend over $1000/month on rent, 'cause she could be saving that extra $200/month for other things, which I agree to an extent, but if I'm getting a really good deal for that rent, hell I would take it (like a townhouse for $2000 is really sweet, but she was against it so we didn't go for it). But even if the rent is extremely cheap, she would like want to live in a place if it looks really old and smells funny. She is very sensitive to smell too, not that I am not sensitive to smell, but she is like my mom in which the faintest smells can drive them insane so that is a definite deal-breaker for her. She has no problem with living in more dangerous areas of town, but she is adverse to loud sounds like me. She also likes things that are not so strenuous, so things like having to walk up several flights of stairs to use the laundry facilities and back down to the apartment is not ideal for her.
The first place we looked at was beautiful with hardwood floors, spacious kitchen and living room, and two huge master bedrooms, plus two bathrooms, but the deal-breakers included:
1. laundry facility in a building across from the condo, and up 2 flights of stairs. (Her worry is that if she trips, then all her clean laundry will need to be re-washed, for me, it's just inconvenient 'cause I like everything inside one unit).
2. the hill drive is EXTREMELY steep and for some as adverse to hills as me, that was NOT a happy thing.
3. only one parking space close to the condo, and the other is up on the hill behind it (that makes it a pain in the ass)
The second place we looked at was a very unique apartment that was very homey and comfortable for the two of us, but the set-up was weird. The two bedrooms were joined together, so you had to go through one bedroom to get into the other bedroom. The kitchen was tiny, but the living room was not all too bad. It was very quaint and homey, but very tiny. We loved it for the most part and didn't mind the bedroom situation, but in the long run, it might not work out too well so it was a flexible deal-breaker. Our major deal-breaker for this place was:
1. $3500 deposit. (For that small of space and that bedroom arrangement, $3500 for a deposit is really a rip-off, it's like buying a Civic for the price of a Lexus. At first, I didn't realize it was that much, because I thought the deposit was the extent of the rent which was only $1750, but it was actually double that amount. I don't care if the rent is good and the place is quaint, there is no way I'm putting all my money into a place like that, it is not worth it).
2. Another for me (and not for her) was the hilly slope that the apartment was on 'cause my car was rolling down that thing when I didn't have my foot on the break and that freaked me out. This didn't really bother my friend all that much, but it definitely bothered me.
The third place we saw was a boathouse, which was very nice and very cute. The kitchen was big, the living room was spacious, and the deck was very nice as well. The bedrooms were good-sized, there was a w/d in the unit, and storage space was not bad. Parking was good too, and it was still close to work, but... the big deal-breaker was the smell. When the tide goes out, the house is basically located in mud so it smells REALLY bad. The smell permeates through the house too 'cause the wood is weak from being around water so much, and since the bedrooms are on the floor below, the smell gets pretty pungent. My friend has a nose like a beagle's so that was her biggest deal-breaker. For me, I could get used to it, but it was not ideal for me either. It smelled like sea lions.
The fourth place we saw was WAY UP in the hills, but the slope was not overly steep so it was doable for me. I was willing to try living there. The apartment community had nine buildings with a common community area where there's a pool, hot tub, gym, and barbeque area, plus plenty of parking. There were laundry facilities on site as well, which isn't as ideal as inside the unit, but it was flexible for us. The deposit was only $199, which was very nice compared to the hefty $3500. The rent was nice and low at $1388-1508, but the deal-breakers are as follows:
1. the small bedroom in the house could rival a large closet, no joke, it's that small.
2. storage is minimum
3. the hallways are darkly lit, looks like old college dorm set-ups, and smells like old '70's paint and we know that that is definitely NOT good.
Though I like the community, the quietness, the area, and the price, even I was a bit unsettled with the place. My friend was very against it, because she didn't want to pay to live there even if the rent is super cheap compared to other places since it was so old and smelled funny. One of the bedrooms was so small that it couldn't be called a bedroom, and it just wasn't a fair set-up. We decided to give up on this one too.
I then called this management company about this duplex they have on their website and found out there's no w/d or laundry facilities on site at all, so we gave up on this completely before even looking at it. So basically, we're back to square one and waiting to hear back from two more other places, but we'll probably never hear back from them, because people suck at replying to emails. I like calling them better 'cause then I can get a hold of them faster. *sigh*
I want to call one more place today, but I'm so tired of looking around. I need a day off, it's been a week of work + getting off work to look at places and contacting various people. It's so exhausting looking for a place to live =_= *sigh* I wonder if we'll ever find a place that we like at all.
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