Home!

Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore: rent prices by the week
instead of by the month

We have a home. Or at least, we will once we hand over the bond tomorrow
evening. I kept myself from writing about it last night, or saying
anything to anyone, because I was afraid we might not get it. But that
scenario didn't really have a high probability. The girls who live there
showed us around and then pretty much started acting like we'd already
moved in, offering us cake and some little patty thing that Shannon was
just taking out of the oven. They were asking about our house hunt, and we
mentioned we had an appointment one street over at 8:00pm. This was just
before 7:00pm. "Ooh, what are you going to do for all that time?" We told
them we were just planning to wander along Glebe Point Rd and check out
the shops. Apparently this just wouldn't do, and next thing we knew we
were sitting on the couch in the living room watching the first hour of
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2 for 1 movies from the video store on
Tuesday nights!) and trying to fend off offers of chips (read: french
fries) because we'd just stuffed ourselves at the Thai place around the
corner. "Ooh, four dollar Thai??? We go there all the time." The "oohs"
are from a girl I've been referring to as "the little one" because Ching
and I can't remember her name. She's absolutely adorable. Only a year and
half younger than me, but it seemed like more on first impression. Of
course, that impression has 4 months to change.

The room is a little more expensive than I was hoping, and much larger than
I really need, but in a way I've been forced to put a price on having my
best friend and the only person on the continent who's known me for more
than a couple weeks living in the same house, and sharing with students
and people my age rather than a single, slightly kooky older woman renting
rooms once her daughter has moved out, and having a great location close
to campus and shops but away from the major streets. Plus, the room is
furnished (meaning there's a mattress and boxspring on the floor, an old
desk, and a rack for clothes), phone and internet are hooked up, there are
no cockroaches, I can actually cook and bake in the kitchen, they have an
awesome entertainment system (for students - don't think too big!), and
while you couldn't exactly call the place tidy, it's clean. Not to mention
the ultra friendly flatmates.

We move in on Saturday. The girl who has my room right now doesn't move out
until 27 July, the second day of classes. But Phil, the man who runs the
house and takes our money, is letting us both stay in Ching's room for a
couple of weeks. It'll be cozy, but much nicer than staying in the hostel,
and then I'll only have to worry about moving downstairs instead of across
the city. Living in a hostel during orientation and for the start of
classes and having to move on the third day of classes would be a bit
stressful. We really want to meet people other than travellers just
staying for a few days. It'll be nice living in a house with Sydneysiders.