Sunday, July 15, 2012

Ah-hah! Oh...

I figured out a possible answer to the mystery of no returned emails from prospective apartments. Most people plan to be in one place for a least a few years, whether for work or school. I'll be in Germany for ten months. It's not worth the stress of getting used to me and then having to play the roommate-finding game all over again in a year (I'm looking at you, college dorms). One of the people I emailed told me as much when he apologized for having to refuse me a place in his apartment.

Hopefully his excuse is the real answer. It would be nice to know that my current lack of housing is the Fulbright program's problem, not mine. Fingers crossed on that one.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Picky picky picky

Exciting July 4th news - this morning I found an email containing a reply from one of the apartments in a non-sketchy area! To be fair, I've received seven emails from non-sketchy apartments thus far, but all the rest said "sorry, the room has already been rented". I don't think that counts. It is entirely possible that I can celebrate my country's independence and my own lack of future homelessness on the same day. Plus, this place has a puppy named Fox.

Of course there's a catch. The room I asked about has already been rented, but there's another room that will be free starting September 1. This one is "a little smaller" but still very livable, according to the email. Pictures attached show a tiny (11 square meters) room that barely fits a bed and has three hooks on the wall for all clothing. Four years of dorm life have ensured my acceptance of any size living quarters, so this shouldn't be a problem, right? But then the email included pictures of the rest of the house, and I'm not sure I can do it.

The hallway looks like someone lives in it (park bench, dresser, and assorted chairs all along it). The kitchen is tiny and dirty. The bathroom looks nice, but the email mentioned that the shower doesn't always work. Where many postings note that the apartment will often cook together and relax together in the evenings, the email noted that the most important thing for this one is that we all accept one another and give one another space. As an introvert, this expectation is fabulous and ensures that I will not make any friends while in Germany. I'm not sure what the "accepting one another" refers to: does someone refuse to shower? Will everyone shun me if I don't eat sausage?

So I can't decide. Apartments seem to go fast (I email one day and am told the next day that the room is taken: truth or convenient lie), but this doesn't seem like a match. Then again, no one else has emailed me. It's a quandary. My generous teacher-contact at the school has offered to let me stay with her for a little while and search for an apartment once I've arrived. That may have to become my default instead of my last resort.