And the saga continues...
With the Tenancy Tribunal safely filed and underway (unbeknownst to the slumlord) I agreed to meet with One Star Rentals to see one more place. I needed some new material for the ole Skid Row Digs. The room is another boarding house in Hitaitai which is a nice suburb of Wellington so my interest was peaked. The walk is a little more than twice the distance to campus from my current shithole but a 40 min. walk isn't bad and it passes through Newtown which is super cute.
I throw on the backpack, lace up my sneaks, and hit the pavement. As I get closer to the address I can't help but be impressed by the neighborhoods filled with sweet cottages and no puke puddles littering the sidewalk. There is a furniture making shop, cafes, a fish & chip joint, and wait...a wholesale liquor store. (Insert screeching noise) I rubbed my eyes, refocused, and craned my neck and yes...it is indeed a wholesale liquor store.
I reach the house and look at my watch, it's straight up 1pm, we did agree on 1pm, right? It starts to rain. My rain jacket is in the studio. So this is how it's going down, eh? I call One Star.
"Hi, I'm supposed to see the room on Moxham at 1pm."
"What's your name?"
Oh god, they probably have my "file" on the message board, here goes..."I'm Layla Lu..."
"Oh shit yeah. Layla Luna. Mike is on his way, he just called to say that he was caught up in traffic."
I don't really know how to translate the "shit yeah" part and I didn't go into detail that New Zealand doesn't have traffic especially at 1pm on a Wednesday afternoon. Mike rolls up shortly. Let's do this.
Straight away I can see the place is a million times nicer than The Adelaide but most everything on the planet is nicer than The Adelaide. Dumpsters and dive bar bathrooms included. It's a large house that has about a dozen rooms, 3 full baths, and a shared lounge and kitchen area. It was remodeled a few years ago so the carpet hasn't worn down to the wood plank flooring and it doesn't smell of sin.
We enter the foyer and what is this sensation...the air seems to be dry and the walls aren't sweating? He shows me four vacant rooms, all of which have BUILT IN CLOSETS. My eyes well up and my heart fills with joy the moment I see room #7. It's big enough for a regular size human to inhabit, it has it's OWN PRIVATE BATHROOM/SHOWER, and this is where it gets serious...brace yourselves....it has it's own private entrance in the form of french doors that open to the front GRASSED LAWN. The place even has a washer and (working) dryer, a back yard with a proper clothesline, and leather couches with a tv and dining table in the lounge. There is a kitchen. With a stove.
How much. "Well", says Mike, "the office wants to negotiate the price with you." Oh boy. Blah, blah, blah, words...I got the room for what I'm paying now. Don't know when I can move. I cancelled my application for the Tenancy Tribunal but haven't received an acknowledgement from them as of yet so it is a complete possibility that One Star finds out, gets pissed, and takes away my Christmas.
