Hostel environment

I like traveling. I even like staying in hostels. I just don't like living in one.

Last week, I had settled into bed with a book, and my roommate was upstairs in the shower.. and then the doorbell rang. Now, in this age of cell phones, an unexpected door bell ring is rare--espcially so after 11:30 at night. I figured someone needed to get a hold of one of us--cell phone died, car broken down--some kind of emergency.. so I ran to the door in my pjs.

I looked outside the window and there's this face, illuminated by tbe blue glowing light of a cell phone.. I jumped. I figured it must be a friend of my roommates that I had met the week before..so I cracked the door and asked "what are you doing here??" Umm.. Is she here? well.. yes--is she expecting you?? um.. yeah?..mm sounds fishy to me. So I tell him to wait there. Bolt the door and then go upstairs.

I knock on the bathroom door.
who is it?
Who do you think it is? your roommate. Hey.. um this guy is at the door.
What?
Are you expecting him?
No.
What do you want me to do?
I'll be down in a minute, you can let him in.
Are you sure??
yeah, he's all right

Are you sure??

So I let him in.. even gave him a glass of water. And then I went to bed, mumbling that people really should not come to visit after 11pm.

So early this week, I get a phone call from my roommate (we rarely actually see each other) SHe tells me that two girls from Uganda are going to be staying at the house--Arriving late that night. She assured me that she would be there to let them in. I asked if they were staying all week. I've been a little stressed out so I wanted to be sure I'd have a little space at some point this week. Oh no.. one or two days.

I saw no sign of them Tuesday morning.. or Tuesday evening. Course.. I didn't see my roommate either. I figured they must have had a change of plans or something. But on Wednesday evening I come home and there are African articles in my living room. Carved wood.. drums..so the girls from Africa are here. Great. But I still didn't see any sign of them, besdies the stuff that most obviously wasn't mine.

So about 9:30 that night, after a nap, I was watching a show on TV. And then a girl who I didn't know came down the stairs and sat on the other couch. She looked sleepy, so I just said, "Hey how are you doing?" and she mumbled fine.. and sat there for all of a minute or two and went back upstairs.

A minute later, I hear people on the stairs outside the door, and I figure it's my roommate.. then there's this loud knocking sound.. What the?? I open the door, it's her, plus the scary guy from the other night. She says she forgot her key. (you forgot your key with all these strangers staying at our house??) They make their way to the kitchen.. I finish my program and go to bed.

Well.. I was reading in bed. And eventually all goes silent and everyone is either gone or upstairs (I assume.) And then at 11:30 the doorbell goes off.. seriously?? I was ticked. I was thinking--if it's him again, SHE can let him in!! then there's a knock.. and the doorbell again. UGH! Can't she hear it upstairs? So I go to the door, ready to give the guy a piece of my mind.. but it's a girl.. who says, oh hi, sorry, were you asleep? and comes right in like she lives there.

I just go to bed. Maybe Im just having a bad day-- and I'm unnecessarily grouchy--but I don't like people coming in and out after 11, especially people i don't know.

This morning was a late morning. I finally rolled out of bed and got showered and dressed. I heard the TV on in the living room. So I figured I'd see one of the girls from last night. I get out there--nope. New girl. Never seen her before. I said "Hello, How are you?" and she said fine. "you're Holly?" Oh.. well yes. She introduced herself. I asked how long they were staying. Saturday morning.

I'm living in a hostel. My landlord should lower the rent--I can stay in a hostel for 16 bucks a night overseas.