Roommate troubles

[Pyper]

...And I don't even know her yet.

Okay, so here's the deal. I was accepted into International House at my university, which means I'll be living in an apartment on campus. I requested a single room, but because I'm a student returning from abroad, they put my application last in line in importance (they like to screw us over like that).

So I get my housing assignment, and agh! Out of nearly a hundred rooms, I got one of the four doubles. I have a roommate! Oh my freakin god!

I have never lived in the same room as another person in my life. Even when I lived in a dormitory, I had my own room. What will I do? How will I surf Lit and watch porn and masturbate and do all the other things normal society considers perverted?

I want to call her and talk (I've also got an apartment mate who got the single room), but, this being International House, she's foreign. Korean, to be exact, and I'm pretty sure her phone number is not local. And, on top of that, what if she doesn't speak English very well and can't understand me over the phone? Same goes for the other one (although I'm not sure of her country of origin).

What will I do? How will I cope? I signed up for this House because I wanted to introduce foreigners to my culture the same way my roommates did for me in Spain. But I wanted to do it, you know, from the privacy of my own bedroom.

 

[Cibo]

...And I don't even know her yet.

Okay, so here's the deal. I was accepted into International House at my university, which means I'll be living in an apartment on campus. I requested a single room, but because I'm a student returning from abroad, they put my application last in line in importance (they like to screw us over like that).

So I get my housing assignment, and agh! Out of nearly a hundred rooms, I got one of the four doubles. I have a roommate! Oh my freakin god!

I have never lived in the same room as another person in my life. Even when I lived in a dormitory, I had my own room. What will I do? How will I surf Lit and watch porn and masturbate and do all the other things normal society considers perverted?

I want to call her and talk (I've also got an apartment mate who got the single room), but, this being International House, she's foreign. Korean, to be exact, and I'm pretty sure her phone number is not local. And, on top of that, what if she doesn't speak English very well and can't understand me over the phone? Same goes for the other one (although I'm not sure of her country of origin).

What will I do? How will I cope? I signed up for this House because I wanted to introduce foreigners to my culture the same way my roommates did for me in Spain. But I wanted to do it, you know, from the privacy of my own bedroom.

Introduce her to lit and go from there.

 

[Todd-'o'-Vision]

Re: Re: Roommate troubles

Introduce her to lit and go from there.

ditto what a better introduction of the american lifestyle

 

[Jessie]

I'm with the guys on this one. What you can't teach her, we will.


In less that a week you'll be masturbating and watching porn together!

 

[Monazwx]

Are you sure you're not me?

I have almost the exact same story. My roommate is Asian, but she's from Florida, so she goes home and out on the town often. In fact, she's gone this weekend (and she was so kind as not to inform me too).

Anyway, back to you, keep your cool. Find out their living habits before you freak out, then you can decide what to do. If she doesn't like Lit. TRANSFER ASAP!

 

[Pyper]

I suppose it all comes down to getting to know her first. Although I grew up with a bunch of Koreans (I can read and write in the Korean alphabet), they were all Americanized, so I'm not sure how to act around a Korean from Korea. I don't know if they are Puritanical, liberal, or what.

I'm not willing to give up Lit for anyone, so I might as well start off with a, "This is a website I like to chat on, sometimes naked people appear, don't be frightened." Encouraging her to join in will probably depend on her level of English.

 

[IrishWolfhound]

And if she likes Lit, she can meet some nice American pervert on line who will twist her mind and ruin her life.

But heck, you can do that right there.

 

[Todd-'o'-Vision]

now what if, just what if she is already one of us???

 

[Pyper]

now what if, just what if she is already one of us???

Somehow, I don't think the citizens of South Korea have discovered us yet.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Holy fuck, Koreans are like one step up the pervo ladder from the Japanese. They're total pervs.

She's not that much different than you, so don't worry too much about it. South Korea is a nicely industrialized nation that lives on the verge of war. You probably got stuck with her because someone let on that you know some Korean. Never trust cosmic coinkydinks.

 

[Ask For More]

Just yap to her in Korean.....I'm sure you'll be fine!

Seriously, I think you're getting overly worried about it. Yeah there are bad things that can happen, but there are also good. Just remember to put your foot down somtimes and I'm sure everything will be ok.

Don't ever let go of the perv in you though.....

 

[onewingedangel]

I know exactly how you feel. I have lived in campus housing for going on my fourth year now. The first year I lived with two guys in a res-hall, both who came from countries away from the US. The second year I roomed with three guys!!! It was horrible. I had to take down all my artwork so I would not scare them. Finally this last year I lived with this one asshole that wanted to butt his head into my relationship and into my life in general.

I am a Resident Advisor now and I have roomed people together that just seem like oil and water. My honest advice as a room-mate veteran is to just be open and completely honest upfront. If you try do drown her at least she MAY be able to swim. If you try to sneak the water up on her little by little, she may freak out.

Message me if you wanna talk about it!

 

[LRC]

I'm with the guys on this one. What you can't teach her, we will.


In less that a week you'll be masturbating and watching porn together!

or you'll have drawn an imaginary line down the middle of the room.

 

[Monazwx]

Dag, four years!!!
I'm on my second year and I still can't stand this. Last year was terrible and this year seems to be a little better so far, but I know that I would never make it through four years. You are good.

 

[Spinaroonie]

Here's what you do...

You go and you talk to the person in charge or who is where. Check on availabilities.... often. You keep bugging that person, keep in contact and you'll be surprised how many options suddenly appear. Also you take a look at who your roommate is friends with and ask them if they'd like to switch (Hey, it happens sometimes).

Also, if you have an opportunity, jump on it. I was in a worse situation (3 other guys, all smoked cigarettes pot and drank and had parties all the time, I don't smoke at all. Fun.) and I actually let one or two opportunites go be, but when I switched, I was glad that I did. I felt better aboust myself and others and my grades showed that .

 

[Pyper]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Especially this advice:

Don't ever let go of the perv in you though.....

But seriously, you guys who haven't been happy with roommates are scaring me a bit. I keep telling myself it couldn't possibly be worse than my sophomore year, when I lived with The Loudest People in the World, who screamed and laughed and played their music at all hours of the night and day.

Koreans aren't loud, right?

I think I was too accomodating on my application form. I should have said I hate everyone and everything and am a neat freak and go to bed at ten every night.

 

[Pyper]

Here's what you do...

You go and you talk to the person in charge or who is where. Check on availabilities.... often. You keep bugging that person, keep in contact and you'll be surprised how many options suddenly appear. Also you take a look at who your roommate is friends with and ask them if they'd like to switch (Hey, it happens sometimes).

Also, if you have an opportunity, jump on it. I was in a worse situation (3 other guys, all smoked cigarettes pot and drank and had parties all the time, I don't smoke at all. Fun.) and I actually let one or two opportunites go be, but when I switched, I was glad that I did. I felt better aboust myself and others and my grades showed that .

Actually, I straight away called the guy in charge. After giving me a mild lecture about how happy I should be to have been accepted rolleyes: ), he said that if I still wasn't happy after a quarter (that's ten weeks), I could put in a request for a single room and he would see what he could do.

In Spain, I lived with three heavy smokers (they did pot too). I was happy with them because they were nice people, respectful of my sleep and study environment, and I could always hide in my room from the smoke. The thing about living in the same room with someone is that their bad habits cannot be avoided.

 

[LukkyKnight]

Don't borrow trouble

Fear of the unknown is just a waste of time. I had two good and two other-than-good college roomates. I survived well enough, and you can too.

If it's really bad, PM me with her age AFTER you've met, and perhaps I can put her up for you.

 

[Spinaroonie]

Actually, I straight away called the guy in charge. After giving me a mild lecture about how happy I should be to have been accepted rolleyes: ), he said that if I still wasn't happy after a quarter (that's ten weeks), I could put in a request for a single room and he would see what he could do.

Then try method 2: Treat that person like they have a sign around their neck that says "Please Treat me Like I'm important". When you see them in the hall say hi and smile, talk with them, get to know and care about them.

You'll be surprised how easily your request can be filled

(CARE about them, don't try to manipulate, people catch on to that)

 

[bknight2602]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Especially this advice:



But seriously, you guys who haven't been happy with roommates are scaring me a bit. I keep telling myself it couldn't possibly be worse than my sophomore year, when I lived with The Loudest People in the World, who screamed and laughed and played their music at all hours of the night and day.

Koreans aren't loud, right?

I think I was too accomodating on my application form. I should have said I hate everyone and everything and am a neat freak and go to bed at ten every night.

The best thing is to talk to her and find out about her, you seem irrational disturbed and you don't know anything about her. After you get to know her, she provably is no different than you, well maybe a little less perverted, but you get the idea. As stated earlier you might pervert her with this bunch of Lit perverts.

 

[Pyper]

bknight called me irrationally disturbed!

Okay, so maybe I am overreacting just a wee bit, just trying to get this stuff off my chest. I think it'll help with the crazy roommate-related nightmares I keep having.

Thanks, Spin, good advice.

 

[bknight2602]

bknight called me irrationally disturbed!

Okay, so maybe I am overreacting just a wee bit, just trying to get this stuff off my chest. I think it'll help with the crazy roommate-related nightmares I keep having.

Thanks, Spin, good advice.

Sorry maybe I should have said disturbed irrationally, my point was you haven't talked to her yet to find out what she might be like.

*seeking forgiveness*

 

[LukkyKnight]

You want forgiveness for good advice?

Damn, I need another pitcher of martinis.

 

[bknight2602]

You want forgiveness for good advice?

Damn, I need another pitcher of martinis.

Get one for me, I just did not want to be mis-understood.

 

[Pyper]

I know, and you're right, bknight (ooh, it rhymes). Forgiveness granted.

Another thing is I was expecting Spanish-speakers, because I requested them and I thought the program might want to do a little reciprocity thing. I should have learned by now that these people apparently do not care about anything I say.

Anyway, the point is I was expecting somebody whose culture I was more familiar with, and they threw me a curveball so I don't know exactly what to expect. Just something else that's adding to my anxiety about this.