A Thousand Nights in Flora

Seems like just yesterday I arrived at this place in a beat-up old car with nothing but a large suitcase.

I remember not knowing whether the front gate guards would let me in so I parked just outside and decided to walk to my friend's block. Big mistake. The journey turned out to be a 1km uphill walk.

And eventually I found out the guards pretty much let anyone and everyone in.

And I also found out that despite advertisements proclaiming a view like this:

The sad reality is actually this:

I think I have grounds to sue for misrepresentation.

But it's safe to say I've had plenty of bitter-sweet moments living here.

• There was the time my windows leaked and flooded my entire room (lost a bunch of good books in that one).

• There was the time I didn't have electricity for two days straight - causing me to take showers in pitch darkness.

• There was the time I got trapped in my bathroom for hours because the doorknob jammed and I had to use my bare fists to punch the knob off (couldn't feel my hands for days after that).

• There was the time my house mate's cat decided it had had enough and buggered off by jumping off the sixteenth floor.

• There was the time them bitches padlocked my main water tap because they mistakenly assumed I hadn't paid the bill (resolved only after I threatened to smash their padlock open).

• And more recently, there was the incident where a baby bat flew into my house and got itself stuck in my sink.

My mum thought this was a picture of an over-fried chicken wing, but I assure you that's a bat.

My parents once me if I could survive eight months at house I stayed at during my internship, I could pretty much survive anywhere else.

They were right.