Well, the past two weeks have been, hmm, not sure the word to use to describe them. The whole bed bugs (see picture above) situation is so messed up. It started the second week of February, and is still going on a month later. I was being bitten in the night, discovered it was bed bugs. The bed bug guys came and sprayed our room, and we couldn’t sleep in there for about a week. During that time, we slept on the floor of the commons room. Then, we’d done our time and moved back into the room, only to get bitten again. The person who runs our dorms, Christina, didn’t believe me that I was still getting bitten. I was so frustrated, telling her I had 58 bites! She told me to go to the doctor to make sure it was bed bug bites, that I might be allergic to the laundry detergent here or something. I was like, umm noooo…. I’ve never been allergic to laundry detergent in all 21 years of my life, I only get bitten at night, other people who sleep in this room get bitten, and there are blood stains on my sheets. But she didn’t do anything to help me. That night, Melissa and I were up pretty late, and at about 1 am I saw a live bed bug crawling on my mattress. I freaked out a little bit. I made Melissa capture it with a piece of tape, so we would have evidence to show Cruella Deville the next day. That night, we didn’t have a place to sleep. We tried to sleep on the roof, but I didn’t sleep all night because I was so cold. I put on all my warmest clothes and hats and gloves and all that, and tried to make a cacoon with the blankets, but nothing worked- froze. When we showed Cruella the captured bug in the tape the next morning, she agreed to call the bug people again. So they came, and sprayed the room with really intense poison to kill anything in the room. They locked the room and we couldn’t go in it for 10 days. In the mean time, my stuff is in trash bags in the trash room of our dorms, and I sleep in this other dormitory called Hafnerreigel. It’s the sketchiest place ever. The guy who owns is money hungry, and lets all kinds of people stay their illegally. This one dude is 35 and is an illegal fugitive. He doesn’t pay rent but babysits the head dude’s kids so he can stay there. It’s mostly middle eastern men, and the place smells like a mix of Indian food and smoke. It’s across from a jail. What a view. People told me that the head dude lets criminals stay there too, who can’t get a place anywhere else because of their history, so he can get more money. The building has 18 floors, and there used to be a roof terrace. But too many people jumped off the top and killed themselves, so they closed down the roof terrace and you can’t go on it anymore. But we have a friend who has a key to the elevator, so he took us up and let us go on it- the view was amazing from the top, I have to say. But the building is so old and gross inside that they’re tearing it down in a few months. They’re in the process of relocating people so they can tear it down. Good old Hafnerreigel- that’s where I’m staying for now! It’s about 30 minutes away, so I walk there at night and sleep there, and then walk back in the morning, grab some clothes out of my trash bags, and go through my day.
Each person gets 30 GB of internet per month. I haven’t used any of mine this month, because I haven’t been able to even go into my room. But I got this email yesterday saying that my internet allowance for March is 80% used up, and then today I tried to use it for the first time and it is all used. So someone must have gotten my password, and stolen all my internet. Sucks. Not really sure what I can do about that. Either that, or Cruella cut off my internet access. But now I have to wait til April to have my own internet. I can go to the computer lab and use their computer, but they’re sooooo slow, and only open during certain hours. So frustrating.
Next thing that happened: my friend Stina comes over all the time, and hangs out at our dorms during the day and then sleeps at Hafnerreigel at night. She’s been using our kitchen and taking showers here sometimes, but hasn’t caused any problems. But then yesterday morning, I walk back from the jail dorms and see that there are two letters taped to my door. One is to me, and one is to Stina. We both got official letters of reprimand from the dorms! Since I can’t go in my room right now, I have my stuff in trash bags and then I keep like my backpack and coat and shoes in the corner of the commons room. We sit out at the dining room table a lot, because we don’t have a room to go in. Apparently, someone complained. I don’t know what people told Christina, but on the letter it says that I don’t clean up my dishes, that I don’t clean the kitchen, that I’m loud and disturb people from being able to study, that I don’t keep the quiet hours at night, and that since Stina is my friend, what she does is my responsibility when she is here. UGH!!! I seriously always do my dishes, and sometimes I clean up other people’s dishes. A couple times, Stina and I have cleaned up the whole kitchen and done everyone’s dishes- I don’t know why she would say that. People told me that others on the floor have been mad, thinking that I brought the bed bugs. They think I’m dirty or something, but the bugs were there before I even got there! So we can’t use the TV room right now, because all of the furniture from there is in my room (in case there were bed bug eggs), and people think it’s my fault. I feel like a lepor that no one wants to touch! Anyway, if I get another reprimand of any sort, I’ll get evicted from the dorms and won’t get my money back. It’s such a mess. I’ve never been a “bad kid” before, now I’m hated by the owner of the dorms! So weird. Kinda makes me laugh. I’m trying to just kill her with kindness, but it’s so hard.
What else… oh yeah, school. My classes are messed up. I just got back from one of my classes, Canadian Issues, and it was supposed to be in English. I couldn’t find the classroom, was wandering around the building, and finally found it- walked in 20 minutes late. They hand me a print out of the powerpoint, and it’s in German. Shiza! So I sit through about 20 minutes of the class, and can’t understand anything the lady is saying, so I finally leave- so frustrated. I have to try to pick up another class now in order to have enough credit hours, but all of the classes offered in English are full. I’m going to try to talk to an academic advisor or something, not sure what to do. Ugh.
But I do have good news as well! I booked a flight for Turkey next weekend. I’m going with my friend Bedritton, who is from Istanbul, so he can show me around. We’re going to stay with a few of his friends- bouncing around from place to place. I got a flight for super cheap, only 60 Euros each way. I’ll be gone March 23-27th! It’s gonna be great. On Monday, I’m going skiing with my friend Carmen. She’s super cute- from upper Austria. She snowboards, and is going home this weekend to get her gear. We’ll take a train and then a bus to a place called Semmering Monday morning, and ski/snowboard all day, then come home Monday night. Woo hoo!
Last piece of good news, one of my very best friends, Mary, is ENGAGED! I just talked to her on the phone for a second, and it brought me to tears! I wish I could be there to hug her so bad, but I’m smiling so big right now because I’m so excited for her and Brian. I hate not being able to be there for big things like that though! Ya win some, ya lose some. Shizaaa.
Sending all my Austrian love,
Lyndsey
No comments:
Post a Comment