Monday, January 19, 2009

Welcome to the Neighbourhood, you Insignificant Little Man!


My name is Ruben, and I live in an asylum centre. I live in a large building of ten apartments, each apartment housing four people, and there are 11 other identical buildings. The anonymity of the immigrant.

To be more accurate, I live in an ex-asylum centre. It is now used as student housing. This says one of two things:
A) Holland treats its students badly
B) Holland treats its asylum seekers too well

Or, more optimistically, Holland treats all people equally. Which is really unfair (to me). I mean, in Australia, they send refugees into the desert. And here they (used to) give them adequate housing? I'm outraged. But it's an ideal place for students, being close to the city and the University and other higher education campuses of Leiden. And since there is a shortage of student accommodation, I think the extra 600 rooms really helps. Also, it is comparatively safe, in terms of burglaries. They say that because everyone is a student, there is an element of self policing. However, I know the real reason. Meet our neighbour.

I like to call him "Junior". I mean, you wouldn't mess with a 100-foot man either. Do Not piss him off, or this will happen:



It is a new museum which "takes you on a journey through the human body", which I guess makes you poo. On that photo, my apartment is the house on 2nd floor on the far right. We have a 'unique' view from the kitchen, one would say.

Inside, the standard of living is very "student", which is more than enough. Sure, the floorboards creak, and the paint peels. And although there are continually delayed plans to level the entire student-asylum, I'm happy to call this "home".

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Interesting article.Searching accommodation its very very difficult.I had that experience.So horrible thing.We were roaming for one whole day.
At last we got one home.Thank god it was really very good home.

Ivy said...

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