Only when they say you are...

J-net, who's my landlady told me on my second day, "I am the best landlady you can ever find in Reading."

I felt that remark was a little cheesy, so I quipped without trying to hurt someone on my second day here, "Actually you will have to let me say that. I am sure I can say that if you really are."

I thought it was funny to self-praise. I've always preferred to be told if I'm good/bad and not have to tell that to someone. Yes, "only when they say you are..."

Today is the 14th day I am staying here and I really think J-net is a nice lady.

She has been fetching me to and from London on weekends, offered to pick me up whenever I do my grocery shopping, offered rooms and bedding for my guests, gave me the largest room in the house without having to pay extra, gave me a TV without extra charges, became a part-time English teacher whenever I ask her about certain words, pronunciation and even the English culture! She even offered me her sherry, wine and chocolates and a dedicated fridge for my own use!

I think I am becoming more pampered staying here, but I am also more disciplined. While she offers almost everything to my convenience, she sets the ground rules pretty strictly too e.g no getting drunk, no smoking, don't open some windows, don't disturb others, don't leave the kitchen dirty, etc. I found these rules easy to follow, probably due to the values that I was brought up with; the Asian values I guess. Sounds like an East meets West kinda thing.

Yesterday I shattered one of her cereal bowls while washing it at the basin. I was awashed with guilt and kept apologising to her. I even offered to buy her a new one. At the first instance when I dropped the bowl, she asked from the living room, "Is that yours or mine?"

I said, "It's your. I am so sorry!!"

"Alright, don't bother about it. I break things too. I just asked if it's yours, I can offer you another one."

I told her, "I'll get you a new one I promise."

"You don't have to buy me a replacement. You need to break a few more to make your trip to Ikea worth it!"

I felt really bad and she was so kind! She tried to break the silence of my guilt, so she joked, "Saves you from washing a bowl now!" I laughed. She really tickled me.

This evening after coming back from work, J-net asked if I have a DVD player. So I told her I can play DVDs on my laptop.


"Have you watched Blood Diamond?" she asked

"No."

"Babel?"

"No."

"300?"

"No."

So, she passed me all of the DVDs including a few more she presumed I would not have watched them yet. She was right.


She said, "You should really give yourself a break and fill your mind with some useless things, like watching a movie." She also gave me a new book with 300 Sudoku puzzles to solve!

"Why?"

"You looked stressed and not yourself these few days!" She was probably referring to the bowl incident.

J-net said, "Is everything alright? You look fed up."

I guess I was in denial. I was really stressed with so much to learn at work and things to do. But I was not fed up for sure. I am happy to be learning so much things at work.

"Fed up? Sure not. I am fine, am just a little tired from work."

"You sure you're alright?"

"Yea, I'll be fine."

Then I thought again if I should subscribe to believing that I am really alright or the "only when they say you are..."