From K1 to F14

To read about Flat K1, go here.

Way back in October, we (the entire group from High Point University) were told that we would be moving flats from Block K to Block F. Mold had been found in the structure of the building, probably caused by the extremely wet summer where everything was damp for months. Some people, including my flatmate Libby, had found mold in their bedrooms and reported it, leading to the discovery of the massive problem.

Caitlin, Amy, Libby and I actually found out about moving on a Monday while in the Dublin Airport waiting for our flight back to England. I had used the airport wifi to check my email on my iPod and saw that we would be moving. We were all really frustrated about this because we were finally all settled in, only to have to pack everything up and move it across Clive Booth Student Village to Block F. Staff members of the University were assigned to help us move our things on Wednesday, but many people had class that day or they just wanted to get out of their moldy rooms, so almost our entire group moved on Tuesday night, in the dark.

My basic strategy was to load up my suitcase with as much stuff as possible, not neatly, just quickly. All of my clothes stayed on their hangers and I just rolled all of my bedding up into a giant sausage so it would be easier to carry. It probably took me about three trips to move my entire room. Each trip I loaded myself down with my rolling suitcase and at least two bags stuffed full which were then emptied out onto my desk and bed for next trip. I think we managed to move our entire kitchen in one trip (pans,  plates, cutlery, perishable and nonperishable food) with three people carrying things.

Our new flat was such a mess after moving in with things just strewn everywhere. I am pretty sure it took longer to organize everything than it did to actually move. We were all exhausted by the time everything was relatively put away, but then we had to relearn were everything was stored in the kitchen.

Moving was really a pain, but we did end up with a better flat. Caitlin, Amy, Libby and I were assigned Flat F14 to share with the Warden (similar to a Resident Assistant). The Warden, Emily, basically has a flat within a flat. She uses our front door but within her room she has her own bathroom and kitchen so we rarely see her.

Block F is newly renovated with larger bedrooms and living room/kitchen than in Flat K1. Each of the bedrooms have their own a sink, plus there are two showers in separate rooms (though we only use one because the other tends to smell really bad). The showers are also much roomier that the coffin shower we were using before. The curtains are also much nicer here. They are cream with a red square pattern as opposed to the Southwestern 80s motel ones in K1.

I am in bedroom B which looks out onto the courtyard to the other side of Block F. Not a pretty sight, just concrete and a plain brick building. The room has a bed, desk, built in wardrobe, three shelves and pin boards. The only difference besides the size is the sink with its mirror and shelf, and the towel rack next to the sink. There is plenty of storage room for me, probably since most of my things fit inside one large suitcase. It is quite plain with off-white walls. The only really decoration is my postcard wall which shows most of the places I have traveled so far. I have my necklaces hanging up on the pin board over the bed.

The kitchen and living room is much larger. There is actually room for a separate sitting area as opposed the chairs lined up again the wall next to the door like in K1. The floor is new, but not the cabinets, which each open in opposite directions without any consistency. We also now have two fridges and two freezers. One fridge holds most of the food and the other just has drinks. The stove has a broiler on top of the oven, which I have learned to use to toast bread...and quesadillas...and frittata. I really like the broiler.

Right now we have it decorated a bit for Christmas. We bought a red and green table cloth and stickers to put on the windows. We originally wanted to try to make a mantel display with stockings above the radiator to simulate the fireplace, but it would be a lot of effort to put up decorations that we would have to take down in less than two weeks.

View from our kitchen door.    

Since we got to F14 we have had problems with some of our heating which all comes from radiators. Mine and Caitlin's radiators have never worked since we moved in, though we we put in a work order form some maintenance men just came a looked at them and nothing was ever done. We did not pursue it further since both of our rooms are next to bedrooms (Caitlin's is next to Amy's and mine is next to Libby's) which have working radiators so the heat seeps through the walls. My room tends to get extra hot because I have the hallway radiator on the other side of one wall and Libby's radiator on the other.

About a week ago it became a problem once more when Amy's radiator and the kitchen radiator both stopped working. This also meant that Caitlin's room was also freezing. While we were in Barcelona for the weekend the university staff brought mini radiators into Caitlin's and Amy's bedrooms until the heating could be fixed. 

Cue bunches of guys walking around our flat for two days while we are trying to study for final exams. The heat in the bedrooms finally started working last night, but the kitchen is still freezing cold. This is a disappointment since I enjoy sitting at the kitchen table doing work. Cooking anything is a pain until the stove has heated one section of the room up a little bit. Eating dinner is also amusing (though not really in a good way) as the food is cold almost directly after taking it out of the oven, and we have to be bundled up in sweaters and blankets to sit at the dining table to eat the food.

It will probably get fixed right before we leave for the United States as that just seems to be our luck.

Update Dec. 14 
Yesterday we moved the mini heaters out of Caitlin and Amy's bedrooms into the kitchen. After several hours, the heat moved up from freezing to bearable. This morning it was actually toasty in the kitchen and the radiator has begun working. I guess I was just being to pessimistic the other day about it not working again until it was time for us to leave