Hussam.

I don't think I've ever written anything about our landlord, Hussam. When I first moved in, he was a force to be feared and for good reason. He was moody, demanding, and never seemed too thrilled about coming over to collect rent. Jess and Jen said that one time shortly before I arrived he came over to collect rent but 2 of the roommates had forgotten to leave it... he was furious and threw the money that they handed him back at their faces, like "Do you think I have time to come down here any time? I have 30 tenants, I want the rent when I say I'm coming to get the rent!"

So you get the picture... not exactly a cuddly old man.

And since I moved in, it seems like we have a new issue that arises every month that we need him to take care of: a broken washing machine, another bed bug spray, a new bed or two, getting the buzzer fixed... I always figured that it's part of the landlord's job to take care of these issues, but we would always get so nervous when he was coming to rent and we had one of these maintenance requests to make!

Rent is always due at the beginning of the month (obviously), so he usually calls in the last week of the preceding month to arrange a date and time to stop by our flat. Like I said, he's usually very interested in picking up his money, so we were really surprised when February 28th rolled around and he hadn't called yet about March's rent. And then March 1st and 2nd passed, and then the entire first week of March... Jose and Trini hadn't been around long enough to quite grasp how unusual it was for Hussam to have not called. Jess was like, "I hope something's not... you know... wrong or something..." I answered, "What, you mean like dead?" ess and Jen were more freaked out than entertained by this little "joke" I had going that Whoops, Hussam had died, and we wouldn't have to pay rent anymore! Haha.. I know it's morbid, but Mom, I figured you at least might think it was funny, too.

Anyways, don't worry... Hussam is alive and well, and finally rolled around to Gunterstone around the 2nd week of March to take our money. And we've noticed that since then he has been so friendly, so helpful and understanding! All of a sudden he's offering to buy us new furniture, to arrange for someone to pick up our new couch from Ikea so we don't have to bother going all the way out there... When he came for April, Jess mentioned that she was going to Canterbury over the weekend, and this spawned a slew of stories about Hussam's days as a student in the 1960s in Canterbury, and the pub he worked at and the people he met there... it was like we had a surrogate great uncle counting quid in front of us instead of an ornery old landlord! Very nice change.

Jess thinks he likes us better now that there aren't any Australians in the house... apparently he didn't like Aussies. I reckon it has to do with the fact that we haven't had such a turnover of roommates recently so he's actually seeing the same faces month after month, but that's just me.

I wish I had a picture of Hussam to post! Maybe when he comes for May's rent I'll snap one... haha, awkward.