Preface
Yesterday
I went to a university to meet a professor I have known for many years. I heard
him talking about how creative his ideas are and promising his research is. At
the same time, he showed his disproval of the most important chapter of my
dissertation. He said it cannot be published because my advisor doesn’t give
his name on the working paper for endorsement although he didn’t read it. Of
course, I showed my respect and said nothing because there was Asia.
It
was about time to leave. He wanted me to make a walkthrough to clearly explain
how I ran special models for the paper we were working. From vaguely
understanding the fashionable method to applying in empirical studies, it cost
me hours and hours. I agreed to satisfy his request because there was Asia.
People were always subject to some kind of hierarchy. The longer I stay in
Asia, the more I miss my student life in the US.
Memoirs of My Life in North Carolina and NC State - Housing
2007 Summer - 2010 Spring
From the first to the third year, I lived in a small studio in ES King
Village, the university-owned apartment on west campus. It was spacious,
compared with the student apartments back to the days when I was an
undergraduate studying in Taipei. In addition to the space, I was satisfied
with its interior and a private bathroom. It was also convenient to walk to a
super market and fast food restaurants without crossing any intersections. On
weekdays school buses ran all days between the apartment and main campus to
pick and drop passengers. All residents here were students or visiting scholars
with simple life styles. How could it be wrong with the apartment?
The leasing office is the only building looks good.
The drawbacks revealed themselves when the time went by and I was
getting intolerant to them. The room was very cold in the winter. The glass
door and the glass wall couldn’t block the cold wind. The gas heater was
powerless, noisy and produced bad smell. I am still curious how the apartment
pass the inspection for the cold resistance. The safety was as problematic as
well. The apartment located in the dangerous area couldn’t fence off outsiders.
I remembered one-night some young punks who speak an unknown language threw
stones at the windows of my room and hit something in the parking lot with sticks.
Before I looked for the guard, they ran away. Last but not the least,
management was going down gradually. In the beginning, residents receive emails
notifying some small projects, like security inspection, would be working on at
some days. Then since one day, no notification sent to our mailboxes in advance
anymore and maintenance crews would pop in. The office was too lazy to respect
the privacy.
A soccer field for rent
After I got more knowledge about the area around the university and
housing options, I decided to move out for better living quality. A few things
about the apartment that gives me good memory are my struggling to pass the
prelim, the big grassland, and a cold blonde from the East Europe (Maybe).
2010 Spring - 2012 Summer
I went to look for a house with a friend who was tired of living in an
on-campus apartment for similar reasons. Soon we found a community called
Woodland Court. It was not far away from the university, but as the name
suggested, it was located in a land surrounded by woods and isolated from other
houses. The requirements for leasing were tough. We need to provide balance
letters for sufficient funding, photocopies of passports, insurance, and
utility accounts connected our names with the unit we want to rent, and more. We
went to the bank and the city hall, and contact the energy company for these
documents. Finally, we were approved to move in.
We stayed in a townhouse. The living room and the kitchen were on the
first floor; two restrooms and bathrooms were on the second floor. The first
floor was spacious and rarely used so later it became an intermediate accommodation
for our friends in the intersections of their careers. The community was quiet
and most neighbors were good. During this period of time when I stayed here, I
often went home late. Walking a short distance between where I parked my car
and home and breathing deeply for the clear night air was refreshing. The first
year was fine to me. Any struggle from personal issue or school was partial
neutralized in the isolated community. Until now, I still think the community
is one of the best in terms of its outer environment.
Maybe it was because the leasing property was run by a big company; the
management and maintenance were efficient and well organized. However, I found
it sucks to do business with big company when I moved out. Second year was not
very pleasant. The rent increased by more than 10 percent; the office didn’t
address the leaking problem; one of my package sent by Amazon got lost; and the worst was the bad neighbors moved in a
house next to ours. They are a couple and the other male. Obviously they didn’t
respect others by listening to loud music and turning on high TV volume. One
night the couple had a severe fight and then the police came. We saw the female
was arrested.
The spring my roommate graduated. I might find a new place and live
alone. The leasing office asked professional carpet cleaning. I felt they just
wanted to transfer any cost to tenants. For the increasing “competitive” rent
and cost, I didn’t consider a one-bedroom in this community.
2012 Summer – 2013 Spring
In one month I hardly found a room suitable for me near NC State. I
thought I would live in a place at nowhere, but when I lost patience I got a
room in Mission Valley Apartments where I see Main Campus through windows.
Centennial Campus is in five minutes walking distance. The rent is below the
average considering it includes any utility cost and convenience. I can tell
this community is a home for many low -income families. I didn’t mind about it
because the leasing company invested in the security system for the safety. The
room was spacious and the condition was acceptable. Here I baked cakes and
cookies, made my own box lunch. I also worked on Beamer slides for the oral
prelim and the defense. I appreciated every moment for doing these because I
knew I wouldn’t have much time in Raleigh or the US. At the ninth month, I
left.
The bedroom
In the last month I stayed at and watched my friend’s house while he was
absent for the summer vacation.
Two of my friends have been in the community. One had left for jobs, the other is trying to graduate next year.
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