Living in Pawhatan Apartments...

When I first arrived at the apartment I was thinking that this was a really nice apartment and big to. I was so lucky as to arrive a week before classes start and therefore also a week before my roommate and suitemates would arrive. That meant I had the whole apartment to my self (this is when the pictures where taken). It was almost like being home in my own apartment.

However all this changed when my fellow students moved in. I knew from when I got my first information from ODU that I was going to live with them, but I was so comfortable that I had somewhat actively forgotten this. There has not been any problems as such, but when you are use to living in your own apartment and has done so for 3 years, it is a big change in living conditions. As these students are 19-20 years of age (5-6 years younger than me) it is an even bigger change. This fact among other things means that I cannot have any alcohol in the apartment because they all are under 21. I would be lying if I told you it has stopped me from having alcohol, but it is against the rules. The alcohol laws in Denmark are completely different, i.e. I have been able to buy my own alcohol from when I was 16.

I was even more startled when I found out that you have fellow students coming in your apartment and telling you what you are doing wrong. I felt it was a bit demeaning having a fellow student, who by the way is 5 years younger than me, telling me that I need to do the dishes, vacuum and wipe the bath tub. The reasoning, she said, was that she did not want uneven work loads in the apartment and that we would get fined if the apartment was not clean enough. In my mind we are all adults in this apartment and we should be able to handle the situation our selves. I know I am a bit older than the others, but when I was 20 I was living in Austria with 3 other guys and we kept the apartment somewhat clean and when we left it was spotless. I am not saying I like going around the apartment turning off television sets nobody's watching and stopping running water that has not been turned properly off or wiping pee of the toilet seat every now and again (I feel like my own father when me and my brother was 12 and younger), but it should be our own responsibility. Maybe it is because you treat the young adults in this country as kids that they act like it.

In the end I must say that in overall terms I am glad that I have these three fellow students under the same roof as me, because they are good guys and we have had a great time here. I wanted the whole college experience and that I got.

Thank you Andrew for not snoring at night. For Ryan and Rashad for being somewhat quiet at night and not having to many parties on weekdays.