The Battle of the Landlord
When you come 5000miles away from home you have to trust. You put your trust into the person who is letting you stay.
Being here, both mine and Ilda's trust has been taken advantage of. Our Landlady is charging us an extortinate rate- even for a short term rental in the area we are in (which is super lush and amazing).
She refuses to fix the air con and now after 1month she has confessed doesn't exist. She doesn't stop visiting on a daily basis. Yep- EVERYDAY, once a day, to 'water her plants'. I've had her wait outside my bedroom door whilst I am on the phone to family, expecting me to come out and relay in person what I have already said over a 100 times- the property is too hot.
Imagine being in a foreign home, wearing just a big t shirt, making your tea, dancing around to Taylor Swift- as you do. Imagine turning around and their is a person at the window of the patio.
That is what happens to me all the time. I've told her, she constantly startles me. I've said to her its nothing personal, but that for $3500 we expect the place to ourselves. But, she is rich and she is Canadian, we are poor and English, and so, what leg to we have to stand on?
It is really sad that people will do that. Will manipulate you and take advantage of you, purely because they can. And purely to greaten their monetary wealth.
But I will tell you what. This could not have happened to me at a better time.
The juxtaposition between her and Colin and infact, everyone at Potluck. Just highlights to me exactly what path I fit in; in this world.
I need the nurturing, honest and human support of trustworthy, empathetic caring people. I need people who restore my trust in people, who encourage me to be optimistic, to look for the greatness in every human connection we make.
I do not fit into the typical business world. And I never will. I do not like this 'dog eat dog' attitude. I do not like this 'well on the piece of paper, it says I only have to do this' perspective. I do not like people who claim that buying a fan for a 28 degree celsius apartment is 'an act of goodwill'.
And DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON BANKS. The wealthiest of the world. 'Sorry this card is a UK HSBC worldbanking card, so you cannot use it here at HSBC world banking Canada'. *emphasis on WORLD BANKING* And 'Hmm, but this card needs to be registered to a Canadian address' or 'That will take 21 days with a £100 service charge to send VIRTUAL MONEY from your account to her account because she is in Canada'
That was just a sidenote mini rant. Just because, yaknow, seems ridiculous I cannot access MY OWN MONEY (maybe that is what they're using for their £30billion bonus).
But anyway, back to the positives. This could not have made life clearer to me. I need to be in the social sector. Because for me, a smile is more valuable than £10.
I am going to expand on that, just because, I always get stick for it. That is not me saying money is not important for survival.
As a UK citizen, I know that better than anyone, it takes me 2hours of work at Topman to be able to afford my dinner. I am not saying we don't need money. But what I am saying, is that this world has gone bloody nuts. And people put a piece of paper, or a silver coin, before the basic fundamental aspect of our nature- community.
To be honest. Social Entrepeneurs will tell you MONEY=PEOPLE. The money helps the people. The profit is just as important. BUT in the way things stand at the moment money is all anyone thinks about and we have forgotten the people.
