Local Roommates

[Jamasian]

Let's keep it light.

 

I have a Chinese roommate from Anhui province that I'm hoping will move out soon. I like to have a clean apartment. It doesn't need to be a hotel but at least when you see the common area is dirty, that should be a cue to start scrubbing. After three months, she's picked up a broom twice. Once was on our move in date. A couple weeks ago, I tried to joke that I'd need an Ayi fee and that got her to clean the second time. Her friends stay over weekly and they don't bother to ... fix the toilet, or clean any other mess either. I've asked her to find another place and stressed that it's only because of the cleanliness. (I asked about the toilet and she replied cheekily that she doesn't use it so she doesn't know. I think that let me down most.) She is not happy with me and said I don't understand Chinese culture and that she has tried to reason with me.

 

This leads me to, where do you think the "cleanest" (in regards to keeping house) nationals come from? I hear Shanghai women never clean because the Shanghai men do in particular. If you've had local flatmates, where did they come from and who held the highest regard to mutual happy cleanliness?

[stapler]

Nationals? Japanese. Easily.

 

But if you mean which Chinese nationals, nothing about someone's region of origin will say much. My experiences are only in Australia, but I've lived with a Shanghainese guy, filthy. Shandong guy, filthy. Beijing girl, filthy. Shandong girl, filthy. Suzhou guy, clean. Fujian girl, clean. And the cleanest of all, a girl from rural Guangxi.

 

So I'd say it's generally down to the person, not a generalisation based on their province or city. But I would say that on the whole Chinese are amongst some of the dirtiest nationals lived with.

[Jamasian]

haha I do mean Chinese nationals. I just figured there were more cultural nuances such as the Shanghainese example. Guess you met the wrong guy huh?

[edelweis]

How much is the rent?

There is a possibility that you will attract only rich kids who have never had to clean up after themselves.

Wouldn't the kids from lower income families be living 6 per room in university dorms?

 

edit: Maybe you should employ an 阿姨 and make the expense part a of the rent for your roommates.

[Jamasian]

My place is really cheap. Only two of us officially live there so I didn't even dream of hiring one. I like your suggestion though edelweis. I'll do that next time...if there's a next time.

[Shelley]

This sort of thing happens all over the world with all sorts of combinations of people.

 

Obviously your standards are higher than than those of the people you consider "dirty". The uncleanliness obviously doesn't bother them, so they will never clean up till it gets to their level of what they consider "dirty".

 

I have lived with my partner for a very long time now and early on I discovered one way to maintain my inner peace and not be stressed by the things he didn't do, was to realise it's not personal, he isn't doing it to annoy me, he just doesn't see it. For example after asking several times that the towels should be hung on the rail and spread out to assist drying, it just wasn't happening, so I just started to do it myself, no stress, no nagging, no wet towels.

 

I have applied this to other things and there is, for the most part, peace in the house. There are things that for one reason or other I can't do and I insist on these and as he realises I can't do it, he will do it and not consider the reminders nagging, probably because I don't hassle him about the small stuff.

 

So sometimes you just have to do it yourself and accept that if you want that level of cleanliness it will be up to you to maintain it.

[Mindmaxd]

It really depends on the people or not where they are from,maybe you can find a virgo roommate,they like clean.

[Jamasian]

hahaha @Mindmaxd I am that Virgo, but I somehow managed until the floor looked muddy.

 

@Shelley I'm sad you put "dirty" in quotes. It really is dirty~~~. But of course this is a worldwide anyone that has ever had a roommate problem. I only posted because my roommate blamed cultural differences. I thought maybe another province had the Shanghainese stereotype of clean while others don't.

 

Honestly, I just want to be able to use my own bathroom in cleanly peace.  :POnly then did I decide to ask them to leave.

[Shelley]

I put dirty in quotes because I feel the use of the word dirty inside is very strong term. A pigsty, stable or shed can be dirty but a house, flat or room is unclean,untidy, unkempt.

 

This is only my personal view of the word but if you really feel it is actually dirty then yes you have a problem, change room mates as soon as you can. Maybe go see where the new room mate used to live and see if that gives you a clue on how they will be in your room.