Friday

It's my favourite day of the week (who doesn't?)
Apart from the fact it's the end of the week and the last work day for most people, today is our groceries shopping day! The market here closes late til 9pm tonite so we usually go after he gets off from work.

On a different note.
I came across someone today complaining and whining about not getting along with his/her housemates. So far (as I can recall), I've heard 6 people having problems with their housemates and they all share few things in common. All from 'I'm tired cleaning up after them' to 'they entered my room'. Mama mentioned something to me the other day and got me thinking. This is my last chance of experience living with other people. Approximately half a year from now, I'd be living, running and having my own household! How creepy.

So from my past few experiences of living with other people as little as 1 other to a number of 9 people in the house, here are some things I've learnt to take note upon.

Room
Always try to ensure you have your own space to put your things in the kitchen, fridge and freezer, living room, shoe rack and laundry.
No matter how close you are to your housemates, knock and listen before entering your housemate's room. This is a sign of respect to other's privacy. You don't demand respect from others, you gain them by showing yours.
However messy you like to live in, it is your business, it is your room and no one can make you clean up. (Unless if you're sharing rooms, then good luck! I've only shared my room once before, in high school. I attended a boarding school for 3 yrs and bcos it's a private school, we only get to share one room with another girl. Some say, lucky. Looking at my brother today, I must say, I agree.)

Kitchen
Kitchen area and living area are common areas hence they are shared areas. Try not to leave your dishes washed or unwashed (no one wants to see your leftovers) in the sink or any other areas that you and your housemates may want to use on later on.
Allow time for yourself to clean up after your meal. Cleaning up after yourselves not only allow other people to use the kitchen but also leaves yourselves and other housemates to minimal 'spring clean' when required. Ever heard of the word responsibility? Yeah, well this is where you can work on it.
If you're sharing pots and pans, cutleries, dinner sets, cleaning them up after using them would be a good idea to allow other housemates the chance to use them.
If stove is shared, try wiping up the stove after you cook. Again, if everyone does their fair bit, this can minimize 'spring clean'. Encourage every housemate to do the same. Or you can try doing what we did (while living with 9 other), lay and stick foil over stove (cut up the burner part) and each time after cooking (or once a week), especially when you've made a right mess, lift the foil up and throw it in the bin. Warning: this may increase your budget on foils =)

Living Room
This is the best I can give.
Clean up after yourself! Whatever bits and pieces of paper, food, gum wraps, tissue, anything that is left behind by you, pick them up and throw them in the bin. It's little things as these that can build up and turn into a mess within a week of vacuuming.
Try wiping up the dining table after your meal. You'll be surprised to see how easy it is to be dirty after one meal.

Other Areas
Spring cleaning once a month is fine if the house is dirty. If not, don't bother. Generally, if every housemate do their little bit and not expect other people to clean up after them, 'spring cleaning' once a few months is also fine.

If you can't stand cleaning up, a good thumb rule;
put your dirty dishes, wrappers, tissues, dirt, all in your room. You can live with it, don't expect others to. Then it's up to you to clean whenever you want to. But make sure your dishes are yours though. Or your landlord will be chasing you for them.

Living with other people is not easy. Heck, living with your spouse is not easy, let alone with other people. At home, we are used to maids, cleaners, or family members whom don't mind cleaning up after us (believe me, I have and still am living with platoons of maids/helpers back in Msia, eventhough we have a dryer and a dishwasher, so trust me, I know how it feels). Friends, other people, they are not family so don't expect too much from them. Think about your actions and try to make living together easy by doing to others, what you'd want them do to you. However, if you do other people's dishes to expect them do yours, think again ;)

To avoid any misunderstandings (with a high chance of some 'typical' malays reading this), I will have to add here.
I am NOT a perfect housemate (you may ask Adil n Haz since I'm living with them, at the moment for opinions)
I am NOT a good housemate either. However, I can be the worst housemate you'll ever met if I want to.
I have my limits and wrong-doings.
I am NOT trying to be funny or put other people down.
I am also NOT not proud being a malay myself. I have all reasons in the world to be proud of my own nationality. It is the attitude and perception of some within the nationality that is, to my belief (and only mine, no one else. You may disagree all you want) needs to be improved upon.
This entry is also a mere touch to my understanding and experience from living with other people as a housemate.

*Now how did an entry supposed to be about Friday turned out to be about housemates? I really am nuts..*