Flat Hunting

I've just been to Oxford to search for housing for the upcoming academic year. Teddy Hall put me up and gave me breakfast while I was there, which made the process much more comfortable.

 

I visited a few closets purported to be studio flats. One of them was owned by a real eccentric, blue blooded Briton of the upper class. Upon learning that I was from Wisconsin, she promptly mentioned that her brother owned a farm in Spring Green (the location of a Shakespeare company of regional fame, and a very nice part of the state). It soon turned out that this one farm was actually a portfolio of agricultural properties in Wisconsin, Illinois, Canada, and most recently in China. She then asked if I lived in a log cabin, (as all woodland Wisconsinites do) or whether I had every participating in building one. In the process she noted that the technique of cabin building required the use of a 'ghastly' substance to block the draft between the logs. Charming though this encounter was, I was not convinced by the dollhouse like proportions of the flat and pressed on.

 

This was a fortuitous decision because the next place I looked at, while not a self-contained flat, was a room large to accommodate the previous flat altogether. It had nice high ceilings, was airy, and included the use of a fairly well proportioned kitchen and washing/utility room. The other flatmates were said to be professionals and a graduate student. Plus the place was downtown, close to the railway station, and about a seven minute walk to my college. Not having to spend money on public transport, and having access to my office whenever I want is certainly worth the opportunity cost. So I made the move to secure the flat.

 

At the moment the estate agent (real estate agent for American readers or Maakelaar for the Dutch) is checking my references. When that is complete I will pay my deposit and the first months rent. Hopefully, this goes smoothly. My contract will start on 1 September, and matches my employment term date for date. This gives me to the chance to use Oxford's Bodleian library sooner rather than later, and that is an opportunity which cannot be missed.

 

A few photos of Teddy hall will be forthcoming in my next post.

 

Once more into the breach,

 

Ben