Dakota South Apartments- My Uni Dwelling. pt 2

by Adrian How

Here’s the second installment to the earlier post on my living space during uni- the Dakota South Apartments in Tenerife, Brisbane, Australia. Click here to read part 1 of this 2 part series.

Part 1 was all about the highlights and overview of Dakota South. Now I’ll take you into my room and the actual state of it on any given typical day. Welcome to unit 203.

My room is situated to the left of the door on an elevated platform from the living area, bordered by two sliding partitions which act as wall and door when i want privacy from my other roommates (Owen sleeps in the hall so I usually shut the partitions. He’d probably prefer it that way too I’m sure). I really like the idea of a movable wall as I have the option to limit my bedroom space or let it flow out and be one with the living room, giving it the perception of a studio unit.

View from inside the room. I made use of the partitions and extended my wardrobe to hang my most frequently used apparels here. I always thought this created somewhat a boutique feel to the place without compromising the homely effect. The little squares pasted on the walls are pictures of my loved ones back home.

Just another view – with the partitions semi opened. As you can see, we have nothing really in the living room. The only piece of furniture that isn’t Owen’s bed and portable wardrobe is our dining table and chairs. Daily routine when we’re all home: we cook, we eat, we clean up, we get the football out and have our daily kickabout session. All three of us are football fanatics… in fact, I found these two roommates on the field, through football! Talk about unity through sports.

Hmm.. I wore a lot of jeans back then. Today, I only have one pair hanging at any time (that’s probably because I live with someone with a huge wardrobe right now). The pictures on the left wall were stuck in that manner to form the shape of the cross. The churches in Australia aren’t usually as packed as the ones back home. However, it’s a whole different story when it comes to the exam period… one suddenly sees an ocean of international students flocking to attend mass! Exams or not, I do try to go, even alone, but admittedly, my attendance wasn’t as consistent as it should’ve been.

This is how my room looks on any given day. Bought my desk, mattress, tv off my pal Chee Hong who graduated and left, for AUS100. Quite a good deal I’d say. Back then, I was proud to sleep on a spring mattress instead of a foam mattress and did not know mattress technical terms like individual pocket springs, rebound latex comfort layer, turn-free, superior foam encasement, pillow plush top. Well, fortunately for YInLeng and I, our current mattress has all that (which is why I know bed jargon). Perhaps this is why it’s so much harder to wake up for work. Funny how this problem doesn’t quite happen on weekends.

On the walls, I have posters of my favourite football team, Manchester United and all time favourite player, Ryan Giggs. For my tv table, I used a box in which my computer speakers came packed in. To the left of the TV is my beloved PS2 which i used to play Winning Eleven (Lance… if you’re reading this, rematch this December at Lionel’s wedding) and watch tons of DVDs rented from Blockbuster. To the right of the TV is my almost full laundry basket- I do laundry twice a month- and my guitar behind it. It’s been 4 years since I last played the guitar.

Beside the laundry basket is my almost designer bookshelf, which looks like it’s precisely balanced by the dark green milk plastic milk crate beneath it. In actual fact, the left side of the shelf sits on the laundry basket hence providing stability whilst creating the illusion of it being wholly supported by the milk crate in the centre.

So that’s it- a glimpse into my abode during my uni days. I sure enjoyed living there. It helps when you have great housemates.

Coming soon: ‘The Chronicles of Nadia‘ (that’s the name of the neighbourhood in which we live now) in which I will detail things we’ve done to our place in turning it into a home.