Freshgreen MIGRATION & travel BLOG

Salut les amis 🙂
Honestly, friends are good to have. So far, I’m met mostly the good in Danang and surprisingly don’t have to worry about much. When you’re a foreigner, sometimes you take risks that you wouldn’t when at home. Most of my “decisions” have not gotten me into any trouble……

Until now! I have just been booted out of my house and am now homeless and staying with friends for the rest of the month. What a story: basically, the land “girl” asked for 6 months rent on Monday and on Wednesday, she asked for her house back. Then on Wednesday night, I see a rat in the house and am ready to leave anyway. I spend the next couple nights with the lights on and fans whirling, hoping to scare away the mouse/rat/monster.

Unfortunately, I had to wait until Monday to make the move. All seems pretty good until the actual money transaction and the physical moving of my stuff. My land “girl” (young and with issues) semi-stalks me on the weekend and asks when I’m leaving. I was just waiting for keys to a friend’s house and trust me, I was happy to leave.

But then when we discuss money, she wants to withhold $50 for electricity and water when I only stayed in her place for 12 days, and in Vietnam, that’s more than enough for an entire month. She should’ve actually refunded my entire fee, but that was just not meant to be. After 4 hours of drama and negotiations with my colleages, she agrees to return the money. My colleagues say that it is likely that she spent the money already or does not want to give it back to me. (I just don’t understand this, but this kind of thing happens I hear.) Three of my colleagues go home with me to pack and wait for her. She then asks to delay payment, but when I refuse, she says she’ll come. An hour later, she arrives and of course has to check the house for damages etc. (I was the only thing damaged in the house at this point.) Then we count out the money and finally, it’s in my hands. Then her sister and one of my gentle and very polite colleagues get into a shouting match. It was ugly and so I just want to get out of there. We finally go and when I get to my friend’s house, there’s no ants and hardly any place for bugs or mice to climb in. Ahhhhhhhhhh peace at last!

So at the end of the day, it was a blessing in disguise b/c of the mouse, ants, and other creepy crawlies (once, fruit flies filled the entire rice cooker!) and scary business that came along with that place. So I had to say goodbye to the fish and the karaoke machine (pretty sad), but the tradeoff is worth it. Now I have a potential safer and cheaper place to go in December (convenient location and no rats) and I get to housesit in a house near the beach for awhile. One day, I’ll be able to settle in my own bed and relax, but for now, I’m just happy to be far away from that drama. I know I’ll never get my deposit back but whatever, I’m free at last and have not see ants or mice near me for two whole days 🙂