Saturday, April 2, 2011

Flat Sharing 103: Smoking


When I was searching for flatmates, I always put "non-smoker" as a very top priority criteria.

Unfortunately among my 4 (in reality, 5) flatmates: 2 are smokers.

I don't like its smell, and I have the rights to not have cancer.

I made it really clear to them, no smoking is allowed in the living room/kitchen/dining room..etc shared compound.

It is all well in the beginning. Until once I saw lighter in the bathroom. and I smell something fishy: smell of cigarette in the bathroom.

Oh gosh
At least....its only in the bathroom...i thought, after switching on the ventilation fan before I shower.

Not too long after that, I smell cigarette in the dining room.
Damn it.

I started questioning them indivually , of course they didn't admit, blaming the other guy instead.

There was once I was trying to clean up the place, and discover one single cigarette butt beside the table in my living room. Angrily, I took my broom and try to swipe it prepare to confront them later. I conveniently swipe under the table as well, and a dozen or so cigarette butts came out with an empty bottle of coke and some peanuts shells.

Good job.

As I am about to explode, one of the smoking flatmate (nicknamed :Flatemate A, as depicted in the cartoon above) came out from his room and quickly explained that it was the other flatmate's doing: he brought his friend here from some crazy drinking: it was Friday.

I sent him a message:
Found your cigarette butts in the living room. We agreed that no smoking is allowed in the common area. You might want to find another place before this happens the 2nd time.
However, flatmate A is no better. He is actually the one who smoke in the bathroom. The thing is, at least the other flatmate admits that he smoke. Flatmate A always acted as if he is obeying the rules, but he do it secretly.

I found a huge amount of half filled beer can in the place...I always thought how come they would leave beer on the table/living room overnight, that would spoiled the beer.

Until once the 'half filled beer can' was toppled, and a stream of black smelly, disgusting liquid flow from its opening.The "cans" are his ashtray...plus water..=__=

He also leave a polystyrene beside the balcony door for his cigarette butts: its okay..as long as he smokes in the balcony. BUT he never clean the bowl, the bowl is there for a few months, with the butts pounding up.

A few days ago, I stay up really late to work. I walk out of the room at 4AM for a toilet break and VOILA, he is smoking with a unusually large cigarette! It looks like he rolled extra tobacco in it.He gave me his "oh shit' expression.
I was in toilet rush so I didn't say anything but walked quickly passed him to the toilet.

As I came out, it was gone. Not a trace.
He probably quickly put it into one of his 'half filled beer can', or he smoked out the entire gigantic cigarette in 1 minutes...if the latter is true, I have to admire his skills and pity his lung.

This morning I was cleaning again. There is an empty "Mr. potato chips" tall container around the corner, filled with some usual food packaging that my flatmates usually will not throw into the garbage can but store it in some random places around the house (this will be featured in the future cartoon). I thought it was just that, but when I threw it into the public garbage disposal site, the water flow out on my hand accidentally from the Mr. Potato Chips.

Damn you "half filled beer can".

Anyway, Yeeteng and Juliana (my 2 most craziest fans..lol) suggested I make my characters in the cartoon more recognizable so its easier to tell each person apart.

As a very good cartoon artist (ehem), I decided to lay out some characters in the future flat sharing series, here are the first 2, thats ME and FLATMATE A. =)