"...beware that we had to remove the toaster due to safety reason..."

Housing has not been so happy the past week.  Just last weekend, the internet was down so we couldn't get any work/procrastinating done for an entire day.  Then, my room has been experiencing a phantom exhaust fan: we have 2 exhaust fans in our room/bathroom that are supposed to draw out smoky/bathroomy smells...but there are no switches to operate these fans.  This week, we started hearing loud whirring noises coming from the ceiling, and it sounded like a vacuum/lawn mower/truck engine, and would turn on and off spontaneously and annoyingly throughout the night.  We also had a long fire drill on Thursday that nearly made us late for class.  Also they shut off the elevators upon us reentering the building, so someone had to climb twelve flights of stairs.  Then, today, we went to have brunch in our communal kitchen and found that, not only do none of the outlets work (I discovered this yesterday, in fact), but also the fridges and freezers were off.  DEEP SIGH.

I guess I never blogged about our second home that is Nido.  Nido is located on Pentonville Road, which is the same as Euston Road, except streets like to change names to confuse people.  We are 7 minutes away from King's Cross/St. Pancras Station, so I can theoretically visit Platform 9 3/4 every day on my way to and from school if I wanted.  There are also plenty of stores (Tesco, Waitrose, Boots) and restaurants (Nando's, Humaira Tandoori) and things all around, and we are a good 30 minutes from the University of London/NYU in London campus.

Nido is a very modern-looking building, kind of out of place in this northernish part of London.  It has blue-green strip windows.  There are 16 floors and we're on 12, with a beautiful view of southwest London.  The rooms and bathrooms are tiny (according to one of my friends, if you really wanted to, you could sit on the toilet, wash your feet in the shower, wash your hands in the sink, all at the same time.  If you wanted to) but it's cozy and quite neat.  They have cleaning services for us once a week, so I always look forward to Thursdays when someone comes to sweep and mop and scrub-a-dub-dub.

For my first time dorming, I am really pleased with the experience (save for this week's break-downs of everything).  Nido feels safe; there are security guards and gates so you know only residents are getting in.  It's also pretty, for the most part.  The lobby is very spacious and bright and modern.  The communal kitchens have fiery red walls and paintings.  The rooms have wood floors and floor-to-ceiling windows and minimalist furniture.  All in all, I really like it.  I wonder what it will feel like to go back home, to my carpeted bedroom that is actually big, to my funny pink bathroom, to my dingy but always-filled-with-food kitchen, to my two living rooms, to my piano!  To my house, my home, my family!

p.s. Maintenance actually posted a sign that said "beware that we had to remove the toaster due to safety reason".  Just one reason?