UpdaTe

Hello again!

My apartment hunting in Pittsburgh was horrible, but I finally got one. The bad news, it is an expensive one, but I will explain why I come up w/ this particular apartment. I've just got the approval on Monday (4.21) after two days waiting.

Pittsburgh preserves its old buildings, so nearly all the apartment buildings are old. If you go to Iowa State and live in Ames, the buildings are similar to dorms in Richardson Court area such as, Linden Hall, BWR hall, Lyon Hall, and Oak-Elm. Some of the buildings in Pittsburgh even are older than the ones in Richardson Court!!!!!!

I landed on Sunday (April 30) evening, and I managed myself to check some areas behind campus. I found one that I didn't like, so I cancelled my appointment on that night. The next day, I had 4 different appointments and was not satisfied w/ all of them. I visited one apartment, modern building (not built from bricks), but it would cost me nearly $1000 including electric and Internet service. Thus, I didn't pursue it.

Tuesday was much better than Monday's apartment hunting. I visited 3 apartments, the first apartment was good, it is an efficiency, very bright, but no AC. I'll have to pay electric and Internet, and with the rent base, it will give me about $750-$780 per month. The 2nd apartment (under same property management) is a little bit nicer compare the first one, but the heater falls under electric bill, so total rent cost will range $850-$950 per month. Both of them are far from campus, you need to ride a bus, no shuttle buses from univ that will go to that area. The neighborhood is nice, too.
The third apartment is really really far from campus. It takes about 20 minutes (by bus) from apartment to campus area). My admission director helped me to schedule this apartment for me. Only SOcial WOrk grad program students who are allowed to stay in this apartment. The location is on the north side of Oakland (university area), and it belongs to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. It is cheap, but it is far, so I can't handle it..

the fourth one, is way closer to campus, but not that close. I know it is complicated, but it is difficult to explain unless you see the actual university area in Pittsburgh..
The building is fairly new, not filthy... I have to pay my own electric and Internet, so total monthly rent $750-$850. The shuttle bus will pass that street.

By Wednesday morning, I said to myself that I will pick the one that is close to campus ($750-$850), if my appointment w/ one property management today doesn't go well. I only have one appointment on Wednesday, and won't be able to schedule another one for Thursday and Friday. My last appointment is nice, at least I was impressed from outside, and I learned about this building when I passed by the street. It took me forever to be able to speak w/ the consultant because the line is busy, or no one answered the phone.
The rent covers all utilities incl electric, so I only need to add Internet service. The total will fall somewhere $872. The shuttle bus goes to my street..

After thinking and thinking, I decided to take the last one. Most apartments that I like, the rent fee will fall about the same ($750-$860)Not until Monday that I learned that this apartment was confirmed.


I haven't told my Mom that I chose this one, because I couldn't get hold on her for a week. She took a group to one Asian country for 7 days...

ANyway, it was a long trip for me.... 6 days in Pittsburgh, all alone...
I was glad that I could go back to Ames. Life in Pittsburgh is not as easy as life in Ames...

When you don't travel back & forth from Indo-US....

I used to travel internationally every 6 mths, but I stopped doing that since July 2006. Thus, my frequent flyer program is dropped from Premium to General Member effective February 2008. :P
It is a sad thing, but there's not much I can do. I mean, I haven't been at home since Summer 2 yrs ago, and I couldn't go home while I was on duty here. Thus, I can't earn any privileges like economy plus seats and upgrade to business class. Anyway, I'll return home for vacation this coming Summer, but I am tempting to use another airline, and I am hoping that I can transfer my mileage from this flight to my current frequent flyer program since they are under Star Alliance partner.

Meanwhile, I will earn another 2000 miles by April 18, 08 because I had roundtrip domestic flight from Des Moines to Pittsburgh. I will earn another 1000 miles somewhere around May because I'll leave for Pittsburgh in May..
Hahaha... it is a lot of calculation, but I will see how far I can go to get back to premium status.. :)

Tomorrow is my departure to Pittsburgh. This time I will stay for 6 days, and I wish I could accomplish my goals during my visit at Pittsburgh.

p.s. It's snow in Ames right now.. How lame is that????

Between Happy and Sad....

I only have 5 work times left as a Youth Specialist. This morning one of my co-workers pushed me to tell everybody when my last day of work is, so I had no choice other than telling her that April 30 is my last day. I know that she is nervous because this means she has to work by herself after that. FYI, she used to work as a Flex, but she moved to regular schedule since March due to budget issue. Therefore, she works with me from Thursday until Saturday, and my supervisor removed the part-time who used to work w/ me around that time from the schedule.

After meeting, I spoke w/ both my director and supervisor that I will volunteer during the month of May (from Thursday to Friday) to cover the empty spot temporarily. I also told them that I will move to Pittsburgh in June and won't volunteer on full hours. I will just come from 3pm -8:30pm and help w/ group, recreation and free time. The decision whether a part-time will work on that part is up to my supervisor. Some of my co-workers said that I am crazy, but I know the feeling of working w/ no consistent partner, and I don't want my partner will feel that way. I will do the best to help them during that transition.

So, that's the mixed feeling that happened at work. Late afternoon, I learned that one of my best friends just got a job in Arkansas. I know that he has been waiting for the result since Saturday, and I know that he wants the job so bad. Thus, I am happy for him, but I cannot deny that I feel sad, somehow jealous that he gets a job. Suddenly, I feel that I am not going to see him because he will move to Arkansas in about 2 weeks. That means I return to Ames and he leaves for Arkansas. I also think that her girl friend will definitely go to see him right after the semester ends, and I'm not sure I can go w/ her because I have to pack my stuff, clean my apartment, and etc. Or, I should say, I am not sure she wants me to join her. Nobody knows.
The jealous part is arised because I will not get a monthly salary after April, and it reminds me of my job hunting moment. I was exhausted during job hunting and didn't get a full time job until October 2007. I did get a part-time job, though I worked like a full-time person, but still it was a part-time job. So, for about 20 minutes, I keep telling myself that I shouldn't be jealous because I will return to grad school, get a scholarship, a stipend, and my univ is one of the top grad schools in the social work program. Moreover, I get all kudos from my work friends, ex-college friends, ex- professors, and even from the director of the program. Thus, there's no reason to be jealous. Or, I probably have a mixed feeling between jealous and afraid. I am afraid that I'm not be able to hang out w/ my friends during the month of May, and I am afraid that everybody will leave before I am gone for Pittsburgh. I really don't know what's going on w/ me.

Then, despite all those terrible feeling, my roommate will move out from my apartment by April 20. That means, I have to pay the May rent plus the utilities by myself. I asked her about carpet cleaning, and she said that she is going to reimburse for 1/3 of the total cost of carpet cleaning. The reason she is going to pay 1/3 is because she moved to my apartment on Jan 14 this year. I am thinking to not charge her at all since I feel uneasy w/ money discussion. Somehow, I expected her to pay full rent fee for APril, but she only paid me for 20 days rent considering that she will move on April 20. Sigh...

Well, I expect that I will feel better after writing this blog, but I apparently still feel terrible. For sure, I feel sad at this time, really sad.