If there's one wish I'd have, it would be to have this flat all to myself. Ryan is a pleasant enough person but I do miss the time when my flatmate was Chubby. There were many common points between us, when with Ryan there is just none. Before Wasir entered the picture, we were still spending time together, going to the cinema, having dinner or a drink here and there. Now, even though our rapport is polite and friendly, there's no more communication. That could be acceptable if that didn't also mean that the energy in the house would dangerously bend down toward zero. Their life as a couple follows more or less the same pattern: work + dinner + internet, with some variations during the weekend. I didn't understand it when many years ago, my father would make his displeasure known to everybody when we would have to host some relative for an extended time. I just found him unjustly difficult. But now, I totally share his feeling. Were he an office worker or a banker, none of that would happen. But as a composer, having his space free of any interference was vital for his creativity. The presence of a common mind would disturb him. The same goes for me. I know Ryan and Wasir wouldn't even comprehend that. They don't make much noise, they're nice and friendly. But the air in the house is dull in their presence. Adrian who came to stay at our place during my absence was horrified at how untidy they were.
"Everything was a mess. There were bags and boxes everywhere in the house. Bowls and dishes would pile up in the sink. I didn't dare to say anything, since I was just a guest" he later told me.
They cleaned everything before I came back - making me feel like I was the evil step-father returning home. I guess their case is just typical of many others in Taiwan: children do nothing in their house, since it's the mother's chore. Parents are usually so busy that the child upbringing is basically about going to school and bringing back good grades.
"Taiwanese girls can't keep a house!" a friend of mine once said. It's true, now that I have visited many friends' places, I can single a couple of flats which would qualify as good interior. The
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