The people you never meet

Since being in Taiwan, I have been closely associated with hostels. I have lived in them, worked in them , and recently just hung out a lot in them. Today, I was reminded again that there are a lot of different people whom I would never talk to unless I was stuck together with them.

I am reminded again not to take my friends for granted as they are open minded, relaxed, easy going and social individuals who are naturally easy to get along with and don’t stray too far from the social norm (sexual orientation aside). 

Let me now account for all the memorable Hostel memories in my time in Taiwan.

- L who lived in a hole in the wall (literally) in EE. Live sex show due to him living in a hole cut out from the living room of the hostel. The curtain doesn’t help to cover up the show nor the sound.

- Guest getting drunk in the hostel and leaving it such a mess it took 2 hours to clean.

- Guest telling me to stop working to take me out and buy me dinner. (very rudely) “I will pay! come out with me NOW” …

Today though, it's been bugging me how there are so many people who are strange and just so socially inept that one wonders how they function in society.

Take a 60 year old man staying in the certain hostel right now. There is 1 guest computer , why would you spend everyday of your stay glued to it?!?! Writing a Sex Novel, copying nude photos of your sexcapades onto the desktop. And when another person is trying to use the computer , be blatantly rude is saying ‘ I have been patiently waiting for you to finish the computer’ and make all the accompanying nosiest to voice disapproval. Seriously!

Take another guest who pretends the fridge is his home and raid other guests food.

Take a previous guest who pretends that just because he stayed in the hostel in the past, it is his right to hang out in the hostel with his 20 new found friends.

All this and I still have to put a straight face! In another situation, I would politely avoid these people and am only sometimes reminded they exist. But today, I was reminded that they exist and are prevalent in society. Shame.