1. Naunahan ako sa CR (Race to bathroom access)
Yadz Pedral, 32, tells a story of how his stay in his former flat had almost cost him his job. “When I first arrived in Dubai back in 2009,” he says, “I went for a bedspace in a four-bedroom flat in Satwa. The flat only had two shower rooms. Needless to say, each morning was chaotic as everyone was in a mad scramble to get ready. I would always end up late because someone would always beat me to the shower. And so I was placed under the microscope by my boss, who naturally disapproved of my tardiness.”
2. Makalog ang gabi ko (My night trembles)
In the UAE, bed-spaces are typically two-bunk metal beds, where privacy is defined by a curtain separating you from the rest of the world. Normally, the lower deck bed-space is pricier than the upper deck, as it is easier to get in and out of the lower bunk, plus one has more space underneath for luggage and other belongings. Nevertheless, a good night’s sleep is still hard to come by if a squeaky bed is the enemy.
3. Maliwanag ang gabi (The night is bright)
Roommate red flag: the bedroom light is often the bone of contention among occupants. Rico (not his real name) recalls a nasty surprise he got. “I simply asked a guy roommate if I could turn the lights off inside our room,” he says. “I didn’t see the next thing coming – it turned into a heated conversation and flared up. Good thing our roommates stopped the looming brawl before it could happen.”
The sous chef at a chic hotel in Al Karama admits that personal comfort is always compromised in room sharing. Asked why he is still a bed-spacer despite spending almost a decade in Dubai, he says, “Maybe it’s the price you pay for being the eldest among your siblings. I always feel obliged to help, even if each of us has our own family already.”
4. Bakit basa ang sabon ko? (Why is my bathsoap wet?)
Items like kitchen appliances grow legs in shared spaces, Pinoy expats agree. It’s no big deal when others help themselves to the mixie or toaster without asking, but someone else touching personal items like soaps and towels infuriates the majority in the survey. Usual case in point: why is my soap wet?
5. Sinolo ang freezer (The battle for fridge space)
Respect for common spaces, even in the fridge, is a big point of dispute in a lot of households, so know your space and keep the peace, advise co-living veterans.
6. Bakit walang laman ang timba ko? (Waking up with empty water container)
With summer here in full force and tap water becoming hot enough to brew tea by about 8am, the angry shriek “Who took my water?!?” is all too common from shower rooms during the morning rush.
Most people in shared flats stock up on water in covered pails during the night to make it cool enough for their morning shower – but, alas, some rogue flatmates don’t give two hoots about others and just merrily use up the stored water; worse, they don’t bother refilling the pail.
7. Videoke till midnight
Another mega-bummer in co-living spaces, according to a lot of Pinoys, is coming across flatmates who are so inconsiderate as to do loud vocal runs till midnight. Peng Hatulan, a UAE resident for six years, shares the story of her daily struggle with noisy roommates: “What makes it really irritating sometimes is that their singing till late night keeps me awake before a really important day at work
8. Sinong magtatapon ng basura? (Eenie meenie miney mo! Who will take the trash out?)
Probably the biggest source of conflict in any shared flat is cleaning. Agree? Well, unless you’re blessed with a mop-happy roommate that keeps your shared space sparkling. Rhina tells of her never-ending saga with untidy flatmates. “Some roommates create a chore wheel, but no one has ever stuck with it,” she rues.
9. Sumakabilang kwarto. (Hello from the other side)
Shared flats usually have one large room marked by wooden partitions or curtains to separate occupants’ spaces. These divisions sometimes are so identical that distracted flatmates can walk into someone else’s space, giving them a rude shock. That’s why Pinoy expats have coined the term “sumakabilang kwarto”, or when someone ends up in another ‘room’, mistaking it for their own.
