Sleeping with strangers at summer sensual festival at Berlin
I had a bizarre experience at the sensual Summer Festival at Berlin.
This was the first time I shared an apartment with people whom I have never met. I noticed in their advertisement they need one more person to share apartment for the congress.
As I was not planning to go this congress until then, it was encouraged to make decision to go to this congress if they had still space.
There was still space so I decided to go the congress at the last minutes. (Say 9 days before)
Strangely I did not feel any anxiety to share apartment with strangers, thankful to Facebook, we feel like we are already friends, especially
If we do zouk and having many common zouk friends.
They are from one of Eastern Europe and the three of them are friends each other. (One couple and one lady apart from me)
The guy who organised the apartment seem well organised and not surprisingly, he was very cautious about me. He doubted me from the beginning. ( I call him Mr X)
When I said my mobile was not working properly and said may not taking with me, we tried to sort out this issue right up till I was leaving.
As I was the first person arriving Berlin, he arranged for me to receive the key from the landlord. Otherwise I would have to wait Mr X till 11pm on Thursday.
However, I would not imagine the landlord would be happy to pass the key such a late evening, my early arrival must have been a great relief for all of them.
Anyway, I told Mr X that my flight was due to arrive quarter past 4pm and I expected to get the apartment around 18:00 but Mr X assumed I would be able to get the apartment around 17:00 and seemed to have
told the landlord about this wrong assumption. On the other hand, he suggested I text the landlord once I arrived the airport. We mutually understood this by exchanging chat line, I would text the landlord to tell him time when I am likely to arrive at the apartment.
However, the landlord went to the apartment around 17:30pm and contacted to Mr X I was not there!
My flight was delayed by about 40 minutes and my luggage also turned up very late. So I was able to open my mobile phone only around 18:00.
When I switched on my mobile, the first thing I read was “What an irresponsible person you are! This is the first and last time I will share apartment with someone I don’t know! Now landlord will come about half past 7. I heart sank and felt daunted to be sharing apartment with this person. I have to spend three nights with this person and there was no point in arguing with him now.
What I did next was that I talked to the landlord and arranged to meet him at 19:00. Then I text Mr X “My flight was delayed and luggage arrived late. I now have arranged meeting with the landlord at the apartment to get a key, I will confirm you once I got in”
I got apartment just in time and received the key. I text Mr X and he text beck he was pleased to hear that.
My congress has not even started, but this was not only the problem. There is only one key to share between four of us. Mr X notified me that he and his friend would go to the party straight and they would not come back to the apartment till morning. On 5am or 6 am on Friday, they pressed buzzer. I woke up and opened two doors for them and said hello.
We finally met and he apologised for the rude text, which was a relief.
Anyway, they seemed to be normal and nice people, just we did not know each other, that was all. Then I introduced myself two ladies while I was wondering another lady was supporsed to arrive Friday evening.
One of the ladies was not the one I was supporsed to share a double bed. They just brought this lady from the party. I only went bed around 3am and woke up at 6am and they started to wash clothes, taking showers in turn, eating something.
So I moved the double bed I was sleeping and slept on a floor in a nursery room. A person who had not paid for the accommodation took my bed and I end up sleeping floor with cushions….
I was planning to go sightseeing later so I needed sleep. On this day, they stayed all day in a bed until I came back from sightseeing around 4pm.
A person who took my bed had gone by then and there were Mr X and his girlfriend in the apartment. Ther were half naked, the lady was wrapped bath towel around her and Mr X was walking around with nickers.
Then the lady went out to see her friend. Not a long after, another lady who was supprsed to share the double bed with me arrived. She was very friendly but she took her top off within 15 minutes of meeting me.
I said “ Oh some people are not shy at all! “ They laughed and said no. After 30 minutes, this new lady went into bedroom of the man who was sharing with a double bed with another lady. The room was dark and quiet Inside. I thought the first lady may not be his girlfriend after all and they may be a kind of open relationship….well, its none of my business anyway. I left for workshop which was due to start from 18:00pm. We would meet at party after 11pm so I would stay the venue.
As I spend walking around Berlin during a day with a little sleep, I stayed party till 1am and I got a key from them to go back to apartment. That day, they came back around 6 or 7am.
On Saturday, I left apartment for the full day workshop while they were asleep. When I came back around 19:00, they were home. I took shower and cooked dinner and got ready for a party.
I stayed party until 2am and went back to apartment. I have another full day workshop next day. I must have gone to bed around 3am. A few hours later I had gone to sleep, there was a buzzar.
I did not know the time, as I was extremely tired I just opened the doors and went back to bed without saying anything.
Then maybe one hour or so later, someone rang buzzer again!!! Nooo! I wanted to sleep and I assumed other people who came back after me would open for their friend.
The Buzzer kept on ringing and there was no choice for me to wake up again and open the doors. I had little sleep for two consecutive days due to the hard schedule of sightseeing and workshops and parties.
On Sunday I was like zombie, with no energy left for the workshop. (I did several, but I normally participate in all of workshops)
When I came back from workshop, I spoke to Mr X and I said I needed a sleep and someone else will have to open the door if I open the door first for him.
They understood and the lady apologised for not opening door.
So this festival was damn hard physically, my friend accused me he would have had left the apartment if it was him. Another dancing friend also said I was stupid that I share someone I do not know.
I was still happy at my decision that I shared the apartment with strangers. First of all I save money and secondly, I gained invaluable experience!! Though I wanted to make new friends by this sharing,
It did not work, we hardly see each other as we have completely opporsite time schedule. Mr X did not ask me to dance for three nights, it tells something.
Perhaps sharing strangers is not bad idea but IT is A BAD IDEA to share with someone who has a completely different time schedule.
At my next congress, I still had a need to save money and had attempted to share apartment with strangers through face book.
The nice guy kindly offered me his spare room for free and I really appreciated his kind offer but declined when I knew he would not participate in the workshops!
I would rather pay money to have good sleep. If I am tired all day, there is no point in travelling to a different country to learn and enjoy zouk.
At least I learnt lesson from the Berlin congress. ( You can learn reading this too! )
Well, I still have a problem. At Helsinki congress, I have already arranged to share an apartment with three others. This time, they are not strangers but two of them mostly enjoy parties rather than workshops.
So I have to talk to them about this experience and have to find some solution beforehand if there is only one key to share!!! Still I have time to think. Or you can advise me.Anyone has good idea???