Dear 34 Rawstorne Street,
Remember the first time we met? It was probably around the 3rd day that we arrived in London that we've had the chance to meet each other. You weren't in the best condition to see us on that day; your previous tenants had left you so messy that I would think that some would even avoid you. But it was love at first sight the moment me and Soh Khun walked through that door; the warm and loving atmosphere that was emitted throughout the place, the cheerful disposition that you had, even under all the piles of clothes that your previous tenants didn't bother to hang. You were one of the best places that we've ever viewed , and we were more than willing to let you share our time together in London, regardless of the price that we had to pay (which was actually a steep one at that!!)
Remember that first day we moved in? It was the 6th of October, 10 days after we've first met each other. Me and Soh Khun had a big fight when we moved in, arguing about many things, from the time spent to cleaning and moving furniture to even arguing about where we should put the pasta and sauces! (I won that one by the way :P) It was the first day of our new adventure in London, and you've made it as easiest as possible for us to settle down and make us feel at home. We also didn't had to buy any extra items such as crockery when we moved in, it was already provided by you, and so you've also helped us save a bit of money on things that we were definitely going to throw away when we went back.
Not only were you friendly with us, you were also friendly to our friends whenever that came around. Remember Chee Siong whom you accommodated for 13 days in January? It was probably one of his best experiences while he was also here in London. Imagine the 3 of us would cover ourselves under blankets and watching crunchyroll separately in winter where it was already dark at 4.30pm, just to save on heating bills!! He also came down a few times after that, and you've also showed him the same hospitality even after that. Perhaps the most memorable was that he became friends with SK so quickly. SK probably wasn't the most friendly person in the world, and would usually keep to herself in front of strangers or people that she wasn't very close to. But it was probably your doing that made them possibly the best of friends in one evening!! Up till today I still have no idea how it happened, but at least knowing one more friend is better than knowing one more enemy, not like they had any bad blood between them before.
Not only Chee Siong, but also Dennis who came by very frequently whenever he had the chance. Of course he came over for the home-cooked food which he most of the time did not have to fork out for, and for the mahjong sessions, but he didnt get away that easily did he, washing the plates instead, haha!! Truth be told, I've never come to knowing Dennis very well during our Diploma in Economics days, but you gave me the chance to know him better whenever he came around, and I'm very thankful for that chance. Many gossips were often traded within you, and most of them stayed within you. That was the bond between the 3 of us, which I'm glad to have obtained throughout the time we were here, at 34 Rawstorne Street.
Even though you were only a one bedroom flat, you've accommodated most of the people who've had come over to stay comfortably. While it was only me and SK around, I took the living room with the mattress by the side of the radiator (soooooooooooo good during winter...) while SK took the whole double bed in the bedroom. Remember the time we had 7 people living there?? I know it was crazy, but we did have a fun time anyway. It was my parents who took the bedroom while they were in London, and the rest of us who slept like canned sardines on the lush carpet floor in the living room! Well, at least we kept each other warm during winter without incurring extra costs anyway hahaha......
Not forgetting why we were here, we've (most of the time) used our time in 34 Rawstorne Street pursuing our Masters. It wasn't an easy task; so many assignments had to be completed throughout the semesters and under a short period of time, which made it even more stressful. But it was your aura that kept us going, giving us the motivation to create assignments that were worthy of distinction marks. Not to mention the many times when we locked ourselves at home, isolating us from the rest of the world (not really though, there was the Internet :P) to cram for our exams, which we did ace in the end, with a huge margin. With only our dissertation left, you've helped us made it this far without any problems, and I'm grateful for that.
For the past 10 months, you've been a great friend to us. We will definitely not forget you, nor I think you will also forget about us so easily (we've left a few marks here and there, don't tell the landlady though :P). As I'm writing this, we're already fully packed and waiting to meet the landlady to hand over the keys. I hope that you will treat your new tenant as warmly as you've treated us for the past 10 months, and perhaps we might meet again in the near future sometime. Until then, it's goodbye for now and all the best.
