My Housemate

11:56pm - 29 November 2007 - 429 views - 8 Comments
Posted in: Daily

I have a friend. His name is Hubert. He is also my housemate. As well my colleague. But most importantly, he’s my friend.

Hubert and I, we’ve been housemates for more than 3 years. I didn’t know him at all at first, it was another housemate of mine who suggested that I should rent out a room to him. Which I did. And I’m glad I did.

Hubert’s a peculiar person sometimes. Well, for one, he only drinks bottled water. Secondly, his choice of food is almost a routine. He goes to the same eateries and have the same food so often that waiters and waitresses know him well. He goes to the same bakery so often enough that once, the cashier told him that he can pay for his purchases the next day because the store didn’t had change at that time. He refuses to try the food I make. Haha. He doesn’t think I’m a bad cook (I hope), rather he’s just particular about his food.

At home, when it comes to college assignments, he does them with such intensity and focus it’s scary. He would toil over his assignments day after day without the slightest bit of slacking off. He outpaces every single one when it comes work. His results outclasses everyone by a mile. His productivity is more than 3 people combined. Unknowingly, he keeps my own work in check because I feel like I have to do something, anything, whenever I see him while he’s on the frightening superhuman-work-mode. He works hard, but never loses his composure. I swear he emits some kind of aura that would frighten even Superman. Kryptonite is nothing.

The phrase “work hard, play hard” can’t be used any more accurately to describe Hubert. Because he plays as hard as he works. He sure does know how to enjoy himself, going places, getting good food and stuff like that. One day you see him typing code for 10 hours straight, the next day you never see him at all because he’s spending the same amount of time hanging out. It takes a little time to get used to when you have a housemate like him.

Beyond the superhuman character, you’ll find a Friend. In caps.

He offers help whenever you may need it, and rarely ever asks for favours and never for a milisecond shows a single bit of hesitation. He can go out of his way to help a lot of people, who at the end wouldn’t realise it but he’ll still be all cool.

We spent quite some time working together in the earlier years when we were classmates. We worked on the same assignments as group members, we hold “meetings” at home by staring at each other say “you do this and I do this” and carry on with our own work the next minute because neither of us believe in the typical formal-meetings-which-never-get-anything-done idea. The next “meeting” would be to report our progress and if all goes well, we’ll do the customary “you do this and I do this” again. And before long, taa-dah. All done. Assignments have never been easier. Sadly, as we progressed further into our courses, we no longer had the same classes as we were into different specialisms.

Outside of work, we play badminton together. He demolishes me all the time. Dang.

Once, he had the nerve to not warn me about his (awesomely gorgeous) girlfriend coming over and introduced me to her the minute after I woke up with a look as presentable as an ape. Sheesh.

He’s also what I would call as my hall-mate. Unlike most common home arrangements, our computers (a.k.a lifelines) are placed in the hall. We practically live, breathe, and eat in the hall together. With the exception of sleeping. Our silence is often accompanied by the very rapid tippity-tappity sounds from our keyboard and we take turns to switch on our music player. Sometimes, I watch him code and sometimes he watches me game. We talked and we laughed, right there in the hall with no one else (considering my other housemate is almost never at home). It’s a joy talking to him because we tend to agree with each other and have similar levels of understanding on a lot of things. Except software architecture because I would look like an idiot compared to him.

He buys me yummy stuff when he goes for holidays. When I was hospitalised that once, he brought his friends whom I do not know to visit me. It was a surprise under rather unpleasant circumstances, but he made it less unpleasant. He totally surprised me with a birthday cake which he sneaked into the house during my birthday when everyone else was working their butts off (including myself).

He is leaving tomorrow for Indonesia. He’s going back for good. He made me sadder today by buying me half a dozen J.Co donuts while he was hanging out at The Pavilion. Because I didn’t manage to get anything for him.

So, this is for you, Hubert.

I wish you all the very best in all your undertakings, and in the event you return to Malaysia one day, you know who to call.

Thank you for being my housemate, hall-mate, colleague, badminton sparring partner, transport minister, programming partner, lunch-mate, Indonesian culture advisor, imported yummies supplier, emitter of tension-causing-aura-to-keep-my-work-in-check and most of all -

- Thank you for being my friend.