Flashback 1

As I knew nobody in Sydney, I booked a bed through this website in one of the hostels in the heart of the city. Hostels or backpackers are the cheapest places that one can stay in. The price of the one which I booked was $25 for 24 hours.

My imagination about the hostel was totally different. A dirty man guided man to my bed. Eight beds in a dark and messy room. I was looking for a place to put my luggage. Where can I put my luggage?, I asked him. Put it here! Next to your bed! Nobody would touch it, the guy told me. The room knocked me down. I came out of the hostel and was looking for my university which was located in that area.

I was looking for my university in the main street. I asked the address from 2 guys. When I said thanks, they replied: “no worries mate”. A new word in greeting as a master degree student was not acceptable for me!

After the orientation day, I started looking for a cheap room. I knew some websites but I had no idea where I can find an appropriate room regarding my budget. In the hostel, a nearly 35 to 40 years old black lady was watching TV most of times in the living room. We started talking together and as she was not new in the city, she gave me some idea about how and where to find a room.

She was originally from Kenya. I got happy as I like Kenyan runners. I started showing her my pictures with famous athletes from her country. She suddenly opened a folder of porno pictures from the pc. I showed no reaction but she stared at me. Yes! She was a prostitute that I got it late as everybody else in the hostel knew that except me. She had a strange character as the whole day she used to either read the bible or watch the TV.
Once I asked her about the cost of renting a bed for a long period of time in different hostels and she said:”remember, there is always a room of bargain. So it depends how you can bargain for the discount.” I saw her drunk for few more times after I left that hostel.