I have to admit: I felt extremely lucky and privileged, when I began to work at Strathmore. The school provided me free accommodation for one month in a comfortable bedroom apartment at Alexander Motel in the suburb of Essendon. The location was perfect, the staff was kind and even the possum in the backyard was a good company!
The same day I checked in, I met the receptionist Salvatore nicknamed "Sal": a middle aged man born in Messina (Sicily-Italy) and immigrated in his teens to Australia with his family. Every time we caught up, he was really helpful giving me some tips on finding the right accommodation:
- as Melbourne's monthly ticket is quite expensive, search an accommodation in neighbourhoods that surround your workplace (in my case on the Craigieburn railway line) and closed to grocery shops such as Coles and Woolworths.
So I started searching and searching. I passed my spare time visiting new potential flatemates and inspecting rooms all around the area, but without success. I was so frustrated because the majority of the places was not in good conditions... and the rest, I really liked, was too expensive to afford with my scholarship.
I had almost lost all hope, when my colleague Cathy rang me. Her cousins Rose and Joe were willing to rent me a furnished attic room. As the environment was friendly and the landlords were welcoming, I decided to accept their offer, even if their house was in Coburg and not along the Craigieburn railway line. It was half an hour walk from the nearest train station and the school but further away from the shops. Considering buses did not run frequently in the suburbs, most of the time I got around on foot or by bike.
Overall, I was satisfied with my new "home". Thanks Cathy!
