The Ultimate Roommate Checklist

Without much further ado, below is my Not List. Period.

1. Not a “Kababayan”

I have nothing against all my “kababayan” but I don’t want to risk my life being broadcasted all over Lopez, Quezon when the going gets tough. I am a private person here and in my hometown. I prefer to listen than talk and I wish to remain that way ‘til I run for a seat in the congress (hehehe).

2. Not an Officemate

Again, I have nothing against the office (I just took an online test that preaches not to put the name of the company in vain, too bad) and my officemates. I find my colleagues very professional (take a bow, folks) and very friendly (during and after beer sessions, hehehe). I just don’t want to wake up one day with my roommate is asking me how to debug a code or how to create a Service Agreement online. This would definitely spare me from sleep talking about our customer information system (nightmare!). Also, having a roommate on a different field/career provides perks (though not an assurance) like a nightshift schedule (no need for a toilet queue in the morning) and other privileges (hey, man, is your company having a backstage pass for an FHM-sponsored event?).

3. Not Penniless

Let me play evil here (and I wish to clarify this pointblank): my room is not a charitable institution. Sure, an aged person lives there that makes it, err, Home for the Aged, but no, it’s not for free. My room has an AC that has a sub meter reader, a lamp for reading books (and internal designs!), an electric fan, a bulb for the entire room and another one for the toilet, that requires a monthly electric bill distribution from a hardworking Meralco staff. Completing my monthly room rental fee of P6,000+ (depending on the reading for the AC, the rest of the consumption including TV watching while lying at the wooden “sofa” at the living room is part of the package) is the water supply and my landlady’s “income”. In short, rent is rent. And renting a room in Makati is like eating peanuts at a 7-star hotel. One of the reasons why I opened my room for sharing is for me to try something that I haven’t done for the last 29 years or so. The other reason, the more convincing one, is for the extra saving. Just a side note, I made a background check (not that extensive though) on my roommate. He lives in a townhouse in Marikina, which he visits every weekend, and his family looks "sosy". Damn, I feel so lousy at discriminating people.

4. Not Evil

This is corny to explain but I hope you know what I mean when I describe a person to be evil.

5. Not a Moviephobe

At least if he’s geek and/or autistic, we can still talk about movies when sleeping is scarce. Not to mention that I badly need an assistant who is more than willing to help me with ticket reservation and pick-up (evil laugh, bwahahaha). And it’s a blast if he can start up a movie topic like who is a better auteur between Mike Relon Makiling and Luciano Chaning Carlos.