Reciprocate

I accomplished 2 fulfilling tasks the past 2 days.

Friday Evening_Night

Although I've been here for 2 months, I'd never chatted with my brother using skype until a few days ago. We were discussing about handling interpersonal relationships. I believe most of you have met people in life whom you don't hate them but you don't really like them. It has always been my case when I talk about that "sidetrack" person. haha.. My bro commented that she's really pitiful after listening to my stories about her. He advised me to be nicer to her & my bro's words did have some impact on me.

She's quite nice to me the past week, offering me food when she cooked. Furthermore, I am the one that usually sleeps later than she does. She will never switch off the lights no matter how late I stay awake though I told her that I don't mind working in the dark. At least that's her way of showing some consideration. So I thought I should reciprocate. When I was at the Japan Week event, I brought back the cake and the sweets for her & her face lighted up. It makes me feel good seeing that my little act brighten up someone else's day. She asked me for help the past few days, directions, information etc & I lent her a listening ear when she needed someone to complain to.

I feel I am starting to treat her like a friend rather than just a roomie. :)

Saturday Afternoon

I realised something new about myself this afternoon. If someone treats me well, I will reciprocate him/her by being nice double. But if someone treats me badly, most probably I will reciprocate by hurting him/her back what he/she does to me!

After my post yesterday, I need to take back some comments I guess. I woke up this afternoon and saw my cute french neighbour cleaning his room! I am not showing favouritism or being biased but apparently, he's one of the neater and cleaner guys among the lot of men here! I had another Canadian neighbour and his room is a total mess with clothes, beers, towels, bags lying at every corner (even worst than my roomie). What that french neighhbour did was he moved out all his tables and chairs in his room and did a thorough cleaning up of his room.

I was surprised.

After he was done with his room, he went to the communal kitchen and he started working on the cleanliness of the kitchen. Didn't I just say that he's the laid-back kind 24 hours ago? Haha.. Seeing him doing it all alone, I helped him even without him asking for help when he saw me. I didn't offer to help, I just HELPED. Frankly speaking, if it had been someone else doing it, maybe I would have just said "Hi" and walked past, totally can't be bothered or maybe offer to help first and observe his or her reply. But it was him, someone who has been really nice to me (he's nice to most people actually), especially offering his laptop so I could watch soccer so I felt I should reciprocate.

So, I spent almost an hour helping him to tidy up the communal kitchen in the end. You will be amazed by what he did honestly.

What he did--> <-- What I did
^Cleared all the dishes #Cleared all the beer bottles
^Washed every single pot & pan #Put the utensils into dish-washing machine
^Scrubbed the hotplate and the sink #Wipe the tables & the sink after him
^Vacuum & Mopped the floor #Swept the floor & empty the garbage

It was freaking clean after he scrubbed the kitchenware and the hotplate. Then, I tried to vacuum the floor first so he could mop it but I am quite clumsy when it comes to using vacuum cleaner & I don't know why. Haha! So he say he can vacuum it & I can just stand at the corner and watch him do it.

Actually, there's a schedule that states who's responsible for cleaning up the kitchen every week. It wasn't our turn this week but no one cares about it anyway. We felt a sense of achievement after seeing the clean & tidy kitchen seriously. He said I did a perfect job & he appreciates my help so he offered to get me lunch as he was on his way to get his but of course I didn't accept. I didn't expect anything in return when I helped him. But he said he can invite me over when he cooks someday.

In the evening, when I went back to the kitchen, many of them thanked me for helping to clean up. I felt I didn't do much so I said it was that french guy who did the job. I wasn't trying to be polite but I felt I didn't do much honestly.

But he said, "No. We did it together."

I felt a sense of fulfillment when I heard that. :) It wasn't because people thanked me and I find it satisfying, neither was it because I think the french guy is cute and helping him makes me feel good. It was the bond that was established between me & the rest of my neighbours, the feeling of working together with him as a team to get things done & me doing something without asking for any return that made my day. (",)

Ask yourself: When was the last time you VOLUNTARILY worked in a team with someone without any conditions attached or without any personal gains? When was the last time you did something not expecting anything in return?

I guess this is something that varies inversely with growing up, at least for me.