I am happy to have moved on to greener pastures. First minute impressions created the semblance of laid back vibes: the 40+ opened bottles of spirits and whisky that adorn the dining-room fireplace mantle (remember to be careful walking the driveway!), the recessed lighting that compliments the living-room cocktail mixing-bar complete with a dozen or so more bottles (...two or three connecting internal house-steps can be difficult for those with disabilities...), a cute WiFi password, the buddhist-quotations scribbled on an indoor chalk-board conceded to the façade of a strict, condescending, stressed-out host. The host berated me for taking a pizza in the oven at 10:01 PM. The house interior was clean, but the neighbourhood is right on the border of where Oakland starts to get rough. It is 5 minutes South to vociferous mendicants, one extra minute to Dimond Slice (best pizza place in the neighbourhood!), and 30-40 minutes to South Lakeshore, The Star Pizza, and Arizmendis bakery (yum!).
Flattering reviews made the airbnb seem great, yet it felt as if the host wanted a patsy for their stress at a time when everyone is more apprehensive during the pandemic. Accused of deception for a phone out of working order, my replacement phone received a string of resentful texts from host at 2 AM. Amid messages of other guests coming in to town, sentence fragments missing verbs, and offers to circumvent airbnb business after host "did the math and with taxes and fees, you paid $67.28. I would pay you $70 got [sic] the unused nights" sent on airbnb, I made reservations elsewhere. Happy there was an additional cool airbnb guest to chat about music at the time, best health!
- Ben