It's almost been six bonkers months since I began living and working at Gallery Hyde Park Hostel in the heart of London so I thought I'd share the various pros and cons of #hostellife.
JP Gaultier A/W 99
Although moving in with a bunch of strangers from all over the world is daunting, it also f'king rocks as you essentially have a built in family who you can go on city breaks with on your days off. Not only have I learn how to swear in a bunch of new languages, but I also now feel like an honourary ozzie! I've been educated in Russell Coight's Great Aussi Adventures, Thank God You're Here (ozzie SNL), Like a Version, Bundy, Shapes, and ofc the Tim Tam slam!
Tokyo July 96
You really don't know someone until you live with them and sharing communal spaces w guests is very much seeing the world in microcosm. An experiment that time and time again proves how preconceptions are seldom right. As Bukowski put it, people are the best show in the world and you don't even pay for the ticket! Hostel life is also much like speed dating for some - just remember that the walls have ears and not everyone owns earplugs.
A bedroom of 8 is no place for a petty betty.
You'll always have someone to sit with. Which is a blessing and a curse.
If you're heading to ldn and wanna bunk at a hostel, some that come recommend are Generator and Clink 78 which are like huge boarding schools. If you fancy something more intimate then hit up my beloved Gallery in Bayswater, the Walrus in Waterloo or Badgers in Earl's Court!
All it takes is a bad sense of smell and a good sense of humour.
