How Do You Introduce Yourself/Talk To A New Housemate? / Social // Drowned In Sound

how do you introduce yourself/talk to a new housemate?

DarwinDude [Edit] [Delete] 40 replies 12:43, 9 December '12

My new housemate's just moved in. She seems really nice but it was a bit awkward answering the door to her cause I'm ill and didn't really have anything to say. The house is a bit messy and I had a few dirty dishes in the sink and the work surfaces were covered in crumbs. I'm really worried she's in there now washing up for us and cleaning the kitchen.

I had headphones in and couldn't hear her asking me if I wanted a brew so I was like "SORRY?!" and then I just no thanks even though I really want one.

She's still in the kitchen doing stuff and I really need a glass of water but dont want to go in when she's in there being tidy and I look like this.

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Hi I'm

sorry about earlier, i'm a bit ill and yes i'd love a cup of tea actually, thanks very much.

Then ask her about her weekend.

Get well soon DD.

xheathenx | 9 Dec '12, 12:47 | X
Just go in there and say "hi" or smile awkwardly or something.

I don't think it really matters if you're not massively talkative at first but I think it's good to acknowledge her and appear willing to be friendly, if a bit shy. Either she'll make the conversation or you can end it quickly and crawl back to bed...

theguywithnousername | 9 Dec '12, 12:49 | X
housername's right

The important thing is just to have some contact, even if it's awkward and stuttering. If you're feeling weird about having here there, she'll be feeling double that in a new environment. I'd just go in there and ask HER if she wants a tea - the length of time it takes to make one and drink it is all you'd need to chew the fat and then you can flee again.

Just don't sneeze on the mug while you're making it

Lucien | 9 Dec '12, 12:53 | X
Ask her what gender she identifies with and wait for lively discussion to ensue.

furio | 9 Dec '12, 12:53 | X
- :D
  
  theguywithnousername @furio | 9 Dec '12, 12:54 | X
  
  japes, NickDS, Epimer, mug_mug_mug, Alex-in-Ciderland, and fitzcarraldo this'd this
- well considering it's a women only house
  
  I'd be a bit put out if she was a man.
  
  DarwinDude @furio | 9 Dec '12, 12:59 | X
- you're so cool
  
  georgiabeth @furio | 9 Dec '12, 17:43 | X
  - yes
    
    furio @georgiabeth | 9 Dec '12, 21:36 | X
link her to this thread

beautiful_balloon | 9 Dec '12, 12:53 | X
beat her over the head with a hammer and tie her to the back of a horse

inside-outside | 9 Dec '12, 12:54 | X
go back in there and demand she make you a brew

maintain eye contact at all times, this will assert your dominance.

japes | 9 Dec '12, 13:04 | X

furio this'd this
Just blast out du hast on repeat for the next 16 hours

She'll eventually get the point

Songs_about_ducking | 9 Dec '12, 13:10 | X
Pretty rude to answer the door to someone with earphones in

Tillance | 9 Dec '12, 13:16 | X
- well you wouldn't know she had them in until you open the door
  
  ?!
  
  cat_race @Tillance | 9 Dec '12, 13:22 | X
- this was like five minutes later
  
  DarwinDude @Tillance | 9 Dec '12, 13:23 | X
stick her in a bowl of rice

Jay Z's laugh
ASWJO
JBHR

Glad we got that over and done with

Parsefone | 9 Dec '12, 13:23 | X
i was really bad at getting to know my first housemates

so for my second ones i really went to the effort to be friendly and say hello

only problem is this was also when i was eating diazepam like skittles. i took a fistful to go meet and greet. i sat down in front of the first girl there and definitely remember being blunt "i've taken a lot of drugs because i'm not good with this kind of thing" and somehow within the hour i was helping her pick out a birthday present for her mum in waterstones, i nearly passed out.

then that evening the chinese girl moves in and i say hi hello etc and her whole family is there and say COME COME EAT WITH US and so i do. they didn't speak very good english and they gave me chopsticks, which i can't use and even if i could at that moment i probably couldn't have commandeered a fork. i distinctly remember spearing my food with them and using my fingers to scoop the rice. they must have been too polite to tell me off because in my bubble i detected no loud shouting, except they did seem to ask me more than once if i had ever met david beckham.

CrispinAlexander | 9 Dec '12, 13:25 | X
- the most terrifying experience of my life is being driven over this bridge
  
  http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zDJ6E_A0Gtg/UGhhuLxxGVI/AAAAAAAABH8/g1DZskz9fVA/s1600/bridge2.jpg
  
  by a taxi driver constantly turning around at me to say david beckham and wayne rooney.
  
  DarwinDude @CrispinAlexander | 9 Dec '12, 13:43 | X
  
  this'd this
  - I just went into her room and told her I made some space for her in the bathroom
    
    I cleaned the bathroom too but I didn't tell her that.
    
    Can't believe nobody picked up on "being tidy"
    
    DarwinDude | 9 Dec '12, 13:36 | X
    - hope you knocked first
      
      guntrip @DarwinDude | 9 Dec '12, 14:00 | X
  - I just hang out in the living room, wait for them to come in, talk to them like a normal person
    
    Icarus-Smicarus | 9 Dec '12, 13:50 | X
    
    SarcasticFringehead and skellywager this'd this
    - ^this
      
      with the lights turned off and hiding behind a curtain
      
      malick @Icarus-Smicarus | 9 Dec '12, 14:21 | X
      
      DaveMK, furio, no-class, and sexy_girl this'd this
  - A small firework display should break the ice.
    
    Steved | 9 Dec '12, 14:33 | X
    
    furio and LOLpop this'd this
  - hold the spyglass up to the eyeshield
    
    shucks | 9 Dec '12, 16:41 | X
    
    johnwiddop this'd this
  - ask if they're the keymaster
    
    slam a nearby door if they say no
    
    codpieceface | 9 Dec '12, 16:54 | X
    
    shucks this'd this
  - really like her
    
    She's tiny and said she works in a "small museum" and drives a "little car". hope this trend of diminutives continues.
    
    DarwinDude | 9 Dec '12, 17:02 | X
    
    Cementimental this'd this
  - first thing I asked my former flatmate Laura
    
    me:
    
    *nervous garbled hello*
    
    what's your favourite band?
    
    *wide-eyed stare*
    
    Laura: erm...
    
    incandenza_ | 9 Dec '12, 17:17 | X
  - when i first met one of my flatmates last year i went to shake her hand
    
    which is embarrassing enough in itself but she was holding a bunch of coathanger so i shook the end of a coathanger instead.
    couldn't even be in the same room as her after that
    
    shrewbie | 9 Dec '12, 17:24 | X
    - iv done the shake hands before
      
      and realised soon after that's not a normal way to introduce myself
      
      furio @shrewbie | 9 Dec '12, 17:29 | X
      - i think it is
        
        but some people don't like shaking hands because they weren't raised right so it can create this awkward moment when they give you the wet fish.
        
        CrispinAlexander @furio | 9 Dec '12, 17:30 | X
    - cant stop laughing at this
      
      fappable @shrewbie | 9 Dec '12, 18:08 | X
      
      incandenza_ this'd this
    - sup with a handshake?
      
      Jordan_229_2 @shrewbie | 9 Dec '12, 18:11 | X
      - we were kids at the time
        
        it's weird. like putting on your dad's suit or something
        
        shrewbie @Jordan_229_2 | 9 Dec '12, 18:13 | X
  - Whenever they are watching TV walk in and have a chat.
    
    You could talk about the show that is on and then lead to somewhere else. Loads of these little meetings help and then ask them if they would like to come out for a few pints when you are going out.
    
    skellywager | 9 Dec '12, 17:32 | X
    - Store up all your piss and put in in their room
      
      give you something to talk about.
      
      sharp_yet_blunt @skellywager | 9 Dec '12, 17:35 | X
  - i was the first person to move in at uni but i didnt have any belongings, just a sleeping bag (covered in dried vomit) and an mp3 player
    
    and the house was for 5 girls but it was shared bedrooms, so naturally i took the best one, bed in the corner and passed out. the next morning my first house mate comes in to the room i'm in with her whole family and 2 cars worth of stuff and decides she'll move in to the room with me. It was the worst. They must've though I was a homeless person, or just a nomad with no family.
    
    Then the next housemate came in, and we're all stood in the kitchen doing small talk and she goes "Oh i really dont like my knees, they look like hippos" and then got her knees out and then tells me I had a foundation mark line on my cheek from not rubbing in my make up.
    Fucking hate first meets with people. All I want to do is hide away under a duvet.
    
    fappable | 9 Dec '12, 18:14 | X
    - or a sleeping bag with dried vomit on in this case.
      
      fappable @fappable | 9 Dec '12, 18:16 | X
  - probably take your headphones out first that would be a start
    
    no-class | 9 Dec '12, 20:16 | X
  - good to have an icebreaker like a game I find
    
    I usually play Three Ball Monty
    
    labmonkeya529 | 9 Dec '12, 20:22 | X

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