As I began writing I decided it would be best to claim the apartment as my own. Katie and Thomas have deserted me. They are not coming back so I guess the apartment is officially mine. So here is the tour. I no longer live on a school campus, there are pros and cons to that but I’m happy for a change. The apartment complex is conveniently located across the street from the South Gate of the University.
As advised by Katie I am trying to establish a friendly relationship between the guards and myself to allow taxi access in the future. A few pros about this complex are the mini markets at the front. Unlike my previous apartment I can actually buy more than instant noodles and school supplies at the convenient stores.

The Central Walk or affectionatly Pee Alley
Once you pass the small shopping lane you reach the tree lined walk to the back buildings. It has affectionately been nicknamed Pee Alley on the left in the picture is a Kindergarten through out the morning and evenings families gather to play and converse. As usual none of the toddlers wear diapers and puddles magically appear along the sides.
As I return from work each evening I find myself dodging through games or awkwardly smiling through stares. Yesterday was no different. As I caught the eye of a young girl I smiled politely. As soon as I had passed her I heard her announce rather loudly to her mother, “Look, look Mom an American!” Once she assumed I was out of ear shot she said hello. I couldn’t help it, so I turned around and waved only to see her dive into her mother’s skirt.
In China if you are a foreigner you must be American. Sorry guys.

Building 5 third from the end
I’ve moved back up a floor. I’m now 301. It is a nice floor to be on in all honesty, safe as it is past the break in floors – one and two and not too much of a climb. I enjoy the third floor as it is high enough that you get a workout going and coming but not too high that you feel you must workout every time you come and go.

Living room from the door
The living room is still much the same as Katie and Thomas left it. I’ve yet to bring over my scrolls and to be honest I don’t know if they will fit in this apartment. There is not as much wall space and the ceilings feel lower for some reason.
I do feel this living room is more inviting as it is not cut off from the rest of the house. The other living room felt rather isolated.

Living Room - from office

The office - excepting the dust I love to sit in the window
The office is spacious which unfortunately means its prone to getting cluttered. At the moment I’m storing the new French Teacher’s large bags while she is touring Southern China.
I love the window seat an look forward to a good storm to sit and watch. I also have many plans for the walls in this room.

More storage space than I know what to do with
The storage space in this apartment is incredible. I have the same storage setup in my bedroom. I finally have no excuse to have things laying about as an eye sore.

Bedroom the window opens into the drying room
A con to this apartment is the atrocious bed. The air mattress I use for company is in the wings if I can’t adjust to this new level of firm. The mattress is about an inch thick and I’m convinced it’s just plywood with a material cover. I’ve yet to bring over the foam egg create I inherited from Dantzelle.

The bathroom - The shower placement is great, only half the bathroom gets drenched!

Small Kitchen - Perfect for me
The kitchen size is one of the biggest adjustments. It is most definitely a one person kitchen. As I’ve begun cooking more I feel guilty for the size of my last kitchen. Katie deserved my old Kitchen as she and Thomas love cooking. I on the other hand love the new kitchen as I rarely cook and have a lot less to clean!
Again the storage space is phenomenal!

Another step down in washing
Laundry is always a challenge in China when you have grown up pampered with Whirlpool. One thing you can count on in China is the fact that there is always a more primitive model. I now know my last washing machine was quite advanced something I never stopped to appreciate.
With this machine it is all manual. I must fill the basin for each cycle and then transfer for the rinse. I am just so grateful it drains faster than it fills as I’ve left it filling and forgotten it more than once.

Inhale deep and you drift into a barn
Well the caption says it all. Katie and Thomas were presented with these His and Hers buckwheat pillows as a farewell gift. Unfortunately for me they said farewell to them when they left. Only in China is it acceptable to bring the barn smell into your bedroom. I refuse to bring those close to my bed but I can’t bring myself to throw them out either.
I leave them on the couch and then grumble anytime I catch a whiff of them. I just need to find another home for them.
Well this is the new place! It’s nice being in a small apartment that can be deep cleaned in a morning. Oh and I forgot to mention the wonderful AC that cools the house down great. Now if only it was a good heat life would be perfect. I guess I will just have to keep dreaming on that one.