Friday, November 21, 2008

My Apartment!

Okay so I've been in Shanghai about a wk now and it's been a pretty busy start! Arrived last Fri. night, checked out apts. on Sat., moved into my new apt. Sun. and from there just been going to meetings and stuff.

I got an agent to help me find a place just b/c it's easier that way being that I don't speak Mandarin (yet) and I don't know my way around that well (and I get lost very easily). My agent was really nice her name was Sophie and she took me around to a couple of different places. I even got to ride on the back of a scooter through Shanghai which anyone who knows Shanghai knows is an experience in itself!

It was between two places. The one was newer, smaller and a bit cheaper but not near as central. The place I ended up going w/ is about a 5 min walk from Xinzha metro which is 1 stop above People's Square line 1...very central which is exactly what I was going for since as I mentioned before I'm directionally challenged and when you don't know the language it brings the game of charades to a whole new level when communicating w/ ppl. It's a one bedroom...nice enough...nothing fancy but whatever I really just want a place to stay that doesn't have cockroaches! And so far I can safely say I haven't seen any...now I'll go knock on some wood!

As many of you know my apt. in Shanghai last Summer came w/ house guests aka cockroaches. I asked my friend Todd (Canadian photographer) during the Summer one request in apt. hunting- no cockroaches and no rats...well at least it didn't have rats. My second night there I saw two cockroaches in the kitchen...apparently it just can't be helped! Well I put out traps and only saw about one a wk...unfortunately I don't know if they were eating the dead ones or something but they started to grow to mutant size. At least I can look back and call it a character building experience lol.

One thing that majorly sucks here though is that they require 2 mths rent plus 2 mths deposit (that's 4 mths...with the Can. dollar in the crapper that's a lot!). Until I start working this has left me beyond poor...I haven't bought sheets for my bed yet but I think today I'm going to go buy a blanket b/c sleeping in my coat w/ a hot water bottle just isn't cutting it (no I'm not joking here). Thankfully I found out that the air conditioners in China are also the heaters as I was really beginning to worry that I had somehow rented an apt. that didn't have heat as I couldn't see a vent anywhere in the place... I was definitely cold and it's only Nov. so I was more than a little worried (esp. since I'm sleeping w/ a coat and hot water bottle lol).

Here's some pics of my apt.

Here's the kitchen

Living room...Love that orange couch lol...esp. w/ pea green wall off the kitchen!




Here's the bedroom - See no sheets! Actually I've just been sleeping on my orange couch until now!

3 comments:

Veronika London said...

I am speachless....but I'm sure your going to be an inspiration -ur a tough smart cookie....and.....it reminds me...of lds...all nighters..sleeping on the couch with our jackets covering us...lol...

Jessica Jean Myers - Makeup Artist said...

LOL so true...I went and bought a blanket and pillow yesterday...best investment I've made in awhile lol!

Anonymous said...

well that's good..that reminds me..we did have the incident of the cockroaches too...but yes warmth is good...reminds me..i went shopping for winter boots today...brrr...it is cold ...!! this has to be my last winter in canada...