Year Two Begins
We had a good summer and were very happy we got to see so many friends and family. Although two months is a long time, it passed very quickly and we found ourselves back in China preparing for another year. However, there was a lot to do...more than we knew.
Our last week before returning to the States was crammed. I was busily preparing grades and final documentation for my school year. We also were packing up our house because the lease was up on our apartment and the school wanted us to move into a school-owned apartment. Added to that, four days before we left -- and before we had really started packing -- Sandy sprained her knee which confined her to an office chair. Fortunately, one day some friends came over to help her pack the kitchen and the next day several friends came over to help the movers move our stuff. We didn't have far to go (just about 100 yards) but we still had to pack up everything, and because it was so close, the movers didn't bring a truck, so everything was walked to the new building.
One last detail, which explains our current situation better, is that we were moving into an already occupied apartment. The young couple was leaving the school, but needed the apartment through July. So, all our stuff went into a spare bedroom. It wasn't ideal, but they were friends and the arrangement benefited both of us
When we returned at the end of August, we were pleased to see the beds basically made up (the beds belonged to the school and hadn't been moved) and the house in order -- though in need of significant cleaning due the general dustiness of China. So, the next day we started cleaning and setting up house. In order to clean the kitchen walls, Sandy stood on the kitchen sink counter (since we don't have access to a ladder) and then everything gave way -- counter, sink, and Sandy crashed to the floor, water spraying everywhere.
We had known there were some repairs to be done in the apartment (missing bathroom water heater, no washing machine hookup on the balcony) and we knew we wanted to have a hot water heater installed below the kitchen sink. As bad as this situation was, though, it acted as a catalyst to get everything else done and more (including drilling some holes to hang things and replacing a bathroom sink that had a serious leak issue). Yes, we were without a kitchen sink for about four days, but everything we needed done was fixed in one day -- and (because I would have to schedule contractors on my own) I had imagined it taking weeks to accomplish all of this.
Now after three weeks of settling in, we are feeling much more at home and are very content here. So far, we have yet to experience any noisy community gathering (like a funeral) but the noise level from the nearby preschool (which conducts daily announcements over the loudspeaker) and from the women's dance group have been tolerable (depending on where we are in the house). Which leads me now to present you with a tour of our new home -- you may notice we upgraded from the wooden living room furniture. (If you would like to compare it to our previous place, check out the tour of that apartment here.)
Life in another country can be exhilarating, but it is not without its challenges. It does help when you can give yourself a sense of home within that country -- a small haven away from the wonderful strangeness of the culture around you.
Our last week before returning to the States was crammed. I was busily preparing grades and final documentation for my school year. We also were packing up our house because the lease was up on our apartment and the school wanted us to move into a school-owned apartment. Added to that, four days before we left -- and before we had really started packing -- Sandy sprained her knee which confined her to an office chair. Fortunately, one day some friends came over to help her pack the kitchen and the next day several friends came over to help the movers move our stuff. We didn't have far to go (just about 100 yards) but we still had to pack up everything, and because it was so close, the movers didn't bring a truck, so everything was walked to the new building.
One last detail, which explains our current situation better, is that we were moving into an already occupied apartment. The young couple was leaving the school, but needed the apartment through July. So, all our stuff went into a spare bedroom. It wasn't ideal, but they were friends and the arrangement benefited both of us
When we returned at the end of August, we were pleased to see the beds basically made up (the beds belonged to the school and hadn't been moved) and the house in order -- though in need of significant cleaning due the general dustiness of China. So, the next day we started cleaning and setting up house. In order to clean the kitchen walls, Sandy stood on the kitchen sink counter (since we don't have access to a ladder) and then everything gave way -- counter, sink, and Sandy crashed to the floor, water spraying everywhere.
We had known there were some repairs to be done in the apartment (missing bathroom water heater, no washing machine hookup on the balcony) and we knew we wanted to have a hot water heater installed below the kitchen sink. As bad as this situation was, though, it acted as a catalyst to get everything else done and more (including drilling some holes to hang things and replacing a bathroom sink that had a serious leak issue). Yes, we were without a kitchen sink for about four days, but everything we needed done was fixed in one day -- and (because I would have to schedule contractors on my own) I had imagined it taking weeks to accomplish all of this.
Now after three weeks of settling in, we are feeling much more at home and are very content here. So far, we have yet to experience any noisy community gathering (like a funeral) but the noise level from the nearby preschool (which conducts daily announcements over the loudspeaker) and from the women's dance group have been tolerable (depending on where we are in the house). Which leads me now to present you with a tour of our new home -- you may notice we upgraded from the wooden living room furniture. (If you would like to compare it to our previous place, check out the tour of that apartment here.)
Life in another country can be exhilarating, but it is not without its challenges. It does help when you can give yourself a sense of home within that country -- a small haven away from the wonderful strangeness of the culture around you.
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