Back to work
I'll admit it's been a while since I updated, but that's because I think the last time I posted there was enough reading material to last a few days...
I moved into my new apartment on Sunday. I used to be in the foreign students' building, now I'm in the foreign teachers' building. The university has been renovating the teachers' building for at the last few months, hence the need to put the foreign teachers with the foreign students...which in the end turned out really well because that's where I met many of my friends. It wouldn't have been as fun had I stayed with only the teachers.
So I kind of procrastinated my move as much as possible on Sunday. My mother phoned in the morning and I recounted my trip to her (took a while), then I had lunch with friends until 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I continued packing and just when I wanted to move I went to see a Chinese-style American-Idol talent search concert happening in the tennis courts right outside our building. One of our Chinese friends, Maisy, was singing "Hero," so I had to go see that. I ended up moving out later-ish in the afternoon, and not having time to un-pack because it was already time for dinner. We had dinner with the daughter of the woman we spent two nights with in Qingdao. I was back at my place around 9:30 PM, at which point I had to start preparing my classes for the next week. Luckily I found a plan that would work for all three classes... Ended up going to bed around midnight.
Monday was long and tiring. Tuesday was long and tiring, although I did find that these two days passed pretty quickly. Last night I wanted only one thing: to go to bed early. But Katia and Guillaume came over after dinner, then Loic joined us, and they didn't leave until later-ish, so I didn't get to bed before midnight. Having to wake up at 6:45 AM the next day and teach for six hours is harsh...but I survived.
When your tired you reach some low points. I've had a leak in my kitchen, coming from the ceiling, for the past couple of days. The caretakers are aware of the problem, but don't seem to be doing much about it. I don't know what they can do about it since it's definitely coming from the piping system itself. They'd have to break the ceiling and re-do the whole piping...
I also just discovered a leak coming from the bathroom ceiling, although that's most likely linked to what's going on in the bathroom above mine, and is not as dramatic because it's not constant.
My toilet doesn't work. A brand new toilet and it must've flushed satisfactorily maybe three times, five times AT MOST.
I did do laundry. And I did find a fridge. That's another adventure. All the other teachers get a fridge in their room, but I didn't have one. I told the front desk and they took note. I told a cleaning lady and she told me to go see in the foreign students' building. I went there and they told me that they had one but I'd have to transport it myself. A whole fridge. Myself.
So I went to class Monday afternoon (my continuing education class, where the students are older) and asked one of the students to help me. He got a buddy to help him, and they ended up being six students coming to help me (including the class monitor - I was honoured!). It's lucky that there were six of them because six is what was needed. The fridge was quite big and heavy and it was on the FIFTH floor. The poor guys had to carry it down five flights of stairs, out of the building, and all the way to my place (the building's not far - it's actually next door - but they still had to climb some stairs and go over bumpy terrain).
I live on the first floor, which has its disadvantages. The biggest problem I find is that everyone can see me, it's not very private. I love the idea of being on a higher floor. Another small thing is that I have less space - the apartments higher up get a whole extra sunroom, with a cool sliding door and everything. I'd love to have that!!!
But I guess I should be happy with what I have. And I am, when things work.
Things I'll miss leaving my old room:
the coziness of having a small place - everything was close
the furniture - I had more room to put my things (I had two of everything remember: two wardrobes, two beds, two bookshelves)
the "pock, pock" sound of the tennis balls because the tennis courts were right outside, although I suppose that would've gone with the season anyway
Things I won't miss about leaving my old apartment:
I would've said having to go into my toilet tank everytime I wanted to flush, but now it's the same here too!
the pipe noises (although here it's construction noises, but I don't find they're as bad)
the shower - I can finally shower without flooding the whole bathroom and making a mess in my whole room
I'm heading to bed. I work from 8-12 tomorrow. We're planning Guillaume's 22nd birthday this week-end.
I hope everything's going well with you guys. I think about all of you!
I moved into my new apartment on Sunday. I used to be in the foreign students' building, now I'm in the foreign teachers' building. The university has been renovating the teachers' building for at the last few months, hence the need to put the foreign teachers with the foreign students...which in the end turned out really well because that's where I met many of my friends. It wouldn't have been as fun had I stayed with only the teachers.
So I kind of procrastinated my move as much as possible on Sunday. My mother phoned in the morning and I recounted my trip to her (took a while), then I had lunch with friends until 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I continued packing and just when I wanted to move I went to see a Chinese-style American-Idol talent search concert happening in the tennis courts right outside our building. One of our Chinese friends, Maisy, was singing "Hero," so I had to go see that. I ended up moving out later-ish in the afternoon, and not having time to un-pack because it was already time for dinner. We had dinner with the daughter of the woman we spent two nights with in Qingdao. I was back at my place around 9:30 PM, at which point I had to start preparing my classes for the next week. Luckily I found a plan that would work for all three classes... Ended up going to bed around midnight.
Monday was long and tiring. Tuesday was long and tiring, although I did find that these two days passed pretty quickly. Last night I wanted only one thing: to go to bed early. But Katia and Guillaume came over after dinner, then Loic joined us, and they didn't leave until later-ish, so I didn't get to bed before midnight. Having to wake up at 6:45 AM the next day and teach for six hours is harsh...but I survived.
When your tired you reach some low points. I've had a leak in my kitchen, coming from the ceiling, for the past couple of days. The caretakers are aware of the problem, but don't seem to be doing much about it. I don't know what they can do about it since it's definitely coming from the piping system itself. They'd have to break the ceiling and re-do the whole piping...
I also just discovered a leak coming from the bathroom ceiling, although that's most likely linked to what's going on in the bathroom above mine, and is not as dramatic because it's not constant.
My toilet doesn't work. A brand new toilet and it must've flushed satisfactorily maybe three times, five times AT MOST.
I did do laundry. And I did find a fridge. That's another adventure. All the other teachers get a fridge in their room, but I didn't have one. I told the front desk and they took note. I told a cleaning lady and she told me to go see in the foreign students' building. I went there and they told me that they had one but I'd have to transport it myself. A whole fridge. Myself.
So I went to class Monday afternoon (my continuing education class, where the students are older) and asked one of the students to help me. He got a buddy to help him, and they ended up being six students coming to help me (including the class monitor - I was honoured!). It's lucky that there were six of them because six is what was needed. The fridge was quite big and heavy and it was on the FIFTH floor. The poor guys had to carry it down five flights of stairs, out of the building, and all the way to my place (the building's not far - it's actually next door - but they still had to climb some stairs and go over bumpy terrain).
I live on the first floor, which has its disadvantages. The biggest problem I find is that everyone can see me, it's not very private. I love the idea of being on a higher floor. Another small thing is that I have less space - the apartments higher up get a whole extra sunroom, with a cool sliding door and everything. I'd love to have that!!!
But I guess I should be happy with what I have. And I am, when things work.
Things I'll miss leaving my old room:
the coziness of having a small place - everything was close
the furniture - I had more room to put my things (I had two of everything remember: two wardrobes, two beds, two bookshelves)
the "pock, pock" sound of the tennis balls because the tennis courts were right outside, although I suppose that would've gone with the season anyway
Things I won't miss about leaving my old apartment:
I would've said having to go into my toilet tank everytime I wanted to flush, but now it's the same here too!
the pipe noises (although here it's construction noises, but I don't find they're as bad)
the shower - I can finally shower without flooding the whole bathroom and making a mess in my whole room
I'm heading to bed. I work from 8-12 tomorrow. We're planning Guillaume's 22nd birthday this week-end.
I hope everything's going well with you guys. I think about all of you!
posted by Caro at 9:14 PM
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