One of the last lessons in Chinese I had back at my last semester at UF was “apartment shopping.” There was no way that any amount of preparation could have prepared me for what I would encounter in trying to find an apartment in Nanjing. My experience in Shanghai was easy. JT found a really nice modern apartment in a great area with a great roommate. Nanjing... Not so easy. In three days I saw at least 9 apartments, was heartbroken by not getting one, wheeled and dealed for my second choice and finally found a place to call home.
Monday morning JT and I set off to my new offices (which are really nice and will come in a later blog post) to meet with my coworker, Cheryl (who is incredibly nice and you’ll meet more of her in a later post too... So much so write about), so that the three of us could go house hunting. We met with one agent that morning and I didn’t know what to expect. JT, who has moved 7 times in 3 years, was much more prepared than I was. We walked into the first apartment that was considered a “studio.” It was about the size of a dorm room, had a “mattress” that was about 2 inches thick lying on a wooden bed frame. The dry wall was peeling and it smelled terrible (I would use a stronger adjective, but I’m trying to be sensitive to the audience). I knew it was going to be a long day...
JT stayed calm and collected as the agent took us to 4 or 5 other similar style apartments and he told the agent these were too small. I was so happy that he was along with me. He knew just how to talk to the agent and explain to her what we were looking for (he has had ample opportunities to practice his “apartment shopping” chinese). Finally the agent took me to a “real” apartment. I quickly realized I knew I was willing to pay a little more for a more “homey” feel.
I will spare all the gory details of the price negotiations and the ups and downs I had with finally getting a suitable apartment (while not first choice... I’m not bitter or anything...). All I know is apartment shopping in China is cut throat. And what’s even more of a pain is the fact that tenets pay anywhere from 3-6 months rent up front. Yeah, that wouldn’t fly in the US. Obviously this was fun taking out thousands of RMB at the ATM especially with a $500 daily withdrawl limit. But I now have a place to call home.
It’s just across the river from work and about a 10 minute walk or a quick bus ride away. It’s in a nice part of Nanjing that is close to downtown, but with a little more of a “neighborhood feel.” My coworker Cheryl lives just down the road so I have a friend close by. There’s a nice park and walking path along the river, and I also have a shopping mall with a nice grocery store, Sephora (believe it or not... But I doubt they sell makeup for white people), movie theatre and (supposedly) a gym. The apartment has two bedrooms, and hopefully I’ll be able to find a roommate in the next few weeks. It was a little more than I wanted to pay, but it’s worth it to now have a home. And with a roommate, the rent won’t be too bad. The bathroom is less than desirable, but hey... You can’t win ‘em all. This weekend, I’ll be putting a lot of time into sprucing up the place and a trip to Ikea is scheduled for Thursday. I’ll be sure to post pictures soon once it’s up to par...except of the bathroom (it’s really that bad).
I’ve got one more night in the Crown Plaza and I’ll actually be a little happy to leave. My departure from the hotel and moving into the new apartment means I’m really doing this. No turning back now!
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