Apartment Living

While the apartment is nothing to write about, the complex itself is amazing. Everything you need is within the gates of the complex --- indoor and outdoor playgrounds, tennis court, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, cafe, airline ticket office, gym, dry cleaner, hair salon, massage services, security, concierge. We've only been swimming in the outdoor pool, we've eaten in the cafe (their ham and cheese sandwiches are pretty good) and played on the outdoor playground, which Sydney LOVES. Here are some pictures of the grounds, most of which were taken from our balcony on the 6th floor. It has been overcast here so some of the pictures are hazy.

this is one of 3 outdoor playgrounds

one of the 2 club house buildings -- there is a roof top barbecue grill

There is a team of employees working throughout the day to make sure the the grounds are immaculate.

In order to enter the building, you need a security badge. You also need the badge in order to use the elevator. There is usually an employee with a walkie talkie standing outside the building to help you with carrying things into the building or call you a taxi. The only draw back is that they don't speak any English. I feel very safe here.

I noticed last Friday that there was a grocery truck in our complex selling basic groceries - eggs, bread, fruit, and Kraft's Mac 'n Cheese. It will be convenient if we ran out of groceries.

I have lived in a house for so long I had forgotten how loud it can be in an apartment. I can hear my neighbors upstairs walking around at night. I also hear people getting off the elevator and entering their apartment. There are only 3 units on my floor. The people across from me are an old Chinese couple. I was very shy about making eye contact when I first saw them because at the time, Sydney was having very loud tantrums. But I saw the lady the other day and she smiled at me so I smiled back. It's a start.

People here do not use large trash cans like we do in the US. They use what is the equivalent in size of a bathroom trash can and when it is full, they take them to the dumpster every day, which in my complex is located on the staircase across from my apartment. Actually, dumpster is an exaggeration. It is more like a typical large trash can that we use in the US. The grounds people must remove trash from there several times a day because I've never seen any trash in there when I take mine out. I looked for a US size trash can at the store and can't find one so I'm not sure that this is unique to my apartment complex.

Even though my complex is supposed to have water filters so that the water is safe to drink, I'm still not taking any chances. I boil a kettle of water every morning for tea and what I don't use, I keep in a pitcher in my bathroom to use to brush my teeth. Every apartment also has a water cooler that you can order water bottles to be brought up to you by the apartment management. You even have a choice between sparkling or distilled water. When I went to order the water, the asst manager explained that I need to buy "cups" for the water bottles. She said that I can buy as many as I want to. Since it will be another month before my stuff from the US will reach me, I decided to buy 5 cups. As it turns out, she meant "coupons" to show that you have paid in advance. You buy coupons and when you want water brought up, you call the management team and when they arrive you give them a coupon.

Despite the frustration I experienced upon moving in, I am glad that I choose this apartment complex. I always feel very relaxed when I arrive home from a hectic day. Shanghai is crowded (21 million people, I'm recently told), and as a result, it is loud and at times, stressful. It is nice to have a little oasis when I come home.