Tonight Cullen and I moseyed down the hall to visit the Japanese teacher to find out when she wants to move next week because we're sharing a moving van provided by the school to do so. She takes Chinese courses three times a week in a class in the Suzhou New District with other Japanese students, so we were able to have a choppy, somewhat coherent conversation about the move. She wasn't "home" the first time we stopped by, but thanks to the ingenious design of these "apartments", there is a window into the kitchen/dining area/living room which makes the extravagance of privacy seem like one of the finer things in life that only the rich can afford. Since we are only English monkeys to be displayed for the school's street cred and not among the wealthy elite, we live like zoo animals while the random people who stay here (yes, they use this place as a hotel as well, somehow) gawk at us during breakfast, lunch, AND dinner! What better way to make us appreciate what we're moving away from, however; you can't appreciate the sweet without the sour. Anyway, yes, Cullen hoisted me up so I could adequately gawk at her living quarters, but in my defense I only did so once I knew she wasn't home, thus preventing any embarrassing glimpses into her private life as happens to us on a daily basis. If only everyone had the common courtesy to knock before peeping! If you're wondering, what I saw were boxes and signs of someone having had excitedly begun preparations to move.
On the second attempt she eventually came to the door, as she was sequestered away in the bedroom with the door closed, likely hiding from public view. We brought over our calender to aid in the scheduling, and decided on this THURSDAY, which is now my favorite day of the week.
Included is a photo of the only part of this place I will miss (the new apartment building doesn't have an elevator). Also a photo of the propaganda portal, the main feature of the elevator. Communism at work!
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