it looks pretty nice, comfortable, and "American" from what you see... and don't get me wrong, it IS very nice and we are so blessed. however, you might not see or notice the Chinese aspects of our apartment that make it quite different from an American one. it's what most Chinese apartments that I've been to or lived in have in common- characteristics that make it uniquely Chinese (and interesting) :)
this is our "tiny" washing machine (compared to American ones, and there's no drying machine) and plays jingle bells tunes when it's done... my friend Ruthy has the same one at her apartment too!
this is our front door keyhole... it's confusing and has no handle. you have to put your interesting looking key in it and push it in and then the door opens, in case you wanted to know.
this is the BIGGEST toaster oven i've ever had in China! thanks to a dear friend who gave us her extra one :) since we have no ovens here, we make everything in a toaster oven- toast, cookies, meatloaf, casseroles, veggies, and more!
this is our "tiny" fridge (according to American standards), but we are thankful- it holds just what we need for the week and a little extra in the freezer!
this is our drying machine, i mean, rack. :) it dries just the amount the machine can hold- which means we do laundry often here, about every other day (boys wear a lot of clothes!)
this is our bathroom sink.. it is quite stinky sometimes because the plumbing is not up to par here.. so we tend to keep the drain closed when we don't use it.
this is our guestroom and bedroom light... kinda ghetto but it does the job. it has more of a garage lighting feel to it so that's why we want to get more standing lamps with natural lighting.
this is tissue AND napkins for the table. napkins are hard to find and expensive, so most Chinese people use tissues for napkins at the table- it's resourceful!
when we run low on our 5 gallon water dispensing machine.. this hot water boiler comes in very handy! we boil water then put it in the fridge so we have cold, clean boiled water to drink! :)
"tuo xie" means house slippers- a necessity for every Chinese household. you don't want to bring your normal shoes into the house and get it all dirty but then you don't want to walk barefoot because it's always dusty anyways.. so we and guests wear house slippers :)
this is special. most Chinese apartments have "shoilets" (showers and toilets in the same room with nothing dividing) but we are blessed and fortunate to have a shower!! it's definitely meant for Chinese people like us because we fit perfectly.. but if you're taller than 6 foot- there's no way you would fit. When I stand in it, my head is pass the top shelf.
this light switch is not for the bedroom, livingroom, or hall... but it's the bathroom light switch! i'm not sure why, but most Chinese apartments have the bathroom light switch outside the bathroom... it's always weird when you find one IN the bathroom.
last but not least, HOOKS! what's a Chinese apartment without a plethora of hooks to hang everything and anything... i love hooks and find them quite convenient and useful... and they are cheap here!
hope you enjoyed a more intimate, detailed, and random view of our apartment and what makes it Chinese. we love it here, despite the smells, dust, and 6 flights of stairs. it's a place we can call "home" for now and open it up to our friends and community here.. come and visit!!
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