It’s a difficult thing to do and it’s a stressful thing to do. Trying to find accommodation is not something I enjoy. My home stay has come to an end and it has been a good experience, but as I mentioned before I need to move. So I have been trying to find a place myself as it’s only for 6 weeks. I did not want to get into another, “teach English for free bed and Board” My friend Rita has an apartment she has recently bought but it’s not “decorated” yet. In China when you buy an apartment it is usually just a shell and you fit each one out yourself. So when I visited Rita’s apartment last week it only had a toilet and a few windows in the house. It was still a building site with no expected finishing date and so as much as I had the option to move in I reneged.

So I used AIRBNB to look for a place. I have visited a few of them because you can never trust the pictures. Too many pictures of flowers and paintings which means that the actual house is no doubt shit. Last night I went to the other side of town to see my new digs. It’s a young Chinese couple, no kids which its good. It is a little more expensive but there is an en-suite and so I thought I would prefer that than share a bathroom. I’m paying $600 a month which is quite a lot and it makes a big dent in the hip pocket, but none the less I do not have many options, well I have but I decided to take this one.

I’m not looking forward to actual physical move because I have no car so it will be a taxi coupled with maybe a trip on the metro. SO it will be a big day and as usual, you begin to collect shit the longer you stay in one place. One more book, one more pair of shoes. I bought another suitcase to put most of my winter clothes in. I haven’t worked out where I will leave some of my things when I leave China in a few weeks as I do intend coming back next year if they let me back in.

Yesterday I also booked my flights for Shangri-la, I’ll be going there for a visit before I leave China. So yesterday was an expensive day, the credit card got quite a workout.