RLPF.ar

I'm writing this from my relocated workstation, in our "new old" apartment in the Datang area of Guangzhou. That's the successful resolution to the problem created by the landlady when she sold the "old new" apartment in Panyu and threw us out.

It's new because we just moved in. It's old because the building has been around for a while. It's a little, shall we say, rustic in some areas: no hot water in the sinks, and a squat toilet in the bathroom! (Perhaps instead of "rustic," I should say "continental.")

On the plus side, the place is well-kept and clean considering its age and more spacious than the Panyu place. The rent is about as low as you can find anywhere inside the city. It's also a short bus ride away from Kecun, at the intersection of two metro lines and dozens of bus routes. Going places in the city should be much easier than it was previously. That's a huge plus. At times, the place in Guangzhou Agile (Ya Ju Le) Garden felt like a cage because of the inconvenience, especially for Jimmy -- a gilded cage (well, fool's gold, given the compromises in build quality that didn't become evident until living there for a while), but a cage nonetheless.

By contrast, Datang is a bustling village with shops and restaurants close at hand. With the bustle comes more street noise, but we're away from the main avenue. It could be much worse. It is, admittedly, a few degrees away from the modernized, sanitized China that you'll find, for instance, in the business districts of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen or Guangzhou -- or in suburbs like Ya Ju Le that aspire to be "tony." It's not for those Westerners who want to insulate themselves from the messier aspects of life in an up-and-coming country.

From the master bedroom window, we can see Guangzhou's proudest architectural landmark, the Canton Tower (also known as "TV Tower"). Decide for yourself whether the pride is justly placed.

So let's add this up -- lower rent, more space and better location, in exchange for a couple of mod cons. Sounds like a good deal to me! Not to mention finding a livable place in only one week, with an honest and trustworthy landlord. (That's another contrast against the other place. I've plenty of unkind things I could say about the prior landlady, but I shall refrain.)

Internet is on (obviously, or you wouldn't be reading this) and I've got my workstation almost completely set up. That leaves only grading about 30 students' final exam projects. I predict a marathon listening session tomorrow...