Because of the Dragon Boat festival giving us days off on Thursday and Friday, we had to go to class on Sunday. I really don't understand why China does this other than they're paranoid we'll fall behind if we actually had a proper vacation. *sigh!* So yesterday was spent mainly in class and in my new apartment.
Now, I love my new apartment other than the fact that because I'm renting it, it's not exactly new. The building itself is quite old, as most things are here in Shanghai, but my apartment looks much nicer on the inside than the outside... save the kitchen and the bathroom.
While the living room is for living (no pun intended), I consider aesthetics for a bathroom to be
very important. All things considered, a bathroom is more personal considering what is done in there, so giving it a nice atmosphere is important to me. The tiles and colour choices aren't up to my standards, so I was resolving myself to making up for it with decorations and whatnot. Unfortunately first it needs to be cleaned.
For the record before I disclose what happened next: I've hardly moved in to my new apartment, and although my landlady said it was cleaned before I got there, that turned out to be a horrid lie. The old sheets from the previous owner were still there, unwanted odds and ends still in closets and on the shelves, etc etc. If the living room hadn't been so beautiful, I think I would be more apt to complain than I am.
So, I had begrudgingly set myself to the task of cleaning my apartment myself. My Chinese friend (English name Wendy) helped me find the supplies I need to clean the surfaces for both kitchen and bathroom plus rubber gloves, scrubbies, towels, etc etc. Last night I was about to fill the sink with water and let the dishes soak (yes, the previous tenant left those as well) and I lifted up my rubber gloves...
...and two
cockroaches shot out from where the gloves had been laying.
Oh. Oh I screamed. I screamed bloody murder. I'm sure my neighbors are convinced their new foreign neighbor is insane, but I honestly don't care. I am VERY upset about this, especially since there were
two more in my bathroom. My bathroom! I was trying to attempt to make my bathroom a PERSONAL place and now I'm terrified to go in there... at least until I Raid bomb the place.
Now, this is not my fault. Again, the landlady didn't clean properly (I debated phoning her and cussing her out, but I suck at being confrontational, especially in Chinese) and the building is old. So, this is not my fault. But that doesn't mean I am less unhappy about it.
After class today, Sharii, Gina, and myself are marching over to Trust*Mart to buy Raid, roach motels, etc etc. I am spraying down the entire place. Every crack, every drain, I do not care it is being sprayed. Pouring bleach down the drains is also on the agenda. Supposedly (at the suggestion of
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laren) boric acid is a good idea. Let's hope they have it in China.
Sigh! I just want a lovely apartment and to make it my true home! Here I was thinking my biggest worry would be re-learning how to fend for myself but I suppose it is de-roaching the place instead. :(
