Boyfriend and I moved apartments a couple of weeks ago. Now that I have had time to adjust, settle in and get the amazing dirtiness under control, I would like to say that it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.

Cons first:

• Still pretty dirty. I have to find a carpet cleaner to come clean the carpet. Boyfriend likes the carpet, but I can only cringe every time I a loose crumb falls and disappears into the carpet-y abyss. I need a vacuum cleaner, if you’re wondering what kind of housewarming present to get me. Also, did I mention our balcony has enough sand to fill an hourglass?
• Hot water is dodgy. But I think I may have figured it out.
• Kind of crampy. Our apartment is something like 60 square meters, or 645 square feet, and the layout does not make efficient use of the space. I have somehow accumulated a bunch of stuff, and they do not all seem to fit well in the apartment.
• Thin walls. Chinese walls are never “thick,” but if you’re outside my door, it’s pretty much like you’re right next to me.
• Long, pricey work commute. I’ve bitched about this before.
• One stove burner. I’m still afraid of it that I haven’t even tested it out yet. This, coupled with
• No nearby supermarkets, means that I am unlikely to cook (even though I like cooking). We do have a small chao shi downstairs, though, which has some basic produce, but they neither are the highest quality nor come in a wide selection.

Neutrals:

• Great restaurants :( My lonely stove burner and the absence of supermarkets and the abundance of good eateries mean I’m never cooking again.
• Great restaurants! There’s a baozi shop, a cheap pho shop, a bakery, a fantastic Yunnan restaurant and several nice Western restaurants within a kilometer from our apartment.

Pros:

• ESPN. I get it, along with CNN and a movie channel and BBC. For free.
• Proximity. I am just south of Sanlitun and right outside of the CBD. No more traveling across the city just to go out! My taxi fare has just been cut by more than half.
• Kind of cozy. Now that I’ve unpacked, it’s got a nice lived-in feeling.
• Commute doesn’t feel THAT long. It takes just over an hour to get to work in the morning, and depending on how long I have to wait for the buses, about 1.5 hours to get home at night. Plenty of reading time. I’m thinking of getting an iPad or Kindle or other e-reader, in case you are wondering what kind of housewarming present to get me.