Day 4- done nesting! Home Sweet Apartment :)

I slept in Sunday morning, as I was up late watching last night's storm and I am still working to get on Beijing time, which is 12 hours ahead of EST back home.  I have been told that it takes one day for every hour difference in time zones to get completely adjusted.  I have to start teaching in less than 12 days- ain't nobody got time for that!

Imagine my surprise when I woke up, opened my eyes, and looked out my
bedroom window- blue sky!  What the what?!  I have a MOUNTAIN VIEW?!
I didn't even know there were mountains out there!!!

I was so excited!  I ran to my guest bedroom window
and looked out- more mountains!!! The storm last
night must have cleared out the smog.  I was so
excited at the thought of clean air, that I wanted
to go for a run...

Instead I brewed my first cup of Cuban coffee, and poured it in my
brand new glass mug.  I am so happy to have my Bella with me-
and eight pounds of Cafe Bustello :)  I packed well for this new life!

BNDS was gracious enough to arrange for a motorcoach to take us
new folks to an IKEA so that we could finish out our shopping for
necessities to make our apartments a home. Some of my new teacher friends-
Alejandra, Rob, Jeanette, John, Daquila, Grant, Sarah, Robert, Kirsten
and so many others!  Three of them have Keys connections, and three
have Hoosier connections- very cool :)  Robert has been teaching in
Key Largo for the last 30 years- how crazy is that?

Alejandra (from Honduras, by way of Chicago) and her husband, Eric,
are my closet friends here, as well as Carlos.  The four of us all live in
building 24, though in different towers.  Alejandra and I compared
shopping lists and decided to divide and conquer.  It was like Black
Friday shopping, only different!  While this was the 'not as busy' IKEA,
it was a mass of Chinese humanity in the store, complete with
shopping cart ankle biters :/  

It cracked me up to see how the Chinese 'shop'
the display models :)))

I mean, really, shopping is tiresome work!  This lady had her shoes neatly
tucked under the bed and was passed out.  I mean PASSED OUT.
The Chinese are all about an extended lunch so that they can squeeze in a nap :)

The check out process was loud and noisy, and a wee bit crazy- but
it all was surprisingly orderly and went very well.  I realized when I
got home that I was missing my rice paddle, but it was only 4rmb,
which is about 50 cents.  I bought a nightstand, and storage cart for the
bathroom, a floor lamp, bedside lamp, lots of fun kitchen stuff, a
houseplant, candles, over the door hooks for coats, and.... 

I was so happy to find this child's wicker chair to set up...

...a reading nook in my bedroom!  It's like an enclosed balcony, of sorts,
that I can savor my mountain views on the 'good air' days :) 

My bedroom- the lavender linens were already here for me!  I put the
slicks up on the wall that says Be your best kind of Beautiful :)

The view from the doorway- the dressing mirror was
left by the former tenant- perfect!

The guest bedroom- all ready for guests!

My kitchen- so much nicer, and bigger, than I expected! 

The bathroom is a bit perplexing.  I bought a three shelf cart at IKEA
which is now between the sink and washer.  My towels and medicine
cabinet stuff' is stored there.  This room is about seven feet square.

The shower is located in the third corner, and the toilet
is behind the centered door in the fourth corner.  What you
see in the bottom right corner is the mop bucket.  There
is no shower curtain, or doors, and in my shopping excursions
I have yet to find any sort of  'portable' surround shower rod.
I cannot have anything permanently affixed to the walls.
So, after I finish showering, I am butt-naked and mopping
down the entire bathroom.  There has GOT to be a better way.
I am open to any and all ideas at this point!
The plus side?!  I've never had a bathroom so clean, lol.

I love my dining area.  My favorite photos of friends and
family are all up, as are my crosses and some
Bible verses.  With God, all things are possible- Indeed!

A window in an interior wall seems a little strange, but it lets in some
much needed natural light from my bedroom.  I love it.
Listen to me- talking like I'm on an episode of House Hunters International!

Actually, since I mentioned House Hunters International, I should share the story of how I came to be working and living in Beijing, China.  Last October, I became very frustrated with my previous employer.  Actually, that is not entirely true- I have loved teaching at the college the last 10 years. I've had some wonderful experiences with my students through the years.  I love my colleagues, the Department Chair, the Division Chair, and the Dean of Academic Affairs.  They have been so good to me.  I know I was very much appreciated by them, and my students.  I had a very high retention rate, and a very high pass rate and I am not an easy prof!  My work life was great, and my employer was gracious enough to grant me a sabbatical every spring semester for the last four years so that I could spend the winter months living and sailing on Marquesa.  They all followed my sailing adventures through my blog marquesa34.blogspot.com

At the beginning of fall semester 2013, it was announced that due to the Affordable Care Act (lovingly known as Obamacare), all faculty that were not tenured were having their hours cut to just three classes per semester.  President Obama, in his infinite wisdom, calculated that a nine credit teaching load at the university level equates to a 27 hour work week.  In what fantasy world?!  Any teacher will tell you the easiest part of the day is in the classroom itself- it's all the hours spent in meetings, filing reports,and working at home prepping and grading that all equates to a much longer work week than forty hours.  Teachers, unfortunately, don't punch a time clock.

What this all meant for me personally was that my teaching load (hence, my salary) was being cut in HALF- and it was a meager salary at that.  I attempted to negotiate three plausible alternatives throughout that semester, all of which were shot down.  Let me say again, my immediate superiors were all in favor of each solution I offered, but their hands were tied.  These decisions were being made by the powers that be, and my university was unwilling to risk paying a $5000 penalty (per employee over the nine credit hour load) to the federal government for not complying with Obamacare.  

So, about November 2013, I was at home, grading papers on a Friday night and watching a string of House Hunters International episodes on HGTV.  After about the fourth episode, I began to notice that several people who were relocating abroad were educators.  I'm thinking, "How the heck are these people finding teaching jobs overseas?"  What do I do when I want to know something?! GOOGLE IT!  So I did.

I immediately came upon two companies, International Schools Services and Search Associates. Both companies operate as a clearinghouse for administrators and educators to locate job openings all over the world within their particular career field.  I joined up, and within ten days I was in a bidding war between schools in Shanghai and Beijing.  In the end, Beijing was the better position and better situation for me all the way around- making nearly four times the salary I previously had been earning, and I am teaching only three classes.  Back home, I usually taught six sections of Psychology, carrying about 180 students in the grade book.  Now I have just three sections and only 45 students- at four times the salary!  It was a no brainer for me.  This girl loves to travel and loves an adventure.  Since Survivor did not come calling again this past cycle of applications, (yes, I have been applying to that show for twelve years running) I decided to go make my own Survivor adventure.  What better place for a major life change, full of new experiences and new adventures, than in China?!

And there's the rest of the story. 

Now back to my beautiful apartment that BNDS has provided to me...

And this is my new living room!  I absolutely love it :)  Opposite the
sofa is a 42" flat screen TV with over 800 channels.  The tea table elevates
and folds out to a standard round dining table (for more guests).  The sofa
also becomes a double bed, better than any pull out couch- no springs in

your back!  Again, more room for guests ;)  Anybody catching the hint, yet ?!

So, the long and the short of it is that this girl feel like she has hit the lottery!  My money goes so much further here in China.  My apartment is beautiful.  I mean, really- I have a mountain view for crying out loud!  I come home, and it feels like home.  I feel safe.  I feel secure.  I feel like it is becoming my neighborhood with each day that I step out to explore, grocery shop, or walk to school. I am beginning to see the same faces at the same times of day and I am greeted with a 'ni hao' and a smile :)

In a word, I am happy.  

G'nite, y'all!