People may debate what are the 'basic necessities' in life, but unless you live out of a van or a Toyota Corolla, everyone agrees that a place to live is pretty important. Having a clean, safe, 'home' to return to at the end of a long day can make all the difference, especially when you're in a strange place (and Shanghai still counts as a strange place). With my current lease expiring at the end of the month, and due to various reasons, I've decided I need to move away from the neighborhood I've grown to love (yup, I'm moving away from Noodles), if only to save myself from the impending mosquito onslaught everyone has promised will strike Shanghai in mid-July.
Moving is not new to me. Since I left for college 6 years ago, I've called as many as 9 different places 'home', which means I've grown rather adept at moving. But this may have been the closest I've ever come to being homeless... as in failing to find a new place to live before being kicked out on the street.
The last apartment I looked at sounded perfect. Sounded. 28th floor, private room, private bathroom, 2 subway stops from work and right between the main 'going out' part of Shanghai and the more atmospheric 'old town'. The reality was a narrow windowless-hallway of a room with a twin bed, and somewhere on the other side of the flat was a squat toilet I could call my very own. Throw in the fact I needed to crawl through a window to get to the sink to brush my teeth and the current tenant said they were moving cuz they don't trust the landlord and you have the single worst apartment I've ever seen.
Thankfully my new landlord will not give me any problems; I work with him. I'll get my own room with a fantastic view of the downtown. Plus, the new room will cut my commute in half. I'll have to learn a whole new neighborhood, but I look at it as an exciting opportunity, almost like moving to a new city! But the best part might be that I won't have to sleep in the streets.
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