Swan Bay

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"Swan Bay: The beautiful dedicated to the Pearl River, the Pearl River dedicated to you."

Upon coming to China, people told me I could live way beyond my means for a typical 22 year old. Needless to say, I had dreams of living something close to that of a rap stars lifestyle where money is no object and I could treat it like monopoly money.

After my teaching training was complete and I had been assigned a school, I was able to check into my apartment that the company assigned to me. I couldn’t wait to check out the view with the balcony, make friends with the hot Asian girls across the hallway, and eat at all the local restraints around my area.
I pulled up to the spot and from the outside I was already loving it, 4 towers in a gated community with just about every store and restaurant you could want, a garden with a mini waterfall, and even a couple hoops. It seemed like the place was built for me.

Building A, Floor 20, room 301.

When I got up into the room it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. All my dreams of living like a rap star went right out the window. No joke, if I was to lay down I probably could have had my feet at one end and my hands at the other. The thing was tiny. Like picture your bathroom and then cut it in half and that was my room or apartment, whatever you want to call it. The mattress was covered in dead bugs, hairs, and layers and layers upon dust. The floor was littered with old beer bottles, soda cans, and doused with cigarettes. But the bathroom was the kicker.
The bathroom was as big as a telephone booth and within that size they were able to throw in a shower head, sink, and a toilet. I gotta hand it to them though, I literally could have Shit, showered, and shaved all at the same time but for a guy that’s 6’4” with amazing physique and large then life muscles it wasn’t going to work (that last comment was sarcastic if you couldn’t tell, but for real I am 6’4” with a great physique). I probably could have roughed it out but at the salary I was getting paid in relation to the buying power it has in China I knew I could do a lot better. I had to get that rap star lifestyle I was dreaming of.

My roommate Sean got screwed on his housing as well so we decided to look for a place. In the meantime we were forced to share a bed at his place. After a week of really getting to know each other haha we finally got hooked up with a place within 5 minutes walk from our school. I forgot to add I would have had an hour commute at my other place with no metro in sight. Anyways, I must have done something really nice in the past life cuz we got a killer place over looking the river called the Pearl River Delta. The complex is called Swan Bay, “The beautiful dedicated to the pearl river, the pearl river dedicated to you.” (I know their tag line doesn’t sound grammatically correct but just roll with it.) The best way I can describe this place would be like a larger Treasure Island in Las Vegas.

If you don’t want to get jealous please do not look at the pictures but otherwise go ahead and get a feel for how I am living. Without a doubt, I can honestly say, at 22 I didn’t think I would be living like this. If for some funky reason I don’t make it in life, I know I can come to China and live like a king. In the end, it looks like I am living like those rappers I see in music videos and life aint to bad. If you ever want to come watch a China sunset from my balcony overlooking the beautiful Pearl River Delta, please don’t hesitate to contact me 

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