My Apartment in Huzhou

Depending on who you ask, Huzhou is a city of somewhere between 1-2.5 million people. This population is quite large by American standards, especially considering that many buildings here are over 20 stories. However, in China it is not big, so it is often described by people here as a quaint place that is nice to live in. In the words of a Chinese teacher here, people here seem to believe that Huzhou "can barely be called a city."

I live in a large apartment complex near a park, on the fifth floor of an apartment building there. My apartment building is twelve stories tall, and it is surrounded by similarly-sized buildings. So you can get an idea of what Chinese apartments are like here, I will cover some of the basics of my apartment along with photos.

Entrance: The door to my apartment is like something from a maximum security prison. It has not one, but four deadbolts that all turn simultaneously, up to three times. I still do not quite understand the need for that level of security, but in the event of a violent revolution, nuclear attack, or zombie infestation, it should keep me safe.

Kitchen: My kitchen area is quite simple. I have a sink, gas stove with one burner, a washing machine, and a refrigerator with a freezer. For cooking I have a deep pan with a lid (used for most things), a large wok, a rice maker, and various ladles and other utensils. For eating I have two glasses, four plates, two small bowls, two Chinese style spoons, a fork and knife, and a bunch of bamboo chopsticks. The rice maker doubles as a steamer, and I often make zhurou baozi (pork-filled steamed buns) and mantou (plain steamed buns) in it.

Bed: On beds here, there is only one mattress, and it is very firm. During warmer parts of the year, many people use a bamboo mat instead of a bottom sheet, and this is what I do. It feels great to rest on a surface that stays cool and smooth during the warm weather. Of course, the mat cannot be cleaned like a sheet, but washing it by hand is easy. As a side note, some people in China think that even the normal mattresses are not firm enough, and prefer to sleep on a very hard mattress that feels like the floor.

Living Area: My living area is what I call the main room of my apartment. It has wooden floors, a television, a small table, chairs, my bed, closet, and just about everything else I own. This room is actually quite large. The wooden television stand, tables, and chairs are all in the same traditional Chinese style. They have lions and pearls carved into them, and are quite common here. On Chinese television programs depicting imperial times, you can often see this type of furniture, so I like that. The nicest part about this room, though, is that it has huge windows so I can see a park, a bunch of shops, an intersection with traffic, people selling street food in the morning, etc.

Balcony: The balcony area in my apartment is truly tiny, and is mostly just useful for drying clothes. However, this function is very important. After clothes come out of the washer, I simply put them on hangers and leave them out to dry for the day on a metal rack. It takes about the same amount of work as using a dryer. Without a balcony I would have no way of doing this.

Bathroom: I have no photos of my bathroom, unfortunately, but it is small and simple: a European toilet, a sink, and a shower. There is also a water heater above the toilet that simply plugs into the wall and works automatically.

These are the main parts of my apartment. Hopefully this gives people some idea about what life here is like, and how they could possibly live if they were teaching English in China. For one person, I think there is plenty of space, and I have all of the essentials that I need on a daily basis here.

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