A friend told me recently that he’s thinking about finding a roommate. Right now he’s paying 1,200 a month in rent, not including water, electricity, or internet, and in Guangzhou that really does feel expensive. Living alone would be one thing if he at least had friends nearby, but he doesn’t. His lease is almost up, so the idea of sharing a place suddenly started to sound appealing.
I’ve never shared an apartment with someone else, but I told him there’s one problem he should seriously think about: what if the person he moves in with decides to leave after a month or two? Then he’d be stuck there alone, still having to cover the rent, and that would feel even worse. Someone you barely know usually won’t care much about what happens to you after they leave.
Lately I’ve also had the urge to properly decorate my rental. Even if I live alone, I still want the place to feel at least a little like home. So I lay in bed and started transferring everything in my head straight into my shopping carts on JD and Taobao. The more I added, the stronger that “homey” feeling became.
Unfortunately, my wallet seemed to be rasping out, “I really don’t have a single drop left.” So… forget it. Maybe another time.
There’s also been one slightly awkward development lately. I usually get off work around eight, and by the time I get home, shower, and get ready for bed, I often forget to close the curtains. I also happen to sleep naked, which means that when I get up early in the morning, I sometimes end up making eye contact with the old guys in the building across from me while they’re doing their morning exercises.
A truly sad story.
Before the holiday started, I asked Brother Qiang from HR if he had any plans for the five-day break. He said, “Lie flat for five days.” Honestly, if it were me, I’d probably be about the same.
Today, the 30th, was the first day of the May Day holiday. I hadn’t gone home in a month, so I got up in the morning, took a quick shower, grabbed my backpack, and headed back.
The best part was getting home and eating the meal my mom had already made. After a full month of fast food, home cooking still smells and tastes the best.