Household | Dominik Mayer – Products, Asia, Productivity

I was at work, here at italki, when a very good Chinese friend called me. She was the one who has been looking for an apartment for me before I even arrived in China, she helped me to find the room that should become my home for the next year and she guided my first steps in this foreign country.

She said she knows italki. Of course. That’s where we first met. I remeber. Back at the computer, I checked my friends and there she was. And on Saturday, we’ll meet in person.

No electricity in the middle of a Skype call. Maybe because of the foaming over washing machine. Always the same when washing the bright clothes. No problems with the dark ones. 房东明珠 is not so happy and told me about the different spoon sizes trying to convince me that I better don’t use any detergent.

And asked the woman if I use the internet. At least that’s what I understood. Very strange.

This time she came and turned the wheel to the medium program, not the shortest one. Wow. Perhaps it was due to the larger amount of laundry. In the end the things didn’t feel much cleaner than last week but still better than after the first time I had used the machine.

We’re also having a top loading washing machine here, but the basket is mounted horizontally, not vertically as in the one I had used before. My landlady explained me how to operate it last week. It only works with cold water and, to make things even worse, she only used the shortest program. Bottom line: The laundry felt as if it had just been wetted and didn’t smell fresh at all.

Today I wanted to use the thing by myself. And then she came. No idea what she said exactly but again I wasn’t allowed use one of the longer programs. :-( I’m going crazy. I want clean things.

I could wash them again when she isn’t looking…

My landlady’s grandson just came in, crashed his remote control car against my water bottle and left. Perhaps I should start to lock my room.

Had to move again. Now I’m staying here until at least the beginning of July. Living out of the suitcase finally has an end.

Though I’ve been doing my laundry for years now, I think I’ve never used a tumble dryer before. Perhaps once. Didn’t know how comfortable it is.

I moved out yesterday and have to stay in another apartment until mid/end march. The problem: We have different daily routines and only one key.

If you want to wash with warm water here you have to fill it in by yourself. About four buckets. The thing starts when it thinks it got enough. I had to repeat the procedure twice…

I’ve never had a cleaner. And now I’m sitting in the living room and she’s running around mopping the floor. Strange. I’m quite uncomfortable.

I think I start to feel the consequences. Or why does my right elbow hurt as well as my right jaw?

Looking for a room, I visited the apartment of an old woman today. I could rent a room for 1500 Yuan and use bathrooms, kitchen, living room with her and another person that might move in. The good thing: She doesn’t speak either German or English so I’d be forced to learn Chinese. And she asked if I could cook and when I said not Chinese food, she said she could. The apartment also looks very nice and the price is good. But what if someone wants to visit me or I come home late?