Home Sweet Home (for six weeks anyway)

I am officially moved into apartment #2 today. I'll be here for six weeks, and will then move back into my original apartment for the final three weeks. Housing is such a coveted commodity in Hong Kong that I really can't complain about the moves. As of this past January, housing in Hong Kong became the most expensive in the world (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-01/28/content_11936371.htm). The fact that I get to live here for free is a huge gift, not to mention the fact that my new apartment is HUGE. Counting the "maid's quarters" (weird, I know) it has 3 bedrooms, a study, 3 bathrooms, dining room, living room, and kitchen. The bedroom and bathroom in the maid's quarters are pretty tiny and in an area of the apartment that I will only use to do laundry, so they don't really count (I do not have live-in help by the way, but many people in my building do. Most of these women are immigrants from the Philippines or Indonesia and are called "helpers"). To be honest, I'm not very comfortable in this much space. My dining room table seats 10 people and my living room seats eight. The place is pretty empty with just me, and all of the extra rooms serve as a constant reminder that I live alone (which I've realized I'm not a huge fan of). However, if I fast-forward a few years and think of myself living someplace like this with Erik and all of our own stuff, I'm sure I wouldn't have an issue with the extra space :) My absolute favorite thing about the apartment is the view. I'm living on the 16th floor and my living room has a wall of windows overlooking the skyline. It's incredible.
I still haven't gone out to do much exploring, but hope to tomorrow. Between the rain and having NO idea where anything is, I find excuses to stay in or just stick to my usual route of home-work-grocery store. Time to branch out :)

View from my living room window

Dining room table fit for a diplomat... not an intern



The crib was there when I arrived. I just go with it.

Living room view at night