Well, I spent 3.5 days in Shanghai on a quest for a suitable furnished apartment that we can live with for three years. It was not an easy task. As you may remember, John and I made separate scouting trips back in November, and based on what we had been shown then, thought we had found the right compound for us.
So for this trip, our realtor basically picked out several apartments in that compound for me to choose from. Problem was, none of them even resembled the cool, hip, stylish ones we had seen there before, which it turns out, were owned, managed, designed, and decorated by a major property investor. The apartments I was shown this time around were landlord-owned and much cheaper, and not nearly as nice.
But I asked about another compound that I had heard about, and even though the agents kept saying it wasn't as child-friendly, decided to take a look, out of curiosity and desperation. Turns out these places were much bigger, brighter, newer, and nicer overall. And I didn't think the compound was child-unfriendly at all. It has an indoor and outdoor pool, a wave pool and a sandy beach, an indoor playroom and an outdoor playground, and lots of green areas to stroll around.
So the very last apartment I saw, right before I had to leave Shanghai, was the one I liked the best. The big question is what the furniture actually looks like, since the current tenant had taken the place unfurnished and was a major collector of Chinese antiques and had the place packed to the rafters with furniture. If we get it, we'll have to agree on the place without actually seeing the condition of the furniture, but they did show us pictures of the furniture and it looks fine. I liked the space itself. It was bright and had great river views, and it had beautiful bathrooms and floors, and a nice kitchen. So we're putting in a bid on that one and really hope we get it. Fingers crossed. If not, we're going to have to start from square one when we arrive in Shanghai next month.
Back at home, John and his mom, who we flew back in for the week so John could continue planning our relocation, kept Leah busy. According to their reports, even though they all had a great time, Leah really missed me. And I certainly missed her. When they picked me up at the airport, it was so cute seeing Leah running towards me as soon as she saw me. And ever since I've been back home, Leah has turned into a velcro-baby, who won't let me put her down and do anything.
I got back in time to go to Leah's last class at the Little Gym. I didn't want to miss that. She's so good at everything these days, that people are calling her a little gymnast. We're definitely planning on finding gymnastic and dance classes for her in Shanghai.
Oh, and Leah now has a passport! The day before I left, we made a trip to the passport office and applied for it in person. We had it expedited, and received it just a few days later. Her social security number is also on its way soon, and we'll also apply for her Certificate of Citizenship this week. So things are starting to come together.
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