Hopefully, in the coming days, life can return to something resembling normal. As soon as I landed, the race was on to pack my stuff up and move the mile or so down to Abe’s place near the Zhongxiao / Dunhua intersection. As ever, moving was a stress and had mutiple unforeseen hassles, so I cannot imagine how Jade did it. Twice.

Moving by itself is already quite a strain, but this pressure was exacerbated by the lack of foresight and consideration of my previous landlords. We told them that Saturday was the big day, so I was more than a little perturbed to arrive home one lunch time to find a team of betelnut munching workmen tearing the place apart, sanding walls and drilling holes. It almost goes without saying (except, clearly, to my landlord) that there was dust everywhere, and a disgusting, grimy layer of residue sat on all of my belongings, rendering my Mac, cameras, furniture, clothes, bed sheets and photographs all, well, disgusting. If they had only waited 48 hours – clearly too long – they would have had the place to themselves. But no. In their worldview turning the apartment into a tip is appropriate. Good riddance!

Anyway, I am now sitting drinking a victory beer in the venerable PS: Cafe and feeling rather better. There is still a load of setting up and wiping down of my stuff, but things are rather more manageable now – maybe it is just the beer kicking in.

And tonight, Jade and I head south to enjoy the long weekend (Mid-Autumn festival) and escape the bullshit. Can’t wait.

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