Yep, for the first time since college I have a roomie again. I’m moving to the big city of Hangzhou and shacking up with my friend Jason. I wrote about him a few times on my blog already. We met a mere 7-months ago but it feels like much, much longer. (In the good way.) I actually met him New Years Eve and since then, almost every weekend I go to Hangzhou not just to see him but to see a whole group of friends we are a part of. He’s met my Shanghai friends, he’s met my best friend Color, and has been to Lin’an a few times. I’ve met a ton of his friends and even got to spend some time with his parents when they came for a visit.
So I have high hopes for a fun summer, his place is really nice and I have stayed there before. But I admit their are some trepidations as well. First off, I love, love, love living by myself. It’s going to be hard to give up my total privacy. While we each have our own space, and beds, we are technically in one bedroom. I have to walk by his bed to get out, and his closet is in my area.
But that’s off-set by the fact that he is incredibly busy and aside from eating lunch together and bedtime we probably won’t see each other much. (I’ll go home a few days a week as well.) He also lives in one of the most interesting active parts of town. If I go out his front door and take a right, I’m in the fancy part, and can get sandwiches, foreign goods and nice clothes. But if I take a left out his door I’m in a small street filled with little noodle shops, fruit places and old ladies sitting out in the stoop chatting. It’s a great neighborhood, and I’ve already scoped out a few cute cafes I can sit in and study.
I’m trying to not let the razzle-dazzle of living in a big city distract me. I’m still working hard everyday preparing for my test, and going back to Lin’an to meet with my teacher. But now when I have a question I don’t have to wait to meet my teacher, but I can ask my new roomie to help.
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