May 5
Lisa collected me at 7 pm after I clocked out, and took me to her townhouse. It is just a block away from where I am currently living.
Unlike other gated communities that have ornate and elegant architectures, these homes are square brick blocks, and attached. Her unit is on the end, and so has a lot of windows and light.
It is three stories, and a garage basement. She says it is over 300 square meters, but I don't know what that is in square feet. I think they calculate the space differently, anyway, so that a straight conversion would not be an equivalency. Bottom line: it's big!
It was dusk when we got in her car and left Web. By the time we parked and walked inside, night had fallen. The house has no electricity. The street lights shown through the abundant windows, and so I was able to get a general idea.
In China, when you buy an apartment the price you pay only includes an unfinished interior. Then each homeowner pays for the styling and furnishing of the interior, from tiling the floors to finishing the walls, installing toilets, sinks, overhead lights, everything. There is basic electric wiring and outlets provided, and closed off water pipes showing through the walls.
My first impression was, Do I want to throw my mattress down on bare concrete and camp out?
During the ride over and back, she kept rephrasing the same theme. Start small, ship your goods out and sell them. Don't open your doors to the public. And I always answered, yes, that's my plan.
On the drive I asked her what her plans were for the house. Why did she buy it? She said that her present home was plenty big for now, for herself, her husband and their son. But when their son is older they will need a bigger space. Maybe in five years. So, until then, this apartment will stay empty, unfinished. An investment.
She dropped me off at my home, and I told her I'd get back to her on Monday.
I went to bed early and read a while. In the background, my synapses were firing. It took a while, but eventually I saw what she was offering me. By morning, I had a new plan in place.
It won't make any difference to her if I have a plumber and electrician in to remodel the place to build my bakery kitchen on the ground floor. When it comes time for her to occupy the house years from now, she can just pull out all my renovations. Meanwhile, I was going to spend that money anyway renovating that store front I am enamored of. But what I don't have to spend is the money for a year's lease. She is giving me the space, no strings attached. I'll just pay my expenses, my utility bills and such. That's an annual savings of $10,000!
And then, why not spend some money on the second floor, and make a living space for myself. She graciously said she'd build the bathroom. I need only buy a couch for myself, maybe a table for the TV. An air conditioner will also be a must. As for a kitchen, I can simply place my microwave and dishes down on the ground floor. I'll buy an induction cooker for about $50, which is my preferred cooking stove anyway.
The new delineated plan:
1. Buy the oven, proofing box, work bench, double stainless steel sink etc. Have it delivered to Lisa's place.
2. Move my stuff out of my lease-expired apartment.
3. Call in the electrician and plumber to install the equipment.
4. While they're doing that, take a trip to Kangding to visit Angela. It's time for a vacation. While I'm there, pick up 10 or 20 kg of yak butter. Maybe some barley, too.
5. Finish up the contract with Web
I should have enough cash on hand to do all that, although if I fall short I can ask Jane to supplement, since she offered. Somewhere in those steps 1 through 5 I will get my business license, and then apply for a business visa.
This morning Mike's reply to my email arrived. I haven't had the whole thing translated, but basically he said he will support my bakery, by providing me with flour at a low price. He is in Fujian this week so he can't come on Monday, but will the following week. I will know how much flour to order by then, and ask that it be delivered on or around July 1.
So, I'm back in business!
This evening, Jane will meet me after work, we'll have dinner and then go for a walk around Xin Tian Di park. It will be a relaxing evening, spent building relationships.
My basil seedlings have their second leaves. I have picked out a spot, on Lisa's second story south-facing balcony, for my herb garden. Soon I'll have fresh basil, dill and parsley to add to my breads.
Lisa collected me at 7 pm after I clocked out, and took me to her townhouse. It is just a block away from where I am currently living.
Unlike other gated communities that have ornate and elegant architectures, these homes are square brick blocks, and attached. Her unit is on the end, and so has a lot of windows and light.
It is three stories, and a garage basement. She says it is over 300 square meters, but I don't know what that is in square feet. I think they calculate the space differently, anyway, so that a straight conversion would not be an equivalency. Bottom line: it's big!
It was dusk when we got in her car and left Web. By the time we parked and walked inside, night had fallen. The house has no electricity. The street lights shown through the abundant windows, and so I was able to get a general idea.
In China, when you buy an apartment the price you pay only includes an unfinished interior. Then each homeowner pays for the styling and furnishing of the interior, from tiling the floors to finishing the walls, installing toilets, sinks, overhead lights, everything. There is basic electric wiring and outlets provided, and closed off water pipes showing through the walls.
My first impression was, Do I want to throw my mattress down on bare concrete and camp out?
During the ride over and back, she kept rephrasing the same theme. Start small, ship your goods out and sell them. Don't open your doors to the public. And I always answered, yes, that's my plan.
On the drive I asked her what her plans were for the house. Why did she buy it? She said that her present home was plenty big for now, for herself, her husband and their son. But when their son is older they will need a bigger space. Maybe in five years. So, until then, this apartment will stay empty, unfinished. An investment.
She dropped me off at my home, and I told her I'd get back to her on Monday.
I went to bed early and read a while. In the background, my synapses were firing. It took a while, but eventually I saw what she was offering me. By morning, I had a new plan in place.
It won't make any difference to her if I have a plumber and electrician in to remodel the place to build my bakery kitchen on the ground floor. When it comes time for her to occupy the house years from now, she can just pull out all my renovations. Meanwhile, I was going to spend that money anyway renovating that store front I am enamored of. But what I don't have to spend is the money for a year's lease. She is giving me the space, no strings attached. I'll just pay my expenses, my utility bills and such. That's an annual savings of $10,000!
And then, why not spend some money on the second floor, and make a living space for myself. She graciously said she'd build the bathroom. I need only buy a couch for myself, maybe a table for the TV. An air conditioner will also be a must. As for a kitchen, I can simply place my microwave and dishes down on the ground floor. I'll buy an induction cooker for about $50, which is my preferred cooking stove anyway.
The new delineated plan:
1. Buy the oven, proofing box, work bench, double stainless steel sink etc. Have it delivered to Lisa's place.
2. Move my stuff out of my lease-expired apartment.
3. Call in the electrician and plumber to install the equipment.
4. While they're doing that, take a trip to Kangding to visit Angela. It's time for a vacation. While I'm there, pick up 10 or 20 kg of yak butter. Maybe some barley, too.
5. Finish up the contract with Web
I should have enough cash on hand to do all that, although if I fall short I can ask Jane to supplement, since she offered. Somewhere in those steps 1 through 5 I will get my business license, and then apply for a business visa.
This morning Mike's reply to my email arrived. I haven't had the whole thing translated, but basically he said he will support my bakery, by providing me with flour at a low price. He is in Fujian this week so he can't come on Monday, but will the following week. I will know how much flour to order by then, and ask that it be delivered on or around July 1.
So, I'm back in business!
This evening, Jane will meet me after work, we'll have dinner and then go for a walk around Xin Tian Di park. It will be a relaxing evening, spent building relationships.
My basil seedlings have their second leaves. I have picked out a spot, on Lisa's second story south-facing balcony, for my herb garden. Soon I'll have fresh basil, dill and parsley to add to my breads.
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