The building's matriarch

I keep forgetting to introduce you to the apartment building's matriarch. She was the one who helped Yue Li and Sky find my apartment here on the 17th floor. The real estate here works like this: Individual people buy square footage in these new buildings and it comes to them as a shell. They then go in and divide it up as they wish - in the case of the kid's apartment and mine, making them two bedrooms, one bath with kitchen and laundry balcony. Both apartments are remarkably different from one another, both owned and designed by two different landlords.

The matriarch keeps an eye on everyone and knows the building's resources and gossip. I say resources because commercial is mixed in with residential - for example - an estitition has a shop on the 6th floor. Our woman in the photo, whose name I obviously don't remember or I would use it, lives on the same floor as I do and is the full time caretaker of her 10 month old grandson. Her son-in-law was recently transferred to Beijing to work and her daughter flys back and forth to live with him and here with her son.

It is important to note that she has the best drying spot on our floor for her laundry. It is from her hanging laundry that I first saw the gigantic hangar they use to dry blankets and sheet. I immediately went out and got myself one also.

My landlord recently brought up a brand new washing machine. Apparently these apartments are expected to come furnished with washing machines, televisions, and air conditioners. I got my air conditioners installed last week, and I was fascinated to see that the workers wore disposable booties and not only swept after themselves but mopped also. Skyler says this is normal.

When I asked Sky how these landlords can then turn around and rent these places for 200.00 to 400.00 dollars a month he said they are looking to just offset their mortgage payments. Sounds familiar....