Chinese Apartment

Since getting back this school year, I have added a few additions to my apartment. It's taken me awhile to get these pictures hung, but the result is so satisfactory. Whenever I open my door now and see the photos, I feel as though I'm entering a true home.

This second addition is a little herb garden right on the window sill of my kitchen. The herbs include cilantro, parsley, basil, and chives. You can see that when this photo was taking, the basil was really kicking some butt. Since then, the other herbs have also really sprouted. When I see the pots with their green vegetation, I feel the pioneer spirit within. Although I may never use these herbs, it's so fun to have real green plants in the house.

I also have a small wish list for my apartment. The first is for the lighting. I'd really like bright lighting, but the brighter bulb does not fit into the light fixture, so I have to use duck tape to keep the light from putting too much weight on the fixture. (duck tape has a limited life in this humidity.)

I'd also really love it if I did not have to flush my toilet by pulling up on a chopstick . Up until now, my team-mate has helped me fix the toilet, but the problems have become too serious for even her. The toilet is now having internal problems allowing a small amount of water to constantly trickle within the bowl. In Hengyang, it's difficult to find someone who knows how to fix western toilets since most of the toilets here are squatties. But I believe in miracles, and I will not lose hope for what my toilet can become.

Okay, I don't want to come across as complaining about my apartment. I'm balancing the good with the bad. In general, I feel so blessed by this apartment.
We talked about Home this past week in our sophomore classes. I wrote that for me, home is where I can let my hair down and put my feet up. Here in this apartment, I can very comfortably do both.