Temporary apartment

For those of you interested, we took some pictures of the apartment that we're staying in until we find one of our own. It's pretty nice with plenty of space. Some of the things I hate: no dryer, no rugs and too many switches!!! Here's what the washer looks like.......

Very different from what we're used to and much smaller! It takes forever to do a load of laundry and I still haven't figured out how to set it properly to drain all of the water out.

There are a zillion switches for the lights and they are all in the wrong place. For example, the switches next to the bathroom control the bedroom lights. It's like a game every time I need to turn on a light. Since we're up on the third floor, we've also become residents of the elevator that seems to hate our presence. The door closes while you're getting on or off and doesn't sense that someone is there until it has already hit you. On another note, the beds aren't as bad as I was expecting, although they are smaller than what we're used to. I was expecting to be sleeping on a very uncomfortable mattress, but it's all right.

There is a lot of closet space and plenty of cabinets in the kitchen, but it really doesn't mean too much since we are trying not to unpack a whole lot. Fortunately, this apartment is pretty well furnished, so there are some plates, cups, bowls, silverware, pots, pans and appliances. We're still trying to figure out how the stove works, but the microwave and toaster oven will do for now. The oven is much smaller than those at home as well, but I like how it is set into the wall rather than below the cabinets. One of my purchases was a coffee press since I will need the caffeine while adjusting to the time difference!

Closets are not the same as they are at home either. Each room has at least one wardrobe, but none of them are built into the room like the majority of homes back in the U.S. Instead, they are like another piece of furniture. Each bedroom in this apartment has two wardrobes, with bars to hang clothes, shelves and drawers.

The apartment building also has a pool, wading pool and gym for use by residents. It seems that these amenities will be available at any of the apartment complexes we move to. The pool will certainly be used a lot considering the level of heat and humidity here. Luckily, we have already brought Juliana swimming and know that she really enjoys the water. We bought a float for her to sit in with a shade, so she can enjoy the water without being directly in the sun.

One things I already miss about living in a house is the privacy and lack of noise. I'm so used to be surrounded with woods instead of having people living above, below and next door to me. But I guess that's something else we'll get used to in time.