Building Staff

Okay. So, I have a weird thing about sleeping in my own bedding. I blame bed bug hysteria for this somewhat odd preference. When I was preparing to come to China, I wrote and asked what I would need for my apartment. Would I need bedding? Kitchen supplies? What should I bring from home and what should I plan to buy on arrival? You can guess the types of questions you might ask before traveling somewhere for three months. My contact assured me that kitchen and bath supplies would be available, but I would need to bring or buy my own bedding. Into already packed suitcases, I squeezed a pillow, pillowcase, flat sheet, and a light blanket. If I needed more than that, I could make it through the first week with those items and buy others in Beijing. No problem.

As I mentioned in my first blog post, getting here and my arrival were chaotic and full of unexpected, eh, um, well, I’ll call them “opportunities.” When I reached the apartment, I discovered that bedding was provided and changed by building staff, but kitchen supplies were extremely limited, and there were no towels, etc. in the bathroom. I eventually remedied the kitchen and bath shortages by buying things. It was a relatively simple fix. Having brought my own bedding, I added it to what was already on the bed and was very pleased with that.

Throughout my time here, I have used my own pillow and my sheet and light blanket as additions to the duvet and pillows provided in the apartment. It has worked great and is very comfortable. The building staff and I have also worked out a cleaning schedule for my apartment. They come in on Friday morning to change the provided bedding and to sweep and mop the apartment. They do not clean the bathroom or kitchen or do any dusting. Fine. No problem. I’m happy to do those chores on my own. As part of this routine, I organize and clean the apartment on Thursday, except for the floors, and remove my personal bedding from the bed. This has been the routine since my first few weeks in China. It has worked well, and everyone seems okay with it. Until today.

No one knocked on my door in the morning. I placed my little trash can outside the door, the building staff left me with a clean liner, and I moved the trash can back into the kitchen before I left to meet a friend for lunch. Perfect. Except, I had forgotten it was Friday. I have been working on papers and tests for the end of my semester at school. Frankly, my apartment was a mess. There were clothes on the bed, both dirty and clean, and all the bedding was twisted up together like a rat’s nest. I hadn’t made the bed, opened the curtains, or done any of my usual pre-Friday organizing or cleaning.

When I returned to the building, one of the staff stopped me and asked if everything was okay with my room. It was an odd question. I have lived here for 10 weeks and NOW they want to ask questions? Hm. I said, “Yes. All is well.” She said, “Is everything okay with you? Do you need anything?” So strange! I said, “Oh, yes. I’m fine. Thank you.” She looked me up and down, nodded, and walked away. What a strange interaction! I hadn’t experienced anything like that previously.

I hustled up the stairs to my apartment and opened the door. I immediately recognized that EVERYTHING was clean. My dishes were washed. My clothes were organized and put away neatly. The floors sparkled. Even the bathroom was clean! The apartment smelled like citrus, the curtains were open, and everything was neatly organized. I was horrified. Embarrassed. Truly upset with myself.

I ran back downstairs and found the woman who stopped me on my way into the building. She told me that she goes by “Jun” and asked again if everything was okay. After several minutes of translating questions and answers on our phones, I discovered that the building cleaners had waited until I left to clean the room. They “did some extra” today because the apartment “looked like stress.” I am still embarrassed but am somewhat comforted that the two women noticed that things were different and took their time to make things better. Actually, I’m incredibly honored that they did this for me. It was truly a caring act for a virtual stranger. Amazing. For the next two weeks, however, my goal is to always be ready for Friday.