My apartment came equipped with a fairly nice view and a very small washing machine. While not the latest and greatest, it is completely functional. I must manually fill the basin with water, empty it after the wash cycle and repeat in order to rinse. There is no dryer, but a built in spinner which gets the clothes from soaking to damp. From there I hang my laundry on the clothesline strung across my balcony.

The other day, following bringing in the laundry, I prepared to head out and run some errands. Just before stepping out the door I felt a stone in my shoe, and after removing the shoe determined the rock was in my sock. Upon turning my sock inside-out a rather large beetle felt out onto the floor. I let out a girlish scream, and then grabbed my camera to document the offending creature. Below is the result.

I have the week off thanks to China’s National Day. It used to only be a two day holiday but the central government expanded it to 5 days in an attempt to stimulate domestic spending. All of the students have gone home and campus is quiet for a change. With a week off from work I have finally had a chance to take in some of my surroundings. My decision to come to Qingdao was fortuitous. It is a medium sized city and I have not felt the overwhelming crush of traffic/crowds/noise/etc. that I felt in Beijing or Shanghai. A large percent of the population is fairly affluent so I can find just about anything I want/need. Finally, while I am not being paid much, I am doing something I love. With all these positives I can deal with the occasional bug in my sock.