Hot Water

The water is not hot. The shower water. I open the bathroom door a crack and yell to Sabrina "hot water" and she in turn yells to her father to turn it on. He responds with what sounds like frustration in Chinese. A few minutes pass and the shower still lacks hot water. I'm thinking maybe it's the universe telling me to join the cold water immersion cult. Nah. I yell out the door again, Sabrina tells me it's on but it's not and then I hear the hot water heater fire up and a minute later the shower has hot water.

We are spending a few days in Sabrina's hometown of Xiangyang while on my work-pause road trip. We are staying in with Sabrina's parents in the apartment Sabrina bought a few years back. You can't tell from my hot water saga, but the apartment is a modern high-rise, with all the amenities. It's on the 31st floor, overlooking the Han river. There isn't a US style hot water heater, but the heat as you need it variety. It's just that Sabrina's dad likes to keep it turned off through a real or perceived need to save electricity/money. The same goes for eating out - restaurants are rip offs he says. That, and Sabrina's mom is wheel chair bound. So, he prepares all meals at home. His cooking is good and he makes accommodations for my tastes - more stuffed buns and beef slices. But after a couple of household meals, I am ready to go out. So, in the mornings before he serves breakfast, I get out and walk 1 km to a starbucks and spend more money on an americano and bagel than can feel the house for the day. The things I really don't like is it's not a home I feel free doing whatever in and I don't like being accommodated for.

This contrast shows up in my observations of Xiangyang. There are modern apartments, next to dilapidated flats. There are luxury cars filling up parking lots and old men on well-worn bicycles. There are splashy malls next to street side stalls.

Amanda is at home in the apartment and the grounds. The grounds are large with a playground in the middle. Amanda insits on walking by herself and when she sees a middle aged woman, will walk right up to them, look them in the eye and talk loudly. Talk as in make noise "ahhh ohhh eeeyyy". People ask me if she is speaks Chinese or English. She speaks Amanda language.

Sabrina got to visit her uncle and cousins family. She brought gifts from Sam's club. The mixed nuts from last year are almost all gone.