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Jiangxi Villa
Thursday, February 10, 2005-3:43 PM
It's cold here, but there's no snow on the ground. Natasha, her brother, mother and I went to visit her uncle (actually her father's cousin) this morning.
My brother and I shared a bicycle taxi on the way over there. The three-wheeled, single-gear bikes are only a little faster than walking, unless you're going up hill, but your shoes don't get as dirty.
The building her uncle's flat is in has just been built, and on the way up, it looked like the other units weren't yet completed. All of the units seemed very big. Her uncle's had a (relatively) large kitchen, dining room, office, living room, and at least two or three bedrooms that I didn't see.
Even though it's spacious, it feels a bit cold inside. The floor is some sort of marble/stone tile that seems like it belongs in a bank lobby. The living room looks like it was cleared out in anticipation of a party with the couches sitting fifteen to twenty feet away from a large screen TV that isn't large enough for the room. The ceiling was very high, but there wasn't much decorating the big white walls.
It started to rain while we were there, so we waited for her uncle's personal chaffeur. The chaffeur pulled up in a black Honda Accord (a favorite of Chinese who are driven around by chaffeurs) with Natasha's uncle. The four of us crammed in the back seat. The car was the only place I've been in here so far that I didn't need a jacket to keep warm.
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