Housing

Finding a place to stay was a challenge to say the least. When I first agreed to volunteer I knew that it was my responsibility to secure a flight as well as a place to stay. Normally I could rely on my sister planning the trip, but China was unknown territory.  Finding a reasonably priced place would take a lot of time to research . Teaching a 4/5 combination class this year took all of my energy, so I couldn't bring myself to do the leg-work. I took what I thought was the easy way out. 

Originally I had planned on staying at the Beijing Normal University Dorms because of several reasons: (1) It is going to be the high performance training center for the US Team, (2) $130/night included meals, (3) High security, (4) 2 in a room, and (5) Access to training facilities. Things changed quickly and the price became $175/night with 3 people to a room. I remember how crowded San Jose State Dorms were with 2 people sharing, so I went for another option. Housing at the US Olympic Committee's (USOC) Headquarters, Beijing Hilton. It is a really nice place, with an even "nicer" price of $6,000 for the month and no meals were included. YIKES! I thought for sure that I was going to have to live like a pauper all next year.

You might think that I was crazy to even contemplate staying in such an expensive place, but I didn't know where to begin looking for a place in a foreign country that I had never been too, in a city as big as Beijing,  and in a country I couldn't read the language. It was a risk I wasn't willing to take, so I decided to stay where I knew I could survive. I still don't have a good grasp of the money exchange rate. It's frustrating. :-(

I will be sharing my housing with Melissa. This is her first time to travel internationally. She will be volunteering and working the same 7pm-1am shift that I have at the USA House. I have only emailed and spoken to on the phone. $6,000 was not what we had anticipated. Fortunately she happened to meet a couple in Colorado Springs, CO who  helped get us connected with Dan, a business consultant for the USOC. He was a LIFESAVER! Dan was responsible for securing their apartment. Timing is everything. As Dan was picking up the keys to their apartment, he bumped into a friend, Angela, in the same complex. She told him that her apartment would be available in Aug. because she was going to need a larger one. As luck would have it, we were able to rent her place. It gave me peace of mind to know that Dan had also lived in this complex.

The apartment has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, air conditioning (a must), it's fully furnished, all appliances including a washing machine, kitchen, security guards, TV, internet access, and a land phone line for $3,500.  I just wired my share of the rent, $1,849. I couldn't believe our good fortune. Melissa and I are so relieved. Who knew that we could find a really nice apartment that is walking distance from the USA House for an affordable price at the very last minute. Funny how things just sometimes fall into place. What a load off of my mind. :-)