We moved into our apartments Saturday, and it was pure chaos.

The building that houses foreign teachers is being renovated, and they clearly weren’t ready for us to arrive. When we got there, they were still moving in furniture and none of the appliances had been delivered. Workers were cleaning the apartments and the hallways were strewn with boxes, wires, dustpans and garbage.

Almost none of the items that were supposed to be in the apartment were there, including cutlery, plates, glasses, hangers, a broom, a cooking pot, toilet paper, soap and a clothes drying rack (we have a washing machine, but no clothes dryer).  The appliances were delivered over the next few hours along with cleaning products, but there’s still no sign of basics like dishes, cups and eating utensils. (I’m getting pretty handy with chopsticks, but some foods like corn still elude me.) Also, no TV or Internet yet.

But we’ll survive. None of us came to China for the amenities. As long as we can eat, bathe and use a Western toilet, we’ll be fine.

My apartment is basically one large room, with the bed separated by a large bookshelf. There’s a tiny kitchen with a hotplate and microwave and an even smaller bathroom with a curtain-less shower and a slow drain. So whenever I take a shower, the floor gets flooded and the toilet gets drenched. And for the first two days, that water was ice cold because my water heater wasn’t working. But after three or four visits by an electrician, my own private Noah’s Ark is now floating in hot water.

The appliances all have Chinese instructions, so I have no idea how to use them. At some point, I’ll get a translator to explain how they work.  (My colleague Jennifer learned the hard way. The first time she used her washing machine it flooded her apartment because the water hose was loose.)

Oh, did I mention that I’m on the third floor of a building that doesn’t have an elevator?

Now, the good news: My apartment is a five-minute walk from the campus. When I leave the building, I walk about 100 yards, cross a major road and I’m at the front entrance to the university. Which means I can wake up 20 minutes before class, take a quick shower and still make it on time. Just like I did when I was a student.