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Q: Have you ever winterized your Chinese apartment?
I know that windows here aren't exactly sealed tight, but the one in my bedroom was even worse. It doesn't fit properly, so the corner on the one side always has a crack open. So the other day, I took a bunch of tissues and stuffed them all around the windows where a little air came in, then taped it where I could. I also taped some small cracks in the walls. I was tired of hearing everything that was going on outside, including the rooster in the morning. Now the noises outside are much quieter, and there shouldn't be many drafts in the winter. What about you? Have you ever gotten so tired of something being broken, you fixed it up yourself?
Doors not sliding correctly, drains that leak, a pipe or two that drip, handles that arn't actually attached anymore. Since everything here is made as cheap as possible, then I've made it a habit to take tools home from work and redneck engineer a method to fix all the fun problems my loving home provides for me. It's less hassle than calling the landlord.
Government (or someone) just paid a small army of workers that came along unannounced last week and drilled and glued 40mm styrofoam to the outside of all the privately owned buildings in the area. They then re rendered and painted them. We live in one of those typical 6-8 story older blocks. It is cold outside but still quite warm inside and the heating has yet to be turned on.
A pipe leaks in my apartment that my landlord has paid the person to fix several times. All they have managed to do is get it to leak more slowly .... so we have a bowl there catching all the water that must be dumped every day on the counter floods. It's annoying. I don't understand why it's so hard to find a handy handyman here .
if it gets really cold, glass will loose the most heat,, cover with clear plastic sealed to frame and heavy cover/ curtain to keep heat in.
Gee I thought that styrofoam project was a special for our district. I tell folks back home it's like living in a giant esky!! They did that to 25 apartment blocks, redid the drains, the central heating and replastered all the inside stairwell walls. Pulled up all the paving, about 500,000 square metres and repaved and guttered. They won't finish before winter sets in. In my apartment I borrow the tools I need from our handyman guy and put in my own shelves, toilet roll holder and shower caddy. Cover the windows with old newspapers in the winter and fix the toilet and shower as required. The last time they needed to remove the security wrought iron from the windows I had 8 Chinese guys rock up, 2 to do the work, 3 to watch, 1 to shout orders and 2 to sit down and give advice, sit and stand on the furniture, smoked cigarettes before I gave them a blast and provided me with two hours of unrehearsed comedy. DIY back home - gotta be the same here!
