Apartments in China

I've been living out of hotels in the last few weeks, I guess its the life of a salesman/hustler like myself. Due to the expenses, I decided to start looking for an apartment in the metropolis of Shenzhen, due to its convenience (an hour from Guangzhou, it borders HK, but its cheaper than HK, etc.). I realized yesterday that the first tier cities of China are not only much more expensive than the second tier cities (like Dalian, where I lived for a year), but their costs are similar to that of Western cities. I saw a few serviced apartments, which were definitely out of my price range. I was willing to make the move, but realized that Shenzhen is such a massive city, that it really isn't so convenient to move around.

Nonetheless, I thought I had found my apartment. It was affordable, in a great location with a local Chinese market, and near Western-style bars. When I visted there were a few things I was concerned about. First, was that there was a lack of AC in the living room. Considering its a fucking sauna in Shenzhen, I was worried. But, there was AC in the room, as well as wireless internet, which is rarer than most westerners would believe. Just as I was about to sign on the dotted line, I saw the bathroom.

Me: Where's the toilet? (looks at Chinese/old world toilet)...Oh

Landlady: You are in china, but you'll get used to it

Me: Hmm, and what are all these buckets with water for, does it flush?

Landlady: That's how you clean it

Needless to say, I'm still in a hotel in Zhangmutou, a small city outside Shenzhen. Believe it or not, it's actually more convenient (and cheaper) to stay here when doing business in the Guangdong area. Besides, I'm hustling way too hard to shit in a hole.