It's amazing what a little bit of persistence and a lot of guanxi (relationship) can do for you in China. When I arrived here at LiaoDa, I was surprised to find myself placed in a dorm with a roommate. While my roommate was nice enough, it was definitely not an ideal situation: she rarely spoke to me, she usually wasn't fully clothed, and she always had shows playing at full volume on her laptop. Makes it difficult to study. Even more frustrating, though, was being limited to showering while the showers were open - only 5 1/2 hours a day - and having to use the squatties down the hall.
Could I have dealt with this for a year? Certainly. And I still would have enjoyed myself.
But guanxi is an amazing thing when it works to your advantage.
I have been to several offices around the school and talked with several of the officials. My argument is that I am a graduate student in the U.S., so I should have a single room like all the graduate students here. Technically I don't think I should have a single room, because I'm not considered a graduate student here. I'm only a language student. But persistence - and having a friend who is friends with the dorm's laoban (boss) - won out.
Friday I was transferred to a single room. Woo-hoo! Now I have a bathroom in my room, along with a shower that I can use anytime of day. (Okay, there is still only hot water during those 5 1/2 hours, but even a cold shower is better than not having the option of a shower at all!) I even have a western-style toilet! I had definitely already come to terms with the thought that I might not sit on a toilet for 11 months, but it turns out that won't be the case after all.
I'm definitely enjoying my new room. It's small and cozy, but it's my space. And believe me, when you cannot get away from people any other way in a country with this large of a population, having a room to yourself is a real blessing.
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