Judy heads out to work, as usual. She’s begun to settle in on her morning walking schedule. She usually gets back to the apartment between 5:30 and 5:45, and finishes getting ready for school, so she can leave around 7:00 am. I’m doing some stretching and pushups every morning. I hope to start up the swimming next month. BISS changed their gym contract for employees from the Marriott to a Sheraton. It’s much closer to the school, but farther from the apartment. I’ve been looking for a swimming pool closer to the apartment. I think I’ve found one, and I’ll join Sept. 1.

When Lily shows up today, she goes with me to the apartment management office. She handles the translation and we try to pay for hot water. We’ve almost got the system figured out. We pay to load hot water on our hot water meters (we have two). Back at the apartment, the “hot water card” has to be pushed into a slot on the meter and held until the “whirring” sound stops, meaning it’s loaded. We also have a card that controls the meters for cold water and “flush” water. It hasn’t moved much in a year?   I paid on both cards in August 2013. So far, we’ve paid $270 total for our water for the apartment, and it could last until next summer.

After we settle the water purchase, I head over to BHSFIC for another rehearsal of the Orchestra Club. Jason, the club president, and Yelena (she wasn’t here yesterday) made it today. The other students didn’t make it. We spent about an hour playing through the arrangement, and talking about the students’ summer activities, as well as which universities they hope to attend next year. It’s interesting to hear their opinions about colleges, and what they’ll be doing this time next year.

After rehearsal, I take the train back home. It’s really hot today, so I make a stop at McDonald’s for an ice cream cone. They cost 4 yuan (65 cents). It’s just too cheap, and tastes too good for me to ignore.