We already knew that Guangzhou is huge, but the first taxi ride to the city center was mind-blowing. Taxis of Guangzhou are easy to spot due to their coloring, they are air-cooled and generally in good shape. Half of the trunk was occupied by a huge gas(oline?) tank. We had so big luggage bags that it was hard to put even one inside the trunk. Even then, it was left half open. You could hear honking behind when the trunk opened during the drive, fortunately the taxi driver stopped the car every time this happened and fixed the issue. An hour of driving, stopping and traffic we were inside the vast city center. Even with the driving directions it was difficult for the driver to find the hotel. After few awkward moments with Google maps, the driving directions and a Chinese friend through phone we realized that most of the taxi drivers aren't locals. Later we found out that they in fact live in the countryside.

After the long flight we arrived to HeeFun hotel right next to the Canton tower. It was a very nice two bedroom hotel room with very good service. The staff was very helpful and kind. The first two days we mostly slept and explored the sights nearby. There was a pool in the hotel where Amelia enjoyed herself very much. The location helped us to get inside the city culture. Guangzhou is a very young developing city. It definitely has its traditional Cantonese mark but for the architecture point of view it lacks the edge or the statement. It's growing such a speed (skyscrapers and 50-storey flats are being build all over the Tian He district right now) that maybe in the future it will be recognized as a metropolis.

On the third day we went to the Shanxiu jiu road, a famous shopping place 30 min metro ride from the hotel. We were instantly like superstars in there, ´cause everybody wanted to say hi to Amelia and take her picture. There´s not much foreigners in here, so we get a lot of attention where ever we go. At Shangxiu jiulu we met a local girl, Eileen, who wanted to help us to find an apartment so we agreed that she´d come with us the next day. Back in the hotel we realized that this hotelroom is our only home right now! Our home is where we all are together.

Saturday morning we met Eileen in Liede metro station next to our hotel and headed towards the university island. She was a huge help for us since she could speak also English and Chinese so she called to our university about the apartment and to some real estate companies. And not long till we got in touch with one of our teachers, Mr Gao Lintao, who also was able to help us. We met him near the Banyan Tree student dormitories where we continued our trip with motorbikes to the real estate company few km away. We had desided not to take a room from the dormitory, because with a child we´d have to take two rooms and one for Laura´s dad when he comes to take care of Amelia. The total rental costs would then be almost the same as when having an own apartment.

At the real estate company we had very good service although we needed a lot of translation help from Eileen and Gao Lintao. We went to look three different apartments in the Fineland Apartments: first one was messy and expensive but the second was really spacous, tidy and cheap (150 square-meters for 4000 rmb, circa 500 euros). We tried to get it, but the landlord demanded us to pay rent for 2 extra months. One semester is the problem here, it's a short time, and we are leaving China just before the Chinese New Year, which is a bad time to rent an apartment. Fortunately we found third apartment. It's about 80 m^2 and the rent is 3800 rmb / month. The apartment was so new and unhabited that there was no air conditioning, nor second bed. We demanded them from the landlord and it was fine for her. After few hours of translating the contract and driving around the local bureaus we signed on the last line of the contract.

Now our home is in China!