My Kitchen

Today in Guangzhou it was 20°C and windy

The above photo is of my kitchen looking in from the living room. It is super clean for 2 reasons, the first being that I clean it myself, the second being that we have only cooked one supper in 5 weeks (we cook brunch). Notice the 2 sets of taps. The one on the left is for washing in the sink and is not potable water. The little one on the right (with the cute whale tap) is for drinking water. You have to pay for both monthly.

The thing that looks like a dishwasher is actually a sterilizer. The Chinese are fanatical about security and germs. Dishes are washed and dried and then put in the sterilizer where they get disinfected for an hour. Apparently, germs can attach to freshly dried plates but not to sterilized plates.

Myself, having been raised by a Berliner mother that survived WW2 (photo below), am totally immune to foodborne germs. Eating constant leftovers for 18 years, prepared by a mother that starved as a child and steadfastly refuses to throw out any food, regardless of its state, has its consequences, should you manage to survive.

 

The photo below was taken from one end of the kitchen. I can touch both walls at the same time with my outstretched arms. The length of the kitchen is 12 feet. Notice my gas toaster resting behind the stovetop (wire mesh thingy).

The photo below is looking out the kitchen window. We are 24 floors above ground. Notice the windows on the left of the neighbouring apartments. The bottom window has its curtains opened, the middle one never opens its curtains and the top one (right across from my window) has been bricked up. The white pipe is for the electricity.

My kitchen is functional but could use more room to prepare food. It also does not have a stove. I will be dreaming of my mother-in-law’s wonderful roast turkey next week end. (Sorry, no photo, only one scary old person photo allowed per post) 🙂