Life on the Balcony

My apartment is somewhat small; one bedroom, one bathroom, one living room, one kitchen. Done.

Living in one of the most expensive cities in the world, this humble setup alone can cost more than the average Shanghainese citizen's income - It's no surprise that 'culturally', the home is a family-wide endeavor of loans and sharing for many folks.

Although I'm paying more rent than you would pay for a full house in most of England, I actually got myself a pretty good bargain with a landlord reluctant to raise the price upon renewal unlike some past experiences.

Because this apartment comes with two massive additions: An entire rooftop to myself and a balcony that serves more like a catwalk extending a good 20 metres or so (usable, but more exists) overlooking a private bamboo garden.

The garden is part of a health clinic and is never actually used, and so it has long been an absolute diamond in the rough, especially for my cats who have safe territory to chill in away from cars and bad people.

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Bamboo grows quickly. Several times I've had to hack down some overambitious stalks that have encroached so far over my balcony I can barely get past them to hang my clothes. But right at the end, the overgrowth is perfect. It blocks the view of the people on the ground, the traffic, and serves as an absolute haven for bug life.

The bamboo itself serves merely as scaffolding. Numerous other plants have latched on, wrapped around and have been thriving there for as long as I can remember being here.

Though I don't have a professional camera, summertime provides me with the perfect little private photoshoot location to get as many insects as I can.

The only problem is that the cursed black butterfly refuses to be caught on camera, never staying in any one spot for more than a second or two, barely enough time for my macro lens to line up. Moby Dick will continue his efforts for years to come.

Anyway, pointless blabbering aside, here's some pics: