Proverbs 21:9 - Jonathan Finally Experiences His Favorite Bible Verse in Real Life

The search for an apartment is finally over. It was an exhausting experience to say the least. Of course, when you don't have a car and must therefore walk around in 90 degree weather, anything would be exhausting.

unwakeable

We used a Chinese website to search for apartments. We were looking for a three bedroom apartment in North Kaohsiung, for about $300-500 a month. We also preferred a location that was in walking distance to the school I am working for and Jonathan's uncle Paul and his family. However, most everything we found in our price range and desired neighborhood was no where near big enough for us, the new baby, and the many visitors we are expecting from home!

On about the second or third day we came across a nice place that we were ready to rent. It was a very big three bedroom apartment, on a quiet street, across from a nice park. It was not in walking distance from my school, but it was a lovely neighborhood and a beautiful walk away from the Lotus Pond. The landlord was a kind and friendly older man, who kept a garden on the roof that we were welcome to enjoy. But that wasn't the only thing he kept on the roof.

He showed us this little room he had on the roof. It was furnished with a bed, some chairs, a desk, a bathroom, and a nice AC unit. A place where he could rest. Hmmm. I didn't think much of it at the time though. It wasn't until later that night when we met his wife did we realize why he had that room on the corner of the roof.

His wife was not so kind and gentle. She wanted money.

Luckily, we didn't bring any with us, or we may be out a few hundred dollars right now. She wanted us to put a deposit down on the place that night with the intention of signing the lease two days later. When we said we hadn't brought any money, she was upset, and then convinced Jonathan's Aunt May to put down NT $2,000 (US $60). She then wanted my passport number and May's ID number. I don't think so...

Finally after reasoning with her, she dropped the passport and ID numbers, and began writing down some things in Chinese about the appointed date and time we were to meet to sign the lease, and the NT $2,000 May had given her. That seemed normal, until she started writing about how if we didn't come at exactly the time we had agreed upon that she would be able to keep our deposit. May, of course, was not having any of it, and gave her a mouthful (I think by this time May's patience with this woman had worn out!). The two of them started arguing in Chinese, Jonathan started shouting over them about it all being too complicated, and finally the husband comes in to fix the situation. He takes the money and gives it back to May, crumples up the paper his wife had been writing, and proceeds to tell her how ridiculous she was being. He told us we could go home and get back to him. I think it was understood by everyone at that point that we weren't going to be renting this place.

"No wonder he has a room on the roof of the house!" May exclaimed when we got in the car, "His wife is crazy!" "Well, you know," Jonathan responded, "there is a proverb: It is better to live of the corner of the roof, than share a house with a quarrelsome wife." And how true.

More on the place we did move in to later...