The Guards

Here is Julien with one of our favorite apartment guards.

It has been interesting to get used to feeling monitored with our comings and goings.  As I leave the apartment I always notice one of the management desk people push their little talkie button on their earpiece to communicate our exit of the premises.  Then I can see the guard outside respond on his ear/talkie piece and look our way as our wide procession of boy-stroller-boy makes it down the ramp. It took me several weeks to notice that upon our return to the apartment, the guards were always opening the sliding door for us with a remote control. I had just assumed it had an automatic sensor.  Then one day rolled along and the guard was busy and the door didn't open.  Only then did I notice the place where I was supposed to swipe my key.  So all in all, the general feeling is that of cared for attention :)

Each guard seems to have a different comfort level with us ranging from a reserved smile and mute nod to "ni hao's" to high fives and hair rustling (the boys, not mine). There is one in particular that the boys always like to run up to and show them something cool from their day at school.