Spring has arrived. It is particularly beautiful here in the French Concession, with the leaves of the plane trees just starting to unfurl, giving the whole area a light-green sheen. I see the children from the compound, Kazu among them, playing in the courtyard, watched over by their nannies and amahs. It's still so international here, just how I imagined Shanghai would be.

Life in the Cathay Hotel now seems another world, as if it was just a passing visit to Shanghai in the dim distant past. Being in the flat gives a sense of permanence; that Shanghai is home.

And how I love the flat! The high ceilings give the place an open airy feel, while the dark, highly polished wooden parquet floors add weight and warmth. The Bakers’ furniture was obviously carefully chosen – solid and angular, each piece different from the other, but all fitting in together perfectly. The sofa is my favourite, a boxed-in walnut frame with firm, but very comfortable cushions. It gives the living room a homely feeling while still being stylish. Kazu's room, which he shares with Miyo, is a proper little boy's room, with blue curtains and cuddly toys. Also, a blue carpet so he won't slip, and pale enough so that any dirt would be instantly noticeable.

Boy and Amah have joined the household, a discreet couple, never in the way. Boy says we are to call him Chokugetsu-ken, the Japanese pronunciation of a Chinese name, perhaps because that's what his previous Japanese employers called him. He has a wide round face, and a big mouth that stretches almost to his ears when he smiles. Amah is small and quiet, but with a presence that exudes goodness. Amah is happy to yield to Miyo where their duties overlap, and Miyo, to her credit, is reasonable and cordial with Amah.

Miyo still remains an enigma. At first I thought her detached manner was because she wasn't yet comfortable with us or with Shanghai. It's been a full month now, and I believe we treat her as part of the family, yet she still seems rather distant.