A delightful place

After a day in Shanghai and another in Suzhou, we were ready to get out of cities. Cities are fine, I live in one. I work in one and if I don't leave it every now and then I'll be a basket case. Its been 2 months since this trip and I'm feeling so hollow. We were happy to be in little Zhujiajiao, just dawdling with no aim in mind. When I'm at home after a long and arduous work week, my mind and body shuts down, its hard to muster up any creative spirit, to write, to sketch, to draw, to cook..... its just hard. Seeing these pictures again helps a little.

A Frenchman in China

As soon as we entered the gate to the village we saw this crepe shop and a real Frenchman, making French crepes. Who can resist? Eating French crepes in Shanghai and drinking drip coffee. There's no coffee to drink and for a coffee drinker, it is hell. So I have resorted to bringing with me the little packets of instant coffee made by Nestle. They are a godsend. One can easily get hot water for tea anywhere in China. So instead of making tea, we make instant coffee. This was a lot of fun.

Zhujiajiao

One can take numerous day trips outside of Shanghai to see cute old villages. Some is not most are very touristy as in the case of Zhujiajiao. There are lots of little creeks that radiate from the Grand canal and villages have sprung up along the water banks for centuries. Many have retained their old charm and are being visited by mostly locals every day. There is a special bus service that takes people to these places every day, take them there, drop them off and return to pick them up for the trip back to Shanghai and it is so convenient. So that day we decided to go to Zhujiajiao. We were not disappointed.

The new Suzhou

Its the same story all over China, huge and new high rise buildings. The huge population demands a lot of housing and other resources. China is all over the world buying up all kinds of natural resources just so everyone back home has access to a factory job, electricity, clean water and whatever else. It has done a marvelous job considering the African countries has the advantage of being colonised by a Western power but so many still lag behind in even providing clean water and some kind of sanitation. There are new freeways everywhere and it has the most ambitious rail building program than anywhere in the world. Years ago it was hard to get a train ticket but now in spite of the massive number of people that need to be moved everybody it is relatively easy. A friend just returned from India and while the rail service is still crowded, there are impressive bus services to everywhere. I'm glad, it makes for easier travel considering the little time I have. The world has changed and a lot.

A boat ride, a ride in an old wooden boat, with its old interiors still intact, rattan chairs and all, very authentic. It was a lovely way to spend a lovely afternoon but we were being transportated on the waterway rather on the bus to a silk factory. The silk factory was impressive, the silk was exquisite, very high quality and beautiful. But I'm not a silk person, I'm a cotton person, so it was lost on me. With an organised tour they punctuate the trip with a lot of shopping. We were taken to a jade factory later. Again I'm not a jade person.

A poet in stone

We got Zac to pose for these set of pictures.

Calligraqphy

 This expert is able to compose a poem on the fly if you just give him your name. He will compose a poem with your name.

Chinese calligraphy is so stylised that it is an art form. I learned Chinese when I was very little and was not so interested in it. I can't write even my own name now.

Old Chinese architecture

The black tiled roofs and the white washed walls are very typical of Chinese villages except in this case they are new. There are still provinces in China where the modern world has not encroached. In these places they are the original old stuff.

A tea house

There's still some traditional tea houses left featuring the old decor and is complete with old style entertainment. Here a couple plays traditional Chinese musical intruments and sings old songs.

Suzhou creek

There is a man made canal that was dredged and runs between Beijing and Shanghai. It runs through Suzhou and was used to ferry people and goods on the water. There are numerous little waterways that run from the main canal and Suzhou creek is one of them. People from time immemorial has lived along the water but lately the old houses has been replaced by newer buildings. Old Suzhou is beautiful and romantic. New Suzhou has lost most if not all of its old romantic charm. There are other smaller villages where the old Grand canal atmosphere still lives but not in Suzhou. Suzhou is now a thoroughly modern city. We did manage to ride in some old wooden boats, the interior of which is old and charming.

Streets of Suzhou

 This are 'chung', rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, usually filled with meat or other condiments and steamed.

While my party was visiting the myriad of Chinese garden and pagodas, I opted to dawdle along the back streets of Suzhou. To me, real life is much more interesting. I saw men playing Chinese chess. We don't see people hanging out playing board games in Los Angeles. If one is out of work, they usually stay out of sight or else every one is gainfully employed and working hard at their job. If we have a job, we are always filled with holy fear that we would lose it if we should only stop and chat for one moment. I'm a boss and I don't like to see my staff, chatting about anything other than about work. Everywhere in the world that I've visited, I see huge swaths of people, just whiling the time away in tea stalls, some are playing board games and it is totally acceptable. I work in a homeless area of Los Angeles and there are huge swaths of men and women, hanging out and chatting and whiling the time away. Such is life, to each his own.