Suzhounese

Having concurred Suzhou:P

One of these kids you can't stop looking at

Chefs' break next to the garbage

Washing plates in the very very very dirty channel

Washing clothes in the very very very dirty channel

Washing clothes and dishes again, this time in the very (just one time) dirty well (πηγάδι)

Περί Souzhouνέζων ο λόγος..Αυτοί οι άνθρωποι χαρακτηρίζονται από ένα παράδοξο. Έχουν καταφέρει να διατηρήσουν την "Κινεζικότητά" τους ανέπαφη, ταυτόχρονα όμως δείχνουν πολύ εξοικιωμένοι στη θέα ημών, των Δυτικών. Αρκετοί μιλούσαν αγγλικά και γενικά στο δρόμο δεν είχαμε την αίσθηση ότι είμαστε εξοτικά ζωάκια, που μας κοιτάνε και μιλάνε για μας όπως συμβαίνει στη Hangzhou. Οι άνθρωποι ήταν πολύ άμεσοι! Συναντήσαμε γιαγιάδες που ξεκαρδίζονταν στα γέλια μαζί μας χωρίς να μιλάμε την ίδια γλώσσα, κυρίες που μας φίλησαν, παιδάκια που έπαιξαν μαζί μας κινεζικές ρακέτες και μας μιλούσαν στα αγγλικά, έναν υπέροχο γεράκο που μας έδειξε το δρόμο για έναν κρυμμένο κήπο και μια κοπέλα εκπληκτική. Μπήκαμε στο μαγαζί της με χειροποίητα από την ίδια κοσμήματα κατά τύχη, και καταλήξαμε να πίνουμε τσάι και να τρώμε φυστίκια για μια ώρα, ακούγοντας Σοπέν και μιλώντας περί ανέμων και υδάτων. Μας μάγεψε όλους! Παρ΄ότι είναι στην ηλικία μας, εκπέμπει μια εκπληκτική αρμονία. Μάλλον ότι και να σας πω, δε μπορείτε να καταλάβετε τί ακριβώς εννοώ. Τί να πω; Αυτή η πόλη είναι πραγματικά μοναδική και οι άνθρωποί της ακόμη περισσότερο. Καλά Χριστούγεννα σε όλους και Χρόνια Πολλά! Και μιας που είμαι στην Κίνα, ελπίζω η νέα χρονιά να μας φέρει λίγη περισσότερη αρμονία από την προηγούμενη!

(O Dawid, εγώ, η Li Qing He και o Marcel )

The Suzhounese are wonderful people!They somehow managed to be untouched by Western customs and manners, preserving their identity, while at the same time being very open to foreigners and actually many of them could speak English. This city is really an unusual one, at least according to what we have experienced so far in China. We don't really get why they are like that, but what actually matters is that they are wonderful indeed! They were very much enjoying our company, laughing very loud and very happily speaking with us, posing for us, showing us around and even playing with us (chinese badminton-like street sport). We met little children speaking in English, old ladies laughing out loud and even kissing us, and last but not least and incredible girl in our age more or less. Li Qing He is the owner of a tea-house and a shop selling hand-made (by her) jewelery. We met her by random, entering her jewelery shop that had a unique atmosphere and we ended up staying there for around an hour eating pistachios, listening to Chopin and chatting. It is, of course hard to describe, but she is a person that radiates harmony and she certainly has things to tell!The night time we found ourselves sitting in a rock bar, proposed by her listening to an incredibly good band of Asian people. They sang "Bohemian Rapsody" of Queen, even better than Queen themselves. I have asked a Brazilian guy, who was making a video to pass it to me because it is really worth it!I kiss you all and Merry Xmas!Lots of love, happiness, joy and fun!And since we are in China, I wish that for all of us the new year will be just a bit more harmonious than this one!

A girl selling flowers that we couldn't resist.The roses were half fake , by the way! Me and Milos had one of our many "disagreements". He was saying that the flower is fake and I was saying it is real. I was actually pissed-off(very usual state for me and Milos, he is one of the really few people who can actually piss me off), because I have been holding the rose for half an hour. I was thinking, that he can't doubt so much about my IQ, because I was holding the rose from the bottom and it definitely was real. But nop! We discovered a Chinese patent!!!Real base of flower and at the very top, a fake red rose glued!!All of it wrapped in paper so that you can't realize it in a bar!So, for a change, we both were right:)

I have had long moral thoughts, of weather I should allow a person to be carrying me, as if he was an animal. This guy was driving us for 15 minutes for 5 yuans (0.5 euros)! It has been great fun and very interesting way to see the city and feel your adrenaline in high levels. But nevertheless, I still prefer the motor-variation ones. Yet another topic of discussions:)


Girl playing traditional Chinese instrument.

Coming next...I have so many things to write you about....Let's make a poll!!!What do you want to know next?!