Suzhou art and seafood
Trip Start
Mar 01, 2012
1
94
179
Trip End
Ongoing
Started the day in search of an English version of Lonely Planet's Trans-Siberian Rail guide. Found it at 390 Fuzhou Lu! ¥180. Not too bad, I guess. Considering planning on my own vs. using an agent. It would be a lot easier, but so much more expensive and less flexibility. Thoughts?!!
Talk about being outside your comfort zone- arrived in Suzhou and there were no other Westerners in sight. I'd never taken a taxi in China, but the nice guy who sat next to me on the train said all the sights were too far to walk. (He also wrote "Please direct me to China Unicom, I'd like to buy a 3G SIM card" in Chinese. Crucial. I haven't been able to figure this out yet. Far less people speak English here compared to Hong Kong. Fortunately, the hostel has wifi.) Regardless, I couldn't get my bearings with the map, even though it was in English.
The taxi driver was NOT happy when he realized that we couldn't communicate. But I was able to read the English street signs and direct him with the map.
We finally, and much to both our satisfaction- got a big smile from the driver- arrived at Twin Pagoda Temple. The two towers, each about 33m high, we're built in 982 AD.
Aside from me, there were only two other people there. Quite a change from Shanghai's crowds. I noticed a woman painting and asked her if I could watch. We chatted a bit and discovered that we're both Metal Dogs on the Chinese zodiac. She's just a few months older than me! When I told her that I only had a few hours before my return train to Shanghai, she suggested that I relax in the temple instead of rushing to see the gardens. She very kindly offered to share her calligraphy brushes and other art supplies and encouraged me to paint.
We swapped pictures when we finished. Hers is beautiful- worthy of framing! She wrote the story of our conversation in beautiful calligraphy below the painting.
I shared my blog URL with her, so Meizi, when you read this- thank you so much for the wonderful experience! I hope we keep in touch.
I walked up the main road on my way to the rail station, hoping to see some of the gardens along the way, but got distracted by steaming bowls of what appeared to be local crawfish. Yum!! Boiled in delicious, peppery broth.
After he helped me order rice, the guy sitting across from me invited me to help him finish his dinner. He'd ordered too much- chicken with peppers and what I think was typical mung bean soup with bamboo. Delicious.
Later, he wrote "railway station" in Chinese and I ran to catch a cab. Late for my 7pm train! He also told me that it should cost about ¥11, so I knew not to pay the pedicabs the ¥50 they asked for. I know they're using manpower vs. petrol, but that's too much! Couldn't flag an available taxi, but managed to catch a bus with the help of a local girl- thanks!
Met a nice Colombian family on the bus. They didn't have as great an experience today. It's so hard with the language barrier.
Bullet train back to Shanghai. 22 minutes flat. ¥26. Take that, pedicab driver!
P.S.
This evil mosquito has been sucking my blood for over an hour. I'm covered on welts! No one else in the bar seems bothered. It's Buddhists who don't kill anything, isn't it? Maybe no one saw me. :)
Talk about being outside your comfort zone- arrived in Suzhou and there were no other Westerners in sight. I'd never taken a taxi in China, but the nice guy who sat next to me on the train said all the sights were too far to walk. (He also wrote "Please direct me to China Unicom, I'd like to buy a 3G SIM card" in Chinese. Crucial. I haven't been able to figure this out yet. Far less people speak English here compared to Hong Kong. Fortunately, the hostel has wifi.) Regardless, I couldn't get my bearings with the map, even though it was in English.
The taxi driver was NOT happy when he realized that we couldn't communicate. But I was able to read the English street signs and direct him with the map.
We finally, and much to both our satisfaction- got a big smile from the driver- arrived at Twin Pagoda Temple. The two towers, each about 33m high, we're built in 982 AD.
Aside from me, there were only two other people there. Quite a change from Shanghai's crowds. I noticed a woman painting and asked her if I could watch. We chatted a bit and discovered that we're both Metal Dogs on the Chinese zodiac. She's just a few months older than me! When I told her that I only had a few hours before my return train to Shanghai, she suggested that I relax in the temple instead of rushing to see the gardens. She very kindly offered to share her calligraphy brushes and other art supplies and encouraged me to paint.
We swapped pictures when we finished. Hers is beautiful- worthy of framing! She wrote the story of our conversation in beautiful calligraphy below the painting.
I shared my blog URL with her, so Meizi, when you read this- thank you so much for the wonderful experience! I hope we keep in touch.
I walked up the main road on my way to the rail station, hoping to see some of the gardens along the way, but got distracted by steaming bowls of what appeared to be local crawfish. Yum!! Boiled in delicious, peppery broth.
After he helped me order rice, the guy sitting across from me invited me to help him finish his dinner. He'd ordered too much- chicken with peppers and what I think was typical mung bean soup with bamboo. Delicious.
Later, he wrote "railway station" in Chinese and I ran to catch a cab. Late for my 7pm train! He also told me that it should cost about ¥11, so I knew not to pay the pedicabs the ¥50 they asked for. I know they're using manpower vs. petrol, but that's too much! Couldn't flag an available taxi, but managed to catch a bus with the help of a local girl- thanks!
Met a nice Colombian family on the bus. They didn't have as great an experience today. It's so hard with the language barrier.
Bullet train back to Shanghai. 22 minutes flat. ¥26. Take that, pedicab driver!
P.S.
This evil mosquito has been sucking my blood for over an hour. I'm covered on welts! No one else in the bar seems bothered. It's Buddhists who don't kill anything, isn't it? Maybe no one saw me. :)
Comments
5 我用半通不通的英语，向她解说画信七条理念。“慢慢画”。 蚊虫欺负她，让她被咬了包，可是，她画的时候，真的很安心。她画了她喜欢的腊梅老枝。一边仔细观察，一边认真地描画。当中她停顿下来说，尽管这不是art，但是我很喜欢它。她说，我画的是我的ｆｅｅｌｉｎｇ。（摘自《和平缔结友谊---又一个同坐故事》）
1 想想真的有趣，一个来自美国哥伦比亚（？）的旅行者，在中国苏州双塔公园，遇到了同龄人。在这个炎热的下午，两人并坐，画画，have a good time.
2 旅行的意义是观瞻，最喜风景佳处。但是，旅行记录下不同的见闻与生活，更在于调整自己。Donna有整整一年的旅行生活。她从今年三月出发，在旧金山停留，到过香港，到过……（我因不是很能听英文，而不能还原）4月17日是她的生日。当她看到我画的“狸”，就问我，这是不是“狗”，因为她属狗，是70年生人。我一听觉得相巧乃尔，她与我竟是同龄人！
3 她问我，从双塔公园走路回railway station 可以怎么走，沿路哪些景点可作停留。她拿出的苏州地图，全是英文。我说，傍晚四点，园林就不让游客进了，五点，就闭园了。（这时已是四点）游览苏州园林最好的，莫过于在下午四五点钟的时候，呆在某个园子里，享受清净。
4 她听从了我的意见，并接受了我与她一起画画的邀请。当她看到我画时，她夸奖说beautiful。我就说，如果您肯尝试，您也一样可以画。她真的肯做尝试，与我一道席地而坐。
6 我问她，什么是你的感觉？她说，和平。我笑了。这也是我的感觉。在这夕照下面，千年的古塔，花已谢的老梅，欣赏的眼神，安静的坐姿，用心的描画，这一切，构成一种美。我在这半个月的时间内，为了中考前后的事情感到ｔｅｎｓｅ，我渴望找回闲静的时光。未曾想，今天的时光，是这样分享和度过的。
7 Donna将画信送给了梅子。梅子鞠躬受之。细心描画的老干，被点上了绿色，真的很精神；古塔的窗户仿佛眼睛，透出和平。梅子也把涂鸦的作品送给了她。一只像“狗”的古代动物，全身披着阳光。远处是石刻的马，还有很高很威武的银杏树和走廊墙上的石刻的背影。中国，古老的中国，带给我们此刻的是宁静之感。
8 吸引这位异国女士的，也是中国的古老。“很美”，她说。这是道出她心中对中国的印象；“我很喜欢”，当她接过我的画信，她的眼睛充满神采。我知道什么是画信时光，又晓得什么是画信因缘。画信时光，是收拾心情的时光，是表达心志的时光；而画信的因缘，是与奔波中的世人一起度过的闲静时光，“同坐”而享受这一曼妙光阴，是的！
２０１２－６－２９
'good English' can help us,but art also can:)
your travel is grand I think,however my English is poor.
I'll try my best to keep up with you!
Good luck,Donna!
Soushou is my favorite city in China. It just looks like China should look! Canals, small windy streets, temples and pagodas.