We're already too long here in China to take pictures of underwear. But if it's such a nice motive with underwear, sausages and ham we can't resist. We found it in a worker cottage next to our compound. Here most of the workers for the "Gate of the Orient" sky scraper are living. At least 6 people in one room without heating or air condition. The same day we also saw the Chinese way of cleaning windows and buildings. A high scaffold, a long telescope stick, exactly one wiper and no water - water would be too dangerous, we guess.
Talking about TIC, fishing is very popular in Suzhou. The water in the canal is not always the freshest water, especially since there are so many constructions ongoing. But the fun will come in summer time with the real taste of Suzhou......
Before Dahliana and Massimo leave to Milan, Venice, Africa and some days somewhere for skiing, we had to have a small party. Harrys, as you already could imagine. At the moment the Too Match is in vacations, so a temporary Band is hired: Gone Wild. Not the same quality level, but a really good groove and a lot more rock. We had a nice night....
Stephan is pretty busy during the week, so Regina is jumping in all the TaiTai activities around. After Tai Chi the lunch is extra good and from time to time also a man is allowed at the table. Before we left Germany we was asked quite often: How do the Chinese eat noodle soup, ha ha, the answer is: with chop sticks. And here you see the prove.
In Suzhou and Shanghai not everything with 4 legs gets eaten if it's not a table - other than in canton. This helps a lot for hobbies like horse back riding. Regina watched her friend taking lessons, it was really cold, windy and it rained heavily the whole day. Maybe this is a TaiTai activity to be reserved for spring time.
To get around in Suzhou, e.g. from Starbucks to Starbucks hopping, everybody needs a E-Bike. We re-activated our old E-Bike for a friend as a beginners bike. Let's see, how long it takes, until she purchases a real "black beauty" or "blue berry lou". Talking about the real bikes, Regina convinced the repairman, that it's not ok when the bike is telling in a very loud Chinese language, that it's on now. Every time you turn the key. And switching it off is also told to everybody. After 10 minutes the repairman found a (pink!) speaker and since then it's quite. Now Stephan needs to do the same with his bike......
TaiTai life without shopping? No way. Shopping at Auchan, well that's more like hard work now with Chinese new year coming. Since last year the whole area around the supermarket is renovated and the market itself is now much bigger. 110 cashiers and a real good organized management. Right-angled to the cashiers a big queue of people is always there to buy fresh eggs. Well, it's exactly where the other people want to queue to pay...... TIC
CNY (Chinese New Year, not Chinese Yuan ;-) is not easily ignored. Everywhere there is tons of red nicknack, in the supermarket the music is switched to something that sounds like temple music and there is no product without a tiger (yes, next year is the year of the tiger). Stephan is very impatient and asks each day, when they start selling fireworks. This year we're also thinking about safety helmets, rumors are telling that somebody got her nose broken from a fire cracker.....
After having the standard shopping done, the TaiTai shopping can start. As a new adventure, Regina and friends tried out, how to get to the pearl market by bus. It worked perfect by the way.
Highly motivated after this experience, we started to build our own necklaces. Some of us were busy as a bee in the last weeks and now we catched up. If there is a market for hand made bracelets from Expat TaiTai s in China. Hmmm, would be worth to think about. On the right side you can see a small selection of hand made art.
There is no Carnival at all in Suzhou. Nothing. Only some parents are planning a kind of kids-carnival. And for this event, they need costumes. And if you know how to sew and stitch.... To make a long story short: we've been to the fabric market. And we found a very nice one with a real high light in chinglish.
The fabric market is in the
2nd floor of an old factory building. In the 1st floor and around the
building a lot of traders offer everything that could be used together
with fabric, e.g. knobs, sewing needles, yarn, string, zippers,
pottery, towels, gummy boots, CNY nicknack.....
In Suzhou the
school vacations already started, so the whole market was crowded with
Kids in all ages. These both are un-typically peaceful (or sedated)
sitting in a both which is sorted and organized. What happened? The
mother of the both was very pleased about us taking a photograph of her
kids. The office desk in one of the booths is also a very nice
example of the mixture of everything here: Micky Mouse, Computer,
plastic foil over the keyboard and green tee. Somehow everything fits
together.
necklace...
...one for everybody....
