Lidu Jasper Hotel Suzhou

... the outer condition of their homes. In fact, the only time many of them are painted or repaired is when the building it first completed. After that, no attention is paid to it. However, the interior is often the rival of 5 star hotels, even out in the more rural areas. It&#8217;s just a different mindset.<br><br>The juxtaposition between the new construction and the rubble in the same city block is something to behold<br><br>A new ...

... outside of his small one room home having a morning stretch or brushing his teeth. His home is no larger than a small single-car garage and is situated on the edge of the road. We peer through the window of his home as we pedal by. Inside is a sleeping cot, a small table, a hot plate, and some shelving on the wall lined with canned food. I wonder about the stories this old man must have, and how, if at all, his ...

... we find a group practising Tai Chi. It is so graceful and they make it look so easy although I am sure it is not. There are more fish ponds, walkways, pavilions, seats and picnickers. The sound of more music leads us to an outdoor version of Strictly Come Dancing. OK, maybe not, but the dancers are extremely proficient at the nifty foot-work. From what we can see anyone can join in but we decide that we might need longer to learn the steps ...

... pretty relaxed time. I now wonder how we manage to wolf down our lunches in Canada. When I come back to Canada having two hour lunches is going to one of the things I'm really going to miss. <br><br>At 1:30, it's back to class. School ends at 3:25pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we do clubs with the students. Right now I'm doing a card playing club and Lois has a drama club. <br><br>The students here are pretty awesome to teach. There are zero discipline ...

... of those menu's include a lot of pretty weird and crazy stuff. It's amazing what the Chinese will eat. You name it, they eat it. Think of any part of any animals body, inside and out, and they eat it. Last weekend one of our student's dad brought home a complete cow head. They ate the whole thing up throughout the weekend. The kid loved it. No matter what street you walk down in China there are street vendors every few ...

... Persistent people would invite you into an alley to show you a special art exhibit. ( right, a cue to mug you!) There were absolutely throngs of people, just about claustrophobia inspiring. Neat riverfront. Everything is techno - the hilt. Sides of buildings have 30 story high vido screens on othem. Traffic intersections have huge - 120" tv's on 2 corners, flashing advertising. The columns supporting ...

... the perfect place for dinner. On campus there is this tiny restaurant tucked in a small alley. We sat down at this table to be greeted by a tiny boy in a spiderman t-shirt. He couldnt stop staring at us, though refused to talk. He was ADORABLE. However, the most amazing part was across from the table they were making the noodles fresh. We all ordered noodles, saw him make the noodles, cook the noodles and then serve them to us. I am not sure I have ever had food that was this fresh ...

... a simple river side walk but a nice one and very peaceful. <br> <br>One thing I did learn today is that here in Suzhou if there is a free space where there is a rock, grass, a tree or two or all of them together you will be charged to look at it! Combine several of the above and somehow it becomes one of Suzhou's fine Gardens. <br><br> <br> <br>After ...

... but does Venice only have that because it's Venice?) but is every bit as charming and lacks the pretense of Venice, whilst maintain that unmistakable quality that makes a city Chinese. What is it? I don't know - It's not just dirt... Oh - and Suzhou isn't famous for blinds. On Suzhou's side is its relative calm - could you ever imagine strolling along the Venetian canals in virtual solitude? One wonders where the 6 million residents of Suzhou live. On my ...

... plus long. Depuis le fleuve on remonte par des petites ruelles (en escaliers) vers un centre moderne ou l'on trouve meme un gigantesque Carrefour (qui vend surtout des chaussures semble-t'il, mais a la maniere chinoise : sur 12 etages de 5000 metres carres chacun, de la folie...). Circuler dans les ruelles vous permet d'etre au milieu de la vraie Chine, en navigant dans un interessant contraste ou le marbre domine la montee alors que la descente vous plonge vers le Yang Tse. Et le ...