Nanya Suzhou

... thailand, india and japan. she said it'll have to be in rmb.

she just came over. they're all too old. it has to be from 2009. *groan of frustration* what to do now??? she said that an option would be to call the booking company and ask for a receipt with a red official stamp on it. so i immediately called and they said that it's going to take a week for them to mail it to me. i only hope that after a week, this will finally be resolved.

... jimmy. i've been excited for that. would be nice to see him after almost a year. sure i saw him in feb that seems like a lifetime ago. so much has happened. like both of us agreeing to move back home within the year. he said he'll be back by the summer of '10. i know a lot of people in nola that's going to be happy about that. it's awesome that i'll be getting most of my friends back when i get back. (jason and lil also said that they'll be back in jan.)

but i am worried ...

... refreshing experience in my opinion. I mean, most years i do the routine two family dinners, both a little boring and containing not near enough booze to get me through happy and content. Also you could never play a decent game of Trevors Ass at a family dinner haha. Trev i'm hoping you'll read this because then at least one person will get my joke! But anyways, great night, great company, and great laughs =). 
Happy turkey eating!
-B

... and 9 peaks. I did it. When we had found them all May suggested that we have a race and see who can find their way out of the rockery first. She agreed and I beat her by over 20 minutes. It was so much fun. She kept popping up out of caves and I would root her on each time. By the time she got out we were in hysterics. We then went to a teahouse overlooking the rockery where I drank ...

... is now. The garden is separated into three principal parts, east, central and west. The eastern section has colourful flowers but is of less interest than the other two.

We enjoyed a cruise on the one thousand year old Grand Canal then went to an embroidery workshop and had lunch at a nearby restaurant.

That night we took a taxi to a shopping area and checked out the local shops, found a KFC and had a burger for tea.

... from Shanghai and known as a garden city. The traffic is horrendous and road rules are very limited, there are push bikes, motor bikes and scooters everywhere, helmets not worn and even the babies are taken on the bikes and held by a parent. Enjoyed a walk along the street dodging the bikes parked on the footpaths and taking our lives in our hands when we crossed the road, even when it's on a crossing with the green light.

... on red carpet in the centre. Waiting for a train wasn't ever as comfy in that remote underdeveloped country where I come from. The ticket automatically included a reserved seat, and the train whisked me to my destination in less than 45 minutes without the slightest bump. 14 years ago, getting the ticket alone meant braving a mad scramble as if it was for the last mug of free beer on a country fair. This time it was an orderly queue of less ...

It has been quite awhile since I have updated this blog. So much has happened. Its hard to believe that I only have a month left. I have come to love this city, this country. In the last three months it has become my home. Everyday I learn something new and have another reason to love Suzhou. This isn't to say there hasn't been struggles, days that all I want is a mattress and a grilled cheese sandwich. However, all of the subtle beauty, nuances, proud ...

... remodeled and updated. The tourist tunnel across the river (to the Pearl Tower) was this weird trippy light show that attempted to be educational like journeying through the earth, but it was kind of ridiculous. The changing lights at the very end of the tunnel were pretty though. Up in the Pearl Tower you could see Shanghai City and knowing we'd be only a day here, it was a nice look at what we'd be missing and what we couldn't possible see. Shanghai ...

... pool. I have also taken this opportunity to practice my Chinese and interact with everyone on campus. I have made great gains and have developed from not knowing a word of Chinese to being able to form simple sentences and ask where the restroom is. Surprisingly, two security guards here have helped accelerate my learning. I have spent many nights after camp hanging out with them at their patrol station practicing my Chinese. Both great guys who have been more than hospitable in ...