Still raining
Today was a day of site seeing and learning more culture. We went to the silkworm factory which was very interesting but the tour guide was primarily concerned with getting us to the silk shopping area so it went fast. Very cool though and learned something new. Always wash silk with shampoo, dry it in warm shade and save the silkworm poop for to put in your pillow case the next time you have insomnia. I will give 1 and 2 a try and take their word for it on the rest. Many bought gifts and things at the silk store. I thought about it but Holly would ruin a silk duvet cover, Xia would stuff that cat in a silk purse, Sydney wouldn’t like anything that was in the store and I would likely spill red wine on a silk table runner. I am just not in a silk time of my life right now- But already kicking myself for not getting something.
The canal street was culture at its finest. The bargaining skills were put to the test and Melissa and Omar both scored some nice things. I will take them with me when I shop for sure. It is a holiday weekend so it was very crowded of people, cars, scooters and bikes. The poverty and the smog both continue to overwhelm me at times but this experience is worth every minute. Some of us hit the museum and some hit the Humble Ambassadors garden. The museum was too crowded to get in and the garden was very crowded but still impressive. Our Julie kept us in line and organized and answered any questions we had. We did learn from her today that the Suzhou Dialect is different than Manderin. This made the dinner order challenge that Cooley had earlier in the week make so much sense but is an odd concept. Imagine if Oregonians could not understand Washingtonians? It is more than an accent but an actual language barrier. Crazy.
I think it is funny how the separation of the boys from the girls in dorms makes us actually refer to each other as the boys and the girls. I digress…
We went to the lake for an incredible evening. It was shocking how different this area was compared to where we were just hours earlier. One person said it reminded them of shopping in Bellevue. Another just said ‘this could be anywhere’….palm trees, new stores, restaurants and the lake view. Across the lake we could see a giant, seriously giant, Ferris wheel and more lights. This could not possibly be the same city we were just in. I could live here- but it was expensive. No eating amazing food until you could eat no more for 8USD…these were real western prices.
Cooley taught us a dice game in the bar (the guy is constantly teaching- clearly his passion). It was a good way to get to interact with the locals, the bottle of Chivas helped, which was always when we had the most fun. Meanwhile, Omar, James and Melissa were getting their long sought after massages. I contemplated that adventure but decided on dice. They tell the story so much better than I could and it was so funny. Three massage beds next to each other, using elbows and heels to dig deep, tissue paper between the toes…….$24.00.
Barely made curfew, Melissa tried to scale the wall before being let in and scolded and, again, all in safe.
Tip of the day
If you have jewelry on the mind, this is a good time to get that and experience bargaining. Learn to interact with locals- they love and you will too.
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