The breakfast at the Jinjiang Tower Hotel was tasty and full
of choices. I have to say that historically one of my favorite breakfasts (in
my almost fifty years) is pork dumplings and stir fried cabbage. I have eaten
so much of this in the last two and a half weeks that a bowl of Raisin Bran
sounds downright exotic. The hotels serve both kinds of fare at breakfasts,
Chinese and European. Although the European breakfast is a loose
interpretation! I have noticed the Chinese diners enjoying this Western option.
Chinese offerings include pan fried noodles, steamed pork and red bean paste
buns, lots of local greens such as Bok Choy and spinach, congee (which is a
thin porridge), a soup station with buckwheat and rice noodle choices,
condiments for your broth that include fresh greens, cilantro, red pepper paste
and fish cakes, steamed root vegetables and lots of fresh fruits. We ate some
Dragon Eyes this morning as well as fresh Kumquats. Another international
aspect is the pastry. There has been a pile of buttery, flaky confections with
all kinds of fillings that are slightly more Chinese then French. We certainly
have not gone hungry here and will need to do some serious carbohydrate detox
when we return.
Suzhou is one of the older cities in China. The gardens that
we saw were over 800 years old although they were completely destroyed in World
Two and rebuilt. On our way to the gardens we chatted with our guide Alex about
Chinese History. It got me thinking about our own history. We know so little about
World War Two as it relates to China and Japan which was brutal. Alex also
talked about Mao. Our guides so far have shared that although most Chinese see
Mao as a God, there is an underlying understanding that The Great Leap Forward
was not so great. Although many of them did not know this history until they
went to University. Some knew bits and pieces from grandparents. There were
huge differences of how people were effected depending on whether you lived in
a rural or urban area. Alex like our other guides also shared a lot about
modern culture. He described a pattern of what we have heard about being a
single male and marriage by saying “no money, no honey”. He also shared that he
did not feel Coco even looked Chinese. We pushed him to discover why he thought
that and I am not sure that we could interpret this properly but it has to do
with more than her look.
After this conversation I paid closer attention to the
crowds. Looking at the younger women that we happened upon for signs as to what
made Coco look more American verses Chinese. At the Citizens Panel that we had
back in Beijing a young Chinese woman that was so generous with her time
described one of Coco’s fellow adoptees (Annalise) as “so much confidence” in
an awestruck sort of way. I guess I can see that confidence in my daughter too.
She is more bold, laughs easier, and has a playful swagger that does set her
apart from the young women of this culture. An American girl through and
through.
The river cruise was meant to show the older water
neighborhoods of Suzhou. It is called the Venice of China. We boarded a boat on
a canal street dock. There was a tour guide that gave the Chinese rendition of
the tour at a high decibel on a Karaoke machine. We of course could not
understand a word he said. But from the tonality of his voice you could tell he
was a joker. He made strange noises and he sang a bunch of songs. The audience
laughed. The boat ride was not that interesting. When we got off the boat we
asked our guide what he was saying. He said he was mostly selling Suzhou silks
and telling some jokes about Chinese wives.
The gardens we visited today although off season were
incredibly beautiful and peaceful places. Much of the charm coming from the
hardscapes (doorways, paths, walls and water features) and how they offset the
plantings. There were very decorative pathways inlaid with small stones in
beautiful patterns and colors. We toured some lovely Bonsai gardens and visited
some wood structures that were used a living rooms/gathering halls in the olden
days. There were a number of Plum trees that were in bloom and many of the
trees still had their leaves. These gardens (the Humble Administrator and
Lingering) are two of the four most famous gardens in China. We visited a third
called the Lion Forrest. This was all of our favorites. It was a collection of
some very interesting limestone formations and had a maze made entirely of
natural stone. The roof and window lines were more ornate and there were some
special little resting spots that framed up the plantings in a very artful, Zen
sort of way. We are spoiled for gardens though. The grounds at CRC are as
beautiful and surely more colorful!
On the way out Coco got a confection made for her out of
burnt sugar that was her Chinese zodiac symbol of the monkey. So lovely in its
simplicity and made in minutes by a man in a little booth on the street. The
ride back to Shanghai is an hour and a half with the traffic. Commuting in
traffic is unappealing no matter what country you are in!
Speaking of traffic… driving in China is a talent to be sure.
I have been riding in the front seat with the driver for two and a half weeks
and I am still not sure what the rules are aside from chaos. Traffic lights,
pedestrian cross walks and even driving on the proper side of the road seem
like a mere suggestion. Add to that scooters, motorized bikes and three wheeled
transportation vehicles often loaded to three times their size and pedal bikes
and I cannot believe that we have not seen more accidents. Don’t get me started
on the roundabouts. I found that just closing your eyes was a good solution
because it appeared to be the same methodology for the drivers.
We have a free day tomorrow! As our traveling companions
will be arriving on different flights.
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