Usual rent-a-laowai activity. Consisting of white skins and smiley, white faces. Our boss invited us to take part in the outing to Farmfull electronics.
Wasted a lunchtime and we won’t get paid for it.
They wanted to take pictures of us with their semi-conductor components.
It was all very staged and false. But they seemed happy.
Professor Juicy describes the walking technique using these plastic durables.
Note the “…..teacher Mike….” comment from one of the children at the beginning, he saying “….teacher Mike is using his camera….”, she says “I know” (turns around and giggles).
Got this shot of a dinner at our Kindie.
You can see that we’ve switched to fish here. After the spate of recent poisonings, pigs and bird flu.
This is the government issue meal which looks very delicious.
The thing on the left is an apple.
On the right we have a healthy helping of fish heads. These are more tasty than they look. And they do look…. but don’t let that put you off 
In China lets get some Chinese food, (except here its just called food):
Do you fancy Sweet and Sour Pork 糖醋里脊?
-but pork is off the menu since 16000 dead pigs washed up in the city’s river.
Okaaaay lets get some Gong Bao Chicken宫保鸡丁?
-erm… about that, Chicken is off too since bird flu killed 20 folk this week.
Fine then, how about Peking Duck 北京烤鸭?
-actually all poultry is out!
Fuck it!
I tried your culture…. it doesn’t suit me.
After sitting and being fat, I’ve got bored. Today I’m going to find my way down to explore the swimming pool.
A previous recie has turned up two possible sites.
I’ve not been to a Chinese swimming pool before, there were none in Dujiangyan. I’ve not heard of any in Wanzhou.
Before I go in they insist I do a little medical. When the woman realises I speakie no Chinese, this is very funny, and she starts giggling then puts her head in her hands.
I get a little stamp and a card that cost 5rmb.
I traverse the stairs and hand my card over for a little key. On into the locker rooms through the electronic turnstyles.
Locker rooms are virtually deserted. 3 People in there. I get my fresh nu-trunks on, slip the key on my ankle, and stride out confidently to the pool.
The pool is a full 50m. Biggest pool I’ve seen outside of London. So I do a few dives, frolic on the edge, and this lifecard comes over and starts pointing at his head. I’m liek “you think I’m crazy? We all do this in England!”
He’s not going away, and he makes a few signals with his hand. Goes away and brings back this little cap, like a scholars cap.
I don the cap, so I feel like Confucius getting in the pool!
It’s all contemplation from then on. Swim, contemplate, swim, contemplate, swim, contemplate.
It’s why we come to the pool. I guess the Chinese have thought have this.
Cool beans!
Yah. Love swimming. Anyone that tells you otherwise is lying.
This pool is very clean and friendly. Anyone coming to Kunshan, I would recommend it.
So. Have the Saturday off. Am going to Shanghai, have a look around, buy a watch and meet a friend.
Here’s some photo’s and dialogue for the trip
Luckily a five to ten minute and easy to find there and back.
Took this picture of one of the many rivers in Kunshan running in adjacent to the railway station which used to be use for all the trains to Shanghai but now is only used for the local.
Once you come outside the station, there’s this rather attractive courtyard.
Came down the steps and took some more pictures of this little quote. It’s obviously something someone has brainstormed, then used to have a new, outward looking modern spacious and plentiful existence. You can see the Chinglish type quote. I think they’re clever in aiming to confuse everyone with this one. “Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you’re going to get”.
Maybe the Chinese will read this, and reach deep in their pockets. I know it’s worked in the past.
Maybe there’s chocolate in there…
Plodded on down the road. Station was past the Catholic church, the two almost face each other. Oppose each other.
Flowers look colourful there. Managed to get the Canon to perform some functions. Missing Photoshop. Am using windows Live.
The one on the right has been taken using the factory ‘vivid’. I’m thinking it’s a good effect.
Not that it can be done to the one in the middle or on the right. Photoshop is the best for these effects. But currently, I don’t have it.
The train journey itself cost £2.40 or 24 rmb. It’s 60km and about 20 mins. No stops.
Got off and made my way to Peoples Square.
Unfortunately, due to excessive drinking the night before, y planning on this trip has been minimal. I know nothing about Shanghai.
I plan that this Peoples Square is close to the river, according to the tube map. I will walk down there, and take in a few sights on the way, then hang around the bund…
The 1st thing you notice when you get out of the station is the way they have the railings on the side of the street.
The Chinese are notorious Jaywalkers.
No doubt in the past they have wandered under the path of the colonialists cars, and this has caused them to erect some rather large fences.
I walked down from peoples square toward the bund. After 5 minutes walking I felt like putting a sign on my forehead saying – “I no want LADY MASSAGE”.
Managed to get past all the thousands of people selling me useless junk, shopping trips and lady massages, to reach the banks of the river which was fairly spectacular.
Some people have a theory that China looks better by night.
This shot its testament to that theory.
Shanghai has the largest underground in the world.
Meet my friend by the pyramid memorial, and we are swiftly shooed away by security on account of her bringing her pushbike up onto the promenade of the bund. Apparently, this is strictly forbidden.
So we walk down to somewhere called K-bar. She’s a teacher also. She works at WEbEnglish. We have a few beers in there and move onto the French Concession where we visit a place called the Shanghai Brewery which I believe is quiet famous.
We meet a few of her friends where we discuss where they got their eyebrows done amongst other things.
After a few more, more expensive beers at the Shanghai Brewery, we move on down to their ‘local’.
Immediately striking me as a shady bar, complete with pool-table and Foosball. It’s like one of the bars in the French Connection, film. Shady.
Beer is cheap though. And we get to fiddle with the jukebox which must have the largest collection of ripped cd’s I’ve ever seen.
Move on to the Pastis with one of the American guys I’m with. Kind of rounds the night of nicely.
Go back to Laura’s and sleep there.
Up for presentation at shopping center in Kunshan in the morning.
Oh the wonders of life.