From Suzhou to Sidewalks

I went to Suzhou today for a healthcare product seminar and at lunch found myself seated next to an American famous for being the center of a big White House (alleged) scandal a few years ago. I can't name names here but remind me to tell you next time I see you. He turned out to be a real nice fellow. On the way back to Shanghai our hosts took us by an old "water town" - a kind of mini-Venice with polluted waters. It has been preserved and looks pretty much like it did a couple of hundred years ago.

The drive to and from Suzhou was exciting. I'm used to driving methods in Asia but the expressways in China are really er...Exhilarating. There's nothing like weaving in and out of trucks, motorbikes, and cars at 90 mph - especially when half the people are on the wrong side of the road and the shoulder is used as an extra lane!

Ikea delivered a cabinet I bought for the bathroom today. Mommlls would like all the slide-out baskets in it. For $3 Ikea sent a guy that put the whole thing together for me. It took him two hours. It would have taken me all day.

I took a walk to the import food store tonight to pick up some basil to use in scrambled eggs and on the way I saw a man on a bike nearly decapitate himself on a clothesline strung across the sidewalk. I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often. Shanghaiers seem to use sidewalks for just about everything EXCEPT walking. Sidewalks are great places to hang your laundry, park your car or bike/motorbike, place a tree or fire hydrant (in the middle), give haircuts, or dig holes. Pedestrians have to walk in the street much of the time because the sidewalks are filled. In fact, it's often hard to discern a street from a sidewalk. Cars drive on the sidewalks and people walk in the streets. Go figure.