I'm in Suzhou at the moment - just for a couple of days. I fly back to BJ (I wish) tomorrow (Wednesday), a day in the office on Thursday then back to the UK on Friday.
Hotel is lovely - nice view of yet another rapidly-developing city. Feels like one member of staff per guest - can't do enough for you, and must pass 7 of them lined up on each corner & every few paces to direct me to...the door...the bar...the breakfast room...this morning the manager made a point of coming to meet me as I filled my belly with Cheerios (not proper ones, but ok ones) because "You am very important man" - his words, so don't say I'm big-headed. He was flattered I said his hotel was a credit to him and his team, although when I got back tonight, my room looked like a bomb had hit it (ie how I'd left it this morning) - seems I'd put the 'Do not disturb because I'm shagging' light on outside (I wasn't), but they sent an 'emergency team' in to do it while I was out eating dog...
Yes, out for the inevitable very-kind-but-horrid-to-eat meal with my hosts last night in the inevitable 'famous' restaurant,we arrived to see the usual tanks of 'select us and we will be killed on your behalf' fish & other things that live in water. A big turtle could be yours for just under a tenner. I nearly bought the lot, with the plan of setting them free outside, but they'd just get run over or die in the heat - it's been 37 degrees here today (my fancy phone thing says 'feels like 42' and I wouldn't argue. Naturally, I've kept my jacket & tie on (top button done up of course) all day, cos I is British.
The food was...well...the bug-type things were still alive, but were drowning in alcohol, which slowly kills them. Thus, you could choose one which was A - not dead at all, B - partially dead, but definitely dead if you bit it in half, C - not dead at all and may well try to seize the moment & escape when you tried to bite it in half. Whatever, it wasn't for me.
Or the snail things. Or the deformed fish / crab-like sea monster that looked like something Nessie had shat out. The pile of meat looked a bit like ribs, but possibly of no animal I know of - maybe a Yeti, Panda or even a beggar who hadn't begged well enough and died in the street.
However, the bizarre offering of custard tarts for puds was well received and I ate more than my fair share, on the basis I'd eaten sod all up till then. Naturally, my emergency supply of SNICKERS were waiting for me back in my room.
Feeling a bit shitty generally with some reluctance I went out with my hosts again tonight, or rather some of the team who work here - 3 girlies from HR and a couple of guys from sales. They were delightful company & again wanted so much to spoil me, and I felt guilty about being miserable. I was buying some stuff to take back home for the kids & they absolutely insisted on paying for them...and the girls who handled it all (they were girly bracelets) probably earn about 200 quid a month. Again, they felt humbled to be in the presence of a legend who feels so shit he insists on wearing dark glasses as night, even though I'm not a rock star.
My glasses hide much, or at least I thought so.
Another act of kindness, and I realised there is hope, although when they drove me back to my hotel and I was lost in my thoughts, I was glad of the dark glasses again...
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