purple car

i never saw a purple car

i never hope to own one

but i can tell you anyhow

i'd rather see than own one

change of season

the end of the year has officially started.

reflections on china

• lots of tobacco smoke
• GPS with pinpoint accuracy
• the default volume is broadcast level
• unbelievable service, when they have a mind to it
• toilets sans TP, more's the pity 
• mix of rural and tech

all told, this has been a most enjoyable and smooth trip, i tell HOM. one is cautiously optimistically considering venturing off the urban track for the next foray into the motherland.

clever little hotel girl

the hotel room has a dinky personal assistant that you activate by calling xiaodu, xiaodu!

she is enthusiastic indefatigable and only mildly gets on my nerves with her unsolicited music which irritates after a few seconds. but she is a mine of random information like the weather and the news and today-in-communist-history and she is of course perfect for adjusting the temperature and turning the lights on and off.

HOM and i are in discussion to adopt for ourselves a little xiaodu for home.

suzhou

 

• the train station is milling with people
• streets of old suzhou are picturesque clean and milling with people
• the garden is awesome grand and milling with people
• lots of smokers walking with their ciggies outdoors and indoors 
• limited concept of personal space in elevators and elsewhere
• getting caught in the crossfire of someone else's conversation
• and getting unceremoniously pushed out of someone's way
• oh, and touts at every corner

in a word, crowded.

liu sha bao

gets the award for favorite snack discovery for this trip. chewy melty skin with just enough salty sweet insides to coat the sides with a little bit left over but not so much it drips all over your fingers. it's the cousin to the sophisticated hong kong version but i think i prefer it like this.

fashion victory

i finally master the mechanics of the hair stick.

it occurs to me a whole world of hair accessories opens up directly.