Saturday 14 July 2018

DAY 677 & 678

Jul 10 & 11

1) Back at it with the lab experiments. Honestly I'm not sure there's much more to write about that I haven't written about before, as it's basically the same rigmarole over and over again. Not that I'm complaining - I've learnt so much ever since coming here! So maybe instead of writing about the things I did these two days, I will write about how my perception of China (and Suzhou!) has changed drastically ever since coming here.

2) I have been welcomed with open arms ever since arriving in China. I've made tonnes of new friends, some of which are my lab mates, and others from various labs etc. As an outsider, my initial expectation of China was that of a country which is an economic superpower, at the expense of the sociability of the locals. I was (to my own detriment) perhaps expecting a pressure cooker system - one in which the citizens were caught up in, hence their social development and demeanour would take a back seat. How wrong I was.

3) I also expected a lot of pollution, and for many people to be wearing masks. My vision was of large industrial plants, with chimneys bellowing thick plumes of black tarry smoke, and the cityscape devoid of any greenery whatsoever. Again, I could not be more wrong about this. Meticulously planted rows of trees, shrubs, and bushes adorn the streets of Suzhou. Literally everyone uses electric vehicles for commute, with the rest opting for public transport. I recently learnt from Chris that even open barbecues are not permitted due to the environmental impact they may have.

4) All this just goes to show one thing - you can never trust what you see or read in the news. The best way is to decide for yourself. By travelling there and physically experiencing everything first hand, you will have an unbiased view of the life and culture of the netizens, and you can make up your own mind once and for all. For this reason, I encourage everyone to travel often, and travel far. Widen your horizons and become a well travelled individual. Then you will gain a better appreciation of the myriad of customs and variety that each country has to offer. And variety, as they say, is the spice of life! :)

5) And that's about it for today's blog. I hope you enjoyed it, and hope to see you in the next one. Thanks very much for visiting, and have a great week ahead. Cheers! :D

Look - you can have fun with chemistry - just look at that huge balloon! :)

Shi Zi Tou (Lion's Head) is very common.  The poetic name of this dish results from its appearance: large meatballs in a bed of cooked cabbage suggests, with a little imagination, a lion's head surrounded by his mane!


Claypot rice - so effing good! ^^

Too much goodness in one pic - the soup was heavenly as well in case you were wondering...

It's been a while since I've been back in the "教工食堂" (Teaching Staff Dining Hall), but one staff member card and five hungry stomachs later, and here we are! :)

Some sweet treats from my lab friends in the biology lab! Thanks again yo :))

I couldn't resist another pic XD

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