Badminton!

“When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon

I've been thinking about the above quote a lot since I've been in China.  Leaving the past behind is definitely one of the things that draws many expats to China.  For me, one of things I love most about being here is that I get a break from being who I was in the states.  All of the crazy event planning and the looking after everyone's problems, worrying about money, and just all of the stress.  I feel like I can breathe again and like I can just focus on being myself for awhile.  
And you know what? I sort of forgot how social I am.  Now, with that said, I have to tell you that it's sometimes a fight for me not to plan things.  I fact I lapsed a little bit a few weeks ago when I helped plan a Badminton Party for our Academic Team.  It was SO worth it.

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 Ben and Jesse, teaching partners and also a dynamic badminton duo.  I was determined that this event would be a success so in an attempt to get everyone psyched up I talked an incredible amount of trash.  For two weeks I went on and on about how I was going to feast on everyone's defeat...and the smack talk was a lot of fun.  But then the morning of the badminton party I started to get a little anxious.  After all I haven't played Badminton since I was about 16 years old and all of the Chinese have probably been playing their whole life.  Not to mention I did a majority of my trash talking with Ben who was actually a Phys Ed major and can really play the game.  Yikes! 
Turns out I didn't really have to worry.  Everyone, except for Ben, pretty much sucked.

 Ben's a nice guy, he took it easy on us.  Here he is teaching Nicole how to serve.  When Nicole saw this picture she said, "Yeah, I was paying close attention.  I really wanted him to be proud of me!" Dorbs.

 James and Timo.  When we first started playing I made a rule that every time one team scored the opposing team had to do a crazy dance around the court (which was awesome) but then Timo got there and started insisting that we play by 'offical badminton rules'. Lame. ;)

When we were picking partners Karen said, "I will be with Ben."
Me: "What?! You don't want to be with me?"
Karen: "No, I want to win."
But then when she saw HOW MUCH FUN it is being my partner she agreed to switch teams.  And then, because clearly we are a fantastic pair whether it's teaching or sports, we ACTUALLY BEAT Jesse and Ben in one game.

 Even though I'm pretty sue he let me win, I made Ben lay prostrate on the ground as a display of his abject defeat.

 I decided to quit while I was ahead, here's Tina and I cheering everyone on from the sideline.

 I love this picture of them laughing!  After the game my face hurt from smiling so much.

The entire academic team! When I told my boss that we wanted to play badminton and then go to dinner afterwards she said, "Badminton?!...I work at the weirdest center ever."  You mean the BEST center ever! We may not be great at sports but it's sure a fun group! 

 

Yummy

Yesterday our Chinese friends, Karen and Jesse, invited my friend Ben and I to go out for the day.  They took us to KTV (Chinese karaoke).  Karen and Jesse sang about 500 soulful Chinese ballads and were not amused by Ben’s and my rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.  In fact they were confused by a lot of our song choices.  Stuff that we think of as sort of classic, funny karaoke songs were totally lost on them.  Why would we pick silly songs when we could be using this time to show off our awesome vocals?

I’m sure I’ve said it before but Karaoke in China is basically amazing.  You can rent a room just for you and your friends and sings songs in five different languages.  There’s usually a convenience store where you can buy drinks and snacks and often a waiter that will bring food right to your room.   I ordered a picture of milk tea, and when it came I poured myself. Then, in typical Ashlee-spaz style, I promptly dropped the entire glass onto my lap.  I sat there in a warm, sticky mess but I didn’t feel too bad because about 20 minutes later Karen knocked the entire pitcher onto the floor, shattering it and spilling milk tea everywhere.  There’s a reason I love Karen so much, clearly we’re kindred spirits.

After three hours of singing we went out for Chinese food.  Among other things, Karen ordered her favorite fish dish that comes served whole and cut down the middle.   

We ate, and laughed, and talked a lot about all the things we would do when Jesse and Karen come to visit me in America someday.  Then, towards the end of the meal this conversation happened:

Jesse: Ashlee, you don’t like the fish.

Me: No, I love the fish I’m just full.

Karen: You haven’t eaten any of it, you don’t like it.

Me: No, I have! I like it!  

Ben: Yeah, right.  You like it but you aren’t eating it.

Jesse: Eat it. (Pausing and giving me a sly smile.) Eat the eye.

Now it’s hard to explain my reaction to this other than that I guess I felt like Jesse was teasing me.  They all seemed to be insinuating that I was being a prissy foreigner .

Me: You think I won’t eat the eye?!  Don’t tell me what I won’t do.  I’ll eat it!

Impulsively, I grabbed my chopsticks and jabbed them into the fish’s face, ignoring the wet sucking noise that was made as I wrenched the round eyeball out.  Strings hung off the back of it where it had been connected to the socket and I brought it to my lips. I paused for a moment and looked at Karen, “Eat it,” She said, “It’s good for your eyes.”  So I popped it in my mouth and chewed while Karen and Jesse laughed and Ben looked at me wide eyed.

Ben:  Wow, I feel like I just learned a lot about you. 

It actually didn’t gross me out that much.  I don't eat odd things everyday but I feel like all the strange Chinese foods and the normal foods are blending together in my mind.  Last week I went with friends for Chinese food and along with the delicious foods that I love we had duck's tongue and frog.  It didn't occur to me to be scandalized, or excited, or even to take a picture. Weird.

Below is an image that looks like the duck tongue's we ate.  It was ok but I wouldn't order it.

Some photos of Suzhou

“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

 I just wanted to share some photos that I've taken of beautiful Suzhou!  I love it here!  It's so gorgeous, it's perfectly located and there's always something to do. It's an amazing place and I can't imagine myself being happier in any city in China.

 The area where I live and work, SIP (Suzhou Industrial Park)

 Winter Sunset

 The city is filled with canals, it's nicknamed "Venice of the East"

 With Timo and Daniel

Tiger Hill, one Suzhou's famous attractions!

 With my sweet roommate, Nicole.

 Like in Pisa, a faulty foundation causes this ancient building to lean.

My darling friends Timo and Nicole.  She's 5'0" and he's 6'6", they look so funny together I couldn't help but snap this picture.

I took this picture on New Year's day when everyone in Suzhou was out and about.  See all these people?  This is a bus stop.  Not a bus station, just a stop on the side of the road.  I don't know how 200 people think that they're going to get on a bus, it's crazy!

Nicole is not a very adventurous eater so, the poor thing, I peer pressure her into eating EVERYTHING.  So far I've manage to talk her into octopus, cow's tongue, a slew of Chinese dishes and here she is with candied hawthorns.

Seriously? I LIVE HERE!