After the storm...

---

So after the insanity that was our Oct 7th show in Wujiang, we finally got some time to breathe, and in the spirit of that, we were taken to on a tour of the meditation/reflection gardens of Suzhou after breakfast the next morning. It was just a short bus ride there, and then we spent a couple hours walking around in gorgeous scenery, meeting the owner of the gardens, who not only welcomed us, but invited us into his home (beautiful, of course) and then gave us the best meal yet... a fantastic, lingering lunch around a table big enough for all of us, with a constantly rotating inner table that brought each dish past you to sample - or to tease if your skills with chopsticks weren't good enough to get a taste before it was gone. We tasted pretty much everything you can think of during this meal, from various poultry, rice, noodles and soups to chicken and duck feet, eel, freshwater shrimp, and yes, ants with peanuts, which actually don't taste like much, but are a great source of protein and entertainment.

After the lunch, we climbed back into the bus and made the drive back to Shanghai, mostly crashed out. I had good intentions of going out that evening, but tellingly, I laid down for a quick nap after going up the room and woke up in time for breakfast the next morning. Okay.. I guess it had been a rough few days...

---

Photos

Suzhou Gardens
The gardens used to be rated 5 stars, but apparently one got taken away...

Comments

[t]

positive vibes....
stephen, ....sounds like a great day!!! It also sounds as tho the locals are reachin' out. That's huge!!! I want to toss a little something out to you all,...think you will like it!!! stalwart-one who steadfastly supports an organization or cause bulkhead- 1a). one of the upright positions dividing a ship into compartments and serving to add structural rigidity and to prevent the spread or leakage of fire b). a partition or wall serving a similar purpose, such as an aircraft or spacecraft 2). a wall or an embankment that acts as a protective barrier border-a part that forms the outer edge boundary-something that indicates a border or limit Smiles,...you guys amaze me!!! Keep up the good work!!! Just imagine rock solid support from the folks back home!!! Much is happening here as well!!!

[t]

stephen, ....you guys crack me up!!! I\'m going to try this again, as I inadvertently hit the wrong key and things go into a black hole. I\'m currently \"enjoying\" listening to a woman in her thirties speak with the voice of a three year old!!!! Ah,...you can imagine!!! Ok,..let\'s try this again. If I can I would like to share some of my experiences,...in hopes of possibly giving some insight, validation, and encouragement. 1). On being yelled at,...Oh, yes!!! Rest assured, it is not one\'s \"imagination.\" I dealt with this for years,...personally and professionally. In watching others\' interaction it became apparent that I was often in \"the one down\" position,...or \"I\'m better than you\" position. It was perplexing at best,...as there was simply \"no need\" for it. I also felt as tho others had a real sense of \"pride,\"....think it may be patriarchal in nature,...the sense of success, etc. I feel certain that if I had been male I would have been received much differently. Oddly,...much of this came from females!!! Upon further reflection it was revealed that in the work environment there was much tension regarding male attention which I found comical at best!!! A harsh existence, leads to a harsh disposition towards life. Family planning was essentially non-existent,...education a distant aspiration and beyond the reach of most,...limited resources was common. I did notice that it was not uncommon to see a case of beer/day consumed by the head of the household leaving little to no resources available for the other members of the family. Along with this came stress, strife, discord, verbal abuse, violence, and infidelity. Interesting to note, in speaking with co-workers from Nigeria many of these same dynamics exist. Several years back I was interested to see how different cultures dealt with these issues. Interestingly, in every culture and in different locales the family dynamics were the same throughout the world. In looking back,...what was labeled as \"culture\" was in fact \"the family disease of alcoholism.\" Oddly,...at times folks were so \"happy\" that it dumbfounded me!!! Folks had no frame of reference for a better way of life. Rest assured,...on some level you all have brought a glimmer of enlightenment to those who would listen. 2). On Facilities. Hum,....in traveling to various parts of The Phillippine Islands I was amazed at how \"facilities\" and running water were a non-issue. Interesting to note,... cell phones and Coca-Cola were never in short supply!!!! Cold showers were common,...as very few people have hot water heaters,...clothes were washed by hand,...and cooking was done over an open fire in a room off the back of the house. And believe me,...upon reflection when one tells me of the illustrious opportunity of growing up in a Nipa Hut overlooking the beach and waking up w/ The Rooster...it looks much different \"today!!!\" 3). On Local Food. Ever heard of Balut??? My understanding is that \"Balut\" is a nearly hatched chicken or foul of some sort. Outside of Manilla (before the volcano destroyed the Air Base) it was not uncommon for \"the girls\" to catch a bus around pay day for the base. Yep,...you guessed it!!! As a sign of their \"availabilty\" a wiggling tiny leg would be left outside their bottom lip. Rumor has it \"Balut\" is like Viagra....on steroids. I\'ll have to take others\' word on that one!!! One night at work,...while in Brownsville,...the folks got to talkin\'. Being a (somewhat) curious sort,... after a while I could take it (the suspense) no more. One fellow was about to travel in that direction,... and his only response was \"the black ones are the best.\" In all honesty,....I was \"lost\" as to the topic of the conversation. Yep,....you guessed it \"Dogs,...the black ones are the best!!!\" I dunno, but will admit to having kept closer eye on the Black Lab!!! 3). Chinese Dragons and Chopsticks. I have no idea \"why,\" but the craziest things happen at The Driskoll!!! Imagine being a bit disencumbered in one\'s mental faculties and seeing a chinese dragon in the street,...it\'s just not quite what one would expect!!! On Chopsticks,...oh gosh years ago in Houston we had a Chief Nursing Exec wear them in her hair,...still perplexed on that one!!! Ok,...from what I\'ve been taught the secret to using chopsticks is the mid-finger,...and the mid-joint,...never slipping past the most distal index. The forefinger and the fourth finger are used to balance and manipulate the chopsticks,...it\'s much easier to do than one would realize. And,....if bored, and having nothing better to do over the course of an evening it can be a great focal point to remove one self from \"the evening.\" 4). Language and Familiarity. From what I\'ve been told that inundating one in a foreign language (regardless of the language) causes a great amount of distress in a short amount of time (a half hour, or so). Add to this not being even remotely familiar with their alphabet, lettering, or writing capabilities. In all honesty, it is a different part of the brain,....right brain vs left brain dominant. The left brain is analytical,...more common in Europe, The US, etc.......the right brain is more creative in nature,...typical of indigenous cultures, etc. More intuitive if you will. I hope this has helped,...my only wish is to support you guys as you do your work!!! sincerely, tammy

[t]

stephen, ....can just imagine you all walking into an older, sparse, dimly lit auditorium. Yep,... you and \"Captain\" walking over to the tech box,...raising a squeeky lid and finding an empty box,....looking at one another, .....looking down, and wanting to scream!!!!! How you guys pulled it off is beyond me!!!! The reality is you worked with what you had,...think folks call that \"improv.\" Yep,...I know at this point in all of your careers that is not what one would expect in a million years!!!! take care...... sincerely, tammy

[t]

stephen, ....WEEK II DOWN!!!! smiles, tammy