Grab the Tail of Spring 抓住春尾巴!

去年我苦等春天，結果感覺春天才剛到，夏天就來了。

今年我終於明白，這就是江南之春： 狂風、細雨、霧濛濛， 時常酷寒、偶爾溫暖。如果以為冬天還沒走 ，春天還沒來，就錯了。害怕錯過一年之春，我們把握少見的春陽，踏青去!

The Spring in Suzhou is mixed with rain, fog, wind, coldness and warmth. According to my observation from last year to this year, in one typical spring week, we have only 2 days good weather (with sun shine) and 5 days bad (rain, fog, dark clouds, coldness)  on average. That means we can only enjoy fewer than 30 nice days, then Summer will soon arrive.  Last week we had temperature drop from 20 to 3 degree Centigrade. We experienced ice rain on Wednesday. Knowing it is spring, I mentally felt OK in this terribly mixed weather.

Last year, I made some plans for spring.  But the weather was so unexpectable.  My plans were always re-planed or cancelled. This spring, I do not make any plan. We grab every chance to go out whenever the sun comes out.

 

Saturday (4/17) Winston and I rode out bikes to take pictures of the statues around Gold Chicken Lake.  I also took some pictures of the flowers and maple leaves in our neighborhood.

Ancient Man watching the modern girl using a computer

                    Ancient Vs. Modern     Men Vs. Women

Sunday (4/18) morning we accidentally found a tulip field and rape flower field on the way to Lotus Island.  We were very surprised at the big field of flowers. We walked around the fields and ran out of time. So we canceled our visit to the place nearby-- the lotus Island. Maybe save it for next time.

 

 

Picture taken by Winston

At noon time, we went back to our neighborhood and took a walk at a newly constructed area --the Moon Light Deck & Port. Few minutes later, it started to rain, and we ate in an Indian (Hindu) Food Restaurant.  We enjoyed the Indian decoration inside and the food which was rich with Hindu herbs flavor.

 

The Door handle --Winston found it and took a picture of it.

The bronze faucet outside the rest rooms---Picture taken by Winston

Checking what we got for the morning.

In the evening, we went swimming and had supper in a Germany Food Restaurant. We called it a great Spring Sunday.

Spring comes and goes in a glimpse. The rains stop many people from outing.  The one-day sun or half-day sun comes sometimes unexpectedly, and people easily miss the chance to go out. The good thing about living in Suzhou is that we can reach many nice places in 20 minutes. So we are not fooled by the weather. We live and play with it.

~Enjoy~

Biking & Picnic

It was one of the rare sunny days in this early spring. We, three families got together, brought our kids and bikes to a lotus garden.  It was not lotus season yet, but the landscape itself in the garden was already beautiful.   We did not intend to have one, but some of us brought food and drinks, so, we had a small picnic, too. Richy joined the kids to bike around and the rest of us chatted under a wooden pavilion. The air and temperature felt great.  I felt it was like going back to the old days when friends and I chatted at places around our campus. The difference was that we all got older and got kids.
For some friends whom we have not seen for a long time, when we met, we may not find back the old feelings between each other.  For some friends, no matter how long we haven't seen each other, we can always pick up our conservation and laugh.  Whatever feelings I have, I like to treasure the moments when we were together and move on.

体能锻炼日

9月27日是星期日，但Winston要上课，为了讓十一长假变得更长的关系，很多人要补上班、上课，But Richy不用，他帮我安排了一日体能锻炼的课程，早上骑车逛金鸡湖，之后，逛平江街去看几次错过的古戏台，下午本来还安排了游泳，可我已两腿發软了，只好取消。好不容易Winston上课，这个好不容易只有我和Richy的周日，过得真是不浪漫。

 

為避免皮肤过敏，打扮成要去打工阿嫂，围巾是用来遮脸的，

为了照相才取下，没想到晚上还是复發了日光型皮肤疹。

 

路上看到一隻蟾蜍？癞蛤蟆？

 

这张像不像美女与野獸？

其实是女绑匪与癞蛤蟆啦！

沿着金鸡湖，到处可见China的国庆布置

 

出發前，我和Richy打赌这个布置是牛还是恐龙，

输的人要清洗浴室的落地窗和马桶。

到了现场我们还是各自坚持己见，至于清洁的工作，当然是Me了

 

拙政园正在展出菊花

其前方是平江街的起点

 

平江路的白墙黑瓦古建築

 

中张家巷裡昆曲博物馆門口

 

再走五十步，中张家巷裡古戲台門外的镂空石雕

 

古戲台門外的石狮子

 

大门後方展示着刀剑

终於看到保存完好的古戲台

不虚此行啊！

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bike around Gold Chicken lake in the Evening

My solar dermatitis (sun skin rashes) still did not get better.  I could not even expose to the winds.  Last Saturday, we walked on Ping Jiang Old Street in the old town and the next day, my face and neck were itchy and had rashes.  But I did not want to stay home all day.  So, Sunday evening we went out biking. This time I covered my face and neck, and wore sunglasses to avoid wind and sun. People looked at me with curiosities. Richy had been biking on the mornings and nights often since he bought his new bike.  He was very familiar with the biking paths around Gold Chicken Lake and had found some beautiful secret paths.  He took us to his secret paths and we biked there for sometime.  It was after 5:30 but the sun still seemed bright and the evening breeze never stopped.  So I did not get chance to take off my mask to fully enjoy the scene.  But it was better than staying home on the weekends. The scenes along the paths really attracted me a lot. 

Before we left for biking, I was too busy putting on my protecting outfit and so I forgot to bring my camera with me.  However, Richy already took some pictures on my request in the morning during his morning bike trip, so I would just use some of the pictures he took to share here. 

Richy's Bike at North side of the Lake

 

 

East side of the lake: Ferris Wheel

 

Southern East of the lake: Yachts and boats

 

 

South side of the lake: The Secret Path

 

 

South Side of the lake

 

 Southern West side of the Lake: The departing lovers

 

 

Southern West Side of the lake: Blossoming Lotus

 

 

West side of the Lake: Old Man Playing Chess

 

 

Want to Join me?

 

~~~

 

Have a Great Day?

單車遊古城 Bike to Old Town

昨日鼓起极大的力氣和勇氣，骑着单车到古城去，本来想辦园林卡的，但资格不符，试了二个辦事点都没用，结果就骑着车到处晃晃，倒是買到了一些想卖但一直不知去哪儿買的东西。

 

这一路共花了四个小时，我全副武装，兴奋地骑上DaHon，享受夏风拂袖的速度感，遇到一个上坡，我使劲地踩，还得抬頭注意前方逆向而来的单车电动车族，不知你是否也發现，上坡时，最怕抬頭看前面了，因为看到坡度，脚就软了，利用下坡时我稍微放鬆一下，找到了辦卡的地方。看来非假日的辦卡处（干将东路）是附近居民閒晃的地方，很多中年老男人聚集在此，我的装備和单车马上成为他们的新话题，一群人围着我的车，还没问过我，就摸来摸去的，还试了我车把上的铃，接着还问我多少钱買的，我说：八百。一人看到车身的图案说：啊！这还是在美国做的。我说：这是美国牌子，是在中国做的。顿时讓周遭人产生一股以中国人为傲的气氛。不过回到正题，那位辦理园林卡的中年女人，審核证件真是不马虎的，她说，台湾“同胞”和本地人和外地人规定不一樣，居留要满二年才年辦。既然都说我是同胞了，还用不一樣的规定，我拜托她把我视同外地人处理，她说：外地人是指苏州以外的大陆人（言下之意：台湾是不属于大陆的，嗯！）我继续拜託，她開始叨着：唉呀！我会被炒鱿鱼的，我上有老母，下有幼子.....。真像电视剧，我心想算了，试试别的点吧，戴上我的安全帽准備出發，那些老男人离開我的车，还问了一句：你那帽子是買车送的吗？我说：花钱買的。

 

另一个辦事处是在苏州公园，沿着两边都是古老路树的公园路，看到悠闲的老人在树蔭下散步着，穿插着经过汽车的乱鸣声，真不协调。我试了公园辦卡处仍是无功而返，面对守法的人，真是没啥好报怨的，只是，如果大陆每个開车人都像辦卡人员那麽守规则就好了。骑去观前街附近買了小儿鼻炎片和咳丸，打算再骑去拙政园附近吃碗麵。

听说一家叫“吴门人家”的菜馆庭院深深供应道地的苏州麵，我寻着地图找着，途经一美发美容用品店，好奇地问了是否有卖电动理髮剪，还真有卖，来大陆以前Winston的頭髮都是俺剪的，Richy的頭髮常常在公司的理发厅理得怪怪的，買了工具，以後又可以自己美化家园了。想着想着，沿着临顿路找到了一条非常不起眼的小巷“潘儒巷”，正是我的目标，右转进去马上闻到一股尿骚味，显然小巷很容易成为路人处理燃眉之急的地方，这小巷没啥人氣，我还是勇敢地在小巷子里寻找，就在一旁有一户的门口，站着穿着带古味的服务人员，就是此处。

菜单上的单品价格不贵，看上去都是苏州菜，我一个人点了西芹白果、桂花糖藕、葱油拌麵。可能是天气热且刚骑脚踏车吃不太下，我吃了糖藕就半饱了，那碗葱油拌麵，好大碗，我想到了爱吃麵的Winston（真是个令人感动的妈），於是请服务员打包，这时我的背包已装的又满又重了，还得骑回家呢！

停车场旁有一条正在施工的小巷，一个小店賣着国画T-Shirt吸引了我的目光， 骑了这么久的车，是要犒赏自己一下囖！这家店很特别，老板兼画家姓趙，可以现買现画，我请老板画荷花在一纯白的T-Shirt上，效果不错，怕回到家被嫌浪费，再请老板帮我画几尾金鱼在一件XL的T-shirt上送給Rcihy，当然也買了一小件給Winston，回家後应该是皆大欢喜吧。

回家的路上，看到了一些雕像，本想拍一下，还没做好决定，就已离雕像一段距离了，後来又远远看到前方有雕像，正準備停下来拍照，才发现是真人不是雕像，看来是被太阳晒昏頭了，真假分不清。不过最後我还是拍到一个巨型弹珠手的雕像。

离家500米家的时候，我在脚踏车店停了下来，请小施（单车高手兼店员）帮忙调整一下刹车，还讓他拍下我全副武装的樣子，看了我的装備，就可以知道为什麽经过我的路人回頭率超高的。

 

 

Old Town Road 老路树

 

Pan-Ru Alley 潘儒巷

吴门人家- 庭院深深的菜馆

Restaurant in an old building

 

平日多为熟客来

 

桂花糖藕（已被吃剩半分）茶水免费

Appetitizer-Sweet Lotus Root

 

葱油拌麵，吃的时候还闻得到麵粉香

Noodle mixed with green onion and hot oil

 

Chinese Painting on T-shirt--- Gold Fish

 

Chinese Painting ---Water Lilies

 

Paintings on T-shirts

 

Do I Look like an Alien?

Hope you enjoy my trip!