Blue bridge
(Tuk tuk driver near Shantang Jie: Suzhou, China)
We were constantly harassed by these drivers whilst in and around the ancient streets of Suzhou, off Shantang Jie. This is a photograph of the bridge linking the old from the new over a canal. There is a museum of local opera, called ‘Ping Tan’ (spelled correctly, I hope) and shops selling local wares. I like this image because the rather bluey tint expresses the glare of the sky and the reflections of the water (even if it’s because I didn’t understand how to use Ying’s fancy camera very well). That day, it was difficult to look up without squeezing my eyes together and giving the image a peachy tint from the insides of my eyelids.
The opera museum blares the typical caterwauling of Chinese opera, there are lots of drum beats, cymbal clashing and long wavering notes of human voice. To my untrained ear, it sounds remarkably like feline wailing, though it is not unpleasant. Often I sit for a few minutes and watch CCTV-11, the Chinese opera channel that is fully dedicated to round the clock opera. It is fantastically absorbing. CCTV-9 is the Chinese channel aired in English and that is where I learn useful facts about China, at least the ones China wishes me to discover. There is an interesting news item on the BBC discussing ‘google’ in China, I hope there is an outcome before I leave next week.
