Sleepy people
(Man asleep: Tiger Hill, Suzhou)
I think I might have mentioned that the Chinese like to have a snooze every so often during the day. As with many other aspects of life here, this is done wherever it seems reasonably possible, regardless of danger or onlookers. I saw one older man asleep on a motorway turning lane, using the edge of the central reservation kerb as a pillow. This man is in less precarious circumstances, but it illustrates that people here can sleep anywhere, often sitting up. He has even taken off his shoes and propped his feet up, oblivious to me snapping away (Ying and I employed the usual trick of pretending to take a picture of each other, whilst zooming into the background).
A couple of times when I have been in a clothes shop and wanted to try a garment on, the owner has had to ferret a snoozing worker from a stool in a makeshift changing room. It must be a part of life here, especially since the heat is so draining. Some of Ying’s workmates take half of their lunch hour to catch a quick nap at their desks before starting their afternoon tasks. It seems like a capital idea; to wake up early and counter this with an afternoon nap – it is a practice I may yet employ myself.
