Hot spot for wedding pix

Another coffee loving couple? Well, at least they were shooting longing glares at my latte while I watched them (though the window) striking pose after pose.

Hengshan Lu in Shanghai. There must be something about it. I am not exaggerating now, but during the last 6 months, every, single time when I have walked on that road, there have been Chinese couple shooting their wedding pix outside Starbucks?! I know that Hengshan Lu is quite beautiful, but why Starbucks? Who wants to associate their wedding with huge, commercial cups of coffee?

Another funny thing about those wedding shoots... is it only me or do both the groom and the bride sometimes look exhausted, frustrated, bored and purely miserable?! As if they were on a trip to hell? And then a moment later the photographer says something and their faces break into forced, but believable smiles? Why bother with that wedding album (that for most young Chinese is a 'must have') if it's such a pain? From what I've heard it's quite expensive too?

And why on earth do it outside Starbucks?!!!!

Oh yeah!

Remember when u were a kid and you used to do this thing with your friends? There were 'fordbidden words' that u didn't dare to say on your own, so instead you and your friend counted to three and said it at the same time? Well, OK, maybe it was only me and my friends who did that... but anyways.

Yesterday I was walking on Hengshan Lu in Shanghai. From far, I saw two young Chinese guys approaching. When they saw me, they started to whisper to each other, even though I was quite far from them and I wouldn't have had a clue what they were saying anyways... then, once we passed each other, they said in choir:

-OH YEAH!

Hahhahahahhahahahaha.... I cracked up then and there! Hilarious! I wonder if they counted '1-2-3' beforehand too?!

Who's got the most foreign friends? Let's open our wallets and have a look!

Most wanted.

Some days ago I was talking with my friend Rock, alias 'the Hunan boy' from the gym. For some reason we started discussing money, and suddenly he pulled out an old version of a 10 rmb note from his wallet.

-See, isn't it beautiful, he said and handed it to me.
-Sure... I said. (Not sure if money can be beautiful... but sure).
-What does the money look like in Sweden? He asked. Is it as beautiful as this?
-Ehum.. well... the Swedish money... hm... it has sort of blue-green notes and some golden and silver coins?
-Golen coins! Wow. China doesn't have golden coins. You guys are so lucky!
-Ehum.. I guess so!

After some more detailed questions about what kind of notes and coins we have in Sweden, I sensed Rock was fishing for something.
-Rock, do you want me to bring you a note from Sweden when I come back?
-Could you?! That would be great! I collect money from different countries.
-Sure, no probs. Actually, I might have some foreign money in my flat. I'll have a look for you.
-Okey, but just the smallest value okay, I just collect it for its looks.

I thought is was kind of cute -Rock -the money collector- so the next time I saw him I brought what I had found from our flat: a 1000 Korean won note, and a 2 euro coin. Rock was shining when I handed them over to him at the gym, and a minor crowd of personal trainers gathered around us, doing the 'ooooohs' and 'aaaahhhs'.

Later, a small guy approached me together with Rock. He handed me a colourful note.
-Do you know where this is from?
I had a quick look. A 500 (or 5000? I don't remember?) note. It said Peru.
-Peru?!
-Ah... okay. How much is it worth?
-Eh... I don't know? Peru is in South America. I don't know their currency by heart.
-Ahhhh (disappointed sigh).
-So you are not from America? the little guy went on.
-No she is from Denmark! Rock corrected.
-Sweden. I corrected (yeeez, is Scandinavia so insignificant that EVERYONE mixes up the countries? Apparently so!)
-So what does Swedish money look like? the small guy said.
-Ehum... it is sort of blue... green... ehum... I started.
-Do you have any?! The small guy said.
-Not right now, but I can bring some...
-You can? Oh, that would be great!

Oh my lord, what have I gotten myself into? Now EVERYONE wants Swedish money. And no, it's not big money they are after (a 1 'krona' coin is enough, which has the same value as a 1 kuai coin), they just want foreign money. I never realised the interest for foreign money was so big in China. But I realised when I third trainer came up to me that same day and started asking me about what Swedish money look like.

So later, I asked Rock.
-So what is the deal with foreign money? Are you all collecting it?
-Pretty much, yeah!
-Why?
-Well, because it is cool to be able to open your wallet and show money from different countries to your friends. It shows that you have many foreign friends from all over the world!
-Oh, I see.....

Oh, and FYI, Rock is currently in the lead of 'having most foreign friends' with his Korean note and European euro coin, and soon he'll be getting a Swedish note too. But then again, the other ones are doing quite well, many of them have got American dollars and the guy with the note from Peru is obviously also a threat.... To be continued! Stay tuned!

Cutting in line

I know this is a over discussed topic, but still.. what is the deal with older Chinese people CONSTANTLY trying to cut in line?! In the beginning I was mostly stunned. Coming from a country where cutting in line is close to taboo (I mean, in Sweden we even give other people space in the line.. especially if you line up to to use the ATM) I was amazed of how non existent the whole 'standing in a line' system is in China. I mean, we shouldn't even talk about what it is sometimes like to try and get on/off the metro?! Bit of a wrestling game at times!

But in this case of cutting in lines, I mean the actually existing lines. Like when u go into a shop and want to pay something and there is a line, which signifies that you should line up behind the person standing last in the line... I mean, this is not rocket science -everybody should be able to get that? Right?

So, why is it then still that when I get last in line, some older Chinese man or woman often comes and stands right in front of me, or, sometimes they even pushes me back?! Since the novelty of this case is long gone, I now respond rather aggressively, either telling them to get behind me, or violently pushing myself in between them and the person in front of them. It always works, but I get looks from them that are everything but friendly. And still, THEY were the ones cutting in front of me?!

Young Chinese rarely cut lines. It has happened to me a few times but normally it is because they simply don't realise there is a line, and when u tell them they apologize and get in the line. But older people. Grrrrrrrrr... I get furious. And I guess the fact that I am personally not patient by nature, doesn't help.

One funny thing that once happened to my bf in the convenience store. He was in going towards the counter to line up and managed to bump into a another guy who was in the line on his way. The guy turned to him and said:

-What is your problem?! You hit me, don't you normally say 'sorry' in your home country?!

My boyfriend just stared at him. For real?!!!

Today's wish: small feet

Gosh, just THINK of all the shoes I could buy if I could get my big feet into the small Chinese shoe sizes…!???

(Hm…. To think of it. Maybe it is a good thing that I don’t?!)

But still… just look at these. Sex and the City meets China chic. I am in love.

(So was the Korean girl whose feet I demanded a photo of)

A holiday around the corner...

I was supposed to wake up at 6am today and go for a morning walk before breakfast (I cannot run for the moment coz I’ve got a sore throat. Something of a monthly thing lately… *sigh*) but when I woke up and walked out on our balcony I changed my mind. Geeeez, it is just so hot out there?! Going for a walk feels like a punishment rather than a nice thing to do. Maybe I have to settle for an evening walk instead? (a LATE evening walk).

Yeah, the heat wave has just hit Suzhou and still, I am already feeling as if I’ve ‘had enough.’ I just don’t like that u cannot go running outside in this heat. Or well, of course u can go running, but it is very uncomfortable. But enough of the whining. At least it is not raining.

Today I am actually going to indulge in some female pampering… something I haven’t done for I don’t know how long!? I’ve had this facial gift voucher lying in my drawer since Xmas (yup, it was a gift) and I haven’t gotten around to use it yet, so today’s the day. Let’s see if it is any good. I am not much of a ‘getting your face/nails’ done person in general, I prefer getting a massage (a post work out massage!) but there’s nothing wrong with being spoiled once in a while.

I’ve got this bubbling feeling of excitement in my stomach a.t.m. I cannot help it, but I always get like this during summer (kinda like a kid the night before Xmas eve). Since I have lived abroad for the last 7 years, summer has become a bit holy for me. It is the only time during the year when I go home to visit friends/family. It has been a whole year since I last saw most of my siblings, plus dad and all of my friends (mom and my brother came here in March so the memory of them is still fresh!), and obviously it’s going to be great to catch up with them all! Summer is definitely Xmas/Bday/ the best days of the years all together for me! Nothing beats seeing your friends and family. And all that fresh air… mmmmmmmm!

Yes, as u might have figured out: soon I will go to Scandinavia for a holiday, so now I wonder if anyone has any tips/ideas of what I can blog about when I am over there? (Correct me if I am wrong but I don’t think you guys are very interested to find out about what a summer in Scandinavia is like… ) Well, I’ll be visiting my old work, which is a Chinese company, so I’ll definitely still be in touch with Chinese (my former boss is a powerful Beijing man, who LOVES commenting on my weight. It’s going to be interesting to see what he has to say this time. Have I gotten fat/skinny? If he doesn’t speak it is a good thing). And then in August I am going to the Beijing Olympics. Yey! Can’t wait!!!

Anyhow, if anyone’s got some ideas/suggestions of what they want to read about (tips for living in China, food recommendations, travelling suggestions –anything? Basically that sort of stuff I can write about no matter where on earth I am!) please leave a comment or email me at jonnawib(at)yahoo.se. I don’t want you to get bored!!!

This is where I'll be spending the following weeks... Sure, Scandinavia =beautiful, but maybe not so interesting....

That's Suzhou (there's a new magazine in town!)

Finally, I am done!

The exam was quite hard, but I think I made it OK. I must have. I knew most of the stuff, and normally I am quite lucky when I guess… So let’s see. On Friday there’s apparently some ceremony for us students so I’ll then go and pick up my grades and HOPEFULLY I’ll be able to buy the books for level 4 already. Oh yes, of course I am going to do the whole ‘prepare for level 4 in advance’ thing… I am going to drag all those books back to Sweden and probably not open them once during my holiday, and then have to drag them all back to China again in August… but that’s just me. I always do it. And traditions are meant to be kept.

This Friday there is a launch party for a new Suzhou magazine called ‘That’s Suzhou.’ It is apparently made by the same people that make the more famous ‘That’s Shanghai’ (then there is also ’That’s Beijing’). I picked up their July copy (funny that the July issue is out although the release party is this Friday) and it looks quite thin, but still good. I’ll definitely try to score an invite to Friday’s party and then convince my bf that it is important for us to go. I also notice (when I flicked through the magazine) that the editorial assistant is no one less but my old private Chinese tutor. Well that explains why she suddenly became impossible to get in touch with and stopped coming to teach me.

But really, now when I am flicking through That’s Suzhou I have to say that I am actually really happy that there’s finally a decent English language magazine in the city (the other expat magazines I’ve come across over here have been a bit… dull). I am looking forward to how ‘That’s’ is going to cover all of Suzhou’s dingy nightclubs in their nightlife section…