*My Suzhou town* (It'a really a City)

I've been in my new home, a.k.a Suzhou China for 8 months. It's amazing and I love it. But theres obviously things I miss A TON about America and Colorado. Anyway this post i'll be talking about China. Next post i'll be posting about America and going home, sound good? Okay.


So Suzhou has been really great. The city, buses, taxi's, Chinese people, new friends, train's. Let me start with the first one, The City... I don't have much to write right now about living in the city but mainly it's just fun after living in a small town for so long (i'll talk about missing colorado soon).

The buses... Okay so I can get around Suzhou on the buses. I don't go by myself but I could get home and to certain places on the buses. The buses are a way to be with the chinese people all the time and try to speak some chinese. You get to your bus stop and see how many stops there are until it gets there. Let's say 4. In about 5 minutes it comes and you jump on, drop in your two qui (about $0.30) and either find a seat or if there all taken, stand up. And sometimes your SO, incredibly squished. Thats when there's about 60 people on the bus...!!! I figured out that i've been on a bus approx. 450 to 500 times since i've lived here!!! So I do like/love the buses. "Xie Xie bus driver." The taxi's are basically just, if we can't get a bus or it's easier. It's a little more expensive and the drive really fast so...

Chinese people. I say "Ni Hao" to a lot of people. A lot of the people are just people in our neighborhood, or our guards. Some people smile and say it back, but some people just stare---
In the bus a lot of times somebody will get up from there seat and offer it to one of us, which is sweet :)
There are a TON of them!!! Everybody know's that. Lot's of scooters and bikes and cars. I'll definitely tell so much more when I see you. 


New friends. Well we obviously have a lot of new friends from the Church and such but like my new friends? Lydia and Leah Wirgau are our very good friends! They have nine kids and we met them at church, and i'm very thankful for them! I love them.

Train's. We take the high speed train about every month or so. We'll go to Shanghai for certain events or birthday's or a three day visit or something so thats when we would take a train. They go like 210 miles an hour and cover about 100 miles in 18 minutes, making it very convenient and fun, to go to Shanghai on :) Oh and it's about 5 bucks each way.

Subways. We don't have a subway in Suzhou yet (another 6 months and we'll have "Line 1"!) but i've been on, I guess quite a few in Shanghai.

Sometimes it's really hard to believe that "I" actually live in China. I mean I don't always think about what that means and you know, living in another Country! I live in China! AHHH!  It's just pretty crazy. And fun.

Okay well I suppose thats enough about Suzhou. Although I can't wait to tell you in PERSON! All my friends and family, i'm so excited to talk about everything with you guys!
I love you all and miss you too!!!!

Jinji Lake as we drive by on the bus. (Can you see the pollution!? But the water is pretty in this picture)

Becca's, Beth's and I's room. It curves to the Left and there's a hallway with closets and a bathroom over there.  Were on the third floor.


Love, ARLJ