Another 3 days and then on the 4th day I am free as much as I can be. I will have to go down to the Brew and see if I can get some money off the government. I had started and application last week but could not complete it because I needed to show my face at the office which I can’t do because I am in quarantine, catch 22. I am not sure why I had to go down because they have all my information and know where I have been, in fact it is quite scary just how much information that they do have and yet I still need to go in person which now will be more difficult because every man and their dog is going down to seek some reddies.
After breakfast I go for a wee stroll around the block which I think is acceptable and then I come home, have a shower if I’m too smelly, and then ease into the day. I sometimes write as I am doing today or I will read but I try not to eat too much, which is quite difficult when confined within these four walls. For some reason the hunger pangs come round too quick and so I am looking forward to next week when I can go further afield. The TV stays off, although sometimes while having lunch I’ll stick it on but I don’t want to become a couch potato. Next week I’ll be able to go to the supermarket and I’ll just walk there and back, mind you I don’t have a choice……..no car.
I’ve been thinking about China the last few days and wishing that I could catch up with friends for coffee or go for lunch together because Suzhou has opened its doors once again and life is beginning to return to normal. I really do miss the Chinese food, there is such a variety on offer, but I am also enjoying Catherine and Stuart’s home cooking. So many different flavours that I have not had in donkeys.
All movements between states have been curtailed and you can now only cross the state lines if you have a valid reason which at the moment I don’t. Australia is going into total lockdown and as long as people listen to the government and respect the new rules we will still be able to go outside for fresh air, go to the shops and have limited freedom which is better than many other countries. So here’s hoping the eejits listen.
But I am finding it amusing listening to the Great American Leader “Trump” who with every day brings more laughter to the table. You could not write this stuff, he is being absolutely fantastic and with every day we get a taste of the real child behind the public persona. Even his allies are struggling to back his outrageous thoughts but you know the Americans wanted him and they got him and now he is going to kill them. Is this Karma?
I can’t wait to watch “Trump the movie” Trump on Broadway” “I’m going around the Trump” He has given the world so much amusement in recent weeks as he stumbles over every word, the child within is shining through. Many things have been done to bring Trump down over the last few years but no one has had any success even although the proof is there staring everyone in the face, so let’s hope that Covid19 is his nemeses and brings him to his knees………literally.
I got a call back from the doctor today to inform me that Mr Covid19 test that I got last week is all clear and I’m not a Leper. Good news for Catherine and Stuart of course. I was quite confident that I was clear because I have been very careful in China and also while travelling back from China.
So now I have one more week to go to complete quarantine and then I will be able to go out for a stroll unless by that time the government brings in a possible curfew or more drastic measures.
But either way I’ll still sneak out for a walk to the end of the street 😊
One week in quarantine and all is well. We haven’t killed each other yet and I have been enjoying the rich variety of food that Catherine and Stuart have been making. A simple pastrami sandwich with strong Bega cheese, my contribution, has also hit the spot. Most nights there has been a lovely glass of red wine to accompany the meals followed by chocolate, so all in all I am enjoying MY quarantine.
I have technically broken my quarantine by going out for a walk to the end of the street but as their house is semi rural and the chances of bumping into someone is rather small and so I go out early in the morning or late afternoon. To get out the house for a short time each day is just enough to keep my sanity in check. I am also trying to improvise my exercise routine which has been a bit more difficult but I have come up with a few options.
I’ve been in quarantine mode for nearly three months now and my movements have been curtailed because I have been in China for the last two years and I am really surprised at the levels of panic and doom and gloom that I see on social media and on the news. It’s not that bad people, it could be worse, enjoy the experience of living through a pandemic because hopefully we will never see this again in our lifetime.
There are many things and situations that you will experience now that you will look back on in years to come just as many of the older generation remember the war, it wasn’t all bad. Through this we might learn a few valuable lessons on how to live a different more simple life. Maybe you will begin to read books again or draw or just talk and even maybe just maybe we may emerge like the butterfly as a more fascinating and respected creature.
In China more people seemed to be concerned with their health, the health of others and worried about the folk that did not want to stick to the rules of wearing a face mask or flouting the laws laid down to prevent the spread of the disease. In this regard the Chinese authorities didn’t fuck about and took drastic action at times, some of which was just downright dangerous to the occupants. I saw a video of them welding doors shut which is unthinkable. I’m not advocating anything like this but let’s put things into perspective and practice personal hygiene and protect yourself and others.
Most western countries will struggle with government directives because we are used to doing what we want and we certainly do not like to be told we can’t do this or that and many of us will say “I’ll do what I want, you can’t tell me” But to those people I say, “Shut the fuck up and just do what you are told, it’s only for a short time in the big scheme of things and if we all just calm down then we will be able to get on with life as best as we can in the current climate” Panic buying and hoarding is just being selfish and personally I hope that the folk that have a room full of toilet paper suddenly get a severe case of gastroenteritis along with Covid19 just for good measure. May their arse be on fire from now until eternity!
So it’s Friday, it’s been 5 days since my quarantine started and so far so good. I’ve been enjoying being back in Australia, enjoying many things in fact. It’s good to catch up with Catherine and Stuart and to spend time at their home. It’s so quiet and such a contrast to where I have lived for the past two years. I’ve been coming here for over 30 years and in the early days I found this place too boring and I would only want to stay for two or three days but after being out of the country for nearly 4 years and spending most of that time in China I am now quite content to sit here and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Watching TV that I understand, being able to use Google without a VPN and everything works so quick even although the base internet speed is not as fast as China, not having the great Xi Jing Ping Firewall makes all the difference. Pastrami, I really like pastrami and cheese on a fresh soft wholemeal bread roll. Fresh air and being in the country, it is so quiet so I can go for a walk and not bump into anyone, which is good since I am in quarantine after all, but I am allowed to go for a walk as long as I keep to myself.
I found a book this morning called “A Matter of Honour” by Jeffrey Archer and I have only read a few chapters but I intend to sit outside on the deck under the curved patio roof where at this time of the year you can happily sit outside. I’ll be spending a few hours out here in the coming weeks.
I’ve also managed to catch up with friends via the phone, a simple thing but I have been unable to do this easily because I have had to use Skype but the connection was never stable very often which was frustrating, but now I can just make a phone call.
I’m enjoying being back that at the moment the thought of returning to China is not even on the horizon, instead I am thinking of when I can return to my own house and what kind of car will I buy, will the old fridge still work and what else will I need to buy when I get home.
However there is one little critter that I had forgotten about and that is the fly, Australian flies are a pain, not literally but they are very annoying and I have to constantly wave them from my face but maybe they are just saying hello.
Below is a note which was sent to my friends son in Suzhou from one of his teachers.
I’m fairly confident that I did not bring the Covid19 back to Australia with me and so I am really not too concerned. My brother in law started to feel a little bit ill just after I arrived; this is a common effect that I have on people so it’s perfectly normal. He has a snotty nose and I have more chance of catching a bug from him. He called his doctor and then he informed them that I was here and so I got a referral to go to the pathology for a Covid19 test.
I walked in and immediately I was in “Leper” mode. The staff kept their distance and ushered me into a small room which had two doors and they quickly closed them while they went and prepared themselves with Hazmat and rubber gloves.
The young girl came in and apparently I am the second such person in this area to be tested. The test is painless, they take a swab of your snot in both nostrils just to be sure and then another from the back of your throat which is a little bit unpleasant and it feels like you want to bring up your breakfast. So the young girl thanked me for keeping my breakfast down and then it was all over. I was thinking that they had to take blood but no they just need a few bodily fluids to see if you are part of this pandemic.
After we returned home we had coffee and then I went for a walk around the block. The house is located on the edge of town and so there are very few people around which makes it easy to go for a walk without running into anyone. I have to quarantine for two weeks and I am not too fussed about this because I am happy just to sit around on the back deck, read a book, do some exercise or just eat.
I’m still trying to understand why so many people are panicking and acting like total arseholes. I have been in China for the last two years and I never saw any of this kind of behaviour at our local supermarkets in the last few months. Maybe on the first week of lockdown there were a few items missing from shelves, but I left on the 14th of March and up till then I could go to the shops and buy what I wanted without any problems, even toilet paper was available. Mind you most of the other businesses were closed but you could order takeaway from one or two places.
The behaviour that has been on display both here and in the UK and other countries is fascinating and I think it’s a pity that the Coronavirus doesn’t target the stupid instead of the weak. The world would be a much better place if we could cull the stupid bastards from society.
And so I will finish my quarantine on the 29th of March and then I will be free to wander around and see firsthand the madness that is out there, can’t wait……….
At 1.30 on Saturday afternoon I got into my Taxi to take me to the Pudong airport. It cost 400 rmb to get me there but to be honest I really did not have a lot of choice because I had so much luggage and getting to the airport via public transport was limited.
It was a large people mover that I got into and I slid open the door and said my goodbye’s to Sissi and got in, I hate saying goodbye especially when I don’t know when we will see each other again. The driver asked me to put on my seat belt and then we headed off.
Once on the freeway I watched Suzhou slide passed and took my last look at the East Gate and then lay back and closed my eyes and enjoyed the heat of the sun coming through the side window warming up my whole body. It was still very cool outside but in here it was very comfortable and snug.
We passed through a few toll gates as we make our way towards Shanghai and the final one we go through is on the city outskirts where we go from Suzhou city to Shanghai city and at this gate we have many health officials ready to take the temperatures of everybody in the cars. My driver stopped and got his taken and then they came around to my side and slid the door open. I presented my wrist to him after I dug it out from my very warm thermal jacket that I had on, immediately the thermometer went bright red………….I was like “FUCK!” I gave him my other wrist and the same thing happened and then I said “ I’m sitting at the window and the sun is streaming in and I am wearing a thermal jacket, that’s why my temperature is so high” and another thing……..how accurate are these thermometers anyway. SO at this point I am thinking I’m about to get dragged out the van and have a thermometer shoved into an orifice.
The door is shut and the guy just points forward and then the driver had the presence of mind to just slowly drive away and then the next thing you know we are back up at cruising speed and back on our way to the airport and all the time waiting for the police car to come along side and flag us down, but thankfully this did not happen and I was back on my way to the airport.
The driver seemed quite concerned and was telling me to drink plenty of cold water when I get to the airport to reduce my body temperature, but I knew I was OK because this is the first time I have registered high.
When he dropped me off there were two other cars there and only a handful of people hanging around. I entered through door 6 and through the first security check and was surprised that my temperature was not taken; maybe they had thermal cameras somewhere. On to the check in desk and waited a further 30 minutes for them to open.
I had to fill out another medical certificate to state where I had come to, where I am going and then it’s onto passport control where they check this once more along with my passport, I’m the only person in the departure area waiting to have my passport checked. This is a huge airport and normally to get through passport control you need to wait at least 30 mins, but today there is no one.
Security check is next and I am once again on my own and after a thorough check I’m through and I head to Starbucks to buy coffee because it is the only place open, luckily I bought bread at the bakers before leaving for the airport and so I know I’m not going to starve to death as I wait for my plane. I got here 5 hours before my flight was due for departure but I just wanted to get here in case there may be delays with all the people leaving the country but as it turns out there are very few people here.
The plane leaves on time and I would think that we had no more than 40 people on board and that is including the crew. There were two people in Business Class and most of us were spread throughout the cabin. I had a window seat so I could lie down and get a snooze, I could have crossed the aisle to the centre row of seats but I just stayed where I was. I slept on and off for about 7 hours and then I slowly came to and just in time for a breakfast of fried rice and I also finished off the bread I had left.
On arrival we went through a special COVID channel where our temperatures were taken and we were given advice on what to do next in regards to the 14 day quarantine and personal hygiene etc. Then we were free to pick up our bags and leave the airport. I had a connecting flight with Qantas and so I went to check in. I knew my bags were overweight and was expecting a little bit of a challenge because of this and I was not disappointed. I was lucky to be served by the overweight gay boy with an utter distaste for an old Scottish guy wearing a mask and protesting because he was going to be charged for excess baggage. More on that later.
I got through to T3 and waited for 5 hours or so for my flight up to my sisters. It was a small plane and the flight was only an hour so it was not too bad and when we arrived it was only 5 mins till we were out in the car park.
So glad to have finally arrived after my long and stressful journey which was not helped by the fat gay boy, but at last I could rest my weary head. I was so relieved to have finally made it here because over the last few weeks in China there have been stories of flight cancellations and then there were more travel bans coming into place and I had visions of being stuck in China in a situation that I wanted to get away from.
Well I’m happy to say I’m on the plane and the airport and the plane is remarkably empty and I don’t think that I’ll travel like this for a while but maybe just maybe I might get a snooze
Well I’m in bed and listening to radio 2 and I’m happy on a few counts. It’s my last night, my vpn is working, my flight tomorrow is still on schedule which is very important and so as I go to sleep all seems to be well in my world.
I’ve spent the day at home with Sissi and we have listened to music, chatted and solved the world’s problems, but we haven’t figured out what we will do next or where we will go. It’s always a sad time when we leave friends and especially when we don’t know when we will see each other again but at the end of the day I feel in my water that it’s time to move on and of course my visa is up too but I think that even if it wasn’t I’d still want to leave, but the expiration of my visa makes it easier.
Travel will become more and more difficult in the short term and while I’m in China I’m just treading water, so to return to Australia at this time makes a bit more sense. I can re-evaluate my plans and decide what to do next, try to figure out which horizon to head to.
Time to change to radio four I think and then it’s lights oot.
On the 20th of March 2018 I arrived in Suzhou and stayed at the FX Hotel at Leqiao in the west of the SIP. I was only there for two days as I just wanted somewhere to rest after my flight. This hotel is near to the metro station and so it was easy to get there. It is a three star hotel and a little bit tired but at least I could rest my weary bones.
My next plan of attack was to find more permanent accommodation and so for that I needed more time, so I got a place on Airbnb and because of this my world changed forever. On the 22nd of March I booked an Airbnb with Sissi for a week. She met me near one of the stations and took me through the labyrinth of the old city to my digs for the next few days. First impressions were of a lovely young bubbly girl with so much enthusiasm and she was so friendly. We hit it off and we talked and talked as if we had known each other for years.
Sissi asked me how long I intended staying in Suzhou and I told her I was not sure but maybe as long as two years and then she asked me would I like to share an apartment with her in the SIP, which is the city centre of Suzhou and the apartment would be 5 mins from Central Park………I said “YES”.
Sissi wanted to set up a new Airbnb apartment in the SIP, which for most people is a better location. We moved into Orchard Manors which is one of the most sought after addresses in Suzhou. A four bedroom apartment, about 170 m2 and on the 4th floor. It was absolutely brilliant and I still had to pinch myself because I could not believe my luck. I had only been in Suzhou for three days and one of my biggest headaches had been cured by this wonderful young lady called Sissi. The only downside that I could see was that I was now living in an Airbnb house and to be honest some of the people that walked through the front door were certainly challenging and I have had many times where I have been unhappy with this situation especially in the early days of living here while Sissi and I were still getting to know each other. But on the other hand I have also met some really wonderful and inspiring young people too, far more than the guests that have been a complete and utter pain in the arse which I would have happily thrown over the balcony without hesitation. It has been an insight to the behaviours of everyday Chinese folk and the ignorance of foreigners which have been culturally inept and some of them have had very dubious behaviours.
Over the last two years Sissi has become a great friend and confidant and I have great love and respect for this tenacious young lady that has had to deal with many ups and downs over the last two years and yet she always has a smile for her guests and everyone for that matter and she always tries to do the right thing, however some of the guests have been complete and utter bastards and have taken advantage of her kind nature which would make my blood boil. I just wish that my level of Chinese had been higher so that I could tell them to Fuck off in no uncertain terms, but then again, saying it in English gets the desired effect too sometimes.
It turns out that we are both similar creatures in many ways even although we are separated by culture and age and I find that quite interesting. I admire and respect what she does to build a future for herself and I know for a fact that I would never take on three Airbnb houses, and after seeing the amount of work involved and some of the bullshit she has had to deal with, I know it’s not for me.
And so tomorrow I have a flight back to Australia and in a few weeks time Sissi will move to Nanjing to start a new chapter of life. Our time together has come to an end for now which is sad, but we are both ready to move on to something else. I don’t know what that is yet but Sissi has plans to go into the Hotel business with a young guy and I wish her all the best and I know that I will see her when I return to China, but maybe not in Suzhou. But I know one thing for sure my life was changed for the better on that day two years ago when I met the amazing and wonderful Sissi.
Thursday and all is well, well apart from the sunburn or windburn that I received yesterday. I went for a walk around the lake yesterday which is around 14km. I walked anti-clockwise, heading east and so the sun was on my back until I reached the end of the lake. It’s still a cool day but with the sun on my back I soon warmed up and it felt marvellous.
When I crossed the “Ren Bridge 人桥” or “People’s Bridge” I came across one of the new stations of the new metro line and because of this I was unable to continue along the path around the lake and the detour was quite far, so I jumped on one of the free Suzhou Green bikes. I haven’t been on one of these bikes for ages and it was great to get back on me bike, so to speak. I found one of the older bikes; they are slightly larger than the new ones. The saddles just don’t go high enough on the new bikes and so when you peddle you end up putting too much pressure on your knees.
I soon turned a corner and headed west back towards home and then I was running parallel to the lake once more. I took off me beanie because of the heat and I wasn’t wearing a mask either but instead enjoying the fresh air as I cycled home. I was cycling into the sun and into a bit of a head wind but I made good time and got home for a well deserved coffee on the balcony.
When I got up home my face felt like I was on fire and when I went into the bathroom I could see the reason why, my face was Scarlet O’Hara and I felt that I was running a temperature which is not the kind of thing you want to do in China at the moment, especially when I hope to leave the country in two days time. I also felt knackered and quite rightly so because I had walked over 20,000 steps, cycled 10km and I had also gone to the park in the morning. By 9pm I was tucked up in bed.
This morning I got up after 7am and after breakfast went back to bed. My face still felt warm but it wasn’t quite the beacon it seemed to be last night. I had a shower and then applied some cream to try and take the colour away. I can’t believe I managed to get sun burn at this time of the year, I mean the UV is not that high so I rarely use sun cream. So hopefully by Saturday it will have gone back to normal or maybe I might start to look a bit “flaky” by then.
After lunch I went to the Suzhou Bus Station to enquire about the airport bus, but alas it ain’t running yet. I have a train ticket for Saturday to get me part of the way but I really don’t fancy fighting my way to the airport with two cases and a backpack so I have decided to go by taxi which is costing 400 rmb which is about $90 which is quite a lot but at this time with the virus an all I thought that I would be safer in a car by myself and it means that I don’t have to fight with my luggage trying to get to the airport. This is the normal price for one car, usually I pay 100 when I share the car so on this occasion which may be my last trip out of China for a while, well Shanghai, I thought what the hell. This would still be way cheaper than getting a taxi in Brisbane back to my house and it would only take around 40 mins instead of the 2 hours that it will take on Saturday to get from home to the airport, so it is comparatively cheap.
I have packed my big case and it is a fraction under 23kg. My smaller case and my pack back are not ready yet. I have too many things and although getting to Sydney with everything is no problem, it’s when I get on the second regional flight that they might be picky if I am overweight so I am trying to keep the weight of my back pack and second case to around 8kg each which should keep me about right but you never know what the reaction will be when you go to the check in counter. Sometimes they surprise you and hardly give you a glance and just process your booking but this being Australia I don’t feel that I will have that kind of luck.
So I will leave one case here with some odds and sods and if I don’t see again it will be no great loss. As I said before I really don’t think that I will be back here in a hurry. I feel that my two years in Suzhou have been quite amazing and I have done so many things I would have never dreamed of experiencing and so now this chapter of my life has come to an end. So many stories to tell and I’m glad that I have kept this blog going for that time because I will be able to look back over the good times and the not so good. I’ll miss a few of the really good friends that I have met here and they have made my life here enjoyable, interesting and privileged. I have been a VIP guest at more occasions than I could ever have dreamed of, given speeches and presentations and even learned a bit about Chinese life and culture along the way. Had more free meals than I can remember, I’ve been the guest of honour, I’ve been to a state banquet and made videos, had interviews with TV stations and other local media. I have been very lucky but at this point I want to get off this merry go round and go back to the west for a bit but maybe in a month or more I will be wanting to run away again, who can tell………..only time will tell.
But of course being in China during this Covid 19 outbreak has been boring and yet interesting and confronting. Interesting to see how the Chinese people deal with such a situation, how they just follow the rules with no complaints and how their faith in the government is astounding, Xi Jing Ping can do no wrong on the surface but there has been a bit of a surprising backlash from many on social media but the internet censorship pulls down such messages as quick as they are put up. Your phone keeps track of you everywhere here. Every movement logged and collated. At the supermarket, on the bus, the metro, the train and just by moving through the city you are constantly bombarded with government propaganda about keeping the community safe and you are encouraged to shop anyone that is not doing the right thing.
And so I will leave this all behind for a while and yet I will miss the convenience of using my phone for almost everything, not having to use physical money is great. I’ll miss the food most I think; I love the local Muslim restaurant food and now I will have to make my own food once which I’m not looking forward to. However there are some things that I will not miss and that is the noises made while eating and some of the other terrible habits that many Chinese possess.
The View from the living room
Going back to a less populated place is also a good thing. Suzhou has a population of 11 million and so when I go back to Australia I will be going to Armidale which I think has a population of around 35.000 so it will be a wee bit different and of course there are no skyscrapers as we have here. It will be good to look out the window and not look into someone else’s house and of course it will be good not to be looked at by someone else all the time. So as you may have gathered I am ready for a wee change but I will be back at some time to visit some places in the North West of China at a later time. But until then it’s time for a change.
