just a quick post to say I'll be leaving this afternoon on the 3pm train to Wuxi (0.5h trip) to take the 8pm train to Beijing. Sigh. Direct tickets to get to beijing on a weekend were sold out.

Today the street the hostel is on is very happening. and I'm sure, the shopping street is as well. It's the start of the Suzhou Int'l Tourism Festival. Here, there are stages and performances all along the street, crafts and art stalls and artisans and food and snacks, as well as a traditional wedding demo by the canal... quite cool. today's art students are not sketching but painting.

I know i've mentioned that I love this area already, but after yesterday (during which i didn't really do anything but walk ard the neighbourhood) i love it even more, because there are shops where people are weaving rush mat for the old beds, old men sanding wood and making wooden buckets, women drawing water out of the well which can be anywhere (at a village intersection, beside the road, beside the canal) and washing clothes, etc...

I need to check out soon... it seems to be a busy weekend...