2019-07-23 

【Aiden in English】

        Suzhou is full of quirks. What are quirks? It's a characteristic that causes one to tilt their head slightly. Suzhou is quite full of the mentioned quirks. I am going to elaborate.

        I'd never in a hundred years think that Pennsylvania summertime would be 'cool,' but in the face of hell's kitchen, I feel like even my high school's fans would be of great appreciation. Walking around Southern China in the summertime is like putting an ice cream bar on a campfire -- the ice cream melts off, and the stick ignites. I had a fan -- past tense because I lost it or it was stolen. While the slight breeze felt blissful, my face would scream for mercy every time I stopped fanning. Much like a person with an addiction, my body would enter a sudden withdrawal phase. I would start itching my face and legs, doubling over in agony. 

        It sounds like an overstatement, but I was followed by a horde of tiny mosquitoes for much of the trip. I felt like a celebrity, except instead of fans, I was a swarm of blood-sucking, annoying, noisy bugs that tried to touch me- so essentially, my fans. The tiny vampires feasted on my foreign blood specifically. I can only imagine the first customer running around to all his friends, whispering, "Hey, did you get a taste of that new Philadelphian diner that came to town?" 

        As of the time of writing, the bite counts total around seventeen. I've got red spots on my legs, hands, elbows, neck, and even in covered areas like my upper arm and thigh. According to my mother, tiny mosquitoes can penetrate even the finest clothing. I find that hard to believe and very unfair. How is one supposed to swat away a mosquito without touching one's body? It's a genuine annoyance.

        Speaking of annoyances, Chinese culture does not traditionally encourage the consumption of cold water. This would be justified if the hot drinks arrived when needed, say in cold weather. However, as previously mentioned, China is a raging fire. Once the ice cream bar begins burning, you don't toss boiling water on the ice cream in the hope of saving it. Of course, China also serves boiling water or tea for practical purposes. Due to certain unsanitary aspects of water filtration, boiling water becomes an efficient processing method. Yet, Chinese folk find numerous other reasons to advertise hot water. For example, a slightly older Chinese person with an average education will say hot water helps with metabolism, skin, and relaxation. Then you ask for evidence, and they list their favorite TV station. I suppose having hot water as the filtration method is better than alternatives. In Ancient Rome, children would chew on it when thirsty because it was considered a form of purified water. 

        These aspects pushed my buttons a bit, but after getting bitten twenty times, I got used to them. Even still, there is no better feeling than returning to a cool room with air conditioning and grabbing ice water from the fridge.

【紅霞譯】

        蘇州奇葩朵朵。何謂奇葩？其實就是一種讓人刮目相看的氣質，蘇州確實逸麗雋秀，且聽我娓娓道來。

        我死都不會相信賓州夏季竟然很“酷”，但即使身陷“地獄廚房”，我的那些高中粉絲依舊羨慕得要死。夏天跑到江南一帶耍酷猶如把冰棍扔進篝火──冰碴化了，木棍着了。我曾有把扇子──過去式，已經弄丟或被偷了。清風拂面，扇得心裡美滋滋的，而只要扇子停了，臉上便掩飾不住可憐兮兮的表情，如同一個癮君子，渾身上下立馬變慫了，我開始抓耳撓腿，折騰得苦不堪言。

        乍聽起來有點誇大其詞，但在大部分行程中，一大群小蚊子總圍着我打轉，好像我是什麼名流要人似的，它們哪裡是粉絲，分明是極盡吸血、騷擾、吵鬧之能事且盯住你不放的壞蛋──本質上堪稱粉絲，這些小不點吸血鬼專門飲用外地人身上的血液，我不難想象第一個嘗到甜頭的傢伙跑去朋友圈得瑟：“瞧嘞，你們嘗過新進口的費城鮮味嗎？”

        寫到這裡為止，我渾身上下總共被蚊子咬起17個大包，腿、手、胳膊肘、脖子、甚至像上臂和大腿這樣被遮掩的部位全部出現紅腫。據母親說，小蚊子能透過衣服叮人，令我難以相信，簡直無法無天，那麼在蚊子尚未貼近你身體之前如何扇走它呢？真夠傷腦筋的。

        說到煩惱，文化傳統上咱國人不喝冷水；如今，假若熱飲隨時享用，比如天冷的時候，那麼實無煩惱可言。但如前所述，舉高上下國熱浪翻騰，一旦冰棍着火，你不能為救冰棍而用開水去澆。當然，中國確實提供開水或熱茶，由於過濾的水難免夾雜種種不衛生的東西，燒開水便成為一種行之有效的解決手段。國人有各種各樣的理由推銷開水，例如：稍微上點年紀並受過普通教育的老百姓認為熱水對代謝、皮膚和放鬆有百利而無一害，之後你問有什麼憑證，他們最終把自己喜歡的電視台搬了出來。依我看，用熱水作為過濾手段比別的方法都強。古羅馬年代，小孩渴了就飲酒，因為葡萄酒可以淨化水。

        蚊子的所作所為沒少給我添堵，但稍過片刻，又咬上20口，我已經習以為常。即便如此，沒有比回到帶空調的涼快房間再從冰箱裡拎出一瓶冰水更教我痛快。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2019: Suzhou—Lion Grove Garden, China(蘇州獅子林)

2019: Suzhou—Humble Administrator's Garden, China(蘇州拙政園)

2015: PSC B-Ball Camp─Layup(費城運動俱樂部籃球營─上籃)

2014: Pokémon-II(《神奇寶貝》之二)

2010: 學以致用(Learn towards Practice)

2009: 下棋(Board Games)

Aerial View of the Waiting Area in Hangzhou East Railway Station

(杭州東站·候車廳)

Temple of Mystery (玄妙觀 07-23-2019)

Palace Lane (宮巷 07-23-2019)

Old Town (姑蘇城 10-22-1998)

The Court outside Garden (園外苑 07-23-2019)

Hall of 18 Camellias in Humble Administrator's Garden 

(拙政園·十八曼陀羅花館 07-23-2019)

Sunroom of 18 Camellias Hall in Humble Administrator's Garden Designed w/ Unique Rhombus-Shaped Glass Windows for Winter Sun, Blending Art & Nature Designed w/ Unique Rhombus-Shaped Glass Windows for Winter Sun, Blending Art & Nature

(拙政園十八曼陀羅花館陽房·飾有獨特的菱形玻璃窗，用於冬季採光，將藝術與自然融為一體 07-23-2019)

Small Flying Rainbow Bridge & Fragrant Isle in Humble Administrator's Garden 

(拙政園·小飛虹與香洲 07-23-2019)

Rockery, Lotus-covered Pond, Flower Basket Hall in Lion Grove Garden

(獅子林·假山、荷塘與花籃廳 07-23-2019)

Nine-Lion Peak of Lion Grove Garden

(獅子林·九獅峰 07-23-2019)

North Temple Pagoda Seen from Central Garden in Humble Administrator's Garden

(拙政園·借景園外北寺塔 07-23-2019)

Whom-to-Sit-with Pavilion in Humble Administrator's Garden

(拙政園·與誰同坐軒 "與誰同坐？明月清風我" 07-23-2019)

Archetype of Imperial Gardens in Humble Administrator's Garden

(拙政園·園門皇家園林原型 07-23-2019)

Victory Bridge in Pingjiang Historic Block

(平江路歷史街區·勝利橋 07-23-2019)

Bluestone Bridge over Pingjiang Road

(平江路·青石橋 07-23-2019)

Hawkwood Palace Restaurant (松鶴樓 07-23-2019)

Steamed Dumplings Stuffed w/ Pork & Crab Meat

 (松鶴樓·蟹粉灌湯小籠)

Sautéed Fresh Mushrooms & Shepherd's Purse

(松鶴樓·薺菜蘑菇)

Wild Turtle Stewed w/ Herbal Sauce

 (松鶴樓·五味黃燜野生甲魚)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

China(出遊中國)

10th Grade(高中二年級)