Today it is chilly outside. Dizzy rain with a temperature just above freezing point. Nice weather to be indoors. On the way to Suzhou, I look forward to every indoor moment: the subway, the train, the second subway, the lab and the coffee room – with a cup of hot coffee.
When it rains you have to pay attention to the sidewalk, here in Suhzou. Most paving stones are fixed to the subsoil, or are clamped against each other, but some are not. Those loose tiles wobble when you step on them. And when it rains, or has just rained, a wave of city mud then sloshes up between the cracks, straight into your sock. yak!
Caution with tiles is recommended at all times. China loves tiles. Especially bathroom tiles. Every building is covered with it, every square is built with it. The smoother the better. When it rains, China turns into a skating rink. How often does someone crash down onto the unforgiving enamel? How often do bone fragments of an elderly femur pierce the skin of an unfortunate upper leg? I don’t know the numbers. But I find it suspicious that the Shanghai Central station square is sprayed clean every morning.
These are things few people worry about here. As for the pavement tile mud: quite rightly so. For the other: simply follow the signs and keep smiling at the camera! (Could be printed on a tile)
Written on January 9, 2019