Beisi Ta and Xuanmiao Guan

Yesterday I checked out some of the historic sights in Suzhou with some friends from XJTLU. We had a yummy lunch on the main shopping street, then checked out the Xuanmiao Guan (a Daoist Temple of Mysetery) and Beisi Ta (North Pagoda), which were both built during the 3rd century AD.

Offerings Outside of Xuanmiao

One Horned Cow Statue in Xuanmiao

Giant Stone Statue in fron of Beisi Ta

Beisi Ta (North Pagoda)

Budda Statue at the Base of Beisi Ta

View from the Top of Beisi Ta

Golden Budda in the Temple Adjacent to Beisi Ta

Drinking in Suzhou (on Shi Quan Jie)

I had a good night out on Suzhou's main bar street Shi Quan Jie. The best pubs I tried were Pulp Fiction, a decent Aussie bar which claimed to have Delerium Tremens, though it was off when I visited.

I spent most of the night though in Quahog Rhode Island at the Drunken Clam! Check it out -- it looks just like the bar from Family Guy.



Awesome bar, good night.

First Day at Work / Extreme Window Cleaning

I've begun to settle in. I had a good first day at work, went shopping and cooked my first proper meal in my apartment (tofu, chilli and seaweed noodles). Below are a few photos of XJTL University, and (for fun) I included a shot of how they clean apartment blocks in China -- its an extreme sport!

*Another* New Start

I arrived in China today and moved into my appartment in Suzhou. Everything is very nice and I'm looking forward to my first day of work tomorrow! Here's some shots: