Tong Li is kinda awesome

I didn't really expect to enjoy my visit here after i found out that it wasn't Su Zhou I was staying at, but actually a province north of it.  I had done some research for Suzhou and intended to visit museums, tea houses, and the many gardens it is known for.  For the first day and a half, I was more struck, rather than enamored, that I was elsewhere. It didn't matter the country, city, state, province, just somewhere else.  After that shock, which in that process, alleviated stress back home,  forgot self conjured problems, and remembered that i came here to explore, my mind settled a bit (which may have been due to the beautifully preserved architecture dating back to the Song Dynasty) and realized, this place is going to be the best part of the trip.  (i'm saying this now as I left and am in my second destination, Shanghai) Tongli is replete with preserved culture, a small town dynamic, friendly people, and it makes you want to wake up early in the morning to catch a show in the outdoor theatre, or stay outside at night to join the large conga line of middle aged women dancing.  I know me, and you might know me...I don't wake up early...I don't dance...Of course there is a bit of tourism, heck, I had a conversation with that bar owner as to why there isn't more tourism.  But it isn't a culture that has overtaken tradition.  People there are still unabashed, they fish by the canals with bare hands, teaching their children their techniques, young artists take advantage of Tongli's beauty and sit for hours without obstructing the narrow pathways, the gondoliers engage in friendly banter with store owners, fellow tour guides, patrons, anyone that the pass by as they row. Maybe its just the rose petaled glasses i'm wearing from simple being in a different environment, but I treasured my time here.

Side note: Went back with my dad to that bar with the dude that basically payed to hire me, and we all sat down for drinks.  Dad tried to get me to talk to two girls next to us.  I told him I didn't know how to speak the language. He thought i was talking about women not chinese...But hell, i tried to do both. Father ended up talking about commies, old days, his kids being what they are, america, shit, that man has no organization.