Day 6: Put On Your Tux. We're Going To Pizza Hut?

This day had a packed schedule. The first place we visited was a historical landmark called ‘Tiger Hill’. This location is home to the resting place of a state ruler who died during China’s state period as well as Buddhist Temples and statues. The complex is called ‘Tiger Hill’ because from above, the cliff takes the shape of a crouching tiger. While looking through the Buddhist Temple, I saw swastikas on the Buddha statue’s chest and I was surprised to learn that long before Adolf Hitler used the swastika as a symbol for his cause, the swastika was used as a symbol in many different cultures and religions, including Buddhism. So, if you see a native of China wear something with the swastika symbol on it, most likely they are not Nazi supporters.

After taking pictures of the summit of the hill and other locations in the Tiger Hill Complex, we then bused to our boat tour of Suzhou.While on the tour, I noticed there were a lot of clotheslines, some over the river. I also saw bathrooms and porches that hung over the river as well. Our guide told us that the reason that some of the houses in Suzhou have exposed parts and there were so many clotheslines is because the natives treat their neighbors as family and a very strong bond was formed between them. I began to wonder in my mind what America, especially in the ghettos, would be like if neighbors were as trusting as they were in China.

            We then visited the famous Suzhou Silk Factory. After we witnessed the process from the specially grown Mauberry tree leaves to the unwinding of silkworm cocoons into silk, we went to the store to buy some pure silk gifts. I then enjoyed some Chinese KFC. I had a chicken wrap with sweet and sour sauce, onions and rice and it was pretty darn good. Other people had meals like chicken tenders over rice. We then went to AMD, a company who develops computer chips for tasks like PC gaming. They showed us the factory section in which the chips are soldered, filled and more attachments are added. We then talked to one of the people in charge of the plant in a Q and A session. He said something about business in China that definitely surprised me. To paraphrase, he said that in Western countries like America, the money and the contract are top priority. In places like China, relationships-in particular the relationship between the boss and the employee- is top priority. Bosses in China, value spending personal time with their employees and some are willing to spend up to a year trying to build a relationship. It is actually pretty common in Chinese business for an employee to turn down a contract worth a lot more money in order to work with a boss that they like. After the visit, I ate dinner at Pizza Hut and Chinese Pizza Hut is a lot different from the Pizza Hut here. Chinese Pizza Hut is a fancy sit-down restaurant with a full menu of hotpots, steak dinners and desserts. People were dressed up in there too, so I stuck out like a sore thumb when I showed up in sweats. We ended the night with a 3-hour karaoke session. The Chinese love karaoke to the point where they have multi-storied buildings with party rooms and refreshment stores. It was quite the experience.