Random facts and habits

(For my last day of internship I decided to write this article in English)

1) Could you imagine taking a midnight bath in "La Seine" in Paris??? 

Here is the Haihe river crossed by its famous "fly boat"

In Paris, we'll never do that right? Or maybe after drinking too much on "le pont des arts" and accidently fall in the water (I hope this will never happen!) 

Well, last time I was passing by the bridge, enjoying the view of Tianjin by night and something dragged my attention: it is a bit like the game "where is Charlie"! 

Really, how can they do it? They were several swimming in the river, casual, with the boats almost running over them! Well, when I was walking on the path, I saw some dead fish and other rubbish floating nearby the shores and didn't feel like diving at all! 

2) Habits number 2: KTV

For those who ignore it, KTV stands for Karaoke TV, so people prepare your voice! It was quite an experience the first time I went there, we were a bunch of foreigners plus chinese. The place was quite luxury, and just before you enter in you private room (indeed, no body really wants to listen to your shitty performance), an hostess accompanies you to a sort of little market, gives you a trolley for you to buy some alcohol and snacks, then you follow her in the room and the party can start! 

A particular attention to Mike who amazed us with his singing in Chinese ...from begining to end! BRAVO

My Canadian friend Kendra and I, right in the middle of the song "All what she wants"

3) Fact number 3: DRINKING BEER

Don't dare thinking that Chinese people only drink "baijiu"白酒, alcohol made from rice, average of 40% of alcohol (at least!). No! They also enjoy beer so much, the most famous one is called Qingdao or Tsingdao, and I recently learnt from my friend Lucie Baimian that this beer has been created by the German who came in Qingdao, few centuries ago, interesting isn't it? But they also enjoy lagger, wheat and dark beers.

Here you can see my manager Yina enjoying drinking her lagger beer! Not easy to carry it with only one hand!

4) Fact n°4: Drawing Calligraphy on the street

I was so happy to see the man practising in front of me finally! Cause I always wake up in the morning and see, drawn in chalk, some chinese caracters on the ground. Yesterday I could see a man practising his hand writing, with a big brush, dipping it into a mix of oil and water. I was so glad and admirative and dared to ask him if I could draw one too, he generously accepted! 

I decided to draw the caracter 爱 ai (love). However, here is not mine, but his cause he told me mine was too big!! I know, my love to give is toooo big!!

But don't make any assumption! These men are not doing this to ask for money, they just draw on the public street to keep practising the art of calligraphy, a very noble art I should say.

5) Fact number 5: the chinese wedding...

Weddings are a big business in China, maybe more than in France as far as I know. Indeed, if you stroll in the centre of Tianjin, on the shopping areas you will see lots of wedding boutique, dedicated to pictures, wedding dress, catering ...etc 

I told you in my previous article about the Italian area, where the just married couples come to get there pictures. Looking faboulous is very important, and also for the bride to wear different outfits.

I accepted to participate in a shooting for wedding dress, and recently found myself on local TV in the advertisement...I tried to find the link on the Web but couldn't find so you'll just have to enjoy laughing at those pics following...please don't be so cruel!! I put the cheesy one, the worse I could find so that you can make the most of it!