During this period, Suzhou is quieter than usual. The expats are using their Suzhou lifestyle to struggle with us. They all have something to share with Suzhou.
I am Ellen from America
I have lived here for almost 10 years
100 years ago
my grandparents worked in Suzhou
100 years later
my volunteer work continues
the theme of community service
I was excited to
be useful to the community!
In particular, I felt that this was
something that my grandmother would
have wanted me to do
I was fascinated to see
how well we were all working together
We had police officers,
residential complex managers,
medical professionals as well as
Chinese and international volunteers
Each person was able to contribute
according to their profession
and perspective which made for
a very efficient process
I think that all of Suzhou
will pull together to get through this
and we will soon be back to normal
Ellen Touchstone, PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
Associate Dean,
Responsible and Sustainable Business Education
at the International Business School Suzhou @XJTLU
In 1917, Ellen's grandmother
came to Suzhou from the US
and worked as the Nurse Leader
at the First Affiliated Hospital
of Soochow University
At that time,
her grandfather was working
at Soochow University
100 years later,
Ellen's volunteer work continues the theme of
community service
between her family and Suzhou
My name is Richard Nunns, from UK
I have been here in SIP
with my wife and children since 2012
I'm currently Deputy Director of
Dulwich International High School
Recently I help with a volunteering team
composed of some local
and other foreign teachers
We arrange meals and daily life support,
plus arrange activities and
support the wellbeing of students and staff
in the school boarding house
We work closely together
thinking of innovative solutions to problems
and also remains so positive and agile
even when the situation changes so quickly
I am positive that the situation will quickly
be under control
and we can be out and about again
Richard (first from left)
For the past ten years
Richard has felt Suzhou, and Dulwich
have been very good to him and his family
Let's extend his confidence in Suzhou
My name is Elena, I am Italian
Now I live in Wujiang
Here is a beautiful East Taihu Lake
I like Wujiang very much
Since the beginning of outbreak
foreign friends who are living in Suzhou
are very concerned about the situation
I am fluent in Mandarin
and also used to reading official documents
so I've been constantly following
all the updates
I remember in the very first few days
I was awake until very late at night
waiting for the official notices
and then translated and forwarded
the information to all the friends in need
I hope the outbreak can be controlled soon
and we can go back to our normal daily routine
Elena is the resident manager
in an Italian company
In addition to handling work
she spends a lot of time to do volunteering work
During these days
she is busy in various Wechat groups
to provide foreign friends in Suzhou
with the latest, complete and correct information
I am Steeve Lercu from France
I am an artist freelance-art and design teacher
Suzhou situation is well organised
It helps to feel peaceful and safe
Tests and daily messages from
the community and school
bring an energy of care and consideration
well appreciated for a foreigner
Besides missing students and classroom
it seems that my life is no affected
by the situation a lot recently
Even one or two paintings
can be painted at the same time almost
Solitude can be used to know oneself a bit more
in a different way that it is with others
Steeve gets up early everyday to exercise,
cook, listen to music, take Chinese class,
play accordion and paint
He loves creativity, new ideas and news projects
and enriches the moment with his colors
Staying at home is also a way
to support this city
I am Richard from America
During these special days
I can see that Suzhou is adapting quickly
and increasing efficiency to ensure
that people get past this
as effectively and promptly as practical
Many foreign friends and I
work and live actively at this special time
We feel very safe here
I maded a video to record our life
to promote "positive energy"
You can see that
Yuki has many animals
and loves to take videos of her duckling
Marien is getting proper entertainment
from her sly cat
Zoe is enjoying her time by
listening to music at home
And many other friends
who are also trying to stay fit
and are working out at home
like Daisy, Matt, Annie, Mandy, Lorraine,
Noah, Jess, Francis, Jenni and Chris, Tiffanie
As long as we maintain vigilance
I think we can begin to see zero new cases
consistently in the near future
Richard is an English teacher
He came up with the idea
after he prepared and taught
online lessons for young students
Everyone was excited to contribute
when he began to tell people about the idea
to make such a video
They want to tell people
"We will get through this together"
I am Noah from America
Now I am an entrepreneur
and wellness coach in Suzhou
I've seen many people from different communities
doing incredible and selfless things
(volunteering their time, services, or expertise)
to make sure we're all able to cope
with this period and
get through it quickly and comfortably
These days I still keep the training at home
In addition, I have been shooting videos
to share some executable exercises
people can do easily
You can go check CircleWellness and try one out!
I'm really looking forward to getting back
outdoors more often for sport
with friends and enjoying the sunshine
When it's time to train
some small "rituals" of his will come out
He makes sure to change into sport clothes,
fill a water bottle, listen to high-energy music
and take about 5 minutes to prepare a space
We hope that everyone
has such a passion of life
I am Marcus, from UK
I've been living and working in Suzhou
for 12 years now
During the recent virus situation
I've been making daily video/ppt presentation
for my students
I like making art or drawing very much
and it makes me feel calm and relaxed
Keeping a relaxed mind is very important
when times are difficult
The need to control and test everyone
is very important to make sure
we keep the virus at bay
and we all need to make sure
we do everything to keep us all safe
I would hope that in the future
we can live our lives safely without
having to worry about travel soon
Classes and arts won't be stopped
even when we stay at home
Marcus loves patinting so much
He enjoys the feeling that gives to him
He said his Suzhou students
were looking forward to his class
This is his greatest pride
The stories of these people are very common
and they are only a small representation of
many foreign friends in Suzhou
They all support Suzhou in their own ways
This time Suzhou is more leisurely and orderly
Let's wait for the normal daily routine
Thanks for all your efforts
Stay Strong Suzhou!
