While running. . .

I have run for several years now. When it starts to get cold here, I take my run to the treadmill. Because as it gets wet and slippery outside, dodging e-bikes, buses and trucks becomes a little too challenging. I prefer to run outside, but running in China is seriously an extreme sport. Because of where we live, I run in a largely industrial area. To be honest, I could run more in the city, but that means more traffic (bikes and cars) and the blocks are shorter so I have to cross the road more often. So I run by factory after factory. But that is not really what makes it extreme. In my daily life (shopping, on the bus, walking down the street) I get stared at, but when I run, it seems that the world stops and watches. I might be exaggerating a little (cause I have been known to do that from time to time), but only a little bit. Part of the reason that many people stare is that exercise is just becoming more common in the last few years in China. For many people, life is hard and there is no reason (or even time) to exercise. And many jobs are so physically demanding that people have no need or desire. Even though gyms are becoming more and more common here in Suzhou, people are still shocked to see a foreign woman running down the street. Another reason I get stared at is that many people think that I must be cold running in shorts. In fact, yesterday when I was running, a man on a 3-wheeled bike with a cart came alongside me and started keeping pace with me. He asked if I was cold. Keep in mind that it was in the upper teens (speaking Celsius, in the 60s Fahrenheit). He then commented that running was good for my health. Then he asked me where I live (and this is not a creepy question, this is a common thing to ask someone). Finally, because he had to turn he stopped talking, otherwise I think he would have kept firing questions at me. On the same run, these are just some of the experiences that I had:

• 5 people took my picture. At least that I saw, there could have been more. I wanted to tell them that I wasn't very exciting while running.
• At least 10 people called out "hello!" to me. And this is a very common occurrence, pretty much happens at least once a day. Sometimes it makes me perversely want to say something to them in  French. Well, if I could I would speak French. Ironically enough, our French friends also get "hello" yelled to them in English all the time.
• Almost caused an e-bike crash. Though it would not have been my fault. He kept looking back at me even after he passed me and almost hit another bike. (And this is not the first time that this has happened)
• Had to stop in the middle of the road because a bus came through a red light.

All I can say is, can you see why sometimes the treadmill is just easier?