Russell Working Russian restaurant hostess Margarita Gigalchy with an employee. All of the provinces and companies have representatives here. The reason this city grew is because all of China built it. There is a curious sense of unreality to Suifenhe, as if it were a giant Chinese Disneyland for Russian tourists. A stroll through the city can be an overwhelming experience for a newcomer.
Porters exchange blows over who gets to lug a suitcase.
The buildings are new glass and brick towers and the roads crowded with taxicabs and motorized rickshaws. Hucksters selling guide books grab passing tourists-by the arm or the shirt. The tour started out by bus, and as it bounded along a road through fields where Russian tanks were maneuvering, Gladkova took up the driver s microphone to offer a few warnings. Do bear in mind that the Chinese are quite emotional, and get offended very easily, she said. Don t get involved in conflicts, or you might be abused, both emotionally and physically.