City

Chengdu, Sichuan -- Linell Davis, 23 April 1999

I lived there for two years and miss it. The local people have a joie de vivre often missing in the more ambitious, serious people of Jiangsu province where I now live. The food is spicy and so are the folks. I think of them as the French or the Italians of Chinese culture. They have time to spend a whole evening eating hotpot at a sidewalk restaurant and the sound of the afternoon in Chengdu is the clicking of mah jong tiles. Teahouses, that great amenity of Chinese life, are real there and not the yuppie artifice they have become elsewhere in China.

The downside is that the sun never shines from October to May. A woman there once asked me, "Why do you say the sky is blue in English?" Apparently she thought it was a metaphor. In her experience the sky is not blue.

Nanjing, Jiangsu -- Linell Davis, 7 May 1999

Nanjing is less than 3 hours away by train from Suzhou and it also has its charms. Hot in early September, but that is true of every place near the mouth of the Yangtze River. Here you have Sun Yatsen"s mausoleum and other sites connected with the nationalist era of Chinese history - the Koumindan president's residence, Madame Song's summer house, Zhou Enlai's residence when he was here negotiating with the Koumingdan. There are also ruins from the early Ming Dynasty. Parts of the old city wall have been turned into a park and you can take walks on top of it. Another interesting site is the Taiping rebellion museum. Did you know that American soldiers helped to put down this rebellion in the mid-19th century? Nanjing was the capitol of the Taiping "kingdom" and it is interesting to see how they tried to replicate the imperial court of Beijing. A grim but memorable site is the massacre museum commemorating the slaugter of 300,000 Chinese by the Japanese in 1937. The area around Confucius Temple has been gentrified and is a fun place to shop and sample local snacks. Don't miss the "Da Chiao" or big bridge which is a superb example of socialist realist art. Also see the Martyrs Memorial for another fine example of this much maligned art style.

The city is undergoing extensive renewal and it is fascinating to observe the process and the results. Temples to consumerism (grand department stores) in the center of town, restoration of historic sites, preservation of the plane trees by making them into medial strips between bike lanes and car lanes on the newly widened city streets, etc., etc. The city is small enough to make it easy and enjoyable to get around by bike. Just get a city map, hire a bicycle, pack a bottle of water, and explore. The people are used to seeing foreigners so they do not stare. At the same time, it is not a tourist city like Suzhou, so you did get more of a feel of a typical city of this part of China.

Now that the expressway from Shanghai to Nanjing has been open for over a year, there are many express buses linking Shanghai, Suzhou, Wuxi, Zhengjiang, and Nanjing. Traveling is relatively comfortable and convenient, so you can visit several places in this area in a week.

Zhuhai, Guangdong -- Hong Xiu Ping, 5 May 1999

Gateway Language Village http://www.glvchina.com/english -- an English activity center

Over and over again we hear people complain that they have little chance to practice their spoken English. Well, complain no more. The International Peace Club provides plenty of opportunity to immerse yourself in an all-English environment, six or more hours each day.

The International Peace Club, which was conceived by native English speakers and Chinese who have returned from living and studying abroad, is unlike any other language training center you have experienced. It is designed with the knowledge that although most Chinese people have studied English for years, many of us still have difficulty speaking fluently. We don't necessarily need any more grammar, drilling or pronunciation practice. We simply need an environment in which to use the English we've studied so long. The International Peace Club provides just such a place, and more.

The International Peace Club is an all-English environment that provides none of the stress or pressure of a typical language learning classroom. Unlike standard classrooms in which your English experience is limited to a few hours a week, at the International Peace Club you are welcome to come as often as you like, and stay as long as you wish. You'll have so much fun, you won't even realize how effortlessly your English is improving!

At the International Peace Club you'll find a relaxed, uplifting environment where you can meet and make new friends with people from all over the world. You can discuss popular issues, enjoy original English videos, read English books and magazines, sing and dance to the latest English music. And much, much more! While you're improving your English, your children are free to come to our children's playroom, equipped with games, books, and interactive English language videos. In addition to numerous scheduled weekly activities for both adults and children, the International Peace Club is a convenient business center. A special feature for members is the use of computers for Internet access.

We look forward to seeing you, and your friends, at the International Peace Club soon and often!