Sights and People

I have been fascinated by the things I have seen: The Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Temple of Heaven. But, by far, the most fascinating thing about this great country is its people. If I were to rank my most enjoyable moments, teaching young people for two hours at the “English Corner” would be at the top. This is a forum where Chinese people can come to practice their English with Westerners. Students and younger people view English as a necessary step to success.

I also took the liberty to practice my Mandarin and they found my accent quite amusing. Nevertheless, they invariably complemented me with a hearty “Hén Hŏu!” (Very good!). Chinese are very polite and they venerate old people, so I had a built in advantage.