I just came back from a two-day visit to a friend of mine who lives in the coastal city of Ningbo. The city has some interesting sites, and played a prominent role in the Opium War, a war that resulted from British outrage at Chinese attempts to halt the importation of opium into the country (probably not what our government has in mind when it talks about fighting the Drug War).
While in Ningbo, I saw Tianyi, the oldest private library in China, ate extensive amounts of Ningbo cuisine (including a kind of mussel with a shell smaller than a dime), and spent time with Bill's family. Bill's cousin had the opportunity to practice his English with me. Our conversation was halted, as he kept leaving the room to refer to his English textbook. With my knowledge of Chinese, I could easily sympathize with his plight. I have a feeling that the visit of the "weiguoren" (foreigner) was discussed at length today in grade three of the local primary school.
Ningbo is a very pleasant city, and Bill and his family were wonderful hosts. I hope to return with Amy when the weather is warmer. Hope you enjoy the pictures!
