"so many sales-girls swotting up on English, and they pounced on me with glee for some practice."

I love that image! It's really so typical. But out on the street did you encounter the "art students" who wanted to practice their English, take you to their school display gallery.....and maybe sell you a few originals? They are known in Beijing. I ran into them in Shanghai but only later learned that it's pleasant sort of scam/sales technique.

On one of my first trips, sometime in the '90's we were walking thru the city park in Guangzhou. An older man approached us just to practice English. He'd been in the merchant marine, visited Seattle and was delighted to use his rusty English. I tried to use my marginal Mandarin but he said, NO, need to keep up his English. Come to think of it, he may have only spoken Cantonese and some English.

Thanks for reminding me.... I head back next week. I'll be sure to post some pictures, too.

Russ Nobbs (www.rings-things.com - Spokane, WA - USA)