Unexpected Hometowns

This time, I’m in Toronto on a ferry to “The Islands,” when I see a young Chinese student with her backpack. I speak to her, as I often do when I meet Asian-appearing strangers, “Hi, Where are you from?”

The expected response… “From China.” Then, I follow-up with… “But, please tell me WHERE in China? What province?” The somewhat shy and quiet response, “Shandong.”

Hmmm… I have visited a number of cities and smaller centres in Shandong, so I persist with… “Please tell me the name of your home city. I have travelled in Shandong.” But she only smiles… “It is just a small city… I don’t think you would know it.”

Ahhh… I’ve visited Jinan (the capital), and Qingdao (a major city of trade and commerce on the east coast), but I know a few other smaller centres as well… so, I start to rhyme off what I know. “Is is Yantai? Zibo? … Please tell me where you are from.” She smiles and says, “It is Rizhao.”

“Rizhao!!!” I say… “I know it!!” My friend looks at me with some amazement? “You know my hometown? How do you know it?”

And, so, I have another one of those delightful moments, surprising another Chinese person with more knowledge of China than they might imagine of a stranger in far-off Canada.

My new friend in this case has left a small city which, just 20 years ago, was a non-descript fishing village on the east coast of China. She applied to do her undergraduate studies abroad, and is now in her second year in a university in Philadelphia. Today, Rizhao has a population of two million and is one of the new economic zones chosen for development and trade. It is a beautiful new city, wide streets, lots of glass and steel, and has a very beautiful waterfront.

I visited the university there in 2007, invited by a professor who had lived in my hometown of Regina as a visiting scholar. And, as might be expected, I have lots of photos of Rizhao. (See the link below.)

Wenfang was just up in Toronto for the weekend. She knows English very well and was fun to chat with on this quick tour of The Islands, just off Toronto’s city centre. She was also kind enough to shoot a photo of me with a famous Torontonian in the background.  Hanlan, was his name. The statue is erected in honour of his athletic prowess. Toronto has also named one of the small islands after him.

When shooting my photo Wenfang quipped, “My picture of two famous Canadians!!” I smile at her generous Chinese praise, and marvel at her willingness to travel alone to explore the larger world. Yes, we now keep in touch, and she sent me this photo.

See my related online photo albums:

Visit to Toronto Islands

Rizhao (Shandong) — Lovely Coastal City

First published: 2009/11/17
Last update: 2016/12/09