On the first full day in Changzhou, we decided to go walking around what would become our neighbourhood. Below our apartment in Sunshine Gardens – 阳光花园 , at street level, shops line the roadways giving people a seemingly endless array of choices for shopping for goods and services. Our first walk didn’t take us too far, as we were interested in everything we saw rather than covering a lot of distance.
A few blocks away from the apartment, we came upon an open door which led to what we assumed was a temple. The photo taken above of that location shows an altar of sorts with incense and a statue of Buddha. After taking the photo, we decided against entering the temple as we were unsure of what was appropriate. Little did we know that this wasn’t a temple at all, but simply the entrance to a drapery shop. Little shrines and Buddhas and other symbols of prosperity were soon found in many shops. Needless to say we were surprised at the presence of what we took as religious symbols in a country we had been taught had done away with religion. It seemed as though all of our preconceptions were being shattered in a hurry. What we discovered was a place and a people that was less forbidding, a friendly place.
I will continue with presenting a few Chinese expressions that you will find useful if you ever travel to China, even if you have no intention of becoming an English teacher there. Just a reminder, you can listen to the Chinese pronunciation of these expressions by clicking on the little icon of a “speaker” – 
that follows the expression or word. Don’t forget to hit the return icon to come back to this page once you’ve listened to the expression.
Again, I want to focus on some basic politeness. For example if someone accidentally bumps into you, you would likely here them say Duì bùqǐ – 对不起 – “I’m sorry, pardon, excuse me.”. The appropriate response is to say Méi guānxi! –没关系 – “That’s all right, no problem!”
Please let me know if the audio part is working for you or if it more of a nuisance that it is a help. Thanks.