Don't make tour groups feel like a race
<p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="gentle">gentle</span> <span word="snoring">snoring</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bunk">bunk</span> <span word="above">above</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="landscape">landscape</span> <span word="flashed">flashed</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="at">at</span> 150 <span word="km">km</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>. <span word="Shanghai">Shanghai</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="than">than</span> 30 <span word="minutes">minutes</span> <span word="away">away</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="woken">woken</span> <span word="early">early</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="combination">combination</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="excitement">excitement</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="earlier">earlier</span> <span word="sunrise">sunrise</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="Ellen">Ellen</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="immune">immune</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="rays">rays</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="vigorous">vigorous</span> <span word="shaking">shaking</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="open">open</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="ashamed">ashamed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>, <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="seen">seen</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="so">so</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trip">trip</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="chance">chance</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="explore">explore</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Tianjin">Tianjin</span> <span word="Medical">Medical</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="organized">organized</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="trip">trip</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="experts">experts</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="kindly">kindly</span> <span word="invited">invited</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="Ellen">Ellen</span> <span word="along">along</span>.</p><p><span word="Bleary">Bleary</span> <span word="eyed">eyed</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="stumbled">stumbled</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="train">train</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="waiting">waiting</span> <span word="bus">bus</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="whisked">whisked</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="breakfast">breakfast</span> - <span word="which">which</span> <span word="luckily">luckily</span> <span word="included">included</span> <span word="coffee">coffee</span> <span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="wake">wake</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="herd">herd</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="elephants">elephants</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="breakfast">breakfast</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="flag">flag</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="produced">produced</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="looked">looked</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="innocent">innocent</span> <span word="thing">thing</span>, <span word="just">just</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rectangle">rectangle</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="emerald">emerald</span>-<span word="colored">colored</span> <span word="cloth">cloth</span> - <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="whole">whole</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="meaning">meaning</span>.</p><p><span word="We">We</span> <span word="boarded">boarded</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bus">bus</span> <span word="again">again</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="headed">headed</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Zhouzhuang">Zhouzhuang</span>, <span word="billed">billed</span> <span word="as">as</span> "<span word="the">the</span> <span word="number">number</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="floating">floating</span> <span word="town">town</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="China">China</span>". <span word="Along">Along</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="tour">tour</span> <span word="guide">guide</span>, <span word="whose">whose</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="Kay">Kay</span>, <span word="entertained">entertained</span> <span word="us">us</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="stories">stories</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="Deng">Deng</span> <span word="Xiaoping">Xiaoping</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="economic">economic</span> <span word="reforms">reforms</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="improvements">improvements</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Shanghai">Shanghai</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bus">bus</span> <span word="pulled">pulled</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="Zhouzhuang">Zhouzhuang</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="parking">parking</span> <span word="lot">lot</span>, <span word="Kay">Kay</span> <span word="leapt">leapt</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="front">front</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="produced">produced</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="flag">flag</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="mounted">mounted</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="extendable">extendable</span> <span word="rod">rod</span>, <span word="something">something</span> <span word="akin">akin</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="thick">thick</span> <span word="radio">radio</span> <span word="antenna">antenna</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="instructed">instructed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="watch">watch</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p>
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