I thought it was none of my business before I decided to go with the delegation to South Africa. I was quite surprised when chosen by one of the investors from a cooperative project being operated by both China and South Africa. The deputy director of my bureau thought it would be a good chance for me to know more about an African country and the people, so she gave me the permission without hesitation.

The trip from Shenyang to South Africa is definitely a bitter memory of mine, because I suffered a lot for not being able to sleep for more than 36 hours. But after I arrived in the airport of Johannesburg and saw the amazing scenes on the way to my hotel, I totally forgot the torture the trip left for me. It is really a beautiful country, I should say, a quite advanced and developed country. The houses and the streets are just like the ones you see in European countries.

South Africa is the only country in the world that has three capitals. And I have been to Cape Town and Pretoria. It's even coincident that I met a girl in a restaurant in Cape Town, who is also a reader of Sohu English Salon forum, and she knows me. She's a university undergraduate, having a part time job for a Chinese boss in that small Chinese restaurant. Her English was impressive too!

I met many people there, most of whom are entrepreneurs and government officers. I even met Dr. Matlou, deputy director- general of South Africa Environmental Affairs and Tourism Department. He is a man full of humor, pride and intelligence. Talking to him made me feel a bit nervous, because of his high rank in his country. I soon eased down my pressures when I found he offered to us friendships more than just official rules and stipulations.

The leader of our delegation did not talk much when having a dinner with Dr. Matlou. So I had to be active and talkative, in case some of the foreign officers might think we were not friendly to them. I told them some Chinese jokes in English, and I could see everybody laughing so hard as if they had never heard them before. My boss was happy because I made this official dinner a family gathering. Special thanks were given to me when the dinner was over. I believe I deserved it.

When we moved back from Cape Town to Johannesburg, we met the Chinese guide-Diana Li. She's also a Shenyang girl. She's active, passionate and lovely. She does not speak much English though. I wondered how she managed to stay in SA for that many years. Before I left the city, I told her: I'm gonna miss you a lot. She's the kind of girl that people can hardly forget. (to be continued)
关键字:网友情怀
生词表: