English Salon rages
By Jean Chen
Photos by Yao Fan

上周五晚暴雨如注, 却丝毫未能影响前往维尼西亚咖啡屋参加双语周刊英语沙龙读者朋友的热情. 伴着悠扬的西方乐曲, 配上精致的茶点, 加上能言善道的四位中外主持人, 全场party高潮不断, 宾主尽欢.



Last Friday night the Venezzia Cafe near Xiamen University became one of the most popular recreation destinations in town. An April Fool's Party held by Common Talk and Venezzia attracted dozens of enthusiastic CT English Club members even though it was raining heavily at that time. The downpour failed to dampen the passion of the CT members to attend the party and to polish their English. It was a relief for the organizers to see so many CT members and foreign friends show up at the special party braving the bad weather.



This exciting party was probably the first of its kind for English fans in town since learning English has been in vogue and there have been many white-collar workers and students eager to improve their oral English. It was one of the main reasons why the CT English Salon has become so successful since its establishment.



The whole ground floor of Venezzia was filled with lively western music and a heated ambience. The accompanying performances were wonderful and delightful, let alone the three foreign and one Chinese hosts. Naturally, the brief introduction to western music offered by the four hosts at the very beginning of the party couldn't satisfy the demands of all attendees. Maikel Liem from The Netherlands, one of the hosts, shared with the audience some leading passages from renowned western music. Though most participants knew little about it, they showed great interest in a variety of categories of western music.



Furthermore, the performances by Maikel and Tony Hale from New Zealand brought another dimension at the party. The audience was so excited, and several of them vied with each other, taking photos with their cameras or cellphones to remember the wonderful party. After the party many were reluctant to leave when immersed in talking with the hosts.



Comments from participants

● Jack (Chinese host)
Despite of the heavy rain pouring down last Friday, almost a hundred people crowded into an exotic restaurant hoping to engage in hot discussion on the topic "western music".
However, it soon became apparent that as far as the crowd was concerned, western music was nothing more than "The Carpenters","Celene Dion" and "Back Street Boys". Names like "Elvis Presley", "Jimmy Hendrix" or "John Lennon" didn't seem to ring a bell at all. Feeling embarrassed, I could only try to explain by making a joke: Western music here is just like Chinese food in America-We only offer you the worst and keep the good stuff for ourselves.

● Maikel Liem (Dutch host)
I wasn't sure what to expect on last Friday night and I was definitely nervous about the idea of speaking in front of such a crowd. But once we got started doing the English Salon I really got to appreciate our little get-together. I was happy to see so many interested people who showed their excitement by coming up on stage and talking. I sure hope the future English Salons will be like this one; a place where we can get together, have fun and learn from each other. I hope to see everyone next time.

● Happy Hong (faithful member of CT English Club)
Every two weeks to once every week, from the topic discussions to the original western movies and the lectures, the CT English Salon is providing more and more varied and colorful activities for us. The latest three lectures dealt with the quintessence of Chinese art, lifestyle and western culture. Meanwhile, all the activities revolved around a successful theme of cultural connotation. Obviously, the Salon is steadily getting its programs not only tasteful but also nutritious.

Vocabulary
dampen 使沮丧
immerse 沉浸
hygiene 卫生
sauna 桑拿浴
water dispenser 饮水机

A date with spring
By Maikel Liem Photos by Yao Fan



春暖花开, 碧波畅游可让身体充分舒展, 告别冬日的疲惫. 全岛首家大型室内恒温水上休闲会馆--亚特兰大活水馆水质干净清澈, 水疗设施齐全, 可说是休闲健身的好去处. 同时, 该馆目前开设的温水游泳培训14课时仅需400元. 与春天相约, 与活水相约, 与健康相约.

Spring is the time of year when people seem most happy and want to enjoy all that nature has to offer. And what better way to enjoy all this than to go out for a relaxing swim. You do not have to leave the city because at the Yatelanda Spa, located near the Xiamen Train Station, you can relax in various pools, and if you want to do some exercise you can do a few laps as well.



And when I entered the pool area I was happy to find such a relaxing atmosphere. The staff informed me that all the water in the pools is changed every three hours, so you can be sure of good and proper hygiene. In the main pool you can enjoy various water massages with the simple press of a button. The pool has been decorated with palm trees and one side has been made to look like a cave; this all adds to a feeling of being with nature. Moving on, there are three tubs which contain icy cold, tepid and hot water respectively. Also present are four sauna rooms for sweating it out.

Want to bring the kids? No problem. There is a special pool just for them to enjoy themselves, complete with a slide. And in the third pool sporty types can do a few laps. The Spa even offers a 14 swimming lesson-training course for only 400 Yuan. Also, for your safety, there's always at least one lifeguard on duty. And you needn't worry about bringing drinks because there's a water dispenser in the pool area. For 50 Yuan you can stay the entire day, and if you come before 10 am on any week day you can get in for a mere 20 Yuan.



So, if you've got a severe case of spring fever or you're in need of a relaxing day I recommend you give the Yatelanda Spa a visit. You won't be disappointed.

Opening hours: 6:00 am - 11:00 pm
Location: 89 Hubinzhong Road
Hotline: 2223930