Marching orders
By Ross Thompson
Photos by Yao Fan

"饭后走五千, 赛过活神仙". 在厦门居住多年的Ross用自己的亲身体会证明, 散步不失为一种强身健体, 简便易行的锻炼方法.



Walking is the best form of exercise. Since I started walking for exercise five years ago, I've felt many different kinds of benefits. It is good for the upper respiratory system and the legs. Metabolically it helps me control my weight and blood sugar. Walking is also a good way to enlarge your circle of friends and acquaintances, bringing opportunities to see new things and meet new people.

Personally I try to walk at least 5 miles daily, sometimes taking it slowly, but sometimes marching along very briskly. Over time walking has helped me to increase my lung capacity, so my chronic breathing problems have got much better. My circulation has improved and my heart is healthier than it used to be. On a simpler level, an after-dinner walk helps you sleep better and aids the digestion.

As well as walking, I also cycle around Xiamen. Cycling is great for weight loss and helps to build stamina. However, cycling does not allow for the same level of social contact as a walk. It is for this reason that I would strongly recommend anyone that you try long distance walking if you want to be physically fit. I originally started walking around Xiamen because I didn't have a car, but I soon started to enjoy the walking for its own sake.

I have also made many friends during my walks. It's not uncommon for my 5 mile walk to sometimes take as long as 2 or 3 hours, because I stop to chat with the different shop owners along my route. These days, if I skip my walk for even one day, the people in the shops will want to know why I didn't come.

I'll never forget the first time I was walking and had people follow me and ask if it was okay for them to walk with me. I really didn't know what to say, so I just replied that I didn't mind. I have been invited for lunch, dinner and sometimes just to sit and drink tea with total strangers. There is nothing more pleasant than walking past a schoolyard and hearing all the kids say hello to me.

As well as getting to know the people, I have discovered much more of the city, like the beautiful gardens that I have seen around some of the homes I pass by. There are many tiny temples and shrines that you could only find by walking the mazes of small streets leading away from the main roads.

The health benefits that walking brings have helped me in my work, as I am now more alert and not sluggish or sleepy. I find now that I need to take a walk after eating my lunch and dinner to keep my energy levels up. It's very therapeutic for me and will be for you too, so why not have a try?

 

 

Cactus show to celebrate 45 years of Xiamen Botanical Gardens
Translated by Phil

仙人掌是植物王国的一个大家族, 全世界约有15000多种, 被誉为"有生命的工艺品", "天然的空气清新器". 11月5-7日, 装扮一新的厦门园林植物园将举办国际仙人掌及多肉植物展, 庆祝建园45周年.



From November 5-7, Xiamen Botanical Gardens will be inviting botanical experts and organizations from all over the world to attend an exhibition of cacti and succulents celebrating 45 years since the opening of the Gardens. The exhibition, where there are a large number of different varieties will feature some of the brightest, newest and most spectacular varieties, as well as including opportunities for academic exchange. Hundreds of specially cultivated specimens will be brought by hundreds of experts from dozens of organizations around China and all over the world, including botanists and officials from many of China's botanical gardens.



Cacti and succulents are plants whose every feature is adapted to conserving water to survive in arid environments. They are mainly found in the hot desert regions and are one of the great families of the plant kingdom, with over 15,000 species worldwide. There is an extraordinary variety of shapes and sizes, from majestic towering cactus trees to strange fleshy flowers, with all kinds of bizarre forms and colors. It is perhaps for this reason that succulents are so popular all over the world, and have earned the name of "living artworks".



As well as being attractive, succulents have a range of nutritional and medicinal uses. Some even have a metabolic adaptation which allows them to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen during the night, which has led to them being called "natural air purifiers".

The cactus and succulent range is the most important and unique collection at the Xiamen Botanical Gardens, and this opportunity to enjoy it is sure to bring in the crowds.


Vocabulary
susceptible 易受感染的
hypertension 高血压
dummy 安慰剂
stamina 毅力
cactus 仙人掌
succulent 多肉植物

 

 

Health garden

Gene map holds key to many diseases
基因图表释众多病原
Scientists have completed the world's first genetic "map" of human diversity. The development will speed up the search for causes and cures for diseases ranging from Alzheimer's, asthma and cancer to diabetes and heart disease. The results will help to explain why some of us are more susceptible to common diseases such as diabetes and hypertension or respond differently to drugs.

Early retirement not linked to longer life
早退休不一定长寿
There is a widely held belief that early retirement associated with a more relaxing life leads to a longer life expectancy. But US researchers discovered that men and women who retired at 55 were nearly twice as likely to die within the following 10 years as those who retired at 60 or 65. There was also no significant difference in mortality between those retiring at 60 or 65.

Indoor air pollution puts children's health at risk
室内空气污染危及儿童健康
Health experts are warning how dangerous the invisible threat from indoor air pollution can be, fearing it could even prove fatal for some children. Tests showed the chemical pollutants mainly came from construction and decoration materials used in classrooms. New desks and chairs were also partly to blame. These chemicals can cause damage to eyes, skin and the nervous, respiratory and digestive systems.