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Finding the slow lane

TWO months ago, a variety of activities called "Slow Down London" was held in Great Britain to reduce the pace of urban life in the city. When people spontaneously gain tempo in their urban life and rarely have any chance to enjoy a slow and leisurely life, wouldn't it be a good idea to have a change?

To slow down, after all, is not only a way but also a kind of ability. It calls for the skill of balance to lead a slow life.

Slow eating, for a different taste

It is true that the onslaught of KFC, McDonald's and other nosheries have kept many young people from cooking at home. None of us, however, would have ever forgotten the days in our childhood when we stood by the half-open door of the kitchen to sniff the tantalizing fragrance wafting from inside.

Yes, it was the fragrance from the meal being cooked by our mother in an iron pan over a slow fire, a fragrance that is so familiar but at the same time so strange to us nowadays. Let's try, friends. Get up early during the weekend, go and buy some fresh vegetables, and cook one or two local dishes to share with your family. Never forget to prepare some soup, please, if you are good at it.

If you are just "so so" at cooking, and fancy a pleasant restaurant to enjoy a leisurely meal, the Guyi Garden Restaurant in Nanxiang would be a choice. Here you may order a trayful of steamed buns. When you try it at any side of the bun, the delicious juicy gravy will flow into your mouth. You may also choose some dishes of common standing to reward yourself by an old-fashioned wood-carved window opening to a classic garden with picturesque charms. Feeling full now? Well, try a cup of bamboo leaf tea, a Guyi Garden specialty, and enjoy your early summer hours as long as you like.

Guyi Garden Restaurant

Address: South Gate, Guyi Garden, 218 Huyi Highway, Nanxiang Town

Access: Metro Line 2, Bus 562, Bus Bei-Jia Line

Tel: 5912-1335, 5912-6013

Slow moving, for a new life

Are you exhausted from your daily grind, or even overtime work? It would be really too hard if you have to go to the gym for some exercise after work. It is not worthwhile, after all, to slave yourself to a treadmill. How about an outing, then, such as camping, barbecuing or boating? None of these is so physically consuming. They are all refreshing and revitalizing.

In early June, FBLIFE picked an area of 20,000 square meters in Shanghai Auto Expo Park as the camp for its activities in East China. Here, sports fans can camp, barbecue by the lake, try to drive different vehicles, or ride mini tandems. If you are tired of the armored concrete in cities, it would be an ideal escape to come closer to nature by spending a night or two in a tent on a lawn. Once in the Auto Expo Park, it would be a great pity if you fail to experience the charm of autos. Here, you should never miss the chance of test-driving different models offered by automakers. Remember, though, that the camp accepts only group reservations.

Shanghai Auto Expo Park

Address: 7001 Boyuan Rd, Anting Town

Access: Bus An-Hong Line, Bus Bei-An Line, Metro Line 11 (change to Anting Bus Line 2)

Tel: 6950-2567 (free admission)

Slow travelling, walk and think

People yearning for hikes may often turn a blind eye to the surroundings of their homes. As a matter of fact, it would be more advisable for these people to fully enjoy the landscapes near their doorsteps before looking for any scenic spot beyond.

Select a certain distance to cover, for instance, the distance from your home to a supermarket. Try the slowest pace for you to cover this distance. Remember: the slower, the better. It would be even better to walk with the company of your spouse or friend. As a routine, people would hurry to the office for work and hurry home after work, rarely paying any attention to the trees along the road or casting an eye on any of the shops just across the street. If this is true in your case, you can take a walk or cycle along the road on weekend days to fully enjoy landscapes you have ignored most of the time.

The same may be done inside your residential area. Take the kids to see what kind of flowers or grass are grown in gardens, or simply go to the square to exchange friendly greetings with your neighbors or friends.

Beauty is everywhere, so long as you are mindful enough to appreciate it.

Slow learning, for a colorful world

We are now in an era of information explosion, with mountains of stories filling our ears and different headlines catching our eyes. People tend to care only about big news, uproarious events, sensational stories and big stars. However, information does not mean knowledge. We all need to study.

Go to a bookstore or a library after work. Pick your favorite book and read it slowly. The residents in Jiading are quite lucky. They can go to the Lu Yanshao Art Gallery for direct dialogue with artists, to the District Museum to see the exhibits of imperial examinations, or the District Cultural Palace to have art lessons.

Life, after all, should be so colorful.


 

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