[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_blockquote cite=”” type=”center”]Despite living only a couple years in Changzhou, two Americans, by walking through wide streets and narrow lanes around the city, create their own “Changzhou cultural & local guides” via WeChat. Not only expats and people overseas, but also large numbers of local Changzhounese have become their fans. [/x_blockquote][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”] [/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text][Modula id=’13’][/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”] [/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”false” class=”cs-ta-center”]When it comes to exploring Changzhou, they can’t get enough[/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”false”]他们不满足于自己发现，还通过自媒体推荐常州
[/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_line style=”border-top-width: 1px;”][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]How does an expat become an “instant online celebrity” in Changzhou? Good looks? Exotic style? Fluent Chinese? Well, in our fair city these are not enough. Discovering interesting and timely news, tracking down historical narratives, describing places even local people have never heard of, and continuously updating and sharing this information with others: a combination of all these elements may work.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]外国人在常州当“网红”？光靠颜值、异域风情、讲中文已不能溅起水花。城市里的新鲜热辣或犄角旮旯，那些本地人都不一定深入了解的，他们来给你做推荐，那才叫人惊叹。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Theresa Boersma and Rich Ristow are two typical “instant online celebrities” in the Changzhou mold. They can easily point out where to find new restaurants, supermarkets, coffee shops, specific food items, even places local people are unfamiliar with, like temples, folk museums and historical sites, with barely a moment’s pause.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]美国人Theresa Boersma和Rich Ristow就是新近蹿红的两个代表。虽是外国人，但对常州有着满满的热情，哪个地方新开了餐厅、超市、咖啡吧，甚至很多本地人都没去过的寺庙、民间博物馆，都能如数家珍[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”] [/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text][Modula id=’14’][/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”] [/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]They are not satisfied merely with exploring Changzhou on their own. Rich writes a blog called “RealChangzhou.org” and Theresa created a Wechat subscription named SUPCZ. Both have their own WeChat groups geared towards introducing Changzhou to more people. Expats and locals both find it a welcome change to experience Changzhou via a foreigner’s perspective.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]不满足于自己的发现，他们还有意推荐常州：分别开设了自媒体：博客“RealChangzhou.org”及微信公众号“SUPCZ”，传播在常州的生活服务信息。通俗有趣的演绎，不仅吸引了一批外籍铁粉，老外视角形成的反差萌，也让常州读者大呼不可思议。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text][Modula id=’15’][/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”false” class=”cs-ta-center”]Rich Ristow: A huge fan of famous historical and cultural things around Changzhou[/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_line style=”border-top-width: 1px;”][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Rich Ristow runs a blog called RealChangzhou.org. He has three different degrees, including one in Literature, and worked as a teacher and magazine editor back in the US. He was into Chinese literature from a young age and read poems by Libai (李白), Dufu (杜甫), Su Dongpo (苏东坡). A few years ago, companies from both China and South Korea offered him work opportunities. For him, however, China was the obvious choice.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Rich Ristow，博客“RealChangzhou.org”的作者。早前，他在美国的高校执教，当过杂志编辑，拥有三个学位，其中一个就是文学。学生时代的他就被中国文学深深吸引，李白、杜甫、苏东坡的诗词都认真读过。几年前，韩国和中国都有工作机会提供给Rich Ristow，他理所当然地选择了中国。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Rich has lived in Changzhou for almost three years — first as an English teacher at Changzhou College of Information Technology and currently at Hehai University. During his leisure time, he prefers to randomly pick a position via an online map and drives there by e-bike.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Rich来常州3年了，先后被常州信息学院、河海大学相中去教外语。没课的时候，他会任性地随手指一个方向，带着手机地图APP，骑电动车一路摸过去、逛过去。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Rich updates his blog quite frequently, once or twice every day or two. Both expats and local people are quite interested in his topics: Wei Huabang Printmaking Exhibit at the Changzhou Museum (常州博物馆魏华邦版画展), Su Dongpo Museum (苏东坡纪念馆), An Imported Goods Shop That Sells “Four Loko (a type of beer)” (开卖“失身酒”的超市) and Strange Signs Detailing Emergency Situations in Xinbei (频出错的路牌标语翻译).[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]他的博客“RealChangzhou.org”一两天就会更新一篇。常州博物馆魏华邦版画展、前后北岸苏东坡纪念馆、常州小吃等题材，让没来过常州的外籍人士大感兴趣；开卖“失身酒”的超市、频出错的路牌标语翻译，又让本地人觉得有趣。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]The topics he really loves to write about are temples, lohans, Buddhism, the memorial hall of Yun Daiying, Qu Quibei, and Zhang Tailai (常州三杰纪念馆), and Celebrities’ Former Residences (名人故居). In Rich’s point of view, religions are a historic source for art. Many historical vestiges, such as traditional paintings and artistic elements, reside in temples and historical sites. When describing the many visits he might take to a single site to gather information, Rich elaborated, ”Take for instance, lohans in Tianning Temple: I can always explore new perspectives when I revisit.”[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]不过，最让他乐此不疲的地方，是寺庙、罗汉、常州三杰纪念馆、名人故居。在他看来，宗教是艺术的博物馆，常州的名人故居和寺庙、古迹，都保留了较多的历史痕迹，以及传统的绘画、艺术元素。“比如，天宁寺的罗汉，每次观察都会发现新的细节。”[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Once, while driving through a park called “Dong Jiang’an Park” near Fenghuang south road, he found a museum named “Hidden Dragon Pavilion (常州藏龙馆)”.
“As I walked around, I found myself intrigued by a building within the park grounds itself. Different styles of calligraphy for 龙 (Dragon) filled out one of the building’s walls.
“A man was sitting in a lawn chair by an open door. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and he pretty much demanded to take me on a guided tour.”
“In front of that enthusiastic man, words became meaningless” Rich said, describing the language barrier that ensued. He revisited the spot after a week of research, and posted an article called “Hidden Dragons” with lots of photos, and he wrote down full details about how to find the Pavilion.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]有一回，他来到了武进区凤凰南路东江庵公园，发现一家一座专门收藏“龙”文物的博物馆。“全是跟龙相关的主题，高大的山墙上还建有三重24个衔珠龙头。博物馆门口有三个老人，也许我是第一个感兴趣的外国人，他们惊奇地瞪大眼睛看着我。”Rich说，一个老人上前主动讲解。“他说着方言，手口并用，虽然没听懂，但在他的热情面前，语言不通都不值一提了。”Rich说，后来他查到，那叫“常州藏龙馆”，在博客里，他写明了地址，以及如何换乘班车。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]“I don’t always find what I want by randomly traveling around. However, the places always surprise me, and it is really worthwhile,” Rich said.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]“这样逛，并非每次都有收获，但能有这样的经历，即便跑空趟也是值得的。”Rich说。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text][Modula id=’16’][/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”false” class=”cs-ta-center”]Theresa Boersma: Expert and guide of “Changzhou lifestyle”[/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”false” class=”cs-ta-center”]打造中英文版“常州生活手册”[/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_line style=”border-top-width: 1px;”][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Theresa Boersma is from America. She is a full time mother who looks after an almost 9 year old son and a 5 year old daughter, but also a busy woman working “on the news front”, as a co-founder and editor of “SUPCZ” Wechat subscription which provides services, guides and plenty of useful information.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Theresa Boersma来自美国，拥有一双儿女的她虽是个全职太太，却是一个奋战在“新闻一线”的大忙人。她是微信公众号“SUPCZ”的创办者，为在常州工作生活的外籍人士提供服务指南和咨询信息。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]“I first came to China after I finished my bachelor degree. Dalian was my first Chinese city and notable for me because I met my husband there.” Theresa said. She used to work in a local expat magazine and Dalian TV station as a news anchor and columnist, focused on providing information to foreigners about Dalian.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]“毕业后就想来中国发展，先到了大连，结识了现在的先生，成了家。”Theresa说，在大连，她做过杂志，还在大连电视台工作过。通过她，很多外籍人士了解了大连，并来到了中国。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]After 5 years in Dalian, Theresa went to Austria for couple years and then came to Changzhou with her family in 2013 because of her husband’s job. In the end of 2013, Theresa started an English based blog called “the T guide to Changzhou” which was one of the initial websites aimed at introducing lifestyle and practical information about Changzhou to a foreign audience.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]在大连待了5年之后，由于丈夫工作调动，Theresa一家来到了常州。2013年底，她开设了一个宣传常州的英文网站——The T guide to Changzhou，这也是比较早的外国人介绍常州的英文网站。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Before Theresa came to Changzhou, she spent three months researching the city from Austria, which included basic necessities and lifestyle information that would be useful to a new arrival in Changzhou, such as import supermarkets, western-style restaurants, coffee shops, theater performances and museums, public transportation, etc. She posted this information online for others to use.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Theresa说，来常州前，她提前3个月做攻略，涵盖了吃穿住行：进口超市、西餐厅、咖啡吧、剧院的演出……她觉得在常州的外籍人士应该也会感兴趣，就都一一贡献了出来。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]In September 2015, Theresa and her friend and designer, Chen Hui, founded a Wechat subscription together, called SUPCZ. It is a “bilingual guide to life in Changzhou”. It contains a variety of topics like hotpot restaurants, creative markets, yoga studios, organic farms and so on. Theresa is often busy hunting down new places, and events for possible articles. Recently, as a member of DragonFair, she and her team joined forces with the local newspaper to put on an international cultural and creative market. The event and SUPCZ were praised by expats around Changzhou and nearby cities.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]2015年9月，Theresa和她的中国朋友又创办了微信公众号“SUPCZ”，这是一个中英文版的“常州生活手册”，火锅、创意集市、瑜伽馆、有机农场……内容也各式各样。平时，Theresa会不停地搜店，只要她亲身体验过感到有趣的，都会容纳进去，不仅在常的外籍人士感觉很便利，本地读者也感兴趣。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]SUPCZ is in the process of expanding its scope beyond WeChat to help more people to explore Changzhou via interviews with local artists and various cultural and artistic figures.[/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-justify”]Theresa说，打造这个平台，为的是让在常的外籍朋友们深入地了解常州，给他们一个获取常州新鲜事的平台，接下来，她还打算采访常州的艺术家和本土的文化人士，进一步宣传常州文化。[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”] [/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text][Modula id=’17’][/cs_text][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/3″ style=”padding: 0px;”] [/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_line style=”border-top-width: 1px;”][cs_text class=”cs-ta-center”]Article by 刘懿 吕晨辰 陈铃
Photography by 夏晨希
Translation by Kirsten Lu
Copyediting by Theresa Boersma
Based upon original version published in Changzhou Evening News
本文转载自《常州晚报》[/cs_text][x_share title=”” share_title=”” facebook=”true” twitter=”false” google_plus=”false” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”false” reddit=”false” email=”true” email_subject=”Hey, thought you might enjoy this! Check it out when you have a chance:”][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]
