What do Nanjing, Nanchang and Nanning have in
common is that they are all southern capital cities, all shortened
Nan-Marathon, and, of course, all are beautiful.

Last Sunday, I saw Nanchang Marathon from TV
and hear the hostess say: “Indeed we see the marathon race around Gan River
reflects the beautiful scenery of Nanjing…”I was then convinced she had
hosted the Nanjing Marathon live broadcast the week before. It reminds me of
the trip of Mr. Karl Wilson, business editor of the Sunday Morning Post to
Nanjing in August 1993. I was with him for a four-day visit and coverage of
several selected local economic sectors. A month after his return, he sent me a
letter and the newspaper with his article “Nanjing ‘Neck of Dragon’” published on its business review page, and asked me to comment on his report. I wrote back to
say how I appreciate his stories which enabled me to have an insight of the economic reform in my city, and then I did not forget to add at the end of the letter: “It’s only that my city is dotted to the
position of Nanning in the inset map of the country.”

There are slips of tongue. There are slips of
pen. “To err is human”. And that is a good excuse of my making mistakes in
daily life.