MANY elderly people are now happily studying English, and they can greet foreign visitors at the Beijing Olympics. Their weekends are completely filled with English learning activities. The “Ask Me” program helps them a lot and they are actually using their English to help the foreign friends who need their help.
Starting on May 5, three of their members will go to Shou Shui Jie (秀水街) every weekend from 9 to 11 am to do their volunteer work. They wear their “Ask Me” sashes（肩带） and walk slowly along the market to answer questions, give directions, and chat with “Lao Wai”. They are often appreciated（欣赏）by the Lao Wai and can help as many as 100 foreign guests each day.
These elderly volunteers and the Chaoyang district（朝阳区） government administration（行政部门） are setting a great example for how to create an excellent win-win-win situation with their “Three Wins Program”（三赢项目）:
a. Tourists win because they get the answers they need.
b. Markets win because they get bilingual（双语的）people to guide the guests and help the foreign shoppers find the products they want.
c. Elderly volunteers win because they feel useful and happy in showing visitors that Beijing is a friendly city.
Are you interested in these activities? Come on and join in!
