Hello, everyone! I finally got around* to writing a blog. From now on, if you see this symbol *, it means that I have used a very colloquial English phrase- a very 口语的 English phrase. I’ll put a special section at the end of each blog post to explain the colloquial phrases.

First, I would like to introduce you to my hometown- Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Cleveland used to be a big manufacturing city, specializing in steel production and automobile parts. However, most of those jobs have been outsourced* to other countries, so now Cleveland is focused on insurance companies and the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic Hospital System.

The thing I love most about Cleveland is the number of parks that surround the city. The park system is called the "Emerald Necklace" because on a map, the semi-circle of parks looks like a green necklace hanging around Cleveland's neck. Below are some pictures of the Cleveland parks:

Cleveland is also famous as a center of the arts. The Cleveland Art Museum is one of the best in the country, both for modern and ancient art. The Cleveland Orchestra has often been called the best in America, and the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame commemorates* Cleveland's status as the birthplace of rock and roll.

*Got around- had enough free time; the implication is that I “got around” all of the obstacles that were taking up my time.

*outsourced- the jobs are now being done for less money by people in other countries

*commemorates- honors