Great changes have taken place in my hometown in recent years. Looking around, there are tall buildings and cars everywhere. Even our school has changed a lot in recent years.
Come with me to the campus if you don't believe me. The first thing you see is the stainless steel display windows on both sides of the gate, which contain pictures of school spirit, school motto and various activities held by the school. Now the pictures here will be brand-new every semester. In the past, there were only a few iron shelves and a few posters here, which was very simple.
Looking at the electronic cameras installed in the left and right teaching buildings, the walls of the dusty soil have also changed into new clothes and white dresses, which is even more refreshing. There is a large-scale color spray painting on the wall, which shows the advanced school-running concept and cultural atmosphere. What's more worth mentioning is that the stinking toilet has also been transformed, equipped with modern automatic flush valve and stainless steel mop pool. Since then, the toilet has no more cross-flow of sewage and cannot be used.
We walked into the classroom together. Look, every teacher has brand-new desks and chairs, advanced projectors, televisions and laptops. The internet has also entered our classroom, and all the modern facilities are here. But my favorite change is our playground.
In the past, our playground was a simple mud playground. There are almost no fitness equipment on the playground, only a horizontal bar and parallel bars, which are nothing at first, but when it rains, the whole playground becomes a quagmire, with one foot deep and one foot shallow, making your feet muddy; Whenever it's windy, the playground is covered with mud and dust flying all over the sky, rising three miles with the wind and drifting two miles against the wind, not to mention how annoying it is. We can't play on the playground at all in this weather, but our playground is absolutely first-class.
Look, the green artificial lawn and the red plastic runway are really beautiful! A lot of fitness equipment was installed around the playground, and stone piers and benches were placed under the tall shade. After class, some students play football, some skip rope, some play basketball, and some students roll and crawl on the lawn in the middle of the playground. It is also very pleasant to sit on the bench and play chess when you are free. It's snowing. We have a snowball fight and make a snowman on the playground. It's raining, and we are barefoot.
Our school has changed a lot in recent years, but I still have a suggestion: I hope to build another experience hall in the east of the school. There can be some astronomical or geographical introductions or some large-scale instruments in the experience hall, and experiments can also be done in it, such as small ball games, sloping huts, nail beds and so on. Students can use Sunday or science class or labor hygiene class to experience the fun of experiments here, and also strengthen our hands-on ability! Do you think my suggestion is good?
According to my father, our hometown used to be poor, with only a few humble huts and muddy paths. We didn't find a shop until outside the city, and the economy was depressed.
However, now our hometown is developing rapidly. Simple bungalows have become high-rise buildings, and uneven dirt roads have become straight and flat roads. The streets are no longer sparsely populated. In the center of my hometown, a new pedestrian street has been built, which is bustling and lively, and the connected shops dazzle you. In addition, many tourist areas have been built in our hometown, such as Liang Qichao Memorial Hall, Bird of Paradise and Guifeng Mountain. All these make our hometown look brand-new and prosperous and beautiful.
With the motherland's reform and opening up for 30 years, our hometown has also made great progress in teaching, which I deeply understand. According to the teacher of the school, in the past, the school facilities were very simple, and some small ancestral halls and stools were brought by themselves. Many families can't go to school because of economic problems.
At present, the state attaches great importance to teaching and builds new schools, which are fully equipped with a wide playground, library and multimedia room. Outside the school, in order to improve students' in-depth understanding of extracurricular knowledge, libraries, history museums and Kwai Bo Garden were also built to broaden students' horizons and increase their knowledge. What is most worth mentioning is that in recent years, the state has implemented compulsory education, so that students with limited family financial ability can go to school happily and reduce the burden on their families.
Over the past 30 years, we have experienced many difficulties and obstacles. With the reform and opening up, we are still advancing, developing and striving for the prosperity of our motherland and hometown. Our hometown, our motherland is changing.
Dear mother, I love you. You have been established for xx years, and this year is your xx anniversary. In these 60 years, earth-shaking changes have taken place in our motherland. The motherland is developing vigorously and time flies. Our life is getting better and better, science and technology are constantly innovating, and the motherland has ushered in a new era of prosperity. Around us, some things have changed with the pace of reform and opening up. The changes of people's living environment, living conditions and education conditions are very obvious!
Let's get to the point first! According to my mother, when they were young, they could only put on the new clothes made by their grandmother during the Spring Festival. At that time, they had to buy cloth by cloth tickets! Most of the clothes are monochrome and the styles are common. Nowadays, there are many kinds of clothing stores all over the country, with colorful and fashionable styles. Usually we wear brightly colored clothes. Compared with what we were wearing at that time, it was a world of difference.
In the past, people could only travel on foot. My mother said that being able to ride a bike is the proudest thing. Nowadays, every household has its own means of transportation-electric cars, motorcycles, bus lines extending in all directions and convenient and comfortable taxis. Many people also own private cars!
Look at the changes in the salt pond. From MCA Lake, it used to be a deserted beach, but now it has become a tourist attraction for many people. From what I have seen, let's say. I walked up the broad dam and saw a big lake. You can see the dark face of the lake repairman in the lake. Standing on the dam, you can see its whole outline, and the surrounding green is out of reach, in contrast to the whole lake. It is no longer a desert beach. Give people a sense of leisure and freedom.
We are a lucky generation, and the diversified road to study has opened a sunshine avenue for us. When I was young, I went to kindergarten, primary school and middle school. When I was old, I went to study in colleges and universities. Multi-level and multi-faceted school selection simply dazzles us! School education has also changed from the original knowledge education to diversified education.
My motherland-dear mother, I am proud of your great changes and brilliant achievements. Today, we are the flowers of our motherland. We should study hard and become the pillars of the motherland when we grow up.
Motherland-my mother will fly faster and higher.
A winter vacation has passed and many changes have taken place in it. After this winter vacation, there will be great changes. Let's talk about the changes in winter vacation first. After a year, I went to my grandmother's house to be a guest. Once the hut became a high-rise building, once the tricycle became a four-wheeled vehicle, and our history of modern science and technology became more and more developed. With the development of science and technology, bicycles in the past became obsolete and changed into cars. The environment is worse with more cars, and most of them are dust in the air. After the Lunar New Year, people relax. They don't care how many bottles of wine they drink a day. There are many drunk driving accidents, and the traffic police are busy. Many people are there.
Spent an important year in prison. Here, I'd like to remind my uncles and aunts who drink, not to drink when driving, and not to drive when drinking.
The winter vacation is coming. After this winter vacation, we will become graduates. When I was a crying first-grade pupil, I often looked up at my big brother and big sister, but now I have become a big sister who leans over and stares at my little brother and little sister. How fast this changes. After studying for more than a month this year, my primary school days will be over. I will become a junior high school student and an adult.
The winter vacation is so short that the new semester is coming. I want to make good use of this semester and get rid of some of my bad words, laziness and slowness. Study hard, don't just want to play. I will study harder than others and try to get a good junior high school exam.
Twenty years ago, Shangyu was a small county with poor economy. After years of hard work, Shangyu people have turned it into a wealthy town.
Shangyu has become a top 100 county (city) with comprehensive rural strength in China, a county with strong economy in Zhejiang Province 14, a county (city) with advanced scientific and technological work in China, a national garden city, a provincial civilized city and a provincial health city.
Digital TV in rural areas: Digital TV has replaced cable TV. Digital TV makes our life more colorful, broadens our horizons and knows many things that we have never heard of before.
Dongshan Bridge: It runs through Cao 'e River and extends from Xiaojiang Village in our city to the other side. 20xx started construction in June and will be completed in about 20xx years. Mayor Wang visited the site on the opening day and announced the start of construction.
Four Seasons Fresh Fruit: Fruit has a resounding name in Shangyu-Four Seasons Fresh Fruit. Attract many tourists to come for sightseeing and picking. There are cherries and strawberries in spring; There are grapes and kiwifruit in summer; There are pears and persimmons in autumn; There are dates in winter. Fresh fruit in four seasons has increased the income of Shangyu people and made them rich.
Development of the north of the city: the north of the city is still a remote mountain village. Through continuous efforts, it has become the most economically developed place in our city. RT Mart, Radisson Marriott Hotel, Million Peace City, Datong Shopping Center, etc., all kinds of goods are countless.
"Chunhui": 199 1 year, Shangyu established Chunhui, and enjoyed the reputation of "Nankai in the north and Chunhui in the south" in its early years. Zhu Ziqing, Feng Zikai, Li Shutong, Zhu Guang, Ye Shengtao and other famous teachers have taught here, forming a group of Baima Lake writers who are quite influential in the literary world, among which "Advancing with the Times" is the work of that year.
Enterprises: There are 732 enterprises of existing scale, including 5 enterprises with sales exceeding 100 million yuan1/kloc-0, and 8 listed enterprises, with a total industrial output value of 88 billion yuan in 20xx. The output value of construction and installation is very developed, with a total of 62 construction enterprises/kloc-0, including 25 first-class stunt enterprises. The 20xx architectural decoration has a long history, ranking first among county-level cities in China, and it is a famous "hometown of architecture".
199265438+1October 18 is an extraordinary day for the people of Shangyu. People in Shangyu celebrate, sing and are proud of it. Let it by going up one flight of stairs. After 20 years' efforts, the city appearance of Shangyu has changed greatly. Nowadays, Shangyu, which enjoys the reputation of "the new capital of eastern Zhejiang", has steadily promoted the construction of ecologically modern and livable cities along the Yangtze River with the continuous expansion of the urban framework and the continuous improvement of the living environment, and achieved a wonderful transcendence from the "Longshan era" to the "Caoejiang era".
Another year has passed, some people will say that I am one year older, and some people will say that I have gained a lot. I would say I've changed a lot. I have grown taller. I am much taller than before. On the bus, I can never reach the handle-I can touch a little handle-I can completely touch the handle. When I reached the handle completely, I knew I had grown taller.
I've grown up. When I was sorting out the bookcase at home, I accidentally saw some photos of my childhood. At that time, my smile was so bright, and my childish expression and movements were so cute.
When I saw these photos, I knew I had grown up. I became cheerful. When I was a child, I became very quiet when I saw strangers, and there was always a sense of tension. Now, in front of strangers, I have become cheerful, expressive and relaxed. I became bold. When I was a child, I was very cautious. My mother won't let me touch anything since I was a child. Now, I can cook a delicious meal
I like reading books, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, War and Peace and so on. When I was a child, I sat in front of the TV and watched it endlessly. In fact, everyone has their own changes, as long as careful observation, there will be gains.
Change excellent composition 7. Hi! How did the car become like this? I can't help asking questions. Before my eyes, these cars have become "ugly". They all have no wheels, they are suspended, and they run dozens of times faster than the current cars. In the blink of an eye, a car flew by without even seeing the passengers. Besides, no car ran a red light. I was thinking, it's impossible not to run a red light, but why doesn't anyone run a red light? At this moment, a car ran a red light and crossed the road. That's great. A robot next to him slipped by and handed the ticket to the person who ran the red light. The man spat on the ground and tried to force his way through. The robot caught up with him step by step and tore up a ticket. The man still tried to escape, but his car was towed away by the robot. With a pat of the robot, his car fell apart and another ticket was torn. At this point, the man admitted that he was unlucky and had to pay the robot. No wonder no one ran the red light!
I am eating bananas. Watching the "program" was so funny that I unconsciously threw the banana peel on the ground. A robot appeared out of nowhere. He patted me on the shoulder with a robot hand and pointed to the ground, which meant to let me pick up the banana peel on the ground. I bent down to pick it up, and the robot gave me a thumbs-up and went underground.
"Wang Renyu, get up!" Mom's voice woke me up. Oh, it was a dream! But I think my dream will come true in 2 1 century.
8 I went back to my grandfather's house 1-2 times in the previous year. My grandfather's home is in a small village in Sixian County, Anhui Province. There are mountains, but there is not much water. It is a small mountainous area, and there are not many people coming and going.
On National Day this year, I went back to my grandfather's house and found that the roads there were all dirt roads and gravel roads, winding and uneven, and cars were walking on them, only cars with food or stones were moving slowly. Few buses come here. Standing inside, your legs will be broken, sitting, your ass will be kicked into eight pieces, and once your head will be knocked out of a big bag. Now, the road has just been paved with cement, and some roads are covered with straw. Sprinklers sprinkle water back and forth from time to time. Sitting in the car is much more comfortable. You don't have to worry about bumping your head into a bag, so you can sleep quietly. When I got home, I found my home was brand new. In the past, chickens and geese did not have a nest. Now there are straw houses, rabbits have big wooden houses, and pigs are built with stones and big bricks. A large number of clean and comfortable standardized breeding pigsty; The home has also become much cleaner. There used to be no electric fan at home, let alone other electrical appliances. Now there are not only electric fans, refrigerators, televisions and washing machines, but also air conditioners in some rooms. Originally, bicycles and tractors were the means of transportation at home, but now everything is available except cars, electric cars, motorcycles, tricycles and so on. There are many more minibuses coming and going every day, and it is much more convenient to get in and out of the village than before.
When I came back this time, I found that with the progress of the times, my hometown is slowly changing.
With the spring breeze of building a new socialist countryside blowing all over the motherland, my hometown Ganzhou is also bathed in this spring breeze, and earth-shaking changes are taking place everywhere in my hometown.
The road in my hometown has been leveled. Listen to mom and dad, a few years ago, the road in our village was a bumpy sand road, "muddy in rainy season and dusty in winter". Now people realize the importance of "building roads first to get rich". Roads are constantly being built and changed, asphalt roads are constantly extending to rural roads, and traffic is becoming more and more convenient. Rural roads and main roads are networked into pieces, and road network construction is becoming more and more intensive. The wide and flat asphalt paved the way for the villagers to get rich.
The house in my hometown has become beautiful. "Adobe houses, mud walls, heavy rain make people sad, big outside and small inside." Some houses have experienced decades of wind and rain and are in danger of collapse at any time. This is the condition of the house in my hometown in the past. The good policy of building a new socialist countryside has brought good news to people. With the support of the state, more and more wealthy villagers suddenly boiled up: rows of European-style houses sprang up like mushrooms after rain; Small buildings with two or three floors are scattered on both sides of the flat road, which are in harmony with lush landscape trees, gurgling streams and rippling wheat fields, with their own characteristics. How beautiful! There are all kinds of household appliances in the house, such as large color TV, refrigerator and computer. Rows of solar water heaters on the roof form a beautiful landscape; Plant flowers and grass in front of the house and cultivate fruit forests ... as someone praised: "Now the villagers are no worse than the city people!"
People's minds have become open. In the past, in order to save some money, people would rather ride bicycles to work in the city in cold or sunshine. Nowadays, in order to save time and suffer less, people would rather spend two or three yuan to go to town by bus. In the past, people always spent a day or two or even a few days carrying big bags, visiting relatives and friends like transport captains; Nowadays, on holidays, people can call their mobile phones or send messages anytime and anywhere, and send blessings and greetings at the first time, which is fast, convenient and fashionable. From this comparison, it is obvious that people's ideas have changed a lot.
The changes in my hometown are really changing with each passing day! Please believe that we will study hard today; Please believe that we will continue to write a new chapter in this hot land of Ganzhou tomorrow! I love you, my hometown!
My hometown is in Xikou. My father often says that my hometown has changed a lot. My mother said, "In the past, the road in my hometown was very difficult. They are all muddy and sandy roads. There is a saying:' The mountain road winds its way to the farmhouse' ". After the reform and opening up, my hometown gradually became rich. 198 1 year, the small mountain village was electrified, and black-and-white TVs entered civilian families. In 20xx, my hometown paved a cement road in front of my house, which made it much more convenient to get in and out. I think back to my hometown: I slept on a dry thatch without mosquito nets, and I was bitten by insects at night, so I couldn't sleep. Dad seemed to see my heart and proudly said to me, "My hometown is not what it used to be."
I thought to myself: Is it true? So I decided to go home with my father. After all, hearing is false, and seeing is believing. Come to my hometown, ah, how beautiful! Did I spend my eyes? No, it's true. The bumpy path in the past has become an ordinary cement road. Beautiful flowers and trees are planted on the roadside, bees are singing, butterflies are flying, and bungalows are mushrooming. My father and I came to my uncle's house. Wow! My uncle's house has changed, it is very big, the walls are painted white, and the furniture is new, with beautiful dragon and phoenix patterns engraved. They all use gas stoves, which are fast and convenient, and won't make their faces dusty like before ... My uncle took me into the room, and the first thing that caught my eye was my most familiar computer. I saw my uncle skillfully operating the computer. I didn't expect my hometown to change so much that I even had a computer. After lunch, I was taking a leisurely walk when I heard the rumble of tractors from time to time. Looking up, I can't help exclaiming that large tracts of rice fields have been mechanized. The motherland has become rich and strong, and so has my hometown. I hope the motherland will have a better tomorrow and my hometown will be richer tomorrow.
Excellent composition of change 1 1 People have a lot to say when they talk about change. Changes in growth, changes in thinking, changes in personality, changes in plants, etc., each change may be achieved inadvertently or through hard work.
Let me talk about the change of knowledge first! As I get older, I read more and more, but in the second and third grades, I am not like this. I either yawn or sigh, and I can't understand it. I tried many ways, but it didn't work. Finally, I asked my mother for help. My mother said: reading is not a physical journey, but a spiritual journey. Every time you finish reading a book, your mind completes a journey. Only in this way can the mind mature. I'm not afraid to keep a diary anymore. I nodded in confusion and went back to my room. I have a good idea. I can finish reading my insect book first. Because I like studying insects very much. And then expand outward like a big tree. Read books about the universe, plants and environmental protection. I found that I not only improved my understanding ability, but also greatly increased my interest in reading. After a semester, I found that my knowledge is getting richer and richer, and my reading volume is also advancing by leaps and bounds. My mother and I both showed satisfied smiles.
Let's talk about how I got rid of this halfway problem. One day, my friends and I went to the club to play. I brought a skateboard. Skateboards are two-wheeled and difficult to skate. I tried several times without success. A child came up and said, let me try. "Of course." I readily replied. After several attempts, the little friend quickly succeeded and can move forward in twists and turns. After skating for a while, he returned the skateboard to me and said, thank you, this is my first time. I smiled and thought, I must practice, and I can't give up halfway like last time. Last time I practiced, I was 6 years old. I was reluctant at the time. Persuaded by my mother, I began to study. I don't study very hard. I either need to drink water or have a rest. Anyway, I'm not serious. Once, just after drinking water, I fell down and said I didn't practice anything. My mother saw it and had to give it up. But this time I said I wouldn't give up. I thought about it, went to the front of the skateboard and began to practice. After half an hour, I was panting, sweating and my hands were dirty, but I didn't complain and continued to practice. Finally, I learned that many things are troubled. The joy of success soon made me a little complacent. On second thought, I can't be happy because of some achievements, so I remind myself with this sentence. Now I skate much more skillfully than before, and the problem of giving up halfway has become persistence and perseverance.
See if the change is wonderful?
12 I was born in Hangzhou since childhood. Since I was sensible, the changes in Hangzhou have turned upside down, perhaps because Lucheng people are actively developing and dare to explore!
When I was a child, I often heard my father talk about his primary school days. My father is from the countryside and has two brothers, so his family is relatively poor. In the past, the only roads to school were bumpy gravel roads and dirt roads. When it rains, the road becomes muddy and you have to walk barefoot. When you get to school, you wash your feet, put on your shoes, and then go into the classroom. At that time, the cultural level was also very low. The teacher can't speak Mandarin, only dialects. Dad didn't come into contact with Mandarin until high school.
It's incredible. Looking back on the past and present, what a big change this is.
Now back to the countryside, we take a smooth asphalt road and take a fast private car. Every household in the countryside has bicycles, motorcycles and even cars ... what has changed so much? It is the hand of Hangzhou people and the hand of "New Hangzhou people" that created all this together, and people have gradually kept up with the pace of the world. Fei, the three saints of ancient Hangzhou, today's space hero ... makes me proud that I am from Hangzhou.
Doesn't this change fully reflect the spirit of Hangzhou? The spirit of active development and exploration!
Great changes have taken place in modern China, but today, many years later, no matter what problems can be solved through science and technology, architecture is an example.
Let me introduce you to a new building. Its shape can be changed at will, and you can change it how you want. Look, there is a red button and a white button on the left of the gate. The red button can make the building fly in the sky, and the white button can make the building dive. If there is a thief, an invisible rope will run out of the building to bind the thief, and the building will automatically call the police, even if the thief has three heads and six arms, he can't escape.
In addition, there is an "emotion detector" in the building. If you are in a bad mood, it will release cheerful and warm music to comfort you. At the same time, a cup of oolong tea will be served to make you feel happy. This novel sofa can automatically adjust according to your comfort. Television is made of special materials. No matter how long you watch it, it won't hurt your eyes.
In addition, in the fully automatic kitchen, there is a nutritional slimming machine, which will configure dishes with different weights and tastes according to the number and hobbies of guests. Then automatically cook a nutritious and delicious food with meat and vegetables.
This research is even more advanced. If you want to read a book, click the title in the catalog, and it will automatically open the book and let you swim in the ocean of books. If you have finished your homework, you can put it in a small cupboard called "homework every day 100 points", which can quickly check the mistakes and help your study.
The bed in the bedroom is also automatic and can be adjusted according to your comfort. Curtains can automatically adjust their colors according to the weather outside.
Ah! A few years later, what a change! We must study hard and master more knowledge to meet a better life tomorrow.
My hometown is Yunshan Village, Hongwei Town, qitaihe city City, Heilongjiang Province. In front of the village, it used to be a wilderness. Now, it has become a wide and big river-the upper reaches of Longtou Reservoir. Through the expansion of Longtou Reservoir, our village has also changed. The original short and small straw house has now become a spacious big brick house.
What makes me more gratified is the road in my hometown. In the past, roads were paved with mud and stones. When it rains, they become cement roads. As soon as I leave, there will be a lot of mud on my shoes. Dirty and sunny. A sports car is all gray. It's all right now. They are all paved with wide asphalt roads. No matter what the weather is, it is as clean as walking!
I still remember when I was 3-4 years old, my school was in the east of my home. Every morning, I can hear the children rushing to school, and every day I can hear them reading in class. After class, they chased each other with ringtones. But it's time for me to go to school and join the school! Now the school is in ruins, and those familiar voices can no longer be heard. The window was broken by naughty children, which made me sad. I will study hard, return to my hometown when I grow up, and restore this school to its original appearance so that it will not be like this again.
Now the countryside is basically inhabited by the elderly, and many houses are empty. Because those young people want their children to have a better education and go to the city to accompany them to school.
My hometown has changed so much! How many wonderful memories you have given us, I want to thank and repay you, I love you, my hometown!
15 my hometown is near a clear river, which passes through beautiful towns and villages, and there is cooking smoke floating on the river. You can hear all kinds of birds singing in the morning, and you can also see birds flying around in the forest at ordinary times; Butterflies are dancing in the flowers all over the mountains, showing their beautiful posture; Dragonflies are busy in the fields, catching insects back and forth.
Looking at the beautiful scenery in front of you, do you want to know what my hometown was like before?
My hometown used to be a small mountain village with few cars, few homes, inconvenient transportation and narrow streets. Pedestrians standing in the middle of the street can touch the walls on both sides with open arms. The dilapidated houses are all shelf houses; The ground is uneven, wet and dusty on sunny days. It's amazing that a family has a black and white TV! The happiest thing for children is to look at the car. As long as they see the car, they must chase it until they can't win the game and the car disappears.
With the spring breeze of reform and opening up blowing all over the country, it has also blown to our hinterland. In particular, the strong spring breeze of opening southwest awakened the sleeping hometown. With the construction of Shuima Expressway by excavators, the poverty and backwardness in my hometown will be improved day by day.
Now, my hometown is rich, and it has a new look. People who have been away for many years don't know the way home. Because she is no longer a shabby village.
She has become a market town!
Looking around, there are high-rise buildings and rows of foreign small buildings everywhere. The street is wide and flat, even in the market, two cars passing side by side will not be crowded. There are countless cars, buses and cars, which can no longer arouse the curiosity of children in mountain villages. Red lanterns are hung on both sides of the street. In the evening, when the lights are on, the lanterns on both sides of the street light up, the people's lights shake, the neon lights in the shops flash and complement each other, pedestrians walk in the street, and songs are floating outside the house. The scene made people trance into the metropolis and then into the fairyland. How happy I am! People have color TV sets in every household, and electrification equipment is readily available. Now people buy LCD TVs instead of ordinary color TVs. Compared with before, it is really a world of difference!
Now, the project of building Shishi Village and creating a town with a water town style in Zhonghe has started. Standing on the bridge in front of my house, looking at the quietly flowing upper reaches of the Qinghe River, in a trance, I saw willows fluttering in the wind on both sides of the Qinghe River, boats boating on the Qinghe River, pedestrians walking among the flowers, old people and children listening to the squeaking of waterwheels in the flowers and birds, enjoying the quaint customs of modern urban water towns!