"Kevin Gowen" <kgowenNOSPAM@myfastmail.com> wrote in message news:<bbr4nh$cdsm0$1@ID-105084.news.dfncis.de>...
> John W. wrote:
> > "Kevin Gowen" <kgowenNOSPAM@myfastmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:<bbqocn$bch9p$1@ID-105084.news.dfncis.de>... 
> >> alibaba wrote:
> >>> btw, i'm Chinese from Shanghai.  anyone who's been to China knows
> >>> the 
> >>> vast regional differences of the peoples there.  common stereotype
> >>> of 
> >>> Japan (both positive and negative) is in its homogeneity.  so
> >>> hearing 
> >>> otherwise, this is very interesting for me.
> >> 
> >> [snip]
> >> 
> >>> For this reason, I'm really interested in knowing more about the
> >>> Osaka 
> >>> region (the Japanese equivalent of what I like so much about the
> >>> Coastal Yangtse area?).  I would definitely pay a visit to Osaka
> >>> this 
> >>> winter when I visit Japan again.
> >> 
> >> You're from Shanghai, eh? I am friends with a number of students at
> >> SIFT (http://www.shift.edu.cn/). I think a good Chinese analogy
> >> would be Beijing 
> >> is to Shanghai as Tokyo is to Osaka. I think Shanghai/Osaka's
> >> histories as 
> >> merchant cities, the linguistics differences, mutual perceptions,
> >> and other 
> >> factors make for a good analogy.
> > 
> > This is true just about anyplace.
> 
> Yes. For example, Tokyo:Osaka::Antwerp:Abu Dhabi.
> 
Exactly.

John W.