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HANGZHOU, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Australian Timothy Clancy has become a local celebrity in east China's Hangzhou for his online videos.
In the bilingual program, "Tim brings you around West Lake," Clancy, 31,shows popular venues for morning exercises, how to bargain at the market and make rice dumplings, and introduces viewers to West Lake Longjing, one of the most famous green tea brands produced near the city's West Lake.
"I thought it would be interesting to tell stories about Hangzhou from a foreigner's point of view so that more people fall in love with it like I have," he explained in fluent Chinese.
Supported by the local government, he has released 12 episodes on the official "Beautiful West Lake" microblog as well as on streaming video players such as Youku.
"Through the program, Chinese friends are expected to learn some pure oral English, and Westerners can learn about the beauty of Hangzhou," he said.
As Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, prepares to host the 2016 G20 summit on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, foreign residents like Clancy have joined the volunteers to teach English and spread Chinese culture.
Despite being an Australian, Clancy did not have a lot of feelings about the 2014 G20 summit in Brisbane, but he said it was "an honor" to be part of the event this time in Hanghzou, his "second hometown."
He and more than 50 foreign volunteers from the United States, Russia, Italy, Republic of Korea, Ukraine and Indonesia have passed tests on etiquette, G20 basics, volunteer services and physical ability. They continue to train and rehearse in preparation for the event.
According to the organizers, foreign volunteers will serve as interpreters for the summit attendees and provide other services at the conference venue.
Born in Sydney, Clancy earned diplomas in electrical engineering and engineering management from the University of Technology Sydney. In 2007, he was struck by the landscape and history of Hangzhou while studying on an exchange at Zhejiang University, and decided to return to the city in 2011.X "I loved the campus surrounded by hills, water and trees. I could even smell the plum flowers while breathing," he recalled.
He earned a diploma in Chinese history and literature at Zhejiang University in 2011, and is now continuing for his fourth bachelor's degree, this time in clinical medicine.
His interest in volunteering was inspired in part by his Chinese wife. The couple helped start a club for Chinese and foreign volunteers in Hangzhou last year, attracting more than 120 participants from over 20 countries.
"The number of foreigners living in Hangzhou exceeds 10,000, including doctors, designers and painters. They often need help finding jobs, renting houses and seeing a doctor," he said.
To help more Chinese people learn English, Clancy and his peers have organized English lectures in communities and offices during summer vacation. He is also compiling a brochure of English translation mistakes he catches in the city.
"Some translations of road signs and bulletins are too funny," he said, adding he will submit the brochure to authorities for correction.
His dream is not limited to serving the summit. He is planning to produce another bilingual program about cultural, tourism and economic exchanges between Hangzhou and Sydney. Currently, he is seeking support from the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai.
"I hope, with my efforts, Hangzhou will be known to the world," he said.
