Happy 4th of July!

3rd of July - Yesterday, we went to a big square in our neighborhood to experience the typical Chinese nightlife. This basically involves many groups of people dancing to different music. There was dancing with brightly colored fans, ribbon twirling, polka type dancing, ballroom dancing, an aerobics type dancing, and even a mock roller skating rink. It was so much fun to see this square full of such life and people having a genuinely good time doing something they love. There were people both old and young, couples and singles, all having a great time. It was great to just be in the square and watch all of this activity happen around you.

We went and played with our Chinese version of a hackeysack (see picture) and bought a kite from a local vendor. In the process of purchasing our kite, we accumulated our own little crowd of about 20 Chinese people that came over to watch us purchase the kite and then attempt to fly it. Yes, non-Chinese people sometimes like kites too! Many people watched, laughed, or tried to help as we got the kite up in the air and unsuccessfully played with our hackeysack.

Vocab word of the day: 毽子 (Jianzi) Chinese hackey sack

4th of July - Today in class we talked about Lei Feng, a famous Chinese soldier who was known for his unselfish demeanor and always willing to help others. Mao Zedong, in 1963, said "Learn from Comrade Lei Feng" and decided that Lei Feng would be taught as a role model in schools. My roommate knows him as the man that they should strive to be like because he helped others. We talked about whether we think society in general is willing to help others and is giving of their resources.

Our teacher told us a story about how a young person found her friend's lost wallet, but when she met this young person to retrieve it, the young person asked for money. Instead of giving this young person money to get her wallet back with her ID card, etc., she walked away because she didn't want to encourage this kind of behavior. I think that takes a lot of courage because it is definitely a hassle to redo all of your ID's, etc., especially in China because there are a lot more steps you have to go through. However, I definitely agree with her decision. This young person didn't pick up the wallet due to genuine concern that the owner may need it; rather, it was a purely selfish motive and an opportunity to gain some cash.

I could probably go on and on about this topic. For example, if an elderly person gets on the bus, we should let them sit down. We've never been old, so we don't know what it's like. They were young once, and hopefully did the same thing. Now it's our turn. While they might need that seat on the bus, but I think elderly people should do what they can to contribute to our society as well, whether it be planting flowers at church or simply talking to a lonely person.

So what can we do to ensure that our society has at least a base level of respect and kindness? 1) When I was in high school, we had to say our greatest fear: mine was "failing as a parent." It took me a while to come up with a fear that satisfied me, but I still stick by this one. Parents need to educate their children to not just reap the benefits from our society, but to give back. Don't just say "always let elderly people have the seat on the bus." Do it. Take your kids on a public bus and offer your seat to an elderly person. I remember a homeless person out in the middle of winter begging for money and my mom giving him a pair of gloves to keep his hands warm. There's no rule, law, or right that says this is what you should do, but there's no need for one. Learn by example, like Lei Feng. Parents our a child's first role model.

2) Volunteer. I think that having that feeling of doing the best you can with what you have (Theodore Roosevelt) to leave our society a better place than when we entered it is the best feeling you can have. It sets a bar. If I don't feel this good at my first job, then I haven't found the right one.

Oh yeah, and by the way, Happy Independence Day, USA! We went to a Texas barbecue place to celebrate and then a foreigners bar/club street to dance to some American songs. It was a nice celebration and small break from Chinese culture. Tomorrow, back to China.