777, oops, 888

Hi again!
This is my second blog post during my trip to China for my friends and family!
I hope all is well on the other side of the world. While being on the other side of the world I have noticed that it is a small world after all (I can't get the tune out of my head now) and there are many similarities, and thankfully differences that make us all unique, interesting, and able to learn from each other. I am thoroughly enjoying the trip so far and love the many cultural nuances in the language and society as a whole.

Other cultural interests of mine include - what are considered - lucky and unlucky numbers. I've heard that the number 4 is considered unlucky - si(4) - 四 - which sounds similar to death - si(3) - 死*. As well I know that 8 is a very lucky number. As 8 is ba(1) which sounds very similar to fa(1) which means to make a lot of money. In fact the Olympics are taking place on 8.8.08. - So in this communistic society they are going to celebrate one world, one dream on a day of large financial success for China. An interesting side note is that when we had orientation on the first day they discussed how Nankai University is within the top eight universities in Chinese learning. In America I would hear top 10, 5 or 3, and never 7,8,9 or so unless the university was exactly in the seventh position.. etc. :-)

Here are some pictures of the orientation/welcoming party:






On the first day we traveled to see a large mansion - the family Shi's mansion - and had dinner at the restaurant called 1928. After the delicious 10 course meal there was an auction and I ended up buying a scroll painting and a large fan. I enjoyed the auction a lot, but returning to the outside and seeing the dark gloomy city sky took away the sense of victory and made me- or bicycling - around the area. Tons and tons of people are planting trees wonder how the city could improve with emission standards (seeing all of the cars exhaust on the highway made me want to cover my nose and breath through my t-shirt). However, I must note that it seems like everyone in the city has been working , weeding, watering and taking care of the parks and the roadsides for the upcoming Olympics and general improvement. Everyone is excited and signs are hanging everywhere! Hopefully all the grime will be gone before we realize it and the area will bloom with the hard work that will surely lead to success, an idea rooted in Confucianism.



To end with a quote, indeed the first line of the Analects, "Isn't it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned?"

Hopefully, I will be able to learn more about the Confucian values on this trip, see them practiced, and the "Asian way" as Reid in his book, Confucius lives next door, describes and hopefully incorporate them into the my middle eastern, and western beliefs and culture.



*Wasn't sure how to represent pinyin on this blog. But the parentheses is the tone on the preceding letter and the number is the numbered tone.