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Live Awake

Jianglong Liao

Shanghai'Literature'House'
Preface I:
Fresh African Experience for Chinese Student
October 31, 2014, UWC

About Liao Jianglong

Born in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, Liao is the author of
Encounters with Canada: A 7th Graders 93 Days in Canada. Later
in 2013, he was enrolled by the UWC in Swaziland, and
became the first mainland Chinese student ever to study in an
African UWC. Liao traveled to Israel to make his own
discovery about the wars and lives of the country in June 2014.

What Liao wants to share with all is that the UWC is not
only a school, but also an opportunity, a unique one.
Many view the UWC as a springboard for top universities,
which is apparently not wrong, but I value the UWC
experience that helps improve myself being as a human more
than anything else. My previous experience about the UWC has
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helped shape my expectation, which is why I applied for the
UWC in Swaziland. I understand that many chose the UWC in
developed countries, such as the United States, Canada, Britain,
Germany and Norway, for better education, but I want to go to
the most interesting school and a distinctive place. I was
totally swept away by the landscape and beings in Africa, such
as its savannah, lions, zebras and giraffes.
Looking back, I felt so lucky and satisfied that I made the
choice of going to the UWC in Swaziland a year ago, which
made my life completely different. I taught black children in
villages to pursue their dreams and worked at the countrys
blood bank on weekends. After getting off work from the
animal reservation, I hitchhiked through the savannah on trucks
and was chased by kids shouting, how are you? I
remembered seeing the purest and most beautiful smile.
The experience also made me realize that the world needs the
UWC so much. The UWC graduates should not only fulfill
their dreams, but also help fulfill the dreams of these kids and
change the world into a better place for everyone. We acquire
knowledge, and more importantly, great wisdom and
outstanding mindset from the experience with the UWC, which
is something students might not get from their education in
Chinese schools.
All those who have great expectations and aspire challenges
should join the UWC. As for the parents concern about
whether the UWC will help their children go to prestigious
universities, I would say they are natural results from such
experience, just like wealth is the natural result of growing
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wisdom. In case people put the cart before the horse, it is hard
for them to gain wealth or stay wealthy for long. The UWC is
not a brand, but a campaign, a lofty human spirit we seek.
Some say the UWC saves Chinese students from the cutthroat
competition of the college entrance examination. It is true that
students with the UWC they do not have all the cramming that
high school students do in China, but the void of numerous
exercises does not mean the absence of challenges of various
types. Cultural shock, debate, thinking and giving speech teach
us knowledge and how to use knowledge. Schoolwork pressure
is actually not small with the UWC in Africa, as students need
to spend time on social service, doing research work, writing
papers and preparing for speeches. I have to set more goals for
myself with the UWC, which definitely takes more thinking
and planning, while the only goal of students in China is
apparently higher score, which means more time spent doing
exercises to get ahead of others in tests.
Moreover, vacation is a great learning opportunity. I visited
Tibet and talked to local people about their lives and the unique
Tibetan Buddhism. I flew to Israel at the height of its collision
with Palestine and tried to figure out the causes of conflicts
between the two countries and their religious conviction. The
two trips impressed me with the faith of people. Powerful mass
media tell us stories we would like to hear, but they do not
always report the true stories we need. My soul got purified
from the visits, which I shared with my UWC schoolmates and
amazed them all. Similarly, they shared their stories of
adventure in the Sahara, saving penguins in Cape Town,

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teaching in Zambia and understanding India-Pakistan clash in
Kashmir. Crossing borders on trips to help people, the UWC
students are making substantive contribution to the
improvement of the world.
With all that said, I want you to know that the UWC always
welcomes students with such zeal and righteousness, regardless
of what families they were born into or what history they had.
Mr. Wang Jiapeng, Mrs. Hua Sumner Xiaohang, Mr. Zhao Bin
and the UWC China Council are working to promote the UWC
campaign. They bear the responsibility of understanding and
spreading the spirit of the UWC. Dream big and make it real,
my dear readers!

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Preface II:
Student Remarks about UWC
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Hold yourself accountable here with UWC
I think the biggest difference between the UWC and mainland
Chinese schools is you have to be responsible for yourself here.
Youre not to be blamed for wasting your own time, and youre
not to blame others for not lecturing you on that. We need to
manage ourselves if we dont want to get lost in new
environment.
Fu Na, student of Li Po Chun United World College of
Hong Kong

Challenge yourself constantly to grow

Before I was enrolled by the United World College of Costa
Rica, my English was not good, because Im afraid of speaking
English back in China. Its been more than two months since I
got here, and my English has improved significantly, and so is
my courage. I still found it challenging and painstaking,
because I couldnt catch what the teachers said from time to
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time, but I like it. These challenges help me grow and become
scalable so that I can do anything I want without be afraid.
Xu Zhanfei, student of the United World College of
Costa Rica

See UWC as an opportunity, a challenge and responsibility

to grow
I see the UWC as a major turning point for me. Life here is a
world difference from that I lived back in China. Some of my
UWC classmates visited a school in Xiamen along with me
days ago. Seeing us chat and dance happily, a teacher at the
school felt sorry for her students, who do nothing immerse
themselves in study. Im so fortunate to be able to meet people
of my age from so many countries. Its not fair to say Im
totally remade after two months study with the UWC here, but
I have definitely developed a better understanding of cultural
diversity, and become more easily adapted to new
circumstances. Meanwhile, Im more confident, and
comprehend what the UWC founder Kurt Hahn mean by Your
disability is your opportunity. There is more in you than you
think. The challenges in terms of language, learning
conditions, lifestyles and mindsets are part of the UWC
initiative. We should think of the challenges at the UWC as
opportunities.
Vincent, student of Li Po Chun United World College
of Hong Kong

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Find equilibrium between socializing, sleeping and studying
First and foremost, we need to find the equilibrium between
socializing, sleeping and studying here with the UWC, and if
we do, our potential can be stimulated to the extent that we
have the scalability to do everything perfectly. The UWC lets
us play and fully trusts us that we can make the school better
and make ourselves better.
Xia Jing, student of the USA United World College

Open environment helps us become more energetic

For me, the happiest thing is to get acquainted with students
from all over the world, and develop a deep understanding
towards each other. After listening to stories from my Israeli
and Palestinian classmates about their lives, I realized that they
are all children full of hope. Only in such open environment
and atmosphere can we relax and reserve more energy for the
future.
Ran Xinan, student of the Pearson United World
College, Canada

Student Sharing: The 3rd UWC Global Leader Forum

(GLF)
Yang Anhua, a 11th year student with the High School Affliated
to Shanghai Jiaotong University taking IB courses, saw the
UWC Short Training Program on its official website, and
traveled to the US alone for the UWC GLF summer camp. The
following is a blog by her about the trip.

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 GLF: Where Dreams Start
Over 20 students aged between 14 and 18 attended the third
UWC GLF in Montezuma, New Mexico, US in late July 2013.
The 15-day forum at a castle helped us understand the world
and ourselves. When there are no group discussions, we played
the guitar and piano, we play volleyball and footbal, we took
hot bath in hot spring, we tasted desserts of all kinds, we did
ethnic dancing, we practiced yoga, we climbed mountains, we
performed at the GLF Cultural Show and we suited up for
ceremonies.
In Santo Domingo Pueblo, we were amazed by the annual
festive dancing, but it was a pity that we were not allowed to
take photos. We had a big lunch at the coordinator Nicoles
home. Nicole and her family were very hospitable and
straightforward. After that, we went to buy some souvenirs
from a local market. In Santa Fe, we had our stories recorded at
House 21, and I really look forward to listening to them over
local radio. We sewed cute and environment-friendly bags
made of cloth. We also went to a farm to enjoy the unique
charm of the American West. Blue sky, white cloud, green
trees, sand dunes, cowboys and horse herds made up a most
beautiful picture.
Finally, we spent three days and nights at the Colorado Wolf
and Wildlife Center. For the first time, I pitched a tent, cooked
a meal, brushed my teeth under torchlight and looked at stars
by bonfire. Also for the first time, I woke up in our director
Joshs singing, prayed amid the popping of popcorns, listened
to stories about highs and lows of lives while drinking hot

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chocolate, had a close physical contact with wolves, received
flowers after getting injured and was afraid that time flied too
fast.
The test and practice with the GLF made me excel among all
the participants, who are mainly from English-speaking
countries. At Kurt Hahns class, I came up with bold ideas
about history and future. For the Big Map Exercise, I made a
different choice and commented Fear is everywhere, so is
fearless, which impressed everyone The director even asked to
repeat what I said loudly. At the Circle Reflection session, my
remark It is inevitable to have obstacles on your way to
success was noted down by some. I made a video about our
BBQ party and how everyone thought of his or her experience
with the UWC GLF, for which Josh said I was acting more like
a leader with all those ideas. I got a medal at the closing
ceremony, and was overwhelmed to tears when hearing This
medal is for Naomi (my English name) who dreams big
dreams.
The Albuquerque Airport is small, but it had all the tears of the
UWC GLF participants. We hugged and said I love you to
each other. Foreign friends said we would meet one another
again shortly for sure, whether its in Shanghai or California.

New student sharing: Im challenging myself at the Red

Cross Nordic UWC!
Hermione Su, a student with the Red Cross Nordic UWC, has
spent over three months immersed in the atmosphere of the

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UWC and had a special experience there. The following is a
blog about her days with the UWC:
Im challenging myself here with the Red Cross Nordic UWC.
Life is tense here, and everything is new to me. Im pushed to
try new things and make active changes. For instance, Im so
pressed for time that I have to find more efficient study
techniques in order to spare time for entertainment, sports and
sleep. The IB program, which emphasizes independent study, is
also challenging. I wasnt used to life here in the beginning,
and kind of overwhelmed over the past three months. Now I
think Im on the right track. Moreover, I realized my boundary,
and learned to say no to things I dont want to do.
Whats more, I met many people, although I dont really know
everyone yet. The UWC gets people from all around the world
together, which is a great opportunity to make friends. I went
hiking one day, and my friend from Czech asked, What are
the odds for someone from China and someone from Czech to
go hiking together on a sunny afternoon? I really enjoy every
moment I spent here, and we all learned from others more than
we expected. The spirit of the UWC is to break barriers and get
to know and learn from others. The only difference between
my fellows and I is that we look different. Inside everyone,
there is an adorable soul that needs understanding. I dont
know how to talk to people from Norway, because they appear
to be indifferent and only socialize with those in their circle.
However, as we became acquainted, I found they are actually
very friendly. The key to making friends is to talk.

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We have National Evening every Sunday night!
We have the National Evening every Sunday night, when
students from different countries in a region put on
performances about their own cultures. All activities were
organized by students, which indicates the UWCs trust in
students and helps them improve their capability.
Yang Qiong, student of the UWC Atlantic College

We founded Chinese Culture CAS in Costa Rica!

We founded the Chinese culture CAS in the second semester
of 2010, and it has been growing. Now we have over 10
members. Chines students are all top students here at the UWC
Costa Rica. Besides the Chinese culture CAS, we stage
celebratory activities for traditional Chinese festivals, such as
the Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn
Festival. After a years great efforts made by us, learning
Chinese has become a fashion. Almost all students know how
to greet in Chinese. Were now actively working with the the
Chinese Embassy in Costa Rica and its exchange program with
the Ministry of Education of Costa Rica to hold some activities.
Wang Ruoxu, student of the UWC Costa Rica

Staying in AC, Loving AC

The UWC Atlantic College gives you a warm feeling. It is so
peaceful with things that only appear in a fairy tale - sea, field,
forest, castle and small animals. Students from 84 countries get

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to know each other by cooking meals at the Open House Party
and introduce their countries at the National Evening activity.
Members living in a house are like families, and everyone has
its own goal and works hard for that. The tenets of the UWC
look more real to me when Im actually here. Staying in AC,
loving AC.
Shen Ruyi, student of the UWC AC

The only IB program in the world that recruits students

from dozens of countries!
The IB program offered by the UWC AC could be the worlds
only IB program that recruits students from dozens of countries.
I have never imagined having such a group of friends. In my
dormitory, there are students from China, Mexico, Italy and
Zimbabwe. Students here become friends very quickly. With
personal knowledge of each others countries and cultural
background, we learn to see the big picture and understand
things from different perspectives which constitutes a
mentality transition from juvenile to adults. With the UWC, I
also started mulling how to maximize my life and thinking
about deeper questions. Constantly encouraged to make things
happen, we try really hard to come up with ideas that may
make this world a better place.
Li Chengyue, student of the UWC Atlantic College

I lived 24 hours as a refugee!

I lived 24 hours as a refugee during a role-play activity, a

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mental and physical ordeal as well as a valuable lesson for me.
Surely I learned the cultural shock between the East and West
as a student from China. Students here learn Chinese
paper-cutting and Kung Fu in order to understand the
mysterious China, as I tried to help them learn about my
country and my culture more accurately.
Wu Nuoya, student of the Red Cross Nordic UWC

The people I know here made me what I am today

The people I know here with the UWC made me what I am
today, by which I mean those who wrote music pieces, those
who brought talent education to Indian villages, those who
interviewed local people for oral history records, those who
cycled from the north to the south of Norway and those who
experimented whether ice cream of different flavors melt with
different speed. Those crazy young people with dreams made
me understand that there is nothing impossible in life. Dare to
think and dare to be.
Xia Ting, student of the Mahindra UWC

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Author!(Right!I),!together!with!UWC!classmates

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Contents
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Fresh African Experience for Chinese Student 2
Preface: Student Remarks about UWC 6

Departure 1
First Impression 2
Stress 7
Predicament 10
Challenge 14
Ice-breaker 17
Blending 20
Philosophy 23
Unsophisticatedness 26
Enthusiasm 29
Conception 33
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Blue Sky 36
Flashback: If I Have Nine Lives 40
Flashback: A Letter for Wage Earners 43
Thinking 46
Discrimination 49
Quietness 51
Activities 53
Loneliness 57
World 60
Waterford 69
Love 72
Trekking 75
Openness 81
Life 84
Adventure 91
Bye 96
Dance 98
Impression 101
Devotion 104
Inconvenience 108
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Sport 110
Fear 113
Blessing 116
Sorghum 119
Cherish Life 122
Mindset 124
Busy 127
Respect 130
Beings (I) 133
Beings (II) 137
Dream 142
Stars 148
Study 151
Nation 155
Revelry 159
Identity 163
True or False 165
Poetry Party 171
Temporary Goodbye 174
Flashback: On the Way 177
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Tibet Flashback: A True Story (I) 180

Tibet Flashback: A True Story (II) 187

Tibet Flashback: A True Story (III) 193

Tibet Flashback: A True Story (IV) 201

Tibet Flashback: A True Story (V) 208

Tibet Flashback: A True Story (VI) 214

Tibet Flashback: A True Story (VII) 221

Wrong Way 224

Peaceful Get-together 227
Live Backwards 230
Live Awake 233
Be Yourself 237
Communist 241

German 245

Curiosity 248
On Value 252
Meditation Class 255

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Baptism in Israel (I) 260

Baptism in Israel (II) 281

Away from Home 324

Forest Adventure 328
UN Challenges (I) 331
UN Challenges (II) 343
UN Challenges (III) 360
UN Challenges (IV) 368

Postscript I: Temperature 374

Postscript II: Education Beyond the Classroom 380

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Departure

Every time something big is about to happen, it rains, which

has become quite normal, and today is not an exception.
Today is my last day in China. Over the next two or even six
years, my life is going to be changed dramatically, and today is
the last day in the greenhouse.
I will be a man tomorrow. The world is my home. The UWC
will be the society I am about to enter, while China will be such
a remote land for me.
Hence, I am going to take the road untaken.

Mike Liao
January 11, 2014. Home.
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First Impression
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I had imagined life could be hard here in Swaziland, but I did
not expect it could be so hard.
Pudong Airport, a place both familiar and strange to me,
witnesses peoples saying goodbye each other or getting
reunited every day. Some wave goodbye to their loved ones,
and some laugh to tears hugging together. For those who are
about to set off to a new journey, Pudong is a turning point.
Starting from here, I always have unusual experiences.
You never have enough in luggage, so when you have to
reduce its weight, many things you want to take are removed. I
realized later that I could have carried more stuff along with me.
Little frustrations like this happened often in the following days,
but I really hope some of the troubles, which are first-time for
me, will never happen again.

First-time being detained

The flight from Hong Kong to Johannesburg took 12 hours.
Along with the flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong and the
time waiting for transfer, the entire trip cost me about 20 hours.
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Exiting and entering countries repeatedly inevitably cause
problems. After arriving at the airport in Johannesburg, an
officer asked us to stay in the transfer zone, because you only
had visas for transferring. I thought he was kidding, because
we are getting on the school bus.
No, no. Didnt you see that? It says you have to wait in the
transit zone.
But we are with the UWC.
But your visa only allows you to stay within the transit zone.
No matter how I explained. The man kept repeating Please
remain in the transit area in 24 hours. Dai Ying had the same
problem. Two inspectors took my passport away and asked to
me to follow them to a room with no lights. A lady was very
nice to me. She doubted what I said about the UWC, and
thought we were swindled, I dont know about this school.
Look, they even didnt give a number to you. She had us wait
in the room. As we had not got through Customs, our luggage
was still out there. How did we know what would happen to
them. We felt pretty restless.
Dai Ying started missing home. We assumed we would be
better taken care of if we were in the Chinese embassy. The
workers here simply ignored us and chatted happily with each
other in English we did not understand. Whenever we tried to
talk to them, they would say, Its useless. RELAX! Why
panic? What could we do? They were so slack at work.
Fortunately, the lady tried contacting the UWC actively. I
phoned the National Committee and Dai Ying also made some
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calls. The original plan was that security guards led us to the
school bus, which involved some risks. The final decision was
that we took a small aircraft to Swaziland, and the school
booked the tickets for us. The UWC would pick us up from the
Swaziland airport. They designated some workers to move our
luggage to the plane.

First small aircraft experience

I was pretty exciting about taking a small airplane, which was
more like an adventure. As the first mainland Chinese student
in Swaziland, I view myself as a traveler, flying a small plane
to some unknown territory.
Such experience could be destined, as we had more in the days
to come. On the way that the airport bus drove us to the plane, I
saw some really nice view - green mountains, clean water, blue
sky and white clouds. The interlude at the airport was totally
worth it. We were all amazed by the breath-taking landscape. I
couldnt help thinking of people in China, many of whom
suffer from toxic air. The beautiful natural environment is the
the countrys biggest fortune. However it evolves and what
ever economic development it achieves, a country must secure
the most basic human rights - clean air and water. Do not let
the economic growth spoil the natural environment.
We saw some propeller-driven aircrafts and small-sized jets.
They looked like toy planes to many of us. When getting
onboard, we couldnt stand up straight. There were 39 seats in
three lines on the plane, which could not even hold students
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 The!sky!in!Swaziland!is!so!blue!!

from a standard-sized class. A middle-aged listless stewardess

spoke like a kindergarten teacher, and taught those near the
hatch doors how to escape in case of emergency. I actually
enjoyed the trip on a small plane very much, not because the
plane was comfortable, but what I saw outside the windows. As
the plane is designed to fly on a low altitude, we were literally
floating in clouds. We saw islands like those in Avatar as well
as beautiful villages down on the ground. The
marshmallow-like clouds made me want to eat them. The
sunshine was so strong that there were shadows of clouds on
the ground.
The flying was like riding in a roller-coaster. The bumpy

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journey did worry me a little. The plane then landed on an
airstrip. The airport of Swaziland was not modern at all. The
Custom was in a small cabin. We also saw some aeroplane
sheds, but no terminal building. I am going to study in this wild
and easy place for two years.
We were stopped again by the Customs, because we did not
have entry visas, but thanks to local students who picked us up,
we managed to leave the airport. On the way to school, we did
not see many houses. Even in the downtown of Swazilands
capital, we did not see high-rise buildings, but forests are all
over the place. I saw strong-looking black people taking care of
their kids and an endless hilly road.
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Stress

The UWC is heaven for students from Western countries, while

it could be a prison of souls in the beginning for many Chinese
students. People may envy the free study atmosphere abroad,
but the loneliness and sense of loss is something we have to
endure and overcome. Now I can totally understand why
Chinese students abroad would love to group together, because
only through this can they have the sense of belonging and
boost their confidence in Westerners social circle. The UWC
has a more complicated circumstance, as students from over 80
countries and regions have to liberate themselves as well as
overcome cultural barriers. We may want to be genuine with
people, but people around you may see that from an different
angle, so all we can do is do Tai Chi, meaning we should be
sincere when communicating with others and tolerant to their
opinions, but never compromise on cardinal issues. For
instance, Taiwanese students always emphasize that Taiwan is
a country independent from mainland China, which I firmly
object to, but I do not want to get into any disputes with them
on this.
In fact, students new to the UWC did form groups - European

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students loved to hang out with those from Europe, Asian
students chatted with Asian students and black students joked
around with people who look similar, although their jokes were
not funny at all. However, after a weeks transition, black
people, white people and yellow people talked about dreams
and future together. People left the circles they were
comfortable with and sought to know more people from the
world. Students from Iran, Afghanistan, Angola, Germany,
Denmark and Britain become my friends, from whom I was
informed of the worlds most direct and clear opinions.
With the UWC, the interpersonal communication, instead of
course study, is the most challenging.
Surely I will not fool you by saying that IB courses are easy. I
am actually not in the right place to comment on that because
my study here has not officially started, but I already know that
the challenging academic life starts from course selection. Mr.
Johan Storer, our study mentor, gave us an intro about IB
courses. It is an art to select classes, because we want to
challenge ourselves with some cool subjects in order to make
our life here worth it, get a satisfactory final score as well as
consider what majors we want to study for college, which is a
necessary path future career, he said.
The presentation helped recollect all the dreams I have had -
architecture, finance, economy, diplomocy/ambassador,
business administration and music production. They are only
big ideas of mine, and now I need something realistic and
altruistic.

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To get a full score in art is almost impossible for IB students,
so to pursue a career of architectural design will not be easy.
Given that Chinese universities, such as Tongji, Tianjin,
Southeast and Hunan, also have very competitive featured
Chinese architecture programs, American universities may not
have a great edge in this respect, especially if you want to
return to China after college. Architectural design is much
more important than an architect diploma. Diplomats all
graduate from China Foreign Affairs University. The
establishing of Shanghai Free Trade Zone indicates that
Chinas economy is set to become more open, and as I feel
naturally close to lines and tables, economy couldnt be better
for me.
All these choices were made by myself. As an 18-year-old
person, you should know what you want, which shouldnt be
stopped by your parents, because this is when you make choice
for yourselves, Storer noted. I decided to try double-subject.
Advanced mathematics, economics and music could benefit my
future career significantly.
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Predicament
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Maybe because of cultural difference, students I am acquainted
with are not bosom buddies yet. For instance, we had
conversations about where I am from and whether I am used to
life here, but topics like their favorite TV plays and idols all
sound like I did not speak English. I do not understand why
they laugh or gasp, and all I can do is laugh along with them. I
really wish that people all over the world speak one common
language, which is impossible, because the topics we all
understand are mostly not funny. At lunch, I discussed politics
with Swazi classmates, but the conversations often got stuck
because I did not know many historical terms in English. When
mentioning the standpoint of China, it was even harder to
continue. I saw many Swazi friends nod to me and an
American helped explain my remarks, but I was not sure
whether they understood what I meant.
This made me realize that Chinese students can encounter some
real culture shock here with the UWC in Africa, where white
people can communicate well with locals, because they share
the same culture background but we do not. I was like a
looker-on amid their conversation, and only occasionally said a

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few words. Without real friends, Dai Ying has already missed
home. The two years here will be challenging also in terms of
overcoming predicament of all kinds. If you do not figure that
out, life here will be unimaginably lonely and tough.
Africa is an underdeveloped continent in many peoples eyes,
and it has nothing but virgin forests depicted in TV shows.
However, the African students I met here in the UWC, many of
whom have iPhone, are keen to seek the unknown, make
friends and have much more advanced thoughts than their older
generations. My Swazi classmate told me that people in his
country are still narrow-mined, and he wants to change his
nation with what he learned. Apparently, African students here
all aspire to change the destiny of their countries by absorbing
more energy from the UWC. My friends from Afganistan and
Kenya impressed me with their outstanding academic strength,
for which we Chinese students really should not feel
complacent about our knowledge in physics and chemistry.
They may not have so good education conditions as we do, but
they crave for knowledge. The education competition from
other parts of the world is actually very fierce.
With these energetic souls, Africa has a very promising future.
There is also a kid from the US, who loves Chinese culture a
lot. He always has a Chinese pocket book with him and learns
Chinese by himself. We often talk in Chinese and he asked me
many questions. He wants to work for the NASA one day, and
hopes to work with guys in Chinas space station Tiangong. He
is from Houston, and he told me that his parents are not rich.
His ACT score and other materials all quality him for Harvard,
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but he said he needs something special to add to his
application.
Every student here has his or her ambitious goals, so their
future will surely be bright with great efforts. As one of few
yellow people here, I was quite moved by them. Days ahead
will be the days of progress and experience of unique African
spirit.
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 Experience! of! unique! African! spirit!

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Challenge
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Life with the UWC is full of challenges. We deal with cultural,
language challenges as well as cope with study pressure. One
great challenge is how to help liberate our souls, as we wear
masks when talking with people from other countries, which
inevitably hinders the communication between us. The process
of making friends is taking off the masks you put on to protect
yourself. They may feel surprised about you doing that at the
beginning, but will gradually empathize with you and remove
their masks.
Yesterday night was crazy. Lights in the hall were turned off,
and in the pitch dark room, we started to converse in order to
break the silence. Rap music rose suddenly, when everybody
shook their body fanatically. I also danced along because we
were almost invisible to each other with the protection of
darkness.
Darkness was actually a catalyst for the frenzy. People around
me put their hands in the air and screamed, feeling the freedom
from this atmosphere. My friends danced in a circle, and brave
ones performed their unique moves in the center under mobile
phone flashlights. Leos Texas cowboy dance and Brazilian
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guys Samba were followed by several minutes of awkward
silence.
Mike, why dont you dance? Come on, Mike! Their shouts
gave me goosebumps. I took center stage and danced some
moves that I did not even know. After getting the beat, I started
dancing steps in Gangnam Style. Everybody called my name,
and I felt so relaxed. The delightful feeling under my skin was
something I loved so much. I screamed and I was being mad,
which is like phoenix nirvana. Mike! Mike!
Little by little, we all took off masks and everybody saw my
unbridled enthusiasm. A black student and I took center stage. I
tap danced and he danced along opposite me. He was just about
to finish his dance when I started a moon dance. The
audiences feelings seemed to be ignited again and chanted my
name. I love that instant. The world was so beautiful and pure.
I had IB Challenges class today, which later occurred to me
that it means a days survival training and extreme sports, such
as rock climbing, rowing and tightrope walking.
These activities are not as scary as they sound, but I have to say
that rock climbing is a huge breakthrough for me. There was no
support in the air whatsoever. I have to flatten myself against
the wall, and my feet slipped on grips from time to time. Some
students climbed before I did were pretty nervous about it and
did not inch up a bit until waiting for a very long time. I tried
not to look down but always look up, which turned out to very
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We have too many paper tigers in our lives. They are
threatening at the first glance, and nobody dares to touch or try
them. However, they are ineffectual and unable to withstand
challenge.
To break illusions and get the truth is as easy as to prick a piece
of paper - all that you need is some courage.
I tried rock climbing several times later, and got faster each
time. The life I would love to scream for, whether it is a
dancing party or a challenging activity, is the real life I want.
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Ice-breaker
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Right before I started writing this blog, I was trying to throw
out a jumping bug. The bug is common in Swaziland, but
frightening to us Chinese kids from cities. Swazi children can
adeptly catch them with bare hands and put them back in nature.
The natural beings, which look unnatural to us because we are
isolated from nature for too long, are also challenges for my
study in Africa.
The UWC president gave a speech this morning, and the
opening was very straightforward.
We live in an unfair world!
The president used pictures and data to support his argument.
North America, Europe and Japan take up leading positions in
all development metrics, such as economic power,
technological advancement, life quality and education level.
Third-world countries are no match for them. The conditions in
Africa are even worse with poor compulsory education system,
underdeveloped medical treatment system and high death rate.
The UWC aims to change the status quo by addressing the gap
and avoid zero-sum games.

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Different eras have their own rules of living, as human beings
faced different challenges in hunter-gatherer, agricultural,
industrial and information societies. The wisdom society we
live in features more harmonious relationship between people,
and development is not the first priority. People create higher
production efficiency by brainpower and everyone has the right
express their opinions.
Sure, many of you study here because you want to go to better
universities, which is not a problem if you work hard over the
next two years, because you were selected to study here by
your UWC national committees, which means you are the 1%
top elites in your countries. However, do remember that youre
here not to get a diploma, because it will come naturally. What
we need do here more is to pass the influence. African
countries are making very slow progress in democracy.
Students from Africa, you need more wisdom to solve the
urgent problems Africa is facing, such as education and water
resource. Students from developed countries, you need to
understand the poor countries in Africa and help them out of
poverty in the future. Whatever you do influence others, and
similarly, life is a like a mirror here with the UWC - how
others response depends on your attitudes.
The president reiterated the conviction that the UWC students
should cherish - creating a fairer world and love all those that
surround you. As the president of the UWC, he works under a
lot of social pressure, as some parents of African students do
not support a diversified cultural and multi-racial education
model, while he has to carry on despite the objection.

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I made some true friends while eating, who are real geniuses in
a low profile. I became acquainted with many very easily, but it
was really hard to blend. Leo from the US has had very good
ACT scores with various social activities, and it is already
Harvard good, but he needs a special experience like studying
with the UWC in Africa. The Moroccan friend became the
No.1 in his country without putting in too much effort. Lloyd
from Britain was already the best in school when studying
A-level courses. Along with his impeccable experience of
saving elephants, a good university should not be a problem
either.
Maybe Chinese students do not really have an advantage in
science subjects here, because students here are the best from
countries around the world. I will blend with them and the
ice-breaking journey has started. I understand what the
president said and the difference between the students. The
next two year will be a precious experience for me, although
we still have disagreement with my Taiwanese classmates and
the African world is remote.
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Blending
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I am trying to become an expert in chatting, as I gradually
found that the easiest way to blend with my classmates is
talking, and it does not really matter what you talk about.
Silence is not golden here. People who do not talk are often
viewed as having communication problems. You may hear a lot
of nonsense, such as the beef at breakfast tastes weird,
because I tried several times to pick it up with my fork and I
just couldnt. They would like to share such trivial things with
you, which is presumably how they stay happy: be forthright.
My classmates still have the childhood innocence that has been
missed by many. Almost everything that looks common to us
looks funny in their eyes. Therefore, I adjusted myself by
revealing the innocence inside me and conversing with them on
topics such as T-shirt, patterns on it. They felt my desire to talk
and I can enter their world.
Students with the UWC here spend half of their time studying
and half time socializing. In China, students may spend 90% of
their time studying, so it was really hard to get adapted to life
here in the beginning, because it really looked unproductive
without adequate time for study and large amounts of writing

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 Swaziland! is! a! green! country!

work. The logic here is that the digesting of knowledge takes a

lot of social practice. Through socializing activities,
professional but fragmented information will be integrated into
students knowledge system, which helps them understand the
complex world and creates a power that changes the world.
We took a bus tour around the entire Swaziland Kingdom. A
man in folk costume told us about his outfit.
The white feather on my head indicates that Im an average
citizen. Only the King wears a red feature, because the King is
our sun and has the supreme power. The number of feathers
we wear cant surpass that of the King either. For instance, if
the King has three feathers, I can have two at most. My
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armband indicates that Im married. Unmarried men are always
boys here, and they cant be called men. In Swaziland, women
are symbols of wisdom, and the social status of women is much
higher than men are. Men have no wisdom without women. It
was really extraordinary to find that Swaziland is still a
matriarchal society.
Men are proud to have more wives, so they have more
wisdom and power. In case they have any problems, men
convene meetings with their wives to find the best solutions.
I believe that women are symbols of wisdom, because it has
always been so. The best example is Athena, the goddess of
wisdom. More men are going after women with wisdom
instead of women with good look.
Good look only stimulates passion, while real wisdom brings
long-lasting marriage. Liao Jianglong
Swaziland is a country covered by forests, so the view outside
the bus window did not really change. We saw greeneries, rows
of mountains and blue sky all the way. Standing on the top of a
mountain, we looked afar and embrace the pure nature.
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Philosophy

What is philosophy anyway? Leo from the US said it takes a

long time to find the answer to a philosophical question, and
some philosophical questions just do not have answers. Some
of my friends told me at the table that philosophy is boring and
its just random thoughts, while some advised me not to study
philosophy because it is too impractical. An experienced IB
second grader said the philosophy in the Theory of Knowledge
(TOK) course is sometimes ridiculous.
Students need to do the tasks by themselves, because the
teachers, instead of helping the students on papers, only ask a
bunch of questions, such as why a chair is called a chair, why
one plus one is two and why humans are called humans. Most
of the papers were written by ourselves.
I understand that the teachers want the students to seek the
nature of things, how they come out and what it is like in the
very beginning. For example, the origin of mathematics is
peoples cognition of numbers. Human beings tied knots to
calculate numbers. The cognition was then summarized into
symbols. I think the philosophy of mathematics, whether it is

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elementary or advanced mathematics, is that all equations and
models are based on the basic calculation of one plus one.
Similarly, the philosophy in biology originates from peoples
ideas about animals in the era of hunting. They learned the
habits of animals so that they know how to catch them more
easily. Here is my theory.
All philosophy originates from senses.
The senses of sight, hearing, touch and smell send signals to
our brain about things around us. We received the signals,
which are in essence unprocessed knowledge. Some say such
knowledge is philosophy, because people sense it but not
process it with logical thinking. Some disagree because
philosophy has existed prior to the beginning of human beings,
and we are only discovering them. One opinion is materialistic
and one is idealistic. TOK helps us explore these profound and
abstruse theories that are interwoven in our course study.
We can only make our own shallow judgement about these
arguments, because we do not really know philosophy. Even
real philosophers admit that their knowledge about philosophy
is limited, as it does not have precise theories about visible
things as mathematics, chemistry and biology do. Anybody can
claim himself a philosopher if they see things differently, and
others are never in the good position to tell what philosophy is
and what is not. For instance, a boy looked at the crystal clear
sky and said so beautiful! And a philosopher said this is the
end-result of my soul, broad and clear. Which is philosophy

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and which is not? Actually, the two are both philosophy and
neither of them is.
Why? This is because all philosophies originate from senses.
So beautiful may have shown similar feelings as the
philosophers statement. In the contrary, the same statement
may sounds quite different to different people.
Therefore, philosophy is intangible. We absorb the essence of
philosophy from the TOK of IB course, which could help us
understand academic learning.

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Unsophisticatedness
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We may usually think about our goals very ideally. The goals
may be too perfect for us to achieve due to the lack of
confidence. Such presumably idealized goals make the process
less important. Like by linking two dots, we need a line,
whether it is straight or curved, but by idealizing goals, we
simply fold the paper and have the two dots coincide with each
other, omitting the process of linking them.
However, we know it is impossible. The society is not as
unsophisticated as on campus. The struggle for fame and gain
make people defensive and sophisticated, when life and
thoughts are not simple any more. Blending with the society is
something everyone should learn, but is it the right direction of
life from the perspective of philosophy? It depends on what
society you are living in.
We got on the buses this morning to head for different
locations for social activities. I was assigned to move bricks
and build houses. My team carried shovels and hoes to a
remote village. The country has the most beautiful greeneries
and purest natural world. As our bus drove along, we rejoiced
that it has no factory pollutions, and I do believe that industrial
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production for small underdeveloped countries is not a good
choice. China, Vietnam, India and Indonesia are all competing
to take the leading position in manufacturing. These countries
all have a large population and growing technology industry.
Swaziland is no match in this respect.
I only hope that the land stays charming forever and Swazi
people can maintain its traditions - break the besiege and fight
heroically. They need to convert such courage and spirit into
intelligence, and find an appropriate road for itself. For
example, Swazilands high-level mechanization and clock
technology have created huge wealth for the country with very
few labors, which is a great example for Swaziland regarding
how to achieve economic growth and to minimize the
disadvantage of labor shortage.
The bus arrived at a village with many earth houses. The head
of the village took us to the construction site where his sons
and grandsons were building a house. We laid bricks and
adjusted the wall with a spirit level. We learned how to use
scraper knives and why spray water on bricks before laying
them.
This is not the point. We were in the activity to have direct
contact with the villagers. The head of the village has a blind
eye, and his other eye was very bright and looked really kind.
The wrinkles on his forehead gave away his age. He was thin
but very capable, which reminded me of my grandpa. I mean
they speak different languages and have different skin colors,
but they look so similar, because all elders love their kids,
which is universal and understandable to all. A glimpse or a
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smile best explains the affection. I was actually very moved by
the light in his eye.
The black people in Africa always greet me with a big smile,
restraining themselves from nothing. We felt flattered when
they cheered and applauded for us coming. The growth of
Swaziland calls for such unsophisticatedness - no mutual
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Enthusiasm
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Every morning I open the curtains and windows, I embrace
warm sunshine. It touches every inch of my skin, and makes
me feel brand new every day. The sunshine energizes me and
prepares me for the study. The range upon range of mountains
is endless, impressing me with the infinity of the world.
The Africa continent is full of enthusiasm. People talk and
laugh with bare feet, which are regarded the closest way to
have contact with the nature. Africans are talented. I feel lucky
that this planet still has such genuine souls. When I was still
had the impression that Africa is poor, a large number of
students are being educated here at the UWC. They are smart,
intelligent with rational thinking and big dreams. These African
students all yearn to change the future, and they are confident
about their capability to achieve peaceful development in this
continent. What is your dream? All Swazi classmates of mine
asked me this question because they have their own and would
love to make it real at all costs.
To put it simply, Africans are people of character.
Honestly speaking, I was pretty astonished to find that African

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students speak fluent English and have their own thinking,
because what I had learned about the continent - backward and
dull - was completely not the case. They use iPhones, wear
fashionable clothes, listen to pop music and have an open mind.
Some said it is because they are students with the UWC, with
which I do not agree. Ive been to many places of the country
and got to know many nice people here since ten days ago
when I just arrived. They love to make friends with you. I did
not feel uncomfortable to have pictures taken with them even if
they use a Nokia phone. They are much more passionate than
my friends in China.
While doing social services in the village, I found high school
students of my age help build houses and do housework, and
we had many common topics, such as geography, climate and
culture, which are well beyond the life in the village. We even
danced to music together. All I saw were people of great
passion, wisdom and courage. More and more philanthropists
are coming to Africa, including the UWC teachers from around
the globe, who would love to contribute their knowledge and
time and do not seek fame or wealth. The improving
democratization, education and opening-up are boosting the
exponential growth of this continent. Instead of developing an
economy that was driven by economic invasion like what
Britain and the US did, Africa uses its wisdom to win the
worlds understanding and trust.
All students with the UWC are very friendly with big smiles.
Not only those from Africa, students from Vietnam, Taiwan,
mainland China, Britain, the US and Brunei talk about

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 Be! a! dreamer!!

education and social systems together without caring about

which countries we are from. Maybe Chinese and Japanese
students studying in the UWC in Hong Kong are discussing
territory issues. Maybe Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese
students with the UWC in Canada are exchanging ideas about
unification. Maybe Palestinian and Israeli students with the
Armenia UWC are talking about peace and development.
Maybe the blending of ancient civilizations and modern
cultures has become a topic for student discussion at the UWC
in Britain. The UWC students are leading the world in the right
direction by thawing frozen relationships with passion.
Lloyd told me that animals are beautiful beings. Leo from the

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US admitted that the US has made many mistakes. Hai Hong
from Vietnam said the country is making efforts. Harmer from
Swaziland said the government needs to change.
This is a changing world, I said.
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Conception
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My studying at the UWC very much resembles Xiaolongn and
Yang Guos practicing martial arts in the Ancient Tomb as
narrated in the novel The Return of the Condor Heroes. As
they would go out of the tomb to take adventures, I will
graduate and embrace the world.
I go to church by bus every Sunday, as I view it as an
after-class philosophy class for me, although I am not a
Christian. Different people make prayers as well as make
speeches about life, the Bible and God every week. A German
American gave a speech about his understanding of God today,
which amazed all of us. I regretted not recording it, but I noted
down several key words to recollect his prayer.
Ideas. Good meaning. Meaning of life. Identity. Story.
Following is a summary of the speech.
How are you? My friends. We are all here to listen to the voice
of God, and I am only an interpreter here to pass his voice.
Every word and sentence Im going to say today is Gods will.
I belong to Him and He owns me, but I am not possessed by
God. God created me because He thinks it is necessary for me
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to exist in the world. Christians are great because our heart
does not belong to ourselves. I am not me. We have a broader
mind, because we have committed ourselves to God. The
conception of me does not only exist in my body, but also the
whole world. Instead of being selfish, we should have a broad
and admirable mind. You may not see what I mean. Let me
give you an example.
My nephew came to Africa in 1993. As an International
volunteer, he served in Mozambique and Swaziland. He did not
have a place to stay at night at that time, so he spent 30 nights
in schools and churches. You may remember that it was when
the apartheid was just put to an end. He once entered a village,
and the black people in the village stared at him wherever he
went, which made him very uncomfortable. He was touched all
over by adults and kids there, and they screamed and trembled
after touching him. Why did they do that to me? my nephew
asked me. People under 20 have never seen white people
because they have never been outside the village, so you are
weird in their eyes, I laughed.
This is a story of my nephew, but it could have happened to
many of you. Some people may think you are ugly and some
may have told you that they do not like you. Hearing these
words, you should forgive them instead of getting angry,
because they have not been out of village. They are too
narrow-minded to discover your beauty. You may look weird
in their eyes, but you may look extremely beautiful to some
others. You should feel sorry for them instead of being
frustrated by their remarks. Such people do not deserve liking

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you. At some point, the God will dispatch some one that
deserves liking you to like you, and you should be grateful for
that.
Who are you? You are me and I belong to God. You seek your
true identity, but through a journey arranged by God. God is
always good, according to the Bible. What does that mean?
When challenges come, never give up, because it is Gods will.
God wants you to meet the challenges and find a better you. If
you back away, you are acting against Gods will, and He is not
giving you a better future because it is not the way it works.
Therefore, you should be grateful, because God loves you and
He wishes to give you more.
My honorable friends, life is beautiful, and predicament is only
part of it. When you cry, God is always with you. May God
bless you all.
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Blue Sky
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Swaziland impressed me the most with its blue sky and white
clouds when I just arrived in the country, by which I mean
clouds as white as cotton and sky as blue as ocean.
I went shopping downtown this afternoon. After coming back, I
decided to go to the computer room. On my way there, I saw an
overcast sky with rolling clouds like roaring sea waves. Birds
in the sky were like fish in the stormy sea. The heavenly world
reversed everything in the earthly world. The clouds pressed
down upon the ground when it flew by grasslands and houses. I
even touched the tail of clouds, which felt cold and wet.
Touching clouds was like touching the sky, which was quite an
amazing experience. A friend of mine from a higher grade told
me that from the top of the small hill near our sports ground,
people can see clouds under your feet that resemble
cotton-made mattress extending to the far distance. When there
is a heavy wind, it is like walking on air.
I really wish to climb the hill someday and live like an
immortal.
Swaziland never bores me, because even the most common

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natural phenomenon here fascinates me. First day in the county,
I was amazed by the green grassland, white clouds and two
rainbows that appeared simultaneously in concentric
semi-circles after rain. One rainbow spanned across the
mountain ranges, and the other was more like a shadow. It was
a pity that I did not have the whole view taken with a good
camera, but I did take photos of them with my camera. That
was really a lavish gift for my first meeting with the country. I
was grateful and awed.
I love the fresh, sweet air here in Swaziland. It is not
exaggerated to say breathing here is like eating candies or
bread. The PM2.5 number was zero when I checked today,
which means the air I breathe was absolutely clean. I couldnt

The! air! in! Swaziland! is! sweet! (1)!

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help inhaling more and plan to breathe to my hearts content
during the two years study here, because it is now a luxury for
Chinese people to even see blue sky and white clouds. The
worrying air quality is a result of fast economic growth, and we
should not let such growth damage our primary source of
happiness, which is a clean natural environment.
A beautiful day gets started with blue sky and white clouds.
Golden sunshine, chirping birds and buzzing insects wake me
every morning. I walk out of the door in a T-shirt. Strolling in
the light breeze, I am like swimming in a pool with water from
a pure mountain spring. Smelling the fragrance of flowers, I
run towards the classroom.

The! air! in! Swaziland! is! sweet! (2)!

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However, a depressing day starts with gloomy sunshine,
because of the dusts in the air, which keeps you dozy. I may
wake up late and hurry to school by bike. All the way I see
heavy traffic and inhale small particles that are almost invisible
but definitely unpleasant. Feeling dizzy in classroom, I may get
lost and doubt what my future will be like.
Therefore, I really appreciate the Gods blessing, and Im going
to church tomorrow.
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Flashback: If I Have Nine Lives
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One life for becoming sophisticated. Human beings are
burdened with desires, many of which do not make much sense
but frustrate mortals make them helpless when desires are not
satisfied. I will have one life to wrestle with such desires.
Revelry day and night does not help you make real friends, and
people that cannot be more intimate when drinking together
may actually be enemies. All that glitters is not gold, and velvet
paws kill. The world is full of dangers that make innocent souls
gullible.
One life for discovering beautiful things. We are often too busy
to be conscious of beautiful things around us. I will have one
life to discover and enjoy such things - impressive sunrise,
peaceful water villages, amazing natural philosophy and
disheartening sunset.
One life for seeking the truth. Truth and facts are sacred
presents from God. I will take my time to find out the law of
nature with this life. Scientists, mathematicians, physicists,
philosophers and musicians are on their road to truth in their
sectors. It is really admirable that they have such pure pursuits.

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One life for chasing dreams. Men live for their dreams, big or
small. The passion for dreams keeps motivating people.
Regardless of stereotypes of others and pressure from existing
social customs, I want to realize my dreams. I have dreamed of
having a home flying in the air. Unrestrained happiness comes
from fantastic ideas, which guides my life.
One life for my love. With this life I will be crazy for love. I
will spend every day with the one I love, doing everything for
her, giving her hugs and kisses, and treating her with great care.
I will never leaver her. Life is all about love, from cradle to
grave. Love is more profound with all lifes efforts.
One life for doing volunteer work. Do well and have well,
Buddha said. I am not a Buddhist, but I firmly believe that
what goes around comes around. I will help old people that fell
down up from the ground. I will give water to tired
construction workers. I will encourage crying kids to be brave.
I will tell the disabled that we treat them with respect instead of
sympathy. I will go to teach in schools in remote countryside,
and hopefully change their lives.
One life for requiting favors. I will spend this life repaying
debts of gratitude. I will keep my mother and my grandparents
company for the rest of their lives. I will repair my fathers
tomb and let him rest in peace after a really hard-working life.
My mother supports the whole family. I feel remorse for
having misunderstood her occasionally. Some people complain
about their chattering parents, while I think they are actually
fortunate to have such parents. For kids, indifference of parents
does more harm. I would rather have parents that spoil me. I
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will use this life to repay my mother and friends for their
kindness.
One life for traveling. People travel to better understand
themselves as well as get to know the world, whether in luxury
hotels or tents. I would love to roam in the nature, like what
Yang Guo experienced during the 16 years that he was not with
Xiaolongn.
Last life for going back to the zero point. Not impressed by
favor or disgrace, I watch flowers bloom and fade in my
courtyard; not caring where I live, I gaze at clouds scudding
across the sky, said Hong Zicheng in Caigentan. The zero
point could be the highest level of life. Humans cry when they
were born and smile when they die. Life is part of the samsara.
Leslie Cheung killed himself for being puzzled about spirititual
pursuit. With this life, I do not pursue anything, but spiritual
quietness.
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Flashback: A Letter for Wage Earners

Why do I write this letter? I saw a middle-aged cleaner at the

gate of my school this afternoon. She was talking with a man in
dark classes and suit in a Benz. How am I comparable with
you? Cleaners like us earn only about one or two bucks for
working so long. Although I do not know why she said that, I
can sense jealousy, helplessness and discontent. I rode my bike
away, but her words cleaners like us kept echoing in my
mind.
She was imply something, like cleaners like us are inferior,
when she said that. But is it really like that?
I want to dedicate this letter to wage earners in China. The
following four suggestions may change their attitude towards
lives, by referring to which they may live more fulfilling and
happier lives than those successful people.
A. Neither humble nor pushy
Never view earning wages as something embarrassing, when
you are with your kids, friends or loved ones. If you think your
work is inferior, you should not blame others for treating you
like someone inferior, or they being snobbish, because you
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deny yourself from inside. One may not deserve respect if he
has a low self-esteem. Therefore, if you feel proud of your
work, you may work with a happy mood. For example,
construction worker could be some career of great significance
to you. Jeering remarks will mean nothing, because you have
the confidence to laugh it off. Wage earners with broad mind
may live more easily than rich people without it. People around
you will also change their attitude towards you and treat you
equally.
B. Read more
Do you like reading? Instead of drinking, playing mahjong or
becoming addicted to smartphone, wage earners really should
spend more time reading books after work, which both relax
you and cultivate your cultural taste. Just imagine how cool it
is if you can quote ancient articles when talking with your
workmates, or speak English fluently with foreigners, which is
even cooler than owning an iPhone. Remember, improving
yourself by taking in knowledge is forever more effective,
pragmatic and respectable than flaunting luxuries. Wage labors
may complain that they do not have the luck, and it is an unfair
world. Instead of complaining, they should really study more.
Otherwise, they will be useless even if great opportunities
come up.
C. Mind your manners
This is particularly important. When a car drives backwards
from a parking space and get in the way, will you break out in
curses, or wait patiently? When you ride the wrong way on a

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one-way street and hit someone, will you shout hey, watch
out, or say sorry? When you eat in a restaurant, do you speak
loudly despite others stares or have table manners? If you
mind your manners in such occasions, you will be respected,
even if you speak with strong accents and even if you do not
look shining.
D. Do it for kids
Kids are new. They are not different because of the families
they were born into. Do not define them with social status,
because every kid is a blank sheet of paper. How they grow
into depends on the environment. Treat them with more love
and care instead of lecturing and beating. Never vent your
frustration at work on kids. Listen to them about their life at
school. Do not choose what to do for kids. Create a good
environment for kids to learn, read with kids and teach them
how to be instead of how to be sophisticated. Do not play
mahjong or watch TV when they do homework. Kids grown up
in a family that does not cherish time are different from those
in a family that has a very full agenda. Kids are your hope.
By following the suggestions above, your life will be different
and will no longer be distressed about complains or jealousy,
because you are equally important and respected.
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Thinking
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What is culture? How do you define it? What is the strangest
culture in your country? Let me do a survey first to see how
many countries are the twenty of you from? Lets get started
with Mike.
Hey, Im Mike from mainland China.
The survey result was surprising, because we, from 15
countries, have different ideas about the definition of culture.
This is how my English Language and Literature class got
started. Although the word culture is repeatedly mentioned as
in cultural conflict, Chinese culture, Western culture and black
culture, we have been vague about the exact definition.
Now, please put down your answer to the question by
brainstorming or whatever.
It seemed that neither my classmates nor I had a proper answer.
The word is so general, so I dont know to summarize it, Mia
from Finland said. Because everything is culture, say my
language is culture, my blonde hair is culture and what I wear
is also culture, so its really hard to explain, she continued.

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Therefore, she wrote Culture is and stopped there. I added
everything after that, which is obviously easy.
This is so nonsense, my Swazi friend kindly reminded me,
seeing me being happy about my answer. It indeed is when I
read the answer again. Give me a sec, I did not give up.
Culture is something we are exposed to every day. It is also a
geography-related term, because without mentioning a region,
there is no such thing called culture. Besides, culture
proactively influences what I see and hear, because when we
developed a cultural cognition, we will see the world
differently from when we have not. Hence I put down the
following description, Culture is everything that you see, you
hear, you smell, you touch and uncountable senses of a definite
local area; it dynamically influences the way we see the world
around us.
Mrs. Collin gave an approving remark about our result, Very
nice. It not only mentioned how culture influences us, but also
the role we play in shaping a culture, which is also something
Id like to say, that is, we and culture are bilaterally affected.
The teacher had few comments through the entire class, but just
asked some questions. I was at first a little concerned about the
teaching method, from which I did not learn a lot.
Did I learn anything from the class? I mull that question for
long after it was over. No only for the English class, geography,
biology and mathematics teachers are all like lookers-on. It is
the students that keep asking questions and having discussions.
The teachers are even a little dumb in my eyes. In contrast, my

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Chinese teachers are so knowledgable and well-learned.
I spent some time in the library after the day was over. The
reading made me realize that the teachers were actually
teaching us how to study, because as I browsed the pages, the
content in the book reminded me of comments by classmates
and questions from teachers, who are more like mentors
guiding us.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to
fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
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Discrimination
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My Chinese class requires us to read some foreign literature in
English and write reviews about them. The teacher wants us to
cultivate the habit of reading, so he expands the book list from
time to time, although many of them have nothing to do with
the Chinese class. We read two books a week and all are about
black culture. For people with knowledge about black culture
like me, the books are easy to read but difficult to understand. I
tried to find the Chinese versions of the novels, but did not find
any. Americans, Europeans and Africans may find more
empathy in the works, because their countries have all
experienced bloodshed and fights due to racial discriminations.
One book I read was The collector of treasures by Bessie
Head from Botswana. The four-section novel tells stories about
wizards and women, slutty wife and relentless husband, and
heretic people, who did not believe in God, deservedly died an
unnatural death. Although I go to church every Sunday, I was
still confused by what I read. From Wikipedia, I know that
Head was born in South Africa, but expelled to Botswana
because of racial apartheid. My understanding of the novel
deepened with the knowledge about the authors life. Every

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section of the novel criticizes racial discrimination. In one story,
a woman murdered her husband, who abandoned her for years,
and yearned for a quiet life away from colonists. The woman
incarnates the lives of all black women in South Africa, who
are tortured, humiliated and scolded, but do not refuse to give
their kids the warmest love heartily.
Racial discrimination was not as often highlighted through
Chinese history as it was in other cultures, because most
Chinese people are pretty open about ethnicities, although
racial discrimination does exist in China. My English teacher
used to tell me that some English training schools prioritize the
recruitment of white people over the black in their ad. Some
may ridiculously believe that white people are good,
better-educated people, while black people are uncivilized
savages. We have many black teachers with the UWC, and they
are absolutely outstanding knowledgable educators. My
economics teacher knows more about Chinese economic
conditions than I do, because he read myriads of magazines,
books about economic structures of countries around the world.
About 80% of my friends here in UWC are black. They are
optimistic, open-minded and genuine, who are mostly needed
in modern society.
As what is said in Apples Think Different ad:
While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can
change the world, are the ones who do.
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Quietness
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The rain has just stopped, and the world outside is quiet. The
UWC is asleep.
I like the world free of disturbance, which triggers more
thoughts. I am wondering what people here are doing on such a
rainy day.
Today might not be a good day for the family who are building
their house in the village where I did community services last
week. The rain may wash away the newly prepared concrete
and earth walls. They wish the rain would stop soon and their
house be ready in no time. As Africans, they also would love to
see rains, which end the scorching days that have made them
exhausted and bring coolness. They could take the day off and
dance some Swazi dances in the rain. Or maybe they are sitting
on a small stool quietly, gazing at the rain outside with their
mind wandering. They may think of their compatriots living in
other countries, or two thirds of the lifetime spent on building
walls (the head of the village has built walls for over 40 years
out of his over 60 years of life). In my dorm, I am watching the
pouring rain, and hopes that the rain brings more happiness
than troubles.
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In the rain, people look as pious as praying Christians. Without
swinging any leverage, the God made all human beings bow
and walk with their heads low in such rainy days. We stopped
being proud, bent slightly forward and looked down at the
ground like a scholar mulling on a difficult puzzle. A quiet
rainy day is also suitable Zen meditation, which cleans the soul
and teaches us to be modest and tolerant. Life is like a walking
journey in the rain and seeking something unknown.
The UWC calmed down after two hustling weeks. The teachers
seemed to be more friendly, watching us drenched. Students
were enlightened by the rain, as they adjusted themselves and
started studying with a more peaceful mind. Rain has always
been a great sedative and condiment. Without rain, seeing
people off is less impressive. If we wave a friend off on a
sunny day, the melancholy is supposedly less unforgettable
than. With rain and ripples in the lake, I bid farewell to my
friends on a boat. The profile of the boat gradually blurred in
the rain and the fog over the lake. Tears in eyes, I watch the
boat disappear completely. Rain does not change the fact my
friend has left, but it does changes our impression about it.
Quiet school is a good start, when people learn to respect each
other, become relaxed and get rid of all the unnecessary
thoughts.
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Activities

I made two decisions today. First, I gave up geography and

chose to major in music. Second, I joined the UWCs jazz
band.
Giving up geography is hard, because my geography teacher
told us that students all got six or seven (seven is the highest
score) in the past several years, which means my geography
score would not be a problem. I was pretty confused whether I
should impress the university I want to apply for with good
scores or just follow my heart.
You should pick the course you like the most, and dont worry
about the scores. Students did get seven last year. American
universities are very interested in students that take IB art
courses, because such students may help promote their image
and do social services. My mentor, a British gentleman,
supported my idea.
Mike, this is the wisest choice Ive ever heard recently, the
dean of studies said when I told him my decision.
Oh, by the way, an IB two student that studies psychology just
dropped in for an experiment. He gave me a name list of
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famous people, such as Jay, Beyonce and Messi. Obviously I
have known their names for a long time.
Whats your name?
Moni.
You study psychology?
Yeah.
Your experiment is about short-term memory, right?
How did you know that, bro? Youve learned psychology
before?
Im an expert in psychology.
What?! Am I doing an experiment with a psychology expert?
This guy is cute. Did he really buy that? I only read a few
pages of psychology textbooks. I am majored in music now.
The Swaziland UWC is heaven for music lovers, because we
have music teachers from London College of Music and sound
engineers from Berklee College of Music. I was even more
impressed that we have seven pianos, various guitars,
orchestral and percussion music instruments. There are music
classes every evening, teaching clarinet, piano, guitar and vocal
music. A large number of students have had music classes, as it
is a place that tempts everyone to love music. I joined the jazz
band this afternoon. All music students know that solo could be
dull, but an ensemble could create something really thrilling.

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Activities of various types occupied my spare time, as I spend
at least 10 hours on sports, music and social activities every
week. You do not need a permission or examination to form a
society here in the UWC. All that needs is a notice on the wall.
For example, we have a very interesting psychology
experiment, and students with or without interest are invited to
join us. These activities are all voluntary without the
intervention of school faculties, but they are part of the IB
course.
Lloyd said the IB program here in the Swaziland UWC is far
more challenging that the A-level courses he studied back in
Welsh.

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My! guitar! performance! at! the! local! bar!

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Loneliness
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Du Zhongpins dad drove a truck with the Taiwan Medical
Mission logo to pick us up this afternoon. At the age of 58, he
already has white hair. We arrived at his villa, which is literally
empty except for medical equipment of various types on the
tables here and there. There is a sofa, some kitchen utensils and
some cupboards.
Dus parents live separately in Swaziland and Taiwan. Her
mom has sisters back in Taiwan, and Du lives only with her
dad in Swaziland. When her dad returned Taiwan for vacation,
Du is alone here. I wonder if she will feel lonely in this African
country unknown to many. Frankly speaking, although
Swaziland has the best natural views and cleanest air, we know
that how black people here think of us students from Asia. We
are always foreigners and on-lookers in their eyes. Unlike
Canada, where there are many Chinese people, most Asians
here are migrants and volunteers from Taiwan. Poor Internet
and mobile phone signals make Swaziland a good place for
self-cultivation as well as isolation from the world. Dus dad is
a doctor with the Taiwan Medical Mission. He was with black
patients every day. I can imagine that after a days busy work,

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this man in his late 50s steps into this quiet villa, looks around
at the empty living room and listens to chirping insects and
twittering birds from the outside. Isnt that sad?
It is the Spring Festival now. Friends back in Taiwan are
setting off firecrackers to celebrate, but this man can do
nothing but sit here in solitude.
This reminds me of Chinas diplomats dispatched to countries
at war, such as Bolivia, Yemen and Syria. They may not have a
lot of friends there and have to solve problems all by
themselves. Some students look forward to lives like that,
partly because they want to get away from school and live
more freely. Well, here is something I believe in
Soul can be shackled by absolute freedom.
With no school tasks and with freedom to do whatever you
want, will you feel happy? Maybe you do in the beginning, but
after a month, you may get lost and do not know what to do
with your life. Therefore, people look forward to freedom, but
absolute freedom is something that makes you want to go back
to a regular life, which is also why students crave for the new
term after a one-month vacation. I would say freedom and
loneliness are both relative.
Compared to the challenge of stressful schoolwork, Dai Ying
and I are more spiritually worn out. As we chose to study
abroad, we cannot go back to the living conditions in China.
We have to handle problems we had never thought about all by
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Chinese kids spent three hard-working years in high school
mainly on schoolwork, and as most of them are accompanied
by their parents during this period, the growing pains do not
start affecting them until college. I am having these pains in
advance, because I am taking on social and national
responsibilities (we are the first mainland Chinese students that
study in the Swaziland UWC). We know what loneliness and
helplessness are like, but more importantly, we are moved by
this experience.

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World
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Teachers always say something that surprises all. "Is the world
we live in real?" My biology teacher raised the question today.
Why? The teacher asked us whether the cells we observed
through optical microscope or electron microscope were real,
speaking of the Theory of Knowledge (TOK). I did not get it at
first.
"OK. For example, I can say green plants are not green." I was
even more confused.
"I mean, plants look green only because they reflect the green
light of sun light, but I can't say plants are green. Or plants
themselves are not green, but with the processing of our retinas,
they look green." The teacher is to make a point that the cells
are processed by microscopes, so the cells may not look like
what we saw.
Is that a sophistry? I have no idea, but the teacher asked an
even weirder question, "Are we living a real world? Are what
we saw cheating us and the real world look completely
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"Don't spend time on such questoins. These are questions
without answers. Just live your life. These philosophical
questions will lead you to abyss." Dai Ying told me.
The teacher suggested me to read books by Steven Hawking
about realism.
A few years ago the city council of Monza, Italy, barred pet
owners from keeping gold-fish in curved fishbowls. The
sponsors of the measure explained that it is cruel to keep a fish
in a bowl because the curved sides give the fish a distorted
view of reality.

Aside from the measures significance to the poor goldfish, the

story raises an interesting philosophical question: How do we
know that the reality we perceive is true?
The goldfish is seeing a version of reality that is different from
ours, but can we be sure it is any less real? For all we know, we,
too, may spend our entire lives staring out at the world through
a distorting lens.
In physics, the question is not academic. Indeed, physicists and
cosmologists are finding themselves in a similar predicament to
the goldfishs. For decades we have strived to come up with an
ultimate theory of everythingone complete and consistent set
of fundamental laws of nature that explain every aspect of
reality. It now appears that this quest may yield not a single
theory but a family of interconnected theories, each describing

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its own version of reality, as if it viewed the universe through its
own fishbowl.
This notion may be difficult for many people, including some
working scientists, to accept. Most people believe that there is
an objective reality out there and that our senses and our
science directly convey information about the material world.
Classical science is based on the belief that an external world
exists whose properties are definite and independent of the
observer who perceives them. In philosophy, that belief is called
realism.
Those who remember Timothy Leary and the 1960s, however,
know of another possibility: ones concept of reality can depend
on the mind of the perceiver. That viewpoint, with various
subtle differences, goes by names such as antirealism,
instrumentalism or idealism. According to those doctrines, the
world we know is constructed by the human mind employing
sensory data as its raw material and is shaped by the
interpretive structure of our brains. This viewpoint may be
hard to accept, but it is not difficult to understand. There is no
way to remove the observer - us - from our perception of the
world.
The way physics has been going, realism is becoming difficult
to defend. In classical physicsthe physics of Newton that so
accurately describes our everyday experiencethe
interpretation of terms such as object and position is for the
most part in harmony with our commonsense, realistic
understanding of those concepts. As measuring devices,
however, we are crude instruments.
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Physicists have found that everyday objects and the light we see
them by are made from objectssuch as electrons and
photonsthat we do not perceive directly. These objects are
governed not by classical physics but by the laws of quantum
theory.
The reality of quantum theory is a radical departure from that
of classical physics. In the framework of quantum theory,
particles have neither definite positions nor definite velocities
unless and until an observer measures those quantities. In
somecases, individual objects do not even have an independent
existence but rather exist only as part of an ensemble of many.
Quantum physics also has important implications for our
concept of the past. In classical physics, the past is assumed to
exist as a definite series of events, but according to quantum
physics, the past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a
spectrum of possibilities. Even the universe as a whole has no
single past or history. So quantum physics implies a different
reality than that of classical physics - even though the latter is
consistent with our intuition and still serves us well when we
design things such as buildings and bridges.
These examples bring us to a conclusion that provides an
important framework with which to interpret modern science.
In our view, there is no picture- or theory-independent concept
of reality. Instead we adopt a view that we call
model-dependent realism: the idea that a physical theory or
world picture is a model (generally of a mathematical nature)
and a set of rules that connect the elements of the model to
observations. According to model-dependent realism, it is

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pointless to ask whether a model is real, only whether it agrees
with observation. If two models agree with observation, neither
one can be considered more real than the other. A person can
use whichever model is more convenient in the situation under
consideration.

Do Not Attempt to Adjust the Picture

The idea of alternative realities is a mainstay of todays popular
culture. For example, in the science-fiction film The Matrix the
human race is unknowingly living in a simulated virtual reality
created by intelligent computers to keep them pacified and
content while the computers suck their bioelectrical energy
(whatever that is). How do we know we are not just
computer-generated characters living in a Matrix-like world? If
we lived in a synthetic, imaginary world, events would not
necessarily have any logic or consistency or obey any laws. The
aliens in control might find it more interesting or amusing to
see our reactions, for example, if everyone in the world
suddenly decided that chocolate was repulsive or that war was
not an option, but that has never happened. If the aliens did
enforce consistent laws, we would have no way to tell that
another reality stood behind the simulated one. It is easy to call
the world the aliens live in the "real" one and the
computer-generated world a false one. But iflike usthe
beings in the simulated world could not gaze into their universe
from the outside, they would have no reason to doubt their own
pictures of reality.
The goldfish are in a similar situation. Their view is not the
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same as ours from outside their curved bowl, but they could still
formulate scientific laws governing the motion of the objects
they observe on the outside. For instance, because light bends
as it travels from air to water, a freely moving object that we
would observe to move in a straight line would be observed by
the goldfish to move along a curved path. The goldfish could
formulate scientific laws from their distorted frame of reference
that would always hold true and that would enable them to
make predictions about the future motion of objects outside the
bowl. Their laws would be more complicated than the laws in
our frame, but simplicity is a matter of taste. If the goldfish
formulated such a theory, we would have to admit the
goldfishs view as a valid picture of reality.
A famous real-world example of different pictures of reality is
the contrast between Ptolemys Earth-centered model of the
cosmos and Copernicuss sun-centered model. Although it is
not uncommon for people to say that Copernicus proved
Ptolemy wrong, that is not true. As in the case of our view
versus that of the goldfish, one can use either picture as a model
of the universe, because we can explain our observations of the
heavens by assuming either Earth or the sun to be at rest.
Despite its role in philosophical debates over the nature of our
universe, the real advantage of the Copernican system is that
the equations of motion are much simpler in the frame of
reference in which the sun is at rest.
Model-dependent realism applies not only to scientific models
but also to the conscious and subconscious mental models we
all create to interpret and understand the everyday world. For

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example, the human brain processes crude data from the optic
nerve, combining input from both eyes, enhancing the
resolution and filling in gaps such as the one in the retinas
blind spot. Moreover, it creates the impression of
three-dimensional space from the retinas two-dimensional data.
When you see a chair, you have merely used the light scattered
by the chair to build a mental image or model of the chair. The
brain is so good at model-building that if people are fitted with
glasses that turn the images in their eyes upside down, their
brains change the model so that they again see things the right
way up - hopefully before they try to sit down.

Glimpses of the Deep Theory

In the quest to discover the ultimate laws of physics, no
approach has raised higher hopesor more controversy - than
string theory. String theory was first proposed in the 1970s as
an attempt to unify all the forces of nature into one coherent
framework and, in particular, to bring the force of gravity into
the domain of quantum physics. By the early 1990s, however,
physicists discovered that string theory suffers from an awkward
issue: there are five different string theories. For those
advocating that string theory was the unique theory of
everything, this was quite an embarrassment. In the mid-1990s
researchers started discovering that these different
theoriesand yet another theory called supergravityactually
describe the same phenomena, giving them some hope that
they would amount eventually to a unified theory. The theories
are indeed related by what physicists call dualities, which are a
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kind of mathematical dictionaries for translating concepts back
and forth. But, alas, each theory is a good description of
phenomena only under a certain range of conditionsfor
example, at low energies. None can describe every aspect of the
universe.
String theorists are now convinced that the five different string
theories are just different approximations to a more
fundamental theory called M-theory. (No one seems to know
what the "M" stands for. It may be master, miracle or
mystery, or all three.) People are still trying to decipher the
nature of M-theory, but it seems that the traditional
expectation of a single theory of nature may be untenable and
that to describe the universe we must employ different theories
in different situations. Thus, Mtheory is not a theory in the
usual sense but a network of theories. It is a bit like a map. To
faithfully represent the entire Earth on a flat surface, one has to
use a collection of maps, each of which covers a limited region.
The maps overlap one another, and where they do, they show
the same landscape. Similarly, the different theories in the
M-theory family may look very different, but they can all be
regarded as versions of the same underlying theory, and they all
predict the same phenomena where they overlap, but none
works well in all situations.
Whenever we develop a model of the world and find it to be
successful, we tend to attribute to the model the quality of
reality or absolute truth. But M-theory, like the goldfish
example, shows that the same physical situation can be
modeled in different ways, each employing different

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fundamental elements and concepts. It might be that to
describe the universe we have to employ different theories in
different situations. Each theory may have its own version of
reality, but according to model-dependent realism, that
diversity is acceptable, and none of the versions can be said to
be more real than any other. It is not the physicists traditional
expectation for a theory of nature, nor does it correspond to
our everyday idea of reality. But it might be the way of the
universe.
Stephen Hawking

Each TOK class made me feel I was living in a fantastic world,

but these theories do make my life different.
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Waterford
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I am standing,
On the scorched African continent.
Before I came here,
Africa is nothing,
But an imaginary view like this:
Blue sky, white clouds and an expanse of deserts and
grasslands,
Along with starving black people and burning hot land.
Brilliant light and desert constituted a golden world.
Africa was one country to me,
Whether it was South Africa, Sudan or Zambia.
Old people sang ancient ballads,
And little kids whined on ground.
People lived primitive lives,
And the vast continent was lively.
Now,
Like a dream,
I am here in Africa,
Having fresh air,
Amazing blue sky,
Enthusiastic, straightforward black people,

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And exciting experiences.
My friends,
Talk about embracing the future with zeal.
Every speech by them,
Manifested that Africa is full of hope,
And people are living happy and comfortable lives.
People form Kenya, Zimbabwe and Mozambique,
Map the continents future,
with their fluent English,
And philosophical thinking.
Waterford,
Utopia of kingdoms.
Friends with common goals,
From all over the world,
Grow here.
Two years from now,
We will see again.
Ten years from now,
We become independent.
Twenty years from now,
We own the world.
Thirty years from now,
We change the world.

Jianglong
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 Walk! to! the! world!

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Love

What is love? A student from a higher grade sent an invitation

to us this morning.
Tomorrow is the Valentines Day. We will have roses and
letters for you. Each rose is sold for 20 bucks. All money go to
charity, and you will be clearly informed of how the money is
spent. The music hall and theater will be open to all of you
tomorrow evening. Time flies! Seize the chance! Date someone
you love there.
There was a burst of excitement among the students, and the
president also laughed out loud. The UWC is really a horrible
place. When Chinese schools are doing everything they can to
stop students from falling in love, it is encouraged fair and
square here.
However, love is not playing house. When asked by our mentor
about what is love. Students all seem to have their own ideas.
Love is to like someone.
Love is being responsible.
Love is
The mentor is also our economics teacher, a black man that
loves to make jokes.
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In Christianity, love is defined in three ways. I kind of forget
about the exact wording, but it generally means that there are
three types of love - some treat love as toys, so they dont play
them any more when getting bored; some view love as
responsibility, such as raising kids and taking care of their
loved ones; some regard love as something divine, so they seek
spiritual connection from their other half. Mike, if you received
three letters on the Valentines Day, try to figure out what types
of love they are. Kids, this is not a game. Youve grown up, but
love is not as simple as you think. I think what he said makes
sense.
You can go out and date on the day, but boys, please take only
one girl with you. Dont say you have three girlfriends in this
school. Thats disloyal. Everybody laughed.
Todays discussions amazed me, not the first time since I came
to the UWC. There was even a sex talk activity during the
campus activity week, which taught us how to put on a condom
and how to babysit on dummies. People in China still feel
pretty embarrassed about sex. Although we were given books
about sex education or AIDS every term, no one really cares
about it, because we were occupied by zillions of exercises. For
sex knowledge, most Chinese kids are self-taught. We are
also quite conservative about such topics. Sex and love is
beautiful and pure in nature, but views about it may vary
depending on how people think about it. China does not
provide sufficient education on love and sex, causing many
negative outcomes. As the saying goes, if all you see is crap,
you have crap inside you.
Similarly, if you feel awkward about love education, you are
not comfortable with yourself. If you think knowledge about
sex is disgusting, you have some disgusting ideas to get rid of.

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Always do things that you should do in your age, but it does
not mean I will date someone even if I know why and how to
date. Will a primary school student with correct ideas about
love fall in love? Ideas about love will influence us all through
our lives.

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Trekking
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I love traveling, and luckily, the UWC organizes such activities
quite often. Africas landscape makes it a perfect place for
travelers. Moreover, we can travel while doing volunteer work
in local communities, because many places need help.
The 16-kilometer cross-country hiking today was an adventure
for all, because we were so close to death sometimes, while the
teachers still encouraged us to stride, jump and leap bravely.
My middle school biology teacher used to share his legendary
stories of climbing rocks in Tibet, such as walking on the edge
of cliffs and hiking through caves, which once sounded
incredible to me, but which was magically turned into
something I experienced today.
The twenty of us departed school in two off-road vehicles
driven by teachers at nine in the morning. We drove on asphalt
roads at first, but before long there were only bumpy dirt roads.
Now, this is African road, said my geography teacher. The
roads wound across the vast savannah with no houses on both
sides. Even dirt roads disappeared later, when it was even
bumpier. Thanks to our teachers driving skills, the vehicles
went through the forests without any trouble. What we saw was
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completed nothing artificial and we blended into the nature.
We stopped after about 30 minutes driving. If you are bitten
by lizards or venomous snakes, sit down, dont move and ask
for help, which can slow down the circulation of poison in your
blood, although its almost impossible for you to get bitten, a
teacher told us. He adjusted the GPS device and shouted, Kids,
here we go with the adventure. The word adventure made
my blood boil, because this is goddamn what I want.
Adventure is to walk the path untaken and only hiking along
hilly roads can be called a real spring outing. We crawled
through the nature reserves fences with a teachers help and
started our adventure. My geography teacher is a real explorer.
He can live in the wild without taking foods and climb rocks
without ropes. The twenty of us all took his rock-climbing
classes before this adventure, and we learned how to set up
ropes and find out safe routes for climbing, so this elite group
should not have problem. Teachers always led the group during
our hiking trip, which is quite similar to what generals of the
Red Army did in the Long March in snowy mountains and
grassland. We were only enjoying ourselves, while the teachers
were guiding us around dangers.
We hiked about half an hour on vast grasslands before the trail
got steep. As it elevated, more rocks got in the way. We hiked
further into hilly areas where hikers are not allowed to enter.
All we saw are huge rocks, so we recruited all four limbs -
run-up, leap, right foot on rock, hands gripping edge of rock,
left foot on rock and climb up. The teachers sometimes gave a
hand in case that you failed to pull yourself up, but in most

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cases, they just ignored us. We couldnt but let an experienced
student go first, who pulled us up there one by one. Some girls
were too afraid to climb, and we had to encourage her once and
again, Just do it. We can catch you if you fall.
If you think that was scary, think again, because ahead of us
were all rocks. My legs were scraped by the edge of rocks and
blood stained my pants. It was the same with others. Even the
best climbers got some scratches. The palms of a Vietnamese
student were injured by rocks and bled a bit, but the teacher
refused to give him a band-aid, Just wash it, my kid. Its a
small wound. Oxygen is the best medicine to stop bleeding.
Dont use band-aid. A Danish student had red dots all over his
arms, which turned out to be cut by some thorns. The rocks
were very challenging for climbers. It was a pity that our leaps
were not captured by cameras, because we did not have a spare
hand for that.
Mike, youve climbed mountains before? An American girl
asked.
Yeah, but only those with paved steps.
Oh, Ive been to the Great Wall. Some say it was steep, but I
think it was OK.
What now? No idea. I dont think we can make it this time.
We saw a gap of about one meter wide, below which was a
chasm. Some guy suggested we leap over it, but was stopped
by the teachers, because it would be too dangerous. There was
no way we can survive if falling down. The teacher made a
human bridge for us and asked the lightest student to cross the
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 I! am! good!!

chasm from his back. That was brilliant! Those who have
reached the other side could then give a hand. Holding our
breath, we watched a boy cross the bridge with his arms raised
to keep balance. Why did the teacher have such great
confidence in the boy? What if the boy lost balance and fell
down? The teacher seemed to be totally unaware of the
concerns I had, and focused on his goal. We all cheered when
the boy made it to the other side. The boy reached out his hand
to help the teacher go over, and the rest of us crossed the chasm
one by one. We encouraged friends that were not brave enough,
because the more hesitant they were, the more possible there
was an accident.
We all thought we had experienced the hardest part of our trip
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until a gigantic rock with a slope leaning to the left got in the
way. There was only a very narrow path, which was next to a
precipice, to get around. The other teachers did not think it was
a good idea to try it, because any slipping or accidental leaning
back could be fatal. However, the geography teacher insisted,
and moved slowly like a crab to the other side of the rock by
lying on his stomach on the rock. The path was only as wide as
his foot length.
We all felt relieved when he made it to the other side. Come
on over one by one. Remember not to look down. We all
imitated the teacher and edged along the path slowly.
Something unexpected happened when all of us were about to
overcome the challenge.
The Vietnamese boy suddenly slipped a bit, and we saw earth
lumps roll down the cliff. We were so scared, but fortunately
his right foot held firmly. As he moved on, I saw his legs
shaking.
Courage matters, but a good pair of hiking boots can save your
life. The boys shoes gripped over the ground strongly, so he
did not slip further. Lloyd just could not believe it when I
shared the story with him, What!? You didnt wear safety
belts for that? The teacher actually let you do that? Id be
doomed if I were him.
It was already three in the afternoon when we went downhill.
The returning trip rewarded us with breathtaking views along
the way: buffalos mooing and swimming as we passed by, rape
plant fields shining with vitality in the sun, rows of mountains

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mysterious to hikers, blue sky and white clouds. All is waiting
the next adventurers.
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Openness
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A psychologist gave us a lecture at 6pm. Some students left
before it was over because the two-hour long lecture was too
long for them.
I was there from the beginning to the end. The psychologist
talked about her theory on culture shock in the first hour.
People from all over the world told stories about their ideas
about culture shock and their feeling since they started their
lives in the UWC a month ago.
The first question from the lecturer is what is culture? Not
this unanswerable question again! Attendants of the lecture said
culture is language, food and feeling. I said, Culture is the way
you observe the world. The lecturer put down our answers,
which fill an entire piece of paper.
I think people with different backgrounds have different ways
of seeking answers to this question, she said. I did not
understand what she meant by ways of seeking answers, but it
later occurred to me that I had used my way of thinking, which
has formed based on the cultural background I am from, to
view how the local black people get along with each other.

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 I think culture is comparable to an iceberg, only one tenth of
which is above the sea surface while the rest is under water.
We often make judgement about others cultures only based on
what we see, which are actually untrustworthy. I believe that
students here are still not used lives here with the UWC,
although you dont know exactly why. You may despise
others behaviors or language. You may think people around
you are all weirdos. Apparently, most of us love to talk, say I
like Chinese Kung Fu and you like sexy French language.
However, these topics are all superficial. Sometimes, I may feel
uncomfortable when I talk to you because of your reaction.
Does it mean that you dont like me as you always avoid any
eye contact with me? I know it is impolite to talk with direct
eye contact here in Swaziland, but people in Europe will feel
ignored or despised if dont do so. Therefore, you should try to
understand whether it is an individual or group behavior. If you
feel all people from the Netherlands are weird, it is your
problem, because such a behavior is normal in their cultural
background. Therefore, always try understanding a culture
from the perspective of a group, instead of an individual. Now,
let me know how you like your life here with the UWC. Say
whatever you like.
I think although the UWC is a big family, people of different
races tend to group together. Youll see white people chat with
white people, while black people talk with black poeple.
Well, I dont agree. Students tend to group based on common
topics and cultures instead of races. I dont think students here
with the UWC have racist ideas. It is cultural differences that

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hold people back from making friends with those from other
countries.
Hey, everyone. Dai Ying and I are the first Chinese students
here in Swaziland. Honestly, we experienced some major
cultural shock here when we just arrived. White people have
their own groups and black people have their homes here.
Other Asians with the UWC have lived here a couple of years
too. For us, this is brand new. We have nobody to rely on. We
hesitated and felt confused too, but we are trying to break the
shackles, so to speak, and explore the new world. I think we are
well on track.
The students all applauded and cheered for us, and I felt so
relieved to share what has been my on mind for long.

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Life

I
How are you, Madame?
Fine. Let me show you the room later. A worker with the
nature reserve greeted us.
To get to this nature reserve in Malawi was not easy at all. My
Welsh friend Lloyd booked a hotel room and a taxi for the trip.
I woke up at 6 in the morning with great difficulty to meet him
at the school gate. We had to change twice along the journey:
taxi from school to downtown, midibus from downtown to
hotel and nature reserve bus from hotel to forest. We became
completely outsiders to this continent along the way, as
everything was so typically African. I had the experience of
traveling with classmates, when I was in a friend circle and did
not have direct contact with this magic atmosphere. The bus
we took from downtown to the hotel was full of people talking
in Swazi and playing some music we had no idea. It was like an
American traveling to the remote mountainous area of China
by coach. What he saw was not the metropolis prosperity in
Shanghai or the elegance of ancient China in Suzhou, but a
real China: people in all kinds of clothing, eating foods from
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 What! a! Xanadu!!

vacuum packing, having instant noodles, munching apples,

talking in dialects and playing pokers.
Lloyd and I found a place to sit down on the overcrowded bus.
Squeezed by two ladies on my left, I was almost out of breath.
More people jammed the bus as it moved on. The view outside
the window became desolate. The shops and houses in
Mbabane were replaced by grass and forests. A slightly bumpy
asphalt road was the only stuff from modern society. The bus
drove at an outrageous speed all the way to hotel. Getting off
the bus, I was sore all over and my body was starved of oxygen.
Roads leading beyond the horizon, rolling mountains and blue
sky - these are elements of real Africa.
What about now? How about we call the nature reserve?

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We sat by the road and waited for the bus sent by the nature
reserve. Many buses stopped by us and asked us if we need a
ride, but we had to wave them away. We did not see a car on
the road.
Then a yellow bus with the Malawi International Backpacker
logo drove closer. We waved at the bus to pick us up, and
passengers on it also waved to us, but the bus did not stop and
disappeared in the horizon. What the hell? Does it look like
we were only saying hello? No way! We are backpackers and
weve been shouting. This is so ridiculous.
We couldnt but sit there for almost an hour. Both of us sweat
all around. My friend Lloyds face was all red under the
scorching sun, and I had a suntan on my neck and two blisters
on feet.
The bus drove back later, and not surprisingly, the driver
thought we were just saying hello. We got on the bus and drank
like a fish. The bus was taking the two mortals of us from
somewhere we belong to somewhere we yearn.

II
Before continuing with our story in the nature reserve, I want to
warn those who would love to travel here that NEVER walk
under the sun without wearing sunblock. I woke up at 6:30 this
morning, feeling severe pain in my shoulders and neck. It was
kind of numb when I touched. The blisters were also killing me
when I walked around.
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I woke up several times because of the pain last night, and I
was kind of used to that later. Did you sleep well? Lloyd
asked.
Not really. My shoulder ached whenever I moved. Looking
at myself in the mirror, I saw my neck, arms and thighs in the
color of charcoal. Lloyds arms and neck were red.
The earth house we stayed was located in an island. The
morning humid air made it like a paradise.
The bus drove through forests of the nature reserve, when we
saw running wild cows. They stopped to check us out and
apparently warned us to keep away from their territory by
mooing at us. In the distance were two zebras chasing each
other.
Did you see that? The zebra running in front is female, and the
one chasing and courting is male. Lloyd knew so much about
animals. These happily running zebras are all black and white,
which are not different from one another at all to me, but Lloyd
knows their characters, genders and ages, which probably has
something to do with his seven-year experience working in
zoos.
We got off the bus at the campsite for international
backpackers. All backpackers, please return to campsite
before sunset, or youll be attacked by crocodiles or hippos. A
signboard read.
Is that for real? I asked Lloyd.
Sure, crocodiles and hippos get out of water at sunset for food,
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 ZoologistMy! friend! Lloyd!

and we might be run after if were still out there.

Do they run fast?
They are super fast. You wont outrun them if they found you,
and they can run about two miles at a very high speed without
any pause. I was sort of astounded to hear that such
lazy-looking animals can run so fast and such a long distance.
This is hippo poop, and hippo footprint over here. Lloyd
showed me some black, round feces and a number of footprints
along with damaged fences outside our rooms, which are
simply creepy to me.
The housekeeper showed us around and we loved it very much.
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The traditional earth house in Swaziland has a conical roof,
which is just like those painted by kindergarten kids. The room
has two beds, and the bathroom with shower is right behind it.
This is so cool! I was amazed. Look at that! You can see the
forest from bed! This is epic! We changed clothes, put on
backpack and ventured into the forest with all necessary
protection.
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 Swazi! traditional! house!

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Adventure

I got into trouble right after crossing the fences that protect
campers from wild animals. A baboon was staring at while I
was walking on the dirt road, and before I knew what has
happened, it rushed at me. I was about to flee when Lloyd
shouted.
Stare at him. Dont move.
Why?
Just dont.
I think I need to run.
No. Stay there.
I glared at the baboon and remained still. The baboon stopped
suddenly and looked at me up and down. It stepped back a bit,
dug some dirt from the ground and tilted its head before
running away.
Youre safe now. It may attack you if you run, but if you stay
still, they will be on the watch and wonder if it is good idea to
run at you.

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 How! small! I! am! compared! to! the! Great! Nature!!

Thanks to Lloyds help, I dodged a bullet and we moved on.

Seeing the African savannah, I recalled the pictures from
CCTV Animal World, which were happening right in front of
me - vigorous boars running around, goats passing by and
colorful lizards - anything you can imagine about this fantastic
continent. The most spectacular thing I witnessed were herds of
wild horses galloping while neighing across the vast grassland
like zealous soldiers with arms heading the battlefield. They
crossed the road from time to time, and the visiting vehicles
had to make way for them.

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The sun scorched the land, which steamed and smelt really nice.
Gazing at the horses and boars, I felt the tininess of human. The
wild beings impressed and overwhelmed us with their hoofbeat
and indomitable spirit. As Lloyd and I walked on, the sun rose
higher in the sky. Our water bottle was already empty. We
were thirsty and almost tired out. Lloyd worn a painful look
and shook his head time and again. I guessed he was too worn
out for support his own head.
The most frightening thing was after walking for four
consecutive hours, I kind of felt drowsy.
Lloyd, I think Im going to fall asleep.
Hell no! Youll be a dead man if you fall asleep.
I might be suffering a serious dehydratation, because every
time I closed my eyes a bit, dizziness overcame me, blurring
my vision blurred, when I opened them again. However, my
legs kept their inertia and stepped forward ceaselessly. My little
toe hurt like hell, because there were some blisters, but I just let
it be.
The dirt road ended as we walked into mountains, when
grassland was replaced by forest and bamboos. I took out my
compass and GPS device to see how far we still have to go.
Are you OK?
Im good.
What about last Sunday?

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We had to climb rocks and jump off cliffs during our last trip,
and we just keep walking this time, so more difficult last
Sunday, but more tired today.
Animals on both sides of the road were playing happily. When
we approached, wild deers started at us absent-mindedly, wild
horses looked at us graciously, and boars and chimpanzees
looked blankly. They must wonder what species we were, and
how come one was white and one was yellow. We played a
game with the animals. I took a glance at them, seeing them
watching us. We walked about one kilometer and they were
still watching us when I looked back. They are like seeing us
off. These cute beings were pretty curious who we were and
why we were there. When I waved to them, wild horses
swished their tails, deers ran friskily away and boars turned
away while grunting. I was not allowed to walk closer, so I
only took pictures from far away.
We covered 15 kilometers within seven hours, while we had
only planned to hike six kilometers. After a big dinner, we lay
in beds groaning and rubbing our tanned skins.

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 Lovely! baboon!

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Bye
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We left Malawi about noon the next day. A man let us
hitchhike on the back of his truck to the highway. We thanked
him and waited about an hour under the sun to be picked up by
bus to downtown.
In Malawi, Lloyd and I enjoyed a relaxing trip with free ride
and hiking adventure in forests. Only when we were back in
school did we realize that we returned to human society again.
Thank you, strangers who helped us on the way.
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 Lovely! nature!

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Dance
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A screenplay written by a South African playwright I recently
read for a self-taught course told a story about the hero and the
heroine that never danced in harmony, because they have
different tempos and paces, and always stepped on each others
feet.
The teacher that referred the book took us to a dance class at
the schools dance center, where we learned how difficult
dancing is. The dance teacher demonstrated moves in cha-cha
and tap dancing. None of us apparently remembered anything
from the teacher. I was paired up with a Zimbabwe girl when
the teacher said, Dance is actually something that blends
peoples characters. Boys need to place their hands on girls
waist. Whether the two of you go forward, backward or spin,
the boy takes control. Instead of watching each others eyes,
some of you kept checking the others feet, which is not right.
Boys take control, so girls just relax, dance along and let your
partners guide you.
I put my palm on the girls waist. I dont how to dance, so
please excuse me, she was pretty shy, because I saw her blush
a bit.
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Its OK. I dont know to how to dance cha-cha either.
Many students seemed to be amused by the moves of Hai Hong,
a Vietnamese student. Look at him. Hes more fighting than
dancing. A boy from Lesotho said to me. His moves were
indeed exaggerated, because instead of taking small steps
gracefully, Hai Hong strode around, making her girl totally
confused. At one point, he pushed the girl away when she took
a step back.
Prior to the dance, I bowed deeply to the girl, with my right
hand on my chest and my left hand on my back. She crossed
her legs and squat a bit to return my bow. I took her hand and
walked around. We stepped onto each other a lot of times at the
beginning, but when we recognized the beat, we started
working together and she came closer to me. Our dance was
then not that awkward.
Rapport can be achieved by a glance or a smile, which serve as
a resonance for both of us and implies mutual understanding,
when there is really no need for language.
We got more and more relaxing and danced more and more
ardently. The girl spun around me and I started entering her
world. She also sensed the magic of dancing, and gave me a big
smile, for which I smiled back. The 90-minute class burned a
lot of calories, and I sweat all around. The other dancing pairs
also began trusting and relying on each other in the dance.
Gentlemen guiding ladies, they all smiled at each other. The
experience was amazing for everyone.
The experience made me realize that the hero and heroine did
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not dance well together because they did not trust each other. In
fact, the ending of the novel implies that the distrust has lasted
through the history of South Africa - the whites contempt for
the black, the blacks hatred for the white and mens slavery of
women.
I was even astonished to hear that some primary school
students here separate themselves with a tissue when they hold
hands.
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Impression
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People may ask me what is like in Africa. I will talk about it in
this blog.
Most of us may have a stereotype about this amazing land
like poverty, famine and scorching weather, for which people
only need to wear very little clothes. We may also believe that
crimes and coups are common here, and people live primitive
lives.
These impressions may apply to some African countries, but
we should know that Africa is not a country. It is a continent
that consists of dozens of countries, big and small ones with
different cultures and traditions, some of which are even more
modernized than some developing countries. Africa has
democratic governments and happy people, and white people
and black people live and work together in harmony. Black
people are straightforward, so living in Africa is easy, as you
just need to open your heart and say whatever you want.
Having said that, you still need to respect traditions here, which
vary in different countries.
Like in Swaziland, you should always use your right hand to

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pass things, and girls should avoid wearing mini skirts, in order
not to be disrespectful. Generally speaking, life here is much
easier than that in China. The pace of life in China is fast.
Students have to bow to teachers to say hello at school, and
people have to deal with complicated relations at work. In
contrast, teachers here hug and joke with you like friends, and
people are working more like for sports. I went to a bank to
exchange some money the other day, and it took about an hour
to get the money. Cashiers there made chit-chat all the time I
was there for the service, which will definitely result in a
customer complaint in China. But if you push them here in
Africa, they will ask you to calm down and be patient. It took
some time to get used to that.

We! are! waiting! for! you! in! Swaziland!!

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I have no idea about what other UWCs look like, but
conditions here are super. Every student is accommodated in a
10-square-meter single room with a small bed, a cupboard, a
long table and two shelves. Some students even bought air
conditioners and fridges, which they plan to sell to the new
students in two years. I do not think I need an air-conditioner,
because it is not so hot in here at night. There is also heating,
but it has not been of any use. The computer room is available
all the time, and the Internet is not slow but enough for study
purposes. The library collects books from all over the world,
and I was surprised to find Red Sorghum by Mo Yan. The
swimming pool is open in the daytime, and closed at 6pm.
Foods on campus all taste great, and the canteen serves
different foods every day, such as chicken, chips, sausage rolls
and British desserts. I even had some chicken tasting like
steamed spareribs with rice flour and pasta with a sauce tasting
like mashed chili soybeans, which reminded me of China and
made me homesick.
Although Swaziland has not established a diplomatic
relationship with China, there are more people from Mainland
China than those from Taiwan. I know two students from
China here in the UWC - one from Shanghai and one from
Shijiazhuang. Their parents work here. About four or five
students from Taiwan study here, but we do not have time
chatting because we all have a lot of schoolwork.
For students that aspire to live a different life, the UWC in
Swaziland is definitely a great choice. I am waiting here for
you!

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Devotion
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We are scheduled to participate in social activities every
Thursday morning, about which I feel so lucky, because some
schools have exams, instead of outings, every week. My
activity mentor, a teacher of nature from Britain, bestows
absolute freedom on us in terms of choosing what to do for the
activities, and he is responsible for contacting people.
I signed up for the health group, so we need to come up with
activity plans related to health. We helped out at the blood
bank last semester, so do you think we can continue with that?
the teacher suggested. We want to do it, and the project, which
is a long-term one, will last through the two years of my study
here. Moreover, I proposed that we can use one weekend to do
charity walk, because the location of our campus makes it
perfect for such an activity. Some places in Britain are even not
as good as those here for free walking. The teacher agreed right
away, and the plan will be carried out in the second semester.
We rode a bus to the blood bank. The blood bank of
Swaziland was built four, five years ago, and it now has very
limited blood in stock, the teacher told us.

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Its very difficult to find blood of good quality here, so there
has always been a shortage of blood, and there was this serious
traffic accident, when all the blood in the bank was consumed
shortly, my teacher continued. The introduction reminded me
of my mums donating blood every six months, and the topic
about the law of justice at a debate club activity.
What is the impetus for social evolvement? What do you think,
Mike? my literature teacher asked passionately.
Technology and education.
Eh, correct, but werent there any social progress in the very
beginning of the human society? I did not have an answer for
that question.

Fearless! walker!

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Think about primitive society.
People hunted and ran in primitive society, I blurted out.
For what?
For survival.
Why dont we have to hunt and run now? my teacher seemed
to have found how to inspire me.
Because weve got a government.
Right, Mike. The most fundamental driver for social progress
is contract. For example, our contract with the government
obligates the government to protect us by law and power. Prior
to that, the society followed natural law, which advocated
self-protection, self-government and maximized selfishness,
when people kill others whenever they want, so people
themselves were obligated to protect themselves.
Can a person disobey the contract with the government and
ignore laws if he is capable of protecting himself? I asked.
Mike, the government is not an organization, but a power that
controls a bordered territory, and all that you do have
everything to do with where you are. For instance, if I killed
someone on some territory, I was acting against the law of the
country on the territory, instead of the person I killed.
So that means I can avoid the prosecution by fleeing the
country, right?
Right, if you fled to a country that has no extradition treaty

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with the country where you killed people, you can go away
with it, and actually many criminals do that, the teacher said.
Mike, the social progress is also marked by the advent of
power centralization, prior to which the high degree of
selfishness didnt result in highly efficient production. The
emergence of government deters people from killing each other
and facilitates mutual devotion. The NGOs we saw nowadays
are such organizations that help realize the devotion of
self-worth, which exceeds pure money transaction. I know
China is a Marxist country, and Marx pictures maximized
devotion in his theory, when highly-advanced mechanized
production makes it unnecessary for people to worry about
livelihood. Is it possible to realize such a social mechanism?
Frankly, I just dont know. The teacher added at length.
I have no idea about whether the goal of communist society can
be achieved or not either, but I am doing my bit to contribute to
the social progress.
Social progress is only possible when more people shift from
being selfish to selfless.
The director of the blood bank received us with great
hospitality, and gave us drinks, biscuits and souvenirs for our
work. I have made up my mind to work actively to fulfill the
task here.
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Inconvenience
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In my last blog Impression, I wanted to tell you that Africa is
not as horrible a place as you imagine. However, you do need
to overcome inconvenience, and sometimes inconvenience
means opportunities.
The Internet speed is a headache. For example, I needed a song
to do a music presentation. It may take about three hours to
download a 5MB song, and the speed is not stable. I heard
someone that left the computer downloading a song for a whole
day and found only 5% or 13% of it had been downloaded at
the end of the day. Therefore, I often send the names of the
songs I need to download to my mum, so she can help
download them and send me back. The downloading of a song
from my mailbox also takes about three hours, but at least it
works better than downloading from a webpage. So an
important suggestion for students who want to watch TV plays
or movies online here in Swaziland is NO, because it may take
30 minutes buffering for a three-minute video to roll one
frame.
Making a call is also expensive. Without a diplomatic
relationship with China, calls between Swaziland and China
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cost CNY 3 per minute for people that answer the phone as
well as that make the call. The phone signals often break up in
case of rain. Calls are cheap in other countries with prepaid
cards, but not here in Swaziland. A two-minute call with my
mum the other day cost me about CNY 25, and international
roaming is relatively cheaper in this sense. Skype call is much
cheaper, which costs only CNY 27 for 400 minutes of voice
call, but it is often disconnected due to the slow Internet. I have
to re-dial five to six times for a ten minutes call with my mum.
All these may drive you crazy, because without fast Internet,
you cannot talk to your old friends or loved one to get away
temporarily from the strange environment here. Chinese
students to the US can still live a life like that in China by
watching some Chinese TV plays or films, but even QQ is hard
to access here. Therefore, you either stay in the dorm and
isolate yourself from others, or open your heart and socialize
with others. It usually takes about between six months and a
year for students of the UWC in other countries to get used to
the local lives, but it may take longer for students here. With
the UWCs in the US and Britain, students can easily find
common topics with local people, such as TV dramas or news,
but Swaziland is totally new for Chinese people. Even Africa is
new to me. I need to adapt myself quickly to lives here as all
the pressures are pushing me forward. Moreover, the UWC
here has students from the third grade to high school grades,
which also presents a challenge for communication.
Challenges always result in growth. If you like challenges, I am
waiting here for you!

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Sport

Our school bus returned at 4pm. After a days crazy

competition, I was dead-beat. An hour of causal badminton
playing may be nothing for me, but I played almost the whole
day from 9am to 3pm at the University of Swaziland. My
partner in the doubles was a fourth grader from a local primary
school. Although he was very good, the teacher asked him to
stand in the front, so all the smashing and running in the back
was done by me. Our rivals were undergrads. We had the upper
hand in the beginning, but as we were worn out by the fierce
competition, we lost the game 18 to 21 eventually.
Well, that is not the point. The point is that blonde girls with
the UWC impressed me with their being extremely athletic.
Their smashing is no less powerful than ours, about which even
the college students were amazed. The girls hair danced as
they ran around, sweat dripping. Every jump was accompanied
with their shiny smile. The undergrads even planned to give up
some points because they thought girls were supposed to be
weaker, but figured out later that even they tried all out, they
could not beat them. I somehow recollected my memory about
boys inviting a girl to play basketball back in China, when all

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the boys gave up defense and made way for her to shoot at the
basket. The girls here in the UWC are not only good at
badminton, but also football. The indoor soccer day every
Friday saw girls playing with boys of different colors. I
admitted that I did even worse than some girls in terms of
dribbling, passing and shooting at the goal, because they are so
agile. I also remember a girl from a basketball game who was a
great three-point shooter and we matched up closely every time
she got the ball.
What girls from Europe and Africa can do really blow my mind
sometimes. They are so charming when doing sports - even
their smile, active strides and randomly flying long hair look

Sweating! on! the! field!

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artistic to me. We do not have Lin Daiyu-style girls, and all of
the girls here are energetic, by whom boys are often awed, so it
is not surprising that girls outdo boys in sports.
I tried to build some confidence in sports, but it was not that
easy. I had thought I was very good at playing soccer, but it is
really not worth mentioning here. People may doubt the
authenticity of the videos about foreign kids playing soccer like
professionals that went viral on QQ Zone, but I can assure you
that the videos are all real. Three-graders here can play even
better than Chinese college students. The children are masters
of dribbling and shooting. What really goes beyond my
expectation is their teamwork. When we still play casually,
kids here have already started practicing 4-3-3 and Christmas
tree formations when organizing attacks.! !
Everyone here has shown his/her most beautiful side while
sporting.

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Fear

After doing my English homework, I walked back to the dorm

from the computer room.
The way uphill was spooky (the dorm was on the hill, so we
climb every day), as the lights on both sides were too dark to
illuminate the path. I saw a shadow move towards me.
Hello, bro! How are you?
Yeah. Im fine. How are you?
Good. Good.
I didnt know whom I was talking to and walked away to avoid
any trouble.
Wait. I didnt see who you are. The man turned back and
said.
I didnt understand why he wanted to see who I am, and
thought I must have come across some weirdo.
The shadow walked up to me and I realized I was talking to the
president of the UWC.

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Have a good night, he shook my hand and said.
Thanks. I didnt recognize you just now. I replied.
The president laughed loud and clapped me on the shoulder,
how do you like the UWC?
Its great. I learned a lot here.
Thats good. Some students are missing home. Really glad to
hear that from you. After the dialog with me, he disappeared
into the dark.
The president called me bro, and he treats us like brothers
indeed. We do not have gaps that cannot be bridged. Teachers
and staff of the UWC are all our friends. They are very
thoughtful and always ready to help us when we are in
difficulty. Students often challenge what teachers said in class,
and teachers apologize unreservedly when they make mistakes.
In case that the teachers do not know the answers to the
questions asked by students in class, they will say sorry and
look them up after class before getting back to the students,
instead of talking nonsense or letting the students ask their
college teachers in the future.
I sometimes pointed out the mistakes of my economics teacher,
say inappropriate examples or illogical explanations, when the
black teacher will say jokingly true, I just wanted to be sure
that you see what I mean.
Students here are not afraid of the teachers or the president,
which people sometimes ascribe to the difference of the
education systems. I honestly do not think so, because studying
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abroad do not help people get away from exams. To my
surprise, my German classmate said he had exams every week,
only the exams never have anything beyond what was taught
by teachers or mentioned in textbooks. As long as students
make efforts, they will be rewarded. The UWC also has regular
tests and monthly tests, and the biology curriculum is more
detailed and systematic than that in China. However, the
teachers do not emphasize the importance of scores, but
encourage us to ask questions and challenge them.
The UWC teachers learn with us as well as inspire us. I know
few music students get high scores, but I chose music anyway,
only because I like it, and I could be one of the few students. I
recite music terms after class to catch up with those who have
learned IGCSE. The music teacher even asked me about the
knowledge of Chinas pentatonic scale. I will work with three
classmates on the combination of Chinese and Western
rhythms tomorrow. I learn new things almost every day, so I
love my classes here.
The teachers keep me accompany, so I have no fear.
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Blessing
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I went to a church to have a big lunch with a Taiwanese
medical team, and saw some familiar faces there - Taiwans
ambassador, my classmates parents and local workers. I
walked up and greeted the ambassador.
Hey, how are you, little buddy from mainland? the
ambassador recognized me and was friendly to me. He was
very casually dressed in T-shirt and mid length pants, who
didnt look like an ambassador at all. Talking about the
itinerary of the doctors with us, he was very easy to approach.
The lunch was a typical Chinese one cooked in the Taiwanese
way, and it was exactly like the foods from home - soup
dumplings, shrimps, fried rice noodles and reddish soup with
pork ribs. I was totally overwhelmed. Having eaten salads, beef
steaks and chicken for long in the UWC, I finally tasted
something like home. I could feel that the secretion of my
stomach, and it rumbled with satisfaction each time I
swallowed a dumpling.
After lunch, the pastor started telling us his storyies.
I was a missionary in the United States for more than ten years,
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and now Im here in Swaziland. Its all Gods will. Im not rich,
but I live a more free life than some extremely wealthy people,
because my life is meaningful. I tried to understand his world
as well as his words.
People may think we Christians are weird, because we
associate everything with God. Actually, whether you believe it
or not, He is there. If you establish a connection with Him, you
are blessed and your life will be different, because you have
more than yourself in your mind. You will pray for the world,
for others, and you will love each other and understand each
other. My classmates kid, who I met just days ago, won the
full scholarship of Harvard. I was stunned at first, because he
must be extremely brilliant to be enrolled by Harvard and get a
full scholarship at the same time. It makes perfect sense to me
later when I heard about his experience. The boy and his mom
preached in Kyrgyzstan for four years, and his academic
records are not bad. Staying focused on one thing for four years
isnt easy, let alone the hardship. He applied for Harvard and
Stanford. Harvard immediately accepted him and offered full
scholarship to keep him. I saw many young people from other
countries here, and I think this is a great opportunity for them. I
know what it is like to be all by yourself since I lived in the
United States for 17 years. You may feel lonely or lost, but it
doesnt really matter, because when its all over, the experience
you get from your life will be completely different from those
of others. The pastor knows me too well.
We Christians are distinguished from others by God. Were
different because we have the great love, which originates from

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the bottom of our hearts. I dont have to be Swaziland, but I
chose to come because I believe more people need love from
God, and more people need a real spiritual life.
I have a dozen of Bibles from the US. Let me know if you
need one.
Hello! I greeted the pastor.
Hello, where in Taiwan are you from?
Im from the mainland.
Oh, hello. Where are your family?
I study here by myself.
Thats cool. Arent you afraid being alone here?
I chose to come here myself.
Wow, awesome. Here is a Bible for you, and my blessing.
On the Bible he gave me reads Dear Mike: God always be
with you! Pastor David Han.
May God be with you all and great love be with you all.!
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Sorghum
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I like the library here, because there are too many books I want
to read. I found a Japanese book last time, but I wonder if there
are also some books written by Chinese writers. I found Red
Sorghum from the database because I want to check out why
he won the Nobel Prize.
The English grammar in it is pretty complicated, but the plot is
so attractive that I skipped my diner. I read faster in order to
know the results. When I finally finished the 400-page book, it
was already 11:30, and I felt so contented.
All the scenes in the novel kept rushing back to my mind after I
went to bed, and I even felt so dizzy the next morning because I
did not sleep well. The reason for Mo Yan to win the Nobel
Prize is, in my opinion, what he wrote looks more real than a
3D movie. For example, the scenes about Uncle Luo being
peeled off the skin - his corpse shredded and littered all over,
and the flesh still trembled like a big dissected frog - makes me
feel disgusted every time I think of it, which is also the magic
of Mo Yans works. People may compare Mo Yan with Lao
She, but I think their works are quite different. Lao Shes
novels bring you to a Hutong in Beijing and present characters
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 I! found! Red$ Sorghum! !
in! the! library!
full of life, while Mo Yan tells stories more vividly. I am not in
a good position to judge which is better, as they have both
created something outstanding.
The novel depicted the anti-Japanese war through an ode to life,
instead of political propaganda, such as praising the lofty image
of Chinese soldiers and denouncing the coward Japanese
soldiers. Chinese people in the novel overcome barriers and
challenges in face of the Japanese aggression - women stopped
being humble and son fought together with dad.
Clues of the novel are loosely organized. The main clue is
grandpa and dad went to fight Japanese invasion, from which

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there are numerous sub-clues, like branches and twigs on a big
trunk, telling amazing past stories. The book does not remind
readers of switching between stories with transitional sentences,
so readers may sometimes feel difficult follow the story, which
is something like the stream of consciousness. The magic
realism made the entire story unreal with a large number of
exaggerated description. Blood-like red sorghum is a special
symbol that bears emotions. Every static image becomes a
tangible and perceivable part of a lively and spectacular
movement. Reading the book is like putting my ears in a
porcelain jar when sunshine becomes monsters rushing in.
These amazing senses create an unreal world. However, it is
these apparently unreal impressions make this novel an
immortal masterpiece.
This novel has amused and disgusted me alike, so I would say
Mo Yan has made it:
Depicting the most real feeling with exaggerated words.
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Cherish Life
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Life is short, and the most stupid thing you do with life is to
waste it, said the vice president of the University of
Westminster. He said this with a little sadness flashing across
his face. I could sense that this white-haired gentleman with
wrinkles all over his forehead was implying something.
The saddest news of all is death. Whatever mistake a student
has made can be put right as long as he is alive. But if he no
longer lives in the world, it is irreversible. Our university has
put student safety in the first place, but unfortunate things did
happen. A student rode back to school at 2am and fell off a
bridge. I was shocked to tears at the students death. Why do
such young kids die so easily? We should realize that we are so
lucky to sit here, because tens of thousands of people get killed
in traffic accidents every year. Some car may hit a cyclist at a
crossing. Tragedies do happen. Im talking to a group of lucky
kids, abled and smart. Your life is of high quality. You may
complain about the ups and downs in you life, because you
have not seen people that live miserably. Therefore, it is a
shame to waste such a perfect life.
We grow to seek the meaning of life and meet others
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expectations. Life is not all roses. We may get hurt or
overwhelmed. We may also find comfort in something or
someone, which we should cherish, because they make our
lives less lonely and much easier. However, do not stop
because you feel tired or you do not care any more. Life is hard,
but great thoughts make it different.
What others do we cherish beside life? Our TOK teacher told
us a story.
Language can never describe the truth, according to a
philosopher. For example, even if I use 2,000 words to describe
a table I have to a carpenter, he cant make an exactly same
table as the one I already have. Therefore, the philosopher gave
up teaching as a professor in Cambridge University and went to
teach in a remote school in Australia, because teaching
philosophy doesnt make sense. In many peoples eyes, the
professor might be crazy, but I understand why he did that. He
places his belief over his career, because belief is more
important than anything, and he is admirable in this sense.
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Mindset
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Why do we learn some courses like trigonometric function that
might be irrelevant at all to our future lives? Why do we crave
for knowledge? Do we do it please ourselves, or to make
ourselves stand out from peers? All these questions that have
puzzled me since always all point to actually one question:
Why do we think? What is the significance of thinking?
A college professor from Swaziland visited the UWC for
research purposes this morning. She had a point about
education. Many students told me that they only want to learn
the most basic arithmetic, such as adding, subtracting,
multiplying and dividing, because they dont want to become a
mathematician. Why bother studying irrelevant knowledge
anyway? Then I have a question for them - the soccer stars, do
they only practice playing soccer when training? Well, it made
sense to me.
They dont. They also do push-ups, sit-ups and track & field.
Why is that? Their battlefield is the soccer pitch, but they play
more than just soccer. If it is the way the students see it,
forwards only need to shoot the goals, center forwards only
practice dribbling and assisting, backs do interception and
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goalkeepers keep goals. Is that the case? No, if thats what they
do, the team must be the worst in the world.
My dear students, you life is like a soccer game. You need to
show yourself in the game, but if you dont prepare for it by
polishing your techniques or training your mentality, how do
you expect to play freely? It is true that the majority of the
mathematics knowledge you learn may not be of any use in the
future, but it offers you a perspective, and helps you think and
behave more logically. Therefore, I found it strange when
people said they dont learn something because its not in the
test. You take tests to prove that you can get higher scores than
others? Test results help you understand whether something
you learned have become part of your knowledge system,
which may help your future life. Dont ever say you dont want
to learn something because it has nothing to do with you or it
has nothing to do with tests. You may feel regretful for not
learning such irrelevant stuff when it comes to use in the
future.
I still remember people complained on QQ that we learned
much useless knowledge. Do you use calculus to buy
groceries? Do you have to know meiosis when you go to the
zoo? They said. I think the more you learn, the more ignorant
you realize you are. Others compare brain to a schoolbag,
meaning it has a certain amount of capacity and if you put
useless stuff in it, there will be no space for useful things. True,
brain is like a bag, but you can decide the size of your brain,
which depends on your aspiration and mind. If you think your
knowledge is not enough and you want to have more, your bag

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can be infinitely bigger. Surely, some people feel content easily,
because what they have learned can well handle interpersonal
relationship and power their capability. I would say such
people only have a mini bag. Holmes has a mind palace, which
stores all knowledge he learned. When needed for cracking a
case, they will come in handy. The size of his mind palace is
sheerly impressive, because of Holmess keen insight, which
accomplishes his sharp observation and unique perspective.
There is no boundary of thinking, and do not give up the right
of thinking, because it is your treasure in the future.
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Busy
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I was too busy to write blogs recently, as I am having more and
more school assignments - composition for music class, paper
for math, digestion for biology class, memorizing work for
economics, reading for Chinese and everything for English. I
am not complaining, because I chose to do all this, and I push
myself to go all out.

A classmate has just invited me to participate in some activity.

Id like to end this blog with an article I wrote in my tenth
grade about Chinese education, which may contain some
immature thoughts.

I attended a lecture today by a professor telling us how

advanced American education is, and he even called on the
abolition of Chinas college entrance exam system.
For one more day the system exists, more students future will
be ruined, he said.
What the professor said makes sense to some extent, but it is
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mostly ridiculous and impractical. I believe that American
students do not need to be as hard-working as their Chinese
counterparts are. An American friend used to laugh at Chinas
system, and I told him man, you dont know what youre
talking about.
So what about Chinas system?
First, if we copy the American system, it will be horrible. SAT
is the college entrance examination in the US, and it is a big
challenge for many American students. However, if Chinese
students sit the SAT exam in Chinese, I am sure that 80% of
them can get over 2,300, because middle school students in
China have already learned things that were taught in
American high schools. So why dont high school students in
China spend more time on social practice and innovation? This
will make Chinese students as capable and competitive as their
American counterparts are. The exam-oriented education has
been the only means available to ensure equality. The potential
reform, if it copies the US model, will put tremendous pressure
on Chinese colleges, because although the number of students
in China is as large as the US population, the number and
quality of colleges are way below those in the US. The system
will not be optimized until the countrys higher education is
improved.
Second, all types of education systems aim to shape students
character. The exam-oriented education in China helps
students form hard-working and persistent characters, which
has a great advantage over the education in the US. We cannot
imagine that lower-grade primary students in the US study for
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eight hours in the classroom. Maybe two hours already pushes
them to limits. However, the declining level of challenges
through Chinas education system, from primary school to
college, is worrying. It is difficult for Chinese students to get
into universities, but easy to graduate, which is basically the
opposite in the US. The four years spent in a US university
may be the busiest period of life as a student. Generally
speaking, the American education system is more scientific,
because it fits the growth of intelligence and psyche. In contrast,
some primary school students in China are too mature for their
age because of the study pressure.
Character shaping, which is something more important than
academic scores, does not conflict with exam-oriented
education. The education with the aim of forming better
characters should infiltrate into the entire education system,
making courses like thoughts and ethics totally unnecessary.
Teachers, class teachers in particular, play a more important
role in this respect, as they should avoid passing ideas such as
fame and interest to students. Integrity, teamwork and
punctuality should be something the teachers need always
emphasize. As for scores, teachers should encourage students to
do all their best, and incentives in adults world, such as a
ranking system, will not work for kids, but foster jealousy and
complacence among them, which goes against the aim of
school education and should always be avoided.
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Respect
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Saturday morning is the best time of a week. Sunshine of silk
feeling gives every inch of my skin a gentle stroke. I havent
been to church for two weeks. I was too busy to confess.
I signed up for the volunteer work to host a group of children
from a local school for disabled kids. Their bus arrived at our
school at nine in the morning. Kids on the bus swarmed out
from the narrow door as if a burst of liveliness was unleashed.
They jumped and run around merrily. Even children with just
one leg hopped friskily, and kids with handicapped legs spun
wheelchairs round and round. However, I was somewhat
saddened by what I saw. The kids are from the St Joseph's
Mission School for the Disabled.
We actually dropped by the school today on our way to Hlane
Zoo. The campus was small with some bungalows. Playground
was small with no facilities. The wild grass and trees amid the
houses make the school more like abandoned.
I greeted the kids and pushed the wheelchairs for them. Some
children said hello, but some were pretty shy to talk. It only
later occurred to me that many kids did not speak English but

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only Swazi. They were seated in our round arena when we
offered them juice.
They were confused at first, but some were extremely happy
when they figured out, while some others frowned. Are you
OK? I guessed some just did not understand English, so I
thumbed up, OK? Good. Some replied and some others
still refused to talk.
Then I played football with some boys, and one thing I learned
from that experience is never try to win a soccer game against
black people, because they are so good. As the kids played in
bare feet, I took off my shoes too. I was totally overwhelmed
by their fantastic passing and dribbling skills. The kids scored
five goals within half an hour, while my team had zero. One
boy we all noticed played even better than anybody else. He
will no doubt become a super soccer star as we believed.
You should play in a professional team, because youre
amazing. I clapped him in the shoulder. The boy did not
understand what I was saying until a Swazi friend of mine
translated for me, and he laughed out loud. I wished him good
luck.
We showed the kids our entertainment center later, where they
danced to the deafening music played for them. I was not sure
if they knew any moves, but we cheered for them because they
are not afraid of being themselves or revealing their characters,
even if some of them cannot hear, cannot see or just have only
one leg. We were so over the fact that these kids are different
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The day I spent with the kids helped me understand that they
do not need our pity or compassion. What they need is respect
and being treated as normal people.
How about being disabled? Do disabled people deserve being
judged by others? The pride and confidence in their eyes told
us that they live with dignity and can live without anybodys
help.
The post titled Why I Want to be a Volunteer on the schools
site mentioned that there is a trend of commercialization for
volunteer activities. Some people do such work because they
want to go to good universities, and to be a volunteer is just
nothing but novelty seeking for some others. Some places
become even more impoverished after volunteers helped out
there, and some places charge volunteers for helping out. One
question for all volunteers to ponder is whether your work is
helping or counterproductive. Are you helping genuinely or
just trying to impose your modern ideas on others in a high
profile?
I love these kids and I love the genuine local people in
Swaziland. I think the UWC would love to help and do
something practical for them.
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Beings (I)

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What are beings? What are animals? I initially used animals
as the title of this blog, but changed it to beings, which
sounds enormously different. Beings implies emotions and
psyche. Beings have their vision, ways of living, philosophy
and wisdom. When looking at the beings, you will find souls in
them, especially from their eyes. I know they are beings with
ideas, which bears resemblance to us in this respect.
We left school at 5:30 in the morning to visit a nature reserve,
as we would travel across the entire country and take three
vehicles today. A Taiwanese person in the nature reserve was
pretty surprised that we took a taxi there before riding two
buses. Lloyd and I met with some really nice people on our
way: midibus drivers that did not ask for extra charges, taxi
driver that carried luggage for me, and the greatest experience
of all was with a fast food restaurant owned by a Chinese lady.
The two of us did not have breakfast, so we went to grab
something to eat before we changed bus. The restaurant we
chose had a very big poster of Chinese character Fu on the wall.
I figured that the restaurants owner might be from Taiwan, to
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 Armored! Jeep!

whom I feel naturally close. The owner took our orders in

English at first.
Some fish and chips, please, I said.
The lady took a glance at me and asked, Where are you
from?
Im from China.
Aha, me too, so what about some sandwich, coz fish has been
sold out? said the lady in Chinese.
Sorry, but were going to take a bus soon.

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So what about some chips and sausages? The lady put some
chips in a box adeptly. Take it. The sausage is free.
Its alright. Ill pay.
Im from Zhejiang, and I have lived here for 12 years. Are you
from Taiwan?
Im from Suzhou.
Are you alone here?
Ive got a classmate also from Suzhou with the UWC.
Your parents are amazing to trust you so and leave you alone
here. Come by bus and spend weekend here next time. Just feel
at home.
Cool! Thanks so much, madame!
Have fun! The lady insisted on giving me an extra sausage.
The chips and sausage made me feel sad and happy at once,
since they were from a restaurant with a Chinese owner.
I felt so lucky to be able to hike through the forests as a
backpacker. The nature reserve we visited is the biggest in the
country and it is established under the Kings order. However,
it was astoundingly ugly in my eyes, as there were only mud
and wild grass. Trees without foliage grew across the desolate
land, making me wonder why there were no leaves in summer.
Hippos standing in muddy water lazily seemed to be enjoying
the sun. I was about to walk closer to take some pictures of
them when Lloyd stopped me, You dont want get in closer,

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because they can jump out of the puddle in no time and rush at
you. Hippos can be very fast and knock you down in a blink.
Therefore, I gave up the idea of taking the pictures, and kept a
proper distance from them.
Different from my last nature reserve experience, we were not
allowed to hike through the zone inhabited by so many wild
animal species, such as lions, boars and giraffes, which was
exactly like what was shown in The Lion King. We dared not
to take the risk anyway, so we entered the reserve in an
armored vehicle, which could probably be not strong enough
for the attack of lions.

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Beings (II)

There were no iron cages in this reserve, and we saw only

forests and grass. The armored off-road vehicle we rode drove
along the wet road with slight drifting from time to time.
Thanks to the skillful driver, the vehicle did not get stuck. As
the driver literally kept turning the wheel, we had to hold the
handrails all the time. The bumpiness made people feel that the
car was going to overturn. We sat there holding our breath, just
like we were riding a roller-coaster. If the vehicle had
overturned, we would not be protected by armors, and we
would be prey of the wild beings, as the driver did not have a
gun with him.
Please switch your phones to silent mode and dont use
flashlight, as were entering the lion zone, and dont stand up
unless I asked. The driver warned us. Understood. The
driver got out of the car to open the gate to the lion zone and
closed it behind us after driving past.
We first saw an eagle standing in a tree with its eyes staring
into the distance and scanning around occasionally. This is
African Fish Eagle, and it preys on fish specially. We moved
on and were suddenly stopped by a lion, which jumped into the
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middle of the road from the jungles. Slowly, she paced up and
down before lying down on the ground. The lion was there for
about 15 minutes and some passenger in the vehicle got
impatient, Can we honk to drive her away? No, if we honk,
the lion will become curious about who we are and pay us a
visit. I took dozens of pictures of the lion, wondering if it was
going to stay here forever. The passenger beside the driver
stood up to take a picture was immediately pulled back to his
seat, You may scare her by doing so. She may take you as an
enemy and launch an attack. It took a while before the lion
stood up, shook her head and walked away. But right before we
were starting the engine again, a lion cub poked its head out

Dreadful! African! elepant! is! staring! at! us!

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from the jungle. So adorable! We couldnt help calling,
seeing its black eyes of innocence. It obviously did not have a
clue, and hurried back to its mom when the female lion roared
a bit. The vehicle drove on to the depth of the reserve.
You may wonder why there are no leaves on the tree. They
have been eaten up by elephants. Some trees were pushed
down by them, as they thought the leaves on them were not
tasty. That makes no sense to me. I mean, its like you cannot
return foods to KFC if you do not like them. These headstrong
elephants actually save loggers efforts, and we can use them
directly for furniture or burning, said the driver.

The! king! of! kings:! African! lion!

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Wow! We all exclaimed. Shh! Quiet. The vehicle took a
turn and we saw an African elephant and a giraffe. The giraffe
is like an auntie, looking at us amiably, while the elephant
started at us quite unfriendly. The two animals were a sharp
contrast. Elephant is heavy and clumsy, while giraffe is tall and
slim. Is it possible for the elephant to crush our car? said a
man from Taiwan. Dont talk. The driver told us quietly. I
was not so worried, because Lloyd is an elephant keeper.
With two hours drive, we only covered one travel route of the
nature reserve. The driver said apologetically, Sorry, but time
is up. I had planned to show you the rhinos.
It started raining and the man from Taiwan kindly drove us to
the coach station. Lloyd and I traveled from the east of the
country to the west overnight.
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 Merciful! aunt! giraffe!

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Dream

Today is the first day for me to work at the blood bank. I

finished my schoolwork for today last night in order not to be
affected by the activity, so I still felt kind of dizzy this morning
and fell asleep on the bus. Workers with the blood bank greeted
me and gave me a cup of coffee as it was really chilly outside
today.
Come and sit. It must be very tiring to arrive here so early, a
lady said to me.
Its OK.
We get up at 5:30 every morning, because the places we go to
are often very far away. Work is very hard with the blood bank.
Were going to Piggs Peak today to teach high school students
blood donation knowledge.
Piggs Peak? Is that the northernmost tip of Swaziland? How
long does it take to get there by car?
Three hours if everything goes well, the lady said.
Six hours for round trip! I got in their SUV with my backpack.

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These high school students have very good blood, so we need
to educate on blood donation and help them resolve doubts.
Many of the students have no idea about what blood donation
means to their health. You may want to take some notes today,
because youll be giving lectures to them next time.
No problem, I answered.
Our SUV drove at almost a constant speed along the highway.
The lady is my mentor at the blood bank. She is not tall, but
very capable and always wears a smile. Her English is not easy
to understand because of dialect. A man traveling together with
us is a medical expert, who has worked at the blood bank for
years and teaches knowledge about blood donation.
Oh, Chinese. I know everything is made in China. You
develop so fast. I hate to say that, but Swazi are so typical of
African.
Typical of African? I love Swaziland - fresh air, nice people
and modern life - which is quite different from what I expected
before I came here. Well, I have to say that the Internet and
weather are not perfect.
No, Asian people are just awesome. Everything is made of
China. Toyota cars all over the road. Im using a Samsung
phone. The car we are driving is Suzuki. Its horrible that our
life has been occupied by Asian products.
I took a nap in the car, because I only slept four hours last night.
When eating a hamburger with no meat but just cheese for
lunch, I just felt proud of myself. Volunteers like me work so
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hard, not for money but for the humanity inside. No one forces
us to do so, and we simply ask for it by willingly having
tasteless hamburger and three-hour bump rides. The sheer
willpower pushes us to overcome all difficulties and ignore
peoples ideas about us. If more and more people share this
view with us, the world will be a much more beautiful one. The
pure belief in charity transcends economic development and
racial difference.
Our SUV got stuck in mud on our way to school. Mike, we
got stuck in here, the driver said helplessly. Lets push it,
the lady and I said. The four wheels were all in mud. Weve
got a problem. All we got here is grass. If only we had some
branches to put under the wheels! Sorry to have you do this
on a voluntary trip, Mike. It must be something special for
you. The driver shifts to the first gear and we pushed really
hard before the car got out the mud. We got in the car and the
driver took the grassland path to avoid being stuck again.
The car drove another three hours when we saw a high school
built with bricks. Herds of buffalos and milk cows roamed in
front of the gate. The school is self-sufficient with the cattle?
I wondered. Yes, they raise cows themselves for meat.
The schoolmaster greeted us, and was surprised to see an Asian
face. I heard students from Waterford are all genius, he
complimented. Your school is also awesome, I responded.
Where are you from? China. Taiwan? No, mainland
China. Oh, thats rare here. I met with students from Taiwan.
I didnt know there are students from mainland China in
Waterford. Do you speak English in China? No, I speak
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Mandarin in China, and I also teach myself Chinese at the
UWC. Self-taught? I didnt know you can teach yourself
courses. What about exams without teachers? We take
Chinese courses in the IB system, so we sit the IB exams.
Aha, I see. The schoolmaster invited us to its auditorium,
which was quite different from what I had seen before.
Have you seen backboards made of paper carton, and plastic
bags as nets? Have you seen an auditorium with only ceiling
and no walls?
The schoolmaster resembled Kofi Annan to me at my first
glance. He has very bright eyes, under which were very
obvious bags. Waving a one-meter long ruler, he directed his

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students to take seats. Wearing uniforms, the students all
carried chairs to the auditorium for the lecture. Im an expert
with the blood bank. A drop of your blood may mean nothing
to you, but it can change lives of others. Sure, if you want to
donate blood, there are some pre-conditions The lady came
to me and asked if I can say something to the students, as the
schoolmaster wanted to me to do so. I wasnt prepared for a
lecture, I said. Its OK. Anything you want to say. OK, let
me think.
I was a little shocked and did not have anything in my mind, so
when the schoolmaster greeted me at the rostrum, I was still at
loss.
Standing there for a few seconds and looking around at the
eyes with curiosity, I tried to pull myself together. This might
also be a fresh experience for the students down there to see a
Chinese person for the first time. An idea just came out of mind:
dream, these kids need dream!
Do you have a dream? the students seemed to be at loss
hearing this. I have one. Why have I chosen to study with the
UWC in Africa instead of those in Britain, Canada or Italy?
People might not understand, but I want to follow my heart and
come to see people and lives I had no idea about, like you.
When I am here, I found everything is just beautiful - nice
people and breathtaking natural views. But this is not enough,
because we also need dreams. High school is the most
important period in your life. If you missed it, you missed
forever. Asia is seeing skyrocketing growth, which may break
the monopoly of Europe and the United States. What about
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Africa? People need dreams. You future life is all about dreams
you can stick to, which may become true because of your
insistence. The future of Swaziland is in your hands. Thank
you! I bowed to the audience, which was the most sincere
blessing for the kids.
The schoolmaster seemed to be inspired by my speech, and
came up to shake my hands. They had planned to build a dam
here, but because of the villagers insistence, we have the
school. You are totally right about having dreams. We have to
fight for our dreams. Thanks agains! Mike from China!
When we were about to leave, I looked at the school again.
Someone from the school may change the destiny of this
country in the future.
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Stars
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I,
Alone,
Strode ahead,
With head held high.
Firm steps on the pathway,
I hiked uphill in a moonlit night.
Recollecting my memories in Africa,
I saw clouds flow like torrents and fade,
Which are no match for the twinkling stars.
Stars accompanied by chirping insects in woods,
And grass fragrance from afar filled the peaceful night.
Starlight illuminated the gloomy night and brought hopes,
To Africa and the people that love and live in this continent.
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But we enjoy internal happiness and natural freshness.
You crave for the lucrative careers in bustling cities,
And purchase the freedom we have in exchange.
Our world is taken by your insatiable appetites.
Why are you coveting our starry dreamland,
Given you have already had sunny land?
Does Africas rise mean the sacrificing,
Of things we have had long owned,
And little hope African cherish?

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We love the peaceful darkness,
And grass fragrance in the air.
Insects chirp, stars twinkle,
And clouds float around.
Africa is not memory.
I hiked downhill,
strode onward,
Bid farewell,
To you.
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Study
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The school stress with the UWC is huge. Many people envy
students that study abroad, because they think we are not in
face of the pressure of taking the college entrance exam, and
studying outside China is like enjoying lives in paradise, which
is simply not true. Different focus of studying means different
level of tiredness. The college entrance examination result is
the only thing that matters to the 12th year students in mainland
China, regardless of their social experience or interpersonal
skills. As long as their examination scores are high enough,
they will be enrolled by good universities. I would say the
pressure for students studying abroad is much bigger than their
Chinese counterparts, since it cannot be quantified.
In China, students are often passive learners. They receive
large amounts of knowledge from teachers every day, and the
high efficiency in taking notes is unbelievable to many foreign
students. Students read and do exercises only to achieve
shining examination scores.
Students abroad have more time spent on non-academic
activities. The schools often arrange traveling or encourage
students to explore the nature themselves, which appear to be
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relaxing but actually serve more meaningful purposes. The
exploration and understanding of the nature inspires students in
their biology research. Mathematics is no longer just solving
puzzles on paper, but establishing models to work out real
problems, creating new theories and elaborating the theories in
papers wih several thousand words. Music is by no means a
minor subject here, because students need to master
complicated music theories, deepen their understanding of
musical knowledge and compose music works by employing
all kinds of techniques like a college student does.
Generally speaking, students do not wait for teachers to offer
knowledge, but take the initiative to explore, which involves
more efforts and challenges. Therefore, studying in China is
more of a one-dimensional use of brain, while studying abroad

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calls for a more comprehensive mental mobilization. By going
abroad to study, students broaden their use of brain.
I used to have all my spare time to relax after finishing
schoolwork in China, but here with the UWC, I am always on a
very tight schedule, leaving no free time. We hosted a group of
disabled children last Saturday, and toured the National Zoo of
Swaziland last Sunday. I am going to perform at an indoor
music competition this Saturday, and take a 12-kilometer
cross-country hiking this Sunday, which is said to be more
challenging than last time due to the adding of bare-handed
rock-climbing part. My coach asked me whether I would like to
sign up for the citys badminton game this Sunday, for which I
just do not have time.
Besides weekends, time after class Monday through Friday is
also fully arranged: badminton training on Monday, first aid
training on Tuesday, downtown activity for Wednesday, Jazz
band rehearsal on Thursday and indoor soccer on Friday. I also
plan to set up a Kung Fu society to promote Chinese culture,
for which I am looking for a place and equipment.
Do not believe any hearsay about students having little
homework when studying abroad, because it is not true. We
write English essays of several thousand words every week.
There are two pages of math homework and diagram analysis
every day. For economics, we need to utilize our knowledge to
explain economic phenomenon, build models and provide
solutions. Without inspiration, music composition is
unproductive even after hours sitting in front of the piano, and
presentations about music cultures take much time to prepare.
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We sit biology tests every week, for which an essay of
hundreds of words needs to be finished within 40 minutes;
biology course here teaches more in-depth knowledge than that
in China, as the understanding of many structures starts from
molecules. I also volunteered for many community services.
With my detailed - hope not lengthy - introduction, do you still
feel student life here is easy? The busiest time of all is the
application for university programs, when examination scores
do not mean everything. We have to take part in activities for
social practice purposes, prepare dozens of pages of essays,
compile self-introduction materials including past experiences
and have interviews. However, we do not complain, because
we choose to do all these willingly and nobody forces us. We
believe what goes around comes around. Teachers here do not
push students to do anything, and quite the contrary, we push
teachers to finish all teaching programs, which may surprise
many but is how we take ourselves serious.
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I got Dai Yings call when I just got out of bed. Take the
national flag, and weve got to set up our stall, she said. I took
the flag off from the wall and rushed to the gym without
making the bed.
Today is the UWC Day. Students can take their flags to the
gym and present their cultures. I put the national flag on the
wall and set up the stall.
You look gorgeous today! My friend from Taiwan said.
Thanks. Put the foods on the table and weve got parade
later.
I was wearing my red Tang suit and Dai Ying in red
cheong-sam. The Chinese red was pretty shining among all.
Looking around, beautiful girls from India, handsome boys
from Germany and Russian girls from a higher grade all wore
their Sunday best for the occasion today. Their nationalities
may imply some difference, but their smiles make us feel so
close. We talked and laughed, forgetting the nation thing.
This is like a dream. I never thought I would be studying in
Africa, in here. This is totally beyond my imagination. But here

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we are, talking with you from China, taking classes with guys
from the US and making friend with countries all over Africa.
Sure there are my European fellows. This is just amazing. My
British friend was absolutely wowed, which is also my
experience here. Students have amazing classes every day. In
economics classes, people do not guess what economies are
like in other countries. I often offer to introduce what a planned
economy was like in China forty years ago while students from
Europe or the US told us knowledge about free economy. My
classmates knowledge about world history is also quite
eye-opening. The Korean War in an Americans eye is totally
different from what I have been taught, and Chinas War of
Liberation, according to my Taiwanese classmates, is not the
same with what my textbooks say either. We live in the same
world, but our ideas about history between us are so different.
The UWC Day is a festival for students. I didnt know I was
going to give a speech today before I came. Someone caught
me and taught me what to say. So, this is a brand new era.
Students can practice democracy, which is also what weve
been championing. Everyone here represents a nation, but we
dont want to see nationalism. We are here not to give up our
traditions or custom, but to open up our mind and appreciate
others traditions. We should not create gap between each other
because of nationality, because many problems in the world
originated from strong nationalism. With an open mind, we can
promote world peace together. This is not a dream or a fairy
tale. Enjoy yourselves today!
Nationalism was mentioned many times directly and indirectly

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in our education, and in the presidents speech, it is something
unacceptable. I am proud to be Chinese, but that should not
separate me from people from other countries. Similarly, we
cannot regard someone from Kenya as poor or dislike someone
from Japan only because of the Japanese government has
disputes with China over history issues. Every student is
unique, and we should not let nationalism undermine this
unique identity. Everyone has a right to choose what to do, but
it should not be affected by which countries they are from.
People abroad believe in individualism - countries should not
exist, because everyone assumes ownership of their own lives,
instead of behaving in accordance to beliefs of the ruling class.
Individualism is as inappropriate as nationalism is to me.
Therefore, it will be best to become a UWC person - love
your countries but do not let your passion affect
communication with people with different opinions; national
border is not a gap between people in the human sense.
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Revelry

Because Im happy, happy is along if you feel like happiness

is the truth. Because Im happy I joined several classmates
and sang Happy on our way back to the dorm. It felt like we
are comrades-in-arms that fight wars together singing from a
high mountain. The fraternity is irreplaceable. These energetic
souls danced around unrestrainedly in the night, which was just
wonderful.
After eight hours of badminton games, I had ache all over, but
still had to attend the rehearsal at the music classroom for the
indoor concert tonight. I was updated by the team and they
played the music once for me before I composed the song for
the performance. One hour of practice was not enough to make
us feel confident, and we planned to improvise a bit, although
the team leader was a little worried.
Music has the power to heal, no matter how nervous you are
prior to the performance. A pianist of my team kept telling me
that he was nervous. So scary to perform in front of 400
people, he said. Just relax. They are all chimpanzees,
monkeys. They know nothing. I tried to cheer him up. No
problem? Sure, what problem do you think there can be?
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The moment we were on the stage and started playing, it was a
calm world. We played, and the choir sang along and shook
their body naturally. In contrast, the moves of Chinese choirs
are often robotic. As the dance of choir members went crazy,
the audience was infected, screamed and danced along. The
president and music teachers cheered and applauded for them. I
played while watching the reaction of the excited audience,
which excited me the other way round. They clapped to the
rhythm. Why sit there with a dull look? Why do we care about
what others think? Lets dance!
The concert is also a competition between three teams from the
UWC. Each team was required to prepare a song, a
performance and a MTV. My team was completely out of their

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mind when filming the MTV, because they danced on bus seats
and in supermarket carts. Even workers with the UWCs
canteen joined us. The last part of the video was that the
supermarket security guards stopped the dancers. We bursted
our sides with laughter, when we saw in the video a policeman
try to block the camera.
Why do we want to close our heart and become a goof
When the concert was about to end, the president took the stage
and asked everybody to join him dancing. The audiences
passion was ignited again. Because Im happy, clap along if
you feel like happiness is the truth. Because Im happy
I like the president very much. He would be very happy if I
greet him with a fist bump. Previously at a donation, the host of
the activity proposed that the team that collected the most
donations would have a free dinner during which the president
would wait on you. The people present were greatly impressed
and the president roared with laughter.
Because Im happy, clap along if you feel like happiness is the
truth. Because Im happy
The concert hall also has students parents. We did not have
generation gaps with them in music.
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 With! my! Welsh! friend! Lloyd!

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Identity
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At lunch, I sat across from Shawn, a boy that was born in
Swaziland and grew up in Mauritius. With an Asian face, he
speaks very pure British English, and behaves quite like an
African, although his parents are both Chinese.
Shawn, you are Chinese, huh? Arent you Mauritian? You
betrayed us! a group of African students joined us and a big
guy said.
No, I didnt. My mum owns a noodle restaurant in town, so I
was just there for help. Is that a problem? Shawn was a bit
unhappy.
Who wants to eat your mums chow mein? You traitor! Get
out of my face. The big buy continued.
Then dont eat it! Shawn left the table.
At the UWC Day activity, Shawn joined the Asian stall to sell
chow mein in order to donate money to the charities. I was
really uncomfortable seeing Shawn walk off like this. His
identities set barriers for the communication with others.
Because of his language and cultural background, he found it

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hard to blend with Asians, and his look prevents him from
having deep talks with African people either. He is actually
sandwiched by the two cultures he is related to. His dad
divorced his mum when she was pregnant with Shawn. His
mum started a noodle store to support him.
Shawn is not the only student here having this problem. Many
of them have to give up one identity to live an easier life in the
another culture. I know a mixed-blood girl - half Chinese and
half American - who bears no Chinese traditions or traits
except for her look. She does not speak Chinese and is pretty
out-going, like all American kids. Prior to her birth, the girls
parents have already picked the identity for her. As English has
become a world language and American values are admired by
many, most people would love their children to become
American. This girls parents must have isolated her from
Chinese culture, Chinese language and anything related to
China. A student parent from Taiwan told her daughter not to
speak Chinese a lot, because she should not forget the aim of
studying here in the UWC. I understand why the father said
that, but is speaking Chinese really going to hinder their
English study?
We are often forced to choose our identities, but we should
never give up the one that we feel most proud of. An American
classmate told me that many Chinese students in the US have
become totally American, and lost their Asian charm, which is
really a shame.
The charm of Chinese people has much to do with its cultural
background, without which I will be in Shawns position.
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True or False
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Is death penalty justified? What is terrorism? The TOK class
today discussed many problems. The openness of the
discussions shocked me very much, because I did not expect
they could so rational and tolerant about others.
The term cultural relevance in anthropology means cultures
cannot be compared and no culture is superior than another,
because other cultures, the connotations of them in particular,
can never be fully understood. For example, an American will
never understand the thoughts and action of Chinese people
completely and thoroughly, because the influence of family and
cultural background are immeasurable. Similarly, a Chinese
person should also not try to understand the motive of an
American based on their knowledge about the Chinese culture.
China was greatly influenced by Western cultures during the
May 4th Movement, when Chinese beliefs and cultures were
negated and lost. The right attitude should be learning Western
systems while maintaining our own culture.
We are from different countries, but we should avoid
nationalism. Cultures change in different eras, but never

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negate other cultures. You have no right to do so, because you
do not understand it. Different cultures have different
superstitions. Superstitions are good, but they cant be used to
discovery the nature of things. The president made the
remarks on the UWC Day.
I know a story about how different beliefs lead to different
outcomes. Two hiking men were lost in the desert for three
days with no foods but a bottle of water. If the two share the
water, both will fail to walk out of the desert. One can survive
if he drinks the water alone, but the other will be thirsty to
death. How do we choose?
Christianity believes that people should share, and even if both
of them died, they will be eulogized for their nobility. Judaism
believes that one should drink the water, because life is above
everything.
Is death penalty necessary? Does a human deserve a death
penalty for killing others? the teacher asked when we
discussed death penalty.
Death penalty is greatly deterring. Without death penalty,
more people will kill, because they know they will be
sentenced to a death penalty for killing. I think my answer
made sense.
Why is the murder rate in countries without death penalty
lower? The teacher kept asking.
Maybe because they have more advanced education system.
Why are there many murder cases in the US?
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Because of loose control of gun.
But according to the UN statistics, China has a very high
murder rate among all countries around the world, sometimes
higher than the US. China has a lot of murders every year,
although it imposes the most death penalties and it has very
strict gun control. Why is that?
I was shocked to learn that China has more murders that the US,
because Chinese media has much coverage about gun killings
in the US, while China is safe for strict gun control, which
may not be the case.
China has over 3,000 death penalties a year, while Britain
issued the last death penalty two hundred years ago, and the
Netherlands have not handed out death penalties for over 70
years. However, we cannot say who is right or wrong. The
teacher further observed.
Western laws punish crimes instead of criminals, while legal
systems of other countries punish criminals instead of crimes.
Therefore, most of the European countries do not have death
penalties, as death penalty allows the government to murder
criminals. As long as crimes are corrected and cleared after
criminals were punished, the criminals should be accepted by
the society. However, this is unbelievable in China, because
Chinese people take it for granted that he who murders pays the
forfeit of his life.
I remember that my Norwegian classmate talked about the
killing of 81 people by Anders Behring Breivik in 2011 two
months ago on an English class. The country has no death
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penalty and the longest imprisonment is only 21 years. Breivik
was even allowed to go to Oslo University in jail. While
mourning the death, Norwegian people held roses and banners
saying we want no revenge, but love, because they believe
that revenge will lead to more violence, and only love can
cleanse the crime. Breivik was eventually forgiven by the
people.
We may believe that death penalty serves murderers right, but
some think eye-for-eye retaliation provides no fundamental
solutions to crimes. We may not want to jump to a conclusion
about it yet.
Terrorists could be free fighters in others eyes, said Fidel
Castro. The TOK teacher told us that Nelson Mandela used to
be a terrorist. Before imprisoned, Mandela was an officer in the
army. He used to stage a coup with his power, which caused
the death of nearly 100 innocent people. Britain, France and the
US designated him as a terrorist for a long time. Mandela was
not allowed to enter the US, or he would be arrested. However,
as his contribution brought democracy to South Africa, people
forgot the incident and the US did not remove him from the
terrorist list until years later.
Who thinks Bin Laden is a terrorist? All of us raised our
hands responding to the teachers question.
Whatever his belief is, it cant be the reason for him to kill
indiscriminately. Sure, the US war on Iraq has caused huge
civilian casualties, the number of which significantly exceeded
that killed in 911. We said.

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True. government can also be a terrorist. The US air-raid on
Iraq is ruled as a terrorist action, but the ruling has very
insignificant results because of the USs influence. The
teacher noted.
Who think Dalai Lama is a terrorist? Only I raised my hand
responding to the teachers question.
He fights for the democracy and freedom of Tibetan people. Is
that wrong? My German friend asked.
Im neutral about Dalai Lama, but I think the future of Tibet
should be decided by its people, instead of the government or
Dalai Lama. My American classmate said.
Dalai Lama is trying to separate Tibet from China. Why is he
a peace envoy? I asked them.
This is not separation. People should decide their own destiny.
If the government forces their idea on the people, the
government is a dictatorship. For example, if the people dont
agree the reunification of West Germany and East Germany,
they wont. I dont know how Tibetan people think, so I dont
want to jump to any conclusion. The German classmate said.
From the perspective of democracy, the future of a nation
should be decided by its people, and the description of
territories as inseparable from the country is viewed as strong
nationalism by my friends.
They may not understand that Chinese people place more
importance on national unity than anything else, which further
proves that we should not blame them for what they think,
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because we think differently.
With different mindsets, we come to different conclusions.
Many international disputes arise from such differences. If the
parties with disputes can stand in other peoples shoes, the
disputes might be resolved, or at least they understand each
other a little better.
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Poetry Party

We sat on the lawn this evening, accompanied by chirping

insects and flying bugs. In the twilight we were seated around a
stage under the sky.
On the stage, the students recited their favorite poems. The
poetry party moved the audience with their peacefulness and
passion. The poems by some poets describe the dark side of
the society with obscene words. Nevertheless, we applauded
for all poems performed.
I remember a poem about the apartheid in South Africa by
Diana from the US. She stood back to back with a black girl,
reciting a poem.

What separates us?

Why are we far apart?
Moron!
Go to hell!
Nigger!
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Go away!
Why are we treating each other like this?

The pairs reciting resembled a drama with well-knit plot. The

audience was pretty impressed with the conflict in the poem,
and the last line inspired us all.
Why on earth are we treating each other like that?
Do we want to obey the rules?
Or do we want to create rules?
Whether you are black or white, you can have a choice by
following your heart, regardless of rules or discrimination. We
may bow to rules; we may also opt to make rules. The
apartheid between the black and the white is in itself
preposterous.
Deeply touched and incited by the bold question at last, we all
rose, cheered and exclaimed with waves of applause. Frogs in
the grass jumped around because of the sudden clamor. The
stage lights projected a different world in trees. For the entire
night, we enjoyed poems with original ideas and we were
amazed by the well-expressed, rhyming lines. These
improvised performances are great recreation for us. We do not
care whether it is poetry parties, dancing parties, song parties or
music concerts. We care about what we feel at the parties. In
Swaziland, the passion of the black and the craziness of the
white turn the UWC into an energy field, where we absorb

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others enthusiasm and release our own in a straightforward
way.
Chinese people take pride in its poem culture. Many ancient
poems were written while the poets were drinking and having
fun with friends, as poetry parties used to entertain people.
However, such parties have disappeared in China, replaced by
KTV parties and video games. Originally created by Chinese
poets, poetry parties have become luxury for Chinese people.
Do you have poetry parties? I asked my American classmate.
Yeah, we do such parties every semester, and schools have
poetry societies.
Instead of watching TV, we may well pour a glass of red wine
after coming home, and verse with friends.

Suits are shiny,

Playing the piano and versing are classy.
To be shiny or to classy,
A good taste derives from a mild gayety.
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Temporary Goodbye
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The first semester at the UWC is ending soon. I will fly back to
China for the vacation and receive a small surgery to have the
polypus in my nose removed. I was recently occupied by
various examinations and evaluations. I spent two weeks on my
composition for the music class using the five notes of
traditional Chinese music, which displays changes, tells stories
and shows evolvement. In order to maintain the Chinese style
and make it a little more diversified, I kept doing modifications
before handing it in. The music teacher described my piece as
'amazing and beautiful,' and I felt quite relieved.
I also joined the Jazz band concert last night, at the end of
which I was requested to play solo for the audience. I played
Fantaisie by Frdric Chopin off the cuff in a very relaxing
way, and even closed my eyes for the entire lyrical part in the
middle. The audience all rose and cheered when it was over. I
saw the president nodding, and the music teacher shouted,
Stunning! Unbelievable! A student's dad from China praised
me and the host exclaimed, "Incredible! Amazing!" Jae-woo
from South Korea told me that his mom enjoyed my playing.
Some classmates asked me to join their revelry in town. I
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thanked them but decided to go back to the dorm and have
some sleep as I was too busy and tired recently.
I went to church again this morning and did prayer before I
leave.
"The Bible in Hebrew said 'We surrender to God and submit to
the word of God,' but it is not in the Bible we are looking at,
because God is never up there looking down at us. God is great,
but not arrogant. God is passionate, but not emotional. God is
modest, but not weak." The pastor said.
In the church, I saw families sitting there with smile. The kids
were like little angles. People greeted each other with sincerity.

Hope! in! heart! is! like! the! rising! sun!

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Singing anthems was like being baptized again by the God.
Poor or rich, all people follow their heart and worship God.
"I'd like to pray for the kids in the UWC as the term will be
over soon. Wish them a smooth journey and a wonderful
vacation." A UWC teacher stood up and said to the pastor. The
power of thankfulness and blessing is huge. Christians all over
the globe are contributing to world peace and commercial
development. With the loyalty to God, we will grow in the
blessings.
See you in a month, Swaziland. I will tell the stories here to my
families and friends. Africa is a beautiful continent, with
modernized life and breathtaking views.
Goodbye!
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Flashback: On the Way

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If a fourth floor walk-up with a heavy box on the plateau is a
qualification test for Mount Everest climb, I may have just
failed it. The thin air made my chest suffer, throat squeeze and
temples tingle. Maybe I am not athletic enough for Everest.
To get to Tibet, I first took a flight from Xining via Xian, and
then a train to Lhasa. What I heard and saw on this trip totally
changed my impression about Tibet. I did not realize that I
knew so little about this land until I saw it with my own eyes.
Just as lively Africa was a barren land to me before my trip
there, beautiful and affluent Tibet once reminded me of nothing
but conflicts and danger.
Busy traffic out of the railway station of Lhasa, hospitable
armed police officers and greeting from Tibetan people seemed
to scotch all rumors about this place. A worker with the hotel
we are staying in just came up and offered to order meals for us.
She was a very kind middle-aged woman with an apron.
We have a great cook here for Sichuan food, and although I
come from Yunnan, Im very comfortable eating what he

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prepares, she passed us the menu to us, and wiped her greasy
hands on the apron. I ordered double cooked pork slices. She
took the order and waddled away. I felt so well dealing with
straightforward people.
People in west China are famous for their forthright character
and candidness. As the flight from Xian to Xining was
delayed about five hours because of heavy rain, Xian airport
prepared hotel rooms and dinners for us.
This is really like the Peoples Commune, where everyone ate
as much as they want and stay in free dorms. You should eat
more, boy! An old man from Xian said to me while smiling.
How come the foods are all so hot? Do they also consider the
eating habits of people from south China? The man
complained. Im OK, because I can eat spicy food.
By taking a trip, people seek after restful destinations.
Mountains, clouds, rivers and views are nothing but endless
colors, if we do not endow them with unique meanings. I
remember that a topic for debate was is beauty innate or
something people discovered?
I believe it takes efforts to discover beauty, because only when
you make comparison can you tell something beautiful from
that is just mediocre or not beautiful. We have developed
different understanding towards beauty because of our different
ways of making comparison. Beautiful views normally call for
kind-hearted locals. Xian beauty depends not only on its
culture and history, but also its cheerful people.

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In contrast, Xining seemed quite plain to me, as you can see
dark-skinned farmers speaking dialects with strong accents,
just like the Suzhou Industrial Park over ten years ago. Rich or
poor, people are beautiful when they have a kind heart. Tourists
here are often moved by these genuine local people. I cannot
help telling my British friend Royde what I think about here.
Why him? Royde mentioned how Britain thinks of Tibet issue.
I want to let him know that people here all live happy lives, and
he should come to see what is like here in person.
Profound understanding does not usually derive from reading
books. People can learn more by travelling a thousand miles
than by reading a thousand books. During my trip, I talked with
Tibetan and Han people of different background, in order that I
can under Tibet from as many perspectives as possible.
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Tibet Flashback: A True Story (I)
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Preface
Must-see places on your travel to-do list? Include Tibet and get
yourself ready to be amazed by the mountains and sky on top
of the world.
Suppose God is painter, Tibet plateau is His masterpiece.
Suppose God embroiders, Tibet plateau is His beloved
brocade.
Suppose God is a singer, Tibet is the most harmonious
melody.

What is Tibet like? Are Internet, news, TV and papers

presenting a real Tibet? Put your ideas aside and see what my
surveys find out before you jump to any conclusion.
People are often judged by where they are from, so the question
where are you from usually comes naturally after whats
your name. On getting an answer, we automatically search our
memory for anything related to that place, anything from TV or
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the Internet, and associate such partial information with the real
person you are talking to before the conversation gets deep.
Occasionally, stereotypes help, but more often than not they
distract you from impersonal understanding of a person or a
thing, and results in misconception. Human beings are quite
different from one another in some sense, even if they come
from the same places. Anywhere in the world live the so-called
good, bad, petty and refined people. However, we tend to
classify cultures as good or bad subconsciously based on our
own standards, which, in most cases, effectively oversimplifies
complicated cultures under influence of various factors and
hence breeds prejudice.
Tibet is not an outlier in this respect. Comparison between
cultures is almost impossible, given that different cultures
apply to different groups of people, social context and world
views. Simply speaking, there are no good or bad cultures, but
only different ones.
The combination of traditional culture represented by Tibetan
Buddhism and modern civilization has been a point of
contention in and outside Tibet, and the regions future very
much hinges on whether the two can blend well. Given that a
perfect fusion is never easy, sensible judgment from both
government and people means a lot.
Having said that, people see things from different perspectives
in their own mental models, but to understand a place like Tibet,
please take off your colored spectacles, leave behind all things
imaginary and empty yourself to embrace this adventure.

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 Train Station
After getting to Xining from Xian, I waited at the train station
for the train to Lhasa. A middle-aged man sitting across from
me told two girls next to him not to take a bath or shower on
the first day of arrival, because the vapor will further dilute
oxygen in the bathroom and people might pass out. He still
suffers altitude sickness, mainly chest distress, every time he
went to Lhasa. I managed to have a conversation with him.

Me: Where are you from, Sir?

Man: Changzhou. I came to Lhasa to do business six years ago.
I spent three months in Changzhou every year and the
remaining time promoting products in Lhasa. Usually, I fly to
Lhasa from Shanghai, but I had to take care of something in
Shigatse this time, so Im here taking a train to Lhasa.
Me: How do you like Lhasa?
Man: Many people believe the city is not safe, but they are
wrong. I was also concerned when I planned my first traveled
there, mainly because of the rumors. But unlike what was said
online, I found Lhasa is great and even safer than some other
Chinese cities when I was really there, and people are very
happy. Outsiders may see the city as an unsafe place because
they think the events are unbelievable. The city itself is
beautiful, clean and pretty modern after decades of
development.
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Me: What events do you mean?
Man: The March 14 Riots and the self-immolation in
Tongren.
Me: Why unbelievable?
Man: When looking at Tibet, we should separate politics from
religion and shouldnt mix them up. Taking self-immolation for
example, this is an extreme event, but you may understand that
when youre in Tibet. Tibetan Buddhism differed very much
from Buddhism in other parts of China. Compared to Tibetan
Buddhism, our Buddhism is not religious conviction in the real
sense. Their piety may sounds unimaginable to us, but the
people that burned themselves believed they are blessed by
Dalai and the sacrifice for their faith will receive the greatest
recognition. People like us dont have faith in the religious sense,
so such extreme action is beyond our understanding. In fact,
religion is hard to define.
Me: What do you think of Tibet?
Man: Its a pure place with honest people. With great support
from the government, they are living a quite happy life.
Me: What do Tibetan people think of the political problems?
Man: They are very grateful, because of what they get from
the government. About 200 people fled Tibet with Dalai Lama
and now they are living helplessly, because these people
forfeited their Chinese citizenship when escaped to Nepal and
are now living on meager wages. They want to come back to
China very much. Tibetan people are rustic, maybe because of
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their religion, and they believe in anybody that is good to
them.
Me: What do you think of Dalai Lama?
Man: As I said, you have to separate religion from politics
when you try to get a real impression of Tibet. The two things
used to be one in Tibet, like in Vatican, when Dalai Lama was
a religious and political leader. In Tibetan Buddhism, Dalai
Lama is regarded as the incarnation of Bodhisattva, like God in
Christianity. Putting politics aside, Dalai is a god to Tibetan
people. Most people in Tibet dont give a damn about politics,
and all that they care about are good lives. I think they side
with the government and you can see Chinas national flags
everywhere. China will welcome Dalai Lama if he returns as a
religious leader, but using religion to serve his political purpose
is unacceptable.
Me: Were you accustomed to life in Tibet in the beginning?
Man: Weather changes so quickly there. It may rain and then
turn clear in a second. Sometimes, it even snows in May or
June. I still have altitude sickness in the first couple of days
every time I get there. Honestly speaking, I love Lhasa more
than some other Chinese cities, because people there dont put
on a mask. I feel comfortable talking to people in Lhasa.

The train was late for one hour and a half. As I dragged my
trunk all the way to the sleeper, it got dark outside. Despite of
the redecoration inside, the journey still reminded me of

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traveling on such green-colored trains to my parents old home
when I was a child. I remember carriages shaking, mosquitoes
buzzing and sleepers too narrow, even for kids like me, to turn
over. Floors were often littered with shells of sunflower seeds.
Men snoring loudly the next sleeper kept waking me up. The
midnight thump and clunk of railway carriages coupled with
snores, breeze and black shadows flashing past the windows
somehow excited me in an intangible and refreshing way, and
the excitement of going home had never been that real ever
since we bought a car.
I shared the compartment with a couple from Guangdong and
one from Shijiazhuang. Guys from Guangdong talked in
Cantonese I dont understand, and the lady from Shijiazhuang

Lhasa! Train! Station!

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fingered prayer beads on her right hand, speaking local dialect
with strong northern China accent. It seemed that all of them
were on a pilgrimage to Lhasa, just like many others from
across China who travel from Qinghai to Tibet, the magic Pure
Lands to them.

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Tibet Flashback: A True Story (II)

On the Train
That turned to be a sleepless night for me, not because I was
overexcited, but I tried to catch my breath. There were like
thousands of huge stones on my chest. I felt so hot and sweated
all around, but I wasnt so sure if it was the thick quilt or the
hot weather, or its just my body trying to emit heat. Its
killing me cant fall asleep, the Guangdong guy murmured,
but started to snore in like a second. I didnt fall asleep until 6
the next morning. It later occurred to me that the train climbed
the 5,000m Tanggu Pass that night.
Spectacular! a tourist exclaimed excitedly, waking me up
from a dream. I opened my eyes a bit as a golden ray shone
through the window. Outside was a world of snow. Jumping
down from the sleeper, I was shocked at what I saw. To be
more exact, what I saw resonated with me strongly deep in my
memory. Magnificent snow mountains in clouds, grassy
marshlands and Gobi desert are like colorful silk belts on the
plateau. The sky is not afar, bordered with snow-covered land.
The blue sky surprisingly becomes a majestic and pure
backdrop of the snow mountains. You may spot one house or
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two at the foot of the mountains, and wonder who own them,
how they survive or live in such a remote yet breathtaking
place.
Are they monks practicing their religious beliefs? Or are they
climbers temporary homes? The vast snow land has extremely
sparse population, let alone busy traffic, but occasionally, you
may find a truck driving lonely along the road that links Tibet
and Qinghai. I also remember seeing a Tibetan person, as he
stared at the train galloping by with vacant-looking eyes. He
was ragged and tan, with thick beard covering his wrinkled
lips. Three lines marked his forehead, and hairs were black
and white. We must have boldly intruded into this heavenly

Snow! mountain! ! ! blue! sky! ! ! winding! road!

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place in his eyes.
How are you, master? the lady from Shijiazhuang greeted. A
monk in a saffron robe and shaven head walked into the
compartment with a string of brownish red beads on his neck.
He sat down, looking unfathomably at the rest of the people.

Me: Master, you have a strong northern accent.

Master: Yes, Im from Tianjin.
Me: First time to Tibet?
Master: No, Ive been here for many times.
Me: How do you think of Tibetan Buddhism from a monks
perspective?
Master: Tibetan Buddhism is not something you will
understand from a short trip. The Buddhist cultures in other
parts of China are quite superficial and quintessentially
void. We ruined too many good things that we shouldve
inherited from our ancestors in the Cultural Revolution.
Me: Sure, China was topsy-turvy and everybody was insane.
Master: Well, if we look back into the Chinese history, the
Cultural Revolution didnt happen for no reason. Qin Dynasty
unified the six states, and Li Si rejected all kinds of theoretical
schools but Confucianism. The primary task for a centralized
state power is to control peoples thoughts. Eight-part essay in
Ming Dynasty, literary inquisition in Qing Dynasty and the

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 Potala! Palace! under! the! blue! sky!

Cultural Revolution were all means of controlling peoples

thoughts. Although we now
are exposed to all types of
mentality models are still
government and therefore
think in the same way and
if we are not supposed to do
resources that enable us to
have Internet, Weibo and we
information, our thoughts and
deeply influenced by the
have limitations. Most of us
draw same conclusions, even
so given we have all the
think differently.

Me: What do you think of the issues facing Tibet today?

Master: Truth is often hard to come by, because history is
written by the victors. Tibet and Xinjiang both have their own
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political systems, mainly Caesaropapism, prior to founding of
the Peoples Republic of China. You can hardly understand
politics as it is. If you are not a politician, you will be forever a
chess played by politicians. Theres no way you can understand
their world or what they hide from you. Certainly, wise men in
the real sense know what it is, but there are too few of them
and even fewer are able to see things through all at once.
Me: Many people asked me about this when I was at the
United World College, and there seems to be so many different
opinions about this issue in the West. I simply dont know how
to answer.
Master: So just tell them you dont know, because its so
complicated, unless you can find someone from that time to
talk to. But it doesnt really matter, in my view, even if you
know the truth. You can by no means change the status quo or
the nations future, if you are not the Chinese President. We
only have limited freedom of speech online now because of
games played by politicians. I never watch the 7pm CCTV
news, because it speaks for the government and is therefore not
necessarily true. So why bother?

The master stood up and went for breakfast. Gee, just have
fun in Tibet. Why bother to learn that much? the Guangdong
lady told me.
Like the master said, dont try to understand things there
because you wont. People from Guangdong never talk about
politics. Why? Because its useless, the lady said.
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The master could be right. However, we should also try to
understand Tibet, only from a different perspective. We may
not change history, but we may learn lessons from it. We may
not understand politics, but we have the right to learn the
truth.
The train arrived in Lhasa after 24 hours traveling. It was
already 7:30pm, but still daytime in the city. On my way to the
hotel, I saw well-built roads and busy commercial streets.
People of different ethnic groups live and thrive together. My
impression about Tibet prior to the trip, mainly riots and
poverty, total dissolved. Modern infrastructure, laughing
foreign tourists on wagons and the Potala Palace in the distance
blend well together.

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Tibet Flashback: A True Story (III)

Lhasa Trip
This is a city of diversity. I didnt very sleep well on the first
night. The tour guide told us several times that we must not
take a bath that night, because people catching a cold here
easily get HAPE.
My room faces a snow mountain. Cold winds blew in when I
opened the window the next morning. Lhasa is circled by
mountains and rivers. Such chilly winds should be from the
high mountains. I ate breakfast slow so as not to gasp for breath.
I inhaled several times after swallowing a bun. Deep breath
helps in this case. With oxygen in lung, I felt much better.
Putting on my mountaineering jacket and backpack, I got on
the bus. The passengers that day were independent tourists
from across the country.
Hey, Im Liang, your tour guide today. I was born here and
lived here for over 30 years. My parents moved here in the
1960s to help social development here. The bus headed
towards the Potala Palace after picking up the tourists from
hotels.

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The best thing about Tibet is that you can see a lot of real
ancient stuff. In others parts of China, a large number of
ancient relics and traditions were damaged and disappeared
either in the Cultural Revolution or due to ineffective
protection. The rebuilt structures have old-looking forms but
lack the cultural essences that only exist in ancient architecture.
Like my designer dad, who has led the designing of the
summer palace garden of the Potala Palace, has said, buildings
without souls are just structures, and it is no different from
building blocks. Once architects ideas endow buildings with
live spirit, they are no more ordinary. As Tibet was less
affected by the Cultural Revolution and Tibetan people are
pious, relics here have hundreds of or even more than a
thousand years of history. They are priceless treasure both in
terms of the materials they are made of and their cultural and
religious significance.
This was used by Songtsn Gampo, this by the Tibetan Kings
and this by Princess Wencheng, Liang told us. Owners of
these utensils were all very famous, so people in Tibet usually
do not talk about prices of such things. For example, a dzi bead
on a stupa is worth hundreds of millions of RMB, and a stupa
has about 1,000 dzi beads, all with thousands of years of
history. Besides, a stupa is also decorated with red corals and
turquoises, each of which is worth more than 10 million RMB,
and a stupa is made of tons of gold. Therefore, the value of a
stupa equals the GDP of a small country. The Potala Palace has
more than one stupa.

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The Potala Palace stands until today not only because of its
structure and construction materials. Devout Tibetan Buddhists
repair walls of the palace with a mixture of milk, yak butter and
honey. These white-colored paints often peel off in patches
after rains and sunshine, so Tibetan people donate milk and yak
butter for the repairing every winter. We may not understand
this and wonder why they dont use real paint.
Tibetan people are good at creating miracles, although such
repairing may not be anything special at all. The Red Palace of
the Potala is built out of a type of grass, and it is fireproof and
rot-proof. The pursuit for truth and elegance is the power of
faith, for which Tibetan people would not easily forsake their
traditions. They would use the construction materials their
ancestors adopted hundreds of years ago, which may seem
plausibly wasteful, but indicates their respect for gods and
established traditions.

Liang: In the Potala, the least expensive thing is gold. Why?

Because the palace has dzi beads, mellite and the only Buddhist
relic in China, all of which are much more expensive than
gold.
Me: I can see treasures everywhere.
Liang: People in other parts of China do not have such faith
any more.
Me: True. Chinese people need to have faith.

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Liang: Comparatively speaking, people here are less
sophisticated and the natural environment is better preserved.
We can hardly imagine what Buddhists can do for their faith.
Every year, pilgrims started their trips to Lhasa from Sichuan
and Qinghai. They do one prostration for every three steps
taken. Some do that for an entire year, some do two years and
some do ten years. Some died on their journeys, and his or her
teeth were then pulled out and driven into the pillars of the
Jokhang Temple or the Potala Palace by the companions to
finish the pilgrimage.
Me: The power of faith is truly impressive.
Liang: With the power of faith, such people gained more from
their spiritual practice than those who dont have faith. The
pure but persistent faith passes down from generation to
generation and influences everyday lives.
Me: How do your parents think of Tibet?
Liang: They think differently because of the communist
education they received. My parents came to Tibet with the
purpose of building and safeguarding the countrys borders.
They really thought so.
Me: Do you believe in that?
Liang: No, Im not. That might sound counterrevolutionary if
I had said that in 1960s or 1970s, but things have changed,
and China is changing, too. You have the freedom to think on
your own. As long as you dont preach national separatism, you

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have the right to believe in any religion, or communism. This is
all up to you.
Me: Where are your parents from?
Liang: Beijing. They came here and settled down.
Me: Do you go back to Beijing when you have a vacation?
Liang: Seldom. Im used to the life in Tibet and Im
comfortable with talking with people here. You dont have to
wear a mask. I dont really like life in Beijing, so why would I
go back?
Me: Are Tibetan people in favor of the government?
Liang: Sure, look at the national flags flying over the
bungalows. People here are all very happy given the good social
welfare. Kids dont have to pay tuitions & fees, foods or
accommodation for school, and the policy has been in existence
for more than 30 years, which was way before the
implementation of compulsory education in other parts of
China. Moreover, students get allowances from the government
every year: 2,260 RMB for primary school students and 5,000
RMB for college students. Students parents dont get cash,
because some would spend the money on drinking or smoking.
Therefore, the government gives out rice and cooking oil. Bags
filled with rice have piled up to over one meter high in my
place. I dont spend money buying rice at all, because I can
never eat all of them. Some parents still send their children to
temples, where they think kids can get wise for real. In order to
encourage such children to go to school, the government gives

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their parents one bag of rice for each week the kids are at
school. Kids usually develop a liking towards school weeks later
and the families also get real benefits.

I was thinking that was really a great idea. To avoid schooling

is against the current. Not forcing but encouraging kids to go to
school by providing incentives to their parents shows respect
for their religious belief as well as improves the literacy level
of children. A nations destiny affects that of every one. The
transition from mental slavery to all-round opening-up is good,
and if the way we took is not wrong, the future should be
promising. Nevertheless, democracy and freedom of thinking
cannot be violated. The more open the country is, the happier
and freer Tibetan people will become.
Faith can be non-religious, although some still think it is all
about belief in god. With faith, I believe, people have spirit,
and god is the incarnation of spirit. Without faith, people are
like walking dead, not knowing where to go. In other words,
life will be void and superficial, leaving no traces in the world.
The Chinese lack faith in many respects. Taking those people
in the railway station waiting hall for example, they either sat
or lay there, gazing at their cellphones and never getting tired
of browsing stuff from the social network. Completely
immersed in the virtual world, they let fragmented information
flash through their mind, which may have not left impression.
The absence of pursuit for a real spiritual life makes human an
empty shell. Fast-paced modern life is impacting everyone, as
rebars replace woods and materialism erodes spiritual lives.
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This also reminds me of the wisdom of Taoism. Laozi believed
that a perfect life is factually a pristine life. As long as we are
not driven by desires, we are eternally happy. How have
modernity and advanced technologies changed our lives? Why
people are more alienated when telephone and Internet make
communication much more convenient? The inventions of
automobile and airplane make travel easier but we become
increasingly indifferent to reunion. Television and computer
bring us dross as well as a treasure trove of information. Is the
society advancing or moving backward? Should we pursue a
higher level of material abundance or the spiritual sublime? Or
can they co-exist?
In the Jokhang Temple, we saw many black patches on the
murals. I wondered why the paintings drawn with gold powers,
red corals and turquoises so vulnerable to weathering?

Liang: Murals here were ruined during the Cultural

Revolution, when they were scorched and blackened.
Me: Tibet was also affected by the Cultural Revolution?
Liang: The Jokhang was the drill ground for the Red Guards.
The most precious treasure for the temple is the life-sized sitting
statue of Sakyamuni when he was 12 years old. It has a history
of over 1,000 years. The temple used to have three such statues
respectively for eight-, 12- and 24-year-old Sakyamuni. The
Japanese invaders stole the 24-year-old one during the
Anti-Japanese War and the statue sank to the bottom of the sea
when the ship transporting it back to Japan wrecked. The
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eight-year-old Sakyamuni statue was beheaded during the
Cultural Revolution and Buddhist books inside were all burned.
The eight-year-old Sakyamuni statue in the Ramoche Temple
now is a restored one. So the 12-year-old Sakyamuni statue
hidden in the walls of the Jokhang is the only well-preserved
life-sized Sakyamuni statue in the world.

The temple was also looted by the British and many treasures
from Tibet are now displayed at the British Museum. China
had a really painful history in the past one hundred years,
which can be summarized as fighting with foreigners, with
Kuomintang and internal strife finally. The lack of faith and
real treasures that have lasted more than one thousand years in
mainland China is mainly a result of the severe damage
inflicted in the years.

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Tibet Flashback: A True Story (IV)

Namtso
Heavenly Lake, Namtso is worth the name with an altitude of
5,190 meters. We all bought oxygen tanks in case that we feel
uncomfortable. The bus drove all the way up as the views
outside changed from grass and desert to snow-covered land.
Even in May or June, it is a frozen world up here with a lot of
snows. My ears felt like being plugged as it is like on a plane. I
also sensed a weak chest when I decided to inhale some oxygen
to feel better. Eyes elevated to heaven, body sink to hell and
souls return to native land, tour guides usually told those
traveled to Tibet.
Namtso's views were amazing, but to enjoy it, you suffer
physically. To explore the beauty of Tibet, tourists need to pay
a price. Some tourists called it off only halfway. You may feel
the air is clean and people are all very nice here in Tibet, right?
Now, you are about to see some that arent. They are Amdo,
meaning savage in Mandarin. Hitler once sent people to Tibet
to search for the Alexandrian that had vanished, and he
believed that Amdo people were their descendants, because
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 Beautiful! Namtso!

they are overwhelmingly strong and aggressive. Dalai Lamas

dozens of bodyguards were all Amdo, Liang told us. What
happened later proved Liang was right.
The lake is still frozen in May. It usually melts in June, when
the sky and lake merge in one color, and it is like heaven for
real, Liang said. On the lakeside, a row of Tibetan people stood
there along with their yaks and white horses soliciting business,
Wanna a photo taken with them? Wanna ride a horse? We
said no, but they kept asking. Some young Tibetan girls
surrounded us and asked for money loudly. Beautiful views
were thus spoiled. Locals are like butchers with knives, waiting
for cattle to slaughter. You just said 20 RMB for riding! How

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come 100 now?! Madame, I said 100 loud and clear, the
man with a horse moved closer to the lady that had just jumped
off the horse. Im calling police if you keep harassing me like
this! Tourists should also be extra careful when they take
photos. If you happen to have some yak or sheep in your photo,
the owner might rushed to you and asked for 100 RMB.
These extortionists really do not deserve to be living by
Namtso. People on the bus were all robbed somehow. We
were told that years ago, a man from Hong Kong was
surrounded for money, because he had photos taken with some
locals. The man was so angry that he swore before getting on
his bus to leave. Quite unexpectedly, the locals threw stones at
the bus and broke the window. How come people from this part
of Tibet are so brutal and materialistic?
The trip to Namtso also brings back memories about the March
14 Riots. Tibetan terrorists wielded knives and slashed at
innocent people, regardless of their ethnic groups and
nationality, walking on the streets. Automobiles and stores
were set on fire. Such shameless acts are by no means
excusable. What has incited their hatred and turned them into
murderers? I guess their thoughts explain what they did. Once
their thoughts are controlled and manipulated by others, they
are totally slaved.
Liang took us to a Tibetan food restaurant for a buffet dinner.
We had chicken, pork, sheep and yak cooked with local spices.
I also tasted highland barley wine and buttered tea. After
several days mediocre meals, I finally got the chance to eat to

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my hearts content. The restaurant sent someone to drive us
back to the hotel later.

Me: Your accent doesnt sound local, Sir.

Driver: Im from Sichuan and Im here for business.
Me: Do you go back to Sichuan often?
Driver: We do business here from March to October every
year. Many people here only work six months each year. In
November and December, Lhasa is literally empty.
Me: Thats so cool. A six-month vacation every year. How
long have you been here?
Driver: 18 years.
Me: Wow. Are you used to life here?
Driver: Im fine. Altitude sickness is mostly because of
psychological reasons. Dont scare yourself with that. Its
actually nothing serious. Many Tibetan people bought villas in
Chengdu, and they travel there when they dont work. You
may think the nomads are poor, but they are actually very
rich.
Me: No way?! They are so rich?
Driver: Sure they are. One yak is worth 10,000 RMB. Each
family keeps hundreds of them, let alone sheep, pigs and
chicken. Everybody is a millionaire, so they dont really care
how much money they earn, as long as they can make ends
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meet. This is unlike other parts of China, where people are
always on the go chasing money. Tibetan people also donate a
lot of money to temples. Say they have one million RMB,
600,000 or 700,000 will be donated to temples.
Me: Oh, really?! They donate that much?
Driver: Exactly. They expect such good deeds to benefit their
next lives. Tibetan people are also different in terms of the
things they pray for. In other parts of China, many people
dont really have faith, and may only pray for good luck, such
as a good exam score or winning a lottery. How can you expect
the Buddha to take your request seriously given the insincerity?

Mila! Mountain,! Altitude:! 5013m!

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People here go to temples to confess and ask for forgiveness,
just like what Christians do to the God or priests. Many people
do pilgrim trips to purify their souls and wash away sins.
Me: They want to empty themselves to be filled up.
Driver: Exactly. I once invited a party secretary of a local
police office in Sichuan over for vacation. He was very
impressed, and said he would love to come every year to get
away from the official circles and have his spirit purified.
Me: Do you have a name card? Your foods are so good. Ill
take my friend to your place next time.
Driver: Thanks! Here is my name card, and our restaurant is
one of the top-rated restaurants here on dianping.com (Chinas
Yelp). Guests all love everything serve.
Me: I learned a lot from talking to you.
Driver: Glad to hear that. Actually, I learned what I told you
from my life here. If you stay here long enough, youll
understand. People really shouldnt put so much pressure on
themselves, because life is so short. Chinese peoples lives are so
busy. For what?! Many Tibetan people pray to be reincarnated
as Buddha instead of human in the next life, because human
life is often bitter and stressful. People here know when to let go,
and thats why they are happy.

I thanked the driver and said my farewell to him. Everyone in

Lhasa seems to have his own thinking and understanding of life,

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although not all of them have received a decent education.
Having faith makes great difference, as it helps them become
smart and see things through. If one is superficial because he is
easily fooled or misguided, people here are not superficial at
all.

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Flashback Tibet: A True Story (V)

Hotel Talk
After returning to the hotel, I took the opportunity to talk with
the elder sister of a United World College (UWC) schoolmate I
knew in Norway about local life in Tibet.

Me: What do you do in Tibet?

Lady: Im a middle school physics teacher in Lhasa.
Me: What a coincidence! My mum is also a middle school
teacher.
Lady: Coincidence it is.
Me: You speak really good mandarin.
Lady: I didnt attend high school or college here. I spent about
11 years in Mandarin-speaking regions.
Me: Why did you come back and world in Lhasa?

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Lady: People here do not like living elsewhere. Unlike people
in Zhejiang and Guangzhou, we are not tempted to start a
career far away from our hometown. So very naturally, I
returned here after graduation. I dont know. I just wanted to
come back. Although thing have changed a bit, I think most
people still want to come back to Tibet.
Me: Were you not used to life there, or what?
Lady: No, no, people here just dont like living outside Tibet.
They like it here better.
Me: What is it like at school in Tibet? Is it any easier?
Lady: Quite similar, I would say. Schoolwork is as heavy and
we also have students rankings based on their exam scores.
Me: When does school start and finish? What about
vacations?
Lady: School opens from 9:30 in the morning until 5:30 in the
afternoon with two hours break at noon. Winter vacation is
two months, from January to March, and summer vacation is
20 days in August.
Me: Its the other way round in Suzhou. I think its much
easier here. School starts at 7 in the morning and ends at 5 or 6
in the afternoon in Suzhou. Teachers often spend the break
after lunch giving lectures about schoolwork, and students often
do homework until very late. Is Mandarin also taught here? or
is it a bilingual system?

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Lady: Schools usually have both Tibetan and Mandarin
classes, and they use textbooks by the Peoples Education Press.
Many universities in other parts of China have dedicated
classes for Tibetan students. Students that perform superbly at
school will attend the classes or they are recruited by Tibet
University.
Me: People I met here were blunt and straightforward. Is it
because their religious faith?
Lady: Tibetan people are all religious and many do
prostration. I guess youve been to the Potala. So many people
spin the prayer wheels and walk around the palace clockwise.
Me: True. The streets were jammed with people, and I barely
squeezed in. Everybody seemed to be chanting scriptures.
Lady: Thats right. Youll see even more people turning wheels
and walking around in August, and more pilgrims do
prostration at the Jokhang Temple. Ive also got a prayer room
worshiping the Buddha of Mercy in my house. Every morning,
we kowtow and recite scriptures before leaving for work. People
here dont pay for themselves.
Me: The driver took us back said Tibetan people do it to
confess. Is it true?
Lady: Not really, but we dont do it for ourselves anyway. Say,
I pray for world peace or a happy world. This is a blessing in
the great sense, but not a prayer for individual interest.
Me: So selfless? Those pilgrims do prostration for years, and
they dont do it for themselves at all?
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Lady: No, they dont do prostration for themselves. We believe
in samsara. There are six realms of samsara. If Im still human,
the samsara isnt over. Only when I become a Buddha am I
done with my practicing, but before that, I must do good deeds
and accumulate merits. Pilgrimage is a virtuous cause for the
world and helps accumulate merits. Only with the Buddhas
mind can one move into the Buddha realm.
Me: I also saw kids do prostrations.
Lady: Yup, its a tradition. We started doing it since we were
kids.
Me: The driver told me people here are not sensitive to money,
and they donate more than half their family property to
temples.
Lady: Thats too much, but it is true we respect the temples
and donate plenty of stuff, and we do much better than some
people in other parts of China, because we dont do immoral
things or kill for money.
Me: How is your brother? Where is he now?
Lady: Hes fine. After attending the UWC, he went to
university in the US, and hes now working with a company in
Beijing.
Me: Does he come home often?
Lady: Hardly ever.
Me: Hmm, why is that?

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Lady: He became a US citizen after the university, so he now
needs official approval to come back. He made it back here last
May after being rejected for four times. However, he was not
allowed to stay home, and must stay in designated hotels. The
National Security Bureau asked him to report where he lived
and what he did every day. In case that he traveled far, he was
accompanied by a Tibetan person. Its so complicate that he
doesnt want to come back a lot.
Me: How come?! Why coming home is so difficult?!
Lady: We dont understand either. Politics is too complex.
Me: Come and visit me in Suzhou if you want!
Lady: Sure!

Beautiful! Lhasa! from! far! away!

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I waved the lady goodbye as it got late. Feeling sorry about my
schoolmate because he is unable to go home whenever he
wants, I prayed that Tibet will open its door completely,
making it easier for people like him to meet their families any
time they want, when the situation calms down.

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Flashback Tibet: A True Story (VI)

Nyingchi
The Mila Mountain entrance with an altitude of over 5,000
meters is a place we drove past on the bus trip from Lhasa to
Nyingchi. The Sichuan-Tibet line, or 318 National Highway, is
hailed as Chinas landscape avenue that extends from the
Peoples Square in Shanghai to Nepal. Cyclists kept us
company all the way, and views along the road were
breathtaking. Backpackers might as well put their plans of
traveling abroad on hold and spend several days hiking along
the route, because it has everything from basin to plateau and
from south Chinas beauty to west Chinas vastness. Wu was
our guide for the Nyingchi tour. Views on two sides of the Mila
Mountain entrance have a world of difference, according to
him. The Lhasa side has grasslands, snowy mountains and
great deserts, while the Nyingchi side features a wild profusion
of vegetation, weird-looking rocks, clean rivers and blue skies,
just like the Pandora Star in Avatar. Since the publication of
The Lost Horizon, adventurers have been looking for the
Shangri-La. India and Swaziland both claimed that the
Shangri-La is in their countries. The northwest part of Yunnan

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even changed its name to Shangri-La. Well, the most beautiful
Shangri-La is Nyingchi, said Tsultrim Gyatso, the tenth Dalai
Lama of Tibet. I recovered totally from days of altitude
sickness when we arrived in Nyingchi. I slept a sound sleep for
the first time since the Tibet trip started.
Nyingchi is beautiful, but a land area of about 96,000 square
kilometers is still illegally occupied by India. China has a total
land area of 9.6 million square kilometers, but 1% of it is not
under our control, said Wu with tears in his eyes. Prior to
Indias independence, the UK diplomat Henry McMahon drew
a line in 1914 to give over 90,000 square kilometers of Tibets
most fertile and richest land, South Tibet - as it is called by
China, to India. In 1962, China fought a war against India as
India pushed the line northward continuously. Chinas 20,000
troupes beat Indias 200,000 and recaptured the region. The
war was viewed as a very bizarre one later, because China did
not require anything but moved backward by 20 kilometers.
The reason for retreat was the Chinese army did not get timely
reinforcement due to the poor transportation conditions. India
took the chance to populate the area, and it now feeds over two
million people, which almost equals to Tibets total population.
The victory did not result in anything, while the defeated stole
the fruit. War zones will come under the jurisdiction of
countries that have more residents 100 years after the wars end,
according to international laws.
Our bus stopped near a cliff. The snow mountain across from
us is part of the McMahon Line. The land behind that was part
of China, but we cannot go there now. Thats also the

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birthplace of Tsangyang Gyatso, the sixth Dalai Lama.
Tsangyang Gyatso is a controversial Dalai Lama in history, as
he received nothing but an ordinary celestial burial after his
death and no stupa was built for him. He was a political victim.
Tsangyang Gyatso had never intended to be revered as Dalai
Lama, but only live a quiet life with someone he loved and
grew up together with. The Dalai Lamas poems and love
letters pass down and are celebrated as classics. The true
feelings and understanding of Buddhism in his works help us
see the other side of Tsangyang Gyatso. We tend to easily
forget officials with the most successful careers in Chinese
history, but get deeply impressed by poems by those ambitious
but frustrated ones, such as Su Shi. I looked at the snow

Talk! with! Tibetan! child! in! Nyingchi!

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mountain, which I see as the evidence of national secession.
Hundreds of areas that belonged to Tibet have been taken away.
Residents of these areas are not entitled to Chinese nationality,
and many of them make a living by hunting in forests.
There was nothing China can do at that time, because the
country was very weak in terms of economic and military
strength, as a result of the Anti-Japanese War, civil war,
Korean War, Great Leap Forward campaign and the Great
Famine in 1960-1962. A huge radar is built by the roadside.
Wu said it is for Chinas J10 fighters, and it will be of great
significance to win a potential war against India.
I welcome an open world of cultural fusion and reject
nationalism as a student with the UWC. Really hope the two
neighbors can settle the problems on a negotiation table instead
of battlefields.

Me: Is there any progress on the border issues between China

and India?
Wu: The two countries have been in talks, but havent reached
any agreement. India has been consistent with its proposition -
it will keep the land or fight to keep it.
Me: Why did Mao Zedong order the retreat?
Wu: I have no idea. Nobody understood him.
Me: Its really a shame that such good land was given to India
for nothing.

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 Lovely! Tibetan! kid!

Wu: Indeed. India has moved so many people there, and some
of them already have grandchildren. The migrant problem
may further complicate the situation. I once led a tourist group
of teachers here, and they collectively recited Yu Feis famous
lines The Whole River Red facing the McMahon Line to
express their rage. I was touched to the quick. China will
definitely reclaim South Tibet, the birthplace of Tibetan
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China invests billions of RMB every year in Tibet for several
reasons. First, the Central Government needs to win peoples
heart by improving their living standards and local
infrastructure. Also, the railway to Lhasa will enable the fast
transportation of strategic supplies as well as boost the tourism
industry.
A Tibetan passenger on the bus named Tsering was born in a
family related to the 18th Army that liberated Tibet. We
nicknamed him Moon Brother because his name means moon
in Tibetan. I was very keen to know what exactly happened to
Tibet, because the narration about the history in the textbook is
pretty ambiguous, and what I learned from a British friend back
in the UWC is nothing similar to what I know about Tibet.
Following is Tserings version.
While other parts of China had been mostly liberated by 1949,
Tibet was still controlled by local governments. The Peoples
Liberation Army sent a living Buddha that was closely related
to Chinese government to hold peace talks with a
representative from Tibet. However, the representative did not
accept Chinas conditions, and the living Buddha was
assassinated by a Kuomintang agent on his way back. The 18th
Army consequently attacked Qamdo. Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme,
head of Qamdo government, proposed peace talks with the
Central Government after failing to hold off Chinese armys
attack. The army was led to Nyingchi by Ngapoi Ngawang
Jigme and stationed there before Tibet was liberated. The
Central Government attributed the liberation to Ngapoi

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Ngawang Jigme, who was later appointed as vice chairman of
the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Listening to Tserings stories, I stared out of the window as the
heavy snow blurred the boundary of the earth and the sky. The
bus drove fast on a thin layer of ice and drifted a bit at curves
to avoid cars from the opposite direction. Frosts formed on the
window, and it was freezing when I leaned my face against the
window. The snow became less strong when the bus got down
from the mountains. We saw grassland again, and even yellow
azalea. The highland barleys on the roadside have a color that
resembles the bright green in a painters pallet, reflecting the
sunlight and sending forth fragrance. It finally occurred to me
why people can see four seasons in a high mountain.

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Flashback Tibet: A True Story (VII)

Postscript
I flew Tibet Airlines from Lhasa the second day I finished my
tour in Nyingchi. The morning light shone on the fighter planes
that prepare to take off any minute from the airport. Clear sky,
the rising sun and islet-like snow mountain peaks penetrating
clouds are the last things I saw on my trip to Tibet.
I did not see what I expected to see prior to the journey. Most
people, I assume, will not travel to some place so as to make a
fair judgment about it as I did. They may form an idea only
based on what they heard and their judgment. The foreigners
who waved the snow lion flag in 2008 to allegedly defend
human rights in Tibet might not have been there, or even have
no idea where Tibet is. Questions for them would be what
human rights are violated or whether any rights are violated in
Tibet. If they do not have a clue about what the problem is,
chanting slogans about human rights and public hyping about
this issue do not make perfect sense. Moreover, time is
changing, and so is China. The mistake about the Cultural
Revolution is misguiding people with fallacious theories and
treating real tragedies indifferently. People live in a real world

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in Tibet, so why not go there and take a look what it is really
like. The slogan-chanting era is over. Open communication and
mutual help is the only way to work out misunderstandings.
Tibetan people love China, as they are grateful for what they
get from the government, according to Wu. In addition to free
medicare, free education and subsidies for utility fees, the
government covers half of their house payment. Freedom of
religious belief is also fully protected. We travelers simply
admire their lives.
The increasingly convenient transportation will make
geographic boundaries less obvious and narrow the distance
between people. The resolving of misunderstandings and

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stereotypes demands sharing of facts. Conflicts and disputes
should be treated with rational thinking.
I cannot wait to share my experience with my classmates in the
UWC, and tell them Tibet is a beautiful and peaceful heaven on
earth.

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Everything went well with the flights from Wuxi to Beijing,
and the direct flight from Beijing to Johannesburg. At least we
were not detained by the airport again. The plane from Beijing
to Johannesburg was supposed to be via Hong Kong, but as the
Hong Kong flight was late, we would not be able to catch the
plane from Hong Kong to Johannesburg. The Dragon Air
generously offered to fly us to Johannesburg directly.
Returning to Swaziland, I saw classmates that I have not seen
for a month. It was not long, but feels totally different, because
I had polypus in my nose removed, which refreshed me a lot,
and I met so many genuine and lovable people in Tibet. Thank
you, Tibet, for the relaxing trip!
My teachers gave me big hugs and shared our experience
during the vacation. After the English class this morning, I
went back to dorm to fetch some books, and met my dorm
teacher Mr. Dan.
How is your vacation?
It was awesome. I traveled to Tibet and did a survey about
peoples lives there. People live really well there. Except for
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the thin air, everything was great - views are great, people are
genuine and they care little about money.
You know, Mike, I think Africa has taken the wrong way. Mr.
Dan sighed and looked at me with some concern.
Wrong way? What do you mean? Why is that? I did not get it.
Mr. Dan told me that Africa is taking the Western way of
development with the aim of industrial modernization and
gaining more wealth. The problem is that Africa does not need
all this. The pursuit for luxury fashion, expensive cars and big
villas is basically wrong. The continent needs some spirit.
Billionaires like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett donated almost
all their money. What do people enjoy the most about life?
What is the significance? They do charities because they know
their wealth can be put into better use. Africa is chasing wealth,
but what is left when it becomes wealth?
Mike. Do you feel that the society is retrogressing instead of
progressing? Mr. Dan asked me.
I think so too. Scholars in ancient China did not have such
rich material life. They didnt have TVs or game consoles, but
they lived much happier than we do. They had fun by writing
poems and painting. TV is already not enough to keep us happy,
and we need more ways of entertainment. The society is
apparently retrogressing. I agreed with him.
Material lives have made Africa a spiritual desert. Seeing
people wearing leather overcoat, I wonder is that the result of
our development.

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Western countries have gradually realized the importance of
spiritual lives, and mull on the real meaning of life. The
success of Chinas business model relies much on its GDP
growth. Years from now, we may still recall the dirty air, toxic
water and tainted foods we had in exchange for rapid economic
growth. Do we feel happy? Is that a historical burden? Africa
may also be losing its original cultures and pureness for this the
current model of development.
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Peaceful Get-together
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Sitting on the grass under a big canopy, I closed my eyes to
listen the sound of wind and smell the fragrance of plants on a
sunny afternoon. A Finnish girl by me asked, Whats your
dream, Mike? I had not came up with anything before she
added, I mean a dream other than money or fame. Did you
go to the Bushfire yesterday? I asked her instead of answering
her question.
Bushfire is an annual revelry in Swaziland. Tens of thousands
of people from around the world travel here for that every year.
I went there yesterday and did not return until 10pm. I didnt.
I guess some could get really drunk, which could be fun, but I
dont like it, so I will go today.
I dont like it either, but there was an amazing concert, I said,
looking at her blue and green eyes, and shared my experience
with her.
Mr. LVO, a TOK teacher, took me to a cabin, where the
concert was staged. I saw a number of headphones hung from
the ceiling, and they went down slowly when the concert was
about to start. All the people in the cabin jumped to get the

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headphones. Before I realized what was going on, Mr. LVO
has grabbed a headphone for me, There are too few
headphones for so many people. This concert is super, and it is
performed only a few times every year at the Bushfire. Ive
never missed any. I put on the headphone, and the audience
sat around the musician, who sat cross-legged, and a pianist by
him sat in front of two electronic pianos. The musician said
quietly, The first song: God of Aqua. Please enjoy. I heard
the sound of flowing water simulated by the musicians
stroking shells. The AKG headphone is brilliant, as even the
slightest friction sounded loud and clear.
Then I heard the sound of drum with piano. The flowing cool
sound was so infectious that I closed my eyes to get involved
and shook my head back and forth. Some even started to dance
to the drumbeat. The purest sound of nature insulates the
audience from noisy rock & roll and shouts. Sound of wind,
rain, drum, piano and woodblock mingled a perfect way,
arousing involuntary feedback. Those who did not have
headphones were kind of confused about our reaction. We
passed the headphones to them, who were also taken by
surprise. Even without a headphone, I can imagine what the
sound was like by looking at the musicians and the audience.
If I dont have to worry about other things, its my dream to
share my music with people who I dont know, I told my
Finnish friend.
But its impossible for you not to care about realistic problems
such as livelihood.

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Thats why I like Tibet. People there dont care about money,
and in fact, money doesnt matter that much if youre above the
subsistence level.
True, many billionaires are not as happy as we imagine,
because we cant put a price tag on happiness.
I rose from the grass and looked far into the distance, where
there was blue sky, green grass and a white cottage. I closed
my eyes and only heard the wind. She gazed into the distance,
and fell silent.
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Live Backwards
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Ms. AO told us at the biology class that the examination will be
next Thursday.
Get prepared and work your ass off!
But we will have a chemistry class on Tuesday. Can we put
your exam off to Friday? Some students complained.
I know IB is crazy. I used to teach A-level, so I understand
how hard IB is, but when you are in college, you may have four
exams a day, and it is impossible for you ask a professor to
delay an exam. Professors dont even know your name. No one
cares about you, or what other exams you will have. Adapting
yourself to the pace of study here will benefit your college life.
You are half college student now, and the pressure will help
you in college. My exam will still be on Thursday.
Ms. AO then made a remark on life.
Actually life is about fighting challenges, through which we
can live a rich life. Sometimes, I wish we can live
backwards.
Live backwards? That is interesting, because we often feel
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ashamed about not accomplishing anything when becoming old,
and miss our childhood and adolescent years when we have all
the freedom and aspirations. It will be perfect if we can live
backwards - first live an old mans life with middle-age
accomplishment, then a middle-aged mans life with the
passion of a young man, and a young mans life with all the
happiness of a child, before the life is ended with the cry of a
newborn baby.
However, I found some contradictions here. If not for the
experience of hard work in early years, how can someone
cherish a peaceful life in their late years? Nevertheless, I feel
happy just by picturing myself in a backward living cycle.

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Because by doing so, we will be thankful and keep our good
memories.
This afternoon, the UWC held a memorial meeting for our
history teacher Mrs. Earnshaw, who died of heart attack at the
age of 64. We gave speeches and sang to commemorate her.
Kids, youre going to change the future of the world and make
the world a better place to live in. Earnshaws passing away tell
all of us that life is fragile, and no one knows how your life is
like tomorrow, so every day living in this world is worth
celebrating. The president made a speech, which reminded me
of the book Living is Worth Celebrating by Liu Wei, the
winner of the China's Got Talent Final 2010.
You have fresh air to breathe, the best teachers to give you
classes every day, the best learning resources to have access to
and so many wonderful activities. Dont take it for granted.
When you sit in this auditorium, people are killed in Sudans
civil war, and innocent civilians were bombed to death in Syria.
This is why you are here in the UWC. Live each day as if it
was your last. Stop being narrow-minded. Be open-minded and
be grateful to people around you. The president continued.
China and Vietnam were in disputes lately, and the
anti-Chinese sentiment spreads.
I know people smash Chinese factories and hit Chinese people
in Vietnam. Were not going to be like China and Japan,
right? My classmate from Vietnam asked me.
This is why we are here in the UWC, I smiled.

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Live Awake

On my shopping trip downtown today, I saw the book Family

Wisdom by Robin Sharma. Sales of the book have exceeded
six million. Robin Sharmas books are helping people all over
the world live great lives, said Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian
lyricist and novelist. The book is priced at about 150 RMB,
which is not cheap to me, so I decided to pass on it. However, I
felt spending more books is not wrong when I was queuing at
the cashier, so I went to fetch the book and bought it. Hope its
worth the money.
China is a happy country, not in terms of life quality, but book
prices. Books are usually priced at over 100 RMB in Britain,
but it is only 20-30 RMB in China. However, people at train
stations and airports check their phones all the time, watching
films or browsing.
Here in Swaziland, many people idle around in streets, chatting
randomly. My teacher used to talk about the spiritual void of
African people. People here are nice for sure, but I have not
seen anyone reading a book in Swaziland. It will be horrible if
the rapid economic growth has not been accompanied by the
elevation of spiritual lives.
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 Family$ Wisdom$
From$ The$ Monk$ Who
$ Sold$ His$ Ferrari$
Written! by! !
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extracts -
We live for ourselves only when we live for others. There are
not big things, but only small things with great love.
The book told the story of a successful business leader, who
climbed the ladder all the way up with relentless efforts. After
getting enrolled by the Harvard Business School, he only slept
four hours a day and finally became the senior executive in a
company. However, an air crash changed his life. When the
pilot informed the passengers that the plane was going down,
he thought of his family, instead of his company or position.
He regretted that he had not spent enough time with his loved
ones, and found he was pretty pathetic actually. His life was
confined to the 56th floor of an office building. His salary,
which amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars a month,
was just useless for a good life. The significant work pressure
left him no spare time. When the air crash happened, the man
knew that he had left nothing but money. His wife was not
loved and his kids were not kept company.
Fortunately, he survived the crash, but sadly his two friends
were killed. He sold his Ferrari, and decided to live a brand
new, more meaningful life. He become a monk and donated all
his money to charities. He started spending time regularly with
his family and making his time more valuable. Meanwhile, the
monk gave lectures around the world, trying to help relieve
more people of the craze for material comforts and live more
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Books are the biggest wealth, and books extend the lifespan of
people, because reading is experiencing different lives without
reincarnation. Why do we live? Do we live because of belief or
material comforts? Those who have picked the former give up
secular desires, while those who picked the latter may not
understand until the end of his life that people should live for a
peaceful soul.
We live for ourselves only when we live for others.
Stop living your life by default and start living your life by
design.
At the end of your life you will find that the things you
thought were the big things were actually the little things, and
that all those things you thought were the
little, unimportant things were actually the big, important
ones.
Life is priceless, and all beings have feelings. Entering a purer
world, you will live a more inspiring life.
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A life full of challenges is the life I like most, because only by
challenging myself can I explore the unknown.
You may still remember my experience with the special
concert I attended at the International Bushfire Party from my
previous blog Peaceful Get-together. I loved the musicians
performance so much that I was totally immersed in his playing
with my head shaking back and forth. Back to school, I
searched online for his contact details, and wrote an email:
Hello! Im Mike from China studying music in Waterford.
Your concert at the Bushfire was fantastic. Id like to buy your
CD. How can I get one in Swaziland? Can I order online?
I waited three days before I emailed him again several times,
and even texted him about it as soon as I got his number. The
musician did not reply my message until Sunday morning. He
is Jann, a folk musician from Germany:
Hey, Mike! Can you send me your mailbox address? I can send
you a CD copy for free.
Wow! I was overjoyed and really appreciated his generosity:

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Can I join you in the concert next year? Ive played the piano
for 14 years, and I can also play the guitar, harmonica and
cucurbit flute.
Still waiting for Janns response, but I should be in the
performance list for the party next year if nothing goes wrong.
Apart from studying with great efficiency, I have a good chunk
of spare time for things I like to do, and I have been seeking
every opportunity to enrich my life. I teach students to play the
piano, go hiking in the wild and help disabled children in
charitable activities.
My short-term course in Israel this August will I cost my mom
a lot of money, so I want to get an intern job with Swazilands

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blood bank to make some money as well as help local people. I
turned to my tutor in the hope of getting in touch with the
director of the blood bank. My tutor helped me get his email
address and offered to write a letter of recommendation for me.
I wrote a letter of application about my community service
experiences back in China and my understanding of life. I
discussed the letter with my Welsh friend Lloyd in case of any
language problems. I did not expect that he was so impressed
with my writing, This is great, Mike. Honestly, I have nothing
to correct. I will definitely hire your if I were the director. You
English has improved significantly since the first semester.
Lloyd is genuine and good at literature, so I often ask for his
suggestion about my paper. In return, he discusses math
problems with me, as I always provide solutions different from
that of the teacher.
On getting my letter, the director asked my tutor if he can come
to the UWC to discuss the vacation intern plan with me.
Whatever it is, as long as you would love to do it, there will be
unexpected results. Push your limits and challenge yourself,
you will discover your real potential.
I feel so relieved to have a full schedule during the coming
vacation.
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Communist
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I discussed social systems with Lars from Norway this evening.
I sat cross-legged on the bed and served him a cup of milk tea.
"Do you like your country?" He asked.
"Sure, why?" I was a little surprised that he asked.
"Do you believe in communism?" He was apparently trying to
see how I think of communism.
"Communist is a good conception, but it is extremely difficult
to achieve that level of social development. I think Marx has
pictured a very ideal society. However, such a society needs to
be maintained by all its members."
"But I heard that China is lack of freedom of speech and
democracy..."
"That is not communism we are talking about. A real
communist country grants all the power to its people, because
government doesn't even exist in a communist country. People
know their rights and obligations, and know how to practice
their power. China has adopted a different political system, but
its model of economic development resembles Western
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countries' primitive accumulation. Deteriorating environment,
spiritual emptiness and the conflict between individualism and
collectivism - these are something that the US and Britain have
struggled with."
"True. Norway had the same problems after the Industrial
Revolution. It just happened naturally."
"Yeah, it's quite natural, not because it is a historical trend.
History was created by people, but they can't predict history.
However, historical development always reflects human
nature."
Lloyd dropped in and asked me about a math question before
joining our discussion.
"You are studying anthropology, right?" Lloyd asked Lars.
"Yes. Mike was right that human history can't be viewed
separately from human nature. Anthropology analysis can help
us understand the nature of historical events."
"I can't predict historical events, because unpredictable, but I
can guess the development human nature. For example, more
Western people are gradually prioritizing spiritual life over
material life, because they are rich enough to have this motive
and understand what money really means to them." I said.
"It's a shame that only when we are rich do we start thinking
about the meaning of life. This is a necessary stage. Lloyd
added.
"Bingo. That is what I mean, so we should compare the

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evolvement of human and the development of the world. China
is experiencing a fast growth of wealth, but because of the large
population, the period will last very long, but when this stage is
coming to an end, people will think about the meaning of life."
I continued.
"That's true, Mike. Communism is a belief. People live for their
belief, instead of money. In a communist society, doctors save
patients not for money but for fulfilling their obligation.
Teachers teach not for gaining wealth but promote humanity."
Lloyd seemed to agree with me.
"And this is why you said Marx is a good seer?" Lars said to
me.
"Exactly, Marx predicted the evolvement of human as well as
the social development. Communism may be not the ultimate
social form as he predicted, but it will be something that
restores humanity. The definition of nation will fade out, and
people will realize the importance of humanity."
"Mike, your understanding of communism is quite different
from what we've heard before." Lloyd said.
"That's because you see it from a different perspective.
Governments and media may only see rationing from
communism, rather than the meaning of life. By studying the
world history you can find that all trends that went against
humanity will be reversed, because humans create history. In
contrast, systems that agree with human nature led to
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Lars finished the milk tea and Lloyd went back to his own
room. I lied there in meditation.
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German
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Germany just beat Portugal by 4 to 0 in a FIFA World Cup
match. Portugal was routed in such a close game because they
were not mentally prepared for all the possibilities.
Many football fans have been taken by surprise by this years
World Cup so far. The Netherlands slaughtered Spain by 5:1 in
a very rare circumstance. The competition between two top
teams is more psychological than tactical. I saw clearly who
had an edge in this respect today.
Germany is a country I admire very much, as after the World
War II, it has presented the world with top-quality products and
state-of-the-art technologies. Connor from Germany is a
classmate of mine. By the way, I like watching how people eat.
Lloyd from Britain uses fork to pick up chips. African
classmates use hand. Connor dips knife in tomato ketchup and
spreads it evenly on each side of a chip before he picks it up
with fork. After finishing half of each chip, he spreads some
ketchup again. He eats every chip like that. If there is some
ketchup left after he finished all the chips, he will scrape the
plate with knife and eat it up. We all left some sauce on the
plate after meals, but Connors plate has nothing left but bones.
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Besides, Connor is very reliable. Every time weve got
assignments, he will come up with some fabulous designs.
Some classmates urge Connor to eat faster at meals, but he has
his own pace and still eats unhurriedly - spreading ketchup and
cutting chicken in slices.
You are so Germany, I told him.
When does Germany become an adjective? Connor smiled.
In this game, the German team played very solid defense,
which paralyzed all capable Portuguese players, while its fast
counterattack resembled a stab in the heart of the Portuguese
team. Like products made in Germany, German footballers
play simply and precisely with almost no errors throughout the
entire game. On the other side, the Portuguese has lost patience
after losing two goals. The forwards rushed to even the scores
soon, but they never managed to go past the defense. German
players controlled the game by accurate dribbling and constant
strikes. The long possession of the ball by the German
eventually worn away the last patience of the Portuguese. After
elbowing a German player to the ground, Pepe, instead of
making an apology, gave him a head butt, and received a red
card. The Portuguese was then crushed and lost the game.
Connor was pretty excited about the results and I gave him a
hug to congratulate.
You German are so good!
You bet! Connor smiled.
Putting history aside, Germany and Japan rapidly became
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major powerhouses of the world economy after the WWII
without rich natural resources. We should definitely learn from
their professional attitude, working efficiency, modesty and
learning capability. Despite we condemn the Japanese
government for their whitewashing their history, we should pay
attention to its progress.
German kids start receiving anti-war education since they are
very young, and the history books about the WWII is written in
great details, according to Connor. The ten years during the
WWII are introduced with two books. Some said we should
always look to the future, but without understanding of the past,
how do we know we are taking the right path towards future?
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Curiosity
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We spent the whole day raising fund for charities on Saturday.
The activity we held charged ten bucks each for admission. We
set up stores of various types in the sports field. Some invited
visitors to experience prison life for ten minutes; some offered
foods from around the world; some allowed visitors to fight
with pillows; some sell books and stationery. We raised a total
of over 100,000 bucks for the community services next year.
My mentor Mr. Boycott is a very prestigious zoologist, as he
traveled around the world for animal studies. He has been to
rain forests in Brazil and Kenya. He is the author of many
books about animals. My math teacher Alexander used to work
for the MI6 to decipher codes. I was amazed by their
experience and wondered why they teach here. Even Lloyd said
Mr. Boycott is a little overqualified as a biology teacher here,
because he had heard of the accomplishment of Mr. Scott when
he studied zoology in Britain.
Mr. Boycott caught snakes of various types from the wild,
which were put into glass tanks for visitors outside the tent we
made. Inside the tent was a five-meter python in Mr. Boycotts
hand. Visitors can have a picture taken with the python and
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touch the python for five bucks. I was in the snake house
almost the whole day. I was scared when Mr. Boycott took the
python from a bag, and my classmates also felt creepy. The
python was not quiet in the beginning, but after some taming
by Mr. Boycott, it calmed down. My job was to pull snakes out
of the sand in the glass tank, because snakes love to seek shade,
and introduce the names and habits of them to visitors. I was
very cautious at first, but not concerned about being bitten later,
because I know some snakes are not poisonous and catching a
snake was as easy as catching a worm.
Several families were attracted by the snakes. A little boy
stared at the glass tanks but did not see any snake. Why isnt
there any snake in here? He asked me. Because they dont
like the sun, and hide in the sand, you want me to catch one for
you? I squatted and talked with him. He did not respond. I
groped for the snake and took it out to show him. Look, this is
a male snake and its called Herald Snake. Very common in
South Africa. Not poisonous. So cute! the boy exclaimed
with excitement while watching it very attentively. Is it your
pet? the boy asked. No, my teacher caught it from the wild.
Poor snake. It will be released, right? Sure. You want to
touch a python inside the tent? Yeah, yeah! I led the boy
into the tent. He was a little intimidated and took a few steps
back when Mr. Boycott asked the boy to put his hand on the fat
python. Its OK. Look. I stroked it a bit. The boy braved it
and put his hand on the python. So smooth, the boy said with
surprise, love and sympathy in his eyes.
Mr. Boycott sat in the tent the whole day welcoming visitors. I

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bought a hot dog for him at lunchtime. I saw him look down at
the python on his legs affectionately. The light in his eyes was
like that in the boys eyes.
This zoologist, an author with many works to his credit, sat in
the tent and raised fund by surprising visitors. Some students
were startled by the snake, and joked, Mr. Boycott, youve got
a problem for sure! He just laughed it off and did not care at
all.
Mr. Boycott and Mr. Alexander are not seeking fame or wealth
by teaching here with the UWC. Some teachers are already old
enough to retire, but they stay curious and live a peaceful life
by educating us in the mountains.
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On Value
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Nayifa sat across from me and talked about her life back in
Maldives. For example, she shouted from one island to her
sister standing on another, When are you coming over here?
Her sister will swim over to her place.
You know thats the life I want to live - easy and free. I really
think money is not that important. Ferrari, expensive clothes,
luxury handbags and big villas may work for the purposes of
showing off. What else do they bring us? Id love to live a
peaceful life in places like Maldives without caring too much
about fame and wealth, as long as I can support myself and my
family. I said.
Maldives are in bad need of talented professionals. You will
sure get the residency there. Where do you plan to study after
the graduation?
I will go to study in an American university. What about
you?
I will go back to Maldives to study law, and become a
lawyer.

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Nayifas description about Maldives reminded me of the lines
plucking chrysanthemums under the eastern hedge, leisurely I
view the southern hills from the famous poem Drinking by
ancient Chinese poet Tao Yuanming. However, when I think
again, I asked myself what is the value of living such a
mundane life.
As said in Family Wisdom by Robin Sharma, we eat to live,
not live to eat. Isnt an ordinary, peaceful life valueless? What
is the point of living such a life? I was kind of at loss.
The greatness about God is that He understands individual
lives from the perspective of human beings, the pastor told us
in the church yesterday. How should we meansure the value of
life then? It is now mostly measured by numbers. We believe
that the richest person has created the most value, and the listed
company with the highest market capital is the most valuable
company. Cabbage and rice become so plain compared to rare
delicacies. Humanity becomes less important.
Some countries form alliance through checkbook diplomacy.
Some others make friends with common held beliefs. When
people get used to mass cultures, refined art is an outlier. Like
what Chinese writer Shi Tiesheng said, mass culture has
replaced refined art, so you will be viewed as pretentious if you
talk about something refined. Stories on WeChat friend circle
are guiding peoples lives, because fast knowledge gets popular.
People are just spoilt for choices due to the information
explosion.
Price is not always based on value, because we cannot say a

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famous book priced at 30 RMB is less valuable than a pack of
cigarettes priced at 300 RMB, or a bottle of vintage liquor
priced at 3,000 RMB is more valuable than a trip that costs
2,000 RMB. The book may include valuable thoughts of the
entire life of a famous man, and the trip may totally blow your
mind.
Similarly, wealth does not equal to value. Some people created
value with their wealth. Some distorted value with their wealth.
Some contributed value although they are not wealthy. Who are
most value people?
How do humans acquire value, if we say humans are
valuable? I asked the pastor.
Good question. How can we become valuable? God says you
can live forever if you are valuable, by which it means you
should accomplish more wonderful lives with your life -
helping and rousing more people to live more meaning full
lives - because you will fulfill your value. You spirit will not be
confined by your body, and live forever in others heart.
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Meditation Class

I put up a poster on the BBS this morning.

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Meditation$Class$
9pm<10pm.$
Enjoy$tranquility$with$Mike.$$
You$will$learn$to$slow$down,$cherish$time,$set$goals,$shake$
off$worries$and$live$everyday$life$positively.$
!
Some classmates asked me about it, and I plan to give three
sessions each week, with one starting at 9pm and two at 6am.
Some obviously did not understand I was talking about. What
the hell is Mike talking about? Why is he being mysterious?
Ying asked others.
Meditation is something only monks or Zen masters do and it
means nothing but sitting there idling in many peoples eyes.
However, my class is aimed to help people relax and sit in
quietness. My roommates love to play rock & roll loud, and the
dorm is only quiet during the two-hour homework time. People
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roaming on campus often reminded me of what Robin Sharma
said about life in his book Family Wisdom, You have decided
to live your life by choice rather than by chance, by design
rather than by default.
We are on the go all the time, but occasionally we should take a
break to look back and assess the unknown future. For some
people, life is like running on the African savannah, which is
vast but they are aimless, while for some others, life is like
racing on highway - they know where to go and how far to go
from their goals.
Some students joined me at the lobby at 9pm. We sat down
cross-legged, and I gave an intro about the class, Meditation is
not day-dreaming or magics only monks play. Its something
everyone can do. The ultimate aim of meditation is to turn
second-handed experience to direct experience.
What is second-handed experience? It is the fundamental
reason that causes confusion. For instance, people judge the
taste of food according to its appearance. The judgement itself
is second-handed, because it is a prediction by brain rather than
savoring by taste buds. The prejudgement can be right, but it is
usually misleading. Why bother to make the judgement since
you are going to eat it anyway? The judgement will inevitably
affect the sense of taste, and the taste of the food is not as it is
to you. This is also why chefs try making every dish look fancy,
because the suggestion will turn something average into
amazing.

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I gave everyone a cookie, Look at it as if you are ET and see
cookie for the first time. You dont know how it tastes. Just
feel its texture, but dont make any judgement. This is the most
direct experience you have with the cookie. Then, take a bite,
and taste it with your tongue. Remember the experience that
the cookie goes through your throat and falls into your stomach.
This is the initial experience you had with the cookie.
Everybody closed their eyes and tasted the cookies slowly.
Now, tell your partner about your feeling before taking a
random bite of the cookie. Is it any different from the previous
bite?

My! Dutch! friend! Saber! and! I!

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The random bite is not as tasty as the previous one, a Dutch
student said.
Right, sensory organs are tools for human to praise the world.
Only when you feel it yourself do you understand its beauty,
and second-handed experience are often not reliable. Your
conversations actually kept you from enjoying the cookies. It is
the same cookie youre eating, but it is of different value when
consumed differently. In economics, price is a metric for value,
but in philosophy, effectiveness is.
At the first class of meditation, we discussed meditation of
eating, mediation of breathing, meditation of walking,
meditation of loving and meditation of learning.
For meditation of walking, I had all the class participants walk
in the lobby with their eyes closed, and I encouraged those who
were afraid, You wont get killed for bumping into someone
else, so trust yourself and dont let fear control you. If you
think youre walking too fast, its OK. Pull yourself together,
take a deep breath and get started again. Try feeling the touch
of ground with your feet. They all closed their eyes and
walked while smiling.
With my instructions, the students pictured love in meditation,
as flowing of blood, going down from head to toe, recalled the
first time of loving other and being loved, and repented things
they did that are harmful to others. In addition, I asked them to
think about why they did that, and whether it is necessary to do
that.

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Be frank to others and youll be treated alike. Try appreciating
others and love them. Only when you open yourself to others
can you understand him or her as it is.
They all closed their eyes and tried hard to recollect their past.
Meditation is a subject. I need to read a lot of philosophy books
to prepare for the class, and the listeners were inspired by every
session.
I had expected to have a very small audience because some
classes were six in the morning. When I found that more
students got up early to join my meditation class, I was very
happy because they were willing to make a change. I wish we
can become a group of wisdom two years from now when the
meditation class is over.

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Baptism in Israel (I)

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Flashback: To the battlefield
I am taking a 9:00pm direct flight from Johannesburg of South
Africa to Tel Aviv of Israel the day after tomorrow. It was too
bad that the UWC courses in Israel were cancelled due to
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But in order to get first-hand
information about the local conditions and the causes of
conflicts, I emailed the supervisor of the UWC base in Israel
who was also a functionary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of Israel, expecting that he could allow me to visit Israel
personally. Supervisor Natan was glad and approved my
request.
The situation was not clear last week. Because Malaysia
Airline MH17 was shot down over Ukraine by a missile
launched by pro-Russian separatists, and Palestinian rocket
attacks happened 5 miles away from Tel Aviv International
Airport, the airlines in the USA and European countries banned
flights to Israel for 72 hours. Now the flights have been
resumed, but actually, Israeli-Palestinian conflict became more
severe. This time Israel adopted a tough stance, vowing that it
would secure the national border at the price of sacrificing the
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national image, while Hamas said that they would not give up
attacking if Israel did not stop border aggression or tear down
the separating wall. It seems that neither party is willing to
comprise regardless of rising casualties and world opinions.
Schools and hospitals are under constant threat.
It was puzzling that airplane disappearance and air crashes
happened frequently. While the historical issues involving
China, Japan and Korea have not yet been solved, the South
China Sea disputes between Vietnam, the Philippines,
mainland China and Taiwan became heated. Along with the
revolts in Tibet and Xinjiang, Sudanese wars that last decades,
and culminating conflicts in the Middle East, the world is a
mess. As one member of the UWC, I cant help but ask, whats
wrong with the world? After World War , why hasnt the real
peace come despite so many efforts? Are repentance and
compassion a luxury now?
I remember my trip to Tibet on vacation last semester. Tibetans
do full-body prostrations every three steps they take for
decades, not for themselves but to pray for the great peace of
the whole world. Such broad mind goes beyond nationality,
region and country.
When talking about the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, my
teacher said, "it is a historical problem which has existed for
centuries. Even when the war is over, any small spark may
cause a big explosion since the religious antagonism is the
radical cause of conflicts." However, all religions emphasize
the significance of humanity and provide their own
understanding of where human beings go after death. In case
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any crime against humanity are committed to "defend the
religious belief", it could be either explained as the defense of a
religion that has been superficially and partially understood, or
the use of a religion to attain political goals.
Now, air raid alarms ring several times a day in Israel, and
hundreds of rocket projectiles flew from Gaza into Israel. One
third of projectiles can be intercepted by Israel and the others
are launched to areas that not inhabited. In two days I will fly
to Israel. It makes me so excited as well as a bit worried. The
teachers came to ask me about it when they knew I would go to
Israel. I have noted down all their questions. They look forward
that I can write a report of Israel's situation as it is, without any
influence from the media.
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Departure
As Israel was still at war, I thought the security check would
not be easy, so I arrived and waited at the security checkpoint
three hours before my departure time. Six podiums were placed
in front of the checkpoint. I didn't figure out what they were for
until we were let through one after another. They were not
simple podiums, but interrogation podiums.
When it was my turn, I got treated differently from others.
Firstly, my passport was taken to make a record and circled. A
Jewish guy stood came up. With smile on his face but
unusually sharp eyes, he began to interrogate me. I was a little
scared at the beginning. It seemed that he could see into my
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soul if he caught my sight. Why are you going to Israel? Who
will pick you up? Whats your religious belief? I was
bombarded with questions one after another, having no time to
respond. When seeing the stamp of Malaysia visa in my
passport, he was even more cautious.
Are you connected to Malaysia in any way? Any friends there?
What did you do in Malaysia?
Just want to travel there. Nothing else.
I couldnt understand that at first, but later it occurred to me
that Malaysia was a country where Islam was the main religion.
My records in the past two years were inquired thoroughly.

Symmetric! garden!

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Every security guy carried a gun, and armed Israeli soldiers
with patrol dogs patrolling around the boarding gate time and
again. Compared with the security check at the airport in South
Africa, Israels airport scrutinized pretty much everything,
including slippers and earphones, and had them weighted on an
electronic scale. Shoes were separately put on the two ends of
the scale to check if they were of the same weight. Packed
tidily before my departure, my luggage was opened and
everything turned upside down. Im sorry to have messed your
things up. Terrorists might put a bomb in your suitcase without
you knowing it. At the security, I had no privacy. The officer
also asked me to turn on my computer and then checked the
files inside one by one, when I told him about what they were
for, These are learning materials, and these are college
materials. Also, he looked through all my mobile phone short
messages.
Finally there came a higher-ranking officer, and he had a
discussion with the workers. I saw he frown and then nod. I
stood there seeing other passengers with Israeli passports pass
by one after another, and I was the only one who was still being
interrogated. The entire interrogation lasted one and half hour.
The interrogation began at 6:30, and it was already 8:00 when I
came out to the South Africa exit. I was given an Israel's
security clearance card on which different security levels were
marked. I couldn't read it because it was in Hebrew. It was said
that Israeli agents on planes would perform surveillance of
different levels based on the card.
Anyway, it's fortunate that I successfully got through the most

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horrible security check ever. When an Israeli steward kindly
greeted me to step in, I took a look at the flag on the plane,
thinking that this was a formidable and respectable nation.
Either on flight leaflets or tickets, the Hebrew-only policy
implied the national pride.
When would the war end? No one had an answer. A South
African girl sitting next to me was going to Israel to visit her
aunt. She was also interrogated for one hour.
"An aunt in Israel?"
"Yes, I am 20. This is my first time ever to take a plane."
"Really? Your first flight is to Israel?" I was surprised.
"Yes, now it's terrible there. How dare you go there?"
"I just want to see what's going on."

Meeting
After getting off the plane, I got sweats all over only after
walking a few steps. It was winter in South Africa, but summer
in Israel. I was still dressed in tights and jeans, moving towards
the railway station for a ticket.
I stood there, looking around and shocked. I could see soldiers
dressed in military uniform as well as all kinds of firearms
almost everywhere. The soldiers were carrying military bags,
walking hurriedly and neatly. Tall and gorgeous-looking
women soldiers were very strong and uncomplaining about

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heavy bags on their shoulders. I heard later that these soldiers
were only 18 or 19 years old, and all of them had to do
compulsory military service upon graduation from high school,
boys serving for three years and girls two years. Now, it is
these young soldiers who are fighting in Gaza, most of whom
go back home for weekends. Some of them are allowed go
home every weekend, while some others are not because their
important positions in the army. Since it is modernized warfare,
few soldiers are required to actually fight on the battlefield.
The two to three years service is usually easy for some of them,
as they only have to take necessary basic physical combat
trainings and shooting courses. We can imagine that a country
must be extremely powerful if every citizen was a soldier.
Different from the military training I took in high school, these

Investigation! team:! Lily,! Martin,! Hanne,! and! I!

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soldiers are trained for real battles. Upon completing the
service, they will go to college. I guess they would be
extremely enthusiastic about learning in college. In peacetime,
the Israeli work out technological problems with their
perseverance and wisdom, and in wartime, all citizens are
soldiers. Jews founded their own country after one hundred
years of suffering, and now commit themselves to the
development and security of their country. The strong soldiers I
saw in the railway station impressed me with their power from
inside out. I was awed by these strong men and women
soldiers.
On the train, some soldiers were leaning back and sleeping,
some were looking at the passing scenery out of the window
blankly, and some others held a gun in hand, firmly looking
ahead. Although it may be unnecessary to shed blood or pledge
their lives, but the service in arm will make a great difference.
I met with Lily at the airport, a girl who would join the UWC
in Swaziland next year, and Martin and Hanne from the UWC
in Pearson of Canada. Martin was a handsome boy from Czech
Republic and Hanne was a Norwegian girl. This was the team
we formed for our exploration in the following week. All of us
were members of the UWC summer courses in Israel. Though
the courses had been cancelled, we still decided to come.
We together took a bus to Yams home - our place to stay in
Haifa. Yam greeted us with passionate hugs. She was a small
Jewish girl with fancy big eyes, wearing reddish-brown short
hair and cool sun-top. I was still wearing the autumn clothing
from South Africa, almost having been cooked by the
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baking-hot sun in Israel. Sorry, Ive got plenty of stuff, I said
apologetically. Yam was glad and helped me carry my luggage
to her grandmas house, where we ate Hummus and Pita, the
most common foods in Israel, for the first meal.
Hebrew was all over the food packaging. We tentatively tasted
all kinds of cheeses, sweet, spicy or sour, upon the
recommendation of Yam, This is my favorite cheese, This
Hummus is great, Try this, this Hummus is a little spicy, best
loved by Israeli people. Looking at the mud-like hummus,
yellow, white, purple or red, I didnt know which to get start
with. When eating dipped Pita, I could not tell its flavor, tasting
like mashed potato. Nice! I complimented, even though I
didnt exactly know what they were. Yam looked at us happily.
As Martin was a vegetarian, he couldnt eat anything with eggs
and ate vegetable salad with great satisfaction. Among
diversified cheeses and hummus, every one found a favorite.

Mediterranean
Symmetrical garden, holy church and vast Mediterranean.
First we paid a visit to the symmetric garden. We walked down
the street in Haifa. Yam took us to a huge terrace sunken
garden. Yam said, "Come on over here in the center", and we
did. "Have you found this garden was arranged
symmetrically?" Yam asked. So it was. I looked to the left and
then right, and found that there were almost the same. Yam told
us that this garden had five hundred gardeners working every
day to ensure the symmetry of plants on both sides. Though I
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didn't see that many gardeners in it, I did found dozens of them
shear-clipping the bushes all the time. Jewish peoples care for
exquisiteness could be evidently shown.
St Mary's Cathedral was completely different from Cologne
Cathedral in Germany. Generally speaking, a magnificent
church looks glorious and splendid from the outside, which
make people look up and submit themselves to the God's
sacredness. However, seen from the outside, St. Mary's
Cathedral appeared to be an ordinary brick house. St. Marys
sculpture was nothing but an embellishment of the brick house.
But when I walked into the house, I was surprised to find a
different world. The sun shines through stained glass, and the
dome is full of frescoes that were exceptionally beautiful. In

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front of the church was not the priest's podium, but a dim cave
in which the statue of Jesus was hidden in the dim light. The
darkness embraced us. Martin kept saying "have you felt that
your heart is calmed down instantly, and that a divine power is
surrounding you?" I have been to many churches. Some created
an atmosphere for you to worship the God, some helped you
embrace the God, but St. Mary guides you to seek for the God
in you in darkness and silence. Whats interesting was that we
saw another cave on the way to Mediterranean coast. Yam told
us this was a Jewish cave and the one we saw in St. Mary was
Christian. Though the two caves were referred as one in Bible,
it seemed that the Judaism always wanted to distinguish itself
from the Christianity. These extremely similar religious sects
were stubborn to differ from each other, but the God was the
same one.
The azure Mediterranean and the blue sky merged in one color.
We stood on the coast, and cannot tell the sky from the sea.
Cruise liners were moored afar. As told by Martin, when some
liners arrived at the destination ahead of schedule, they lay at
anchor in the middle of the sea to save costs for berth. As far as
we could see, the continuous mountain ranges of Syria rose,
where there was another unknown country. The waves were
lapping on the shoreline. We jumped into the Mediterranean
Sea in our swimming shorts. When the waves came, we
jumped up and let the spindrift flow over our heads and flap on
us in pleasant sensation. A lifeguard on the shore with a
bullhorn kept calling us out in Hebrew, but I couldn't get a clue
what he was saying. Yam interpreted for us that the lifeguard
feared that we might be swept away by the waves if we swam
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too far away. Once in a while, waves swept near like a wall,
and I stood in the water to break through the wall". If I
managed to stand after getting through the wall, I shouted to
the distance, with the joy of enjoying nature and the
self-complacency in "conquering" nature echoing between the
heaven and earth.

Deep thought
The city was so quiet and peaceful that it seemed to make me
forget the bloody battle in Gaza area, except for the soldiers
coming and going.
Martin and I went to the supermarket for liquor as we planned
to have a drink tonight. We found the cheapest beers. Although
we know nothing said on it, the blue packaging made them
look quite tasty. I said to Martin that we should try the native
specialty. So we took the drinks to the checkout. When the
cashier raised her head, both Martin and I were transfixed by
her beauty, long black hair and charming face. She glanced at
our drinks, smiling and asking how old we were. Well,
probably the drinks were too strong, so the beauty was afraid
that we couldnt handle them.
Immediately after we walked out the supermarket, Martin came
to us, saying Have you seen that beauty just now? Good
heavens, so beautiful. I said to Martin, Its common for the
middle eastern ethnicity. Look, here you can see beauties

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everywhere. They have good genes. Martin began to look
around, Look, look, on my, why are there so many beauties?
Wow, that girl in Porsche was so attractive. Martin was right.
Nothing was more common than beauties in Israel. We went
upstairs with our drinks.
On the night we were in Haifa, there were only sporadic
lamplights by the sea. We chatted in the balcony and enjoyed
the sea breezes. "Life is beautiful, isnt it? Martin and I saw
terraced villas that were genuine sea-view rooms on the shore
of Mediterranean Sea. Enjoying sea breezes and beautiful
sceneries, I told Martin that I really wish I could buy one villa
like that. With the sea wind blowing mildly, we opened our
beers. Thinking about the future, we clinked bottles and took a
sip.
What the hell? I took another sip, feeling something wrong.
Martin also looked at me with confusion, "It doesn't taste like
beer." Seeing us lifting the bottles, Yam laughed, "Mike,
ha-ha!" What was that?" "Mike, that's children's beer! Ha-ha!"
Martin was irritated, Holy crap! No wonder it tastes like
blueberry juice. Mike, do you remember that beauty laughing
at us?" So this was why she laughed! I thought she was kind of
pretentious, how foolish! "Don't tell other girls. I don't want it
to become more embarrassing." But unexpectedly, Yam told
other girls immediately. Hanne and Lily also laughed at us.
"But this drink does look strong. Look, it's blue." Martin
wanted to do some explanations, but made it funnier. It was
blueberry juice, and if it was not blue, what color else would it
be?

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Martine and I drank the childrens beer. All dishes were placed
on the dining table on the balcony. We sat around the table,
overlooking the Mediterranean. The tranquil night inevitably
invoked us into thinking about the conflict in Gaza area.
Following was our talk.

I: The media reported Israel was in a chaotic state, but I think

the life is easy here and you might not believe its at war.
Hanne Reports made by the media were about fire shelling
and bombards actually its quiet inside Israel.
Martin Thats for sure, because Israel has the Iron Dome
missile defense system. Every day, more than one hundred
rocket projectiles launched by Hamas were intercepted by
Israels missile defense system.
Yam Israel spends hundreds of millions of dollars on its missile
defense system annually, and each interception will cost one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
I Certainly, compared with the damages, deaths and injuries
caused by missiles, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars is
nothing.
Martin Of course. There is never a winner in war. It is not
the fact that whoever wins in war is the winner. There will only
be losers. The eventual result is that both sides lose. No
benefits.
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I thought so many innocent women and children were killed.
And at the UWC Canada, it was also one-sided support for
liberating Palestine on Facebook. I remember one student
posting number of casualties online every day. I know Yam
must feel a lot of pressure at the UWC. (Yam nodded)
Martin I find it vey strange that, every day there were car
bomb attacks in Israel, hundreds of refugees from Syria tried to
flee to this country, and hundreds of people were killed in
Sudanese civil war, but why didnt the media make any reports
of those?
I Because the media only report news that people want to hear,
not those that people need to know. It is incorrect and unfair to
compare the casualties. More deaths in Palestine do not mean
that Israel behaved worse than Hamas. In the World War II,
the German Nazis killed six million Jews, while thirty million
Chinese died in Sino-Japanese War. Do you think that Nazis
are less guilty? That has nothing to do with the casualties. It
depends on the purpose and nature. The people of Israel are
not suffering because of the Iron Dome and the powerful
national defense capability; if there was no such advantage, the
number of deaths and injuries in Israel could be larger.
Hanne So I wont say which side I am with now.
Yam Besides, Israel even informs the location and direction of
projectile attack beforehand. To Hamas, undoubtedly, Israel
exposed its hit targets entirely, but Hamas refused to tell his
people to evacuate.
Martin Thats a result that Hamas wants to see. When the
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world begins to criticize Israel, Hamas seems to be on a moral
high ground.
I So you mean that Hamas is taking advantage of the deaths of
people to manipulate the public opinion?
Martin This possibility cannot be excluded.
Yam We Israelites also feel sad about the deaths of innocent
women and children in Palestine, and we will not feel delighted
for victory in this war. There are no winners.
Martin In fact its foolish to support or oppose one side. If
you choose to support one side, you will automatically select
information in favor of that side and become less
open-minded.
I Yes, if you take sides, you will not consider questions from
the opposite sides perspective and get one-sided understanding.
If you say its Israels fault, theres someone who will say Hamas
is irresponsible for the lives of people in Gaza area; if you say
Palestine is to be blamed, theres also someone else who say
Israels invasion resulted in thousands of deaths. Neither party
is right.
Martin So I decide that Id like to have discussions on this
topic when I go back to the UWC Canada. I respect their
choices, and I wont try to change their opinions. I just want to
let more people know the opposite sides position and recognize
how one-sided and narrow-minded it is to take sides. Certainly,
Yam, I probably wont let you preside over this activity,
otherwise, some people may think that I speak for Israel.

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Yam Never mind. I can understand.
Martin Whats wrong with the world? With several missing
airplanes and more and more conflicts, the world is becoming
more and more chaotic.
I I also feel puzzled. When will eventual peace come and all
people live in harmony?
Hanne Now some people are making personal attacks to
Israelites on Facebook
Yam We dont want to get involved in the war, and no one
expect the deaths of people in Palestine. (With this Yams eyes
were flashing with tears. I looked at her and could feel that she
felt wronged.)
I The media reports also influence the peoples thinking.
Because they cannot get firsthand experience, they can only
make judgments based on the media reports. However, the
problem is that the news was not necessarily true, or just
abstractions selected from a lot of news.
Martin I know that Hamas only allows reports on people
casualties in Gaza and that pictures should be selected by
Hamas before reporting. I really wish that all people could
come to Israel personally and listen to different voices before
drawing a conclusion. But not all people would be willing to
come here.

This reminded me of my eight-day interviews in Tibet during

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holidays last year. The interviews helped me hear the voices of
the locals that were significantly different from what I learned
through the media or Internet, and some was even stunning.
Today the media serves as people's ears, eyes or brains.
Obviously, the media is not a good communicator, but more a
propagator. With government's opinions implanted,
commercial benefits involved, and details processed, the
information we receive is not always comprehensive. The
UWC people should get out of this mindset to really think
about the interpersonal peace and value. Therefore, when
people observe incidents through lens, we should see through
our eyes, not limited by the scope of media.
We talked for hours on the balcony. In the forest outside, cats
in groups were whining bleakly. We went back to the room and
sat round the long table, sipping the Bi Luo Chun tea I took to
Israel in the melodious dance music.
The music is universal, so is the tea and all of us.

Long journey
The morning was murky, and there was not a single sunbeam
in the room because of the iron curtain-like blinds.
After getting up, I packed my luggage fast, as we would go to
Sede Boqer by train. Before leaving Haifa, we roamed in a
forest. We sat by the beautiful Mediterranean, and I cannot help
thinking that Israel is really a magic country, as it is not big but
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has deserts and forests. No wonder the God says that it is the
origin of the world. Guided by Yam, we went for a stroll in the
green world. This was a forest in the valley. We walked from
this hilltop to the one next to it. Having traveled around in
Africa for almost half a year, I have ever been to endless
grassland as well as steep mountains without steps. Different
from that in Africa, the forest here, surrounded by villas, was a
quiet mind-refreshing place and a heart-relieving oxygen bar in
the midst of a bustling city. Gravel paths, green moss, bamboo
grove and olive trees grow all over the forest. The sunshine
passing through the canopy lightened up the way ahead.
We live in concrete buildings, so men of wealth and fame
might need to spend more time enjoying the nature. Martin said
a rich life isnt necessarily a good one. The nature in Haifa
brought me a great pleasure, which also allowed me to
understand Israel from another perspective. When putting aside
all the troubles and prejudices, we all share twittering birds,
wind-blown forest and soft sea breezes, and they help us open
our mind and sympathize with each other. If Israelis and
Palestinians, starting from the children, could share the heart on
the beautiful land, that would be a natural harmony.
We found in the wood a flower which had a small hook in its
stem, and could be directly stuck onto earlobes. Lily, Hanne
and Yam all wore the purple flower eardrops. I took out my
harmonica and played some blues. Beautiful melodies
reverberated across the empty valley.
One hour later, I went out of the valley. Standing on top of the
hill, we again saw the Mediterranean in the distance and Haifa
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Avenue crowded with people and vehicles. On the way home,
Yam taught us Hebrew. Shalom, me ni shi ma Shi mi
Mike. This was how I greeted others in Hebrew with the same
meaning of Hello, how are you? I am Mike. And then she
asked us to say hello to the local people. For instance, I should
stepped forward to say hello to any girl in pink dress, Lily to
girls with red hair, Martin to boys in orange T-shirt and Hanne
to babies in carts. I didnt expect that soon we met a girl in pink
dress, wearing headsets. Yam asked me to catch up with her. I
gave a thumbs-up and walked towards her quickly.
I walked behind her, saying Shalom? She shook her blond
hair, looking back. I was stunned at sight of her face, another
Jewish beauty. Shalom Me ni shi ma Shi mi Mike. Do you
Know where is the House 9 and 11? I asked. With eyes on me,
she shook her head. I asked her if I stated it correctly. She
nodded with a smile. I also smiled, saying Tou dah (thank
you)!
After we got home, we hastily took the luggage and rushed to
the railway station. I left a bag of Bi Luo Chun tea at Yams
home. When I was leaving, Yams grandma kissed my check,
saying Mike, see you. Carrying my luggage, I got on the
double-decker train which departed from the northernmost
Haifa to the south. In the seat beside me, a soldier holding his
machine gun was sleeping with his head leaning against the
window. Outside the window, forests and oceans were
gradually replaced by yellow sand. What we saw was blue and
green with a slight yellowish tint, changing to green and yellow
and finally an overall view of yellow as the main theme outside

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the window. White smokes rose on the desert with the sun
blazing overhead and the scene in the distance became vague
because of hot wave. We arrived at Sede Boqer in the south
part of Israel, a town in desert. Yams parents were living
there.

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Baptism in Israel (II)

Jews
Chinese people would have several words, such as
hardship, perseverance, wisdom and belief, conjure up in their
head when talking about Jews. That Jews love reading was also
well-known throughout the world. For instance, in Sede Boqer,
on the way to Yam's parents, I saw a little free library on the
street where readers could use books in exchange for books.
That was the flowing of wisdom.
In Sede Boqer, we lived in Yam's house, one in rows of adobe
houses standing in the desert. Seen from the outside, they were
bungalows with sand walls and glittery solar panels on the roof.
Inside the house it was cosily furnished with both water and
power supplies. People in the desert lived a modern life. We
enjoyed the dinner with Yam's parents outside. The desert at
night was shrouded in a veil of mystery. Shrouded in darkness,
the hills looked solemn. Geological layers are like dancing
colorful silks and satins that wrapped the mountains. These
seemed too perfect and charming that we couldn't believe we

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were in the real world. Some tourist said this was the most
spectacular place that hed ever been in his life." Yam said. "I
won't deny that." Martin nodded.

Yam: I've heard that stereotypes about Jews were not the same
around the world.
Me: Yes, we Chinese especially respect the Jewish. We think
the Jewish people are full of wisdom and they like reading. We
have heard that the Jewish coated the books with honey in
order to teach the children to read, telling them the books are
sweet.
Yam: Wow, really?
Yams mother: This story is true. There was an old Jewish
tradition to use honey to make Hebrew alphabets, and then let
the children lick honey to learn these letters. Of course, the
Jews are full of wisdom, that's for sure. (Laughs) One-tenth of
all the Nobel Prize winners were Jews.
Yam: One of my classmates told me that he thought Jews are
gods, with extraordinary super power. I was amused by his
words.
Martin: So whats your super power? (Laughs)
Yam: What are the stereotypes of Jews in your country?
Martin We have no stereotype of Jews. We only know that
the Jewish history was full of calamities. The Jews had always
been expelled by other tyrants or powers. They were driven out
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of Israel by Roman Empire, and massacred by German
military during World War 2. Probably just because of their
wisdom, they gained so much "attention" from the world.

When we stayed in Haifa, I talked with Martin about dreams.

Martin said he would like to attend college in the United States
and might return to Czech Republic to get a job. As a country
which got reborn after the collapse of the Soviet Union, CZ is
still in the restoration stage, and there are a lot of job
opportunities. "Mike, you see, the Jewish women are simply
model wives. They are smart and wise, and can do things
neatly. They are not only beautiful but also independent in
life." Martin said to me. Ha-ha, I asked him, "Have you thought

From! left! to! right:! Hanne,! Martin,! Yam,! I,! and! Lily!

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of buying a beach house and marrying a Jewish girl?" Martin
also laughed. The beauty and wisdom of Jews made us want to
settle down here. Yam's parents spoke fluent English, and
chatted with us about the life in Israel. I looked at Yam and her
parents, and saw a happy Jewish family. The Jews are terribly
decisive and resolute. Now let's leave aside the desert journey
and come to Masada.
Masada is located on a hill in the desert, where storage room,
bathroom, living room, parade ground, quarry, office and
everything in need could be found. It was hard to imagine how
this huge fort was built. We came to Masada when the
temperature reached staggering fifty-four degrees. With the
whole body wrapped in purgatory-like heatwave, we should
drink water every a few steps. The four liters of water we
carried were consumed soon. Because the temperature was too
high, Masada banned visitors from hiking in the mountains. We
could only go up by cable car. However, in those days, the
Jewish soldiers had to stay in the fort and fought in the
scorching sun, wearing heavy armor. The faith was so horrible
that human beings were motivated to reach beyond their own
limits. Any obstacles meant nothing compared to such a firm
belief. Masada was the last stronghold for Jews to fight against
Romans and struggle for national liberation. The result was sad.
Masada, located on the top of a hill, was surrounded by the
Romans. The powerful Romans quickly built artillery units,
and closed in on Masada. They moved closer and closer, step
by step, forcing the Jews into a hopeless situation. Kept at bay,
the Jews chose faith. They did not surrender. In order to
convince his soldiers, the general made the famous Eleazar Ben
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--- Yair's Speech:

Let our wives die without being abused,

Our children without knowledge of slavery.
After that let us do each other an ungrudging kindness,
Preserving our freedom as a glorious winding-sheet.

When the Romans took Masada, they found only dozens of

soldiers were making a last stand. The rest and their wives and
children, all had died. When I walked in this huge fort, it
seemed that I still could hear the women and children crying
and see the loess wall stained with blood. They devoted their

Little! Library! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Symmetric! garden! in! Haifa!

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lives to the freedom and faith, and would rather die than to be
enslaved.
In modern society, the country does not have to sacrifice lives.
But the inflexible will has been sustaining it to overcome
challenges amidst the historical progression but never fell into
oblivion. Of course, I hope this nation today can take history as
a mirror, recall the hardships suffered by the Jewish people and
show mercy to the common people in Pakistan affected by the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Wild desert
The alarm clock woke Martin and me up at five in the morning.
After some brief washing, I walked in the desert along with my
friends in slippers. Stilled bleary-eyed, we dragged our fatigued
bodies, moving towards the wild desert.
We agreed to watch the sunrise in the desert at 5:30. Yam took
a small gas tank and gas stove, and we took cups and biscuits.
All of us sat cross-legged, quietly waiting for the sunrise. The
sky over the crater turned slightly bright. The entire desert was
coated in something orange. I made tea and poured for each of
us. We lifted the cups and took a sip. Facing sand dunes, I was
attracted by the profoundness of loess. The grand spectacular
nature is unutterably attractive. I looked at the boundless desert,
and involuntarily become part of it. Vastness is a magic force
of reassurance. Seeing that, my scalp first got relaxed, and then

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some pleasure hormones travelled from my brain to limbs,
circulated in organs, and reach almost every inch of skin. My
chest was filled with cool and sweet oxygen, and my
diaphragm naturally got relieved and saggy. My belly became
quite soft. Warm waves blew from the desert gently patted me,
taking away sweat and nervousness. When I closed my eyes,
the roar of the wind in the wild desert kept echoing in my ears.
The sky gradually grew brighter, but the sun wasn't up after a
long time. An hour passed, light and heat quietly approached,
but the sun still played hide and seek behind the clouds. The
Chinese tea had been finished. We looked at the sand dune on
the eastern edge, waiting patiently.
There are two particularly fascinating sunrises - one is sunrise
at sea and the other is the sunrise in the desert. That's because
of the clear skylines and unlimited scope of vision at sea and on
the desert. And Israel happens to own both of them. The sun
popped the head out of the clouds. In a flash, the first ray of
orange sunshine cut through the transparent air into the desert
directly. Aureole glittered among rosy clouds. In a moment, the
sun jumped out the clouds as if it had wings. Myriads of sun
rays flushed the whole sky. The desert instantly got an orange
background, making it more holy, as if we were in the beautiful
photographs as shown in National Geographic.
After the sunrise, we went home and took a nap for an hour. I
packed my camping bag with some food and four liters of
water. As we would spend a whole day in the desert, I was
afraid that the water would be not enough. Yam told us at noon
we would go to an Arabian woman's home and barter for lunch.
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When I really stood in the desert, my heart was beating very
fast, due to excitement and the unknown. This was not the first
time that I had been in the desert. I used to see grassland, snow
mountains and desert at the same time in Tibet. But it was
different this time. The desert in Tibet was the foreground of
the snow mountain, while the desert here was everything, in
addition to some colorful fault mountains and strange-shaped
cliffs. After many years' weathering and erosion, the rocks
were covered with flecks and smooth holes. We climbed up the
slope onto the fault plateau. Though I had been sweating
constantly, the sweat dried quickly by wind and evaporated in
the sun.
Life is beautiful.
Thats what Martin said. I started to understand those monks
and reclusive literati who lived ascetic lives in remote deep
mountains or wild forests. We could cite a long list of reasons
why they could seclude themselves from the world and take up
a mediation practice. That might be because of a failure in the
official career or disillusion with the world. However, to sum
up, a word was enough: "Life is beautiful!" They have no
desire and lived an ascetic life so as to reach the physical and
mental purity. I am just an ordinary person, and have not yet
reached such the realm of no desire. For now, Id like to
embrace the desert and enjoy the impressiveness. I am not in a
good position to read or understand the desert. Perhaps old
Arabian women who live in the desert year in year out can.
Speaking of old women, we met one in the desert. Yam took us
to a tent for a rest as it approached noon and white smoke
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started to from the desert. Then we heard talking in Hebrew
and hearty laughter from the outside. An old woman with
Hummus and Pita came in. Her head was covered with kaffiyeh,
and her dark face glossy with deep wrinkles. Holding a tea pot
filled with black tea in her hand, she looked at us and smiled.
She served us with black tea and started to knead Hummus in
the iron bowl while chatting with us.

Old women Where are you from?

I Im from China.
Old women Oh, Sin! I knew several Chinese travelers here
years ago. Eh, whats on your hand?
She walked up to me, gazing at my wrist with her small eyes in
wrinkles. I was wearing a string of Dzi beads that I bought in
Tibet. It was ancient and had been enshrined in the temple for
more than one hundred years. It was inconspicuous, so people
generally wouldn't notice it. Martin thought it was an
ornament from a roadside vendor. I was surprised that she
discovered it at once.
Old women It's an amulet, a drug. Its patterns look very
beautiful to me, although I cannot read them. I guess this is
used to protect people from being threatened by animals. Each
pattern stands for a different meaning. I can't get it, only the
real sage or older ones can understand the meaning.
I (Looking at her in surprise) On my god, how did you know
that? These are Buddha Dzi beads. I bought them in Tibet.
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 Delicious! meal! by! Arabic! old! lady!

They had been enshrined in the temple for more than one
hundred years. The cinnabar on them was as a result of the
chemical reaction between Dzi beads and sweat, and the
friction between beads and fingers of the Buddhists of several
generations when they chanted sutras every day. You are right.
There are patterns like tiger claw, leopard print and so on. And
Dzi beads have the largest magnetic field among all precious
stones, and really have the effect of regulating cardiac rhythms.
In ancient times, the Tibetans used Dzi beads cure diseases.
How did you know? Amazing.
Old women These patterns are beautiful to me. I know this is
a kind of medicine. Can you bring me one through Yam when
you come to Israel next time? I know at a glance that it has
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spirit. But to really understand it, I need to ask the sage for
advice.
I Sure.

I thought the old woman was only here to entertain the guests.
But now she is a sage, unknown to many but apparently with
deep wisdom. There were still some Arabians in Israel who
hadnt obtained the permanent residence yet, although they
have Israeli citizenship, according to Yams dad. They are only
allowed to live in such small towns. Without water or power
supply, these residents used solar power to generate electricity
on their own. A water tower was erected outside each house,
and they trucked water every few months and stored in water
tower sufficient for several months.
Religions have something in common. My bracelet of beads
originated from Tibet - the holy place for Tibetan Buddhism -
and was recognized by this Arabian sage. I wore it all the time
in the following days, when I visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque,
strolled along the way Jesus walked to the Crucification, and
touched Jesus Christs coffin in the holy place in Jerusalem.
Having been brought to the most sacred places of the worlds
three greatest religions, the bracelet of beads is probably the
most spiritual one on earth.
After lunch, we thanked the Arabian woman for her hospitality,
and continued with our journey. The desert does not seem to
have a border. There was not a shade, either. We hiked past
precipitous cliffs and steep rocks, and kept walking under the
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blazing sun for six to seven hours. My skin, in Martins
words, had turned into African tan. Finally, we saw a pool
under the cliff. We slipped into our bathing suits and sat in
water to keep cool.

Martin Yam, you said there was somewhere we could do

dives?
Yam Yes, above that cliff.
Martin (Climbed up the cliff barefoot) Here is a sign saying
Do not Jump.
Yam Yes.
Martin So this is where I do dives?
Yam Right.
Martin But from up here, it seems that the height exceeds 20
meters.
Yam Not so exaggerated. Only about 7 or 8 meters high. But
you should stand at the edge of the cliff to jump because there
are protruding rocks below.
Hanne You really have to stand at the edge, otherwise you
will probably hit those rocks.
Martin Hanne, is your camera ready?
Hanne Jump. Im ready. But you must jump at the edge;
otherwise you might really run into protruding rocks.

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To tell the truth, I was seized with a sense of fear, seeing
Martin on the cliff. I am not yet ready, Martin shouted,
sitting on the cliff edge. You know what? Just jump. Because
the longer you sit there, the less you want to jump off. Yam
said to Martin.
Martin stood up again, I am ready! He took a few steps back,
started to run and kicked the edge of the cliff. We saw a
panicky free falling in the air. He flopped into the water with
splashes in all directions.
Martin regained control in the water and swam to the shore.
Do you know what I was thinking in the air? I thought it was
such a mistake!

Dead Sea
5:00 PM. We were still in the desert, but found a place with
shade. With the iron pan and gas brought by Yam, we cooked a
meal. We ate some solid foods and breads with hummus. Then
the journey continued until 6 oclock. Martin and I sang all the
way. There was no echo in the desert. We sing duets about
friendship, about youth, and even about Jesus at the top of our
voices. We walked to the roadside at about 6, where Yams
father picked us up.
On the second day, we got up early in the morning. The trudge
on the day before made all of us exhausted. We took a
90-minute bus to Masada. Setting an alarm clock, we took a
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nap on the bus. A temperature of 54 degree centigrade made
Masada a purgatory of heat. We really needed to relax. The
Dead Sea was very near, just opposite Jordan. My mobile
phone even received a message from the Chinese Embassy in
Jordan. The Dead Sea was beckoning us. From the shore, I saw
people floating in the sea, which was exactly like what I saw on
television or read on newspaper. It is amazing that it was
actually happening right before my eyes. I had seen people
floating in the sea and reading newspaper on TV, and I saw that
here too.
We put on our swimsuits and walked on the beach barefoot
towards the sea. The beach was super scalding because of the

Sunrise! from! the! desert!

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blazing sun, so I started to trot, when I saw crystallized salt
everywhere on the shore. The Dead Sea turned to be no cooler
than the beach, and floating in it is like bathing in a very hot
spring.
"Mike, is it still sea water? So hot!" Martin also shouted to me.
I walked further until I lost my balance, and fell over into the
sea. My lips were splashed with some Dead Sea water. I smelt
the strong saltiness there, but I licked it anyway. To be frank, I
still regret I did so now.
My nerves as well as my tongue tingled because of the salty
taste. It was not only salty but also bitter, much bitterer than the
world's bitterest bitter gourd. My tongue went numb as if it was

Dead! Sea! (from! left! to! right):! Martin,! I,! Lily,! and! Hanne!

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shocked, and I could not laugh as if I had facial tics. Both
corners of my mouth kept twitching. When floating in the sea, I
found my skin extraordinarily greasy and smooth as though the
oily seawater was "moistening" my body. I know the sodium
ions were eroding my skin. I felt sharp pain in my shanks as I
had rashes due to excessive internal heat.
"The pain is killing me!" Lily kept crying. She said she was
black and blue all over. "I now know what it is like to rub salt
in the wound." I could not swim when floating in the sea,
because my hands and feet were all above the sea surface. I
could only paddle with arms to move around.
The electronic thermometer on the shore showed a temperature
of 44 degrees centigrades. We floated in the sea for half an
hour before returning to the shore for a shower. Our curiosity
was satisfied, but we did not really enjoy the trip. Until now, I
still remember the bitter taste.

Revelry
Yam's parents would leave for a business trip and Yam was
going on a vacation to the Netherlands with her grandma, so
after we returned to Sede Boqer from the Dead Sea, Martin and
I moved to a house next door at 9:00 in the evening. We
thanked Yam for taking care of us and keeping us company for
four days as well as her family's hospitality. I hugged Yam
gratefully.

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Martin and I went to buy wine after we said goodbye to Yam.
We reached a consensus with the girls that we would have fun
tonight, and then take a sound sleep till noon the next day,
when we would go Jerusalem by bus. This time Martin and I
didnt try the local taste again but bought some German beers
instead. With beers in hand, we met with Lily and Hanne in the
street. As night fell, we strolled around the quiet, small town,
and there very few people walking on the streets.
Suddenly, we heard laughter along with guitar and singing
from the other end of the street.
Shall we take a look there and see if we can join them?
Martin asked me. The girls were a little worried. We didnt
push them as we understood why they would not come with us.
Perhaps the party was thrown by a group of boozers. Martin
and I decided to go first and find out what was going on there.
Martin and I hid the beers under a tree and mustered up
courage to check the party. We saw a guitarist with disheveled
hair playing and singing a ballad. Women were echoing
happily with him and eating pizza, while other men were
drinking and talking freely.
Hello everybody, we are newcomers to Sede Boqer, and hope
to participate in a local party here. Can we join you? Martin
asked. They warmly welcomed us.
Shalom Shi mi Mike. We have two girls outside. Can I let
them join together? I asked them.
Of course, come along, but we have rules here that you boys
must have a drink. We were so happy and asked Hanne and
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Lily to come in. Martin and I took out the two beers under the
tree.
Look, they have beers with them. They said merrily.
Most of them were serving in the army in Sede Boqer and got
together on Sunday evenings. I played a tune on the guitar.
They asked me to sing a song, and Lily and I sang The Moon
Represents My Heart. I was a tone-deaf, and as I guessed none
of them knew how to sing this song, I sang freely and didnt
care if I was out of tune. They applauded and cheered for us.

Local: Where are you from?

Martin I am from Czech Republic.
I: Lily and I come from the Peoples Republic of China, and
Hanne from Norway.
Martin We heard your Party, so we came to have a look. We
arrived in Israel not long before.
Local: Why do you come to Israel?
Martin Its a long story. We were supposed to attend a
short-term summer program here, but due to the conflicts here,
as you know, the program was cancelled. However, we finally
decided to come here no matter what happened.
I: If I had cancelled my air ticket, I have to pay a fine of USD
300, and my Israel visa would be no use. So Id rather come
here.

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Local: Sure, you did the right choice. What is the summer
short course that you just said about?
Martin The UWC summer course. The course supervisor is
Natan. He lives in Jerusalem
Local: Ah, Natan, I know him. He called me. I was supposed
to take care of you in Sede Boqer, the desert experience
activity.
I: Wow! What a coincidence!
Local: When you go to Jerusalem and meet Nantan, say hello
to him for me. You tell him I am the guide in Sede Boqer.
Martin How is the Israeli-Palestinian situation?

Martin! in! the! desert! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Martin! jumps! the! cliff!

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Local: Not good. We dont hope so, but the conflict seems to
be so stubborn.
I: The news that I heard in Swaziland were all about bombs,
rocket projectiles, but the situation is good in Israel.
Local: There is the Iron Dome (missile interception system).
Of course there is no problem. Fighting continues in Gaza.
Martin Does everyone have to serve in the army here?
Local: Not really. Jews have to, but the people of Arabian
ethnic groups dont. Of course, they can if they want to, but
their religious background should be checked. Exception is also
made to those with special skills, such as musicians in order to
protect his arms and legs, or those suffering from special
diseases. However, a draft dodger will be ridiculed.

It was already one oclock in the morning when Martin and I

were done drinking. The guitarist came to share a red-fleshed
watermelon with everyone. Such a carefree village-like life
when people are straightforward with each other and nobody is
treated differently because of the places they are from. Oh, by
the way, Sede Boqer itself is a village.

Anecdotes
We did not wake up until almost noon the next day because of

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the merrymaking of the previous night. Martin and I felt
starved, and went to the kitchen for something to eat when I
saw Mr. Erez, owner of the house, sitting in front of his
computer in the study. Hey, Shalom! I greeted him. He told
us to help ourselves with some cereals, and asked his kid to
find milk for us.

Erez: How long have you been in Israel?

Martin: Six day.
Me: Im here for four days.
Erez: How do you like it?
Martin: To be honest, it totally blows my mind. I thought
Israel was only slightly more advanced among the Middle East
countries, you know, like Iraq and Syria, but I didnt expect it
to be so developed.
Erez: Israel is an emerging power, but we sell technologies.
Everything you use is licensed with Israeli patents more or less.
For example, Intel develops its chip solutions based on
technologies from Israel.
Me: I didnt know Intel also uses Israels technologies.
Erez: Its actually a matter of work division. Most of the
worlds big companies are in the US. Israel makes money out of
technologies. China is the worlds factory. Ive been to
Shenzhen. It is the biggest electronics manufacturing base in
China. Israel cant do that because it lacks labors, so our
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economic growth relies on technology innovation.
Martin: Excuse me. Were leaving in ten minutes. Im sorry
that we cant have a long talk. Hope to see you next time.
Erez: Alright, your next stop is?
Me: Bus to Jerusalem. I heard many soldiers go home for
weekends and the bus could be crowded, because weekend here
is Friday and Saturday.
Erez: True. I used to work for an American company, and it
allowed me to take both Israeli and American weekends, so I
take three days off every week, like a short vacation.

Mr. Erez handed us his name cards. We thanked him for having
us stay for the night and rushed to the bus terminal with our
luggage. We were five minutes late than planned, but managed
to get on the bus on time. As expected, the bus was full of
soldiers in uniforms with guns. The guns look really scary,
said Hanne.
The trip took more than two hours because of the traffic jams
all the way. We saw armored vehicles loaded with soldiers and
trucks with tanks. That was the first time I saw tanks
transported by road.
What worried us more was bomb threat, which are common
occurrences to people in this country. Sometimes, an
unattended backpack or suitcase alarms people. We saw police
officers checking bags at supermarkets and bus stops. There is

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no privacy for people here in public places, as surveillance
cameras installed all over on the streets monitor every move of
them. There is really no choice for the public security, Yam
told us. We came across two bomb threats later during our tour
in Jerusalem, one of which was a false alarm and one real.
One bomb threat actually happened when we just got Jerusalem.
Natan was waiting to pick us from the bus terminal when
Martin found an extra bag. He asked a young man next to him
if it was his. The man shook his head. It isn't ours either,
Martin said. Realizing that something could be wrong, he
immediately took cover around the street corner. The man he
spoke to ran far away, and so did the rest of us. Two armed
police officers made it there right away and spoke on their
walkie-talkies. We were not relieved until the bag was claimed
by some guy. You ran really fast, Hanne joked with Martin.
Anyway, we do not want to joke about this.
The other time was on a trolley car. Lily and I were on our way
back to Natans apartment from supermarket, when the car
suddenly stopped. The driver said something in Hebrew. We
asked people sitting next to us what was going on. They said a
piece of suspicious luggage was found on the trolley in front of
us and our car would be delayed. We waited half an hour
before the driver told us that the police found a bomb in the
luggage and defused it. The car waited another 10 more
minutes before it moved on.
Israeli people tried not to have their normal lives affected by
the occasional bomb threats. Moreover, they are trained to find
shelters within 90 seconds in case of airstrike alarms. Lives
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return to normal quickly when alarms are cleared.
Jerusalem also impressed us with its cultural diversity at the
bus terminal. We saw white, black people and even some
Asians in the city. Most surprisingly, I saw an Israeli soldier
that has a Chinese face. We ran into some guy who had studied
at the UWC in Canada at the bus terminal. He asked us if we
were also from the Pearson College because he graduated there.
We were about to meet with Natan, so we just had a very brief
conversation before he gave his name card to us and left. We
learned from Natan later that the schoolmate was working in
Tel Aviv.
Wear T-shirts with UWC logos in case you want to be
recognized by some schoolmate, Natan said in a kidding way.
That was the first time we met Natan in person. He was in
charge of UWCs summer vacation project in Israel. We had
previously exchanged emails about activity arrangement. We
were pretty excited to see him. He was not tall with blonde hair
and black rim glasses, appearing to be a very energetic guy at
first sight. Natan gave everybody a big hug and helped drag the
luggage onto a trolley car.
My friend will help carry your stuff into the university
dormitory first, and then you sneak in. Tell the gate keeper that
youre visiting friends if he asks. Well enter the dormitory in
two groups and meet up there.
It thus occurred to us that Natan was still a university student.
He would have an end-of-term exam on the weekend. Martin
called Natan a superman, because he organized the UWC
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activities, attended classes and worked as an intern with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
I'll be very busy over the next few days, so call me if needed,
but I'm afraid you have to plan the trip in Jerusalem on your
own.
We visited the ancient area of Jerusalem in the evening. The
architecture of different styles - mainly Roman and Goethe - in
the dim light of street lamps created an amazing, peaceful
mood. Jews wearing black shirts and yarmulkes bowed and
prayed by the Western Wall. Allow me to talk about that later.
On our way back, we got lost in the Arabic district, when two
adorable boys offered to show us the way. I was kind of
moved at first, but they shouted to ask for money immediately
we told them that we knew where to go. We tried to get rid of
them.
We can figure out where to go without you, but you offered to
do so, Martin told them.
Five shekel from each of you, and you pay when we lead the
way, one boy said aggressively.
It reminded me of the Tibetan nomads that tried to shark
tourists in Namtso. We chose to ignore them and walked on.
Martin gave them some coins, but they would not buy it.
What the hell is that? I dont need them. You and I go to the
police office.
Whatever! You should report yourself to the police. I didnt

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do anything wrong. Martin flew into a rage.
The boys kept bothering us for a while before giving up. Such
kids might also be a headache to the God, I guess.

Religion
Is it kind of intriguing that different religions seem to live in
peace with each other in Jerusalem but they actually dont? The
city is such a combination of harmony and conflict, Martin
asked me.
I peered at the Western Wall, the sole remnant of the Holy
Temple, where men and women are separated at prayer for the
purpose of concentration. Conservative Jews still wear their
traditional apparel and long beard, chanting, praying
whole-heartedly and doing 90-degree bows by the Wall. I saw
an impressive picture of tranquil songs, pious prayers, ancient
wall, golden rooftop in the distance and flying Star of David.
Martin and I stood in front of the Wall, gazing at the notes
placed into the Wailing Wall. The notes are taken out every
morning and burnt as too many people are inserting them at
prayer.
What do you think? Martin asked me.
I was kind of overwhelmed and ran out of words. Divinely
impressive? Awesome? It conjured up my memory about
Tibetan people doing prostrations outside the Jokhang Temple.
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Martin, this is a good place for meditation and getting away
from thoughts and desires that distract you. I look up to them
for their being faithful. I remember I had the same experience
in Tibet. It somehow reminded me of Tibet. Human are
imperfect, hence the presence of god, Chinese writer Shi
Tiesheng once said. From time to time, we simply need a
flawless God that is detached from anything for us to revere,
and we serve as a foil to Him. All religions depict a road to
eternity, whether it is to nirvana or heaven. Given that
followers of different religions do not share their understanding
of eternity, they argue or even fight for their belief. They
follow intangible yet controversial roads to eternity, practicing
their own faith. It is surely justified for people not to choose a
road or be religious at all, but the roads are always there.
Standing at the starting point of roads to eternity, I chose not to
be converted or take any road, because I know it will be a
lifelong commitment and irreversible. I see different roads and
many possibilities. Although one has to be on a road to
understand the real meaning of it, he has to understand that the
road he picked goes parallel with all other roads, which means
he will never be able to switch to another religious faith.
The followers made their choices and devote themselves to
only one road, which builds up the confidence in their faith but
inevitably blinds them to all other possibilities.
But who know? All roads could be leading to one end.
Peaceful Jerusalem has four quarters: Armenian Quarter,
Christian Quarter, Jewish Quarter and Muslim Quarter. They

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live in harmony with each other and do not mingle. In such a
highly-diversified society, we may find it easy to keep our faith,
but how to live peacefully with others is something the UWC
graduates would love to explore. The trip to Jerusalem may
have provided an answer:
Try accepting different people with a liberal mind.

UWC
Lily and I cooked a Chinese meal at the dormitory of Hebrew
University of Jerusalem. Lily turned out to be a superb chef.
Braised eggplant, braised chicken, Yeung Chow fried rice and
griddle cabbage all taste like home. Everyone was served with
Bi Luo Chun tea after dinner.
The six of us at the table were all related to the UWC. Natan
had graduated from the UWC in Canada. Matin and Hanne
were students with the UWC in Canada. Lily and I were with
the UWC in Swaziland. Judith, a Jewish friend with us, had
graduated from the UWC in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was
in the same class with Kim Han-Sol, the oldest grandson of
Kim Jong-il and nephew of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un.
Natan poured a small cup of local liquor with white crystalized
stuff in it, and urged me to drink it all at once, because it is the
way people drink it. I tossed it off, and it burns immediately in
my stomach, but it feels so cool in the mouth. Nice liquor!

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Me: So cool! Nice liquor.
Natan: People here usually drink it with some orange juice.
They dont like have it with nothing. Your tea tastes perfect.
Why didnt China export Chinese tea to make money?
Me: Maybe only Chinese people understand Chinese tea.
Natan, can I ask something about the Eastern Mediterranean
International School (EMIS)?
Natan: Sure.
Me: Why did the EMIS fail to become a UWC school? You
worked so hard on that?
Natan: There are two reasons. The official reply was Israel
was in conflict with Palestine, and the country cant ensure the
safety of students there. But we all know the true reason was
that Arabian members on the UWC committee will stop
Arabian students from attending the UWC school in Israel if
we pull it off. Then the UWC here isnt universal.
Me: Oh, I see. So are there any Arabian students with EMIS?
Natan: Yeah, quite a few. We have two types of Arabian
students here. Some of them are locals or from other Arabian
countries, and the others are from Palestine. Palestinian
students will have trouble getting their visa, but Israel tries its
best to work these problems out.
Me: Any scholarship offered?

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Natan: There are plenty of them. The school funds 95% of its
students. The funds of the EMIS were initially from individual
donations and then the Ministry of Education of Israel. So
unlike the UWC in Canada, the EMIS is not entirely a
non-governmental organization. I know the UWC in Canada
has also started charging tuitions, because they are running out
of money. Its a pity that the EMIS didnt succeed, but its no
harm. The EMIS can therefore have a more flexible operation,
with more funds for scholarship and education purposes. In
case that the EMIS becomes a UWC school, things are
complicated, as it will be asked to file with the UWC committee
for everything, which will inevitably lower the efficiency.
Moreover, the EMIS and the UWC do not share exactly the
same model. Many teachers here are very good IB teachers.
Me: Sounds great, but not many people know this school.
Natan: We used to advertise the EMIS as a good choice for
students with competence but not able to afford the UWC
tuitions, and they can receive the UWC education with the
EMIS. But the UWC school in Germany complained to the
UWC committee that we are poaching students from them. We
actually wanted to offer more students the UWC education
programs without their being held back by money shortage.
This is also something the UWC advocates.
Me: True.
Natan: Actually, the philosophy of the UWC emphasizes the
fusion of ethnic groups, nations and cultures for a sustainable
future. But if the plan of establishing a UWC school in Israel

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was canceled because of military conflicts, does that contradict
the philosophy? It is because of the conflicts that such a school
makes sense in terms of promoting peace and communication
between the two peoples.
Me: It does.
Natan: Mike, have you thought of studying in Israel? A
Chinese minister visited Hebrew University days ago, and
mentioned that China and Israel should enhance and increase
the two sides cooperation. I know a small potato plant in
Chinese deserts is cultivated by Israel. Interestingly, it is only
half of the price in China.
Me: Really? But its true that things are really expensive here
in Israel, I mean, several times more expensive than those in
China.
Natan: The minister also noted that Chinese students in Israel
will not have to pay tuitions, and Chinese government provides
extra subsidies. I guess you really should think about studying
here.
Me: Perhaps.

Natan revealed that he has two passports - Israeli and Russian.

Natan is a man with dual nationality? How many more secrets
does this guy have?

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 The Holy City
Many tourists choose to stay clear of Jerusalem because of the
scary news about the two countrys battles, so the ancient area
of the city saw very few visitors. The stores had no business,
and the owners walked out to invite customers in. I saw a guy
smoking in his recliner with legs cross, enjoying the sunshine
while frowning.
What is more important to Jerusalem? Historical facts or
legends?
Legends are for sure. It excites me the most that this 5,000-year
old city serves as a bridge that links legends and reality. The
tourist sites are also of great significance because of this. The
Mountain of Flames is nothing but another wonder of nature if
not for the story in Journey to the West. Likewise, the holy
sites in Jerusalem also impressed me with the stories behind
them, and some of them are even related to the Bible. It cannot
be denied that stories in the Bible are historical facts to the
Christians, but they are like remote myths to me. In Jerusalem,
you may walk on the road that Jesus walked before the
Crucification, and you may see the Christian Cross or even the
Tomb of Jesus. These relics may look as awesome to the
Christians as the real Monkey King looks to me. Christianity,
Judaism and Islam all become tangible reality.
Later, we came to the Basilica of the Holy Cross, which usually
saw queues of Christians waiting to touch the coffin of the
Jesus Christ. But it was empty when we were there. I bent
down and walked towards the coffin placed in a dark cave

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where the portrait of Jesus was lit by two torches. Jesus made
his sacrifice for all of human sins. A priest in his eighties
waved me in. I knelt and bent over the coffin, feeling the wood
of thousands of years. It seemed that I can hear his summon.
Only in the dark can I see myself clearly, and this is the
shortest distance from Jesus. I confessed about my past and
made some wishes, as Jesus appeared in my head. I had the Dzi
beads in my hand and walked backwards out of the cave after
my confession. Walking on the road along which Jesus was
sent to the Crucification, I wonder why some would launch a
saint war against its own people in the name of Jesus. We see
numerous wars waged and countless people killed in the
history out of religious reasons. The Crucification did not seem
to have cleansed their sins.
Moreover, there was the Foundation Stone, or the Center of the
World as said in the Bible. I am not sure if the Rock is the
oldest rock in the world, but it is a legend to me.
Seen from the ancient wall eastwards, I have no idea where
Palestine is. I can only see iron-roofed slum-like shacks in rows
on the hills, which is a sharp contrast to the well-reserved,
solemn ancient architecture in Jerusalems ancient area. How is
the life in Palestine? It might be worth a visit there next time.

Arts
Martin found a free Jerusalem art tour online. Local artists

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show tourists arts that are not obvious to many outside the
ancient area. We reached a consensus to take this tour on our
last day here, and see something travel agencies do not show
tourists.

PICTURE 1!A!church!built!by!Germany.!Russia,!Britain!and!Germany!
tried!to!grab!as!much!land!as!possible!in!Israel.!When!it!was!founded,!
Israel!even!had!to!hold!talks!on!territory!with!countries!including!Russia.!
Russia! refused! to! return! the! land! it! occupied! in! the! beginning,! and!
Israel!managed!to!ink!the!famous!Orange!Deal!with!Russia,!according!to!
which!Israel!got!the!land!back!by!exporting!oranges!to!Russia!for!free.!

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PICTURE 2!A!prison!built!by!Britain!to!lock!up!Jews!fighting!against!its!
rule.! Jewish! people! constantly! stood! up! against! the! British! occupation!
for!national!liberation!after!Britain!took!control!of!Israel.!

PICTURE 3!A!painting!board.!Artists!will!repaint!the!board!once!in!a!
while,! and! people! can! watch! them! painting.! Although! people! of!
different! nationalities,! countries! and! religious! beliefs! live! in! this! city,!
the!government!wants!them!to!share!arts.!The!board!witnessed!many!
historic!moments.!Some!artist!wrote!a!letter!to!advocate!peace!on!the!
board!amid!the!civil!war!in!Israel.
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PICTURE 4!Graffiti!everywhere.!

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! PICTURE 5!House!of!holes.!In!time!of!carnival,!people!open!their!
windows!and!let!in!neighbors!who!slide!themselves!on!ropes!tied!to!the!
roof!down!from!upstairs.!This!community!has!its!own!festivals.!People!
usually!stand!by!their!windows!and!sing!to!the!guitar.!Delicious!foods!of!
various!kinds!are!served!on!the!street.!!
!

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PICTURE 6! Prayer! bench.! Many! benches! were! built! to! face! the!
golden!domes!in!the!ancient!area.!!

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PICTURE 7! Jerusalem! military! partition! line! in! 1947! and! 200m! no!
mans! land.! Jordan! and! Israel! backed! 100! meters! to! form! a! no! mans!
land,! according! to! an! agreement! signed! between! the! countries! after!
their! war.! However,! Jordan! shot! randomly! at! Jewish! neighborhoods!
from! time! to! time! after! that,! causing! civilian! deaths.! Bullet! holes! are!
still! clear! on! the! walls! today.! Nevertheless,! the! no! mans! land! has!
become!a!good!place!for!children!from!both!countries!to!play!hide!and!
seek,! which! may! indicate! the! thawing! relationship! between! the! two!
countries! and! a! peaceful! future.! Although! Israel! defeated! all! its!
neighboring! Arabian! counties! in! the! Six! Day! War! and! recaptured!
Jerusalem,! the! partition! line! leaves! indelible! impression! on! old!
generation!of!Israeli!people.!!

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PICTURE 8!A!love!story.!The!Green!Line!separated!a!Jewish!man!from!
his!Arabian!girlfriend.!The!man!built!the!stairway!as!a!birthday!gift!for!
the! girl,! which! will! help! the! girl! get! his! home! more! conveniently.Are!
they!married?!I!asked!the!guide.!No,!they!broke!up!a!long!time!ago.!
That! girl! ran! away! with! another! guy.! The! guile! smiled.We! all! felt!
ashamed!of!the!Jewish!mans!passion.!!

*Photographs courtesy of Lily

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 End
I was very lucky to have traveled to so many parts of the world
when I was only 18. I will never forget my study and reflection
in Ottawa and Halifax of Canada, my tour to famous American
universities, my mediation in Malaysian mosques, my
interviews with local people in Tibet and my two-year
schoolwork in Africa. Now I am in Israel, amid the peak of
Israel-Palestine conflicts.
People get the most real understanding from their personal
experience.
We see geometric growth of Chinese tourists abroad every year,
which is very good. China opened its door to the outside world
40 years ago, and allow its people to personally experience
different cultures and the history of other countries. The
experience, which is not introduced by the media or anything
printed, is first-hand, through which people form their own
understanding of the world.
How to make the best of your traveling abroad?
Books about travel guidance, introduction to tourist sites and
routes do not teach us how to see, interpret or understand local
lives. With what purposes do you travel and what you expect
from a trip matters a lot. During the days in Israel, I tried
understanding different sites from different perspectives.
Sites do not have to be scenic spots or historic relics. They
could also be special means of transportation, roadside stores or
even local people. In fact, if you only try to understand a site
from the perspective of a bystander, the site is nothing but a
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 Shanty!Town!in!
Jerusalem!
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Revelry!in!
Sode!Boqer!
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Western!Wall!

picture. The ten days in Israel was amazing. I spent time with
my schoolmates Martin and Hanne, and with Yams company,
we developed a local perspective about the country. We talked
about Israel-Palestine conflict with local people in Haifa; we
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watched the sunrise in the desert; we avoided the summer heat
at an Arabian grannys; we listened to stories from artists
outside Jerusalem; we were impressed by the Jewish fighting
spirits in Masada; we listened to the prayers at the Western
Wall; we floated in the Dead Sea; we discussed about
intentional education with Natan in Hebrew University. We did
not check in hotels or eat dedicated foods. We stayed with
Yams granny for several days, and we even sneaked into the
university dormitory for free lodging, eating bread and
Hummus, the cheapest foods in Israel, everyday. We chose to
travel differently, so we saw a different Israel.
Despite horrible media reports about the country, we ventured
there to get some real knowledge about the country, which best
interprets the UWC campaign. Live is hard. A meaningful life
is a life full of personal experience. The more it is, the richer a
life is.
I remember that I arrived three hours ahead of schedule at Tel
Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, and received a thorough checking
and interrogation before boarding. The Star of David was
unusually shiny in my eyes.
When the plane landed at the Johannesburg Airport and the bus
drove me towards the vast grassland of Swaziland, I felt a smile
in my face - another trip was over.
Im sitting in the dormitory. Silent both inside and outside. I
know students from around the world have already started their
own adventure.

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 Acknowledgement
Yam and her parents let us stay with them and took care of us.
Mr. Erez let us stay with his family.
Locals in Sede Boqer were so friendly.
Arabian granny served us delicious foods.
Martin, Hanne and Lily, thanks for keeping me company.
Photographs courtesy of Hanne and Lily.
Lily cooked us an amazing Chinese dinner.
Natan, thanks so much for everything.
Thanks mom, for supporting my trip to Israel. Sorry for the
sleepless nights because of worrying me.
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Away from Home
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My friend Ying returned to China for vacation and gave me a
mooncake for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
I gazed at the moon in the sky and missed my loved one at
home. I know there are seven to eight Chinese students in the
UWC in the US and Costa Rica, so they may not feel so lonely
as we do. Here, only Ying and I share the mooncakes.
Do I miss home? Honestly, not really, because I am so
occupied by activities on campus and communities. The feeling
of missing home is most strong during the Spring Festival and
Mid-Autumn Festival, when nobody is celebrating here. Ying
also went to fetch a hard disk for me, in which I saw pictures of
all the awards I won - calligraphy, piano, martial arts and
robots - in the past years. Tears welled in my eyes as I recalled
the hardship, instead of honors, I have had - vomiting milk
until two years old because of a stomach problem, one year of
suspension due to eczema all over in primary school and
spending the last hours with my father who died of cancer.
Now I am in Swaziland with very few Chinese people. I do not
miss home very much because illness and losing my father
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have made me stronger and more independent.
My tears fell on the ground as I watched these awards. The
mooncake tasted sour and bitter in such a mood. These awards
should all be given to my mum. God showered me with so
many challenges that if not for my mum, I could not have
walked so long and so far. I even cannot imagine how I have
lived through. I sent a message to my mum.
Just checked the awards I won these years. Moved to tears.
Have taken too much from you, mum. Will repay you and all
those that have helped me with everything I can do.
Mum sent a message back.

My! dorm! (1)!

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Im so proud of you. With great diligence and persistence, your
future promises to be bright, and I believe you will be capable
of repaying all the people that have helped us. Im with you all
along. Im deeply touched that you have a heart full of
gratefulness. So happy that you have such a warm heart.
Thank you!
No matter what I do or my life ends up with, I will repay the
society. All my efforts now will help me stand higher and
allow me to exert more influence, provide more help and repay
more people. If I become an economist, I will be one of
conscience and do research that helps improve peoples lives. If
I become a musician, I will compose music that mingles

My! dorm! (2)!

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different cultures and moves people. If I become a diplomat, I
will do my best to promote the world people and boost mutual
understanding. Whichever road I take, I will stick to my
principles - improve relationship between countries and
between people.
People away from home do not feel lonely because they have
beliefs, aims and friends from all over the world. They keep my
company and sustained me to realize my dreams.

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Forest Adventure

Five days countdown for the vacation started when some of us

rushed to finish their projects and some made the best of the
remaining time to have fun or participate in social activities. I
spent the last five days of my vacation doing some social
service in the forest of Swaziland, building cairns and making
hiking GPS records for the Shewula Nature Reserve.
It was not easy to walk ten miles every day with a 15kg
camping bag. We were asked to arrive at the next destination
before sunset and build a cairn for each kilometer of distance.
The boundless savannah at dusk made all destinations
seemingly impossible to reach. The worlds most beautiful
wheat field accompanied us when we were exhausted yesterday.
We hiked amid the glowing sun behind mountains and gentle
breeze blowing across the wheat field.
We quickened our steps as we approached the destination, and
when we finally arrived according to the GSP device, everyone
threw their backpacks with tents and sleeping bags on the
ground. Sitting on grass weak and limp, we can hardly feel our
feet. As it got dark, the sky was still clear with the moon being
bright. We fell asleep under the stars.
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We slept in the mountains last night. The outline of the
mountains resembles scary Japanese print, as we saw their
shapes but not any view. Wolf howling started echoing in the
mountains from 10pm along with chimpanzees laughing. We
put out the bonfire and took shelter in the tents. Knives beside
pillows created a false sense of security, just like we put heads
under pillows when we were afraid of ghosts.
In case of anything, which is almost impossible, dont panic,
and hide a knife under your pillow. My travel companion
ordered. I heard a claw scratching our tent at 1am and it uttered
some sound. I was startled and woke up immediately.

Most! innocent,! beautiful! smile!

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Am I having an illusion?
No, I heard that too, and it is calling. No worries, Ive got a
knife here.
I found my back sweating all over the next morning. The other
hiking group came across a huge python yesterday.
We arrived at a village this afternoon. Some boys were running
around and greeted us excitedly when they saw us, while some
other children playing with cow dung walked away. I wonder if
it was because of my appearance. My friend asked them to
come closer in Swazi, and they cautiously walked to us. I had a
great picture taken with them, and I think that was the most
innocent smile Ive ever seen.
Along the trip, Ive walked across single-log bridges with
streams flowing rapidly below and through colorful
paradise-like rain forests. Why did ancient people have more
wisdom? Because they traveled around on foot.
There were no modern transportation tools, but walking tours
imparted knowledge and wisdom. When they had to travel
hundreds of kilometers on foot, they tried making the best of
their trips, and developed the most needed quality - persistence,
surviving loneliness, independent thinking and following your
heart.
Wisdom originates from the nature and has everything to do
with ones vision.

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UN Challenges (I)

Flashback: Home
Indian British writer Pico Lyer once said, Where is home? I
have Indian blood, but I dont have a home in India, because I
dont speak any of the eight hundred dialects there. As I fly
around the world every week, home has become something I
carried around inside me. I dont have a physical home, and
home is not where I sleep, but where I stand.
I paid a visit to my German music teacher the day before the
vacation.
Do you miss home, Jianglong? she asked.
Not really, it took a second to answer. Ive to Canada, the
States, South Africa and Africa now, so the craving for home
isnt as strong as before.
I feel that way, too, but whenever I return to the small town I
used to live back in Germany, and gaze at the old streets, I feel
the warmth of coming home.
It sure does.

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The conversation reminded me that I havent been home for a
while.
A madame from Ningbo invited me to her apartment the next
morning. She saw my blog three months ago, and took Andy,
her son born in Swaziland, back to the country, hoping that he
could be enrolled by the UWC in the country one year later.
The apartment was literally empty with only one desk and two
beds. Some books piled up on the floor in the living room. I
was lodged there during my vacation.
Andy worked really hard. He had English and French classes
after school, and prepared lessons for next days classes until
10:30 in the evening, because looking up new words in the
textbooks was pretty time-consuming. When his mum showed
me the three notebooks of words Andy put down for learning, I
wondered how this eighth grader managed to live without TV
and Internet in such an unfamiliar country.
I actually got the answer when I saw Andy had animated
conversations with his mum about his experience in class every
day after coming home. His bright smile proved Hungarian
economist Mihaly Csiksgentmihalyis flow theory - people are
the happiest when they are in flow. Andy showered himself
with new challenges in the learning of high intensity, and his
skills to cope with challenges got honed. I also felt everyday
was a fruitful day without TV and Internet, as all that
entertained us were the dozens of books I took there. The
Madame, Andy and I had plenty of time reading every night.
That apartment really felt like home to me.

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Why would I work for the World Health Organization in
Swaziland? Though I studied at the UWC, there were few
opportunities for me to get to know people from local
communities. Staying in the country but not really living in it, I
would say. As described in Farewell to Tower of Babel,
while the government-level interaction is active, there are
plainly no people-to-people communication between China and
Africa. Swazi children looked forward to meeting us. I was
going to start my internship at the UN office in Swaziland the
next day. We cant wait to see you, Mike, the World Health
Organization (WHO) Representative in Swaziland texted me.

First day
8am. I stood at the gate of the UN building, suited up. Looking
at the heavily guarded compound, I gave the representative a
call.
Im here at the gate, Sir.
Oh, youre so early. Im sending someone to pick you up.
An older man that resembled Nelson Mandela came out of the
building, and greeted me with a big smile, Mike, right? Come
on in.
Like going through security at an airport, guards searched me
with a metal detector, my bag got X-rayed, and my phone and
computer were also taken out. Unjani (How are you)? The

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guard asked. Ngiyaphila, Babe (Fine, Sir). I said. You speak
Si-swati (Swazi)? Yebo, Babe (Yes, uncle). Just a little.
Besides the security check at the gate, workers in the building
have to wear cards and swipe to enter their offices. I worked
with the World Health Organization, and across from us was
the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA).
There were a total of nine organizations under the UN upstairs
and downstairs.
Frankly speaking, the whole building was so staid that I was
afraid of talking. The man guided me to an office. He opened
the door and asked me to walk in by myself. I took a glance at
the doorplate - The WHO Representative/Chief - and felt a
little overwhelmed. The representative greeted me as I entered
the office.
Here you are. We had a meeting yesterday. They really looked
forward to meeting you.
The square-faced and short-haired chief had a stripe of his hair
dyed white, just like chic decoration pattern a super sports car.
On the wall of the office hung a portrait of the King of
Swaziland, and there were also a set of sofas and a tea table in
it. Actually, we were already familiar with each other prior to
this official meeting, as we conversed in church several times
over the last few weeks. The chief is a Doctor of Medicine
from Malawi and was dispatched to Swaziland three years ago.
All UN officials serve five years in one country before they are
re-appointed.

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Why does everybody look so serious? They only smiled a bit
when I introduced myself, and that was kind of reluctant, too.
Oh, dont take it personally. Its not that were unfriendly, but
weve got too much work - endless documents and meetings
every day. Ill introduce you to your mentor Dudu Dlamini
later.
A middle-aged lady walked in as we talked.
And here she is. Dlamini, this is Mike. Hes here on a
one-month internship, and hed love to learn about the work
here with the UN in Swaziland.

My!mentor!at!WHO!
Mrs.!Dudu!Dlamini!

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Dlamini was a very nice black lady, and she walked to me with
a slight penguin-like swing.
Sawubonaumfanaobukekayo (How is it going, my boy)?
Ngiyaphila. Ngingumfana Mike from Waterford (Fine, Im
Mike from Waterford).
This kid knows Si-swati! Dlamini was very surprised, but
talked to his boss in a pretty low voice, discreet with words,
just like trying to pick some minced meat from a plate of Yu
Xiang Rou Si (shredded pork with garlic sauce, a famous
Chinese dish). There is a hierarchy in the office, judging from
peoples conversations. When chatting with her workmates,
Dlamini spoke Swazi without holding anything back, but she
has to switch to formal English when having a dialog with her
superiors.
Dlamini took me to every office there to say hello.
Im Mike. How are you?
Good to see you, Mike. We heard yesterday that a new intern
is coming. Here you are. That was when you saw a smile on
my fellow workers faces.
Who is your boss, Mike?
YamiDlamini (Its Dlamini).
OK. She is a nice lady.
The WHO has several units. I worked with the Family Health
Program (FHP), and the next door was the Extensive

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Immunities Program (EIP). Moreover, there are Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Tuberculosis (TB),
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD), etc.
My friend, just follow me, and were having a meeting with
the Ministry of Home Affair, Dlamini told me.

Politic Consulted Meeting

A WHO car drove us to the Kings property, which is usually
not open to outsiders, and our school bus had to bypass it. The
guard let us in when he saw the WHO logo. I felt so
privileged to visit the Zhongnanhai of Swaziland on my first
day of internship. A waiter ushered us into the meeting center,
which has a signboard at the door that reads Politic Consulted
Meeting of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Swaziland.
The country is an absolute monarchy ruled by the King, who
has the supreme legislative and administrative power, but
delegates the advisory power to government departments to
ensure the political correctness. This resembles the centralized
power system with emperors and ministers in ancient China. I
expected such a government is still in existence. In Swazilands
cabinet, each unit takes on different tasks. Collecting
demographics and data monitoring are part of the
responsibilities for the Ministry of Home Affairs. The ministry
also has the advisory power over other departments. For
instance, it makes legislative proposals to the Ministry of

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Justice, which will draft laws and submit them to the King. The
loose legal structure in the country make it very easy to enact
laws, so the WHO sends people to supervise the process in
order to secure scientific law-making in the health sector.
The name of Politic Consulted Meeting invokes an image of
several thousand people sitting in the Peoples Hall and voting
for or against proposals at a session for the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference. The meeting room I walked
in only had a U-shaped meeting table for 20 people, an
old-style projector and dark lighting, which somehow excited
me because of the sharp contrast. In a country under the rule of
law, the making of a law takes a large amount of checking and
reviewing before it is approved by the parliament and enacted.
Swaziland has a fairly streamlined government in many
aspects.
Many local people were curious about welcoming a Chinese
guy. Where do you work? I work with the WHO. Oh,
who is your boss? Dr. Owen. I know that guy. He looks
very serious. Really? He smiled to me a lot. Maybe
because you are new. He seldom smiles.
The conversation proved that my boss was right about the work
stress with the WHO. Attended by lawyers, non-government
organization founders, officials with the Ministry of Home
Affairs and secretaries, the meeting was pretty casual, though.
Some lawyer wearing a plaid shirt instead of a suit, said hello
and eased himself into a chair with his legs crossed. The
Minister talked with no grandeur either.

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Minister: Where are you from?
Me: China?
Minister: Taiwan? China?
Me: Mainland China.
Minister: Oh, Mainland Chinese people rarely visit
Swaziland. I was in Taiwan no long ago, and people there
all stared at me, as if they havent seen anybody black.
Me: Haha. Seriously, many of us havent seen black people at
all.
Minister: Are you employed by the WHO? I havent seen you
before.
Me: Im a student with the UWC and work as an intern here.
Minister: Right. Kids know nothing but schoolwork
nowadays. My child refused to take a job during the
vacation, because its too tiring. Whats the use of
knowledge if it isnt put into use? Youve certainly made a
smart choice. How did you know the WHO?
Me: I met Dr. Owen at church and got to know each other.
Minister: You should learn some Swati since you work here.
Me: Ngiyazikancane Si-swati (I speak a little Swati).
Minister: Nice. There you go.

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The Minister acted like a wise old man, teaching kids about life.
Scheduled to start at 8:30, the meeting did not got going until
9:30. This is so typical with the African time.
The meeting, which mainly discussed demographics in the
country, lasted six hours, including a big lunch. In the morning,
it was about birth rate and death rate, and statistics about
refugees in the afternoon. The projector displayed a draft plan
for collecting demographics in the country this year. With the
participation of lawyers and other professionals, we reviewed
all the terms carefully.
The draft was pretty long, and it primarily touched upon two
points - legislation for collecting important demographics and
categorization of statistics. The lawyers pinpointed the legal
loopholes about some terms, and the WHO officials made
proposals about calculating birth rate.
Under the countrys law, all infants must be registered within
60 days of birth, or their parents get fined. The WHO suggested
that new babies should be registered immediately after birth,
because the infant mortality rate is also an important statistical
indicator. If a baby dies during the first 60 days, it is not
reflected in statistics. Death within 60 days and no birth at all
are different.
Swaziland lacks a credit system, I observed, regarding the
legal regulations on birth registration in this country. The draft
tries to solve all problem by imposing fines, but fines only
make people passively accept the rules. A credit system
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correlated with medical insurance, education system, bank loan
and work records will prompt people take the initiative to do
the registration.
Thats a good one, Mike. The most fundamental problem with
Swaziland is the lack of communication between government
departments and unclear work division, the Minister said.
I also suggested that refugees should be registered under a
special category before they become Swati nationals, because
there are no detailed categorization for some population groups,
say, the handicapped, in the country. Another problem is that
the statistics are not stored in computers, and are therefore not
available online.
The revision took plenty of hard work, let alone the narrative
loopholes, confused technical terms (machinery and
mechanism, for example), and contradiction between civil law
and local law systems co-existing in the country. The lawyers
almost fell asleep after six hours work. Are we still here? the
plaid shirt guy said in a loud voice.
The meeting ended at 4 in the afternoon. The Minister said
goodbye in Chinese.
You speak Chinese?
I also know good morning, good afternoon, good
afternoon and I love you in Chinese, he spoke with a perfect
accent.
My biology teacher Mr. Green used to tell me that some British
schools have already started teaching Chinese. I was not so
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sure about that until I met the Minister. China is indeed having
an increasing global influence.
Dlamini handed me a thick pile of documents, including the
WHO budget plan for this year and national health policy of
Swaziland, when we returned to the UN building.
These are for tomorrows meeting with the Health Minister,
and get yourself familiar with them tonight, she said.
Now I knew why they said work pressure was big here.

!!

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UN Challenges (II)

Backstage
Chinese peoples lives and politics are interwoven. The
one-party system does not dampen our interest of talking about
politics at table. A lot of people have developed their own
understanding of the Chinese President, Premier, Ministers and
current events. Chinas education and public institutions all see
the presence of political power. Even the subsidiary of
Samsung Electronics in China has a Chinese Communist Party
committee and a Party secretary.
Instead of politics, people often talk about weather and funny
things happened to someone at tablet here in Swaziland. The
top story on Times of Swaziland is not about a speech given by
the US President or the new free trade zone established in
China, but hen-pecked Xi Jinping or President Putin widely
popular among Chinese women.
Some could be curious why people have not put an end to the
monarchy in the country after so many years under the reign of
the King. Actually, it is because people care more about their
own lives than politics. Therefore, you do not see as fierce
political fight or ethnic rivalry here as those in South Africa.
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Swaziland may be a little inactive, but it is a peaceful country
with very little turmoil in its history. People here do not desire
more other than peaceful lives.
Nevertheless, the WHO in Swaziland and the countrys
government function under great and constant pressure. Thanks
to their work, the countrys GDP growth rate remained flat at
2.8% last year from 2013. Without the persistent efforts from
these organizations, Swati people could have been jobless and
doing nothing but sunbathing.
The short meeting started at 7 in the morning was attended by
officials from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of
Justice. After a report for people across the board, a female

Invited! as! a! cooperate! partner! in! national! plan! and! assessment

of! CRVS! (Civil! Registration! and! Vital! Statistics)! meeting!
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official with the Ministry of Health joined the WHO discussion
panel. Dressed in traditional Swati clothing, the lady looked
really smart.

Lady: So tired. The report is still not finished.

Me: True. Its been revised many times.
Lady: My boss is so picky. His one little suggestion costs me
several days of work, and he doesnt feel sorry about that at
all.
Me: A lot of work for you, too?
Lady: You think its easy? Report writing everyday. My boss is
out of the office all day. We are the people really working.
You know what? I worked until very late the other day, and
when I left the office, damn, it was already one oclock in
the morning. Roads were dark with no cars. Those poor
kids may never know how much weve done for them.
Me: Complaining doesnt help, because you dont work here
for fame and fortune.
Lady: True. The work with the Ministry of Health is more
down-to-earth than that in any other departments. Weve
actually got more things to take care of, such as the
prevention of AIDS, TB, malaria and yellow fever.
Bureaucracy doesnt work here. We work all day along.
Everybody is extremely tired.

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Me: No government in the world is cleaner than the UN, I
would say.
Dudu: My counterparts in other countries dont seem as busy
as we are. They only do assessment, and local governments
take care of policy- and law-making entirely. In Swaziland,
the WHO is like part of the countrys government. We are
not paid if we dont come up with proposals.
Me: Really?
Dudu: True. For example, I assess proposals, but I dont get
paid if people dont submit proposals for assessment. The
UN workers arent properly paid for what they do.

People that aspire to work for the UN are envious of the

officials smart look, visa-free passports and rights to file
motions at the UN General Assembly. However, junior
employees actually found their lives pretty hard and time
occupied by chores like dealing with documents all day.
Teachers at the UWC told us that future leaders are always on
the go, do things themselves and get their hands and legs dirty.
Behind the shining appearance are countless sleepless nights
and busy mornings.

Family
I spent the whole morning making slides on the computer for a
seminar on family planning in Swaziland next week. I would

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give a speech on family planning policies around the world. Dr.
Owen invited all WHO workers to his house for a party in the
afternoon, because he was leaving the country for a two-week
meeting abroad.
Hey, brother from another mother, our driver Mr. Tumi
walked to me. Mr. Tumi was a middle-aged black man, with a
chubby face. And there were no wrinkles on the corners of his
mouth even when he laughed.
Get prepared, Mike. Were going to the WRs (WHO
Representative) home this afternoon.
The white pickup truck I was in drove fast along a muddy path
leading to the countryside, and entered a secluded forest where
Dr. Owen grand villa was located. The structure was built on a
huge rock of a hill. One side of the villa is entirely made of
glass, through which we can see downtown Mbabane and
virgin forest. The three-floor villa has a gym and a swimming
pool along with many hidden spaces and secret rooms. The
majestic view, rumbling thunder and pouring rain impressed
every visitor greatly.
The view is so vast. Human beings are really insignificant
compared to the Mother Nature. This is really a great house.
Mr. Tumi said.
It sure is. An architect rented it to me. The UN does not
allow officials like Dr. Owen to settle down in one place.
Have a drink, Mike. Dr. Owen took a Coke from the fridge
and passed it to me.

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Workers on my team sat together and shared some stories from
work. A lady told a story that shocked all of us.

Lady: My job is to understand discrimination against women

and domestic violence in this country. I met with a Swati
woman days ago who was often abused at home.
We: She could sue her husband.
Lady: But according to a Swati saying, a woman that sues her
husband is disloyal, and she will not get re-married because no
men want her.

I did not learn anything about womens social status in this

country at the UWC, so that was quite unexpected.

We: So pathetic that the woman was abused, and hurt by the
stupid prejudice.
Lady: Are women abused by their husbands in China?
Me: There are definitely cases of domestic violence, but such
husbands are usually severely denounced.
Lady: Her husband once attacked her with a knife after getting
drunk. The woman ducked and her hair was cut off.
We: The woman will be tortured to death eventually.

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Lady: This isnt the most pathetic part of the story. You know
what is?
We: Tell us!
Lady: The woman thought she pissed her husband off because
she wasnt being good enough.
Me: What!? She really thinks that way?
Lady: Unbelievably yes! I tried to help her so that she backed
down at last. That was outrageous! I saw her damn
husband last time, and he took the initiative to shake hands
with me before I was going to lecture him on what he did.
He said thanks to my education and help, the couples
lives have improved a lot. For gods sake! I knew from his
eyes that he was lying and he hated me.

We started having a big dinner as it rained heavier outside.

Just make yourself at home, Mike. No need to follow table
manners all the time. Eat with hands like I do, and you wont
waste foods. Dudu said, seeing my great efforts to cut beef
with knife and fork.
Dr. Owen and his wife said farewell to us after dinner, and we
left his villa. I asked Mr. Tumi to drop me off at the UN
building and I can walk home from there.
No worries, its too late and raining. I can drive you home.
Just let me know when to turn.

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I said goodbye to Mr. Tumi at the door of my apartment, really
feeling at home because of everyones kindness.

Inaction
Immediately we returned to the UN building from the meeting
center last evening at 6 oclock, I saw the gate blocked by a
bunch of poorly-dressed people. I walked through the crowd,
and tried to learn about it from a security guy, but he did not
have any idea either.
On my way to the meeting center today, the driver pointed me
to a road sign, on which newspaper headlines are often posted
in this country, reading Hundreds of Refugees Storm the UN
Office. Why is that? It happened a lot here. It did? Who
should these people turn to for help? Who knows? Refugees
protest from time to time.
The WHO workers have spent several days working with the
Ministry of Health to tackle issues about the national policy for
family planning. The meeting started at 8am and lasted until
6pm. One problem the meeting tried to highlight was the
pregnancy-related death rate.
Unlike the previous meeting with a beautiful and competent
lady, todays meeting was attended by a number of plump,
middle-aged black women, who seemed to be higher in
rankings than the officials we met before. They leant back in
their chairs, thumbing through our reports. A doctor sitting on
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my right took out his notebook and started playing chess. Every
move he made was followed by a cheering sound effect, but
nobody seemed to hear that thanks to the noisy fan in
his computer. It was not long before the womens mobile
phones started beeping for messages coming in. They picked
up their phones and never put them down. Workers with the
WHO and other organizations tried very hard to engage the
audience with their presentations, while the women talked with
each other in Swati. Sometimes they were quiet, and suddenly
they burst into laughter as though they were amused by some
big joke. Dudu raised his eyebrow and shook his head.
I gave a speech about the international experience of lowering
pregnancy-related death rate. By introducing the practice of
Honduras, Nepal, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Egypt and Bangladesh, I
made a list of suggestions on what Swaziland can do based on
the conditions here. The Q & A session was kind of ruined by a
question from a high official and Doctor of Medicine.
Why not let pregnant women over forty all receive C-section?
They suffered so much from a natural delivery.
C-section is performed based on delivery conditions and risks,
not age, a doctor answered her question.
Im not sure I understand. The official curled her lip and
shook her head, going back to check her phone again.
An official fell asleep at the meeting and snored as loud as the
speaker. The international supervisor from Kenya gave up and
suggested playing a game. Hooray! Some women rose from

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their seats in excitement, their faces shining as if they have just
applied some Vaseline.
Lets do coconut with our body. Try C first. A woman
wiggled her penguin-like body to form a C.
Next, lets do O They were like pupils following
instructions from teachers.
We spent a long morning explaining the backgrounds and
targets of our report. A 58-page draft plan about
pregnancy-related death prevention has to be finished within
one week, which is not going to happen based on where we are
now. The discussion totally blew my mind, because I was
totally unaware of the problems this country is having, such as
hospitals are not responsible for maternal deaths, and
governments do not supervise that either. Swaziland lags way
behind in this respect, Dudu admitted, which also inspired
me.
The officials felt so relieved after the mornings meeting, and
walked to the canteen fast. I sat across from a woman at lunch.
Mike, the supervisor was so annoying because of his
know-it-all gesture. Let me tell you, couples should be
complementary in a marriage. For example, if men are talkative,
women shouldnt be, otherwise they wont be happy together.
My husband is man of many words, so I dont say much at
home. I also decided not to speak much at meetings to avoid
troubles.

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Troubles? I surely did not catch her logic. She wiped her greasy
hands on her clothes and eased a piece of cake into her mouth,
leaving patches of cream on her red cheeks. I pointed them out
to her, and she laughed and cleaned them with a tissue before
taking off. These cute ladies are actually high officials that give
advice on national policies. On the one hand, I think highly of
the simple politics tradition in the country and democracy
that emphasizes everyone has a say. On the other hand, I felt
worried about the countrys future, because such inefficient and
impractical discussions would lead to anything meaningful.
Swaziland would be so different if you people from Waterford
took the helm, the supervisor from Kenya said. Two infants
died of accidents within two weeks at a public hospital here in
the capital.
One baby died of asphyxia because the amniotic fluid was not
removed after it was given birth. The other one, after a
thorough investigation, was killed by inhaling nitrogen dioxide
that was mistakenly connected to the incubator.
The hospital has reported a total of 99 pregnancy-related
deaths within one year. The overall death rate is 0.032% in
Swaziland, which is much higher than any other
underdeveloped countries in the world. Only less than 100
pregnancy-related deaths were reported annually in Rwanda.
Discussions about the issue have been going on for nearly four
years, while the death rate is on the increase without any sign
of downtrend foreseeable.

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Mike, the WHO also feels helpless, because many doctors
here just dont qualify. One cousin of mine needed surgery, but
instead of performing one on him, the doctor in charge kept
saying more observation is needed. When I asked him if I
should transfer him to South Africa for treatment, he did not let
him go and told me he was still observing. Four weeks later,
my cousin passed away. He wouldve survived if he was in
South Africa. My colleague told me with tears in her eyes.
Do you believe that these people are actually with the
Ministry of Health? she continued, looking at the officials
walk out of the meeting room, talking and laughing. The
WHO supervises them like a guardian does to a kid. However,
their problems are not solved but become more serious every
year. They are the people that make policies and govern the
country, not the WHO. The junior staff of the Ministry of
Health and WHO workers are up to their ears in work, while
these people get easy salaries.
I recalled an illegal strike by power company workers, one of
the 99 on average each year in South Africa, three years ago,
when the heartbeat monitor for Nelson Mandela stopped
working. Mandela brought democracy and racial equality to
South Africa, but the people was sort of overwhelmed and
misinterpreted the connotations of democracy.
The phony politics in Swaziland worries us more, because it
claims to advocate meritocracy without a proper knowledge
base, and the grassroots find it difficult to voice their opinions.
Swati government is not inactive. Quite the contrary,
low-ranking civil servants like those at the Ministry of Health
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worked very diligently. The problem is the ineffective
communication between the servants and their superiors. The
appointment of the Kings relatives to key government
positions does not necessarily lead to centralization of power.

Efficiency
The meetings in the previous days and dealing with high
officials helped me discover problems with the Swati
government. I think the Cannikin Law applies to the
functioning of a government - the efficiency of a government is
decided by the least knowledgeable, instead of the most
knowledgeable or averagely knowledgeable workers in it,
although the general knowledge level of workers in a
government is also of great importance. In order to remove the
meritocracy in China, Mao Zedong asked people to challenge
the knowledge monopoly of intellectuals, and decide by
themselves what is useful and what they would like to learn.
However, Chinas current political system is generally
structured based on the essence of meritocracy - people get
status or rewards because of what they achieve, rather than
because of their wealth or social status.

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 Communication! efficiency! between! high! officials! and! staffs!

Similar to ancient China, Swaziland is a monarchy with cabinet,

but it is different because the cabinet consists of the Kings
relatives, mainly high officials, as well as democratic
representatives, mainly low-level functionaries. The country is
believed to be constitutional monarchy with dual-structure,
which also differs from those in the UK and Japan. Therefore,
the quality of meetings between the high officials and staff (as
indicated in Picture 1) decides the communication efficiency
between them. However, the representatives of the
upper-level society and the lower-level one do not share the
same conception of governance in Swaziland - high officials
report to the King because His Majesty has the absolute
legislative power and control of the countrys army, while the
democratic representatives are held accountable to their
constituents. It is no wonder that the government meetings are
like playing house.

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Moreover, the degree of power centralization has much to do
with the level of peoples freedom. Only is the proportion of
power centralization to peoples freedom in a reasonable range
can the government efficiency be in a state of flow. Flow,
according to Mihaly Csiksgentmihalyis theory, is an optimistic
power that helps develop potentials and mobilize people. I have
expanded the application of the theory from economic to
political sector, and call it Liaos Theory for the time being.

Liaos! Theory!

According to Liaos Theory, there exists a proportion of power

centralization and peoples freedom, and if governors can
successfully balance the interaction between the two, the
country is in a state of development flow. We often
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compared the political systems of China and the US, but under
Liaos Theory, the two countries are both in a state of
development flow, meaning the proportion is reasonable.
Nevertheless, the proportion does not remain constant, and
countries can rarely keep the balance forever. Most countries
fluctuate in and out the state of flow. For example, both
China and the US are facing challenges to maintain the balance.
The factor of Taiwan and Occupy Central in Hong Kong may
move China to the bottom right. The increasing freedom and
strengthened power centralization may cause social instability.
In Swaziland, the centralization and freedom are in
contradiction of each other. Although the cabinet decentralizes
its power, the level of freedom remains low. The Kings army
quelled several protests by people in early 21st century.
Publicly criticizing the King is strictly prohibited in the country.
As shown in Picture 2, Swaziland is in the Inefficiency zone.
Low efficient in politics stops the country from being in the
development flow, and a huge gap sits between the civil
society and the authorities.
The absolute democracy featuring one vote for one man and
relative decentralization of power have caused major instability
in South African society. A UWC classmate from Denmark
told me that some incorrect systems are undeniably
effective, while some correct systems are inefficient. Its
a pity that Swaziland is in a state of development flow in
Liaos theory, but as I stated, Africa may not need skyscrapers.
Idyllic country lives could appeal to them more. Suppose the

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continent had not been colonized, African people may have
been living their ideal lives. !

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UN Challenges (III)

Achievement
Swaziland quiets down after 7 in the evening. I returned to the
apartment after a meeting. The madame prepared dinner for us.
Without TV and Internet, the apartment sounds emptier.
You like music? the Madame asked.
Yeah, I love peaceful music, like classical and songs by Deng
Lijun
You do? Me too. She took out her portable hard disk. I have
an entire collection of songs by Deng.
The Madame sang along and I played harmonica. Dengs voice
took us back to the 1970s. It was pitch dark at night in
Swaziland. Although we lived in the capital, there were no
neon lights or busy traffic. The nostalgic songs and silent night
really made me miss home. Gangnam Style could be a better
choice if you do not want to get emotional.
My driver was already there for me when I got to the office the
next morning. He opened the door for me. How is going,
Mike? Had breakfast? Yeah, yeah.

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The Toyota pickup truck was like a big toy for him as he
adeptly drove along the steep hilly roads.

Driver: When is your internship over?

Me: Next week.
Driver: When are you going back to China?
Me: Right after its over here and before Christmas.
Driver: I heard China has a lot of good stuff. Could you buy
something for me? I need some gifts for my daughter.
Me: Sure. How old is she?
Driver: Just finished elementary school. The graduation scores
havent been announced. I want to give her a gift as
encouragement if she did well.
Me: How many children do you have?
Driver: Seven.
Me: Wow, seven!
Driver: Two girls and five boys. I was talking about my
youngest kid. Im already 61. Hope they can live on their own
and live successful lives when Im dead. Do you have a
girlfriend, Mike?
Me: Not the time.

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The driver grinned hearing that

Today is the last day of the week-long family planning seminar.

It could be because of the slackness on the first day; all
participants worked very hard in the remaining days, and
sometimes skipped the lunch break to spare time for more
discussions. The meetings lasted until seven or eight in the
evening everyday, and I might have jumped to a conclusion by
writing the article Inaction.
A black lady struck up a conversation first.
Mike, whats family planning like in China?
Each family was allowed to have only one child, and now its
two under some conditions.
So having two children was illegal in the past? She was very
surprised. I nodded to her.
SOB! Why dont we have such a law in Swaziland? How
about making it illegal to have over five kids here? The lady
joked.
A doctor sitting opposite to me was fairly stubborn and would
not let others talk when discussing the draft, because he kept
saying Listen to me! Listen to me! The ladies were pretty
unhappy about it.
Where are you from, Sir? I asked him at the lunch break.

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I was sent here by the Cuban government and Ive been here
three years. Whod like to come to this hell place if not asked?
Cuba! Were friends then. I became acquainted with many
people during the week.
Mike, come to visit Ethiopia when you have time, because its
very beautiful, the man from Ethiopia made an invitation.
No problem. I did some research on the agrarian revolution in
your country, and I know your agriculture is highly
developed.
Mike, Zimbabwe is a poor country with oil shortages and
skinny people in many peoples eyes, which is simply not
true, a lawyer from Zimbabwe said. If you dont travel to a
country, what the press said may mislead you. Its a fact that
the gap of wealth in Zimbabwe cant be wider, as you can see
some luxury cars that are not seen anywhere else in Africa, but
many people still cant afford cars. Theres no such thing called
middle class in Zimbabwe.
Mike, many people think of Ebola when they mention the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They could mean
the other Congo, because the WHO has just clarified that the
DRC is a country without Ebola patients. Similarly, some
people put the Ebola tag on Africa, because they think Africa is
one country, and the Ebola outbreak in a small part of Africa is
the outbreak across Africa. An expert from the DRC said.
This reminded me that some parents of my classmates in IB1
refused send their children to the UWC in Swaziland because

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of Ebola. My classmate from Morocco said I dont understand
those people. Come on. The infection rate of Ebola in
Swaziland is lower than that in the US!
Thanks to the week-long meeting, I made friends with
colleagues and fellows from all over the world, and heard
voices from different perspectives. By tradition, the
government meeting in Swaziland started and ended both with
singing hymns to God. We finalized the family planning draft
at 1pm, and I am glad that I made my contribution. The past
week helped me better understand the arduous government
work. If managing a country with millions of people could be
as complicated as such, you might realize the challenges that
Chinese leaders are facing. Everybody felt so relieved, and said
goodbye to one another.
Siyabonga! Babe and Make! (Thank you all!)
Next week will be another week of UN challenges.

Sense of Identity
Mike, its quite strange that Swaziland spends a huge amount
of money every year training doctors and nurses, who, instead
of serving their country, take jobs in South Africa. The Swati
government then has to hire foreign doctors with salaries three
times that of local doctors, but these foreigners are not all
qualified.

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The conversation with a workmate helped me understand that
Swaziland also has blind faith in foreign things.
Do you Swati people think white people are more
trustworthy?
Yeah, this idea is deep-rooted and many people truly believe
so.
Trevor Noah, a South African stand-up comedian, said there is
still a clear gap between the black and the white in South
Africa despite the end of apartheid.
If you had a bomb tied to your leg, with a red wire and white
wire, and a white asked you to cut the white wire, you may
possible do it, but if it was a black guy, with strong African
accent, that asked you do the same thing, you may feel
doubtful.
Noah believed that South Africa has seen a rapid democratic
development in the past 20 years, but for all that it will still
take a long time to bridge the gap between people of different
colors and races. My English friend took a trip to Pretoria for
some volunteer work at a local animal preserve. A white man
said look at those gorillas while pointing at his black
co-workers, he said. I was so shocked. How dare he use such
discriminatory words so flagrantly!? Thats racist.
Conner, when I talk about countries like Angola, Mozambique
and Lesotho, our classmates from these countries would put on
a self-denial face. The boy from Angola thought his country is
good for nothing. It seems to me that they are not studying with

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the UWC to serve Africa, but flee the continent for their own
good lives. I used to talk with a German classmate named
Conner.
Conner shared his ideas with me, Mike, the development of
Africa depends on its people. Without their own efforts, the
place doesnt have a future, even with foreign aid and even if
China makes massive investments. Now many competent
Africans try hard to migrate to developed countries and change
their nationality, which just doesnt help at all.
I pay great respect to medical workers from Guinea and
Liberia for their nonstop work amid the raging Ebola epidemic.
We foreigners only stay several months for service, but local
people will fight forever, as long as Ebola is not eradicated.
Daniel Bausch, an Ebola expert with the WHO, observed.
However, as indicated by a WHO report released two month
ago, 28% of the undergrads in African medical schools decided
to go abroad to practice medicine and enjoy better lives, while
only 15% of African doctors would love to treat patients in
Africas vast countryside. I was shocked that so few African
doctors would like to stay and serve their own people. Is that
the innate evil of African people?
Africa is in great need of professionals, but we see continual
brain drain here in Swaziland. These people become US or
British citizens and enjoy good social welfare, without thinking
whether they are more needed in here. My workmate shook
her head. It suddenly occurred to me that people from this

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charming continent are lack of the sense of identity. They
should take pride in their roots and their priceless culture.
There is America dream and Chinese dream, but dreams do not
come from nowhere. The national rejuvenation of any country
comes with cooperation with the world, and the dream of a
nation will eventually become the dream of world - dream
without borders or racial limits. The faith I developed with
UWC makes me understand that there is no such thing as good
or bad culture. Dlamini told me that the fastest way to calculate
death rate in Swaziland is not forcing people to register with
the police station, but arranging liaisons with the chiefs of
tribes, as all funerals are hosted by chiefs.
Chinese girls should not be afraid of getting a tan, and African
girls should not complain not having straight hair, because
healthy true colors and Afro are the most beautiful.

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UN Challenges (IV)

Wisdom
The Ningbo Madame shared with us what happened around the
world everyday back at the apartment.
To the children and workers that died in the terrorist attacks in
Pakistan, Id like to convey my deep condolences. Terrorism
has become increasingly rampant. Even peaceful Australia was
attacked, killing two nationals. It is shocking the death of Bin
Laden has incited more hatred rather than pacify the terrorists.
The jihadists killed nearly 5,000 people with guns or
maltreatment last month, according to BBC.
No wonder that there was also news about grafted officials
thrown into jail for taking huge amount of bribes. The several
weeks I worked with the Swati authorities makes me realize
that it is always easier to say how to govern a country.
People in power pay heed to every single detail in their policy
making. It takes accurate understanding of laws and regulations
as well as courageous execution. Unthoughtful decisions may
cause devastating results, and the people do not always make
right choices.

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Mike, really glad to have worked with you. We learned from
each other and youve taught me a lot about China. Swaziland
has a long way to go. Slowly but surely! Dudu said to me.
One of the primary values I got from the internship is that
leadership derives from wisdom, not political means.
Why is that? Many people mistakenly think that leadership and
giving orders are the same thing. But according to my weeks
working with Dudu, officials with the WHO never bossed
around with the Swati government or demanded the making of
domestic policies based on international practices. Some people
accused the stupid governments of West African countries,
amid the raging Ebola epidemic, of not implementing the
existing contingency plans by the WHO for containing
epidemic. Outsiders do not understand the decisions made by
these governments, and thought they were inactive. However,
I have to defend their decisions, although what the critics said
sounded plausibly right. The contingency plans might work
well in developed countries, but in Africa, forcing the
governments to follow the same international standards is
simply like asking Liu Xiang to play basketball and Yao Ming
to jump hurdles.
Quite the contrary, the WHO learns as well as teaches. It shares
international experience and standards with the governments
for them to refer to when making policies, and listens to them
so as to better advise on governance. It is unwise to create
theories based on no reality. Meritocracy and authoritarianism
without knowledge and realities basis do not work for ruling a
country.
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Mike, I think you are thinking like a Chinese leader, because
you ask very deep questions. Dudu said with a smile.
The future world will see a fusion of cultures. In my blog
Doctrine written in the first semester, I said various -isms
will be gradually less mentioned by people in the coming days,
and the government will become service-oriented rather than
authority-oriented. For socialist or capitalist countries alike,
this long-awaited change will occur. People will stop putting
ideology labels on each other, and seek to replace rivalry with
genuine communication, because there are no perfect political
systems, and every system has its pros and cons.
This also explains why I need to absorb knowledge about
economy and religion. Only when we are in a certain academic
sector can we understand the mindset of a certain group of
people, and can we see things from a different perspective.
The central problem isnt choosing low-tech or high-tech. Its
getting knowledge that works to local people. Agronomist
Tim Folger said in the National Geographic October 2014
edition.
Likewise, the WHO understands that to wisely set up health
standards for a country like Swaziland, the countrys actual
conditions must be carefully mulled over.
Dudu showed me her two-year work plan, the intensity of
which really impressed me. I will check it whenever I finish a
task. She said. Youve done so much work this year?
Thats only part of it. Do you ever have holidays or take
days off? I was greatly surprised. We have two weeks
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annual leave, but I want to do more this year, then its easier
for me next year. I havent taken a holiday so far this year.
People like Dlamini and President Xi take on important roles
because they make unusual contributions.

Farewell
Today is the last day. Mike, its been a pleasure working with
you! The office was full excitement, because it was the last
day prior to the Christmas holiday, and everyone was eager to
return home.
People shook hands and gave hugs. My internship was far from
over, as I have been invited to attend the minister-level cabinet
meeting next February. Looking back, I joined the WHO
officials in discussion of making national policies for
Swaziland, walked into the countrys political center and got to
know experts and scholars from all around the world. I tried to
note down everything I learned from the past month, and could
have written a book on this if not for limited time.
Without Internet and foreign media, I worked from morning to
about 5 in the afternoon. After work, I buried myself in books
and government documents. This could sound abstinent to
many, but I have indulged in work and reading. It was not
desire but crave. Andy, his mom and I chat about everything at
dinner. We had a talk about a dream home last night.

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I want to have a Steinway Grand Piano in the middle of my
living room. I dont want a 50-inch TV and I dont care about
cars. A good piano there just looks comfortable. The roof will
be made of glass, so I can watch stars in the evening. Also, a
slide can be built by the staircase for me to slide from upstairs.
I just could not stop. From living room to kitchen, and from
bedroom to bathroom, anyway I want design everything of my
own house to make it natural and original. We have all kinds
of ridiculous thought every day. Life without Internet proved to
be so free.
To live free and help others are the simple attitudes towards life
in Africa, while urbanization has made them gradually
impossible. The one month in Swaziland has probably purified
my soul and helped me think in calm.

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 Acknowledgement

Andys mom has been thoughtfully taking care of me.

Andy and I talked and learned from each other.
The WHO in Swaziland has provided me a precious
opportunity.
The staff of the WHO in Swaziland has helped me genuinely.
Thanks Dudu, my mentor with the WHO.
The WHO driver has made my work so convenient.
The Swati Government, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of
Home Affairs and the Ministry of Justice have helped and
guided me in my work.
Thanks, experts and scholars from all over the world.
Thanks Mom. I owe you everything.

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Postscript I: Temperature
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Temperature! i! random! thoughts! about! the! New! Year! and! experience! in!
Swaziland;! published! in! Suzhou! Dailys! cultural! supplement! on! January! 3,!
2015!
!
While the Time Square New Year Countdown started and the
bell rang in the Hanshan Temple, Swaziland was a quiet
heaven with no neon lights or busy traffic. The chirping insects
outside the window kept reminding me that December in
Swaziland is summer. With no air-conditioners in my
apartment, I could not fall asleep because of the heat wave. For
the first time, I was going to celebrate the New Year in summer.
I decided to take a stroll around and breathe some warm air.
Dressed in T-shirt and shorts, I walked out of the building in
slippers and came across my neighbor next door. I did not
recognize him when I said hello, and he walked up to me. The
man is from Zambia and teaching in a middle school in
Swaziland. I saw him wearing a suit and shining leather shoes.
Happy New Year, Mike! How was your last year?

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It was so busy and I had so many experiences. Man, your tie is
crooked.
Oops! Is it good now?
Yup. How come there isnt any festive atmosphere here in
Swaziland? My German friend texted me just now, saying he
was drinking and dancing at the Time Square. Why are you
dressed like this? Are you going to work?
Im going to church. Are you coming?
I would like to see if the church has any special ceremony for
the New Year, so I put on my suit and joined him.
The church service had started when we arrived. The beautiful
hymns from inside the church calmed me down. We walked in
quietly and a lady at the entrance greeted us with a hug, Come
on in, Mike. God bless you. She handed me the song list for
the night. I knew only a few of them, such as Jesus, Joy of
Man's Desiring by Johann Sebastian Bach and Amazing
Grace by John Newton along with some Welsh hymns. The
teacher from Zambia and I sat on a bench. Mike, I like to put
this year to a peaceful end in church, he said to me.
I was suddenly touched by the holiness and that emotion just
welled up inside me. The churchs wall is painted white. Facing
the priest, rows of people sang with a smile. I also sang along
with the help of a prompter in the church. As I looked around,
people of different colors, ages and wearing different clothing
stood equally in front of the priest. They did not discriminate
against, despise or alienate one another because of their status.

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The precentor sang passionately, swaying his body from side to
side.
People there were like family, as all people are equal in the
eyes of God. Now, please say hello to people near you and try
remembering their names. We got out of our seats and greeted
anyone we saw immediately. Hey, whats your name? Where
are your from? It was quite unexpected that in the church were
people from all around the world. I conversed with those from
France, Britain, the US and Zambia.
I walked up to an Asian madame, Hi, Im Mike from China.
Hi, Im Kim from Korea.
Anyoung haseyo!
Wow, thank you. Are you from Waterford?
When I told her I am a student with the UWC, she said super,
patting my shoulder.
All people I said hello to were very nice, and they said
something really good about me and my country. You look so
smart. Youre a clever boy. China is such a cool country.
I felt so happy talking to people that are optimistic about lives.
The priest later let us pray for things that happened during the
past week. For example, we prayed for a Sudanese man killed
in an air crash. I realized that religion might not be so
mysterious and scary as we thought. Christianity teaches
people to pray, to be grateful, to celebrate life and care about
others. People pray for someone or some country that they are

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by no means related. Many of them stood up to express their
gratitude to others.
My husband got up very early today and helped me clean the
house. Thanks of the change he made for me.
My uncle fell seriously ill the day before yesterday. Wish he
can recover soon.

I was moved by their sincerity, because what they believe in is
more the beauty of humanity than a religion. I love being here
and adore the pure Christians.
The priest started the last prayer for the year. What did I do
right? What did I do wrong? For what do I need to confess?
What do I need to do with more efforts? I confess for the
mistakes and I am grateful to those who have helped me.
Anybody wants to do a year-end prayer? The priest then
asked.
A granny raised her hand with a baby boy sleeping in her arm.
She kept her voice really low at first in order not to wake the
boy up. Some church worker passed a mic to her.
Id like to pray. Im a Sudanese refugee and arrived at
Swaziland today from Kenya. My son is still in Sudan and Im
carrying my grandson. She could not stop crying, and a lady
patted and comforted her. I pray to God that my son can make
it here, so my grandson will see his father

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Everyone felt depressed hearing this. I looked at the sleeping
boy in the grannys arms. He might have no idea about what
his dad is going through in Sudans civil war. My neighbor
from Zambia closed his eyes and prayed silently.
Id like to pray for my teachers, especially my history teacher,
who did me a lot of favor this year. I want to thank her and
wish her all the best with her work next year. Also, God bless
me because its my birthday today. A girls prayer cheered
everyone up, and we all started singing Happy Birthday. The
Sudanese granny also wiped her tears and joined the joyful
crowd. The priest played the piano for us. The prayer turned
out to be a great chance for everybody to chill out and be
happy.
People prayed and blessed others in church, and they listened
to stories of lives that are either wonderful or dull. The priest
asked us to stand up and sing Amazing Grace together, when
all stories became the past. The sacred music in the air was like
oxygen to lung. What the priest said was so insignificant
compared to the inspiring music as such. Christians are led and
inspired by abstract icons and spirit. The church experience and
peaceful music put an end to my busy year as well as help
Swazi people empty themselves to welcome the next year.
Time never stops, but time is measured in years, decades and
centuries for people to have hopes and dreams within certain
time frame.
When people in the Northern Hemisphere celebrate the New
Year and yearn for warm weather in the depth of winter, the
Christians in Swaziland want some peaceful moments in the
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summer. The New Year is a fresh new start, which is also when
people would like to make a summary about the previous year.
The prayer of the Sudanese granny told us that every year is a
blessing from God and happiness is to see sunrise and sunset in
a peaceful environment. The story of the girl indicates that
there are always people and things you should be grateful to,
and you will have luck when you are grateful, whether the past
year was cold or warm for you, because cold beer and hot
chicken soup both taste unique.
The New Year has started. What temperature would you like it
to be?
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Postscript (II)
Education Beyond the Classroom - how I see

studying abroad

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"The level of study for a man is very much decided by his
horizons," said a famous scholar in an article I have read. I
cannot agree more. In my opinion, 'horizons' are not only
related to the scope of reading and knowledge, but also
thinking model and learning capability. To broaden horizons, it
is more important to take many trips than read many books, as
an old Chinese saying that goes. Also, ancient Chinese poet Lu
You said: "Tell me and I forgot. Show me and I remember.
Involve me and I understand." "Learn to write poetry when you
are not learning." The education beyond classroom determines
how far people can go. Studying abroad is a good way to
expand horizons. The UWC is a higher-level of studying
abroad.

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Mike's first experience of studying abroad was in the fifth
grade, when the SIP Xincheng Garden Primary School, the
primary school he studied in, launched such an international
exchange activity for the first time. "I really admire your
courage of sending kids abroad to have this experience, as
many parents feel reluctant to do so because the kids are so
young," said the then-principal Ms. Wu Yunxia. That's true.
Even the host families were surprised by the courage of
Chinese parents, because they wouldn't do that either. Actually,
such learning and living experiences influence a kid's life
remarkably. Since his first trip to Canada, Mike has had great
dreams and encouraged himself to realize the dreams. His
second trip to Canada in the seventh grade and famous America
college trip in the eighth year fueled his aspiration. Mike has
not lagged behind in study despite the two trips to Canada. The
awards he won displayed his growth and learning capacity.
Mikes book will help you understand that the immersive
learning abroad and transcultural education have not only
improved their English greatly, but also accelerated all-round
development. Instead of reading all the time, they spare more
time doing exercise, such as tennis, basketball, swimming and
cycling. They learn more from practice, and with more
independence, they start to challenge their teachers and parents.
They know how to properly reveal their talent in a more
confident yet unaggressive way, and balance teamwork with
individualism. They become more polite, respectful and thrift.
The trips of studying abroad have taught them so much.
Fortunately, these kids have have learned selectively - taking
the good and leaving the bad. Mother of Fei, a student that has
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traveled to Canada with Mike, said in the preface of Mikes
first book Encounters with Canada.
I would also like to quote Mikes words about how these trips
have helped him grow. In a country outside China, I have
learned so much. In China, I am too busy to think about life
besides study, as we have to cope with pressure from
schoolwork every day. I was still a primary school student
when I traveled abroad for the first time. When I went abroad
for the second time, Ive grown up. Solving problems is not
only about facing up to it. More importantly, we need to find
solutions and have the capability of doing that. I think Ive
learned a lot from my study abroad, especially in case of
cultural shock. I have also been inspired by the excursions
from time to time.
This is the third time for Mike to go abroad. The experience
with the UWC and the cultural exchange with the students from
188 countries and regions broaden his horizons and boost his
aspirations to a higher level. The UWC encourages its students
to dedicate themselves to human peace and sustainable
development. Mike is so lucky to be able to have the chance to
study here. I feel so thankful!
In an era of knowledge explosion, obtaining knowledge from
practice is a lot slower than reading books, but experiences
help broaden visions, shape positive characters and stimulate
creativity. Yu the Great came up with his methods of
controlling the waters while working with his dad, a flood
control official. Confucius spread his thoughts of governing a
country by visiting the states. Famous people like Li Shizhen,
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Xu Xiake, Marco Polo, Charles Darwin and Christopher
Columbus are all well known for their the trips they made.
With great expectations for the world outside, students will
gain from their experiences. The postscript of Encounters
with Canada said so.
Yes, ones horizons determine his perspective. The quantity of
knowledge foreign students receives each month from basic
education equals to that Chinese students receive in one day.
What do foreign students do in the remaining days? They learn
from real life. Hands-on experience, walking, thinking and
inspiration from these activities are viewed as something more
important in terms of boosting students interest, motivation
and capacity of learning. The trajectory of school pressure
coincides with that of age and mental growth, which peak in
high school and college. Studying in top universities such as
Harvard is much tougher than we imagine. Such education
usually inspires students innovation.
While many parents sent their children to after-school classes
to study math and English, Mike spent his early years learning
to play the piano, play football, practice martial arts, paint and
build robots. He even spent some time dancing ballet along
with some girls. I have always believed that wisdom is more
important than knowledge. A good character, great intelligence
and independent thinking are particularly precious, all of which
should be achieved by discovering interest and happiness from
life.

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We are still on the way, advancing firmly towards our goals.
Mikes experiences inspired himself and me alike. So grateful
for all we had in our lives.
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Mikes mom
January, 2015

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