Happy Chinese New Year...in VA?

My dear friend and once roommate at BYU, Sheng Lee (Lee), taught so much about China and her people by his example. From Taiwan, Lee came to America to study at BYU-Idaho. He became the only Mormon in his family as he joined the LDS church while in Idaho. I was lucky enough to (randomly) get him as a roommate after he had transferred to BYU Provo.

Lee and I would often stay up talking about the similarities and differences between our native cultures. Often, midsentence he would ask me what a word or phrase meant and then would religiously record my response in his well-thumbed notebook chock full of English phrases, pronunciations, jargon, and slang. He really liked saying “That is Sweet, man!” I don’t know if we were the best examples of the English language. The library was his companion almost every night until 11 p.m. That may not be odd for most dedicated students. But, this was during the summer months, while he wasn’t taking classes. Lee was reviewing material from his past elevated physics courses. Wow! He was easy to laugh, respected women and leaders, honored his priesthood, and could earn the smile of just about anyone he met.

Not surprisingly, many of my Mandarin-speaking friends in Williamsburg have only strengthened my positive view—trenched by Lee—of the Chinese people. Ironically, I’ve become more acquainted with the Chinese people while studying in Virginia than in any other place in my life. Random! I don’t think you can get much farther from China than the east coast. In any case, I’m so glad I’ve been able to meet some great individuals through my school, church, and social events.

One such event was an authentic Chinese New Year party. I’d never been to one before but my buddy and I were invited by a mutual Chinese friend. Red was everywhere. Chinese symbols all around. Sticky rice cakes (so good), cookies, and dried fruits were enjoyed by many. The coolest component of the evening though was making and eating dumplings (see above). I failed miserably at making a good-looking dumpling but mine was still edible ;-) These tasty treats are really easy to make; though, aesthetics may take some time for me to get down (see below).

First, you take a small, circular, flat piece of dough and wet the outside edges with your finger. Then, you place a glob of this ground-up mix of pork, sauce and vegetables on the middle of the dough. Lastly, you fold the dough over almost like a taco and the pinch the edges to seal it shut and make it look good enough to eat. The dumplings are boiled and then devoured. So good! I am a fan of dumplings. I am fan of Chinese New Year. And, I am definitely a fan of Chinese people!

Charter Day

This weekend, I attended the Charter Day ceremony commemorating the 318^th anniversary of the signing of the charter by William III and his wife Mary II. Held in the William & Mary Hall, the formal celebration was very impressive. We started with the Pledge of Allegiance and then heard the school's choir sing the William & Mary Hymn. Parts of the royal charter were read, identifying its original intent to raise up students of high spiritual, academic, and social caliber. Several people were then honored with nickels and one with a New Jersey quarter by exemplifying the characteristics of former students of W&M and Presidents of the United States, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, respectively. All of this while two beautiful, silver maces sit on green velvet in front of the podium to represent (1) the College in general, and (2) the Scottish academies where the school’s first president was schooled.

The key note speaker was Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia. He’s quite a unique man. Cantor got his J.D. from William & Mary years ago and has since pursued his career in politics. He is currently the House Majority Leader—the first W&M graduate, and the first Jew to hold this post.

I was very surprised at how political his speech was. Though I agreed with basically all that he said, his tone and rhetoric seemed inappropriate for the setting. It felt like watching a Tide commercial at a commencement address. But again, I completely agree with his vision for America: small government, accountability, and a laissez-faire economy that inspires entrepreneurship. He pointed out that our fertile land for entrepreneurs is what has made us the greatest nation in the world. Without it, we would not have cars, television, the internet, and the amazing medical treatments available for so many.

This was one of the first speeches I’ve ever heard in person from a politician. It was interesting to be reminded that they are human too. They still jumble words here and there and they get nervous. But what impressed me was how much Rep. Cantor believed in what he was saying. There is an X-factor that you can only get when seeing someone in person; it’s the fire in their eyes, the level of belief in what they are saying. Cantor had it! Standing among many high-profile, left-aisle academics, he had the courage to speak what he felt we needed to hear. I respect him for that.

A few take aways from the event: I’m so honored to be attending W&M, politicians are very human, and Rep. Eric Cantor has the correct vision of the United States of America.