从阴影走向自我：独立与完整性的旅程

by Amy Chen – September 18, 2025

Billy和我仅见过两次面，但这两次见面都恰逢我人生两个极为重要的转折点。第一次，是我大学刚毕业、第一次踏上美国土地的时候。那时，我刚参加完毕业典礼，把行李寄回家，在前往机场的路上告诉父母我要去美国。父母对这件事毫不知情，但他们也知道，我的决定无法被左右。我仿佛甩掉了父母和家乡的沉重包袱与枷锁，进入了一个崭新的世界。来到华盛顿特区后，一切都显得新鲜而陌生，我对未知充满好奇。我见过很多人，但对Billy印象深刻，虽然那时我不太记得他说过什么，但他叮嘱我要“保持个人完整性”，这句话成为我十年来心中的坚定信念。第二次见Billy，是十年后，我独立完成了学业还有职业的发展，但是内心依然活在阴影里。我渴望摆脱阴影成为独特的自己，过去一年我跟不同背景的人交流过，但我知道Billy对中美文化的深入洞察，是我最应该听的声音。所以去SF的时候，我问Billy是否可以住在他家，他毫不犹豫地答应了。

Billy and I have only met twice, but both times were at pivotal moments in my life. The first was right after college, when I set foot in the U.S. for the first time. I had just told my parents on the way to the airport that I was leaving, knowing my decision could not be changed. In Washington, D.C., everything felt unfamiliar and exciting. Out of all the people I met, Billy left a deep impression, reminding me to “maintain personal integrity”—a principle that has guided me for the past decade. The second time was ten years later. By then, I had advanced in both study and career in America, yet still struggled with an inner shadow. Over the past year I had spoken with people of different backgrounds, but I knew Billy’s cross-cultural insight was the voice I needed most. When I asked to stay at his home in San Francisco, he agreed without hesitation.

我父母是中国农村的农民，这是我的生命起点。离开农村，走进城市，进入国际大都市，这一路上我经历了极其复杂且深刻的内心挣扎。农民出身与农村身份在社会中如同污点，那种内化的羞耻感从哪里来？我试图从经济不平等、社会等级、生育政策、女性地位、文化及心理学等多个角度理解这些压力对我和类似背景群体的影响。尽管我获得了许多答案，但那些答案杂乱无章，像噪音一般，人们从各自角度定义我，而外界的期待将我逼到墙角。面对社会规则，我选择反抗，视它们为束缚的枷锁，必须打破才能前行。然而，这场自我之战持续多年，使我极度恐惧外部世界，几乎所有行动都来自于本能的自保，结果是自我枯萎、内在动力消耗殆尽。这种困境让我不得不停下来，审视究竟是什么困住了我

。My parents are farmers from a rural village in China—this is where my life began. Leaving the countryside, moving into the city, and then stepping into an international metropolis, I endured profoundly complex inner struggles along the way. Being born into a farming family and rural identity feels like a social stigma, an internalized shame whose origins I have tried to understand from economic inequality, social hierarchy, birth policies, gender status, cultural, and psychological perspectives. Though I found many answers, they were chaotic and noisy—people defining “me” from their own viewpoints while society’s expectations cornered me. Facing these social rules, I chose to rebel, seeing them as chains to be broken for freedom. Yet this battle with myself lasted years, leaving me deeply afraid of the outside world, acting mostly on instinct for self-preservation. The cost was self-decay and exhaustion of inner drive. This dilemma forced me to pause and examine what truly trapped me.

我将掌控自己的权力交给了他人，听从外界权威，用他们的视角为自己辩护。读得越多，越懂得为自己辩解，逃避责任。在过去的痛苦与不足中浸泡，我借此逃避成长的痛。最近，一位导师的猝然去世和朋友的婚礼让我深感冲突与沉重。十年来，我小心翼翼地生活，过度自保成了本能，这让我的世界越来越狭窄，逐渐听不到别人、看不到别人，内心被往昔羁绊，无法迈向充满希望的未来。我知道，我必须面对自己，直视内心，打破那层不再有用的保护壳。

I had surrendered my power to others, accepting external authorities and defending myself through their perspectives. The more I read, the better I became at justifying myself and avoiding responsibility. Immersed in past pain and shortcomings, I used this as an escape from the pain of growth. Recently, the sudden death of a mentor and a friend’s wedding filled me with deep conflict and heaviness. For ten years, I lived cautiously; overprotecting myself became instinct, narrowing my world. I gradually stopped hearing and seeing others, trapped by the past, unable to step toward a hopeful future. I realized I must confront myself, face my inner truth, and break free from this now-useless protective shell.

在我眼里，Billy是个智慧犀利且直言不讳的老人，所以我知道他肯定会让我不舒服，但我愿意接受这种审视。他说，能治愈我的是对他人真正的关心和仁慈。但我自问，我的关心是真诚的吗？还是为了避免惩罚和责备？这让我觉得自己有些虚伪。Billy也说，即使与家人产生意见和分歧，也应关心和照顾他们。我成长中见识和内化了许多暴政：因为意见不合就断绝对家人的关怀；因家人语言的否定与攻击而选择情感隔离和攻击；把自我价值的判断权交给他人而逃避自己的责任，所以我无法从别人的失败中学到经验，也难以看清和坚持自己的价值观。过去我在政治和社会议题上的辩论很活跃，但感觉很消耗精力，这场无休止的语言权力也争夺添了内心的疲惫。Billy所言不虚，家人间的分歧不应终止关心与照顾。

In my eyes, Billy is a wise, sharp, and straightforward elder, so I knew his words would likely make me uncomfortable—but I was willing to accept that scrutiny. He said that what could heal me was genuine care and compassion toward others. Yet I asked myself: is my care truly sincere, or is it just to avoid punishment and blame or approval? This made me feel somewhat hypocritical. Billy also said that even amid disagreements with family, one should still care for and look after them. Throughout my upbringing, I witnessed and internalized many forms of tyranny: cutting off family care over differences; emotional isolation and retaliation triggered by harsh family words; handing over judgment of my self-worth to others to evade personal responsibility. Because of this, I have struggled to learn from others’ failures or clearly uphold my own values. In the past, I was very active in political and social debates, but it drained my energy. This endless struggle for linguistic power added to my inner exhaustion. Billy’s words ring true: family disagreements should never end care and concern.

因为家庭冲突和语言暴力的重压，我曾选择离家出走，裹起厚厚的防护壳，最终却不断复制家庭的模式。打破这一魔咒的根本答案，在于我必须实现自我独立，从他人的视角中分离出来。Billy问我，如何看待最初带我来到美国的Chris，以及一直支持我的Miko。我知道，对他们的态度也代表了心理分离的完成度。Chris生活在其父亲的光环阴影中，现实中无力实现自我；他塑造了我作为革命青年身份的宏大叙事。Miko早已脱离传统的家庭角色，构建了基于信念和使命的多元社区网络。处于这两种影响之间，我如同迷失在迷宫中，但深知需认清他们对我的影响，并自觉完成从他们阴影中的独立。

Under the heavy pressure of family conflicts and verbal abuse, I once chose to run away from home and wrapped myself in a thick protective shell, only to keep repeating the family patterns. The key to breaking this cycle lies in achieving true independence—separating myself from others’ perspectives. Billy asked me how I viewed Chris, who first brought me to the U.S., and Miko, who has always supported me. I understood that my attitude toward them reflected how fully I had psychologically separated myself. Chris lives under the shadow of his father’s legacy, unable to realize his own identity, and he shaped my grand narrative as a revolutionary youth. Miko has long broken away from traditional family roles and built a diverse community based on belief and mission. Caught between their influences, I felt lost in a maze but knew I must recognize their impact and consciously complete my independence from their shadows.

Billy没有给我明确答案，但提出了关键问题：“谁是你的女性偶像？”这是关乎是否能成为独立而真实自我的核心问题。这个自我不再依赖过去，而由每日行为塑造。临别之际，我用简单艺术创作——水果拼盘，赋予早餐独特的意义，创造属于我们的回忆，而非迎合Billy的期待。临走前，Billy一再叮嘱我：找到属于自己的价值观，保持个人完整性。他说，未来世界充满不确定与动荡，我必须稳固自己，才能不被动摇。身处水中，要学会游泳；身处空中，要学会飞翔

。Billy did not give me a clear answer but posed a crucial question: “Who is your female idol?” This question strikes at the heart of whether I can become an independent and authentic self—one no longer reliant on the past but shaped by daily actions. Before parting, I created a simple piece of art—a fruit platter—imbuing breakfast with unique meaning and making memories that belonged to us, rather than conforming to Billy’s expectations. He repeatedly urged me to find my own values and maintain personal integrity. He said that the future world would be full of uncertainty and turmoil, and I must solidify myself to remain unshaken. Like being in water, I must learn to swim; in the air, I must learn to fly.

他还告诉我，人们对艺术品的欣赏，最初是基于印象，随着靠近，最初印象会因色彩和形态的细节而改变。如果觉得不重要，人们就会转向别处。提升影响力的关键，在于“留白”，为他人留出思考空间，使他们真正欣赏所呈现的内容。无需全盘托出，而是通过提问激发对方思考。这正是Billy对话的策略：不加批评和强加建议，却帮助我看清突破口和方向。

He also told me that people’s appreciation of art begins with an initial impression, which changes as they get closer, noticing details in color and form. If something feels unimportant, they simply look away. The key to increasing impact lies in “leaving space”—allowing others room to think and truly appreciate what is presented. It’s not about revealing everything but stimulating thought through questions. This is exactly Billy’s approach in conversation: offering no criticism or imposed advice, yet helping me clearly see my breakthroughs and direction.

这段经历，对于我而言，是一次自我独立的宣言。过去那些压在身上的枷锁，是我为获得归属和认可而交出的部分自我。那些被灌输的角色和身份，是困住我的链条。从封闭走向开放，我学会接纳脆弱与不完美，承认伤痛而不被其定义。开放的心态让我重新连接他人，也让他人得以靠近我。对他人关心和仁慈，不再是出于恐惧或期待回报，而是真实内心的呼唤。这种转变给予我新的力量——对自我的责任感与与世界的温暖连接。我对人的理解，也由原先带有分析和理性的科学视角，开始向艺术的欣赏转变，学会尊重未知的留白。这份认知转变深刻影响我，让我看到力量在自己手中，我的自我由想法和选择塑造。不论是Chris、Miko，还是Billy，他们都是我生命中的引路人，我接受他们的影响，也选择塑造自己想成为的样子。

This experience marked a declaration of my self-independence. The burdens that once weighed on me were parts of myself I had surrendered for belonging and acceptance. The roles and identities imposed on me were chains that trapped me. Moving from closedness to openness, I learned to embrace vulnerability and imperfection, acknowledging pain without letting it define me. This open mindset allowed me to reconnect with others and let them come closer. Caring for others with kindness came no longer from fear or expectation but from a genuine inner call. This transformation gave me new strength—a sense of responsibility for myself and a warm connection to the world. My understanding of people shifted from an analytical, rational scientific view to an appreciation akin to art, learning to respect the unknown spaces left open. This shift profoundly changed me, showing that power lies within myself, and my identity is shaped by thoughts, choices and actions. Whether Chris, Miko, or Billy, they have all been guides in my life. I accept their influence while choosing who I want to become.

______________________________________________________________________________

In June 2021, retired architect Billy Lee, a member of USCPFA’s South Bay chapter, published an interesting online essay titled “What Is Friendly Architecture?” Lee’s thesis revolves around a question: “can architecture induce compassion?” He further identifies two layers of compassion: compassionate feelings and compassionate actions. After years of search, he said he had not found “any sample of Inspiring Architecture that can for certain induce compassionate actions.” In the modern world where depersonalization goes under the name of reason and alienation in all its forms prevails, this is a timely and relevant question, and his efforts to identify friendly architecture to address such issues deserves wider attention.

I would argue that Shanghai’s shikumen, a type of hybrid residential architecture, may turn out to be what Lee has been looking for: the kind of “friendly architecture” that induces compassionate actions. Shikumen originated in the indigenous residential buildings common in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and, through Western-inspired innovations, it evolved into a type of hybrid architecture. During its peak, in the 1940s, it housed more than 70% of Shanghai’s population.

Shikumen resembles traditional Chinese residences in layout and front door design that features a black double door made of heavy wood with a brass ring on each side, often topped by decorative patterns. Meanwhile, it is equipped with modern amenities, such as running water and even gas ranges and sanitation facilities in some varieties, and it appears in contiguous rows—both features recall townhouses in the West.

Shikumen first emerged in Shanghai’s foreign concessions in the mid-19 th century to meet the housing needs for refugees and migrants that came to the city in large numbers. To provide cost- effective homes to suit different budget sizes, architects at the stage of design already entertained the scenario that a shikumen building could be rented to tenants room by room. As well as affordable rent, factors like privacy need, ease of access to rooms, and available communal spaces such as kitchens or bathrooms made sharing a shikumen building possible and even desirable.

However, what made shikumen a “welcome,” “open” architecture type conducive to friendly interaction was ultimately the Chinese traditions shared by occupants. The compact living conditions generally encouraged reciprocal behaviors, from mutual respect to mutual accommodation, from mutual assistance to loving-kind care, all based on traditional values. The goodwill or compassion of shikumen neighbors toward each other began as feelings and then proceeded to actions, as necessitated by practical situations and dictated by shared values as well.

Just as Lee suggests perceptively, once friendly architecture starts the process of friendship and trust building, cultural practices and individual know-how must take over and complete the process. I would add that friendlyarchitecture per se merely provides a physical and environmental possibility, but it takes the occupants’ shared culture to realize its humanist potentials. To put it another way, shikumen as friendly architecture enables shikumen culture, in which the architectural and the cultural elements blend into one social phenomenon.

Shanghai had a high population density. In the 1940s, some districts in the city core reached an incredible density of 250,000 persons per square mile. Shikumen’s high occupancy density reflected the general urban crowding. Shikumen met the massive housing demand, and in the process became a friendly architecture that facilitated friendly exchanges among neighbors living under the same roof.

Recent memoirs of former shikumen residents tell many touching stories about good neighborly relations. A memoirist named Li Mu recalls how, in a child’s eyes, her family got along well with other families share the same three-story shikumen building. Little acts of kindness were performed daily.

For example, she and her siblings kept forgetting their key for the building, but their neighbor always kindly opened the door to let the kids in, without a word of rebuke. Another neighbor, nicknamed Swarthy Aunt was a spare-time seamstress who made clothes for her husband and school-age sons. Seeing Li Mu was envious, Swarthy Aunt offered to make an apron and blouse with lace from scrap cloth for the girl. To return the favor, Li Mu’s mother, a teacher, started to coach the neighbor boys to improve their grades. Li Mu says she not only learned from Swarthy Aunt how to do household chores but also came to be influenced by her positive attitude to life: “Never lose your smile and courage even when you go through tough times.” She realized that a good neighbor matters more than faraway relative.

In Chinese custom, unrelated people are often addressed by appropriate kin terms, such as uncle or aunt, grandpa or grandma, or brother and sister. This practice was continued with shikumen dwellers often with the designation of the room they occupied added to it. For example, neighbors were referred to as Sister-in-law (of the) Front Hall, or Uncle (of the) Ting Zijian (a small room halfway between the first and second floors), or Grandma (of the) Upstairs Backroom. Thus, through its layout, shikumen metaphorically organized the unrelated occupants into a big family.

To put it another way, architectural elements, i.e., the rooms, were assigned individual identities and subsumed under an ethical system based on the family. Indeed, the residents sharing a shikumen unit functioned like a single family due to their circumstances. They would share communal spaces like kitchens, toilets, hallways, and rooftop patios. They would often share a water meter as well, but all would have a stake in keeping the building safe from outside threat and in maintaining internal order.

The family concept helped the residents to handle communal and personal relations in an informal but effective way.

To be sure, life in a space-strapped environment can be challenging, but it also makes co- operation and understanding necessary, precious, and even rewarding. Take the communal kitchen for instance. In a shikumen unit, a communal kitchen was typically shared by two to five families. Each family would occupy a small space for a coal-burning stove or a gas range, and perhaps additional room for a small cupboard as well, while sharing the sink with tap water and sometimes an “island” for food preparation with their neighbors. During dinner time, several families would prepare their dinners simultaneously. Women chatted while cooking. Special dishes of a family would catch the attention of the whole kitchen. During Chinese New Year, Grandma of the upstairs backroom would offer a bowl of sesame dumplings to curious kids. It was not uncommon that people of different regional backgrounds learned to appreciate and even imitate each other’s cuisine. Sharing a sink during meal preparation required a protocol of courtesy and mutual accommodation. Rules for usage of communal spaces and facilities were mostly based on unwritten, tacit understanding of what was reasonable and appropriate under the given circumstances.

Shikumen culture was a migrant culture derived from traditional Chinese culture. The collectivist orientation of traditional Chinese culture once relied heavily on the kinship system and/or shared local identity to work. Migrants from all over the country, now cut off from their old ties, found themselves in an unfamiliar urban environment, isolated and helpless. To alleviate this problem, shikumen played a role as friendly architecture. Shikumen units provided not just a place to live but also a social space for its occupants to continue to practice their cultural values such as Confucian benevolence, easy-going manners as advocated by Daoists, and mercy and resignation to fate taught by Buddhism. Applying kinship terms to address neighbors was not a simple act of courtesy; it made shikumen feel like a big family, a clan, or a miniature village. In short, it represents a cultural reconstitution. This was the fundamental reason why shikumen may be regarded as a typical friendly architecture.

—————————————————————————————————————————

*I wish to thank Mr. Billy Lee for inspiring this essay and an extended article on shikumen in the US-China Review. I would not have done the writing without his consistent encouragement and support.

Sheng-Tai Chang received his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Southern California (USC). He also holds an M.A. in English from the University of Calgary in Canada and a second M.A. in Asian Languages and cultures from USC. In addition to writing, his areas of interest include American literature, Chinese literature, and East Asian humanities. He has published scholarly articles and translations of Asian and Asian-American writers. He regularly teaches various courses in composition, literature, and humanities.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

CHATGPT : Orchids are deeply revered in Chinese culture, not only for their delicate beauty and fragrance but also for the profound symbolic meanings they have carried for over two millennia. They are one of the “Four Gentlemen” (四君子) in Chinese art and philosophy—alongside bamboo, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom—each representing noble virtues admired in scholars and moral individuals.

---

🌸 Why Orchids Are So Precious in Chinese Culture:

1. Symbol of Virtue and Integrity

• Orchids symbolize purity, humility, and elegance. They often grow in secluded valleys and emit fragrance even when no one is around to admire them, representing people of high moral character who do good without seeking recognition.

2. Confucius’ Praise

• Confucius (孔子), the great philosopher, is one of the earliest known admirers of orchids. He famously said:

“The orchid grows in the solitude of the forest and does not lose its fragrance. The virtuous person maintains his integrity even in difficult times.”
(“芝兰生于深林，不以无人而不芳。”)

• He used orchids to describe noble friendship and virtue. To Confucius, being with good people was like walking into a room full of orchids—quiet, refined, and morally uplifting.

3. Taoist and Poetic Reverence

• In Taoist thought, orchids represent natural harmony, simplicity, and spiritual growth.
• Many ancient poets like Tao Yuanming (陶渊明) and Qu Yuan (屈原) praised orchids in their verses. Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet from the Warring States Period, often used the orchid as a metaphor for loyalty and unwavering principles in the face of political corruption.

---

📜 Historic Stories and Associations

1. Qu Yuan and the Orchid

• In his poem Li Sao (离骚), Qu Yuan repeatedly mentions orchids:

“I wore fragrant orchids to show my innocence.”

• This use of the orchid became a powerful metaphor for moral resistance and inner purity, especially under unjust governments.

2. The Orchid Pavilion Gathering (兰亭集会)

• In 353 AD, a famous literary event occurred at the Orchid Pavilion (Lanting), organized by Wang Xizhi, the master calligrapher. He and his scholar friends gathered to drink wine and compose poetry. His masterpiece, the Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion (兰亭序), is one of the greatest works in Chinese calligraphy.
• The gathering symbolized harmony with nature, friendship, the fleetingness of life, and cultured elegance—all associated with the orchid.

---

🖌 In Chinese Painting and Calligraphy

• Orchids are a favorite subject of ink brush painting, especially in literati art. Their graceful leaves and blossoms are challenging to paint, requiring sensitivity and control.
• Painting orchids became a practice in self-cultivation, reflecting the painter’s spirit and ethical temperament.

---

🎎 Cultural Symbolism

Symbolic Meaning	Explanation
Nobility & Morality	Reflects upright character, like a noble person in seclusion.
Friendship	Gentle, unselfish, sincere—often used in poetry about ideal companions.
Modesty & Beauty	Not flamboyant, but quietly beautiful and enduring.
Loyalty	Especially when facing adversity, as shown in Qu Yuan’s poetry.

---

🌿 Summary

The orchid in Chinese culture is much more than a flower—it is a moral and aesthetic ideal. It represents a person who is refined, loyal, modest, and virtuous, even when unrecognized or isolated. From Confucius to calligraphers, from ancient poets to modern admirers, orchids have remained a timeless symbol of inner strength and quiet beauty.

---

🌸 “The Orchid and the Empty Valley”

A Story of Quiet Strength and True Character

Once upon a time in ancient China,

in the misty folds of the southern mountains, there was a deep, hidden valley. The valley was quiet and untouched, far from the noise of kingdoms and courts. In this lonely place, a single orchid bloomed.

It was not large or brightly colored. No passerby ever came to admire it. Yet every morning, it released a delicate fragrance into the cool mountain air, as if the forest itself were being blessed by its presence.

In a nearby town, a proud young scholar named Liang was preparing for the imperial exams. He dressed finely, spoke loudly, and made sure everyone saw how hard he worked and how clever he was. “Greatness must be seen to be known,” he would often boast.

One day, Liang passed through the forest on his way to a temple to pray for success. As he climbed the mountain path, he caught the faint scent of something unusual—soft and sweet. Curious, he followed the trail until he came upon the orchid blooming quietly between two rocks.

He frowned. “Such beauty, and no one here to witness it? What a waste.”

An old hermit, who had been watching from nearby, stepped out of the trees.

“Why do you think beauty must be seen to be real?” the hermit asked.

Liang replied, “Because what is not seen or praised might as well not exist.”

The hermit smiled and said, “Then you have not yet understood the orchid.”

He sat down beside it and continued:

“This flower blooms for no reward. Its fragrance fills the air whether a thousand admire it or no one at all. It is like the noble person, who remains kind and true even in loneliness. That is the strength of real character.”

The scholar was quiet for a moment.

He returned to town, and over the next months, his pride softened. He began helping others with their studies, even those who might do better than him. He stopped boasting and began reflecting. His words became fewer—but truer.

When the day of the imperial exam came, he passed with high honors. Yet when asked how he had achieved such success, Liang simply smiled and said:

“I once met a flower that bloomed in an empty valley and taught me the value of unseen goodness.”

---

🌱 Moral:

True character doesn’t need applause.
Like the orchid in the mountains, goodness is real—even in silence.

---

🌿 “The Gathering of Orchids”

A Story of Solitude, Fellowship, and Inner Light

Long ago in the Kingdom of Chu, there lived two orchids—one grew alone high in the cliffs, the other in a grove with many others near a quiet stream.

The Lone Orchid, known as Lan, was proud of her solitude.

“I bloom in silence, untouched by weeds or shallow praise,” she whispered to the wind.
“I do not need others to shine. My fragrance rises on the mountain air.”

Down in the valley, the Orchid Grove swayed together in the breeze. They laughed in the sunlight, caught morning dew together, and shared the shade of a willow tree.

One day, a great drought came. The mountains dried up. Streams vanished. Lan, the lone orchid, held on as long as she could. But the rocky cliffs offered no water, no cover from the heat, and no one to lean on.

In the valley below, the orchid grove suffered too—but they protected one another. The outer flowers shielded the younger ones from the sun. The roots tangled together underground, sharing moisture and strength. When rain finally came, most of the grove survived.

A few days later, a poet named Ziqi came to the mountain. He found the withered stem of Lan and a single petal still fragrant. He placed it in his scroll and sighed.

“How noble she was… but how lonely.”

Then he walked down to the valley and sat beside the living orchid grove. As the breeze carried their sweet scent, he began to write:

“One orchid may inspire,
But many orchids bring peace.
Alone, they show character.
Together, they create a garden of grace.”

---

🧠 Cultural Reflection:

Individual Orchid	Orchid Grove
Symbol of personal virtue	Symbol of community and harmony
Like the noble recluse (隐士) or upright official who resists corruption	Like the ideal Confucian society where good people support one another
Represents strength in solitude	Represents strength in unity
Praised by poets like Qu Yuan for integrity under pressure	Celebrated by Confucians for shared moral cultivation

---

🌸 Message for Teens:

• It’s good to be strong and true on your own, like the orchid that blooms even in silence.
• But don’t be afraid to join a community of others who also seek goodness.
• Real strength is not just standing tall—but standing with others.
• _______________________________________________________________________
•  
  • PHOTOS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OFORCHIDS

劉可強 Prof. John KC Liu  – June  15, 2025 – Taiwan, ROC

Re. This assignment 

Friendship and Community

A real, live and healthy community is most often not always harmonious and peaceful. There are fights and differences as in any family, competition for scarce resources such as bickering over funding for school lunches vs. elderly meals, spatial disputes among neighbors over parking spots and garbage disposal, presence of strangers and troublemakers requiring official intervention, etc. All these are normal aspects of a community. So, what is the role of friendship in a community? Resolving disputes requires mutual trust, arbitrating over limited resources requires reciprocity, mediating among different characters requires empathy.

Story:

An empty neighborhood site surrounded by various groups of residents with different cultural backgrounds became a garbage dump since the community was unable to agree on a plan for a neighborhood park. Something had gone wrong, and this community had become stagnant and unhealthy. 

The source of the problem was that different factions of the community were not speaking to each other. Older people, because they came from different cultural backgrounds, were set in their ways and reluctant to engage other people in the community. Young people, while they do make friends with fellow classmates of different backgrounds, most often they keep to their own cultural circle away from school. The issue is how to transcend cultural boundaries and encourage interaction and friendship among both adults and young people in order to jointly face the problem with the garbage dump site.

A neighborhood participatory design workshop was conducted wherein young people of the community played a key role in bringing different factions of the community together. Two particular activities are notable.  The first is to find common values about the environment. When people of different backgrounds were asked about what they liked and what they disliked about the neighborhood, most of them pretty much agreed on what’s good and what’s not so good. By presenting the results of this survey back to them, they were surprised by how much they have in common. That is, about the environment, they shared the same values. This was an important first step in engaging the different factions in speaking to each other and to appreciating each other’s values. This was the beginning of friendship among neighbors who had not talked to each other before.

The second activity was to engage young people in planning a new park for the site. Design teams composed of young people from different backgrounds came up with designs for the park and one was chosen by all those who participated to be implemented. For the first time young people of this community felt they could come together and collaborated on a common project and see it through to completion. In the process they formed strong bonds with each other. This helped enormously with the community self-management of the park, including resolving disputes, mediating conflicts, organizing maintenance, etc… in short, through bonding and the friendships that were developed over the course of jointly facing the issue of the garbage site, the community has reversed its stagnancy and began to return to a healthy and vibrant neighborhood.

This is a story of a concrete example of how friendship building is central to making healthy communities,

John

__________________________________________________________________________________

Love, Billy

Larry Chang Wrote December 17, 2024

Bill and Lucille,

We missed a number of recent FF events; did not get the opportunity to catch up with you.  After the new year, Cyndi will plan to serve you lunch at your home again.  We always enjoy intimate conversations with you.

Our travel highlight of the year was the week-long reunion with many of our HP colleagues in the South of France.  Coming from all over the world, 23 colleagues along with their spouses (39 in total) re-connected our friendship during the first week of June.  We shopped at the local farmer’s market; we learned from local cheese makers; we hiked to ancient castles; we toured the Valrhona chocolate museum; we cooked for each other; we toasted with fine French wine and robust German beer; we marveled at endless lavender fields in bloom; we chatted well past the morning wee hours each evening.  Even though we have not seen each other for 15-20 years, we embraced each other (and their spouses) as if we were family and friends forever. 

Wish you and your family a joyous holiday season, and a new start to a new year.  

Larry and Cyndi

        

OLD FRIENDS WITH WEIRD HUMOR UNDERSTOOD WHAT EACH WERE SAYING.

Betty Wei <bwei.away@gmail.com>	Mon, Oct 21, 3:35 PM
to me

Abcdefg

Sent from my iPad

William Lee <williammslee@gmail.com>	Oct 21, 2024, 4:11 PM
to Betty

Hijklmnop

With Love,

Billy & Lucille

My dear friend, Winny Lin, fellow board member at USCPFA-South Bay Chapter, made an impressive presentation at the 50^th Anniversary US-China People’s Friendship Association’s Washington DC Seminar this October, 2024.

She first pointed out the unfavorable opinion the Americans have towards China today, but she felt that Better Understanding and Relationship can still be achieved and encouraged via Education and she is presently using Outschool an online education platform to conduct her class. Her first online was  called ‘Introduction to China”. She has designed two special Mandarin Chinese classes – one for 5-10 years olds an another for 11-16 years olds. She loves to teach language through culture and create lots of fun and interactive lessons.  Many of her students are from the United States, but some from Russia, Wales, Israel, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Indonesia, Germany, Canada, and New Zealand. So far , after 3+ years, she has taught 1,482 learners, and many  students and parents have “liked” her classes.

She said,” When we start class, they stand up, bow to the teacher, and then sit down just like the students in China do. They follow directions and do homework. The older ones, in the 11-16 year-old sections even do research after class. The more I expect them to do, the happier they are. People have asked me why so many students wanted to take Mandarin Chinese. From my observation, and a survey of my students in class. the reasons are: It seems cool and trendy to know some Chinese or just another language. Many students have watched some TV shows (Over the Moon), movies (like Mulan and Kung Fu Panda), and became interested in China.

“The materials I have covered are:

Four major Chinese holidays (Chinese New Year, the Lantern Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-autumn Festival).

Customs and traditions (what Chinese eat, wear, do on all these holidays and most, importantly, the Chinese way of thinking).

History, art, and geography (for example, the first emperor :Qin Shi Huang, the Yuan Dynasty, the terra cotta warriors, Chinese porcelain, the Yellow River, Tibet, and major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai Guilin and Xi’an) .

Chinese poetry (Li Bai’s Quiet Night, 凉州词）and Chinese traditional music instrument (the er hu, zheng, and moon guitar).

Chinese songs (你笑起來真好看， 茉莉花) and stories, such as the Monkey King, Kung Fu Panda, and Chinese ghost stories.

The Olympics, what sports are popular in China, and the Chinese school system, including information about the gao kao, college entrance examination .

This year, the Year of the Dragon, I took a group of eight to Ygnacio Valley Elementary School in Concord, California to help them celebrate Chinese New Year. These eight included two classically trained artists, graduates from Guangdong Art Institute, and two Chinese calligraphers. We did drawings of Chinese dragons, storytelling of “The Story of Nian,” and wrote a Chinese character, “good luck 福” . This school has about 400 students, and the majority are Latinos. The fun part was when the principal led the Chinese dragon dance through the whole school. The students were very excited. Also, they took home red envelopes with lucky money, with a note in Spanish telling what the lucky money meant.

In 2023, for the Year of the Rabbit, my church, Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, celebrated the Lunar New Year with about 200 participants. We had three Chinese artists, set up booths for the Chinese zodiac and paper folding. We also had a Chinese dragon dance, rabbit line dance and storytelling.

I have also brought Chinese educators from Anshan, China in 2016 to Wren Ave. Elementary School in Concord. They taught students Chinese games and told students about Chinese schools through PowerPoint presentations.”

This reminds me of what I did in the last 40 years before we moved to California. I have connected schools in China with several districts in Kentucky. Not just one class, or one school, but several school districts (Daviess County Public Schools, Owensboro Catholic Schools, Henderson Schools, Lewis port Public Schools, Evansville Christian School) . As a result, students came all the way from Anshan, China to visit their pen pals in Kentucky. Therefore, thousands of students have been introduced to China and Chinese culture.

My husband and I also volunteered in Asheville, North Carolina for three summers at My Camp China, which is a program for Chinese children who have been adopted by American families. The older ones are already married and in their late 20s. Above all, I am most proud of this group that I started teaching in 1998 at First Presbyterian Church in Owensboro, Kentucky. Through the years, these 2- or 3-year-old Chinese children, especially girls, adopted by American families have studied Chinese language and culture from me, and are now in their mid-twenties. One of the mothers , Beth Hubbard, has become the president of Owensboro/Henderson Chapter, of USCPFA, and another parent, Carol Gehret, is the chapter treasurer. Beth’s daughter, Lily, has become a leader and activists for Asian Americans at her college, the University of Southern Indiana. Others have shown Chinese influence in their area of work.

You see, when you sow seeds everywhere, you don’t know where they may germinate, but somehow you can expect a “ harvest”

Several parents reached out to me. They brought their children to participate in my presentation—Aarya, (10) from DC, Vivian (8), Max (11) both from Minnesota and Oliver (15) from Seattle. I have given them Chinese names 雷伊洁， 文伊敏， 文可明， 白可明。By looking at the middle characters, you can tell we all are in the same family tree. That is our Chinese custom. 男的排”可” , 女的排 “伊” .

During my hour long presentation, they all got a chance to shine—Aarya recited 涼州詞, brother Max and sister Vivian recited 靜夜思, while Oliver gave a long speech what China meant to him. 他们都说的字正腔圆。and made me very proud.

Oliver said, “當我第一次來林老師的課堂時,我什麼都不懂, 但是這三年來, 我的中文進步很多,現在中國在我的生命當中,意義重大!” “When I first attended your class, I did not understand anything, but after three years my Chinese improved. Now China means a lot in my life.”

Both he and his mother joined our South Bay chapter and attended Washington Seminar for 3 days. We even visited Chinese-American Museum in DC, and attended the 50th anniversary of US-China People’s Association at China Embassy as guests of honor. All are so unforgettable! Many people now are following Oliver and want to see what he will do in the future!”

——————————————————————————————————————

Winny Lin, Board of Director at USCPFA- South Bay Chapter, was born in Guilin, China, but grew up in Taiwan. In 1971, she came to the U.S. to attend Illinois State University. She earned a master’s degree in special education and then taught for more than 50 years in Kentucky and California public schools before teaching Mandarin Chinese on Outschool,

Billy is a great fan and admirer of this dynamic cross-cultural connector and teacher. She is always smiling and always reaching out with joy, enthusiasm, and caringness.

______________________________________________________________________________________