'No working, no eating'

I am a youth from the United States studying in China. And I feel that studying in China is one of the best ways to understand this magnificent and amazing country.

Out of all the interactions I have had with my Chinese classmates and friends, my favorites are the gatherings of close foreign and Chinese friends in my dorm room to cook and eat. It may sound like nothing special, but those are some of my most cherished memories at Beijing Language and Culture University.

At times, there were about eight or nine of us. We would plan when to head off to the supermarket, buy the ingredients together, come back to our dorm, cook and enjoy a sumptuous meal, and then clean up together.

I tried my best to foster the spirit of collectivism among us. As I used to say at the time, "if you want to eat, you have to work".