Proud to be Chinese

After watching the Beijing Olympics games for two weeks straight, it's hard not to be proud to be Chinese. The opening and closing ceremony gave me goose bumps. What a production with 15000 performers and a scale never seen in the world. It's great to see how China re-introduced itself to the world by both being faithful to our traditional cultures/history and using the most modern technologies, like that awesome screen at the top of the Bird's Nest.

It's great to see how magnificent China can be when all the people worked together to make it happen. One million volunteers helped with the Olympic games. Imagine what China can do if they put their mind to it and united its people - anything! I am so glad to see China achieve its gold medal count goals (51) and was only 10 medals behind the US in total count. I loved watching Gymnastics, Diving, Badminton especially. I was so surprised China made it to the finals in Beach Volleyball too.

While I have been in the US for 24 years now, I am still so proud to be Chinese. China may not be perfect, but it's learning and evolving constantly. I am proud that the Olympics in Beijing inspires "One World and One Dream." This is what I plan to teach Isabel as well as some of the great Chinese culture and values that I know and perhaps take her to China for summer schools when she is older so she can learn the language. Chinese will be an important language to know in the future. I was lucky to know it from birth. I hope Isabel will get a chance to learn it as a kid as well.

- Lei