October 1 is National Day in China. It is the anniversary of the founding of The People’s Republic of China in 1949. The red and gold flag is everywhere and school is out, but the stores are open and busier than ever. We were sent as representatives of our school to a celebratory event on Monday
afternoon.

About 200 people were there, and we were two of five English teachers. I saw military people in full regalia, and I saw one man wearing what I would identify as a clerical collar, and another wearing a cap popular among Muslims, and still another wearing another kind of cap which seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Most of the men, though, were wearing western style business suits, and the women wore business clothes on the dressy side. The governor gave a longish speech in which he said, according to the interpreter seated next to me, that we can all work together for a bright future, and he said something about the revolution. Then there was a show including singers, acrobats, and people playing traditional instruments, all very loud and festive.
We were in a palatial building, with high (at least 30 feet) ceilings and ornate chandeliers which appeared to be fiber optic lights, although designed to look like classic crystal. I studied them as the governor was speaking, since I could not understand a word he said. I noticed as I looked around the room, that more than one person was looking at a phone, and texting, even though they could understand what was being said. I noted also that all the doors were closed, and standing by the doors, encircling the room, were various guards including army people. The whole event was filmed and photographed with intense lighting such as needed for television. Although we had been told it would include dinner, in fact there were only some snacks and a cup of tea. I remembered a student I had in Fuling who in class always wore an expression of intense interest and attention, even though his mind was far away. I saw the usefulness of such an expression, especially while being filmed, and I hope I carried it off.