First Day of Winter I

Kneeling in the snow,

Staring in through a window,

At Christmas lights and mistletoe—

A holiday not mine,

A warmth I couldn’t feel.

People gawk and whisper,

But I don’t go.

Light turns to dusk;

Winter Solstice, known as one of the 24 solar terms, is a traditional celebration of the new cycle of solar rebirth. Chinese people usually worship their ancestors, eat dumplings or tangyuan, and draw nine (a picture for calculating the “spring…

It’s been a while since we published our last issue, and I’m sorry for the long delay. Senior year has proved too busy after all, and I lost myself in exams, mountains of homework, and training for a half-marathon. But…

An element often overlooked or underappreciated when we think about cultural exchange is the regional and local connections that make a place dear to the people who live there. Some cities have been more loved than others, especially in public…

The city where I live is called Volgograd. It was built on the Volga River, which is the longest river in Europe. In fact, the river is one of the main attractions of the city because it features a long…

Why is it so hard to find real friends in a hyper-connected age?

People in our generation have grown up with greater access to social networks than ever before. With one swipe, we can talk to someone on the other…

I’ve been walking in the same way as I did before, missing the cracks in the pavement around my city, Nanchang. As I walk, I find myself tutting my heels and strutting my feet. I gaze at the night sky…

Nestled in the heart of Sri Lanka, our village is a place where time seems to move a little slower, and life unfolds at its own gentle pace. Surrounded by a lush landscape, our village is more than just a…

Today we start a brand new chapter in the history of our newsletter! Here are the major changes I would like to announce:

First, we are moving all of our past issues to the new site. We plan for it…

Just an inconspicuous industrial area in Stuttgart, a city in the south of Germany… At least, it looks like that. But here, you can find this wonderful and small place. It’s a unique resting spot. I walked down the streets and…