In today's get-rich-quick culture in China, it is a delight to find someone who defies the stereotype of a popular music superstar. Yadong is known all over China as the first Tibetan pop star, and he lives here in Chengdu. I have been working on getting an appointment with him for over a year, and last night finally succeeded. Our group of 13 students and myself, accompanied by two translators, met with YaDong for three hours at his studio complex in downtown Chengdu.

Yesterday our "Arts of China" group met three people from two Tibetan NGO's working to preserve Tibetan culture and to assist rural village Tibetans with new schools, libraries, medical and midwifery training, and the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhist texts.

It often feels that people in China are working so hard (heroically hard!) to improve their own lives and those of their families that they do not have the luxury of the time or the headspace for altruistic behavior. Despite the best intentions of Buddhism and Marxism towards compassion and altruism, individuals often seem narrowly focused on their own goals in the highly competitive world of a developing economy.

Initial Thoughts on The Value of Traditional Culture
As a perpetual traveler in this wonderful wide world, I love visiting places where it seems that time stopped long ago. These places make me feel like I have traveled back in time to an era when Western influences had not yet appeared, giving me a sense that I can experience a culture that is somehow "pure," primal" and "authentic." This is of course very romantic, and makes me a perfect target for the tourism industries of many countries, who's primary concern is to sell exactly this kind of romance to potential tourists like me.

We travelers are often drawn to the ancient, the traditional and what, to our minds, is the exotic. As a tourist, I tend to head for the "old" parts of a town, search for the "original" version of a piece of art or music, or try to meet an "authentic" member of an ethnic group.

As instructor for the Arts of China course this J term, I am very much looking forward to introducing the students in our group to some of the wonderful artistic traditions in China that I love.

I remember when I did not have any particlar understanding or appreciation for these non-Western traditions, and I remember clearly those "AHA!" moments of discovery when I suddenly found that I understood them- like opening a door that had always been there and discovering a beautiful new world behind it.

Usually those AHA moments have happened to me when I was "on the road"- deeply immersed in a culture by living and traveling in it. I hope to be able to give our group some opportunities for these moments during our three weeks together in China.