Our twins spent two years at primary school in Chengdu. Their lessons featured alarming cautionary tales and stories of Chinese superiority, but there was fun and irreverence, too<\/p>\n
Near the end of third grade, my twin daughters, Ariel and Natasha, officially joined the Young Pioneers of China. This organisation is under the auspices of the Chinese Communist party, and members are between the ages of six and 14. In order to become a Young Pioneer at Chengdu Experimental primary school, the public institution my daughters attended in the south-western Chinese city, there was no application, no interview and no ceremony. Parents were not consulted or informed. The twins simply came home one afternoon wearing Young Pioneer pins on their right breasts. The pins featured a gold star, a red torch and the name of the organisation \u2013 Zhongguo Shaoxiandui<\/em> \u2013 in gold Chinese characters. Ariel and Natasha told me and my wife, Leslie, that from now on they would be required to wear the pins on Mondays, when Chengdu Experimental held its weekly flag-raising ceremony, as well as on other special occasions.<\/p>\n Young Pioneers also wore red scarves that were knotted at the neck. According to the organisation\u2019s constitution, the scarves are red because they represent the blood that was sacrificed by the martyrs of the 1949 Communist Revolution. When I first lived in China, in the mid-1990s, schoolchildren had to be selected to become Young Pioneers, and red scarves were a mark of kids who were politically favoured. But by the time I moved back to the country, in 2019, membership had become compulsory at most schools, including Chengdu Experimental. Unlike the pins, red scarves were not provided to Young Pioneers, and we bought them from small-time vendors who arranged their goods on the sidewalk near the school\u2019s entrance. Every Monday morning, there was a proliferation of these vendors, because some Young Pioneers had a tendency to forget their scarves, despite the organisation\u2019s official motto: \u201cTo struggle for the cause of communism, be prepared!\u201d<\/p>\n 1. Love the Party, love the Country, love the People.<\/em><\/p>\n FUN TIME STORY TIME He suffered extensive burns all over his body, resulting in permanent disability. Blind curiosity and careless experimentation have brought great misfortune to Mo Mo, his family and society.<\/p>\n Facing the mighty river, and watching the white sails float past,<\/em> \u674e\u767d\u4e58\u821f\u5c06\u6b32\u884c Li Bai chengzhou jiang yu xing<\/em>, I, Li Bai, embark on a boat, ready to set sail,<\/em>
\n Don\u2019t throw things out the window. It\u2019s dangerous. You might hurt someone.
\n Don\u2019t cook here. It\u2019s dangerous. A small fire can become a big one.
\n Be careful! Look out for cars. Don\u2019t go against the traffic.
\n Don\u2019t open the door for a stranger. It\u2019s dangerous.<\/p>\n
\n What are you doing, Little Bear?
\n I\u2019m lighting firecrackers.
\n Be careful!
\n Ow! That hurts.
\n Don\u2019t run down the stairs.
\n Ouch! My arm hurts. I am having a bad day.
\n Look out! A bike is coming.
\n My leg hurts. I can\u2019t walk.
\n We are taking you to the hospital.
\n Oh, dear! I am having a bad day!<\/p>\n
My body has been demoted to Hezhou, but my heart still defends my beliefs <\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n
\n \u5ffd\u95fb\u5cb8\u4e0a\u8e0f\u6b4c\u58f0. Huwen anshang ta gesheng.<\/em>
\n \u6843\u82b1\u6f6d\u6c34\u6df1\u5343\u5c3a Taohua tan shuishen qian chi,<\/em>
\n \u4e0d\u53ca\u6c6a\u4f26\u9001\u6211\u60c5.\u3002 Buji Wang Lun song wo qing<\/em>.<\/p>\n
When suddenly from the shore comes a melodic farewell.<\/em>
The depths of Peace Blossom Lake, a thousand feet below<\/em>
It\u2019s still incomparable, O Wang Lun! To the love that you bestow.<\/em><\/p>\n