Chinese Christian Union Church: We walked in expecting something different. Something Chinese. Something out of our ordinary vision of church. We were surprised. This morning, we went to a Christian church. And what we expected was not logical. With every other ethnic group that has come to Chicago, some amount of assimilation has occurred. Why would this be different within the church?
Shortly after arriving, I realized that my normal grid of thinking for an evangelical Christian church was appropriate for the situation. However, after reverting to my grid, I regretted it. Suddenly, the pastor's theology and the way that he undercut his own teaching were bothersome. I became very frustrated with the information that he was teaching his congregation. As my frustration level grew, I also started picking at the idea that he was the only white pastor. The pastor teaching the English service was very American, and the way he talked made it seem as if he saw himself as a missionary to the Chinese people. I wished that the Chinese had not felt the pressure to assimilate.
Assimilation vs. integration has been a thought of tension since arriving in Chicago. Why is it that everyone wants to be American? i don't think we have it all right yet, so I question why everyone wants to join us. Most of all, I think that I am just extremely idealistic.
Won Kow: Chicken Almond Ding. Enough said.
The Festival: Wow! People were everywhere, and almost all of them were looking for some sort of good deal. I had no idea of how many 'knock-off' type booths would be on the street at once. In fact, the crowd seemed so shopping oriented that the dragon dancing was like a distraction, rather than a main event.
The dragon costume was great: neon fabric with many sequins and plenty of glitter. I've always been curious to see what the dragons are made from, and now I know that they are re-creatable. I am really curious about the materials used in China to make the costumes...
Our day was 'officially' done, so a few of us decided to head for the lake-shore. I thought that the cultural part of the day was over. Ha. First we saw the grassy area on the lake, and then we started heading for the beach. I had no idea that the line between the grass and the sand was more than physical. The urban chic people were all on the grassy side, seemingly almost too good for the beach. The beach was filled with people of Hispanic and African-American descent. It was like going from one ethnic neighborhood to another... but the members of each were not to cross. Segregation is not simply a residential area issue.
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