California - The World's Melting Pot

California's most striking feature is its diversity. The land includes ocean beaches, barren deserts, lush rain forests, and high mountain peaks. It is easy to go ocean surfing and snow skiing in the same day. The same diversity holds true for people. The people who visit and live in California come from every part of the world. I love going to a shopping mall, to Universal Studios, or Disneyland. In one small area it is easy to see people from all over the world mingling peacefully without problem. I enjoy the cacophony of hearing 40 or more different languages being spoken while I wander through the crowds.

Wandering through crowds and observing, I wonder about the collective energy of this diverse group of people. What are the fascinating stories these people must have? What do they think? Do they love their children more or less than other nationalities? What masterpieces, new technology, and cities will be built by these people, their children, and their next generations? How will the world's people mingle and mix in the coming century? In 100 years, 500 years, will we all live in peace, speak the same language, and share a common culture? This is the stuff that science fiction writers and writers about the future thrive on.

Recently I enjoyed going to Universal Studios in Hollywood with some of my Chinese friends. This entertainment park, similar to Disneyland, is one of the major melting pots of people in the world. We saw people from everywhere and heard languages from around the world. Sometimes it became a little confusing.

My friend Mr. Zhao is a prime example of the diversity we encounter. This was his first trip outside China. He loved Universal Studios and Disneyland. I didn't know he spoke very much English and usually communicated with my limited Chinese language. We left him alone for a few minutes to purchase lunch. When we returned he was chatting happily in English with a university student from Mexico. What a surprise! The young guy was happy and friendly so we invited him to eat lunch with us. Quickly Mr. Zhao was anxious to try his English language skills on the many beautiful women in the crowds. Alas, we didn't get to make their acquaintance. Maybe next time...