(Written by Zhaoxian, a high school student in Beijing)

          "Ok now, let's all introduce ourselves."  It was the teacher who said that, and I was in my first day of senior high school.  The students in the class were all fresh and ready for anything, but I was very shy.  They introduced themselves - one by one - but when I stood on the rostrum in front of everyone I could barely say a word.  Nothing came out of me.  I was very conscious of my red face and being laughed at.

          I hurried back to my seat, and as I plopped my head down on the edge of my desk I wrestled with the thought that I'd never be able to change.  Everyone else could stand up and say a few things in front of people but I couldn't.  I felt like I'd come from a different planet.  How could something so simple be so difficult for me.  I closed my eyes as I reviewed what had happened.

          When I lifted my head, I saw that - unbeknownst to me - a paper had been slipped under my arm.  It read, "It's nothing, friend.  You can call me Zhang Chi."

          I turned to face the guy next to me, and he laughed as he pulled his paper back from my desk and wrote, "What's your name?"

          That was the beginning of a great friendship.  The guy who introduced himself on paper was soon my best friend in the class.  He was a good student, and he also like to help the people around him. 

          Sometimes it's hard to believe that there are so many good people in my life.  I thank God and any other deities that there are out there.

          Zhang Chi and I started spending a lot of time together.  We played basketball or soccer when we had spare time, but most of the time we studied together.  When other students went home, we were still studying in the classroom.  I used to ask him some things about math, and in exchange, helped him with his English.  Day after day we did the same things that whole year, and when he got his first A in English on the end-of-term examination, we celebrated for three days.

          I really felt good while we were helping each other.  It was almost like having a vacation and not having to go to school.  I hadn't known that helping others brought so much happiness.  From that experience I learned what it's like to have a soul; I'd even call it a holy soul.  When I'm helping others, that's what it feels like.  People don't have to be selfish animals.

          There was to be a speech competition in class last week, and the subject was Helping Others.  To my surprise, I entered my name, and when I stood again on the rostrum I said to myself, "You can do it this time.  Don't be shy.  Share your experiences from last year with everyone."

          It was wonderful

          I found that I could do it.

          Everyone suddenly wanted to include me in everything, but Zhang Chi sat there quietly - staring at me and smiling.

          Perhaps he was the only one who completely understood what had happened to a very shy boy.

(Written by a teacher in Shanghai)

          Our country has launched Shenzhou 6, our second manned spacecraft into space.  Manned by astronauts Fei Junlong (40 years of age) and Nie Haisheng (40), it blasted off at 9 a.m. on October 2th. 

          China Central Television had a live broadcast and I watched it from my office.

          When the announcers said that the craft would be leaving the launching pad in ten minutes, all of us were watching the screen and no one said a word.

          Then a voice from the Aerospace Command and Control Center said, "Shenzhou 6 has been launched successfully" and we watched in excitement as it lifted into the air.  We all began to celebrate and clap our hands.

          One hundred and fifteen hours later - at 4:33 on a Monday morning, the spacecraft returned to the earth.

          The first flight had been in October 2003 and the craft had carried only one astronaut during the 21-hour flight.

          It was very exciting to hear that plans are now going forward for a possible space walk in 2007.

(Written by Zhaoxian from Beijing)

          Things are uncontrollable here.  My cousin's grandmother has been in the hospital for eight days and the doctor says she's in such serious condition that perhaps she'll go away soon.

          "Go away?"  The news came so abruptly that I just couldn't digest it.  It took my breath away.  I'm very fond of his grandmother.  I'd miss her very much, but what if it were my grandmother!  Scenes flashed before my eyes from the past, the present, the future.

                                        The Past

          "Grandma!"

          "Oh, my honey; I'm here."

          "Grandma, I went to painting class yesterday,and the teacher asked us to draw....(He was sorting through drawings he'd placed on her bed)...and I want to show you.....this one!  He stared at her for a reaction as he held up a landscape in front of the old lady.

          "Hand me my glasses", she said.

          She put them on and slid them down her nose to look at the drawing over the top of them.  Then she lifted them and looked out from underneath.  It was apparent from her expression that she'd never seen anything so beautiful.

          She gave her verdict after more careful scrutiny. "It's wonderful - really great."

          The little boy smiled and then held up another drawing from the pile on the bed as he said, "This one is my homework.  It took me a lot of time."

          The old lady peered at a rather crude drawing of mountains and rivers, and there was silence in the room as she continued to look at it with knitted brows.

          "Which one do you like more?", the boy asked.

          She hesitated a few seconds and then said softly, "I think I will choose.....yours."

          "What"  Mine"  Really"  The boy was so excited to hear what she'd said that he asked, "Why do you like it better?"

          "Well, I don't know why.  Maybe it's because of all your hard work."

          "But mom says I don't draw very well.  The mountains are too big, she says, and the rivers too small."

          "That doesn't make any difference to me.  I really like it."

          The little boy and the old lady were all smiles.

                                        The Present

          "Grandma!"

          No answer.

          "Grandma!"

          There was a small voice from the bed.  "I'm not feeling well.  I just took my medicine."

          The boy stood in the bedroom looking at her without saying a word.  He was perplexed and wondered what he could do for her.  "She's not feeling well", he said to himself.  "What shoud I do.....What should I do?"

          Suddenly he became more confident and happy, as he said to her, "Let me read some beautiful articles to you.  Then you will feel better."

          "Okay, thank you", the old lady said as she nodded in agreement.

          The boy began to read keeping his voice loud enough to hear but not troublesome.  He read with expression - sometimes gentle and kind, at other times pleasant and quiet.

          The old lady sat up in bed and leaned against the wall.  She didn't say a word as the reading rolled on, but she applauded many times.  She stared intently at the boy, and could scarcely make out his shape for her eyes were full of tears.

          What he read was not important; the important thing was that he was reading.  She was happy; very happy, and turned her head away from the boy using her hands to wipe away the tears.

                                        What May Come

          "Grandma!"

          No answer.

          "Grandma!"

          No answer

          "Why did you go away in such a hurry?  You ......Grandma!" 

          No answer.

                                        Days Later

          A teenager stood in front of a grave.  His eyes - gray and wet - were scarcely open.  He went to the stone at the grave and cleaned it with a cloth and then with his bare hands.  The boy looked around the gloomy area.  No grandma.  He lifted his voice and shouted:

          "Y-o-u......Grandma"