USA Melting Pot Holds First Meeting

The USA Melting Pot club held its first meeting May 31 at the Troy Public Library. After the opening prayer by Pastor Eric Haven of Woodside Bible Church and the Pledge of Allegiance, Mayor Pro-tem Maureen McGinnis read the Wreckers or Builders poem she had read before a February Troy City Council meeting.

Dale Murrish and Weilou Gao introduced the club and its philosophy similarly to what was said at the May 7 . Then came the main presentations.

Chinese Language

Fanghui Shi presented material from GM’s Chinese Affinity Group on Chinese language, customs, culture, history and geography. He showed us the evolution of Chinese characters from pictures to the simpler forms used today. The pin-yin equivalent using the standard alphabet can be typed on a keyboard and is converted to characters with computer software.

The audience learned that Chinese is a tonal language – the four possible accents on the vowel in the word ma give it four different meanings! Perfect pronunciation isn’t needed, however. Knowing a few simple phrases in any language builds bridges, and smiles have no language barrier. The club’s travel spreadsheet has key phrases in more than ten languages with simple tips for good pronunciation:

i = ee (long e)

ei = ay (long a)

ou = oh (long o)

ao = ow

x = sh

Everyone learned how to say hello and the most important phrase in any language: thank you.

Hello               nĭ hăo  = nee how (literally "You good")

Thank you       xiè xie = shee shee

Chinese Customs and Culture

Fanghui explained that building relationships and showing respect are more important in Chinese and other Asian cultures than in America. Guan-Xi is the relationship web of family and friends, classmates and hometowns. Mian Zi, or “face,” is showing respect to others based on age or positions of authority.

Chinese people are less likely to disagree in a business meeting because they don’t want you to lose face; if you want to know what they really think you may need to ask privately over dinner. China has a food culture where relationships are built over shared meals.

Chinese Geography

Mainland China has roughly the same land area as the USA, but most of its 1.3 billion people live in the more fertile south and east because two-thirds of its land area is mountains or desert. In most places the population density is much higher than the USA, since it has four times as many people. Cities near the coast like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou are more developed, while those in other regions are less prosperous.

The climate of China varies from hot and humid in the south to surprisingly cold in the northeast. China’s tenth largest city, Harbin, is 770 miles northeast of the capital, Beijing. With 10.6 million people, “Ice City” Harbin is warm in the summer but its average January temperature is -18 ^oC (-1 ^oF)!

American Chinese

Weilou Gao spoke on the history of Chinese immigrants and their contributions to America. The first major immigrant group was workers who came during the 1860s to build the western leg of the transcontinental railroad from California to Utah. His summary ended in 2012 with American-born Harvard grad Jeremy Lin rising to NBA stardom.

Weilou showed a map with the states Chinese immigrants have settled in. California, Hawaii and New York have more than the national average of around 1% identifying with Chinese ethnicity, while Michigan has about 0.3%.

Bicycle touring

Veteran bicyclist Bill Hughes rides more than 4000 miles per year and has ridden on the PALM ride six times. He discussed the different types of bicycles and their advantages for long distance riding. Bike helmets and water bottles are the most important equipment, and other gear like gloves, cycling shorts, and stiff shoes can greatly increase comfort on long rides.

Michigan has organized day rides every weekend throughout the summer with rest stops every ten or fifteen miles where riders can refill water bottles and relax, refuel and visit with other riders.

Bill showed slides from the popular Pedal Across Lower Michigan week-long tour, where 700 riders camp at high schools and put their camping gear on trucks. The ride takes quiet roads from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron or Lake Erie every year and ends with a mass bike parade on Saturday morning.

Bob Paull has ridden fifteen times on the annual Michigander Rail Trail Tour, one of Bicycling magazine’s top ten multi-day rides. A rail trail is an old railroad bed converted to a bike trail. Michigan has over 2600 miles of rail trails, more than second place Wisconsin.

Bob explained how to calculate gear inches: number of front chain-ring teeth divided by rear gear teeth times wheel diameter. When touring, you’ll eventually use the lowest granny gear, especially if you’re camping and carrying your own equipment. It’s slow but it sure beats pushing the bike up the hill!

20 / 34 * 27” = 16 gear inches * 80 rpm * unit conversions = 3.8 mph

Curved Dash Olds replica bike trailer design

Ken Patton presented the Pontiac Robotics Team’s design for a 4-child trailer to be used in the club’s proposed 3-day bicycle tour from Lansing to Hamtramck via Proud Lake and Greenfield Village next summer. A mentor with GM Powertrain sponsored FIRST robotics teams in Pontiac since 1997, Ken used the design challenge as CAD practice for the team last December. After the intense January to April robotics season ended, one of the students asked him about it.

So Ken presented a design proposal for a highly visible bike trailer (it looks like a Curved Dash Oldsmobile from the side) capable of carrying 500 pounds. With refinement of the trailer design, this could become a rolling vacation competition combining recreation, history and inexpensive travel.

Table Time conversations

Unfortunately the presentations ran longer than planned, so the Table Time conversations didn’t happen this month. We plan to streamline future meetings to save time for the important face-to-face part of our club’s purpose:

• To help newcomers assimilate into the USA
• To celebrate ethnic background & cultural identity
• To provide a forum for conversational English
• To encourage face to face dialogue in our increasingly technology-dependent world.

Conclusion

The first meeting was a success, with great presentations and good feedback for improvements. The top activity of interest is the potluck picnic at the Troy Historic Village Sunday, August 19.

Everyone is invited to the Thursday, June 28 meeting at the Troy Public Library meeting room 7-9 p.m. Topics will be India’s culture and canoeing.

Future Tuesday evening meetings and topics are:

• July 24: Korean culture and camping
• Aug. 14: German culture and classic car restoration
• September: Brazil culture and soccer

Visit the club’s website often, where the presentations, quizzes on their content and video clips will eventually be posted.