The gentle man behind the table in the green room backstage pointed to the pot and said, “Have you tried my porridge”? It was red bean porridge, a slightly sweet Asian favorite. But I was already full from the other homemade, heart-made food provided by the local volunteers in Vancouver.

A fellow musician called to me from another table and said, “It’s pretty unique porridge. You should try some, even just a little.” So I tasted hers and was surprised to discover its flavor: Rose.

I looked up at the man, who was quietly observing us and, although he spoke only Chinese, he said in English, “rose.” Then he told this story.

While preparing for Shen Yun’s Vancouver shows in the wintertime, he picked fresh roses in the summer and preserved them all these months in order to make his special dish for us.

Wow, I thought, the care that went into his act was truly touching. This is the level of sincerity behind all that our local hosts do for us. To them, I say, thank you!

February 6, 2012