You are a new manager at the American branch of your German firm in Chicago. With a few minutes to spare between meetings, you go to get a quick cup of coffee.

    “Hey, David, how are you?” one of the senior partners at the firm asks you.

    “Good, thank you, Dr. Greer,” you reply. You've really been wanting to make a connection with the senior leadership at the firm, and this seems like a great opportunity. But as you start to think of something to say, your American colleague breaks in to steal your spotlight.

    “So Arnold”, your colleague says to your boss, in such a casual manner that it makes your German soul cringe(畏缩), “So what's your Super bowl prediction? I mean, you're a Niners fan, right?”

    The conversation moves on, and you walk silently back to your desk with your coffee. You know how important small talk is in the U.S., and you feel jealous of people who can do it well.

    There's nothing small about the role that small talk plays in American professional culture. People from other countries are often surprised at how important small talk is in the U.S. and how naturally and comfortably people seem to do it — with peers, men, women, and even with superiors. You can be the most technically skilled worker in the world, but your ability to progress in your job in the United States is highly dependent on your ability to build and maintain positive relationships with people at work. And guess what skill is critical for building and maintaining these relationships? Small talk.

    What can you do if you are from another culture and want to learn to use small talk in the U.S. to build relationships and establish trust? Work hard to hone(磨练) your own version of American-style small talk. Watch how others do it. You don't have to mimic what they do; in fact, that would likely backfire because people would see you as inauthentic. But if you can develop your own personal version, that can go a long way toward making you feel comfortable and competence．

If Confucius(孔子) were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.

While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.

But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.

    In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks(缺点) of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.

So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.

    Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.

    As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.

    A story of a man who made the brave journey of love, cycling from India to Sweden to see his sweetheart, has gained the hearts of thousands online. A Facebook post, that has been linked more than 113,000 times, shares the tale of how Dr. Pradyumna Kumar Mahanandia crossed eight countries to be reunited with his wife Charlotte Von Schedvin in her native country.

    The story began in 1975 when wealthy 19-year-old Charlotte Von Schedvin, who was a student in London at the time, travelled to India in 1975 to meet the poor but famous artist Mahanandia. The Indian was born in 1949 into a poor family in Odisha, Dhenkanal and was considered an untouchable in the society.

Although his family couldn't afford his education, he managed to gain a place at the College of Art in New Delhi where word of his talent quickly spread.

    In events that wouldn't be out of place in a romantic movie, when the young Charlotte Von Sledvin met with the painter, the two fell in love with one another. He was greatly impressed by her beauty and she, with his pure simplicity. Despite their contrasting backgrounds, the pair shortly married.

    In 1978, the time came for Charlotte to return to her native country, and she requested her husband join her back in Europe. However, Mahanandia was in the middle of his studies and said he would join her after these were completed. The couple stayed in touch through letters and despite Charlotte's offers to send flight tickets, Mahanandia was determined to meet her in his own way.

    Selling his belongings, he managed to get enough money to buy a second-hand bike and set out on the intrepid journey to be reunited. From New Delhi, the brave love-struck adventurer entered Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Germany, Austria and Denmark. It wasn't all easy sailing. His bike broke down a lot of times along the way and he had to go on without food for days.

    In total the trip took four months and three weeks before he finally reached Gothenburg, Sweden. Upon arrival, he was questioned by immigration officers, who were said to be amazed at his story of devotion after he shared photographs of his marriage.

    Her parents welcomed him with open arms and 40 years later, the pair are still happily married. Dr PK Mahanandia serves as the Odiya Cultural Ambassador of India to Sweden and lives with his wife and two children in Sweden. He has become well-known in Sweden as an artist and as an adviser of Art and Culture, under the Swedish Government too.

    The following children's books are our top picks to read together every year on Christmas Eve.

    Snowden written by Nancy Carlson

    This book is aimed at pre-school to the third-grade children, but can be enjoyed by many older children as well. Snowden is the story of a little girl and the snowman she makes that magically comes to life. Together, the two learn to ice-skate and discover that “a little magic and a lot of practice” can make all the difference in the world. The story is heart-touching and sweet.

    The Polar Express written by Chris Van Allsburg

    A young boy cannot sleep on Christmas Eve and is swept away by a steam engine on a trip to the North Pole. During the adventure, the message is that believing will keep you young at heart. The bell that the boy receives and his belief are both touching. The illustrations leave enough to the imagination to make it easy to fall into the story yourself.

    A Snowman Named Just Bob Written by Mark Kimball Moulton

    This book shares a tale of lasting friendship and teaches the lesson that friendship is always in your heart. The illustrations are beautiful and the text is eye-catching. The lessons are taught in such a way that they do not overshadow (使失色) the actual story. I tear up every time I read this book to my children.

    The Taj Mahal(泰姬陵) is a love story, a sad and beautiful one. If it didn't exist, we would easily imagine that the story of its construction was simply a fairy tale.

    Three hundred years ago, there lived an Indian emperor called Shah Jahan. His wife was a beautiful and bright woman whom he loved greatly. Her title was Mumtaz Mahal: its shortened form Taj Mahal, means “pride of the palace”. In the year 1630 this beloved wife of the emperor died. He was so broken-hearted that he thought of giving up his throne(王位). He decided out of his love for his wife to build her the most beautiful tomb(墓穴) that had ever been seen.

    He invited the best artists and architects from India, Turkey, Persia and Arabia and finally, the design was completed. It took more than twenty thousand men working over a period of 18 years to build the Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.

    The building itself stands on a marble platform, 29 meters' square and 6-7 meters' high. Towers rise from each of the four corners. The Taj itself soars another 61 meters into the air. It is an eight-sided building made of white marble.

    The emperor planned to build an identical tomb of black marble for himself on the other side of the river connected by a silver bridge. However, his son put him into prison in the palace before he could finish, and for the rest of his life, he could only gaze across river at the tomb of his beloved wife.

The Peony Culture Festival of Luoyang

    Spring is time for people to go out and see blossoming flowers. Luoyang in Henan, China is famous for peonies, the city's official flower. The city's annual Peony Culture Festival begins in early April and lasts till early May. Peonies are in full bloom during the event, which was first held in 1983.

    You can go to the Luoyang National Peony Garden. The peonies there are known for their rich colors and long florescence. Don't miss the 1,600-year-old "Peony King"!

    Chinese Language Day

    Chinese is one of the six official working languages of the United Nations. The LIN has set different days for these languages to promote their uses. It holds exhibitions, shows and other activities. In 2010, the first Chinese Language Day was held on Nov. 12. But since 2011, it has been held on April 20. The date is close to Grain Rain, one of the 24 solar terms. It means "rain of millet". People celebrate Grain Rain to remember Cangjie, a mythical character. Many people believe that Cangjie was the first person to write Chinese characters. When he did this, it rained millet and saved people from hunger.

    China Astronautics Day

    On April 24, 1970, China's first man-made Earth satellite — Dongfanghong I — went into space. It was a big step for China's space program. In 2016, the government set April 24 as China Astronautics Day. Many events are held across the country to celebrate this special day. For example, astronauts and scientists will give talks to students. Some cities will hold exhibitions about space development.

    Last year, China had big plans for its space program. On December 8, it launched its second lunar rover（月球车）as part of the Chang'e 4 space mission, which landed on the far side of the moon.