标签： North America

SAN FRANCISCO—An extraordinary collection of artistic works created by American high school students during their cultural immersion trips to China is now captivating audiences at the Cupertino City Library. The exhibition, titled “China in the Eyes of Americans,” showcases photography, sketches, and personal narratives from 21 students who explored China’s Hubei province during the summers of 2024 and 2025.

Organized by the US-China Culture and Communication Association in collaboration with the Youth Horizon Culture Connection Association, the exhibition represents a unique cross-cultural initiative. The participating students, primarily from California with additional representation from Florida and Tennessee, documented their journeys through Wuhan, Enshi, Xiaogan, and surrounding regions, capturing both iconic landscapes and everyday moments of Chinese life.

Chloe Xiao, a California high school sophomore and founder of the Youth Horizon association, emphasized the transformative nature of the experience. “In Enshi, we wore traditional Tujia attire, gaining firsthand appreciation for the elegance and rich heritage of Tujia culture,” she recalled, describing the silver hair ornaments and complete costumes as “gorgeous.”

The exhibition reveals diverse perspectives through different artistic mediums. Jasmine White, a senior from Carlmont High School, focused her photographic work on Hubei’s bridges, particularly the Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge. “This trip taught me the significance of bridges in China—they represent connection: linking people, communities, and cultures across generations,” White explained.

For many participants, the human connections formed during their travels proved most meaningful. Benjamin Li, a sophomore from Florida, described bonding with Chinese university students from ethnic minority backgrounds in Enshi. “We laughed, played games, and had fun together,” he shared. “It made my summer unforgettable.”

Aiden Wei Tanner from San Jose contrasted his China experience with previous European travels, noting, “Those cities in Europe feel distinctly foreign. China is different—I felt part of the culture rather than an outsider.” This sense of belonging influenced how he photographed everyday life in Hubei, capturing images of store owners, students, and strangers alike.

Beyond cultural immersion, students also gained practical benefits. Iris Zhu, a California freshman, reported significant improvement in her Chinese language skills, while all participants gained insights rarely accessible to most foreigners.

Song Min, president of UCCA, initiated the program six years ago to foster connections between American and Chinese youth. “When young people start to listen to their peers and learn from each other, great things will happen,” Song stated, emphasizing that these American students serve as “practitioners of cross-cultural communication” rather than mere observers.

The exhibition continues through January at the Cupertino library, offering Bay Area residents a rare glimpse of China through the authentic perspectives of American youth.

SAN FRANCISCO – The California Academy of Sciences hosted an extraordinary memorial Sunday as hundreds gathered to celebrate Claude, the city’s beloved albino alligator who passed away in December at age 30. The unique celebration featured a New Orleans-style brass band, an eight-foot-long gator-shaped sourdough bread, drag queen story time, and the official designation of “Claude the Alligator Way” on a street near his former home.

Claude, who measured 10 feet long and weighed 300 pounds, captivated millions of visitors during his 17-year residency at the academy with his distinctive pink eyes and rare albinism. While typically a quiet resident of the swamp exhibit, Claude gained particular notoriety for an incident involving a 12-year-old girl’s ballet shoe, which he successfully snatched and consumed during a public viewing.

“It’s no small feat to get a shoe out of an alligator,” recalled Bart Shepherd of the California Academy of Sciences, describing the complex extraction operation that required anesthesia, specialized tools, and multiple veterinary staff – all while a fire alarm blared throughout the building.

Beyond his occasional mischief, Claude emerged as an unexpected symbol of San Francisco values. “He embodied something that we think of as a really San Francisco ideal, which is not just accepting but welcoming people for their differences,” said Jeanette Peach, the academy’s communications director. His rare genetic condition provided visibility for those who feel like outcasts, demonstrating that differences can be celebrated rather than hidden.

The reptile, who hatched in 1995 at a Louisiana alligator farm before moving to San Francisco in 2008, delighted approximately 22 million visitors during his lifetime. Since his passing from liver cancer, the academy has received thousands of letters from grieving fans expressing how Claude inspired them to embrace their uniqueness.

Senior veterinarian Lana Krol noted that among all alligators she has worked with, Claude “struck me as the most laidback of them all.” His legacy continues as an ambassador animal who successfully connected people with nature and science while teaching valuable lessons about acceptance and inclusion.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has demonstrated remarkable efficiency in handling lost property, processing an astounding 104,162 reports of items left behind in taxis throughout 2025. The comprehensive recovery operation yielded impressive results, including over Dh2 million in cash, approximately 35,000 electronic devices, and around 3,000 passports and official documents alongside valuable personal belongings.

Meera Al Shaikh, Director of Customer Happiness at RTA’s Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, emphasized the organization’s customer-centric approach, stating that strategic goals prioritize passenger satisfaction. The success of this initiative stems from a sophisticated framework featuring specialized teams and seamless integration between call centers, taxi companies, and drivers, all supported by advanced smart technology systems.

The authority has implemented multiple streamlined reporting channels to facilitate easy property recovery. Traditional call centers handled 56% of reports, while digital solutions gained significant traction: smart applications accounted for 10.8% of cases, and the text-based chat service with virtual agent Mahboub processed 30.8% of reports. The multilingual call center operates in Arabic, English, Hindi, Filipino, French, Chinese, Russian, and other languages to accommodate Dubai’s diverse population.

Technological advancements have revolutionized the recovery process, enabling precise taxi tracking, rapid driver communication, and dedicated platforms for documentation and monitoring. The system guarantees swift response times, with most customers contacted within two hours of reporting. Clear procedures ensure proper identity verification, privacy protection, and secure return of belongings.

The initiative has generated substantial public appreciation, with the call center receiving over 30 thank-you messages during 2025. Numerous taxi drivers were formally recognized for their honesty and prompt handling of recovered items, reflecting strong values of integrity and responsibility within Dubai’s transportation network.

A severe multi-vehicle collision involving more than one hundred automobiles has brought traffic to a complete standstill on a major Michigan motorway following intense winter weather conditions. The incident occurred in Ottawa County where sudden heavy snowfall created dangerously slick road surfaces, leading to a catastrophic chain-reaction accident.

Emergency response teams from multiple jurisdictions rushed to the scene where numerous jack-knifed commercial trucks and passenger vehicles were scattered across the roadway in chaotic patterns. Witnesses described a scene of limited visibility and rapidly deteriorating road conditions that preceded the massive pileup. The complex recovery operation required heavy machinery to remove wrecked vehicles while medical personnel attended to injured motorists.

Local transportation authorities have issued renewed warnings about winter driving preparedness as meteorologists predict continued unstable weather patterns across the region. The motorway remains closed indefinitely as investigators work to determine the exact sequence of events that led to one of the area’s most significant traffic incidents in recent years. Transportation officials are coordinating with weather services to improve real-time hazard alerts for commercial and civilian drivers alike.