My winter break ended on January 12, and the Shanghai/Beijing DSS Program began with the arrival of NYU New York students to Motel 268. I was thrilled; not only to meet all of these new people, but that we were all able to participate in a service program under the umbrella of New York University. This service trip helped to shape my perspective and broaden my horizons. Over the span of two weeks, my group bonded together and worked as a team and exerted our unity and trust in one another. The experience also encouraged me to appreciate and understand various cultures - from discussing Hindu festivities to learning about the political situation in Iran, I felt as if, even after a semester at NYU Shanghai, it was only now that I finally understood the term cultural diversity. In Shanghai, our daily schedule was very routine - we would begin our days by visiting a pre-selected charity, eat lunch, and then visit another organization in the afternoon. At each of these organizations, including groups such as Shanghai Healing Home and Shanghai Raising Community Center, all members of the group would volunteer in activities such as playing with the children or making dumplings with the elderly to having friendly conversations with mentally disabled people. Our days ended with dinner, a discussion of the high and low points of our days, and a reflection. The reflection exercises helped us express our thoughts and emotions regarding different kinds of service. After several of these days in Shanghai, the time for us to leave for Beijing came. It was important for our group to visit the capital itself, to immerse ourselves in such an incredible cultural experience. Since most of the students were not from China, it helped us to understand the communities and cultures that we were helping. We visited famous tourist sites, such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City and tasted traditional Beijing food at a local street market. However, all of this was conducted through an academic lens. DSS also served to educate us about pressing social issues in China, and definitely raised awareness among the group. At the end of our stay in Beijing, our entire group was accustomed to our daily routine, and we were all well-acquainted with each other, both from NYU New York and NYU Shanghai. Initially, there was a barrier between the students of both portal campuses. But with the passing of time, it got broken down as we paired up in different groups for each and every activity, which helped us to know more about each other. Our DSS program went a long way in helping to bridge the gap between students of both Shanghai and New York campuses. We returned to Shanghai, where the program became even more interesting. The highlight of my trip was when myself and two other students were talking to residents of the Shanghai Healing Home - an elderly home. After two hours of conversations and playing games, it was time for us to leave. As we were leaving, an old guy gave me a traditional Chinese paper, decorated with ancient Chinese calligraphy, meaning something along the lines of “Live long and best of luck”. While handing this to me, he said, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t give you anything, so please keep this as a gift.” I can’t put into words how I felt at that exact moment, I only talked a little to that elderly man. But little did I know how much of an impact that conversation would have on both him and me. He was thrilled when he found out that I was from Pakistan but had started to say “朋友.” Whatever the reason may be, it was one of the most heart-warming moments of my life. I was already honored to spend time with these people, but on top of this, this man personally wanted to give me a present. This is something I’ll never forget, and will cherish for the rest of my life. I remember the day I was applying for the Deans’ Service Scholars’ Program. I was a little skeptical - I was going to have to skip a family wedding, and that was a big deal for me and my family. At the same time though, when was I ever going to get this opportunity again? Looking back, I had no idea how big of an impact the two-week long service program would have on me.DSS made me realize that there is a lot that we can do for our community. No matter where - urban or suburban - service is needed everywhere. This article was written by Haider Ali. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Kevin Guan