With the arrival of the summer heat, cultural-themed ice creams are once again trending across social media platforms in China.

Museums, scenic spots, amusement parks and even universities have once again rolled out their unique cultural-themed ice creams this year. These ice creams are often tiny copies of famous landmarks or cultural relies that offer visitors a delight for the taste buds.

The trend of cultural-themed ice creams began in 2019 when the Old Summer Palace in Beijing was one of the first scenic spots in China to introduce lotus-shaped ice creams. It was inspired by that in 2017 eleven ancient lotus(莲花)seeds were discovered in a pool at the Old Summer Palace. Six of these ancient lotus seeds bloomed in the summer of 2019. So to mark the occasion, staff at the Old Summer Palace designed ice creams shaped like lotus blossoms. These ice creams were widely loved by visitors, not only serving as a cold treat but also offering a unique way for visitors to sample and connect with their cultural heritage.

To protect their cultural relics, many museums have put up signs prohibiting photography or the use of a flash. However, cultural-themed ice creams provide an alternative way for visitors to catch memories of their visit. Various flavors offer visitors a choice of colors and ingredients for the ice cream, which reflect the local characteristics and charm of these cold treats. It is also suggested by the museums that the visitors can take the carved ice cream bars home with them to use as bookmarks.

For many young people, taking photos of themselves standing alongside cultural landmarks is an artistic preference from their parents’ generation. To them, a selfie(自拍)with a cultural -themed ice cream is a much cooler way to show off their travel experiences and bridge the gap between modern life and distant historical relics.

Many people believe that a career change at 50 is almost impossible because no company wants to invest in someone with such limited working life left. However, fortunately I’ve achieved a career change unexpectedly.

For 15 years, I had the same job under various line managers. I enjoyed the work itself, but grew tired of the constant monitoring and fixed rules of the company. The inflexibility annoyed me and change seemed out of reach. With my 52nd birthday around the corner, I came to realize that I would have to make a career change.

Two months later, my wife spotted a job advertisement placed online and encouraged me to have a try. So I applied for it. Lacking experience in that particular role, I was pessimistic. However, I was surprised to be offered an online interview. Luckily, the interview went well, and they told me I would hear from them the next week if I passed the interview. So when three weeks passed with no word, you can imagine how frustrated I felt. I carried on looking for other chances, but my search was interrupted one afternoon when the company’s HR team phoned and invited me to come for a second interview. I was shocked, and at that moment I began to feel anxious. Then my wife suggested that I should try to show my true self in the interview. I got her point and tried to calm myself. I answered their questions as best I could, and eventually they offered me the job.

It’s proved that companies do invest in people over 50. I hope that anyone attempting a midlife career change can take the plunge. With the right attitude, you can achieve almost anything and get what you want if you have a try.

In 1969, I was five years old in Lynchburg, Virginia, a skinny black kid of somewhat poor village. At that time, what my villagers were watching was “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind — Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were walking on the Moon.” I always joined them with great interest.

My father was a farmer who worked from dawn until dark, struggling to feed my family. But he always took pains to do all the things to make money for his children to experience different adventures and encourage us to run after our own dreams. After Neil Armstrong’s moon landing, all the kids in the neighborhood thought I would be an astronaut one day. But I didn’t see an astronaut like me, because family background did matter.

I went on with this dream through a high school, and even a college. After graduation, I went to work for NASA. A friend of mine handed me an application and believed that I would be a great astronaut. Although I was lucky enough to be chosen, I didn’t know what it meant to be a real astronaut. In 2007, I was in Space Shuttle “Atlantis,” careening off the planet, traveling at 17,500 miles per hour, and eight and a half minutes later, the main engines cut off, and we were floating in space.

My job on this mission was to install(安装) a laboratory for materials and human research, which the European team have been waiting for 10 year. I grabbed out the big module, using the robotic arm and attaching it to the space station. So, this moment happened. It was done and I had a big sigh of relief.

In the space station, I could communicate with different people from all around the world. We had these people living and working together. Whether Russian or French, all these different people coexisted in harmony as one family. And so, when I looked up to space, I thought we all had to hold onto something until we finally came to the fantastic space.