Yang Chao of the Peking Globalist responds to our first topic question: where were you when Michael Jackson died?

BY YANG CHAO

Without that news, it would be a normal day for me. Like every summer holiday morning, I had my breakfast while watching Morning News on CCTV (China Central Television). When it came to the end of the program, I thought it would be something like the result of CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) final, or the report of Jay Chou’s successful concert. However, it turned out to be the shocking news of Michael Jackson’s death. Not only was the striking news announced, but also a short movie about MJ’s life and career was shown. It was really unusual. It’s not hard to come to realize MJ’s influence toward the public. Though not a big fan of him, I was still shocked. It was nearly 8 years ago when I was so impressed by the melody, the rhythm, and the lyrics of a famous song, Heal the World, the first time I heard it. Later, I memorized a name called Michael Jackson. In spite of the countless and continuous negative news about him, I’d rather believe that he was just the charming entertainer who sang and danced on the stage.