Photo taken by Luiz Gomez. For chinadaily.com.cn

Living in China for the past five years has given me plenty of time for research. I've often found myself intoxicated by the warmth of the people and their smiles. It was a surprising discovery that while the Chinese people always smile, the smiles do not always carry the same meaning or have the same origin. It seems the smile is not always given at happy moments.

Sometimes it is a polite greeting. Sometimes it is for self-protection, a tool for hiding negative feelings or masking remorse. I must admit I was saddened to discover that not every Chinese smile is a show of love. However, I admire the trait that even in difficult moments Chinese people have the strength to smile. I've decided to do this now as well. It is, perhaps, the greatest lesson I've learned.