Collector: Do you have any lucky numbers?

Informant: 8.

Collector: Why 8?

Informant: Because it’s a lucky number in China. That’s where I grew up. So, like, 88 is a really, really lucky number there.

Collector: That’s interesting!

Collector’s Notes: In class we talked about unlucky numbers in China, but I don’t think we mentioned any lucky numbers.  Here, in the United States, we have 3 and 7.  It weird how we learned that 4 is an unlucky number in Chinese culture, but they find 8, 4’s double, lucky!  I personally find 8 lucky because I like both the number 4 and 8 inherently.  Maybe because there are 4 people in my family, and possibly because I started dating and got engaged to my fiancé on August 8th, or 8/8.  I like how the Informant is still very in touch with the culture that they were exposed to in China.  Because that was such a fundamental time of their life (childhood) it makes sense that those beliefs stayed with them and they carried them with them here.