Nothing is more invigorating than being surrounded by all shades of opinion, and that to me, a first-timer reporting on the all attention-grabbing annual two sessions, is the whole point of this political season. Simply put, it is the one time of year when the country collectively takes soundings from a so-expansive arena that covers all subjects that concern the public.
Chinese reporters might have felt more comfortable covering the nation's biggest political event this year as they were exposed to more and more trendy discussions by officials who usually seem detached from ordinary people's lives.
I was stunned when I read a report on the first day of the two sessions that one of the national political advisers had suggested that maternity leave should be extended to three years. It might be no big news for some European countries, but in China where women enjoy only 98 days of paid leave, it undoubtedly made headline.
Premier Li Keqiang said the government should fight against excessive use of power by people who are "renxing"－a word popular on the Internet that has gone beyond its traditional meaning of "headstrong" to also refer to someone who carelessly squanders money and power.
It never occurred to me that I would be the one having my picture posted on social media at the annual two sessions.
The agenda may become routine for a veteran reporter, but every year there are amusing moments when you hear or read some funny suggestions or proposals at the sessions.
More than 10 days after the terrorist attack in Kunming, Yunnan province, the pain still lingers - a pain familiar to people from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which is on the front lines of China's anti-terrorism battle and home of people from different ethnic groups including Uygur, Han, Kazak, Tajik and so many others.
On March 10, five deputies of the National People's Congress attended a news conference to answer questions about how they fulfilled their duties last year.
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