So that’s why…(The last post)

Today I read an article named “Deafening Asia” in “Reader’s Digest.” At the very beginning, I was curious about the title “Loud Asia” and then I read through it. It reveals the extent of Asia’s noise epidemic. To be frankly, I have not been aware of this problem or say I’ve never taken this phenomenon seriously before I read this article. The editor said when he moved to Asia 15 years ago, he was struck by the noisy environment we lived. (I don’t know if Chris felt that way as well.) However, then he thought maybe it’s just him felt that way because he didn’t hear any comments or complains from Asian. Few years later, he heard about few people in Hong Kong and Bangkok actually complained about the noise in public space, he filed this thought away.
It’s true that many young people turned their MP3 players very loud that I can hear the music clearly from two seats away. Many younger people are damaging their ears this way and I had been one of them before. Luckily, I don’t do this now. I remember that while I commuted to school, I always used my MP3 to listen to Studio classroom almost every morning when I was a high school student. I think I was the one as the article mentioned that turning the volume loud enough to cover the background sound so that I could hear the conversation in MP3 very well.
In this article, I found the answer why I haven’t noticed this phenomenon before. It said because we are losing our hearing little by little in this kind of noisy environment as we don’t think it’s bothersome. I was shocked that many of people in Taiwan may not be aware of this problem. After reading this article, I began to pay much attention to my surroundings. Surprisingly, I found from tiny clothes stores to public transport, the noise really makes me uncomfortable. One solution that can solve the problem is to make the public aware. Maybe we can improve it by demanding some stores turned down their music or we need to pay attention to how loud a sound lasts and limit our exposure in our daily life. In this way, we can improve noise pollution or the future generation may suffer it as well.

Speech Contest

These days I was busying in preparing the speech contest, since I only had five days to prepare it. At first, I was very nervous and worried about the contest especially I saw Chris was one of the audiences as well because this is my first time to join this kind of contest in college. However, Ellie accompanied me, I felt much relaxed. At the beginning of the contest, I received my mom’s message, she told me don’t look down myself and she believe me can do the best job. I was so touched that my tear was nearly rolling down my face. Therefore, I tried to tell myself to calm down and took a deep breathe. When I stepped on the stage, I brought myself to look all the judges and the opponents and finished my speech.

This was a wonderful but scaring experience that I beat my fear and did a good job! By the way there was one thing worth mentioning that was Ellie and I were admired “Jay” very much, who is the senior in our department. I know that she is very good at English and she won many competitions. I like her personality since she is very independent. I don't know her very well but at least it seems like that. Therefore, Ellie and I sat behind her when I finished my speech, then I touched her shoulder and we asked for her MSN. Oh, Jesus, I can hear my heart beats! Well, it’s so interesting but weird. No matter how stupid she will think we are, we are friends now!

Time flies

I don’t mean to be clichéd but it is the truth. About one month after, it will be the end of the semester. I begin to cast back what I’ve done and learned this semester. My sophomore year has been half year past, I know I will be a junior student after soon because time flies. All of the course I took this semester I like advanced reading class most. In this class, I learned by sharing opinions with other classmates. Teacher gave us enough time and space for us to express our thoughts. She also taught us moral and always inspired us to read more to be thoughtful people. She cheered me by her words, maybe she had forgotten what she had said to me, but as a student, I really appreciate her very much. This semester, I took Basic Japanese as well. At first, I don’t know why I chose this class since its characters is so unfamiliar to me and hard to memorize. However, through weeks’ study I can understand some basic sentences and I felt excited although I did not really do good job in the recent two quizzes. I know I can do it better! Teachers and my mom once told me that Japanese is important if I want to apply for a better job in foreign company or in Legislative Yuan in the future. Therefore, for this ugly reason, I think I will keep going study Japanese. This semester I learned one thing that is being independent. I know that if I always rely on someone, he/she may feel annoyed. What’s more, I think everyone has its private space that does not want to be bothered. I hope I am improving not only my English but also my thinking in this semester. I think it’s much important than get an A++.

Movie: The PURSUIT of HAPPYNESS

In Interpersonal Communication class we watched a movie called “The PURSUIT of HAPPYNESS” yesterday. The movie depicts poverty in America and the man whose name is Christopher Gardner’s struggle for life. At first glance at the name of the movie, I wondered why the title written “HAPPYNESS” instead of “HAPPINESS”. After watching the whole thing I found it’s the misspelled name of the son’s daycare in the movie. It’s interesting!
I love the quotes which Christopher Gardner said in the movie. Here are the following quotes and my reflection:

Christopher Gardner: (to his son) Hey. Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something. Not even me. All right?
Christopher Gardner: (to his son) You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something? Go get it. Period.
These two quotes inspired me a lot. I do not know exactly what I want to do in the future. But I got my dream and now I decide to keep that in my mind and pursuit it from now on. In literature class Chris told us that studying in English department not means earning high paying job but for the wealth in our mind was much important. At that moment, I couldn’t agree with him more. Yet, after I watched the movie, I started to wonder and worried about my future. I do not want to have the tough and miserable life like him since I am not sure if I have the courage and perseverance to keep going on like him did. Some people like to tease others by saying opposite words to make them feel depressed and make them lose their confidence. Therefore, I think ignoring their fleer and believing in ourselves and do what we want to achieve is fairly significance.
Christopher Gardner: (to himself when he encounter the toughest time in his life) It was right then that I started thinking about Thomas Jefferson on the Declaration of Independence and the part about out right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I remember thinking how did he know to put the pursuit part in there? That maybe happiness is something that we can only pursue and maybe we can actually never have it. No matter what. How did he know that?
I think the quote has something to do with the title. He put “pursuit” on emphasis and actually when Thomas Jefferson enacted the declaration, he did not promise people they will have it. In my opinion it’s a pessimistic thought but in some situation it’s true. We cannot possibly own everything in our lives even we make great effort. Like “Matilda”, she couldn’t get her parents’ love therefore she gave up it and chose books instead. In the end, she received teacher’s love and her magic power and lived a happy life ever after. Therefore, I think every one can pursue their happiness and can get it as long as they content and cherish what they own now.
After thinking deeply of the movie, I have some critical comments.
Firstly, the movie shows race issue. For example, it was the rich white guy failed to pay the fare, but the taxi driver asked Christopher for the whole money. Secondly, isn’t it too facile that hard work lead to rewards? In my opinion, it’s happened only in the movie. Compared to true life nowadays, it’s too successful. Thirdly, the movie may chastise black men who abandon their children in an ironical way. In the movie, I am very impressed with the love between the father and the son, Christopher is a wonderful dad who works hard to raise his son. It’s a great model for all of us. In Taiwan there are many parents abandon and abuse their kids as well.
In a nutshell, using different perspectives to think about the movie can make me learn more than my expectation.

University Education-Things I've never thought before

I read this article in Commonwealth Magazine, it point out many important issues and problems that I have never noticed before in Taiwan’s educational system. Before I read this article, I only know that the quality of today’s students is not as good as those before. However, looking deeper, it is not all students’ fault, including the Ministry of Education and the central government’s Educational Reform Council, should shoulder the responsibilities.

This is a heavy problem that cannot be solved at a small period of time. Therefore, we students should demand ourselves to advance our professional knowledge to compete in globalization society. According to the survey, it states three significant qualities, independent thinking, a positive character, and the problem-solving ability are included. These three ideas stirred me loads of reflections.

In the past, I hardly thought about this. But now, I know even if diplomas are sill the guidance of employers’ first priority, owning these three abilities are equally essential. Thinking independently is difficult for Asia’s students for we are lack of this kind of training since we entered school. Consequently, cultivating this ability while in university is necessary.

I learnt a lot from this survey and it also inspired me about my personal evaluation. After reading this survey, I think I should learn as much knowledge as I can to fit the fast changing world instead of complaining about our education system. Taking practical action is better than blame each other all day long. As to diplomas matter, there is no denying that our society consider possessing a university degree is extraordinary valuable. I remember when I was senior high student, our principal, my teacher, and my classmates all told me that getting into a good college means getting a better job. As a result, there is no surprising that forty-three percent of parents directly stated that their children ought to attend university. This is the social custom that students in Taiwan cannot avoid. Thus, all we can do to survive is keeping acquiring knowledge that benefits us.

Spend it or save it?

I have a part-time job since this semester, which is Eve and Fiona recommended me to interview with a cram school teacher. After I get the job, I have seven hundred dollars a week. My parents told me to save the money I earned; however, I just cannot do it! I desperately want to save money for future using but somehow I always spent all of them on something that I couldn’t remember now. It’s kind of ambivalence, when I bought things, I thought it’s necessary at that moment. However, when I saw the empty envelope, I felt sorry about it. I don’t know what to do especially now my two envelopes are empty; it means 5200 were gone in two months. Ellie said I should limit the expense I cost in 100 every day. Well, one thought flashed my mind was “poor like a beggar again!” However, I agreed with her. I really spent too much money these days and I have to make some changes or I will become a real beggar one day. I think I’d better learn how to manage my money or I will regret when the third envelope is gone again.

Feedbacks

After giving some feedbacks for Chris, I think I have to change my learning attitude. When I said I don’t know what I can write in my blog since life is that boring, another thought of mine pops up. “I should do something meaningful for myself therefore I can write wonderful materials in my blog.” I said my writing have no progress, then I should read more to make my article perfect. When I said I do not know the reason why Chris played old movies in class, I think maybe it is part of American culture. I realize that I cannot narrow my horizons, for instance, if I know Frankenstein, it would do me well in making friends who are also interested in Frankenstein. In the future, if I want to be a diplomat, my conversations cannot just be “The weather is good, uh?” If I know much about western literal art, then I can have good conversation with people who know it as well. In all, I think I have another view of my English learning through this event. I do not want to limit myself in certain areas, what I should do is making myself more knowledgeable and sophisticated.

Too much

Sometimes I feel like shouting out when other people interfere my business too often and too much.This is a strange feeling. Knowing that to be cared is the most blest thing in the world. But sometimes just want to say, I want my personal space! It doesn’t mean that I am an uncompanionable person. I think no one have the right to interfere another one’s privacy. Appropriate intimacy is perfect, but too much can make situations totally sucks. When the bad feeling knocked my heart again, all I can do was talked it out to my friends. After a long complaint, our conclusion was that: we can not stop a person acting and being strange and weird. This is life; this is what we called interpersonal relationship. It at first is not simple, and it always being complex at the end. Thinking this way, my mood feels better again.

A place to escape?

Life can be wonderful, but what if it becomes doleful and bluesy? Sometimes I really want to go back to the days in Malaysia, Saba, to see the beach, the wide sea and relaxing life there. When I first jumped into the sea, I could not find a word to describe it. It’s just so unrealistic and marvelous! I tasted the sea water there the first time as well-it’s salt and bitter mixed together, not delicious at all. (ha…) I floated on the sea and looked upon the sky which was clear and blue. The stress were dashed all of a sudden.
When I felt depressed, I always told myself it’s not necessary to be sad and think about some people who were living in different places and doing different things happily. So, what’s not to be happy?
I believe that sea can bring me happiness and so does the air. When I felt sorrowful, I always took a deep breathe and strolled with my boyfriend then I can feel much better.
It is unavoidable that people must have negative emotions in our life or we won’t know the value of happiness and cherish it. Once I know that bad feeling must exist in our life, why do not just accept it and use another way to view it?
When I thought this way, I could get better soon.