1. Who am I?
The question looks so easy, but I was confused how to answer it. Who am I? I remember my classmate said ‘I am who I am’. I think the answer is very interesting and reasonable.
We all think we know ourselves very well; however, I believe that is not exactly true. We always represent someone else, someone different than us. Imagine that you are a salesman at a shopping mall. Can you really be yourself at work? I think the answer is no, because you have to be the person who makes the customers happy. We do not know ourselves very well, but we also do not realize that. On the other hand, I think unconsciously we actually know who we are, but we do not want to accept that.
2. The Tall Building
This is the name of my favorite English poem, I have a lot of thoughts about it. I think our life is like the tall building. We always try to put our building up, but we never think that since the building is up, than we become smaller. We always want more money and other supplies, but we never think about things we really need.
It is true that financial income is necessary in order to support our lives. We can keep earning more money, and the tall building can go as high as possible. I think we should go back to the primitive lifestyle which will make our being easier and happier.
3. The love
My dog is three years old and her name is Pepsi. She used be very lively and jump like a cat. Unfortunately, she cannot jump anymore because of the accident that happened to her.
On July 31, 2012 Pepsi fell down from my sofa while she was sleeping. We took her to the emergency room, and they informed us that the chances are slim that anyone can help her. I cried after I heard what the doctor said. They suggested me to take Pepsi to a bigger hospital, but still they thought we won’t be able to save her. My wife and I did not give up and took her to the other hospital. Finally the doctors were able to help her and saved Pepsi’s life, even though she didn’t fully recover. The doctor told us that Pepsi may not be able to walk again. We gave away everything we had to help Pepsi during the last three months.
Now she is able to walk and she is getting better day by day. Doctor said this was amazing, they never saw a dog that could recover like Pepsi.
My point is that we had never realized how much we loved her until the accident. We did not know how important she was for us. She has always been so healthy that we never thought we could lose her. Pepsi is only one of the examples in our life; we do not realize how much we love someone, because we never think that we can lose them.
4. A car
In China a car is not only a means of transportation, it also represents your status. For example, you see a guy driving a Ferrari. People will assume that this guy is rich, and they may show more respect to him. Yet, I think we cannot define a person’s value by a car.
Firstly, we are not sure if the car belongs to the driver, he could borrow or steal it, you never know. Secondly, we cannot say the car’s value is equal to the person’s value.
5. What is the true happiness?
In my society class our professor asked us if wealth can make us happy. Students had different perspectives, and their comments were different.
Some of them gave positive answers. They said wealth can help you get whatever you want. No one can live without money, so wealth can make people happy.
On the other hand, some people think the answer is no. They agree that people cannot live without money, but they do not believe that rich people are happier than poor. They think rich people have more stress and more risks in their life, so they always worry about losing their wealth. Also, some rich people get everything they want and then lose their passion. Poor people always have a hope to become rich, so they live a more positive life.
I do not know which answer is correct, but I think both sides have a point.
6. Different views may have different ideas.
Child labor is always a topic for people to talk. I have watched many documentary movies that discuss child labor in China. Who is going to take responsibility for that? Are western consumers responsible for those children? Am I responsible for them?
In my opinion, Chinese government is the one who can fix this problem. One person cannot make a difference.
On the other hand, does anything need to be changed? According to the minimum wage rates in USA Chinese workfolks are paid peanuts and employers know that, however, the labors feel that the wages are acceptable. We cannot make western companies offer Chinese and American labors the same salary, because in such case USA organizations will have no reason for outsourcing.
7. Why children are always happy?
I always ask myself why I cannot feel the true happiness as I used to in my childhood. I remember I wanted to grow up faster when I was little. I thought my parents were free, and they could do whatever they want. I wanted to be just like them.
Now I am 25 years old. Sometimes I want to go back to my childhood. I have a great family and many close friends. I have enough money for me to spend. Yes, at some points my life is great, however, I still do not feel myself as happy as I used to.
I have an answer for myself. First, I think it is easy to satisfy children’s needs, anything can make them happy. Second, children do not have that much stress in their lives. And finally, they have parents to protect them no matter what happens.
I know the answer to my question, but I still want to go back to my childhood, even just for a day.
8. Loyalty?
The world is changing too fast, and it changes everything around us. In the past, most of the employees from China could work for one company during their lifetime. They did not quit their jobs because they were loyal to the company where they were working.
Nowadays people change their jobs all the time. Why do they do that? I think one of the reasons for that is the amount of money they earn. It is not important how long they work for a company, they will easily quit their job, if other company offers them a bigger salary.
In our modern society we care less about each other. We chat on internet and see each other on photos instead of face to face communication.
We do not care about anything but money. Of course, loyalty becomes extinct!
9. Why do we go to university?
This topic is really interesting for me, and I always ask myself this question. What is really interesting for me is that I had different answers throughout different periods of my life.
During the first year of my university studies, I had an opinion that I started them because my parents wanted me to have a degree. I didn’t think that university was important for me at that moment.
During the second and third years of my studies, I thought that education was important, however, I still wanted to graduate faster because I thought I was ready to start working.
Now I am in my last term in school, and I actually enjoy studying. I think the reason why we go to school is the desire to know what knowledge is. Knowledge cannot give you five million dollars, but you can acquire something more valuable from learning.
10. How would I define culture?
I came to Canada when I was 18. In China young people still get financial support from their family until they graduate from university. Young people in Canada try to become independent after they turn 19.
I am Chinese, but I live in Canada. What should I do?
I am 24 years old, and I still live with my family. Why?
I think all my decisions are based on my cultural background. I believe that culture is not only what you see and what you can learn, it is also something inside of you. I think culture is related to your background, it matters where you grew up. I can be an example to prove my point. I was born and raised in China, and lived there for 18 years, even though I stay in Canada for more than 5 years, I still define myself as a part of Chinese culture. Something inside of me is connected to Chinese culture, and it will never change.
