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Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Why do I have to care about your opinion?
This morning I was listening to BBC World Service. The cricket match between India and Pakistan was attracting much attention. Over a billion people would watch this game. As the reporter giving the real-time score of the match, he also connected with two Indian students studying in Pennsylvania. Their conversation was of course about the game, and more precisely, about how they were watching the game. But then, the reporter asked.... Since cricket is not popular in the US, what do the Americans think about this game? Pardon me? Why? Why is this question even relevant? Just because these students are studying abroad, they don't have to like football, nor should they change their love for cricket. On the other hand, I could be a Chinese who loves football, doesn't matter what Americans think about it. What a stupid question.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Pick the Right Story!
Yesterday there was a front page story on the local free newspaper Red Eye about deportation center in Illinois. I chuckled while reading the story because whoever wrote it didn't make it clear if they are for those to be deported or against them. (I don't believe that journalists don't take sides. They pick stories to write about because they care about one way or the other.)
The main character in this story was a 19 year old young man who was about to be deported to Mexico. He has been in the US since he was 5 (entered illegally with his family). He has just recently fathered a child with his 20 year old girlfriend - call me conservative but I don't want my children to think that having a child out of wedlock is a norm, ever. Now he's gone, somebody has to pick up the tab for this single mom and new baby. There must be some sort of health care he has received, who paid for that?
He was working hard - wait, who paid for his education for him to get the job?
He was picked up at a traffic stop - hint: safe drivers don't get picked up, anywhere.
He was found driving without a driver's license and arrested - great, I guess he doesn't have insurance either.
He would be deported to Mexico, a land he has little knowledge of and few friends - that's what I had when I first came to the US too! But I made it just fine.
This country has always been tolerant for irresponsible behaviors, but I don't have to be. I don't screw people and have a child while my own life is in limbo. I always try to do the right thing, because it might seem free now, but I know I will have to pay for it one day. But I hate to pay for others' mistakes. Where is the accountability?
The main character in this story was a 19 year old young man who was about to be deported to Mexico. He has been in the US since he was 5 (entered illegally with his family). He has just recently fathered a child with his 20 year old girlfriend - call me conservative but I don't want my children to think that having a child out of wedlock is a norm, ever. Now he's gone, somebody has to pick up the tab for this single mom and new baby. There must be some sort of health care he has received, who paid for that?
He was working hard - wait, who paid for his education for him to get the job?
He was picked up at a traffic stop - hint: safe drivers don't get picked up, anywhere.
He was found driving without a driver's license and arrested - great, I guess he doesn't have insurance either.
He would be deported to Mexico, a land he has little knowledge of and few friends - that's what I had when I first came to the US too! But I made it just fine.
This country has always been tolerant for irresponsible behaviors, but I don't have to be. I don't screw people and have a child while my own life is in limbo. I always try to do the right thing, because it might seem free now, but I know I will have to pay for it one day. But I hate to pay for others' mistakes. Where is the accountability?
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Vote with your feet
Last week one of my colleagues had a chat with me about her experience applying for the Green Card. Sure there were a lot of pain and frustration. It really seems that this country doesn't want people to follow the legal route to come here and treats whoever attempts to do so like crap.
But later I read a post online about how a father ran back-and-forth between two cities many many times to try to obtain a Beijing Hukou (a unique form of registration for permanent residence in Mainland China) for his infant daughter. Of course, before she was born, he had to also go through many hurdles to obtain a permit to have the child. The father is a PhD and a professor in one of the best universities, but it didn't help his case in anyway (I agree it shouldn't, he is entitled to be treated like crap just as everyone else). He said at the end that he would prepare his daughter for a US Hukou.
Well, prepare for more torture for that one.
But later I read a post online about how a father ran back-and-forth between two cities many many times to try to obtain a Beijing Hukou (a unique form of registration for permanent residence in Mainland China) for his infant daughter. Of course, before she was born, he had to also go through many hurdles to obtain a permit to have the child. The father is a PhD and a professor in one of the best universities, but it didn't help his case in anyway (I agree it shouldn't, he is entitled to be treated like crap just as everyone else). He said at the end that he would prepare his daughter for a US Hukou.
Well, prepare for more torture for that one.
Friday, August 13, 2010
American Idiots
I was dismayed to find that the first few online comments on the America's Best College List by Forbes started with this: "This list is lame. Cambridge is not in the US." To put this into context, Forbes' article starts with: "The best college in America is not in Cambridge or Princeton..."
Apparently the folk lore that Americans are ignorant about the world's geography is not exaggerated. Some people don't even know their own country's geography! Many commentators later correctly stated that Cambridge is a small town outside of Boston where two of the most famous universities are situated: Harvard and MIT. They are not talking about Cambridge, England. Well, those who jumped to the conclusion without researching in the vast amount of information available to us nowadays at our finger tips definitely won't make it to those two universities. They might've failed their high school science classes.
It brings me back to the question: how much could you trust the crowd? Sure the crowd will always adjust itself until it comes very close to the right answers, but how long should we wait before we could be sure that the crowd is right?
Apparently the folk lore that Americans are ignorant about the world's geography is not exaggerated. Some people don't even know their own country's geography! Many commentators later correctly stated that Cambridge is a small town outside of Boston where two of the most famous universities are situated: Harvard and MIT. They are not talking about Cambridge, England. Well, those who jumped to the conclusion without researching in the vast amount of information available to us nowadays at our finger tips definitely won't make it to those two universities. They might've failed their high school science classes.
It brings me back to the question: how much could you trust the crowd? Sure the crowd will always adjust itself until it comes very close to the right answers, but how long should we wait before we could be sure that the crowd is right?
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Some things I Picked Up from American Women
# I say NO, and that means NO.
# When I say "Fine", "Whatever", and "Right" with a weired tone, you know I mean "you are an idiot and I don't care what you think".
# I say Thank You whenever someone does anything nice for me because I don't expect anyone to do anything for me.
# I pay my own bills.
# I have a lot of road rage.
# I paint my toe nails.
# I eat yogurt (but no cheese snacks, thanks).
# I call my female colleagues "honey" and "sweetheart" sometimes.
# I drink cold milk even when I am having my period.
# I don't try to avoid using "I" any more.
# When I say "Fine", "Whatever", and "Right" with a weired tone, you know I mean "you are an idiot and I don't care what you think".
# I say Thank You whenever someone does anything nice for me because I don't expect anyone to do anything for me.
# I pay my own bills.
# I have a lot of road rage.
# I paint my toe nails.
# I eat yogurt (but no cheese snacks, thanks).
# I call my female colleagues "honey" and "sweetheart" sometimes.
# I drink cold milk even when I am having my period.
# I don't try to avoid using "I" any more.
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Ugly Internet
The older I get, the more I believe that humans are born evil, especially when no one is watching, like on the Internet. I started writing my Chinese blog in the hope that I could use facts and reasons to change many people's ignorant and distorted view of the world. But sometimes I am tired and have doubts if that would ever happen. Too many people leave irresponsible and nasty comments without even reading my blog carefully. When you argue based on ideology, not facts, then there is really no discussion, it's just a vent-out, a monologue.
Well, I guess I would still write on, changes are incremental, especially changing people's minds.
Well, I guess I would still write on, changes are incremental, especially changing people's minds.
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