2009-08-31

These days globalization is turn to influence all field in the world, not only economic structure but also culture and education system. Study abroad is became more convenient and simplicity. Some people consider the process will broaden young people’s horizon and enrich their experience. While the other hold the opposite viewpoint, they believe that it is possible better to stay home. Personally, I am inclined to the former. In this paper I am going compare these two standpoints.
First at all, no one can deny the basic fact that study abroad can learn more advanced knowledge and techniques. And for the reason that living in the other strange country, surely they will increase their interpersonal and communication skills. Therefore they will enrich their profession and life experience.
In the second place, globalization can be found in many areas, these young people have the background of living overseas will increase job opportunity. Not only career experience but also multicultural life process will richer than the other contemporary. So they have more job opportunity even can running their own business.
On the other hand, in no way can we lose sight of the weakness of study abroad. During the first two or three months, these young will meet so many difficulties of communication, life habit, weather, food taste and homesick. While if they can hold on and step by step solve these issues, it is not so difficulty to depart from the ‘culture shock’ stage and enter in the adjustment stage. After this everything will turn soft and shine.
All in all, as I pointed out study abroad has benefit outweigh disadvantage.

2009-08-21

Culture shock?
These days we always discuss the topic ”culture shock”. At first, I real think it is a big shock between the different countries. While with the in-depth discussion, I can not stop asking myself :”Is it so great shock? Is it so huge gap between the different culture?”
I don’t know how can explain it in English correctly. Still use my simple story, I have studied in Shanghai Jiaotong university about Chinese traditional culture. We had an whole day study twice a month, one of my class is about Buddhism. Our tutor is a eminent monk who comes from Qinghai. We had talked about belief systems, e.g. Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, he said:”It is not emphasis you believe which religion. Religion is just like a boat, the aim of every kind of religion is let people get into the other side of river. The world over there is composed of all the outstanding qualities. So there is no much difference among religions, which teach people to do good things and to be good men. If you can get into the other side, which kind of boat is real not important!”
In my point of view, it is similar for the culture. It looks like too much difference among the different culture, but deep down through the cortex of the culture onion, we have the same ultimate allegiance. We all advocate sincere, virtuous, fine and so on. We all yearn all the good qualities in human nature. So I don’t think there is so much shock in different culture.
Finally hope I can explain myself clearly in the group discussion. Because it’s real a challenge to me for disagree with the other. In my whole life I always agree with the other I don’t know very well. So good luck to myself!

2009-08-20

The presentation finished, while the self-examination is continual. Fail is fail, no excuse. But still, I can sum up some lesson for the next time.
RULE 6 Do not change too much one time
I am strong on use my simple words to explain some complex thing. This time I wanted to use some professional words. I have never heard about distribution before, so I wanted to do some search into it. When I started my first sentence, I suddenly realized that I made a mistake. When I am nervous, I can’t remember the word I have never used before. And the first time I got the wrong pronunciation, secondly it happened again. Then I was totally lost. I don’t know how it continued, just thought about as soon as possible finished the presentation and went back to my safe place in the dark.
RULE7 Time management is very important.
Presentation is important, find a flat is important, 5 hours sleeping is important, everything is important, then fix up the 24 hours rationally is the most important thing.
So those two lessons should add to the last lessons, and should remember it very well.

2009-08-02

LET IT BE
These days, I am in a sad plight for looking for my new flat. It’s hard to find a satisfied place in LONDON, just like in SHANGHAI. And now I have another problem of move in Cedars for the reason is maybe we will no water in our building.
Since 28th July, our boiler was replaced for sever days. First we were told it would running by Friday 31st July, then we had received another letter to inform us move to sister block. Actually, the ‘sister block’ is on the other address away from one street. My hackles rose when they mentioned that all in all is for our HEALTH, SAFETY and HYGIENE. I can bear the long trip everyday to LCC, I can bear lost milk, cake in the fridge, I can bear to take a hot bath spent 10 minutes to the sister block, while I can not bear someone just send a letter to ask me move to another building without any detail whether we should move back or not. There is nobody could answer our question because we received the letter on Weekend. Why they thought put everything into sever big case and drag these case through a street and haul them to third floor without lift are very easy? So disagreeable!
I took a breath deeply and recalled how can I do when I meet the same strait in Shanghai. Yes, to have a good dinner. Fine food would make me fine. While it is hard in London for the western food is not fit for my Chinese stomach. Lack the genuine Chinese seasoning I am only able to do some dish very simple. But it still worked, I feel better now. The circumstance that I could not change, so let it be!

2009-07-28

Ways of seeing are ways of thinking

Last week, we have done a listening exercise WAYS OF SEEING on the class. To me it was very difficult to understand. And to be honest, I did not think highly of it at first. Because the vocabulary is hard comprehend and clearly the video had been produced for several years. But three minutes later, it caught my eyes and mind. As he said that A lot of parts of seeing depends on not only natural but also habit, society, tradition and so on. It is completely correct! Like old Chinese saying, ‘one thousand people read the RED TOWER, it must have one thousand Lingdaiyu.’ (RED TOWER is the greatest litersry works in China and Lingdaiyu is the leading character ) For the reason that everything or everybody we see it thought our own ways. Let me give a simple example, an red apple, peasant see what is the breed, retailer see how much profit after sell it, painter see the colour and shape, and I ,I just see the thing that I can eat it. Therefore the ways of seeing indeed are the ways of thinking.

This video is finial part of a program which had produced in 70’. The main idea in this part is to what extent the publicity influent our live. In our daily live, we are surrounding by publicity. It seems they have a large number of contents and forms, but practical it just send one information —— consume. It also seems our live quality depends on buying something. We could transform richer, eleganter, smarter if we buy the product which they recommend. We have no reason to refuse the commodity because we all want to be enviable and glamour. While we could never achieve this level, so we need the assistance of publicity from beginning to end.

Publicity is also special overwhelming that we never think about query it. Like the politician, publicity do not respect for factual accuracy. And the difference is publicity never be condemned —— they are natural liar. We could not query publicity for the reason that they have substituted our mind. Thus we were to be deprived the right of distrust.

Seeing is continue, and, we have no choice!

2009-07-21

Dragon’s Den
Finally, the presentation of Dragon’s Den has been finished.
We are not very accustomed to teamwork, so from the beginning we spent a lot of time in determined the product. After changed several times, and then adopted a product we all recognized. To me, of course this was not the first time to get a compromise, but definitely the most peaceful one.
RULE 1: compromise is necessary
Then, because we did not know the capacity of partners, I had done the part of them such as design of box and logo. For the reason that delegate, they answered for the inside of the box. Maybe it was because of the obstacles to the exchange , after several time we still lost something.
RULE2: mutual understanding + thorough communication = trust
After that, because of some of members was absence sometime, until morning the whole project had just merged.
RULE3: sometime, we must be forced to stay together
During the presentation, to my surprised, I was very nervous too. Prior to this time I had done presentation in Shanghai, certainly in Chinese. I am reluctant to speak English, it makes me change another one who is stupid and boring. But we could not using Chinese, so as soon as I opened my mouth I lost control of all the thing. All the words in the mind were the simplest and I forgot too much.
RULE4: write key words on the paper is necessary.
At last, I found a interesting thing . For my personally, PINK is the most complete and mature plan. They failed for the product is not interesting enough. How close with play! If the story is not brilliant enough, the form cannot catch people’s eyes.
RULE5: product must be fun
The first presentation was finished. Although there were many problems, still found it very interesting. I hope the next time may not be so much regret.