Blog 7: Sociable or Sincere

Although I do not use my English name now, I do have one which have accompanied me for over five years. I have chosen Vera as my English name for it symbolizes sincerity. This is the character which I attach most importance to. Moreover, I used to think that sociability was always to the contrary. As a result, I found it hard to choose majors that are closely related to sociability.

I still remember that Xiaoxu once did an oral report about high EQ. At that time, I asked her a question whether it is good for people with high EQ to hide their true feelings and opinions. I always thought that these people, to some extent, were hypocritical. In my view, I thought they led a tiring life wearing their masks. However, the answer from Ms Waheeda and Xiaoxu changed my opinion. They said that sociable people do not hide their feelings but express them skillfully and gently. This is totally true.

Now I am on the crossroad of my life. I do not know to choose Faculty of Science which is more relevant to doing researches or other faculties which focus more on practical skills. I am still confusing. However, the fear of being sociable is not a block in my way anymore. I know that sociability and sincerity are not opposite. People who are sociable are just showing their sincerity to keep friendship.

Be the man you want to be

Nobody can be perfect. In other words, everyone has disadvantages and shortcomings. Recently, after comparing myself with others, I found that there is a long distance for me to improve. As a consequence, I want to change some habits or even certain personalities to become the man I want to be.

Here I would like to list some of my disadvantages. In the following days, I will try my best to turn them into my strengths.

1.I am too lazy. I do not like studying, cleaning room, and laundry.

2.I am a little careless. I may spend hours finding something because sometimes I can easily forget where they are.

3.I have no resistance to games and that kind of temptation.

4.I am not very sociable.

5.My ambition cannot exist long enough.

6.I do not have the ability to laugh while facing cameras.

......

There are other problems that I dare not write down, and this is another disadvantage.

Fortunately, I have at least one advantage: I have the courage to face the fact and change the situation. With this, I believe the list above can become my motivation rather than the obstacle. As I mentioned in my oral presentation, it is actually the earliest time when you think it’s too late to change something.

The reason why I choose this as my topic is as followed: Recently one of my friends in Singapore always told me that he was very boring. He could hardly tell the reason when I asked why, and everything even play could no longer attract him. Without his words, I am not sure what is bothering him. However, if he is upset about his behaviors and his personalities, I hope this blog can help him to find the courage to face his own disadvantages.

What is gone is gone. Feeling regret for the past is meaningless, and it is the future that makes sense. If you are not satisfied with yourself, list your advantages and try to change yourself. Follow your heart and be the person who you want to be.

blogger 7: One Person Can Really Change the World------iGenius, How Steve Jobs Change the World

     Today,I watched a documentary called "iGenius,How Steve Jobs Change the World". It is a comprehensive review on the short lifetime of one of the greatest man in the world--Steve Jobs, and the title of the passage is a comment on him which has really impressed me a lot. After watching it, I really feel inspired and motivated by his splendid experiences.
     At first, I just thought that Steve Jobs was only a successful businessman whose company has designed many popular products. Perhaps, it is also a coincidence that the research topic of our group is "the popularity of Apple products". However,the program has told me that Steve Jobs is definitely not only a businessman but also a genius who has changed the world in his own unique way. His success is based on his character besides the fashion of computers. He is described as "focused, intense, driven", and some even say "mean", but his aesthetic view point has spread throughout the world--simple.
    The most impressive description of him is "he cannot tolerate mediocrity"; I love this phrase"cannot tolerate mediocrity" because it explains why Steve Jobs pushed his team to the edge and beyond, and that also really motivated me. I learnt that I should never compromise with laziness and excuse; all I need to do is to spur myself up to keep looking for what I really love and insist on my dreams.  Just as he said on the graduating ceremony of Stanford University: "As with all matters of the heart, you will know when you find it". If one wants to be outstanding, he must say no to mediocrity.
     Another inspiring spot is his words: Stay hungry, stay foolish. Here, "hungry" does not mean the feel of one's stomach; it refers to the desire to learn knowledge as one is hungry. "stay foolish" also asks us to "stay humble", to learn from others. It is a fact that Jobs did not invent computer or MP3 player, but it is he who has managed to make the device more user-friendly, and this is the revolution of computer all about--touching people. By learning from others, he got the idea of promoting mouse and the pattern of listening to music. When he knew the serious disease in his body, he knew the limitation of his life, so he put more effort in designing and developing new products.
         Now he has left us but every time when we use iPhone, iPod, iPad and Mac, we should pay our respect to the iGenius--Steve Jobs, a genius who has changed the world by his own. Everyone can learn from his inspiring story; not tolerate mediocrity, stay hungry, stay foolish.
         

Blog 7: Little Self-portrait

Since the topic of this week is Personality and Values, I would like to analyze my personality a little bit. Although someone may doubt if it is necessary to do so, in my opinion, it is the top priority for every person to get along with each other. Knowing your friends personality traits, especially his or her preference and temperament is of great importance, for it can prevent you from offending your friend even if you have no intention to do so. You just don’t know why he or she loses his or her temper. In my opinion, friends should be open to each other, and by doing so, we can avoid unnecessary friction in our life.

Well, classmates that may not know me well may think that I am quite easygoing and have totally no temper. I have to say that the statement is partly correct. Yes, I am easygoing most of the time. I am indeed the follower of peace and harmony- in other words, I feel extremely sorry for all kinds of conflicts, deceptions, disasters and, especially wars. Usually I will be deep in thought and sorrow after I watch an unfortunate event happening to people. For example, after watching the movie Schindler’s list, I spent hours to draw myself from meditation. To some extent, I think I am sentimental: my mood is easily conditioned by the environment- the things around me. That is why I love peace and most of the time, I prefer listen to others’ opinion than to insist my own one. I do not mean that I deny my opinion; I just feel that it is good to accept others’ views if they are reasonable and rational. Whoever is courteous to me, I will double respect him or her.

However, I don’t know why but there is one kind of character of others that I do not so appreciate: a manner that is too dominant and aggressive. The one with this kind of manner may suppress other people and ignore others’ feelings more or less, even though the fellow himself does not sense that his words and tone have actually given others that kind of sense. Confronted with this fellow, I may be like a rubber ball: the more pressure I receive, the high I bounce. Even though I know he has a good intention, I may become a bit firm and tough but I will try to control my temper. But as you know, when air is continuously pumped into a balloon, the balloon is sure to explode one day. I do not mean to hurt someone but I just cannot control.

There do exist some shortcomings in my personalities and I promise that I will change them little by little. I will learn to control my temper better than now. However, I also believe the idiom “It takes two to tango”. What I want to say is that, to be friends, two people must be open and understand each other’s situation; only by doing this can friendship exist for good.

Blog 6: As long as you are good enough

As long as you are good enough

Yang Liping, the great and famous Chinese dancer . Especially after the 2012 CCTV Spring Festival Gala Evening, We can easily find many praises to her in the Internet.When reporters asked her if dance is the reason why she does not want a baby. She replied that" Different people have different aims to life. Some are continuing their clan; some are enjoying; some are asking for. While I am a watcher. The reason why I come to this world is watching how trees are growing; how rivers are flowing; how clouds are fluttering and how dews are freezing.

I still remember a sentence Yang said in the TV program" A Date With Lu Yu" , which moved me very much. Yang birthed in a remote mountain in Yunnan Province.So she can always get inspirations from flowers; birds; fishes; insects; fluttering clouds and flowing watter in the nature. When she joined the Chinese central national dancing and singing troupe, she thought the traditional training methods were totally different from her intuitions for dancing. Therefore she refused the collective training and insisted her own methods. She got many criticisms even leaders canceled her subsidies. Lu Yu asked her is it may cause that her leader would reduce her opportunities to perform. Yang replied that "As along as you are good enough, they must employ you."

This earthy sentence moved me very much. Because it told out a truth which is always ignored by people who are always saying that they are ambitious but nobody can know and dig them up. The truth is that sometimes we do not achieve our ideals or lose our dreams is not other people's responsibilities. It is just because we are not good enough. The reason why this sentence moved me is neither encouraging nor comforting. On the contrary, it is a kind of warning. Because "As along as you are good enough" is a pretty hard condition which need you dig out all your potential abilities and sagacities; take all your responsibilities; bear all the foolish, mistakes and fails, face your hesitations and weaknesses directly.

Faced with the frustrations, somebody are easily to turn to two kinds of people. One kind is kicker. The other kind is rageful people. All of them will push their disappointments to the world. Through the angry and rage, they absolve their responsibilities. At the same time they give up their possibilities to improve.

Yang Liping followed troupe to cross the forests in Yunnan Province when she was 11 years old. Strode the elephant's excrements and suffered the vipers, many of her teammates complained this kind miserable life and left. However, in Yang's eyes all of these are beautiful, wonderful and enjoyable. The experiences in the troupe are too tough for others, but Yang overcame all the trouble. When Lu Yu ask her how did these problems influence her. She just replied that" You just know what is your behaviors' value. Then you will bear all your grievances." With this kind of attitude, Yang keeps training after others' train every night. Finally she created the famous dance "Que Zhi Ling" and got many prizes just because of that sentence" as long as you are good enough, they must employ you."

When you complain you are not successful, please considerate that do you think you are facing more problems than Yang? Some people think she had more chances at her age. But I cannot agree. Every people will have some chances, only once or twice is enough. Just they have not prepared enough. Please remember" As long as you are good enough".

BLOG 7: Have Fun with Making Videos

I have been in Singapore for nearly four months. During this period, I have being trying many new things, one of which is making videos with iMovie. I find that it is really challenging, interesting and meaningful to making videos.

Above all, it is challenging to start from scratch to learn to make videos. You must patiently try to explore the features of the video software and find out the functions of every icon. Apart from this, the most difficult problem for me is to match the pictures to the rhythm of the background music.

However challenging making a video is, I am always interested in it because it is really interesting! You will satisfy yourself when you handle one problem after another and have a great sense of achievement after you have finish your work.

Now, we come to the meaning of making videos. Let me introduce the videos I made first. 1. I made a video of my friends in Chongqing University as a present for New Year to them. 2. I made a video of my family as a present for Chinese New Year. 3. I made a video to memory my Senior School life. 4. I made the video for my Orientation Camp’s group to present in the Talent Show. 5. I made a video as an AD for CELC in class. 6. I made a video for Ji Yi’s birthday. From examples above, I think the meaning of making a video is to record our precious life, memory our past and celebrate events. One special meaning is that videos can be saved permanently and not like other things, the value of them increases when time passes by. Imagine after many years, you open the videos you made today and recall the sweet time you were in. How nice the feeling could be!!!

Well, anyway, I have been a little bit crazy about making videos and I hope all of you can join to explore the joy in it with me.

Blog 6: My Discovery in the Singapore Zoo

Last Sunday, we went to Singapore Zoo to have our study of service learning program. At there, I gained not only the primary methodology of a successful service for others, but also a new realization of a wonderful zoo.
I found many differences between most Chinese zoos and the Singapore Zoo. However, I think the biggest and the most important difference is the distance between people and the nature. The difference is shown in many aspects.
First of all, Singapore Zoo provides more possibility for people to communicate with animals. Sometimes, it seems as if we are the ones being watched by animals but not the animals, especially when we walk on a narrow road through a jungle or a bush because most of the animals are living in habitats free and comfortably without a limitation of a cage made of iron wire. For instance, when I got out the lecture hall, I amazingly found that there were many bats sleeping soundly above my head. When I went across a bridge, I saw some crocodiles having sunshine bath comfortably. I also saw some orangutans doing some difficult movements like some gymnastic athletes on a rope above. Two Great Tortoises were lying on the ground without any movements like big stones near us. Some small kangaroos were palying and taking photos with people. Two white tigers were having a bath in a pond not far away from us. The natural and relaxing environment really impressed me a lot. I could imagine that if the tigers do not have danger to us, we could even take photos and play with them. To sum up, the zoo gives people more chances to be in touch with the nature and close to the animals.
Moreover, many buildings in the Singapore Zoo mix well with the nature. I saw that many houses were made of wood and had the same colors with the surroundings. What impressed me most was the toilets because they were well decorated in many details. The washbowl looked like a root of a big tree and the partition was like a fence made of small trees. There was even a fish pond in the toilet. All of them made us feel as if in the wild nature far away from big cities without noise and pollution.
As we can see, the Singapore Zoo makes people closer to the nature and let people enjoy the experience of communicating with animals. Actually, these are what we really want in a zoo. Thus, there is no doubt that the Singapore Zoo is so popular.