Circular Value

Sometimes it is so contradicting when a person who claims to be generous and kind is actually engaging in actions which speak the opposite. Look at our surroundings. We have those who say they pay a rather significant importance on educating the younger generations, and yet charging the courses available at such high cost to the point of some fail to take up tertiary education. We have those who want to bring people off from the dying edge and to ensure the health of many souls, and yet charging even higher cost for the medications, even the medical check up requires particular amount of money. We have those who wish to bring better lifestyle to all citizens within the restricted boundaries, and yet they ask for dozens of surcharges onto each requests made. Are the wishes and claims true after all? Indeed, it is ridiculous to have a person making losses out in their professions. Nonetheless, is it really necessary to charge at such a price that many cannot afford, which may then cost the person a great opportunity or perhaps, his life even? Perhaps some may say the price value allows people to distinguish the best from the worst, the higher the better quality and guarantee. Is it really? Or it is as simple as the marketing purposes? Are all the low priced items that bad? The amount we pay in the current days does not guarantee us the best service nor the best learning environment, but merely, the envious expressions in which others put on their faces whenever it is mentioned. It is a circle indeed, without us knowing what could be the main contributor to such a mess. Do all doctors wish to be doctors so that they could save many lives? Do all academic institutions founders found universities and colleges just so they can produce students of higher quality? It all comes down to one word, money. How pathetic. 

Showing Empathy

We are asked and taught to be empathy toward the surrounding people and incidents, regardless whether we’re biologically bonded. In hospitals for example, we have patients checking in and out daily, with their family members going in and out the building during the hospitalization period. Their presence may be due to their love and care over the significant ones who are now lying on the bed, in the room which is filled with the smell of chemicals and medication. Some may be wondering why bother to be present, as the visitors can only stand there and watch the patients undergo suffers and pain, not a big help to ease the pain they are going through, nor to pull them off from the illnesses. Perhaps we are there to provide emotional support and so the patients are able to hang on and continue fighting the terrorists who exist within the bodies. Perhaps we simply show up to prove our care and concern, as there will be the others who would witness our presence, and not commenting on the absence which many may perceive as cold-hearted. Even the hospital staffs themselves are required to show particular facial expressions and voice behaviours which suggest empathy, such as speaking in a lower tone and showing neutral expression. In other words, empathy is no longer to just feel for what the others do, but also to engage in actions to show that we do feel. It may not necessarily to be actions in making the other person to feel better, but actions which reflect our urge of supporting the individual, despite our relationship proximity with him or her.

Assessment

Assessments are carried out every now and then in our daily lives, range from academic to interpersonal. Certainly, it can be either formal or informal, depending on our purpose in doing so. Very often, we check on the amount of change after paying the bill, to see whether the waiter is being honest instead of cheating our money. At times we allow the hairdresser to take over in deciding our new hairstyle, hoping we will take on a whole new image which would please us and the significant people around. Also, we take note of the promises our lover or beloved friends have made from time to time, assessing their trustworthiness for future reference. All and all, assessments come into picture across different situations, among different circles, with us being the examiner, determining our very own marking scheme. Though we may be assessing others at this moment, we are in the same time being assessed by the people around, looking from different perspectives based on the necessity and likability. 

Crime Prevention

“Prevention is better than cure”; a greatly used phrase which aims to increase our awareness on particular topics. During the last prevention project, however, one of the speakers actually set a limit onto this meaningful saying. How so? By sharing information regarding the various types of crime in national language despite the fact that there were international participants who clearly did not understand a single word spoken, the speaker ignored student helper who notified her on the foreigners’ presence and carried on with the slideshows in mother tongue. “It’s okay,” was the reply. How depressing. The purpose of the whole event was only partially achieved at the very end of the day. Sometimes wonder, are we not required to share the knowledge on how to prevent self from being the victims of the crimes, simply because some of them are not the official residents despite the fact that they are living within the same boundaries as we do? Does the cultural difference still apply when it comes to human lives? Is there any law or statement which states that only the people of our own should be warned on the possible life-threatening incidents? Then again, are we not all from the same species after all? It is such an irony that the speaker actually failed to carry out the duty assigned, in terms of both crime prevention and the speaker’s job itself. Perhaps this simply reflects how people tend to be biased across many situations, though many may have claimed to be the opposite. It may be due to the speaker’s inability to speak fluent international language, or maybe not. All and all, it is never possible to fair to everyone around us, ever, because the degree to it does vary. At the end of the day, some might not even have the chance to be briefed on all these life-risking possibilities, where the “prevention is better than cure” fails, due to the limitations set onto it by us the biased creatures.

The Ruler

Every now and then we receive news on our kind being attcked by wild animals, which then provoke certain parts of the existing society and request for “justice” to be done. An eye for an eye, they say. Nonetheless, is death not part of the food chain created  by Mother Nature herself? Do our actions in seek for vengeance not mean us going against the nature law? Or perhaps the fact that we go after the murderer in disguise is indeed part of the food web itself? Justification for our purpose of hunting may be based on territory invasion, stating that if the animals did not cross the borderline in the first place, the killing could have been prevented. But, who has the right to state which land belongs to which species? We claim ourselves to be the smartest species on Earth as compared to all, due to the higher ability and capability in performing tasks. We claim to have owned and ruled this very land, simply because we are able to speak while the animals don’t. The truth is, do we really? Of whose boundary that the animals have crossed without asking for permission? Or perhaps we should say, of whose boundary that we are crossing without permission? Our population may be huge, but it certainly doesn’t mean we own the land, because the fact is, we just don’t. It is simply our perception, that since we have higher capability which allows us outsmart other species, we can label ourselves as the ruler for this very planet.

火与碳

当两人的爱情刚开始起跑，之间的情感可说是有别于一般的炽热，好比众人口中的“热情如火”一词。然而，此梦幻般的甜蜜平均不过足以维持一百天，过后的发展则事在人为。或许我们会埋怨说对方是如此的不善于表达内心感受，导致我们不时觉得缺乏安全感。也许我们会诉说今日无法与昔日比较，只因身边的他仿佛换成另一个人，过去的体贴与甜言不再回响于耳边。曾经拥有的火热，此时此刻竟不胜于街边的一盏小灯。但是，两人之间的感情难道就这么失去光芒，其中的温度就这么流失吗？既然爱是多元化的情，表达方式自然也有不同的手法待我们去学习与揭晓。好比两人的情感是堆燃烧中的火碳，起初所生的火虽小，可却能随着时间的流失逐渐扩大其燃烧范围，后失去让人耀眼的火焰，形成一堆毫不起眼的灰碳。然而如此，这并不意味着火焰无法重生，因为火种仍健在，不过是需要外来的助力以便再次展现昔日的光彩。看似死气沉沉的灰碳在微风的鼓舞下亦能再度精神焕发而持续的燃烧。人与人之间也能一样。与其我们不停展望对方采取行动好让两人之间的感情重燃火焰，不如静下心来思考事态是否果真如此严重，还是一切终究是内心的贪念所致，不满对方没有作出更为明显、更为特出及意料之外的举止以搏我们欢心。或许是我们主动采取行动的时候了也说不定。两人相处得再火热，到头来也抵不过时间以及习惯成自然的摧熬，成为灰碳；以温馨却不显眼的举止取代了甜言蜜语。火焰虽然耀眼，其寿命却无比短暂；灰碳看似落寞，却散发着强大的能量并持有燃起火焰的能力。碳中有火，火中无碳；是火是碳，始终因人而异。

Towel

Unfamiliar information or situation makes us feel uneasy and insecure at times, in which is rather common. Nevertheless, actions can be taken to deal with such insecurity using resources available in the surrounding. For example, one person forgotten to bring his towel and is in need to take a shower, yet there is no towel available for sale or rent. With only one face towel in hand, he decided to use the face towel instead. Perhaps some may say that the face towel is pretty much useless as it is not sufficient enough to dry the entire body. Is it? Or is it not? Indeed, the surface area might be smaller as compared to a towel. However, it does not mean that it is not capable performing the task given. All it needs is an extra push, or a different way to carry out what is required to be done. Improvise the steps to dry ourselves up using a towel with the area of 300 centimetres; squeeze the towel every now and then before continuing the action of drying ourselves up. It might be inconvenient or troublesome to be repeating the same step over and over again just to achieve one goal. Nonetheless, by doing so we are able to achieve our goals during the most desperate situation. We might have been over-pampered by the latest technology and convenience created, hence forgotten about how it was like back in the older days where we had to walk for miles in order to obtain a bucket of water. Perhaps we simply do not like complicated or repetitive procedures, that we tend to get bored easily. Whichever it may be, decisions as such are unavoidable at times during our entire life span. In the end, it is our determination which would decide how we take charge of our lives; to do, or not to do it, the complicated style during the most needed moments.