Reposting Blog 6 "the formula for long lasting friendships"

It is normal to have people walk in and out of your life. Friendships are like relationships, there are breakups as well; however, the common parting reason for such circumstance is merely because of conflicts of interests. Such interests may be either materialistic or spiritual. For example, a rich person may use money or some similar substitue (materialistic) to buy a friendship whereas the rich's friend may return the favor by giving him/her back something spiritual. Do you think the friendship would last? I doubt it.

So how can a person have long lasting friendships? He/she to find genuine people. What are genuine people? You see, numerous people, especially in our generation, misunderstand the meaning of true friendship, such as : people who would lend you their homework to copy, have many fun with you, stand up for you or even be there for you when you are in need. But it is not true. A true friend is somebody who would help correct your flaws and never take advantage of you.

The formula for long lasting friendships is very simple. You just need to find somebody who would not be singing praises about you or bringing you down without a legitimate reason. A friendship that does not expect any return will last, because friendship is not an investment. If you ever expect something in return from a friendship, you have already lose it.

Tattoos

Although numerous people believe tattoos are harmful to a person's reputation, I view tattoos more than merely body artworks. Tattoos are markings made by ink on a person's skin for decorative modifications or other reasons. It is undeniable that the people who usually have tattoos inked on their skin are those who are involved in the entertainment industry and mafia. This kind of mentality once again brings us back to the issue of stereotyping, because not all people with tattoos are bad people.

 

Tattoos originated 5000 years ago. Tattoos have served as marks of rank, symbols of religious faith, adornment for bravery and courage, sexual attraction, pledges of love, protection, etc. since ancient times. The icon and impact of tattoos differs in various places and cultures. Until recently, there were no negative associations in the past. Tattoos are associated with criminals or the naval community. But there is nothing wrong with tattoos because they are merely symbols being inked on a person's skin. You see, people tend to view something as wrong if it has be done by criminals or people who are not agreeable in society. 

As for me,  I see tattoos are for us to mark the sweet memories in parts of our skin, so everyday when we see the tattoo, we will always remember not to take things for granted as many things only happen once in a lifetime. I also believe tattoos can be used as locking up painful memories under our skin, because they can act as reminders not to make the same mistake again.  Every tattoo has a story lying beneath the skin.

The Truth about Marriage

"... Until death do us part," many of us will find this wedding vow very familiar if we've gone to any wedding ceremonies. Although many people are serenaded with the word, forever, when whispered in their ears, I shake it off my shoulders. It's not that I do not believe in love, but I am reluctant to believe in a forever that is written on a piece of paper. To spend the rest of one's life with his or her beloved, sounds so simple and sweet, but "one life one love" only happens in fairytales. I have observed the people around me for a very long time, and I find marriage is a joke. There are countless of divorces in our society today. Whoever invented the idea of marriage must be insane, because marriage is a contract. What is the purpose of signing a promise to validate the love when it is not going to last anyway? If two people do not get married but are willing to love each other dearly for the rest of their lives, you have to agree with me that this option is far better than having a broken marriage. 

We often see or at least are willing to believe and picture marriage as an extended honeymoon with candlelit dinners and romantic European trips. However, marriage in reality is learning how to let go of some personal old habits and making room to accept new compromises with the spouse. It is true that marriage is about listening to one another and letting go of immature obstinacy, because sometimes it is essential to swallow one's pride. Instead of investing time and putting earnest effort after getting married, a lot of people think marriage will work on its own after getting married. But they are very wrong. Marriages or relationships do not and will never work on their own, unless both people are willing to work out and sort with each other. 

If ultimately, marriage is going to let people feel that they can take for granted of one another, then why bother getting married? The effects of marriage would just ruin two people's lives. I believe that one does not need marriage to prove his or her love as a bona-fide. Having faith, cherishing and treasuring one another are the essential keys to keep a relationship appreciated and strengthened. Marriage is just a vanity. 

Stereotype hurts.

I took Sociology 1 in last year's fall quarter, I have learned something very important, and that was about stereotypes. We, human beings, tend to judge or categorize people by their ethnicities or skin colors. I have a personal experience of being stereotyped by other people. I am an Asian who is not good at math or sciences. I get quite uncomfortable when people ask me if I'm a math major or economics major because I am a person with black hair, brown eyes and yellow skin. Because of my outlook, I am being labeled as someone that I'm not. Americans tend to view Asians as intelligent diligent people. I must admit there are many hardworking Asians, but not only Asians, there are numerous people from different ethnicities who are hardworking too. 

As a child, my mother always taught me never to judge others. Judging an individual by his/her skin color or ethnic group is very wrong, extremely demeaning and not fair for the person. For example, after 911, Americans had and still have a phobia towards Middle=Eastern people and Muslims because the terrorists belonged these two categories. From then onwards, many Middle-Eastern people and Islam followers were discriminated. People don't realize that stereotyping hurts the person. Stereotyping does not view a person as an individual but as a member of a certain category. Therefore, the person who is being judged on due to his/her outlook is not respected. If we could stop and prevent stereotyping from happening in the future, everybody would be equal, the world would be a better place. 

Teenage Blues

Anthony Brandt has once said, "Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family." I was brought up in a family with reserved Asian parents. My father always told me I should not be bothered by my insufficient playtime because I should aim for the highest. I knew what I wanted - to be my parents' successful daughter. 

   As my adolescent journey began, I started to have a mind of my own. I started to rebel by telling my parents off and slacking off in my schoolwork. Because of my insubordinate behavior and terrible academic performance, my parents sent me to a boarding school in London, hoping I would have a better change in a conservative environment. Ironically, I went the other way. Not only I did not make any improvements, I also started to pick up bad habits. I was constantly sent to the deputy principal's office to explain my poor manners. I was infamous for being the troublemaker in the school. 

   I was sick of everything in my life; i came up with a plan. On a hot July night in Hong Kong, I packed my bags and I walked out of my father's household. I was going to forget everything in the past and start a new life.

I started my new life. To pay off my living expenses, I worked as a waitress in the Chinese café. The Chinese café industry was very demanding and complicated. To prevent others from taking advantage of my young age, I learned to protect myself by acting roughly. The working hours were long; the payment was meager.

A few months later, I received news from my father that my mother was not feeling well, I felt very guilty. I knew I had caused her enough misery with my abominable behavior. Despite I had my pride; I went home and asked for her forgiveness. To make my mother happier, I eventually moved back home. 

I still have disagreements with my parents at times, but I know they would never forsake me for the wrong decisions I have made. I have learned that a family is a family, and will always be a family. Just as my father had always said, "the family is one's last resort." 

diagnostic essay

Many writers are brilliant intellectuals because they portray their thoughts in an organized manner along with creativity. Unlike them, I see myself at lost when I write. I struggle, as I don’t know how to put my thoughts into written letters because like shooting stars, my mind is full of short-lived ideas. It takes me a very long time to group my thoughts into an organized manner because my mind is always in a mess. I always don’t know how to start my introduction due to the fact that I to tend to worry my writing would bore my audience. Perhaps I worry too much when I write therefore I get hindered a lot.

 

As a thinker who is living in a diverse community with numerous intelligent philosophers and writes, I feel that my insignificant beliefs and thoughts forgotten easily by this competitive fast-paced society. Having to be brought up in a traditional Asian family environment while being sent to an international school has put me into an awkward situation where I can’t my belongings.  To be educated in a so-called open-minded “western environment” while being taught to have reserved Asian values, I feel discomforted because the people from my race view me as an Asian whose thoughts are whitewashed while the Americans view me merely a person with black hair, brown eyes and yellow skin. But whatever people would see me as, I am determined to prove to them and myself that I will find the balance between the open-minded western thinking and the conventional Asian culture.

 

 

 

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