Helping others

　　　The next topic of my oral training class is about helping others. Christina wanted us to imagine that we are driving on the road while a person who needs helps is waves his or her hand. Would you stop and help that person? My answer is that if “his” car is broken, I’ll call the car factory and find someone else to help him. But if he wants me to drive him to other place, it’s impossible. But after Christina’s experience sharing, I became to doubt that whether helping others is true or false. Or when I myself may incur some problems, should I really give up helping the one who needs me?

　　　Christina said that one time she drove in United States and met a man had some problems with his car. Christina wanted to help and she didn’t even have to get off her car but her friend refused it. Her friend only said “You never know.” I was shocked actually because her friend is right. You never know whether he is a good person or not. But in such a cold weather and he needed to wait for a long time until next car will pass by, how can we just abandon him? I hate, of course, those who take advantage of other people who trying to help them. It is them that make others dare not to help someone they are not familiar with or something that may bring them some troubles.

　　　But how about those really need our helps? For example, if you see a child was kidnapped, can you just pretend that you didn’t see anything happened or simply think that it’s not your business but other’s? Because you might get hurt and even die if you trying to help the child, rescue the man who was drown, or save the cat which almost collided by a high speed car, you choose to stand, watch, and go away silently. Human beings are selfish. They didn’t want to lose anything – such as money or their precious time – by helping others, but once they need help or their close friends and family need help, they blame humankind are bastards. They called those watcher are cold-blooded, but they didn’t notice that they did the same thing before, probably hated by someone else, too.

　　　Even though there are so many unfair things in the world, such as our charity might not be rewarded, I still believe that human beings are born with love. We love and are loved by others. We feel sad when others have difficulties although we didn’t know one another. And I believe that’s the reason why so many people will donate money to help the poor children or some severe injured people even if they are not rich at all. Those people who receive helps must help others in their own ways, too. We should really cherish the time we are able to help others, and don’t feel sorry when we need other’s help. Because only when you realize the feeling of receive helps, you know what’s the true meaning of helping others.

Is money important?

　　　Recently I read a piece of news which is about a female ex-legislator now is come down to live by picking up the garbage in Taiwan. It’s ironic that one person who used to have both money and fame now also lose both of them. At the end of the news, another legislator said, the more clean-handed you are the worse situation you will be. Being shocked by what the legislator said, I can’t help but think about the issue we discussed in the oral training class – the importance of money. My professor, Cristina, let us listened to the story in the tap before the discussion.

　　　The story is talk about a professional athlete who should choose to stay in the original football team or to go to the new team far away from his hometown. Now being the best athlete in his original team, he has a very good relationship with his coach and teammates. Compared to the ordinary people in his country, he is already wealthy. But the new team in England served him much more money. The discussion began; I have two partners and only one of them thought that as a “professional” athlete, he should go to the new team. But the reason is not the superficial money but the good chance to challenge and meliorate his ability. When professor asked us to vote, going to the new team is also the minority.
　
　　　If I were him, I would not leave my family and country to the new place where I am totally not familiar with. There is no guarantee that I can success in there and can also keep my family. Probably I prefer the stable life to the adventure. But then Cristina reminded us that the professional athlete’s life is short, actually. So do you change your mind? Yeah, this really shook my decision. What would life become without money? Shouldn’t I earn money as much as I can?? Does it seem like what the legislator said previously? As a short-life-worker, if you don’t seize the chance to make a fortune, you would never have that again. But, there’s also no guarantee that I can have a better life after I retire if I earn a lot of money now. So is money really so important?

　　　At the end of the class, we see a poem about what money can buy. I quote some of the sentences. “It can buy you a house, but not a home; it can buy you a clock, but not time; it can buy you a book, but not knowledge; it can but you sex, but not love.” I believe money can help a lot but also can destroy us once we misuse it. Still, I can’t forgive those “overtake” public servant. You do how many things and take how much money, although your job’s life is short or whether you may suffer from broke later. I hope I would never become those who never satisfy with money or being unhappy because of money. Then I can stay in my wonderful country, live my own life, and cherish what I have now.

Our earth

　　　Last weekend I read an article called “A Faustian Pact” which is actually talked about the climate change in the Earth. But what’s make this article unique is that the author used the story of Faust to be a metaphor of this serious issue. This is my first time to access Faust’s story. Faust is a brilliant doctor, who strikes a bargain with the devil. The devil gave him twenty-four years to live in all voluptuousness, and Faust will surrender his soul to hell at the end of that period. But in this article, the Faust is humankind – restless, curious, and unsatisfied. The devil is fossil fuel. Faust’s miraculous abilities are the activities fossil fuel permits. We live in the environment which is full of senses and luxurious, but later we need to pay for it.
　　　
　　　The article provided some examples which I never thought about it. Now people would no longer just die because of the rising sea level, but because of the disease, water shortages, and droughts etc. The rising temperatures could give rise to many other problems. The diseases would spread easier than before because of the temperatures. The increasing temperature would cause the decrease of mountain melt waters and the decline of the waters from the leaves. Not only the human beings but also other species and the oceans would suffer a lot. For example, the water could be too acid for shells to form, and this would be devastating to sea life.
　　　
　　　I believe that we all know that the environment is severe and need to be protected, but the truth is that most of us would not really put our thoughts into practice. We wrinkled our brows every time we heard the news about the greenhouse effect. We then told to our friends and ourselves that: oh, how terrible! We need to shelter our earth! But next moment we took the elevator, drove our own car, and turn on the air conditioner. To say is one thing, to do is another thing. Some people even thought that the situation is not worst enough. They are still waiting and watching. After all, they are already die when the destruction of the earth. Protect our earth? Come on, it’s not their business! Just leave the worry to the offspring and they’ll have solutions!
　　　
　　　Actually my classmates talked about this issue in our oral training class. Only the minority are willing to give up all the factors such as handiness and protect our environment. Handiness is an important consideration. We don’t want to walk so we take the elevator instead of climbing the stairs, drive cars or scooters instead of waiting for buses. In addition, privacy is also a top priority consideration. We don’t want to take the public transportations or the car pool because we want our privacy. I, myself is the same. I’ll be mad at my boyfriend if he can’t ride the scooter when we’re going out. But now I want to have some change after seeing a movie named An Inconvenient Truth. Recently I’ll climb the stairs in the main library and our department building. Instead of feeling upset, I’ll think I am helping the earth and at the same time, saving my life. It can be an exercise, too. And what’s more, it sometimes saves more time because I don’t have to waste my time to wait for the elevator. I really hope I can keep this good habit for a long time.

The Spring Break

　　　This is my first spring break which I can expect that it will be overwhelmed by the following mid-term exams and all the delay homework. But this is the seldom opportunity dating with the old friends and, of course, dating with my boyfriend. In this semester, we can only meet once two weeks or even a month. How should I arrange my time becomes the most difficult and important thing for me undoubtedly. First, I listed all the things I need to finish and ranked them according to their importance. However, I also want to be luxuriating – sleeping in my cozy bed regardless of the endless paper, eating the delicious foods regardless of the weights, and reading as many as I can regardless of the not yet finished textbooks – sometimes.
　　　
　　　Wednesday I went to my older sister’s school with her. On one hand I wanted to study outside my home so I can really concentrate on my school work. On the other hand, I wanted to borrow books from their main library. The journey is long, taking forty minutes from my home to the school, which is located in Bingdong, by the scooter. Studying hard in the whole morning, after lunch I began to explore the treasures – books – form one bookcase to another. It is the marvelous books that I even forgot the time – I picked them for almost two hours!! And not until when I went back to my seat did I realize that I chose more than twenty books that I wanted to read. Now my home had piled so many books waiting for me.
　　　
　　　Friday I went to SOGO Department Store with my boyfriend. Although Tainan and Taichung are not very far, for us, it is also a long-distance relationship. The true emotions can’t completely convey to each other through MSN or cell phone. The best way to maintain a relationship is still meet face to face. After browsing at the bookstore and chatting, we knew more about “love” and the doubt in my mind were solved. Moreover, we came across an activity which is called – happy bell. You can write down your wishes and knock the bell only by contributing a receipt. I wished that those I love and love me can be happy and health for good.
　　　
　　　Of course, besides these important things I must finish other essential things, that is, study for school works. That’s really cruel but a reality. But I somehow didn’t worry about it very much and believed that I can handle all the things well. Now all I want is pass all the exams and bury myself in the pile of books again. I know life is limited and there’re still a lot of things I haven’t fulfill, but only by reading can I reach some worlds which I won’t get in forever. Furthermore, only when I go to bookstores or libraries can I understand that the books that I read were nothing big deal. If I continue to waste my time, then I’ll lose so many perfect books and so much precious time getting along with my loved one. So, speed up, Nicky!