Daily Commute: 50 miles. But my parents who work at UAB and I take the same car almost everyday therefore 50/3 is ~16.7 miles. Carpool can significantly reduce your energy impact.
Annual Commute to school: ~3116.7 miles.
Annual Gas Consumption: 129.9 gallons. My parents drive a 2001 Toyota Avalon which has a fuel efficiency of ~24MPG. It's pretty energy efficient, but I'm hybrids and smaller cars are even more efficient. Also the car is getting old, therefore it's MPG might not be as great.
Annual Energy Impact (Oil Consumption): 3.1 barrels
Annual Green House Gas Emissions: 1.7 tons of carbon dioxide emitted.
Vehicle Air Pollution Score: 2. VAP Score is based on how much smog-forming air pollution is emitted. It's on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 is the worst and 10 is the best). So a 2 is pretty bad. I looked at other cars produced in 2001, they all have VAP score of 1 to 3. Then I checked out the 2009 Toyota Avalon, its VAP Score is 6!!! Obviously people are more conscious now. Technology has enabled us to reduce impact on the environment. Of course this over production of green house gases started with the Industrial Revolution.
Next year, school year, I will be in college. I hope my commute will be less. I'm going to UAB so I do have the option of living at home. But more than likely I will dorm and will walk/bike to class more. I probably will only go home once or twice a week so my commute should decrease by about 50%.
I did this same energy audit in APES a year ago. My transportation distance did not change at all in my 5 years at ASFA. Cost of commute has since oil prince fluctuates. 2007-2008 school year had the most expensive gas.
Again carpooling is one of the best ways to reduce transportation energy. Carpool will also save you parking money. Too bad Birmingham doesn't have public buses/subways every where. Everyone wants to live out so they can have big houses and lands. Another way to decrease transportation energy is to get a more fuel efficient car. I drive a 2001 Toyota Corola which is more fuel efficient than the Avalon my parents drive. So next year my energy impact will also decrease since I will switch from driving a 24MPG car to a 30MPG car!!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Friends
A friend is someone whom you feel comfortable going to a bar with wearing sweatpants. A good friend is someone whom you feel comfortable going to a bar with wearing no pants.
Lol, my mom read that quote somewhere yesterday… then I guess I don’t have any good friends since I’m not going to go to a bar wearing no pants. Chinese people have a similar saying. We say “穿一条裤子都嫌肥” which means best friends are so close that there’s still room if they wear the same pair of pants.
How do you define a good friend?
In movies, there’s always the popular girl whom everyone wants to be friends with. But how many real friends does she have?
How can you make friends and keep them?
Seniors will leave and move on to college soon. How many of the people I call friends now will I keep in touch with? How many new friends will I meet at college?
Maintaining a friendship takes a lot of work. Technology has made it easier (facebook, e-mail, text message, etc.). But to truly keep a friendship going, both parties need to put in effort. One of my best friends in the world lives in China. We met when we were in the 3rd grade. Maintaining a friendship over the Pacific Ocean is difficult. It means I have to give up at 6:00 A.M. on a Saturday so I can call her. It means I have to stare at a dictionary so I can write a letter to her (yeah, for a while, I forgot how to write in Chinese. I had to look every other word up in the dictionary).
I will work very hard to keep in touch with my good friends at ASFA. I don’t need many friends, but I need the ones I have to count.
Anyone wants to give me tips on how to keep up with friends?
Lol, my mom read that quote somewhere yesterday… then I guess I don’t have any good friends since I’m not going to go to a bar wearing no pants. Chinese people have a similar saying. We say “穿一条裤子都嫌肥” which means best friends are so close that there’s still room if they wear the same pair of pants.
How do you define a good friend?
In movies, there’s always the popular girl whom everyone wants to be friends with. But how many real friends does she have?
How can you make friends and keep them?
Seniors will leave and move on to college soon. How many of the people I call friends now will I keep in touch with? How many new friends will I meet at college?
Maintaining a friendship takes a lot of work. Technology has made it easier (facebook, e-mail, text message, etc.). But to truly keep a friendship going, both parties need to put in effort. One of my best friends in the world lives in China. We met when we were in the 3rd grade. Maintaining a friendship over the Pacific Ocean is difficult. It means I have to give up at 6:00 A.M. on a Saturday so I can call her. It means I have to stare at a dictionary so I can write a letter to her (yeah, for a while, I forgot how to write in Chinese. I had to look every other word up in the dictionary).
I will work very hard to keep in touch with my good friends at ASFA. I don’t need many friends, but I need the ones I have to count.
Anyone wants to give me tips on how to keep up with friends?
Sunday, April 5, 2009
North Korea
When we had the War on Terror discussion in class, Clint/Sadie/Steven talked about North Korea. They said that North Korea was about to test their long-range missiles. The paper said something like even though North Korea said they are just sending a satellite, US believed that they are actually testing weapons. The few days later, Russia came out and said that North Korea was just sending a satellite.
Personally, I don’t understand why the US is so paranoid about North Korea sending stuff into space. How come US can have nuclear weapons and other countries can’t? So US will use weapons for a good cause and North Korea will use them to destroy the world? I don’t buy that. The US has not right interfering with other country’s business. If the US is the only country that has nuclear weapons, then it will control and may be even hurt other countries. Check and balance is needed. So other countries need to have nuclear weapons too. I think the world will be at peace if every country has nuclear weapons. Then we will all be on equal ground. Again, balance is very important, like Lao Zi instructed.
China’s position on this issue is very important. The Chinese government never came out and formally pressured North Korea to abandon its nuclear and/or space programs. Based on Chinese history, China does not like to interfere with other country’s business. China went through similar pressures. Under Chairman Mao, China developed space and nuclear technology. China/Chairman Mao was pressured not to do it. Also China/Chairman Mao was criticized for starving the people to develop technology that will not directly improve the standard of living. But China did anyways. In my mom’s and my opinion, China won’t be where it is now if it weren’t for those developments. Because China has nuclear weapons and advanced space technology, China is more respected and “feared” on the world stage. The US is way less likely to go to war with China than with most other countries. Of course military strength is only one of the reasons. So China understands why North Korea is doing this now better than any other country on earth.
The US government really should not interfere with other governments. If another government is corrupted, leave it for the people to over throw. US also doesn’t have the right to decide who can have nuclear weapons. If you want to win, then just get stronger. It’s like if I wanted to go to Harvard I should work hard and make better grades. I shouldn’t go destroy Avo’s homework and spread rumors about her.
At the end , I want to include an interesting fact. At Suju’s concert, they sang a song titled “Luxemburg.” The lyrics describe different countries. For example, it said China has many people and Maldives is the best place for honey moons. Surprisingly, at least to me, it describes Korea using the phrase “will be united soon.” I guess Koreans, at least South Koreans, really want to be re-united with North Koreans. I thought it was interesting.
Personally, I don’t understand why the US is so paranoid about North Korea sending stuff into space. How come US can have nuclear weapons and other countries can’t? So US will use weapons for a good cause and North Korea will use them to destroy the world? I don’t buy that. The US has not right interfering with other country’s business. If the US is the only country that has nuclear weapons, then it will control and may be even hurt other countries. Check and balance is needed. So other countries need to have nuclear weapons too. I think the world will be at peace if every country has nuclear weapons. Then we will all be on equal ground. Again, balance is very important, like Lao Zi instructed.
China’s position on this issue is very important. The Chinese government never came out and formally pressured North Korea to abandon its nuclear and/or space programs. Based on Chinese history, China does not like to interfere with other country’s business. China went through similar pressures. Under Chairman Mao, China developed space and nuclear technology. China/Chairman Mao was pressured not to do it. Also China/Chairman Mao was criticized for starving the people to develop technology that will not directly improve the standard of living. But China did anyways. In my mom’s and my opinion, China won’t be where it is now if it weren’t for those developments. Because China has nuclear weapons and advanced space technology, China is more respected and “feared” on the world stage. The US is way less likely to go to war with China than with most other countries. Of course military strength is only one of the reasons. So China understands why North Korea is doing this now better than any other country on earth.
The US government really should not interfere with other governments. If another government is corrupted, leave it for the people to over throw. US also doesn’t have the right to decide who can have nuclear weapons. If you want to win, then just get stronger. It’s like if I wanted to go to Harvard I should work hard and make better grades. I shouldn’t go destroy Avo’s homework and spread rumors about her.
At the end , I want to include an interesting fact. At Suju’s concert, they sang a song titled “Luxemburg.” The lyrics describe different countries. For example, it said China has many people and Maldives is the best place for honey moons. Surprisingly, at least to me, it describes Korea using the phrase “will be united soon.” I guess Koreans, at least South Koreans, really want to be re-united with North Koreans. I thought it was interesting.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Project
For the final project in 21st Century Challenges, Kelsey and I will work together.
We want to talk about FOOD, more specifically food processing. Americans eat a lot of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables and not enough fresh foods. We want to explore the differences between consuming fresh and processed foods. Both the Pros and Cons. For example, eating mainly processed foods, the diet is extremely low in fiber. Low fiber diets caused by processed foods can lead to a medical condition caused Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis. These conditions are very painful and can cause much damage in the gastro-intestinal system.
Processed foods are not only not as good for the body but also less cost effective than fresh foods from the local market (in terms of transporting, processing, etc.). Kelsey and I plan to research this topic and present our findings in a paper and a pretty presentation.
Also, we will explore how we use processed foods without even knowing it. For a specific example, we plan to make muffins and identify the sources of processed food if any. We'll see if there are hidden processes behind the goodness of home-made muffins.
We want to talk about FOOD, more specifically food processing. Americans eat a lot of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables and not enough fresh foods. We want to explore the differences between consuming fresh and processed foods. Both the Pros and Cons. For example, eating mainly processed foods, the diet is extremely low in fiber. Low fiber diets caused by processed foods can lead to a medical condition caused Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis. These conditions are very painful and can cause much damage in the gastro-intestinal system.
Processed foods are not only not as good for the body but also less cost effective than fresh foods from the local market (in terms of transporting, processing, etc.). Kelsey and I plan to research this topic and present our findings in a paper and a pretty presentation.
Also, we will explore how we use processed foods without even knowing it. For a specific example, we plan to make muffins and identify the sources of processed food if any. We'll see if there are hidden processes behind the goodness of home-made muffins.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Food and Water
I read Sadie’s blog and checked-out the so_many_a_second site. It is really cool and I want to encourage everyone to see it. The site says that 200 stars are born every secons. Under the people category, it says that there are 2.5 more inhabitants on earth every second. 4 new people lose access to safe water every second. The world is growing at a fast rate; access to safe water is decreasing at an even faster rate. So it’s more and more important (by the second, I’m serious) that we use our water carefully.
Genetically modified crops that can grow in more arid environments save water resources. Agriculture accounts for ~80% of the nation’s consumptive water use. Efficient irrigation systems and water management can also help the farmers save money and conserve our limited water resource. Food and water are closely related. More efficient production/use of one can alleviate pressure on the other.
Genetically modified crops that can grow in more arid environments save water resources. Agriculture accounts for ~80% of the nation’s consumptive water use. Efficient irrigation systems and water management can also help the farmers save money and conserve our limited water resource. Food and water are closely related. More efficient production/use of one can alleviate pressure on the other.
Oxford Weekend and Anti-intellectualism
While I was at the Oxford Scholars Weekend, there were discussion groups about 21st century challenges. The main focus of my group’s discussion is America’s anti-intellectualism. Americans seem to have a growing hostility towards intellectual pursuits. In movies and etc., nerds are tormented and hard working students are not celebrated. The media often describes intellectuals as “out of touch.” This anti-intellectualism causes problems in the education system. Teachers can’t seem to inspire student because students have no desire of to learn whatsoever. There are infinitely number of ways to teach (in school or out of school), but if kids don’t want to learn, there’s not too much we can do.
As I reading about anti-intellectualism, I gained a little insight into my middle school. I came from a small, private Christian school. It has K4 to 12th grade and only ~200 students. There, the focus is on being a good Christian and getting closer to God. It’s a school but no one cares about science, history, etc. (that’s why I left the school). I read that some conservative Christians believe that public education suppresses religion (especially Christianity). Atheism and Deism spread among the educated during the Enlightenment. Puritan John Cotton wrote in 1642, “The more learned and witty you be, the more fit to act for Satan will you be.” In my opinion, in this case, religion is hindering their prosperity. Conservative Christians’ anti-intellectual practices discourage me from believing in Christianity.
As I reading about anti-intellectualism, I gained a little insight into my middle school. I came from a small, private Christian school. It has K4 to 12th grade and only ~200 students. There, the focus is on being a good Christian and getting closer to God. It’s a school but no one cares about science, history, etc. (that’s why I left the school). I read that some conservative Christians believe that public education suppresses religion (especially Christianity). Atheism and Deism spread among the educated during the Enlightenment. Puritan John Cotton wrote in 1642, “The more learned and witty you be, the more fit to act for Satan will you be.” In my opinion, in this case, religion is hindering their prosperity. Conservative Christians’ anti-intellectual practices discourage me from believing in Christianity.
inquiry essay follow up
Suju's 3rd album "Sorry Sorry" came out yesterday (Korea time). Congrats to them!!
Follow up of the inquiry essay…….just because I want to talk more about Super Junior.
I’m not Korean so I don’t know enough about trot music. I know for a fact that I would not even bother looking up what trot music is if Super Junior did not have a subgroup SJT. Trot music has a very long history. It developed along side/from Japanese enka (enka is speeches set to music) when Japan occupied Korean (1910 – 1945). Trot has a distinctive background rhythm and is pretty fun to listen to. You can listen to SJT’s “Rokkugo” and “No One Like Me” on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV8uTCErh2M and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69eTzlO4Ub4).
The clothe SJT wears when they perform is very different as well. Bright colors, flowers and feathers everywhere, and big polka dots go with the music. Trot music fell out of favor in the early 1990s but is now “revived” because of singers like SJT. Again, it’s only because of SJT that I care what trot is.
My inquiry essay was mainly on the relationship between fans and celebrities so I did not talk too much about the ramifications of adding a Chinese member to Suju. But I will now. First I will give a brief history of media in Korea. Before the 1980s, media (newspapers mainly) was censored and controlled by the government. In 1897, governmental reforms gave South Korea a free press, but foreign artists still had a hard time entering the main stream market (due to controls by the government). Koreans want to preserve their own culture and market therefore really discouraged/blocked foreign artists from performing in Korea. The break through came in 1997 when the Taiwanese drama “Bao-Qing-Tian” set the record of the highest audience rating in Korean foreign dramas.
Hangeng debuted as a member of Suju in 2005, less than 10 years after the media is “open” to foreigners. His story is very significant and probably will be recorded in history. Many fans and critics believe that SM is just using Hangeng to get deeper into the Chinese market. On purpose or not, Hangeng certainly has this effect. Super Junior and SJM are extremely popular in China. I personally agree that SM is “using” Hangeng in a way. But I also believe that this gives Hangeng an opportunity to “show off” Chinese culture. Even though because of his visa, Hangeng is only allowed on 3 TV stations in Korea, he constantly talk about China and Chinese culture. As a Chinese, I’m very proud of him. Of course the disadvantage of including Hangeng in Suju is attacks from patriots who want to preserve Korean culture. When Hangeng first debuted, there was lots of attention on the difference in nationality. But Suju members and ELFs all publicly proclaimed that nationality does not matter. The “Korean Wave” has been taking over Asia in the past decade. According to Noh’s abstract (1), the “Korean Wave” is slowing down and its domination of Asian pop culture is slowly coming to an end. Noh believes (and I agree with him/her, can’t tell from the name) that China will lead the next big wave. May be Hangeng can be the start of that wave?!
Because the addition of a Chinese member, Korean and Chinese ELFs are generally united. For example Cassiopia (DBSK’s official fan club) is only compose of official Korean fans (foreign fans can not join, 3). So Suju is more inclusive than most Korean celebrities. Many people in China think people like me who support Super Junior, DBSK, and other Korean (or Japanese) artists are unpatriotic. The “Korean Wave” actually creates a divide between Chinese people. But I don’t believe that listening to Korean music is unpatriotic. I want to enjoy and appreciate all cultures. I’m not going to reject them just because they are not Chinese. Honestly, even my mom agrees that Korean pop dramas and music are of better quality than Chinese ones (in general). I say I treat all nationalities and culture the same; but even though Hangeng is not my favorite Suju member, I pay more attention to him. For example, listening to Suju’s music and watching Suju shows, I pay close attention to how big of a part Hangeng has. Is he the lead vocal? Where does he stand in the dance routines? Is he included in 1/13 of the pictures? I make sure that he is treated fairly (even though I “can’t do anything” even if he’s not). There is still a difference in nationality. I don’t get upset when Shindong (another Suju member) stands at the back of the line. In conclusion, Asianization of pop culture has decreased the barrier between audiences in different countries, but I am still most loyal to my own country (which is China not America, something many people don’t understand).
Sources:
1. http://www.cct.go.kr/data/acf2006/aycc/aycc_0101_Noh%20Hae%20Rang.pdf
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_in_South_Korea
3. http://blog.yam.com/alice90223/article/8601254
4. What I know from reading/watching a lot of Suju stuff everyday.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
LEED
After redesigning the school following LEED's standards, I want to re-build my house so it is more energy effecient too. The first thing that almost every house needs are windows. My living room, master bed room, and dining room have big window, but the rest of the rooms in the house have very few and very small window. Allowing more sunlight into the house will definitely decrease the electricity bill. Even if I can not re-build my house now, I should just move my desk (where I study) closer to a window so I don't have to turn on the lights during the day. Also turning my piano around (so I can read my music without the lights on during the day) will help. My physics teacher talked about this special kind of window that work based on some electric field principle (Sadie, Kelsey, Clint, Codrin, etc. help me out with exactly how it works please!! I forgot.). It's very cool even though I'm not sure if it's cost effective to "opperate" the window, changing from transparent to blocking light.
I also want to improve insulation at my house. I have an attic connected to my room. In the winter, cold wind blows in around the edges of the door (because there's this screened "window" that can not be closed).
The Basement, where my mom likes to hangout, is very cold and dark in the winter. One side of the basement can be opened (meaning not underground). So more windows there will help too.
Also installing solar panels for electricity and collecting rain water can decrease my footprint. I can put so lines up on the deck so I can hang my cloth there to dry in the summer at least. Planting fruits and vegetables is good too. especially the Chinese vegetables that are hard to find in American super markets (even though Chinese plants are probably invasive species that might not be good for the environment if planted on a large scale?). Along with the garden, I need a compost to reduce my household's space in the landfilled.
There are many things I can do without tearing down my house......but I don't do them. I guess knowing what to do and doing it are completely different. Well, according to Socrates "to know the good is to do the good." :)
I also want to improve insulation at my house. I have an attic connected to my room. In the winter, cold wind blows in around the edges of the door (because there's this screened "window" that can not be closed).
The Basement, where my mom likes to hangout, is very cold and dark in the winter. One side of the basement can be opened (meaning not underground). So more windows there will help too.
Also installing solar panels for electricity and collecting rain water can decrease my footprint. I can put so lines up on the deck so I can hang my cloth there to dry in the summer at least. Planting fruits and vegetables is good too. especially the Chinese vegetables that are hard to find in American super markets (even though Chinese plants are probably invasive species that might not be good for the environment if planted on a large scale?). Along with the garden, I need a compost to reduce my household's space in the landfilled.
There are many things I can do without tearing down my house......but I don't do them. I guess knowing what to do and doing it are completely different. Well, according to Socrates "to know the good is to do the good." :)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Jefferson County Sewer Debt
Water and sewer are two of the most basic needs for a person to live. But Jefferson County official did not handle the sewer system with care and is now more than $3.2 billion in debt. The county had good intentions when it borrowed the money to build a new sewer system, but it solely relied on JPMorgan for advice instead of using competitive bidding. The county did what many homeowners did, borrowed money that it can not pay back. Because Jefferson County borrowed at rates that carried with the market, the soaring interest rates in February 2008 put the county in deeper debt.
Government policy, the economy, and water issues are all linked. Bad decision made water in sewer bill in Jefferson County went up 4 times in the past decade. The increase forced many families into sacrificing life style and other needs like the lady in the Bloomberg article (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&refer=home&sid=aF_f8gLLNvn0). Not handling water and sewer properly is driving Jefferson County toward bankruptcy. Water is the most important natural resources that we have. As a nation and an individual, we should treat water with care.
Government policy, the economy, and water issues are all linked. Bad decision made water in sewer bill in Jefferson County went up 4 times in the past decade. The increase forced many families into sacrificing life style and other needs like the lady in the Bloomberg article (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&refer=home&sid=aF_f8gLLNvn0). Not handling water and sewer properly is driving Jefferson County toward bankruptcy. Water is the most important natural resources that we have. As a nation and an individual, we should treat water with care.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Branding
Brands that I identify with:
Nike
Wal-mart (Sam’s Club)
Costco
Toyota
Black and White
Coca Cola
Dell
Apple
Verizon Wireless
Nine West
SM
Wrigley
Hagendas
Logos: price and quality of goods.
Wal-mart is big on saving. All their ads contain information about how much money they saved you. The smiley knocks down prices. In the 2007 Wal-mart commercial, it shows a family going on vocation using the money they saved by going to Wal-mart. This commercial obviously has heavy Pathos. Don’t you want to go on a nice trip with your family? Toyota’s cars last 10 plus years and 100,000 plus miles. For example like my step-dad who does not take care and maintain his Toyota Avalon, the car hasn’t had any problem and it has run close to 150,000 miles.
Pathos: good experiences!!
I buy Wrigley’s gum because it takes good to me. I had a good experience with it. It’s the same thing with Coke, Hagendas ice cream, other foods, and clothing brands. Pathos is everywhere. Like with Nike, the ads and commercials use famous athletes and Olympic champions. It gets you moving. It’s Ethos as well because even professional athletes trust Nike.
Ethos: credibility
SM Entertainment is publisher of Korean music. The singers and albums SM endorses are of very high quality (or I like them). Staring with H.O.T. in the early 1990s, SM has put out famous bands such as DBSK, SJ, The Grace, etc. H.O.T.’s style influenced many other Korean artists. I like SJ so I like DBSK because they are “produced” by the same company.
In general I don’t pay too much attention to brands. I get most of my food from Wal-mart, Costco, and Chinese grocery stores in Birmingham. Since I eat mostly fresh vegetables and fruits……..branding doesn’t slap you in the face. I stay away from candy, chips, boxed lunches, even cereal in general. And cloth…..as long as it is reasonable in price and is pretty…….I don’t care what brand it is. Like usually people associate Starbucks with cool people and nice atmosphere, but I don’t really care about that. I think in my entire life so far……I’ve only been to Starbucks 5 or 6 times.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
说中文可以吗？
I had an interesting discovery today. None of my classmates (except Avo) know how to fold stars (image above). Avo and I taught half the class how to make these stars in 8th period today.
This is only one small difference between Asian people and American peopleJ. I lived in the
The Chinese language is very difficult to master. There’s so many ways to express one idea. To express an action, there are usually one commendatory term and one derogatory term for it [like in English connotation vs. denotation]. For example, if you see a piece of art work and love it, you can say the artist塑造 [su zao; crafted] a really amazing piece of work. Another person might see the same art work and hate it, so he might say the artist捏造 [nie zao; which has the same denotative meaning as塑造 but carries a negative connotative meaning of randomly make it up]. This kind of thing probably exists in all languages. Connotative and denotative meanings make life more difficult but also more colorful. Like Newspeak in 1984, using “plusgood” for “excellent” is probably more scientific but not very interesting.
Ideal Life Style
I forgot to mention something really important in my “This Blessed House” post. Personally I just think Twinkle and Sanjeev jumped into marriage way too quickly. Getting married after only 4 months, no wonder they had problems!
Right…. My ideal, healthy life style.
Get up early in the morning and eat a good breakfast.
(since I live in the US, I don’t think riding my bike to school/work is an option especially in this part of the country) Shorter commute.
Fruits for snacks at random times of day.
Lunch with lots of vegetables and protein (I like tofu), not too much fat.
“Exercise” some during the day. At school, may be during PE. If at work, simple thinks like walking up/down the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
Yes, NAP time (probably not going to happen ever).
Do not eat dinner too late (at least 4 hours before going to bed).
Exercise for ~45 min everyday.
Get ~7 hours of sleep every week night.
Hiking, canoeing, biking, etc. on weekends.
Now let’s see how close I am to achieving that!!
I get up early and eat breakfast everyday.
My commute is ~50 min (one-way). May be next year when I live on college campus, I will have ~1.5 more hour everyday.
I eat healthy. I don’t eat junk food for the most post. Lots of fruits and vegetables.
Extremely lazy and do not do any physical activities.
NAP……on weekends.
I do get ~7 hours of sleep everyday.
I really do have time to do more exercise but I am too lazy. I say I’m going to start doing more exercise today everyday, but……I wrote this entry so I can see how long will it take for me to achieve this life style.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Calories, Calories, and More Calories
More and more people are becoming overweight. This problem does not only exist in developed countries such as the United States; the developing countries, while battling poverty and disease, also fight against calories. As developing countries prosper, its citizens do less physical activities and consume more oil and sugar. For example, traditionally Chinese people drink tea and water. But in the 21st century, more and more Chinese people, especially children, drink Pepsi and other soft drinks. 10 years back, only the relatively well-to-do can drink soft drinks on regular bases. Now, Wal-marts and other super markets sell Coke and Pepsi at more affordable prices. From my personal experiences in China, diet soft drinks are sold at a higher price than regular soft drinks; consequently less Chinese drink diet drinks. Other junk food and fast food restaurants also contribute to fattening China. Another big “criminal” the article talks about is oil. Oil is much cheaper than it used to be in China. People who are my grandparents’ and parents’ age still remember clearly the days when there’s a limit on how many cups of oil a family can buy in a month. So many people do not want to waste the oil that comes out of meat when you cook it. For example, my grandparents (both have diabetes and high blood pressure) refuse to waste any food including big pieces of fat on meat. Wasting anything is considered a very bad habit in China.
Obesity in China is also more severe in children than in adults. In China where competition for jobs and higher level education are intense, more focus is put on studying then on physical activities. Parents will do everything in their power to increase the studying hour. Parents may try to “bribe” young kids into studying by buying them chocolate, computer games, KFC, or Cola. Or drive high school students to school (instead of letting them ride the bus or bike) so they can get an extra 30min of nap in the car. Parents will do all the chores and physical labor so children can maximize their study time. Of course, many children sit in front of the TV instead of playing basket ball even when they have time.
I think education and raising awareness are solutions to almost all problems. Kids and parents need to be educated about eating healthy and living healthy. As the harmful side of eating junk food and decreasing exercise become more apparent to average citizens, people will begin to think and modify their behaviors. But we can not afford to wait till then, so increasing awareness before it’s too late is the most important thing. Also like the article mentioned, taxes on sweets and oils are pretty good ideas. If diet coke costs less than regular cokes, I’m sure some people will buy diet drinks instead of regular soft drinks.
Obesity in China is also more severe in children than in adults. In China where competition for jobs and higher level education are intense, more focus is put on studying then on physical activities. Parents will do everything in their power to increase the studying hour. Parents may try to “bribe” young kids into studying by buying them chocolate, computer games, KFC, or Cola. Or drive high school students to school (instead of letting them ride the bus or bike) so they can get an extra 30min of nap in the car. Parents will do all the chores and physical labor so children can maximize their study time. Of course, many children sit in front of the TV instead of playing basket ball even when they have time.
I think education and raising awareness are solutions to almost all problems. Kids and parents need to be educated about eating healthy and living healthy. As the harmful side of eating junk food and decreasing exercise become more apparent to average citizens, people will begin to think and modify their behaviors. But we can not afford to wait till then, so increasing awareness before it’s too late is the most important thing. Also like the article mentioned, taxes on sweets and oils are pretty good ideas. If diet coke costs less than regular cokes, I’m sure some people will buy diet drinks instead of regular soft drinks.
This Blessed House: Relativist and Fundamentalist
The short story “This Blessed House” ties in with the discussion we had about relativist and fundamentalist in class very well. Sanjeev is a fundamentalist and Twinkle is a good example of a relativist. Twinkle embraces the new Christian objects that they find in their new house; she adapted and accepted different culture and religion. Sanjeev, on the other hand, believes that since they are not Christian they should not display the Virgin Mary in their front yard. No one is better than the other. Relativists are not necessarily more fit to survive than fundamentalists. Depending on the place and time, each type of characteristic has its advantages and disadvantages. In most Asian communities, people tend to be fundamentalists who have more structure and rules. Sanjeev is a fundamentalist, more or less, is because he was brought up that way. For example in Philosophy class last semester there was a discussion about whether god exists. I used the opportunity and asked many of my friends in China about their thoughts. One response that particularly strikes me was “you should go with what everyone else in the class think.” (I told my friends that it was a class discussion). This friend is definitely a fundamentalist who does not want to bring out or embrace anything that is “new.” A relativist like Twinkle would find it hard to adapt to a strict fundamentalist environment. When persons of completely different culture meet like Twinkle and Sanjeev, problems will occur inevitably. When this happens, both parties need to learn to compromise. Twinkle and Sanjeev reached an agreement on where to put the Virgin Mary statue. If everyone compromises a little, there will be fewer wars in this world.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Silence
My blog is really boring. I don't post enough and no one comments......well I will have my first official post for 21st century challenges soon.
Today, Codrin's mom came to speak to us about health disparities. the data is pretty striking. I though it was pretty interesting and want to hear more next Friday. I think lifestyle makes a huge difference. it is the most important factor in determining a person's health even though genes control it as well.
Chinese New Year is coming up. Starting from next Monday, it will be the year of the ox!!!
Today, Codrin's mom came to speak to us about health disparities. the data is pretty striking. I though it was pretty interesting and want to hear more next Friday. I think lifestyle makes a huge difference. it is the most important factor in determining a person's health even though genes control it as well.
Chinese New Year is coming up. Starting from next Monday, it will be the year of the ox!!!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
First Post
This is my first post in my first blog. I really don't have anything to say. My blog just look so empty and lonely so I decided to write something.
试试看可不可以写中文？？好像可以哦。我和我的好朋友光想一起拥有一个blog，的想个好名字才行。刚写道这儿就被叫去打麻将。很晚了我也不写了。
祝福大家在09年里，万事如意，身体健康，笑口常开！！！
春晚上真的看得到SJM或SJ嘛！？！？
试试看可不可以写中文？？好像可以哦。我和我的好朋友光想一起拥有一个blog，的想个好名字才行。刚写道这儿就被叫去打麻将。很晚了我也不写了。
祝福大家在09年里，万事如意，身体健康，笑口常开！！！
春晚上真的看得到SJM或SJ嘛！？！？
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