New Blog!

Just so you know, I have been blogging lots since my last post. It's just taken longer than I thought to publish new posts. Anyhow, here's my little surprise as promised! I hope you like it.

http://keithsguide.blogspot.hk/

Writer's (Lack of) Block

I know it's been a while since I've blogged, again, but I've got reasons...um...well...okay maybe I've been just a little lazy. The truth is I actually was working on this article that I just submitted to the SFU newspaper, but unfortunately I missed the deadline for this semester's submissions, so I'll have to wait until September to try again. I had actually started writing it about 2 weeks ago, not that I worked on it everyday, but every time I did I felt like what I've written so far wasn't quite good enough, and I'd even considered scrapping the whole thing and starting over on several occasions. For some reason I kept revising and editing and couldn't finish the damn thing no matter what I did. And it wasn't only the usual "perfectionists' problem" that was holding me back (I've had plenty of experience dealing with that), but something else as well; something new.

That something, I now realize, was the fact that the article would be my first 'official work' as a fresh-grad, and subconsciously I felt the need to make it different. Different how? I couldn't really say. I just wanted my writing to be more informative, more precise, and more polished in general. I had a strong feeling that this new piece should reflect all the knowledge and experience I've gained during my undergraduate career, and maybe that wasn't a bad thing in itself, but the feeling was so strong that it became paralyzing and hindered my ability to write as well as I could have. Ironically this was not a case where I suffered from lack of inspiration or creativity, but quite the opposite: I had so much I wanted to say and convey to my audience that I couldn't properly translate it onto paper, no matter how many times I reworked it.

Probably due to the factors listed above, my article didn't turn out quite as well as I had hoped. But now that I have another month until resubmission, I'll have plenty of time to resolve all the self-imposed restrictions and expectations that I've placed on myself and just let my writing flow freely. If all goes well, my writing should be able to speak for itself, metaphorically that is.

P.S. Now that I'm feeling back in the game again, I'll be blogging lots for a while, at least for the upcoming month. Plus, I've got a little something special planned for my next entry so stay tuned!

Prolific Readers' Problem

The other day I was walking around a bookstore with my folks and, as usual, I was having a hard time settling on a 'good' book. Like always, the problem was not that I couldn't find anything of interest, but rather it was that there were too many to choose from. Then it occurred to me that this 'problem' was probably universal among serious readers of any genre, so I thought I'd give my two cents on the subject and see how my fellow readers address this challenge.

Primarily dealing with works of fiction, I would usually read the back cover or wherever the synopsis was located and if it piqued my interest, I would maybe skim the forward/author's note before going on to read the prologue or chapter one. If I found myself wanting to read more after that first chapter, then that book would make my list of candidates for purchase. Usually there are at least 3-4 of these, but there were instances where it felt like I wanted to take half the bookstore home with me. As you probably now, a lot of books tend to have its praises displayed on the first page or two, but personally I don't look to them as a major factor for my decision-making since praises are by definition nothing but positive; therefore it doesn't really provide me with any new information. When it was time to make a decision, it usually came down to what I was lacking at the moment. If I was currently reading a physically large book, I would choose a book of a smaller size so that I could take it with me on the road while the big book remains at home; and vice versa if I was already reading a smaller book. Likewise if I was in the middle of a thriller, I would try to choose a book of a different genre to freshen things up a bit. Sometimes, if I was really, really lucky, I would start reading a book and not stop reading it until it was time to leave, and even then I would be reluctant to put it down for long; and that's when I definitely know it's a keeper.

So that's basically my selection process when I'm off hunting for books. Everyone has their own strategies when dealing with book choices, and they're as different and unique as the books themselves; what's yours?

A Little Bit Of Me

So...I'm finally back from my unofficial hiatus, and damn does it feel good to blog again. And this time, I'm blogging from the comfort of my Hong Kong home! But more on that later. The main reason for why I've been away for this long is because I've been experiencing a bit of writer's block (or blogger's block I suppose). I used to draw my inspiration mostly from what I've learned in my classes, but since I've graduated, I guess it was only natural that my ideas dried up after a while. After a review of my blog entries, I realized that I've mostly been talking about intellectual and social topics, which is great and all, but it seems that I haven't actually revealed much about myself other than my opinions on these various topics. So to kick start my blogging comeback, here's a little about myself.

I was born in Hong Kong, but moved to Canada with my family when I was 4, so I'm practically a CBC. I was, however, able to take trips back to my hometown with my family for many of my summers thanks to my mom's job package; which included having our tickets paid for by the company she works in. This incredible deal was in turn made possible by my mom's uncommonly kind (a great understatement) boss; she practically treats us and a bunch of her employees' families like, well, family. Most of my family on my mom's side stayed in Hong Kong, while members of my dad's side lives with us in Vancouver, so it's pretty neat dividing my world between Canadian school years and Hong Kong styled summer vaycays...whatever that means.

All in all, I've been pretty lucky so far in life. I've got parents who love and support me, an older brother who's always got my back, a steady household income, and a small group of close friends I can count on. Don't get me wrong, things weren't always that rosy, especially in my childhood years. Since I was the second born, my parents have always doted on me more than my brother, which has its own pros and cons. The upside was, everything was made easier for me. Whenever there was something new or hard to do, my brother was the one to do it first. I basically didn't have to work much for anything, it was just there for the taking. The downside, as you'll probably expect, is that over time I became too sheltered, and had a harder time adjusting to life than my peers. I wouldn't go so far as to say I was spoiled...but maybe I'm just in denial.

That being said, my parents did do a good job of imprinting in me a set of good moral values, teaching me to show good character etc. The problem was, they might've done too good a job. As an example, when I was in elementary school I was such a sensitive goody-two-shoes that I stopped my friends from stepping on ants; believing that they were actually complex, sentient beings. To add to that, I was born an introvert and naturally short in stature. Because of these traits, I was subjected to my share of verbal teasing from classmates, which obviously reduced my ability to fully enjoy my elementary years.

However, things started to turn around when I entered high school. Maybe it was because I 'toughened up' after elementary or maybe it was due to people being generally nicer in high school (probably a bit of both), but I found it a lot easier to make friends, and to form more solid bonds of friendship. To this day I still have my group of close friends who I met and befriended early on in high school.

And I guess that's all for today, feeling a little jet lagged since I only arrived last night. Good night everybody, and in case I don't see ya, good evening, good afternoon, and good morning!

Changing Paradigms

A few years back my brother introduced me to the great educationalist and public speaker Sir Ken Robinson and his stance on public education. In his opinion, the current education system we have has become outdated and insufficient to properly educate and prepare students for the world that they will be going into. The main points of his view can be summarized in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

I find his arguments to be quite compelling, and I'm more or less inclined to agree with him. However, there are several points that I would like to discuss and elaborate on. Sir Robinson said that the current system of education was designed and conceived for a different age; specifically for the intellectual thinking of the Enlightenment and the economic background of the Industrial Revolution; and I agree. Yet I also believe that it is based on more fundamental human factors that Sir Robinson may have overlooked. Our education system, while conceived during the Industrial Revolution, was also designed to fit into a more broad economic framework; that of making profit. In a sense, the Industrial Revolution marked the beginning of our age of excess, where most people in developed countries had more than they need; more than the bare minimum. Due to the nature of human greed, however, we are never satisfied with what we have and always desire more, thus perpetuating an economic culture that values profit over all else. I believe that the values of the current education system ultimately stem from this profit mindset. What I mean by values here is that the system puts significantly more emphasis on certain (academic) subjects than others, which results in biased, preferential selection of some courses by students while some others are overlooked and neglected.

This point becomes painfully obvious when we look at the essential or required subjects that all students must take; beginning in elementary school. English, Math, and the Sciences; the big three subjects most valued by everyone involved in the education process (i.e. teachers, students, parents, etc.), even though they may not explicitly say so or even deny it. On the other end of the spectrum is Arts, which is usually considered by many to be an interest rather than an actual 'subject' of academic learning. In high school the Sciences are split into the three categories of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, while the Arts are separated into Visual Arts, Music, Theatre/Drama, and other kinds of performing arts. Despite the diversifying of the Sciences and Arts during this time, it is quite clear that the former still holds greater importance, as the latter category is relegated as 'elective' courses while the Sciences are mandatory subjects to a certain point. Besides being seen as classically intellectual, subjects such as Math and the Sciences are highly valued because they serve as prerequisites for post-secondary studies such as Engineering, Business, Economics, etc.; all of which share the promise of better and more lucrative career opportunities than the rest. Psychology, History, and some other social sciences fall somewhere in the middle of the prestige scale, while the Arts are once again put in the back door of education. When it comes to finances, disciplines like Engineering and Business receive markedly more funding than others, and it's not that hard to see why: because it pays to invest in them, because the returns will be greater.

With that in mind, I believe that, besides conformity and standardized testing as highlighted by Sir Robinson, another major problem with the current education system is that it is too focused on trying to mold education into a tool that doesn't educate students for education's sake, but to educate them to fit in and contribute to the profit mindset of our excessive economy. To quote Sir Robinson, "this isn't because teachers want it this way, it's just because it happens that way." In other words, the system is based on basic, fundamental, human greed, and I'm not sure if there's ever a way of changing that. But like all problems, the first step is to try and raise awareness that there is a problem.

Second Publication

So here's my second contribution to the SFU newspaper. Again, it's a rehash of what I've written here before, but I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless.

http://www.the-peak.ca/2014/05/stuck-between-childhood-and-adulthood/

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is Mother's Day, and tonight during dinner everywhere I look people were celebrating with their mothers. My mom, on the other hand, is busy making a living and supporting the family from half a world away, and so I do not have the luxury to celebrate with her in person. However, that doesn't make it any less special. In fact, seeing all those smiling sons and daughters with their mothers has reminded me how important my own mother has been in my life, and how much she has sacrificed for us over the years.

As a writer, I'm of the mind that most things can be adequately expressed in words; and quite wonderfully if the person chooses his words carefully. This, however, is one of the few things that I believe no words can ever be enough to convey fully. There is nothing I can say here that can even come close to how grateful I am for my mother, and how much I love her. Since her job requires her to be in another country, it's always been difficult for her to travel back and forth and make time for us, and when she does come visit, we try to make the best of it. Initially I was devastated having to spend months without seeing my her, but as time went on I became accustomed to this way of life, and especially during my teenage years I began to notice my mother's absence less and less. Looking back now, I realize just how much of our time together I've taken for granted. As she's not always there for me and my brother, my mother's always been trying to compensate for lost time by spending a fortune on us: whether it be clothing or games and entertainment, nothing was ever too expensive for her as long as we asked for it; and a lot of times we didn't even have to!

What I'm trying to say, I guess, is that my mom has been more than generous to us, and there's just no way to ever repay the favor. Whatever she does for us, it's always out of love; truly unconditional love, and I feel it everyday of my life. I don't know how she does it, but she is in every sense of the word a 'Supermom'. So mom, Happy Mother's Day, and thank you for making me the luckiest son in the world!