A Poem by Emily Dickinson

Hey everybody... it's me (again!) ... it sort of makes me feel guilty the way nobody posts as frequently so I feel like I'm talking to a wall all the time... >.< Maybe it's boring to read my stuff !Anyway... hahaha so I was around Taipei City Hall last Saturday and before I came home I couldn't resist the temptation of going to Page One (how i love and hate that expensive bookstore all at once!), so as I was browsing the shelves I found a beautiful selection of poems by Emily Dickinson, and I had to buy it, so I did. (Now you know why I'm poor... ha) As I was reading through the first few pages, I came across a poem that really spoke to me and I felt everyone would enjoy it as well. According to the book, it's labeled poem XXX (30!)
I had been hungry all the years;
My noon had come, to dine;
I, trembling, drew the table near,
And touched the curious wine.
'Twas this on tables I had seen,
When turning, hungry, lone,
I looked in windows, for the wealth
I could not hope to own.
I did not know the ample bread, '
Twas so unlike the crumb
The birds and I had often shared
In Nature's dining room.
The plenty hurt me, 'twas so new,--
Myself felt ill and odd,
As berry of a mountain bush
Transplanted to the road.
Nor was I hungry; so I found
That hunger was a way
Of persons outside windows,
The entering takes away.

-- Emily Dickinson

I invite all of you to comment ^^! Though I have many thoughts about this, I think if everyone discussed it it could be more fun to see the different interpretations or similar experiences that you've had regarding the poem's theme.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, by Ernest Hemingway

The story speaks about those who live with everything but have nothing, and also those who are older and more experienced and have already tired themselves of the routine of life, and know that there is something in those who are rich and need a clean, well-lighted place to escape and get drunk. Life is meaningless without a deeper meaning other than what we see. The erratic dichotomy of reason and the supernatural is what causes the modern man to be completely desperate. See, if there is nothing else to life, if having faith requires a quantum leap from reason, then, if you are a rational creature, as all men are, you cannot accept faith. And if you cannot accept a greater reason for your existence, then we are all just matter, stuff, and no meaning, no greater purpose, no truth and no love. A life without these things is, as Hemingway describes through the character of the older waiter, "Nada", or "nothing". It's empty. Even if you want to find something, all you can do is sit, ponder, get drunk, but the feeling won't go away. Existentialism's only escape is suicide, which is what many resorted to, including Hemingway himself. It is too bad that because people have separated truth into a top and a bottom, into reason and faith, into separate branches that have "nothing to do with each other", like supernatural and natural, when in reality truth is a whole, and cannot be cut off from itself. The post-modern man is even more confused, because he can act irrationally, against his own reason, by accepting an UNREASONABLE faith or belief in the supernatural, that has "nothing to do with" reason and science. The truth of the matter is, the definition of reality as two split irreconcilable halves is INCORRECT, and therefore unacceptable, even if you are seeking spirituality, it is not through admitting that it is separate from reason, but by realizing that both are all part of the absolute truth. That is the only way you can have both reason and love, logic and meaning, and it is what life is made up of. We can't have only one or the other, but we also cannot have both if they are conflicting ideas, so we must come to the conclusion that they are both parts of a greater whole, rather than separate branches that necessitate an unreasonable "leap of faith". I am not saying that faith is a myth or that we shouldn't have it, but rather that faith is a part of reality just as logic and reason and rationale are part of reality.

The World Is Flat - Thomas Friedman

"The World is Flat" is an excellent read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in understanding how the world became the enormous connected global market it is today. It does get quite repetitive towards the end, but the points made in each chapter are really worth noting.I would like to introduce a concept from Chapter 6 (which is coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, the one I am going to present in class if we ever get through all of them...*unconvinced sideway-lip expression*)

The chapter is called " The Untouchables", and it's talking about what kinds of workers we must become in order to be "untouchable", which is to be in a position where your job will not be outsourced (since nobody wants to be replaced in this increasingly globally competitive world). Outsourcing is sending work to be done elsewhere, like call centers or accounting for the U.S. being done in India, made possible by phone lines and the internet.I find this extremely vital for all of us right now, especially since we will be all too soon entering the workforce.

The four categories of untouchables are:Special, Specialized, Anchored, and Really Adaptable. Special = Michael Jordan, Barbra Streisand, Bill Gates (you get the picture). Obviously it means you are so talented that your "self" is irreplaceable and your job is something that only you can do the way you do it.Most people cannot be special, but they can become specialized. This applies to knowledge workers, specialized lawyers, brain surgeons, cutting-edge computer architects and software engineers, etc. These are all skills that are always in high demand and not easily transferred to lower-wage locations. If you cannot be these, you want to be anchored. Barbers, waitresses,plumbers, nurses, and many doctors, lawyers, entertainers, electricians, etc... because these jobs must be done in a specific location, involving face-to-face contact with a customer. But even these contain some portions that will be outsourced someday. So what you want is to become really adaptable. Constantly acquire new skills, knowledge, and expertise which enable you to constantly be able to create value. Friedman compares this to vanilla ice cream. You don't just wanna know how to make ice cream, you want to learn how to make the latest chocolate sauce, the whipped cream, or the cherries on top, or to deliver it as a belly dancer. (lol)In conclusion, being really adaptable means to "learn how to learn", which is one of the most important assets a worker can have because jobs will change faster. Obviously this may not apply directly to those planning on becoming teachers, but it does teach us something important. Now that everyone in the world is looking for jobs all over the place, we have to be able to push out of our boundaries and LEARN MORE. In the near future, excellence will matter. Mediocrity is no longer acceptable because it will be replaced easily by someone who can do the job better. I guess this makes me nervous because I feel I don't fit into any category, but I think what I want to try is to become adaptable, because I like acquiring new skills and I feel I am often very passive, accepting what others have to teach and give, but not seeking knowledge out by myself. I want to grow as a person, and though God has given me a few talents, I am not always using them to the best of my ability. Why are we always lazy and trying to do less, when the real satisfaction lies in being able to gain a lot from little? Why should we not improve ourselves when we have the chance? I think sometimes man settles for what he has, not because he is satisfied, but because he cannot be motivated to do much, perhaps because he hasn't found out any reason for his existence. Most times motivation isn't intrinsic, sometimes it is ambition, it is drive to be famous, to succeed, to be rich. Though these can bring people to do extraordinary things, they are shallow, and they cannot bring happiness or fulfillment. But what does fulfill is when you know that you are maximizing your potential, and giving it all that you've got. This all connects to Freedom Writers in some way. They were struggling and felt stuck. Then they were freed, so they were pushed to excel. But many of us are just stuck somewhere, our life isn't that bad, we're not struggling enough to want to get out of our bad habits (conformism). So we just go with the flow and decide mediocrity is fine. But the truth is, in a little while, it will become obsolete. Frightened? Me too. Lets get our lazy selves away from online entertainment and LEARN more. LIVE more.

Freedom Writers' Diary

I believe this to be a very inspirational book, not only for teachers or students, but for each and every citizen in this globalized world. It teaches about tolerance and about trying to understand that every little thing that happens to a person in his or her environment can influence them greatly in their decisions and in what they end up doing. I think we often overlook the importance of a loving home...reading about broken families and these teens' pain just confirms my opinion about how essential a family is. It's the basic unit of society and we live in times where this needs real work. Even though the book is a huge advocate of tolerance, other important messages are present throughout as well. For instance, how we should have the courage to stand up for what is right, or for what we believe is right. A lot of people are afraid to do so nowadays because they will be laughed at, or dismissed, or called ignorant or naive. Just because the world is doing something doesn't make it acceptable, and just because people are acting in selfish ways doesn't make it acceptable for us to do so as well. A lot of things going on in their lives weren't good and weren't right, and seeing things clearly, reading about reality and writing about reality made them understand that. I think that's amazing.Sometimes I complain about a lot of stuff I think is crazy in the world. For instance, the educational system in Taiwan (as well as the public one in Brasil!). I hate being told to be "realistic", or that "it would be great if..." because I live in reality, it's what I am 24/7, and I think the way I do and act the way I do for real. There are no "ifs" when we can change the rules. I'm not sure if I am called to be a teacher, but I do know that reading this book has shown me how influential teachers can be on their students, and how motivating kids can allow them to spread their wings. I hope that no matter what kind of work I do in the future, it will also be something that uplifts others and that helps in some small way to change the world for the better.

'Tis by Frank McCourt

Hey everybody ^^I wanted to share with you my thoughts on the book I've been reading for the past few weeks, Frank McCourt's 'Tis.It's funny...perhaps I should explain why I bought it in the first place. Well... I have this thing for Classic Literature. To me, good books were books that lasted the test of time and that had been rediscovered and reread and reinterpreted. Perhaps books that look like they are just telling someone's story, but because of it's descriptions or accurate caricatures, they have touched many lives. I used to think I had to read literature because that's where the thought was, that's where the real stuff was. But then one day as I was looking through the bookstore I realized that it was impossible to read everything, and that by the time I finished reading all the literature some of the modern books I was missing out on might become literature, but I would've missed it while it was still fresh. Capice? Hahaha... so I thought: I really need to start reading about what authors are thinking TODAY, because that affects us now, and it describes the times I'm living in today. So I made a personal rule: for every classic I buy, I buy a current book as well. That will help me strike a balance and make me even better prepared for the world. And I've been enjoying this decision.
Anyway, 'Tis is hilarious. At first I really couldn't get used to the narrative style, it's so natural and colloquial and wrong that it took me by surprise at first. I didn't really like it...until the story itself pulled me in, the harsh realities of being an immigrant in New York, the honest expression and flow of thoughts, the way I could tell this is really what the author had been thinking at that age and the way he would have said it back in the day. Frank McCourt starts off as a boy who was shipped off to America to find a job as a teen, so that he could make his living in the land of the free and earn some to provide for his starving family back in Ireland. The story is about everything that happens once he gets there, full of ridiculously unlucky and lucky events, and so ironic. It's witty and funny and sad all at once, plus pretty disgusting when you read it as a girl and see what's going on in boys' heads all the time. But it's blunt and very believable. Furthermore, when McCourt writes about having "dark clouds in his head" one feels very sympathetic, because you can tell that even if he is in his twenties and has gone through a lot in life, he is still learning, still growing, still adjusting to adulthood. People aren't always that responsible, and then when their actions have consequences or when things happen to them, you can see their confusion and/or helplessness. It's a wonderful book. I don't recommend it to everyone, because there is some stuff I don't think is so pleasant, plus the cussing is unbelievably penetrating (believe in the power of reading and choose good things, because what goes into your head stays there, believe me, after reading a few chapters of this book, my brain started wanting to use swear words in many occasions. so always read doses of clean stuff when you know you're filling your head with filth). But for the mature reader it is full of surprises and life lessons, and many funny incidents that are worth checking out.I'm not done, but he goes on to become a teacher, and a lot of interesting things are going on in the classroom right now. Anyway... =) If anyone would like to borrow it when I'm done (probably will finish it next week) , please feel free to ask.