What is a good friend?

What is a good friend? A good friend is someone who you can depend on, someone whom you can trust, and someone who you can enjoy the same activities with. First of all, a good friend is someone you can completely depend on. You can count on them to be there for you whenever a problem arises. You can depend on them to be there for you whenever you need them. For example, you can expect your good friend to be there for you if your boyfriend or girlfriend suddenly dumps you; or if you failed an assignment. Since a good friend would always be there to support you. Secondly, a good friend is someone you can trust; a person who you can confide in. A trustworthy friend is someone who you do not mind sharing all your deepest darkest secrets with; and can trust to not to tell others about it. For instance, if you tell your good friend about a boy or girl you have a crush on, you can trust them to not tell others about it. Lastly, a good friend is someone you can enjoy the same activities with. This is a friend you would prefer to go out with as you are sure they would be interested in the same activities as you. This is a friend who has the same hobbies and interests as you do. For example, if you enjoy shopping, you can ask your friend to join you, as they would probably be interested. To conclude, a good friend is several things. A good friend is someone whom you can be dependent on, a person who is trustworthy, and someone who you can enjoy the same activities with. 

Growing Problem: Population

Sociologists have recently found out that the population in poorer countries is growing rapidly than the rich nations. In the United States, birth rates are rapidly declining. However, in developing countries, the population is multiplying faster compared to the developed countries. The earth’s population has increased tremendously during the last hundred years due to advances in the medical field and technical field. Cities have grown due to the increase of population. When the human population increases, the amount of land does not increase. Cities are expanding vertically. Also, with the growing population excess pollution can be created as there will be more people creating pollution.

Increase in population also puts pressure on the developing nations as they have to struggle economically. Another major problem is the problem of resources. There are only a limited number of resources on this earth. It is not enough to support the worldwide population. I believe in order to improve life of humans; the government must control the growing population. I think the government should regulate the amount of children a person is allowed to have especially in countries such as India who have a massive population. Otherwise the growth of world population will result in serious problems which will be difficult to handle. In my opinion, we should act soon on this growing population problem. Social agencies should generate awareness of the growing population problem. I believe this world will become a better place if this problem can be solved.

Article here: 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/09/140920-population-11billion-demographics-anthropocene/

Thoughts on Child Labor

It is 2016 and there is still child labor in the world. To be honest, it is very sad. In some countries in Asia, like India and China, it is relatively common to see children on the street helping their parents to sell items or working in people’s house as a servant. I feel very sad whenever I see children on the streets begging or selling things. I believe those kids should be in school, they should be getting an education. They should not be selling items on the streets or in the marketplace. These children are vulnerable. They are regularly exploited by their employees as they are children. They have no choice but to work to earn a living for their family. I believe everyone has a right to an education.

Knowledge is power.Unfortunately, not all kids are as blessed to get an education. Their parents cannot afford to do so. It is a Catch-22 situation. The children work because their parents cannot afford to send them to school. This results in them not getting a formal education which results in them working for a low-pay job even in their adult life which results in those individuals living in poverty for the rest of their life. The cycle of poverty is never-ending.  If I have the chance in the future, I would like to help those kids. Because I, personally, am really fond of children, so I would like to help them or to teach them if possible. I would like to help them get out of the cycle of poverty. I think everyone has a right to an education. People should not turn a blind eye to child labor; it is a very serious issue. We should all work together and put a stop to child labor.

http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_215170/lang--en/index.htm

Japan as a Tourist Destination

     Have you ever been to Japan? I have not, but I would love to! I have heard that Japan has a lot of famous sightseeing places such as the Himeji Castle, Mount Fuji etc. Since I am someone who loves history and culture, Japan would be a great place for me to travel to. Japan is filled with unique Buddhist temples, pagodas which I would love to visit one day. I hope I save enough money so I will be able to travel to there. I also like the fact that Japan tries to preserve its ancient heritage, unlike some countries which do not do such a great job in taking care of their historical structures. I think it is cool that Japan is a mix of old and new. You have the modern Japan, anime, cosplay etc. And on the other hand you have the traditional Japan with its geisha and traditional Buddhist temples. Cities like Tokyo are modern and high tech; you will see modern buildings in them as well as ancient Japanese traditional architecture. I think it is very beautiful that a country can manage to maintain its ancient heritage while also becoming a modern country at the same time. All countries should try to maintain their traditional heritage and modernize at the same time. I see several countries trying to modernize quickly, and in the process they end up destroying many of these ancient heritage sites. I think that is wrong. I understand that many developing countries like China want to modernize rapidly, so they choose to do so. I firmly believe there should be a balance between the old and the new. It is important for countries to modernize but not in the expense of traditional heritage. 

Thoughts on Climate Change

I believe climate change is a very serious issue and if we do not do something about it quickly, there will be dire consequences. We can feel that the temperature is increasing globally, the weather is becoming erratic. There are droughts in places like California. The monsoon has weakened in India by 10% because of El Niño. To be honest, this is bad news. If the monsoon has weakened by 10 % that will definitely affect the agriculture there. Climate change is affecting people’s lives in unimaginable ways. The article also mentioned that 2014, 2015, and 2016 will be some of warmest years ever. This summer, the temperature in New Delhi, India hit 50 degrees Celsius! That has never happened before!I remember being in India during the summer in my childhood and the hottest it would get was around 45                                         degrees Celsius. It proves that the world is really getting warmer;

it is not just a hoax. I think that the governments around the world should have strict regulations regarding greenhouse gas emissions. I think the government should regulate how much a person should be allowed to drive a month and encourage people to use public transportation. I also think that the government should place harsh restrictions on factories producing pollution. Every time I pass through factories in Taipei or in other cities in Taiwan , I see carbon dioxide being emitted. Carbon dioxide is being emitted all over the world, especially in countries like China which has a huge population and a growing industry.  All I can think about is the air pollution being created. I believe that climate change is a very serious issue, and if we do not do something about it soon, there will be side effects which we are already beginning to see. 

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/environmental-pollution-caused-factories-31217.html

Thoughts on the Ongoing Refugee Crisis

For months, we have been receiving daily updates on the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe. These refugees have no choice but to move on the safer countries. Their own country is too dangerous; countries like Syria have been torn apart by war and are no longer safe to live in. Most of them are arriving to countries in Europe like Greece and Hungary and ultimately moving forward to countries such as Germany. My heart breaks whenever I read news about these refugees. I feel so sad and angry about what has happened to them. I think the world should have reacted faster when the Syrian Civil War began back in 2011. We would have been able to save more lives and families from this terrible fate. What did they ever do to deserve this? It must be so difficult for families especially, because they are travelling with children. Their future is so uncertain; they do not even know where they will get their next meal from. I think it is great that countries in Europe, such as Germany, are welcoming refugees with open arms. But it will definitely put a strain on these countries economically as the government has to pay for the expenses for the refugees. For example, many European countries are giving shelter to the refugees, paying for their meals etc. etc. It is great that Europe is doing its best to help these refugees; however we should not let them shoulder all the responsibility for the refugees. I think that other countries such as the US, Canada, and other Asian countries can also take more responsibility for these refugees; at least they can provide financial support for the refugees. I believe we should all work together to make this world a better place! For months, we have been receiving daily updates on the ongoing refugee crisis in Europe. These refugees have no choice but to move on the safer countries. Their own country is too dangerous; countries like Syria have been torn apart by war and are no longer safe to live in. Most of them are arriving to countries in Europe like Greece and Hungary and ultimately moving forward to countries such as Germany. 

My heart breaks whenever I read news about these refugees. I feel so sad and angry about what has happened to them. I think the world should have reacted faster when the Syrian Civil War began back in 2011. We would have been able to save more lives and families from this terrible fate. What did they ever do to deserve this? It must be so difficult for families especially, because they are travelling with children. Their future is so uncertain; they do not even know where they will get their next meal from. I think it is great that countries in Europe, such as Germany, are welcoming refugees with open arms. But it will definitely put a strain on these countries economically as the government has to pay for the expenses for the refugees. For example, many European countries are giving shelter to the refugees, paying for their meals etc. etc. It is great that Europe is doing its best to help these refugees; however we should not let them shoulder all the responsibility for the refugees. I think that other countries such as the US, Canada, and other Asian countries can also take more responsibility for these refugees; at least they can provide financial support for the refugees. I believe we should all work together to make this world a better place! 

Is Management Important To The Success Of Business Organization?

 Management is crucial for a successful business organization. In an organization, people work together to accomplish some specific purpose, if there is no management involved, nothing would ever get done. Managers are responsible for planning,

organizing, leading and controlling the organization. Managers of the organization have to direct and oversee what other people in the organization are doing. They also have to work together with people to get the purpose of the organization accomplished in the most effective and efficient way possible. Demographics, such as age, sex, race, education level, so on and so forth, also tends to play a significant role in management.

For example, millennials have grown up with a lot of technology around them, so their idea of management would be very different than someone who has grown up without as much technology around them. Therefore, they could incorporate technology into organizations and use it to the advantage of the business organization. I would choose to do so as well, if I was a manager. Managers need to work on effectively managing diversity in the workforce in order to create a successful business organization. I believe that management is essential to the success of business organization. Without management, the company would not have a goal or any direction of where it is heading in the future. Managers are needed in order to guide the employees and be a leader in order to have a successful business organization.

Differences between Asian and Western Styles of Parenting

All kinds of parents exist in this world, there are strict ones, and others tend to be more easy-going and flexible with their children. In general, Asian parents tend to push their children, to do the best they can. They are willing to sacrifice everything, in order for their children to have a better future. They tend to be strict with their children, pushing them to work hard and harder.

On the other hand, most Westerners tend to raise their children to pursue their passion, to do what they love the most. They are usually more easy-going and may even treat their own children as their buddies. Most Westerners also influence their children to be unique individual, not follow others. In Western culture, a child’s individuality is quite important. Both   styles  of   parenting have its pros and cons. The Asian style pushes the children to do better and better, so that they can have a brighter future. For example, Asian children usually strive to get a better grade than others in the class. While the Western style is more easy going and they believe the children should be independent and free to choose what they want to do and what they do not want to do. In my personal opinion, I would choose to raise my children using a mix of both Asian and Western styles of parenting. I believe that children should have some freedom but not too much or else they will get spoiled. 

http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/11/chinese-vs-western-mothers-q-a-with-amy  chua/#ixzz2Y3qzLryO

The Pursuit of Happiness (Not the movie :P)

I was reading the PDF from the Time Magazine and I was surprised to find out that only 1/3rd of Americans since 1972 have described themselves as “very happy.” One major reason for that happening is, I believe, that people are becoming more and more pessimistic about the future. They don’t know what to live for anymore. People still believe the old saying that “money solves all problems.” It is true that money can boost happiness if it helps you to obtain what you desire.
For example, people should not just settle in life with what they have if they are not happy. If you aren't satisfied, go and find something that you love doing. Like Steve Jobs said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet keep looking.” Even a recent survey suggests that, for example, previously out-of-work people are happier with their new job even if it doesn't pay as much because they love the job.

Social media also tends to affect a person immensely. For example, people will feel the need to share everything they are doing in their life maybe to get people to “like” your posts and comment. People are bringing in attention to themselves this way. People also tend to get depressed/jealous after scrolling through their Facebook or Twitter. The reason that happens is that people see pictures of others and tend to envy them. They also may get depressed because they see others supposedly leading fascinating lives while they are just on their phone scrolling through Facebook or other social media.

So what I think is that people should find something to live for. That is very important. You should find something in life that motivates you and keeps you going. As long as you are happy with what you are doing, that is all that matters.

Article here  :  
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2146449,00.html

Benefits of being self-disciplined

I was reading this article about self-discipline , it talked about people who have better self-control do many things that bring them happiness. They tend to avoid conflict and have better moods compared to their counterparts who don’t have such good self-control. The author said, “Feeling good rather than bad may be a core benefit of having good self-control, and being well satisfied with life is an important consequence.” (P.2)

People who have better self-control also tend to have fewer negative emotions. But having self-control is not easy, it all depends on how determined you are to succeed in your long-term goal. For example, dieting and exercising may seem like goals that will give you negative emotions, but if you succeed, you will be happy and proud of yourself. Self-control will not help you get instant pleasure, but it will be worth it in the long run.

There is also a distinct difference between those people who live a disciplined life and those who do not. Those who are more disciplined tend to plan for their long term goals and stick to it. I think that is a good thing, to be honest, I feel this article applies to me. Because I do have long-term goals and I do tend to avoid situations which I feel will compromise my goals.

http://healthland.time.com/2013/06/24/self-disciplined-people-are-happier-and-not-as-deprived-as-you-think/

The Pursuit of Happyness

The Pursuit of Happyness is a quintessential tale of the American Dream. A man who is poor, struggles and with his hard work, succeeds against all odds. It is a very touching movie. It is the happiness that the person attains after he finds out that he has succeeded after struggling which is so touching. If you are determined and you have the talent, you will surely succeed. It gives me hope that as long as I work hard and try my best, I will succeed. 

I think that the American dream exists to give you hope. It gives you hope that if you work hard enough, in the end you will succeed. It is a stereotype that a perfectly average person with an average income will be successful and lead a happy life as long as he works hard. But that is not always the case, as we have seen with Willy in the book , "Death of a Salesman". He worked so hard but what did he get at the end? Nothing. In contrast, the film, The Pursuit of Happiness, endorses the idea that as long as you are smart and willing to try your best, at the end you will surely succeed.