Children

In class we watched a short clip from T.E.D. and I thought that it was really inspirational and thoughtful. I never really thought of education in that way to such an extent. After watching that clip in class it got me thinking, maybe this he was right. If you think about it, when you’re young your parents have expectation and standards for you to fulfill already. I’m pretty sure that you had dreams that you wanted to achieve but were told that you couldn't’t because of something or that it didn't' fit you. Well, then how do those people know if you are capable of dong such things or not? Children should be given the chance to explore the infinite possibilities out there, instead they go to school or even at home and are already given standards that are chosen for them, not expose the brain of the child to more then what is present then the future.

The story of Gillain Lynne was very interesting. Even though I don't really know much about her, I found her story to be very inspirational. I love how the teacher didn't make her go to "special class" or even have a doctor examine her. Instead the teacher said "...she's a dancer, enroll her in dancing school..." and just like that she found her calling. If only now a days that children are given more choice like her, but now a days if a child is found to be having problems in school they are either taken "special classes" or are given medication. Can medication really solve the problems? Why is it that in this present time, people believe that science can solve everything? I don't know what today society is thinking and labeling things but children should be allowed to explore and find their "real" self and enjoy what they do.

Hunger

Whenever I eat if I didn't finish a meal I would feel really bad. I'm one of those people who eats really slow and to top it off, I'm picky too. So whatever I won't eat I either throw it away of give to someone else. But then I always feel bad about it after, because I know that there are A LOT of people around the world who could benefit from all that food I didn't finish, or the food I didn't want to eat. So when I eat I try to finish everything that I take, try being the world. When I couldn't finish a meal I would silently say a prayer of forgiveness to all the people who are suffering from hunger around the world.

There are about 6.7 billion people in the world currently, and out of that there are around 1.02 billion people who suffer from hunger. Out of those number, around 16,000 children will die of hunger every 5 seconds or of hunger related causes today. Hunger can be define in many ways from starvation to famine. No matter how hunger is define, one important fact is that hunger is a BIG deal!!! It can not be easily ignore.

My three wishes are:

1)For people to know more about hunger themselves first; the more educated you are, the more prepare you are.

2)To get help from the outside media and spread the word

3)Take action; help out in the community or support a organization for world hunger. One tiny action can go a long way.

This picture was actually e-mailed to me by a friend a while back, and I thought that it was very fitting for this topic. I found it very hard to look at this picture without feeling very sad, and hurt inside. Brought tears to my eyes when I first say it.

Olympics continue...

If you have been keeping up with the 2010 Winter Olympics lately, we are in the lead for medal counts. It seems that every year we are in competition with Germany in the medal count. The last winter in 2006, we were ranked 2nd with a total of 25 while Germany had 29. But this year we seem to have up our game a little, but who knows how long it will last.

Recently Apollo Ohno has become one of the most decorated athlete in the Olympics. He has won 2 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze, making him to date the most decorated Olympian. How he came to achieve these medals may not be of such high stature, but hey who am I to complain when I don’t even know how to skate properly?

Some of you may have seen the spectacular play by Shaun White, who took gold in the half-pipe. I just can’t understand how this guy can just soar through the sky and land on his two feet. I just don’t know how he does it. I don’t know how to snowboard and probably will not ever learn because I’m too chicken to. But, I can tell you one thing this guy had me holding my breath in amazement. When I saw his performance once, I knew without a doubt that we were going to win. Honest I haven’t seen this guy ever perform before, but I have heard lots of story, and now I know that those stories were pretty much true.

Honestly throughout the Olympics I have seen such amazing sportsmanship and amazing stunts that I could not believe true. The more I watch the more I want to go and watch in person. I have never seen such amazing athletics and I probably won’t see it like this any other time, only at the Olympics.

Weekend

This weekend I spent it watching the 2010 Winter Olympic. February 12, 2010 marks the opening for the 2010 winter Olympics held in Vancouver, Canada. Last time at the 2006 winter Olympic in Turin, Italy; the United States sent about 211 athletes to represent the U.S. Bringing home a total of 25 medals; 9 Gold, 9 silver, and 7 silver. What I like most about watching the Olympics beside the sport is the emotion and passion the athletes put into the sport.

One of my favorite sport to watch and cheer like crazy from my living room is speed skating. To be honest at first I never really did pay much attention to speed skating till I first caught ear of the amazing story of Apollo Ohno. He is one of the most decorated athlete in the Olympic as of now. One story that just made me go "OH MY GOD," was the story in the Salt Lake city where he was crashed into accidentally by another athlete, causing all but one skater left standing, and he got up right after and finished winning the silver medal. Now that is just amazing and unbelievable, if I didn't see it with my own eyes I wouldn't believe it.

Every year when I watch the winter or summer Olympics I am just amazed and awed by the athletes. I never knew just how much time and work that these athletes put into preparing for the Olympics but each time I see them perform I just start cheering like crazy for the U.S. to win. This year I was just as amazed by some athletes and disappointed by some, and some events I didn't even know much about but as I watched I just couldn't help but get caught up in that moment. Every year one sport event that I try to make time for to watch is ice skating, it makes no different which category, I watch them all. Today while watching the pair skating I was so awe by the first couple, a Chinese couple, who thought that they had retire but decided to come back and claim the one thing missing in their career, a gold medal. After watching their short program, I was so mesmerized by the ease and relax way they skated through it. I just hope that the U.S. can pull through after watching such a amazing performance. Then when watching the Nordic Combined-Individual today I was screaming for the U.S. and when we won silver, I was like "WHAT?!? Weren't we just in first?!?" I myself am not a very sporty person but when watching the Olympics, I just can't help myself but get lost in the moment.

Age

After watching that movie in class it got me thinking of age. How is age define to each of us? What do we make of age?

Does age restrict a person of doing certain things? I don't believe it does, age is just a number and nothing more then that. Age cannot truly be captive in numbers; you can be 20 and feel like your 50. You can do anything that you set your mind to despite your age. Just like the people in the movie, they did not let age stop them from singing. Singing brought them joy and gratification. They brought joy and laughter to many people. They show us that it doesn't matter what age you are, you can do whatever you want if your determine and passionate about something no matter your age.

"Nobody grows old merely by living in a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."(Samuel Ullman) So do you truly believe that age is define by how a person looks from the outside? To each and every person age means a different thing. I want to grow old gracefully, hence I want to grow old knowing that I did everything that I wanted and with no regrets. Plus what is the use of running from ageing? It'll catch up with you eventually. "In youth we run into difficulties. In old age difficulties run into us."(Beverly Sills) I like that quote, its almost foreshadowing the future when your old and your child and grandchild will come to you with their problems. So what is age to you?

Education

After watching that short video in class, it gave me the idea to write about how my father and mother came to the U.S. knowing no English what so ever.

I am the second generation of my people who have come here from Laos; and as far as I know there wasn't much of a education system at all over there. The only education were granted to only a few children, mostly boys, but to go to school meant leaving your family behind sometimes, because Hmong people did not have a school of their own so they sent their children to Thailand or a bigger city for education. My father was one of those fortunate enough to go to school, but when coming here his learning didn't help one bit. So my father went to school just to learn how to speak English before he went on to learn how to write and do simple math problem.

My parents both struggle through their life in America because finding a job here in the U.S. with knowing not much English, it is harder than most people could imagine. My mother did not learn English when she got here for she was taking care of her 3 young children and one on the way (that's me). Even to this day she does not know English; she is planning to learn English soon, now that all of her children are in school. Adjusting to a new environment and learning a new language is hard, because they had to forget what they know and learn new things they never knew.

I am truly grateful and I thank my parents for giving me the opportunity to be given the chance to grow up with an education in the U.S. I just wish that my people and people all over the world could get an education like I have. That is why after watching that short video in class it got me thinking just how amazing and important education is. If everyone in the world could receive an education just imagine what we as a world can achieve together!

Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Der Yang; I'm a returning student after a year away. I'm in the administrative assistant program; so far i think I'm doing OK in the first weeks of class. I come from a huge family, whom I love very much despite all the drama we go through. I and my family have lived in La Crosse all my life. I'm not really sure what I will be writing on my blog so I'm sure I'll just blog out whatever comes to mind that day. So bear with me everyone, for even I do not know what i want to express through these blogs. Hope everyone has a great year this year and lets all does our best.