In the Ash Rain

It’s numbers and the understanding that ceases to make sense in the early hours of the morning. I’m dissolving into foreign music and American rock. I’m floating in a pool I thought I’d sink in because the water is salty and dense.

There were days where I’d write, but it always took time; time that I never seemed to have because I squandered much of it doing things I can hardly remember due to the mundane, cathartic, mindless nature of the time wasting. I have no records to keep since the records would have hardly been worth keeping. I’d like to make more of a mark than I have as of yet, but will my time allow me to? Will my mind allow time to allow me to?

The music will keep my mind up for now.

The Cost of Attending

When I got into a well ranked university, my parents were proud and I was proud. I survived high school with good grades and an SAT score I’m not ashamed of. Yet there was one thing that lingered in our minds- tuition. I received little to no help from my university as my family didn’t seem ‘in need’. Both my father and mother are government workers. They wake up as the sun rises and come home at dusk.  My mother had a spell of hardship as she spent the first ten years of her life overseas living in a wooden unit without plumbing (her family had a ‘chamber pot’ that would be placed outside the door for collection every night). When my father first married my mother, he went unemployed for four years with a PhD until he found a job in DC and my parents decided to move. It was then that they had me.

My parents learned a decent amount from their experience and came to be frugal. The furniture in our apartment never changed and the family car was always older than me (it’s 22 years old now). The times I would go to help my mother with groceries, she would spend the absolute minimum possible. For living in what is considered to be one of the most well off counties in America (goods are relatively more expensive), $40 for a week’s worth of meals for the three of us  seems almost impossible- but she did it.

Sometimes my father reminisces about his own experience with paying for college and graduate school through summer jobs. College never seemed to weigh in as something that needed financial planning because for both my parents it never did.

Perhaps financial aid should look at location of residency, cost of living in that area, and the state of the economy. My parents say I shouldn’t worry, but that is because they want me to focus on my education- because for them, education takes priority over everything else.

My tuition? $58,000

Cultural Differences

Life is intriguing and I find it my duty to experience as much of it as possible. Because of this, I am driven to reveal as much of the culture of Hong Kong as necessary in order to complete not only a tourist perspective, but also a local perspective. In order to acheive this, my personality must be compatible with both perceived demeanors. Of course, I do not wish to warp my actual personality (whatever it may be) as to fool people, but rather to establish an open ended response cultivating a knowledge base for myself. Mine is a personality wanting of knowledge. One trait which appeals to most cultures (all the cultures I’ve been immersed in thusfar: Chinese, Korean, American, Japanese) is the face of innocence. This ‘face’ can be exemplified through children who take the world for granted- children who have a universal acceptance of reality as it comes to them. For example, as a child I recall (along with my mother’s recollection) smiling and saying hello to all strangers, unaware of any adverse intentions others might have– believing in a natural good.

I have developed my personality according to this, despite myself being already more aware of society. I feel it is easier learn about a culturally different socciety from the eyes of a child as it introduces an open mind that believes in the best of others, thus attaining knowledge about a culture freely. Though I am of an older age, this personality is surprisingly compatible in a society where many are disillusioned by harsh realities.

I look at this personality as an example of a ‘leaving the nest’ perspective. Such a method of seeing had provided a (in my opinion) heightened sense of enjoyment for experience in life. All chances to learn are vessels of knowledge and all topics (within my comprehension) are intriguing- the intake of knowledge becomes fun and seemingly necessary.

Here are a few habits I’ve acquired:

Smile: It’s cliche, been said too many times, confuses people, has supposed health benefits, and bland- but I’m still going to mention it. Smile- no matter what; the act of smiling establishes an optimistic outlook and if applicable causes me to think about the positive impacts of a given situation. Recently my grandmother passed away, but instead of holding a funeral my family held a celebration of her life. Both hold weight, but one seems to hold her in a more positive light. Such an example is certainly a heavy topic, but it is the most recent and potent example I have right now.

Bow: It’s an affirmative sign of respect in a lot of cultures. Knowing the basics of respect in a culture can go a long way to a more immersive experience of the culture. for many, even an excessive use of respect can establish a reciprocative appreciation and connection between people no matter their background. I feel it’s an innate thing to want acknowledgement. Before a trip abroad, I advise a quick search on basic respect in the culture of a country. I learned to bow from friends in high school.

My school community was fairly diverse and consisted of many coming from a Korean background. Many Koreans new to the country would bow to American teachers as they had done in their home country. It was a sort of reflex respect learned from the strict environment between their own community in Korea. I found the act intriguing and learned to bow to the Korean friends I made. The habit was well received outside of Koreans with fellow asians such as the Chinese and Japanese (variations).

I often visit relatives in Hong Kong (China) and as bowing had become almost a reflex in my years in my community, I decided the act would be appropriate to use with them. It generates an open mind to new experiences  (not including the eating of my most despised food: abalone) and respect between cultures. I was well received in Hong Kong- a society where tradition is prominent despite drastic changes in its society such as the acquisition by the British, the introduction of diversity, and its return to China.

I must admit this has been a rather vague and general post- nevertheless hopefully a tad bit helpful.