Blog 9 - Would you ask your neighbour for sugar?

Socializing agents provide structure and stability for the child, and is an inevitable part of our lives. Depending on what you are exposed to, you are naturally influenced by it.
Since I was young, my parents always wanted to provide me with the best environment. We lived in a rather wealthy neighbourhood, but everybody seemed to be distanced and liked to keep things to themselves. People don't knock on the doors of neighbours and say "Hi" when you move in, like in the U.S.. And we would never ever consider about asking a neighbour for a cup of sugar if we lacked some and didn't have time to buy some. Growing up in a  neighbourhood where everybody just didn't interact with each other has made me a shier person. That's probably why I'm an introvert, and why I get nervous when a stranger comes up to me. It has also made me value the thoughts of "family business is only meant for family to know". Therefore, I don't share much with others.
Even though we moved back to the U.S., we still remain distanced from our neigbours; it's become a habit. I think if I were raised in a caucasian family, I just might have the courage to walk up to our neighours door, ring the door bell, and ask for some SWEET sugar. :)

Extra: Something interesting I found while looking for pictures to add on to my blog. Here's The Wolf's Side of the Story. http://www.shol.com/agita/wolfside.htm (I do not own this article).

Blog 6

In class we keep on mentioning how we are similar to fish in a fish bowl. We don't really notice what kind of environment we are living in, not until we are forced to get out of our comfort zone.
While many people has questioned the way of life in America, I've never really noticed these issues before.
We live in a culture where everything is so fast paced. We plan about our futures, we think about practicality; it just seems reasonable to always have work on our minds. In The Values Americans Live By by L. Robert Kohls, he explains how we are constantly wanting to find something to do in value#9 Action/ Work Orientation. It's so common to hear people say, "Don't just stand there; do something!" This constant thought of "working" adds stress to our daily lives. But I also find it kind of ironic when people think "sitting around and doing nothing" is sinful, but everybody seems to keep on doing so. We spend so much time in front of TV's and laptops. Instead of interacting with others, we'd rather waste hours in front of the TV. It's like how we are obsessed with the concept of "low fat" this and that, but we have all different varities of snacks, we love foods with high calories(hamburgers, pizza, french fries etc).
I actually think that being an American is hard to explain, we have a complex culture.

Polar Plunge

On the day we went to Polar Plunge, it actually wasn't that cold. What was difficult during this volunteer service wasn't plunging into the frozen lake but raising money.
Donating seems to be something that doesn't make sense to many asians. Many expect an incentive after donating. Knowing that I'm asian, and my friends are mostly asians, trying to raise money was extremely difficult. Despite explaining over and over what I was going to do, some just believed that I wasn't doing anything and just taking other's money. It was sort of dissapointing. However, it was okay. Everything worked out well.
This experience made me learn how to communicate with others more, and by doing something that many perceive as crazy, it made me feel great about myself. I can actually support someone who needs help.
What really shocked me was how calm everybody was when seeing that someone was having a seizure. Since it was the first time I've ever seen such thing happen, it was kind of scary for me. But it's better to be calm than chaotic. The whole scene was under control, and that really impressed me. People didn't point around and whisper.
Polar Plunge was a great experience, and it was really fun. I strongly recommend all of you out there who see this blog to consider participating next year. It's for a great cause!