Yanwen’s blog

Today is August 1st Army Day, a holiday in China commemorating the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The date marks the anniversary of the Nanchang Uprising in 1927, the first military action fought against the Kuomintang.

Growing up in an army courtyard, our family felt especially privileged on this date when the local government organized activities that benefited the army and their families.

During my teenage years, there was a tendency in our courtyard to glorify army life, emphasizing heroism, camaraderie, adventure, bravery, and the honor of shouldering the lofty mission of defending the motherland. I even had a picture of myself taken in a borrowed army uniform.

I still remember reciting lines from Mulan: 将军百战死，壮士十年归 (Jiāng jūn bǎi zhàn sǐ, zhuàng shì shí nián guī), meaning: "A general may die in a hundred battles; a valiant soldier may return after ten years."

As time has passed, having experienced a long stretch of peace and witnessed secondhand the death, loss, cruelty and hardship caused by wars, I know there's nothing glamorous about army life. It's nothing but human sacrifice. I have come to appreciate peace above all.

In recent years, with the widespread and rapid media coverage of war-torn scenes, people all over the world should share the same aversion towards war.

War, whether in Iraq or Ukraine, no matter how governments brandish it, means the same thing for ordinary people: the sacrifice of their lives. On the other hand, it also means one thing for the rich: an opportunity to become even richer.

The world would enjoy more peace if more people saw the true nature of war and understood its devastating consequences, and more importantly refused to be part of the war machine.

I learn something new almost every time I meet with my Korean student. Thought-provoking occasionally. Last Sunday, she told me that she was going to accept a job at Samsung, which requires her to communicate orally with American clients.

She is very worried because she isn't confident in her English. "What if I can't understand my client? I can't keep asking them to repeat themselves."

She also worries about making mistakes when she speaks. She is shy and afraid of making errors, especially in front of her Korean colleagues. I emphasized to her that the goal is to communicate effectively, not to be error-free. People appreciate the effort and understand if you make mistakes. Mistakes are simply part of the learning process.

To ease her worries, I suggested preparing for common business scenarios and becoming familiar with frequently used terms. We can practice role-playing these scenarios to boost her confidence.

When I suggested that she take every opportunity to practice English, especially with her American-born children and with the support of her Korean colleagues, and even find a mentor within the company, she smiled and said, "In Korea, people feel strange speaking a foreign language with another Korean. Also, we always speak Korean at home."

I wondered if it was a cultural norm to always speak Korean when conversing with another Korean, making speaking English feel unnatural or even disrespectful. It could also be a form of peer pressure, where individuals fear being judged or ridiculed for speaking a foreign language among fellow Koreans.

On the other hand, this might explain why the second generation of Koreans speaks their mother's language much better than the second generation of Chinese immigrants.

I know it's common for Chinese people to speak Chinese among themselves initially to stay within their comfort zone since English is difficult for them, though some do speak English for the purpose of learning the language. It's also common among Chinese immigrant families to speak English at home, sometimes exclusively English with their children. This may be why second-generation Chinese immigrants often fail to learn Chinese as well as their Korean counterparts.

English language usage at home seems like a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can accelerate English proficiency and help with integration into English-speaking societies. On the other hand, it may lead to a loss of the native language, making it harder for children to connect with their cultural heritage and communicate with family members in China who speak only the native language.

Finally, I told her that it is crucial to develop a positive mindset and build confidence. Making real progress in her English will help boost her confidence.

A Chinese saying goes, "世上无难事，只怕有心人" (Shì shàng wú nán shì, zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén), meaning: "Nothing in the world is difficult for those who set their mind to it." This saying emphasizes the importance of determination and a positive mindset, aligning well with the themes of overcoming challenges and building confidence.

For adult learners, language learning is challenging yet rewarding. We have to commit ourselves to real learning by practicing regularly. Keep in mind that mistakes are stepping stones to improvement. Practice, determination, and a positive mindset will help us get there.

It's always exciting to watch sports games. While swimming today, I thought of the Paris Olympic Games and felt inspired and energized. Some athletes exemplify greatness both on and off the field, and one such athlete is Roger Federer.

In the history of every sport, there are always one or two dominant athletes. In boxing, it's Muhammad Ali; in basketball, it's Michael Jordan. In tennis, Roger Federer (born 1981) is undoubtedly dominant.

On June 9, 2024, Federer delivered a commencement address to Dartmouth's class of 2024 and received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. He shared three important lessons during his speech.

First, “Effortless" is a myth. Federer said, "I didn’t get where I got on pure talent alone. I got there by trying to outwork my opponents." Rather than exploiting his opponent's weaknesses, Federer plays to their strengths. If his opponent has a strong forehand, he targets their forehand. If they excel at the baseline, he matches them at the baseline. If they're offensive, he competes through offense. By overcoming an opponent's strongest aspect, the rest becomes easier.

Federer emphasized, "Those are the victories we can be most proud of because they prove that you can win not just when you are at your best, but especially when you aren’t." He believes that success often hinges more on grit than on innate talent, adding, "In tennis, like in life, discipline is also a talent."

Second, "It’s only a point." Federer acknowledges, "You can work harder than you thought possible and still lose. I have. Tennis is brutal." Despite winning almost 80% of his 1,526 career singles matches, Federer won only 54% of the total points played. This statistic illustrates that even the best players win just over half the points they play. 

Understanding that "it's only a point" is crucial for maintaining a healthy mindset. Federer advises treating each point as the most important one in the world while playing, but once it's over, whether you win or lose, you must move on. The key is to focus immediately on the next point, embodying resilience and adaptability.

Third, “Life is bigger than the court.” Federer highlighted the limited physical space of a tennis court—2,106 square feet for singles matches, akin to the size of a dorm room. He remarked, "Even when I was just starting out, I knew that tennis could show me the world... but tennis could never be the world." Federer encourages embracing a broader perspective beyond one's profession.

Drawing strength from various fields contributes significantly to personal growth and a fulfilling life. Federer exemplifies this by founding a charity in South Africa, his mother's homeland, to fund children's education, finding meanings, purpose and accomplishment beyond his tennis career.

In conclusion, Federer’s lessons—embracing hard work, understanding the significance of each point, and recognizing the vastness of life beyond one's profession—are applicable both on the court and in life.

A few days ago, my family and I discussed 萝卜快跑 (luó bo kuài pǎo), a company under Baidu known in English as Apollo Go. This driverless robotaxi service platform operates fully autonomous vehicles for public use, and it is a significant development for several reasons.

First, Apollo Go has been in operation since 2020, logging millions of kilometers in both test and commercial operations. In recent years, it has expanded its services to numerous major cities across China. The long-term goal of Apollo Go is to integrate its services into broader urban transportation networks, leveraging its vast accumulated data to ensure safety and accessibility in major cities and urban centers.

Second, Apollo Go recently achieved a milestone in Wuhan, becoming the first city to implement a city-wide driverless taxi service. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province with a population of nearly 14 million, is known for its crowded streets filled with cars and free-style pedestrians. If driverless cars can navigate Wuhan successfully, it will pave the way for their deployment in other large cities across China.

Why is this a big deal? Apollo Go could signal the beginning of transformative changes in transportation across China and beyond. However, there are already concerns about potential job losses among taxi drivers. It could mean a harsh reality and hardship for many taxi drivers, some of them being the only bread-earners in the family.

Additionally, legal challenges have emerged, such as determining liability when a law-abiding driverless car collides with a jaywalking pedestrian. On the positive side, driverless cars could encourage better adherence to traffic laws and discourage illegal street behaviors.

More importantly, what is happening in Wuhan will provide an avant-garde case study for many other major cities around the world.

Apollo Go represents a significant forward move in autonomous driving technology and urban transportation. While it brings challenges and concerns, it also offers new opportunities and potential improvements in road safety and transport efficiency. As the world watches China's experiment with driverless taxis, the lessons learned could shape the future of transportation globally.

Yesterday, we had a friend and her 18-year-old son over for lunch. Our children also joined us. My friend moved to the States 8 years ago, first to Kansas, then to New York. It was great to catch up and for my children to learn about the first generation of immigrants.

Also yesterday, a friend introduced me to "街电" (jiē diàn), which means "Street Power." Founded in 2015, Street Power company is a leading company in China providing shared power charging services. These services include power banks, two-wheeler charging stations, community charging stations, car charging stations, and car power banks. The company has served over 500 million users worldwide, with daily peak orders exceeding 3 million, covering 95% of cities in China.

My friend admitted something she's not proud of when she learned about Street Power Company: her excessive phone usage. She wished to be less dependent on it.

Indeed, the popularity of Street Power company highlights another side of China: the convenience of power charging and the dependency on cellphones for work, social interaction, and finances.

This issue of cellphone dependency relates to another topic I discussed recently — reading. Sometimes we tend to blame external factors for our failures.

For example, my Korean student claims she's too busy to read. Yet, she stays updated with K-pop culture, easily accessible via her phone. I think if there's time for K-pop shows, there's time for reading.

You might think, "I'm exhausted, I just want to relax with my phone." You're treating reading as a burden. True, reading requires thinking, meaningful engagement with the author, and a lot of mental energy. It's not as effortless as binge-watching TV shows, and you have the right to relax after work.

So the real excuse for not reading isn't a lack of time; it's the preference for the ease of phone scrolling. With this preference you might end up spending more time on your phone than reading. Believe it or not, taking your phone to the bathroom might keep you there for half an hour, while a book might only hold you for 10 minutes.

Reading isn't just about acquiring knowledge; it's about life itself. Reading can change your destiny. Ask yourself: what changes can endless screen scrolling bring to you?