Yanwen’s blog

"Tell city leaders: No cuts to libraries. Next Tuesday, May 21, library leaders will testify at City Hall regarding the proposed $58.3 million budget cuts to NYC's public libraries." from New York Public library.

"You may already be aware that BPL (Brooklyn Public Library) was forced to reduce our service hours from seven to six days a week, as well as drastically trim our new book purchases due to a painful midyear city budget cut. Libraries across the city are currently facing millions more in potential cuts."

I was going to write about my plan to teach online English and something else to a group of Chinese kids, but I changed my mind when I saw these emails.

American society provides an excellent public library system. Wherever we moved in America, we always got in touch with the local library. It is like a small community service, which always reminds me of the one provided by churches in the Middle Ages.

While libraries today are built and maintained by the government to provide knowledge, churches are by their communities of believers to offer spiritual comfort and other communal support. Both contribute to the fabric of society. But churches play a much weaker role in contemporary society.

Modern societies like the U.S. prioritize individualism over collective well-being, with everyone taking care of himself, resulting in a full spectrum of social crisis, such as loneliness, trust issue, drug addictions, meaninglessness, depression and tribalism.

For a wholesome modern society, I see churches being as essential as libraries, especially in the advanced capitalist society. Both play crucial roles in fostering community and addressing societal challenges.

A healthy and compassionate society needs both knowledge and collective well-being, which no government and no individuals can solely provide. It takes a whole village in a traditional sense.

A few days ago we saw the launching of GPT-4o, which starts the chat-box of the whole world. I heard that it is a huge step moving closer to be human-like now. It also tries to sound friend-like.

Yesterday I heard this question: can AI replace the complex dynamics of human psychology and counseling?

I remember a case of social worker at work. There was this guy who was super religious. He refused to take medicines because medicines are man-made, not created by God. The counselor told him, you are wrong. It is God who told Man to create this medicine for his children.

"How do you know it is God who told Man to create it?" "Remember God has plan for everything? This is part of his plan. It is not human plan. He orders the creation of medicine." In the end, the guy agreed to take the medicine.

While AI can excel on this type of job using logic and language, it falls short in understanding the depths of human emotion and experience. We humans are fully packed with complex emotions and the ever-flowing dark undercurrent of past experiences, which defy any simple categorization or quantification.

For example, a man was often neglected during his childhood. The experience impacts his adult life so that he becomes oversensitive when he feels ignored or neglected. Even he himself doesn't understand why. How would an AI find out what's wrong with the guy in the first place?

The complexity and nuances of human emotions, of how one feels is far beyond the reach of logic and language. Simply put it, AI can think like us but can't feel like us. It is created with language and logic but not with human understanding, empathy and intuition.

As we contemplate the role of AI in our lives, we might also consider its broader societal implications. How do we interact with AI systems, and how do they shape our perceptions of ourselves and the world around us? Does AI judge me as other humans do? These are questions that extend beyond the realm of technology, offering fertile ground for exploration by psychologists, sociologists, and ethicists alike.

In the end, while AI may be of some help in certain aspects of psychological counseling, it is our shared humanity—our capacity for empathy, feeling, understanding, belonging and connection—that remains at the heart of healing, growth and counseling.

We had lunch with a young couple from China. They are a burgeoning family of four. They face the challenge of the first generation of an immigrant family: finding jobs while raising two young children. To find a professional job, they might need to learn new skills, like going back to school if needed.

The young couple brought me back to the time when we were around their age and our children were small. Life was also full of challenges but we were young, surrounded with the precious children, and felt immensely hopeful and fulfilled.

I told the young couple that right now their main asset is TIME. Make full use of their time to acquire solid skills with needed certifications, build network wherever they can, open to all possibilities and opportunities, even unconventional ones like freelance and entrepreneurship.

While providing a loving and nourishing environment for their children, they need to maintain their physical and mental health amidst all the life stress. This is something we tend to neglect.

In navigating the complexities of job hunting and family life, it's essential for this burgeoning family to cherish every moment spent with their children. Don't forget to read with them, sing and dance with them.

Time passes very fast, and amidst the hustle and bustle of daily challenges, it's easy to overlook the joy and wonder that children bring to our lives. By embracing each precious moment together, we not only create lasting memories for us all but also cultivate a sense of gratitude and fulfillment that sustains us through life's challenges.

So many things happened during the weekend, meeting my Korean student, meeting someone at the swimming pool of YMCA, my daughter's art sale. They all mean something to me. I wish I could record them before they fade out in my memory.

First, my daughter had an art sale last Saturday, first time since she quit her well-paid New York job in October 2021. The sale was an opportunity for networking and free marketing for her art.

I was overjoyed to learn that she sold over 10 prints that day. She exceeded my expectations again, just like before when she was the first girl winning the chess tournament trophy in elementary school and when she snatched a prize in an international essay contest in high school.

While it is heartening to see my daughter fearlessly embrace her passion and the untold hardships involved, her courage and determination to carve out her own path and to triumph on her own terms is a source of inspiration and strength for me. Here's a heartfelt tribute to her spirit and accomplishments!

Second, my student talked to me about the incoming summer break of her daughters'. I said, it's better to make a plan for this large chunk of time. Having a plan can help us get more done, like planning to finish reading 10 books in summer, etc. She said, my eldest daughter wouldn't listen to me because she doesn't like reading. Oh boy, she got more problem than I thought. Still, I tried.

Before anything else, we need to understand why she doesn't enjoy reading. Perhaps we can encourage her to explore topics or subjects that she's passionate about. She might enjoy this exploration process, which can make the reading experience more enjoyable.

Next, as a parent, we need to lead by example. Sometimes, seeing others have so much fun reading can inspire someone to give it a try. Make sure we start with easy books.

Finally, the key to implementing a plan is to set a realistic goal. If the girl is reluctant to commit to 10 books, suggest starting with 8 or less. Remember to talk to your girl about the book after each reading, its character, its event, what would you do if you were in the story, etc. That will help her with critical thinking and communication skills. Both skills are super cool in the long run.

Perhaps you can make this your summer goal: helping her find enjoyment in reading or become a bookworm.

Happy Mother's Day! We celebrated the day joyfully with the children.

Mother’s Day always means a moment of reflection upon life's many facets. If life is a journey, motherhood is an integral part of it for mothers. In this part, we witness not only transformation of our children but also evolution of ourselves. For many years of our prime lives, mothers make a lot of sacrifice physically and in terms of time, that no one can replace.

It's impossible to capture the multifaceted journey of motherhood and acknowledge both its challenges and its profound rewards.

Through the years, amidst adversity and hardships—balancing dissertations, deadlines, childcare, work, and moments of helplessness—so many times when I felt overwhelmed and alone, I would like to quit it all. Yet, in these moments, motherhood brought me a profound sense of purpose and an unwavering source of strength. For my children, I knew I had to be resilient. This resilience is one of motherhood's transformative powers within me.

Amidst these challenges, there are moments of pure joy of watching their angelic sleep, singing silly songs with them and forgetting the world of troubles. These moments serve as anchors, empowering me to bounce back with renewed resilience and energy.

When we consider the sacrifices mothers make, it's tempting to contemplate giving up on motherhood altogether.

Despite the sacrifices I've made, the blessings are immeasurable and life-enriching. I cherish them deeply, and wouldn't trade them for anything, even if it meant starting all over again.

In conclusion, here's my heartfelt tribute to the extraordinary journey of motherhood—a celebration of its challenges, sacrifices, and the profound blessings it brings to life.