Tuesday 20 October 2009

为什么有些人那么没有正义感?

今日根一个匿名同学谈话。 开始聊学术, 发现他人很投机。 那个山高靠那个山。 没有对一个学科的忠义和献身。

后来又谈了谈政治。 谈到了台湾问题。 他说台湾应该是中国的。 这是说的没有特别离谱, 但是他跟的原因让我很吃惊。

“有了台湾, 就可以采到南海的石油, 还可以控制南海的运输。 在多了, 可以在台湾建立军事基地。”

我 觉得, 这个理由太自私了。 国际社会, 虽然说是自由法则, 但是人类也正在逐渐走向一种道德规范。 国家应该有一种正义感, 公平对待所有民族。 像美国, 为石油大伊拉克, 被全世界大骂。 像英国,为了殖民地和赚钱抢香港买鸦片。 像希特勒, 为了所谓的“德意志民族生存空间”霸占澳洲。 这些是多么自私和不正当的行为啊! 不能总想着民族利益。 如果民族利益战胜了人类正义, 这就是纳粹。 如果”国家之上”战胜了人类正义, 这就是最狭隘的丑恶,野蛮行为。

Saturday 17 October 2009

为什么有些人那么物质? / Why are some people so materialistic?

(English below)
昨天跟一个同学聊天, 说到了工作和人生志向。

她说好多同学顶破头挤进了高盛 (Goldman Sachs) 做金融,但是一天工作十六十七个小时, 人很不开心。 去做那工作就是为了赚些钱, 但是赚到了钱又丢到生命的快乐。 我就跟她说, “那他们就辞职干其它工作吧?” 她说, “谁舍得穿的好还有住五星宾馆啊?”

我想了想,难道这些都受过中国最好大学教育的青年思想怎么拜金啊? 他们觉得奢侈和金钱可以带了真正的幸福和精神满足吗? 现在中国经济发展,确实有创业家作了极大的贡献, 但是我觉得一个创业家最自豪的不应该是他/她赚了多少钱, 而是他/她战胜了多少挑战而做出了一件伟大的事业。

只知道穿名牌和住 五星宾馆, 他们一辈子的志向就怎么短见啊? 自己不想给人类留下一种影响吗? 我的最大愿望就是能死前发现我做的一切努力让人类社会变得更好, 能让其他人更幸福。

所以我选择了科学可科技。 我特别喜欢用数学作医药研究 (model-based drug development, bioinformatics). 希望我这辈子可以帮助解除一些人间疾病造成的痛苦。 这样或者才有意义。 光自己享受太狭窄了。

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Yesterday I was chatting with a young female colleague about life and career goals.

She mentioned that many people worked tireless at getting into Goldman Sachs, only to find out the miserable long work hours after they enter. These people enter GS mainly to earn good money. But they cannot find time to enjoy the material that the money can buy. So I mentioned to her, why don't they just quit and find a different job? She said, how could anyone forgive a life of wearing brand name apparels and living in five-star hotels?

I was shocked. How can the best educated students in China be this materialistic? Could they possibly think that money can bring true happiness? As the current economy of China booms, we must admit to the great contributions that new generation of entrepreneurs made. However, their satisfaction should be based on the accumulation of account balance but rather from a sense of achievement for overcoming obstacles.

If you only know about living in luxury hotels and wearing expensive clothes, isn't that a rather short-sighted view of life? Ask yourself, what impact do you want to leave on society? What do you want your legacy to be? A life time of ostentatious hedonism? My own personal goal is to leave the world seeing that it is better place based on my efforts.

This is why I chose science. I hope to use science and technology to make people's lives better. To discover knowledge that would benefit mankind for years to come and to lay foundations for future generations. Living like this instills meaning in life. A lifetime of self-enjoyment is not for me.

Sunday 11 October 2009

Veteran

I was riding on the train and met this fellow Joe. We chatted a bit about baseball. Soon, he told me he spent five years in the U.S. Marines. You can see that such experience had made the man immensely mature and determined.
Before he got off, he showed me his uniformed services card. With shocking casualness, he mentioned that he's discharged now because he got "blown up a few times". It was hard for me to tell but I think one of his leg was a prosthetic attachment.
Now I feel even worse about Bush. For he sent such brave loyal young souls to die for the rich man's oil.
Joe, take care.

Thursday 8 October 2009

Amazing O.R. Analyst, Officer, and Rhodes Scholar from West Point

Check out the incredible story of Joshua Lospinoso. Top graduate from West Point Operations Research, NSF Scholarship recipient, and Rhodes Scholar. This man is incredibly intelligent with a strong sense of service and duty.

Tuesday 6 October 2009

远在异国他乡华人的婚姻其实很传统

http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4bf5868d01000708.html

身在异乡,深有体会。 但这个作者也太以偏概全了吧? 我有个加拿大好友是混血人。 人家家里也活得挺好的。 吃惊的是, 他爸是华裔(马拉),他妈是犹太人。 两个特别保守的文化居然碰到一起了。

每人有每人的选择。 现在世界通讯特别方便, 人不受地区的局限性了。

只不过每人应该做出一个成熟,真诚,长期,负责任的决定。 不要被媒体谣言迷惑住了。 很多老实的老外男女(男的多一些)想找亚裔女/男因为他们喜欢亚洲人的传统文化。 但是也有一些,像上面的作者描述的, "是本国的垃圾和losers。混不下去,找不到对象,才到中国凭着一张洋脸来混口饭吃泡个中国姑娘“. 要睁大眼睛把人看清楚了。