Anyone can imagine the throngs of people trying to get to work each morning whether by train, bus or car. It's packed and some nerves are frayed. I was late this morning waking up and I wait patiently to get on the train because there's soothing music playing on my iPod. As the local train I was on approached the station, the express train came rumbling in as well.
A woman, perhaps in her late 50s or early 60s, dragged her, presumably, granddaughter out of the local train and rushed to the doors of the incoming express. When the doors opened, she forcefully tried to get into the train pass other waiting commuters and exiting passengers. When told by the person she pushed aside to take it easy, she smiled and kept pushing her way through.
I took some angry stares because I fall into the Asian category and the elderly woman was Chinese. For all the progress Chinese and other Asians have made in terms of social progress in America, such actions like this woman's reverse strides as they add or reinforce questionable stereotypes. To exacerbate the situation, she, without malicious intent though unkindly, pushed aside other folks to grab a seat vacated at the next stop. Again, angry stares were thrown my way.
These experiences and actions surely undermine the awareness of the collective Asian contribution to America and the world. Yet, I can also understand why they behave this way as Confucius once said to respect the elders. But didn't he also say or imply that patience is a virtue?
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Poor Paul
Maybe it's because I'm not famous nor notorious and I don't want to be either, I find it somewhat difficult for Heather Mills and Paul McCartney to blame their marriage woes and subsequent separation on the constant media intrusion.
Couldn't Paul, with a reported $1.4 billion net worth, secure his own privacy with his wife and 2-year old child? Maybe Bill Gates does it better because his personal fortune is thirty-five times larger.
Nevertheless, it was reporters X, Y and Z that caused a rift in their marriage. The persistent chase and pursuit for the candid and possibly sordid photos of the couple disrupted essential communication between husband and wife. The machine gun flash bulb firings blinded two lovers into an incapacity to see and work through differences.
Maybe I should release a public statement blaming the lack of media attention to my separation two and a half years ago. It's interesting that I should read this article today as last night's Boston Legal had a case of a celebrity fighting back against paparazzi. In fact, the actress shot the photographer.
What will Paul do now? I'm sure the groupies are ready to soothe his soul with wanton and unabashed sex should he decide to give it a go as the local Fairmont Hotel.
Poor Paul
Couldn't Paul, with a reported $1.4 billion net worth, secure his own privacy with his wife and 2-year old child? Maybe Bill Gates does it better because his personal fortune is thirty-five times larger.
Nevertheless, it was reporters X, Y and Z that caused a rift in their marriage. The persistent chase and pursuit for the candid and possibly sordid photos of the couple disrupted essential communication between husband and wife. The machine gun flash bulb firings blinded two lovers into an incapacity to see and work through differences.
Maybe I should release a public statement blaming the lack of media attention to my separation two and a half years ago. It's interesting that I should read this article today as last night's Boston Legal had a case of a celebrity fighting back against paparazzi. In fact, the actress shot the photographer.
What will Paul do now? I'm sure the groupies are ready to soothe his soul with wanton and unabashed sex should he decide to give it a go as the local Fairmont Hotel.
Poor Paul
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Befuddled
A woman in my department is way too funny.
Yesterday, I asked what she'd do if she won the lottery. She said that she would work hard to find a better return for her money. I clarified and asked what she'd do if she had $500,000 pre-tax a year as a result of the lottery, a sort of perpetual don't-need-to-do-anything salary. She said that she would research mutual, stock and bond funds to make at least 10% on the money because that paltry 5% on $10 million principal in the bank is too low for her. I asked her why wouldn't she just enjoy the free time with her kids (2 and 1 years old) and oversee their development. She said that she wouldn't be a positive role model if she didn't work because her kids would ask why other families are different because their mother didn't work. She added that having fun all the time would be boring and that she'd be tired from traveling so she'd need to work. Then she brought up something about playing video games, being with friends and doing nothing as a remedy to boredom from having too much and that the richest people in the world continue getting richer because they keep going.
HUH? If someone understands her message, please explain it to me.
This morning, another co-worker was rubbing his eyes because his allergies were kicking and I asked if he was okay. When I told him that I didn't have allergies, he jokingly cursed me to have multiple allergies in a few years. Ms. I-Need-To-Work-To-Be-A-Positive-Role-Model, who sits behind Mr. Allergies and diagonally from me, chimes in that allergies are genetic. I said "probably" but it doesn't explain how a woman I know has a billion allergies and yet there is no history of allergies in her family. Ms. Bored-From-Having-Too-Much-Fun replied that it explains how the others don't allergies and that she can be ignored. I asked her if the majority appeared correct, should the minority be ignored or discarded? She said "of course, only the majority matters". I asked if that means she discriminates against the minority. She says that the tiny percentage doesn't matter because only the majority does.
I've suspected this woman was quite an "in-the-box" person but not to this extent. Whoa....
Here's a conversation I had with her back in December 2005:
Her: Have a bun, Xxx bought them
Me: No, thanks
Her: They're delicious
Me: I know. I'd take a bite and have to throw the rest away
Her: Throw it away? Don't waste it, give to someone else
Me: Who'd take it?
Her: Then give it to someone else
Me: Okay, I'll take a bun, take a bite and give to someone else
Her: Yes, you should do that
Me: I'll give it to you
Her: Me? NO! I don't want your bun
Me: Why not?
Her: Because you took a bite out of it
Me: But you told me to give away my half-eaten bun
Her: Yes, but not to me
Me: Aren't you someone else?
Her: Give it to your friend or a....dog
Me: I don't have a dog
Her: You can get a dog
Me: Hmmm, get a dog? I suppose I could get a dog just to have the rest of the bun
Her: Yes, you can do that
Me: I'm not sure if the dog would like this bun though
Her: Dogs eat anything
Me: You sure?
Her: Yes
Me: Do you have a dog?
Her: No
Me: Have you ever had a dog?
Her: No
Me: How do you know a dog would like this bun?
Her: I don't know.....don't give it to the dog then, give to someone else
Me: Okay, I'll give it to you
Her: I don't want your half-eaten bun
Me: Why not?
Her: I have my own bun
Me: Don't you want another one?
Her: No, give it to someone else
Me: You said that they're delicious
Her: They are, I could a whole bunch of them
Me: How about half of one?
Her: No
Me: I couldn't possibly finish one
Her: Then throw it away
I'm going to have a bun, only one bite. Who wants the rest?
Yesterday, I asked what she'd do if she won the lottery. She said that she would work hard to find a better return for her money. I clarified and asked what she'd do if she had $500,000 pre-tax a year as a result of the lottery, a sort of perpetual don't-need-to-do-anything salary. She said that she would research mutual, stock and bond funds to make at least 10% on the money because that paltry 5% on $10 million principal in the bank is too low for her. I asked her why wouldn't she just enjoy the free time with her kids (2 and 1 years old) and oversee their development. She said that she wouldn't be a positive role model if she didn't work because her kids would ask why other families are different because their mother didn't work. She added that having fun all the time would be boring and that she'd be tired from traveling so she'd need to work. Then she brought up something about playing video games, being with friends and doing nothing as a remedy to boredom from having too much and that the richest people in the world continue getting richer because they keep going.
HUH? If someone understands her message, please explain it to me.
This morning, another co-worker was rubbing his eyes because his allergies were kicking and I asked if he was okay. When I told him that I didn't have allergies, he jokingly cursed me to have multiple allergies in a few years. Ms. I-Need-To-Work-To-Be-A-Positive-Role-Model, who sits behind Mr. Allergies and diagonally from me, chimes in that allergies are genetic. I said "probably" but it doesn't explain how a woman I know has a billion allergies and yet there is no history of allergies in her family. Ms. Bored-From-Having-Too-Much-Fun replied that it explains how the others don't allergies and that she can be ignored. I asked her if the majority appeared correct, should the minority be ignored or discarded? She said "of course, only the majority matters". I asked if that means she discriminates against the minority. She says that the tiny percentage doesn't matter because only the majority does.
I've suspected this woman was quite an "in-the-box" person but not to this extent. Whoa....
Here's a conversation I had with her back in December 2005:
Her: Have a bun, Xxx bought them
Me: No, thanks
Her: They're delicious
Me: I know. I'd take a bite and have to throw the rest away
Her: Throw it away? Don't waste it, give to someone else
Me: Who'd take it?
Her: Then give it to someone else
Me: Okay, I'll take a bun, take a bite and give to someone else
Her: Yes, you should do that
Me: I'll give it to you
Her: Me? NO! I don't want your bun
Me: Why not?
Her: Because you took a bite out of it
Me: But you told me to give away my half-eaten bun
Her: Yes, but not to me
Me: Aren't you someone else?
Her: Give it to your friend or a....dog
Me: I don't have a dog
Her: You can get a dog
Me: Hmmm, get a dog? I suppose I could get a dog just to have the rest of the bun
Her: Yes, you can do that
Me: I'm not sure if the dog would like this bun though
Her: Dogs eat anything
Me: You sure?
Her: Yes
Me: Do you have a dog?
Her: No
Me: Have you ever had a dog?
Her: No
Me: How do you know a dog would like this bun?
Her: I don't know.....don't give it to the dog then, give to someone else
Me: Okay, I'll give it to you
Her: I don't want your half-eaten bun
Me: Why not?
Her: I have my own bun
Me: Don't you want another one?
Her: No, give it to someone else
Me: You said that they're delicious
Her: They are, I could a whole bunch of them
Me: How about half of one?
Her: No
Me: I couldn't possibly finish one
Her: Then throw it away
I'm going to have a bun, only one bite. Who wants the rest?
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