by Forrest Sheng Bao http://fsbao.net
"They date. They talk, their likes and their dislikes." - Movie "Enchanted", 2007
“I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.” - Steve Jobs
My sister is going to visit McGill U. tomorrow. She wants to see whether she can "like it."
Maybe I am too old to understand how the next generation thinks - I'm 6 years older than her. But I just wonder. How can someone love a university by seeing it? Can you love a girl after seeing her? You may want to have sex with her but not sufficiently love her.
If I am gonna choose, I only care whether I can meet more "smart" people who can inspire me wonderful ideas. Just as Steve Jobs said “I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.”
I think it's pretty much the same as falling in love with a girl. Few months ago, I told a friend of mine, a boy, that I loved a girl. He said, "do not tell me you love her. You even don't KNOW her." Exactly! You need to know her heart.
A university is not like a park or a hotel. What make a bunch of buildings be called a university are people and their mental behaviors. So loving the buildings, the landscape, etc., does not mean you love this university. We are not coming to a university for a 4-year vacation. Whether you can enjoy exploring the unknown world is more important.
And thus, rationally, you cannot love a university by seeing it.
Showing posts with label think. Show all posts
Showing posts with label think. Show all posts
2009-05-14
2007-10-18
从我要连接中国的服务器升级Ubuntu说开去
Forrest Sheng Bao http://fsbao.net
今天Ubuntu发布新版本7.10
结果apt-get总是没法连接到升级服务器，全是timed out
ubuntu.com和us.ubuntu.com都不行
估计一群人正在升级，犹如DDOS一般的潮水阿
没办法，本人只好把cn99和rootguide前的#去掉（本人来了美国系统还没有重装过,所以此配置文件还是原来的)
居然连上了，虽然速度只有几十K，还是可以用的
看来中国大陆用Ubuntu的人实在是少阿
我对Eric说，真可谓小日本所说“欲征服世界必先征服中国”，现在是欲征服世界市场，必先征服中国市场。我觉得首先要征服的是长江中下游市场。一个technology-oriented company可以很好的实现全球化，但是像Yahoo, eBay, 这种culture-oriented company来到中国，钱就不那么好赚了。因为中国有百度之类的耍流氓的公司，所谓强龙压不过地头蛇阿。
中国有世界1／5的人口，但是还没有把升级服务器搞爆掉
美国这边几乎是过几百英里就是一个mirror，还是不够用阿
很多中国人自我麻痹，觉得自己国家很强大，老外都来开公司，其实人家只是把中国当作一个巨大的市场，“全中国的人袖子加长一寸，就够大不列颠的工厂忙上n年”。很多同学也傻傻的去外企找工作，除了个别公司以外，大部分公司都是不需要什么真正意义上的研发人员的，你没发现field support engineer特别多吗？ NI在上海是连technical document translator都招上了，否则怎么汉化LabVIEW？ 这些公司思路很简单，就是到中国来卖东西，等到中国现在这种寅吃卯粮，拆东墙补西墙的经济搞出问题了，他们立刻走人。看看现在活跃在海峡两岸的知识分子，有几个不是美国/加拿大居民？ 连82娶28的老教授还和清华谈条件说你不准让我放弃美国国籍。
所谓慈禧太后之“量中华之物力，结与国之欢心”，看看长江中下游的经济开发区就知道了。周总理说，列强在大海上架几门大炮就能让中国屈服的时代已经过去了。哎，现在人家是直接冲进来了。 你看看所谓的经济开发区，不就是列强100年进入中国要抢占的地方吗？什么天津，上海，广州。黄埔江当然没有列强的军舰横冲直撞了，但是你没有看见修磁悬浮列车的筑路车上挂着的是德意志和法兰西的国旗？中国人居然还能很自豪？
而且我实在很不理解在外企工作的中国女人，所谓的“白领丽人”，所谓的“小资”。她们的自豪已经把中国人可悲的自豪发挥到极致了，不就是在一个大公司作最简单的office lady吗？她们看待公司就如同自己傍了一个大款一样，然后就来鄙视我。本人就是土，去了高级饭店开会就会丢人，本人曾经因为穿凉鞋和短裤而被保安不让进，结果会务跑出来说这是我们请来的，保安崩溃了。从此我就说我是电工。记得一次去上海国际会议中心开会，就是东方明珠下面那个有2个大球，在陆家嘴最前面的，本人连怎么从咖啡壶里面把咖啡倒出来都不会，还去问人怎么把咖啡放出来。然后她们就鄙视我，结果要是看到你胸卡上有个VIP，或者你和老外聊的很high，她们立马就是180度大转弯。你们懂个毛！ 我开IEEE的会开了5次，虽然也有烂会，穿拖鞋的教授多呢，除了作keynote speech的，没什么人穿西装皮鞋，这才是真正的天才。你们这帮女人追求的，是华尔街的人的生活——忙到最后都不知道自己在忙啥，不是硅谷的人干的事情——一直知道自己在追求什么。而且这帮女人自己对西洋文化也是一知半解，搞的不伦不类，恰恰反应出她们没文化。你们的什么狗屁烂皮包比我高级个P，本人书包缝上NASA宇航员的袖章（而且还是在哥伦比亚号出事以后那次Return-to-Flight任务的），你们的皮包上挂一百个钻石也比不上这个，因为NASA代表着人类的梦想和精神，It's invaluable。Texas Tech CS系有3个实验室是NASA资助的，很多小gift都是我去要来的，你想买，还没人卖给你呢。当你们的皮包成为尘土的时候，NASA的探测器已经带着人类的问候到达有外星人的地方了。外星人会知道NASA，但是你们当年有多风流，他们不知道。
去年暑假去加拿大和今年正式到美国，发现很多中国女人也是这个样，哦还有我今年3月在HK开会时候见到的一个几年未见的高中女同学。Eric说她们就知道2样东西，一样是xx，还有一样就是绿卡。现在同实验室的一个人叫Justin，美国公民，他和我说，他以前有个华人女朋友，后来分手了，因为他发现那个女的天天只关心绿卡。居然还有人BT到来问老板的funding有多少，你不就是想知道这个PhD一个月有多少工资，然后决定泡不泡吗？ 同学，美国是女权主义的社会，你这样搞，没什么好处。 读过大学的人，怎么这么傻呢？
全球化浪潮中，还有一件可悲的事情就是中国大学的软件学院。老外公司把简单的programming 工作交给中国的程序员作，于是中国教育部还标榜自己在十几个大学开设软件学院，号称培养软件人才，其实是培养IT民工。我在新东方上课的时候，有个同学向老师咨询出国读PhD的事情，居然还很自豪的说“我是教育部xx年开始在几个重点大学试点的软件学院的学生”。帮人家作苦力，人家赚大的，你赚小的，还能很开心，偶真是崩溃。 而且别人不要你了，你怎么办？ 类似的事情很多，比如美国的超市里面，Made in China一大堆，大家就觉得自己国家很强大。兄台，你知道贸易剪刀差吧？ 哪里有雇员比老板还有钱的事情？
所以中国人现在很多的自豪实在是莫名其妙，不过这个其实和很多国人的表现是一致的，比如自己爸爸有有钱，就看不起其他同学，或者自己上了好大学，就看不起没上大学的同学，这是有同样的文化实质——就是他们不相信自己，没有自己的精神世界，于是就去追求一些自己也不知道为什么而去追求的东西。最后以至于发展到有时间赚钱而没时间花钱。
由于自我意识的缺失，中国的历史只有2个时代，坐稳了奴才的时代，和想做奴才而不得的时代（此ZB话不是我所说）。所以有的女人就要傍大款，要去有钱的大公司，什么Standard Charters（渣打银行）, JP Morgan Chase（摩根大通）, 这有什么用阿? 去这些公司，你永远不是自己的主人，因为你活在别人的生活里，唯有你的思想才是你自己的。所以古希腊人最推崇的是人的智慧，连埃及的法老都知道灵魂是永恒的，再多的钱和宇宙比起来都是a piece of shit. 所罗门王有钱吧，天下没有王比他还要有钱（不过他不知道中国的皇帝），他的妃姘多的天下没有王比他还多，但是他怎么说呢？ 没文化的女人去读读圣经吧。
追求一种精神的世界吧，追求一种自信的精神世界吧。天球的中心是地球，宇宙的中心是任何一点，但是你的世界的中心是你自己。Ernest Hemingway的著名小说The old man and the sea（老人与海）中主人公Santiago给我们留下一个永恒的印象，“你尽可以消灭一个人，但是就是打不败他”。哈姆雷特说，在果壳之中，我就是万王之王，天才的物理学家Hawking因此而给他的书冠名The Universe in a Nutshell（果壳中的宇宙）。
启动SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence， 寻找外星智慧)计划的天文学家Carl Sagan有一次在纽约火车站，一个搬运工帮他搬行李，他要付钱给搬运工，但是搬运工对他说，Sagan先生，你把整个宇宙都给了我们，我还要你的钱干嘛？
同学，你的宇宙在哪里？
今天Ubuntu发布新版本7.10
结果apt-get总是没法连接到升级服务器，全是timed out
ubuntu.com和us.ubuntu.com都不行
估计一群人正在升级，犹如DDOS一般的潮水阿
没办法，本人只好把cn99和rootguide前的#去掉（本人来了美国系统还没有重装过,所以此配置文件还是原来的)
居然连上了，虽然速度只有几十K，还是可以用的
看来中国大陆用Ubuntu的人实在是少阿
我对Eric说，真可谓小日本所说“欲征服世界必先征服中国”，现在是欲征服世界市场，必先征服中国市场。我觉得首先要征服的是长江中下游市场。一个technology-oriented company可以很好的实现全球化，但是像Yahoo, eBay, 这种culture-oriented company来到中国，钱就不那么好赚了。因为中国有百度之类的耍流氓的公司，所谓强龙压不过地头蛇阿。
中国有世界1／5的人口，但是还没有把升级服务器搞爆掉
美国这边几乎是过几百英里就是一个mirror，还是不够用阿
很多中国人自我麻痹，觉得自己国家很强大，老外都来开公司，其实人家只是把中国当作一个巨大的市场，“全中国的人袖子加长一寸，就够大不列颠的工厂忙上n年”。很多同学也傻傻的去外企找工作，除了个别公司以外，大部分公司都是不需要什么真正意义上的研发人员的，你没发现field support engineer特别多吗？ NI在上海是连technical document translator都招上了，否则怎么汉化LabVIEW？ 这些公司思路很简单，就是到中国来卖东西，等到中国现在这种寅吃卯粮，拆东墙补西墙的经济搞出问题了，他们立刻走人。看看现在活跃在海峡两岸的知识分子，有几个不是美国/加拿大居民？ 连82娶28的老教授还和清华谈条件说你不准让我放弃美国国籍。
所谓慈禧太后之“量中华之物力，结与国之欢心”，看看长江中下游的经济开发区就知道了。周总理说，列强在大海上架几门大炮就能让中国屈服的时代已经过去了。哎，现在人家是直接冲进来了。 你看看所谓的经济开发区，不就是列强100年进入中国要抢占的地方吗？什么天津，上海，广州。黄埔江当然没有列强的军舰横冲直撞了，但是你没有看见修磁悬浮列车的筑路车上挂着的是德意志和法兰西的国旗？中国人居然还能很自豪？
而且我实在很不理解在外企工作的中国女人，所谓的“白领丽人”，所谓的“小资”。她们的自豪已经把中国人可悲的自豪发挥到极致了，不就是在一个大公司作最简单的office lady吗？她们看待公司就如同自己傍了一个大款一样，然后就来鄙视我。本人就是土，去了高级饭店开会就会丢人，本人曾经因为穿凉鞋和短裤而被保安不让进，结果会务跑出来说这是我们请来的，保安崩溃了。从此我就说我是电工。记得一次去上海国际会议中心开会，就是东方明珠下面那个有2个大球，在陆家嘴最前面的，本人连怎么从咖啡壶里面把咖啡倒出来都不会，还去问人怎么把咖啡放出来。然后她们就鄙视我，结果要是看到你胸卡上有个VIP，或者你和老外聊的很high，她们立马就是180度大转弯。你们懂个毛！ 我开IEEE的会开了5次，虽然也有烂会，穿拖鞋的教授多呢，除了作keynote speech的，没什么人穿西装皮鞋，这才是真正的天才。你们这帮女人追求的，是华尔街的人的生活——忙到最后都不知道自己在忙啥，不是硅谷的人干的事情——一直知道自己在追求什么。而且这帮女人自己对西洋文化也是一知半解，搞的不伦不类，恰恰反应出她们没文化。你们的什么狗屁烂皮包比我高级个P，本人书包缝上NASA宇航员的袖章（而且还是在哥伦比亚号出事以后那次Return-to-Flight任务的），你们的皮包上挂一百个钻石也比不上这个，因为NASA代表着人类的梦想和精神，It's invaluable。Texas Tech CS系有3个实验室是NASA资助的，很多小gift都是我去要来的，你想买，还没人卖给你呢。当你们的皮包成为尘土的时候，NASA的探测器已经带着人类的问候到达有外星人的地方了。外星人会知道NASA，但是你们当年有多风流，他们不知道。
去年暑假去加拿大和今年正式到美国，发现很多中国女人也是这个样，哦还有我今年3月在HK开会时候见到的一个几年未见的高中女同学。Eric说她们就知道2样东西，一样是xx，还有一样就是绿卡。现在同实验室的一个人叫Justin，美国公民，他和我说，他以前有个华人女朋友，后来分手了，因为他发现那个女的天天只关心绿卡。居然还有人BT到来问老板的funding有多少，你不就是想知道这个PhD一个月有多少工资，然后决定泡不泡吗？ 同学，美国是女权主义的社会，你这样搞，没什么好处。 读过大学的人，怎么这么傻呢？
全球化浪潮中，还有一件可悲的事情就是中国大学的软件学院。老外公司把简单的programming 工作交给中国的程序员作，于是中国教育部还标榜自己在十几个大学开设软件学院，号称培养软件人才，其实是培养IT民工。我在新东方上课的时候，有个同学向老师咨询出国读PhD的事情，居然还很自豪的说“我是教育部xx年开始在几个重点大学试点的软件学院的学生”。帮人家作苦力，人家赚大的，你赚小的，还能很开心，偶真是崩溃。 而且别人不要你了，你怎么办？ 类似的事情很多，比如美国的超市里面，Made in China一大堆，大家就觉得自己国家很强大。兄台，你知道贸易剪刀差吧？ 哪里有雇员比老板还有钱的事情？
所以中国人现在很多的自豪实在是莫名其妙，不过这个其实和很多国人的表现是一致的，比如自己爸爸有有钱，就看不起其他同学，或者自己上了好大学，就看不起没上大学的同学，这是有同样的文化实质——就是他们不相信自己，没有自己的精神世界，于是就去追求一些自己也不知道为什么而去追求的东西。最后以至于发展到有时间赚钱而没时间花钱。
由于自我意识的缺失，中国的历史只有2个时代，坐稳了奴才的时代，和想做奴才而不得的时代（此ZB话不是我所说）。所以有的女人就要傍大款，要去有钱的大公司，什么Standard Charters（渣打银行）, JP Morgan Chase（摩根大通）, 这有什么用阿? 去这些公司，你永远不是自己的主人，因为你活在别人的生活里，唯有你的思想才是你自己的。所以古希腊人最推崇的是人的智慧，连埃及的法老都知道灵魂是永恒的，再多的钱和宇宙比起来都是a piece of shit. 所罗门王有钱吧，天下没有王比他还要有钱（不过他不知道中国的皇帝），他的妃姘多的天下没有王比他还多，但是他怎么说呢？ 没文化的女人去读读圣经吧。
追求一种精神的世界吧，追求一种自信的精神世界吧。天球的中心是地球，宇宙的中心是任何一点，但是你的世界的中心是你自己。Ernest Hemingway的著名小说The old man and the sea（老人与海）中主人公Santiago给我们留下一个永恒的印象，“你尽可以消灭一个人，但是就是打不败他”。哈姆雷特说，在果壳之中，我就是万王之王，天才的物理学家Hawking因此而给他的书冠名The Universe in a Nutshell（果壳中的宇宙）。
启动SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence， 寻找外星智慧)计划的天文学家Carl Sagan有一次在纽约火车站，一个搬运工帮他搬行李，他要付钱给搬运工，但是搬运工对他说，Sagan先生，你把整个宇宙都给了我们，我还要你的钱干嘛？
同学，你的宇宙在哪里？
2007-10-16
“我不会”与“我要去学”
This is an article I wrote a long time ago. Now published at Blogger: http://forrestbao.blogspot.com/2007/10/blog-post_16.html
作 者: baosheng
标 题: “我不会”与“我要去学”
时 间: Fri Jun 15 11:52:31 2007
点 击: 371
By Forrest Sheng Bao http://forrest.bao.googlepages.com
遇到一个新的东西（比如一个新的算法，或者一个新的软件），一种人说“我不会”，然后就跑开了，另外一种人说“我要去学”
于是大学四年这样的过程周而复始，repeat了多少次之后，这两种人的差距就拉大了。后一种人往往实现了自己满意的人生目标（想加入的公司，想就读的大学, etc.） ，而前一种人则开始抱怨诸如“出国形势不好是因为xx系烂”或者“自己被学校耍了”。
比如很多人号称要学linux，当你真的把一个运行linux的计算机放到她面前的时候，她说什么不会用。而另外一种人听说"Linux has many exciting features"，于是自己就去学。四年后，这两种人已经没有共同的语言了。
不过中国的大学里面说“我不会”的人是远多于说“我要去学”的人，所以大部分的大学生是除了老师上课讲的那些东西，就其他什么都不知道了。所以我们的大学只是分为白天的宿舍和晚上的宿舍罢了。
无数的人坐在教室里面听临毕业的学长介绍经验，但是他们的心还是停留在“我不会”的阶段，空想如何成为学长那样的牛人，却又没有“我要去学”的实际行动。
于是不会TeX的人，终究还是不会TeX，虽然他和数模的队友一起知道TeX这个东东；不会Linux的人终究还是不会Linux，虽然他和舍友一起听学长介绍Linux；没做过project的人终究还是两手空空，虽然他和同学一起去找老师号称要进实验室；没发过paper的人还是不知道简历上写什么，虽然他总想着要看多少书；没玩过ARM的同学终究还是没有看到Qtopia如何在开发板上跑起来，虽然他和师兄一起去买ARM开发板。
四年，人的差距就是这样拉开。后面的岁月，差距会继续拉大。Palo Alto的天才在改变着世界，而你也许只有在别人提到新的奇迹的时候说，“我和xx是同学”，但是你却记不得和他的往事，也许当你在追mm的时候，他正在图书馆看书。
作 者: baosheng
标 题: “我不会”与“我要去学”
时 间: Fri Jun 15 11:52:31 2007
点 击: 371
By Forrest Sheng Bao http://forrest.bao.googlepages.com
遇到一个新的东西（比如一个新的算法，或者一个新的软件），一种人说“我不会”，然后就跑开了，另外一种人说“我要去学”
于是大学四年这样的过程周而复始，repeat了多少次之后，这两种人的差距就拉大了。后一种人往往实现了自己满意的人生目标（想加入的公司，想就读的大学, etc.） ，而前一种人则开始抱怨诸如“出国形势不好是因为xx系烂”或者“自己被学校耍了”。
比如很多人号称要学linux，当你真的把一个运行linux的计算机放到她面前的时候，她说什么不会用。而另外一种人听说"Linux has many exciting features"，于是自己就去学。四年后，这两种人已经没有共同的语言了。
不过中国的大学里面说“我不会”的人是远多于说“我要去学”的人，所以大部分的大学生是除了老师上课讲的那些东西，就其他什么都不知道了。所以我们的大学只是分为白天的宿舍和晚上的宿舍罢了。
无数的人坐在教室里面听临毕业的学长介绍经验，但是他们的心还是停留在“我不会”的阶段，空想如何成为学长那样的牛人，却又没有“我要去学”的实际行动。
于是不会TeX的人，终究还是不会TeX，虽然他和数模的队友一起知道TeX这个东东；不会Linux的人终究还是不会Linux，虽然他和舍友一起听学长介绍Linux；没做过project的人终究还是两手空空，虽然他和同学一起去找老师号称要进实验室；没发过paper的人还是不知道简历上写什么，虽然他总想着要看多少书；没玩过ARM的同学终究还是没有看到Qtopia如何在开发板上跑起来，虽然他和师兄一起去买ARM开发板。
四年，人的差距就是这样拉开。后面的岁月，差距会继续拉大。Palo Alto的天才在改变着世界，而你也许只有在别人提到新的奇迹的时候说，“我和xx是同学”，但是你却记不得和他的往事，也许当你在追mm的时候，他正在图书馆看书。
2006-10-23
I believe that culture understanding exists
Sheng Bao <http://forrest.bao.googlepages.com>
written after I came back from Greece and Germany on Dec. 2005
I had lived in China for more than 20 years. Before I stepped out the country, I felt that there is no culture understanding. I considered that the culture can be dated back from a long history. Different cultures developed in difference environments. You cann't bridge the gap formed in a long time instantly. That is the so-called culture shock.
But after I came aboard for about one week in Europe, I have to admit that culture understanding exists. I attended an international conference in Greece and I touched an old culture as old as the Chinese one. It evoked me to compare the difference between cultures.
Different cultures have different performance but the same essential, due to all mankind have the same demand. Every nation has myth. No matter ancient Greece, China, Rome, Egypt. Even someone said United States also has myth, the Star Wars. Why? Everyone needs dreams and pursues happiness. Western people use folks and knives to eat. Chinese people use chopsticks. Some other nations even just use hands directly. This distinction results from different ways of cooking. We all need to eat. But the food varies for geological environment and climate. The ancient Greek built stone temples while Chinese buildings were made in wood and bamboo. I saw the city of Athens is surrounded by rocky hills and there is no tall tree on those hills. Additionally, temples are built on high cliff. The possible material they could use is stone. In contrast, Chinese civilization was born near river banks. The plain terrain and fertilized soil allow Chinese people to build in woods-there are lot of trees. We have different materials but the same needs, the housing. So different architectural styles were born.
Based on the same demand, culture understanding is possible. Although we can analyze differences and reasons of different cultures, it is not so easily to make it. Everyone has recognition to his own culture. Or we can say that certain culture is more familiar to someone. We will naturally object other cultures and exclude them. The worth value formed in certain environment becomes a fixed criterion in our conciousness. Maybe we even consider the culture from other nation is ridiculous. We have lost the ability to adjust and to tolerate them if we grow up in an unique culture environment. For example, Chinese people will feel funny seeing a western people using chopsticks.
Indeed, there is no true or false criterion between cultures. The more chances we touch each other, the better we can understand each other. The only key to achieve culture understanding is time, because culture shock is caused by isolation between cultures. If you take more chance to explain to each other, you can understand each other faster.
The trends of culture understanding can’t be stopped. Mankind has a nature that want to communicate with and recognise each other. So culture understanding is a necessary step before that. If two cultures encounted, in some conditions, one culture wants to beat another. But if in case that none of them wants to beat against another, or none of them has the ability to win another, culture understanding will happen. Just remind the book “Robinson Crusoe”. Although Crusoe and his man Friday came from difference culture environment,, they both have the inspiration to understand each other. But very unfortunately, it seems the culture of Crusoe beat the culture of Friday. Or we can say Friday “understands” the culture of Crusoe for he learned English and he also learned how to use guns which didn’t exist in his native community.
Additionally, new culture will also be developed in the place where cultures are hybrided. I consider this is a result of culture understanding but also a failure of culture understanding. The new culture is a compromise of two different cultures. Both these cultures are very “strong”, none of them can be vanished. A common situation for them to coexist is developing a new culture. Have a look at the motto of United States, “E Pluribus Unum” which means “out of many, one”. We have to admit the culture of USA is very strange, compared with cultures of other places of the world. American people both performance they own culture and the American specified factor, the pronunciation of English, the behavior and so on. For example, I met a Korean who I firmly inferred that he is an American Korean at the first glance. The reason is I found that his body language in his presentation is very open and diverse, as acting an opera.
written after I came back from Greece and Germany on Dec. 2005
I had lived in China for more than 20 years. Before I stepped out the country, I felt that there is no culture understanding. I considered that the culture can be dated back from a long history. Different cultures developed in difference environments. You cann't bridge the gap formed in a long time instantly. That is the so-called culture shock.
But after I came aboard for about one week in Europe, I have to admit that culture understanding exists. I attended an international conference in Greece and I touched an old culture as old as the Chinese one. It evoked me to compare the difference between cultures.
Different cultures have different performance but the same essential, due to all mankind have the same demand. Every nation has myth. No matter ancient Greece, China, Rome, Egypt. Even someone said United States also has myth, the Star Wars. Why? Everyone needs dreams and pursues happiness. Western people use folks and knives to eat. Chinese people use chopsticks. Some other nations even just use hands directly. This distinction results from different ways of cooking. We all need to eat. But the food varies for geological environment and climate. The ancient Greek built stone temples while Chinese buildings were made in wood and bamboo. I saw the city of Athens is surrounded by rocky hills and there is no tall tree on those hills. Additionally, temples are built on high cliff. The possible material they could use is stone. In contrast, Chinese civilization was born near river banks. The plain terrain and fertilized soil allow Chinese people to build in woods-there are lot of trees. We have different materials but the same needs, the housing. So different architectural styles were born.
Based on the same demand, culture understanding is possible. Although we can analyze differences and reasons of different cultures, it is not so easily to make it. Everyone has recognition to his own culture. Or we can say that certain culture is more familiar to someone. We will naturally object other cultures and exclude them. The worth value formed in certain environment becomes a fixed criterion in our conciousness. Maybe we even consider the culture from other nation is ridiculous. We have lost the ability to adjust and to tolerate them if we grow up in an unique culture environment. For example, Chinese people will feel funny seeing a western people using chopsticks.
Indeed, there is no true or false criterion between cultures. The more chances we touch each other, the better we can understand each other. The only key to achieve culture understanding is time, because culture shock is caused by isolation between cultures. If you take more chance to explain to each other, you can understand each other faster.
The trends of culture understanding can’t be stopped. Mankind has a nature that want to communicate with and recognise each other. So culture understanding is a necessary step before that. If two cultures encounted, in some conditions, one culture wants to beat another. But if in case that none of them wants to beat against another, or none of them has the ability to win another, culture understanding will happen. Just remind the book “Robinson Crusoe”. Although Crusoe and his man Friday came from difference culture environment,, they both have the inspiration to understand each other. But very unfortunately, it seems the culture of Crusoe beat the culture of Friday. Or we can say Friday “understands” the culture of Crusoe for he learned English and he also learned how to use guns which didn’t exist in his native community.
Additionally, new culture will also be developed in the place where cultures are hybrided. I consider this is a result of culture understanding but also a failure of culture understanding. The new culture is a compromise of two different cultures. Both these cultures are very “strong”, none of them can be vanished. A common situation for them to coexist is developing a new culture. Have a look at the motto of United States, “E Pluribus Unum” which means “out of many, one”. We have to admit the culture of USA is very strange, compared with cultures of other places of the world. American people both performance they own culture and the American specified factor, the pronunciation of English, the behavior and so on. For example, I met a Korean who I firmly inferred that he is an American Korean at the first glance. The reason is I found that his body language in his presentation is very open and diverse, as acting an opera.
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