This past week, the media around the world have been talking about the presidential election in the United States. Finally, Donald Trump won the elections. In his first speech Trump was very moderate and talked about joining a divided country and that he wanted to be the president of "all" Americans. This successful businessman has been and still is the target of much controversy for his racist, xenophobic and sexist speeches. That is why since the results were announced; thousands of people in hundreds of US cities have taken to the streets to demonstrate against Donald Trump. The social climate has been convulsed by the great difference of opinion among the citizens. But what is more dangerous is that there has been a rise in hate crimes. Through social media, several people expressed have been targeted by racist attacks and phrases like "Make America White Again", "Build the Wall, Keep em Out" have appeared all over the country. I will show you three examples of cases reported in different parts of the country so that you have a good idea of how dangerous the situation is.
http://on-ajc.com/2eQJxwU
http://bit.ly/2gesd6Q
http://usat.ly/2fB7Iy3
Writing about racism in the 21st century seems crazy, but it is the reality that we live in. I believe from now onwards we have the responsibility to defend the rights won with the lives of so many people. You may think... This is happening in the United States so it has nothing to do with our country. But let me tell you that our responsibility as citizens of the world is to speak when we see innocent people being mistreated or that injustices are committed. Whether we are here or in Siberia we have to say out loud that we will not allow injustice to reign upon earth. It may seem utopian but whenever you want to give up always remember Edmund Burke's quote...
When I'm bored, I usually watch videos on Youtube. There you can find all kind of topics from music to how to boil an egg. While I was searching what to watch on that platform I came across a TED talk with the following title: “10 ways to have a better conversation” by Celeste Headlee. I must tell that those words called my attention immediately because I want to learn to be better at conversations. I am usually better at listening and I’m always amazed by those people who can engage in deep conversations whenever they want. Curious to know about these “10 ways” I watched the video. I leave the video here so you can experience it too…
Maybe a 12-minute video is not for you. But the message of this video seems to me worthy of being shared. That's why I'll leave the 10 rules for good conversation that Miss Headlee left in this TED talk.
Celeste Headlee’s 10 ways to have a better conversation
1) Don't multitask. "And I don't mean just set down your cell phone or your tablet or your car keys or whatever is in your hand. I mean, be present".
2) Don't pontificate. "If you want to state your opinion without any opportunity for response or argument or pushback or growth, write a blog".
3) Use open-ended questions. "In this case, take a cue from journalists. Start your questions with who, what, when, where, why or how. If you put in a complicated question, you're going to get a simple answer out".
4) Go with the flow. "That means thoughts will come into your mind and you need to let them go out of your mind".
5) If you don't know, say that you don't know. "Err on the side of caution. Talk should not be cheap".
6) Don't equate your experience with theirs.
7) Try not to repeat yourself. "It's condescending, and it's really boring, and we tend to do it a lot".
8) Stay out of the weeds.
9) Listen. "You have to listen to one
another".
10) Be brief.
I know, I know…
This post is really long! But I fell in love with this TED talk. I think that
nowadays we underestimate the benefits of a deep conversation with a friend,
our parents or even with strangers. I’m convinced that every single one of my
readers may get some useful tips and for sure after watching Celeste’s talk you
will enjoy better conversational skills.
Last but nos least, I loved the final thought that she left:
"I keep my mouth
shut as often as I possibly can, I keep my mind open, and I'm always
prepared to be amazed, and I'm never disappointed. You do the same thing. Go
out, talk to people, listen to people, and, most importantly, be
prepared to be amazed". (Celeste Headlee)
Taking a picture of oneself is not something new in the photography world. People have been taking self-captions for a long time now – if not since the invention of photography. But it was with the advent of social networks that the word "selfie" was coined. Since its apparition, social media has become an effective way to share information, pictures, music and anything that you could think of. But the practice of taking a picture of oneself as the main protagonist has jumped to popularity in recent years. So much is their success that many people even put their life in danger to get a perfect selfie.
A man takes a selfie by a crashing wave on Beirut's Corniche, a seaside promenade, as high winds sweep through Lebanon during a storm in this February 11, 2015, file photo. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/Files
There are different kinds of people who take a selfie. There are these people who take selfies from time to time, for a special occasion or for a profile picture. These people only take pictures of themselves when they deem it necessary. Then, there are people that feel the need to take a selfie every step they make. Since they wake up in the morning till they go to bed, you can trace every move they make through their social media. But the one that is more interesting for me are the ones that put their life in danger to take an “extreme selfie”. These are people that take pictures of themselves near wild animals, on top of skyscrapers or at cliffs' edges.
https://www.instagram.com/p/rrRVMoDanK/
As “cool” as those pictures may look like, there have been a lot of deaths due to this dangerous practice. This madness of taking the most extreme selfie led people to take huge risks in order to achieve it. Although there are a lot of people who have succeeded – we can find their amazing pictures all over the net – others have not been so lucky. To give an example of these events, I will expose the problem that India has with this wave of deaths due to selfie-takers. India is the country who has the highest rank of deaths involving selfies. Here are some pieces of news about this problematic issue in India:
CHENNAI: Just outside Chennai, a 16-year-old student died while trying to take a selfie with a speeding train in the background.
MALEGAON: Three schoolchildren today drowned in a lake while trying to click a selfie near Shingave village in Nashik district.
This wave of deaths has led the Indian State to get to work to prevent further tragedies. That's why the government has implemented no-selfie zones posting warning signs. Most Indian states have labelled tourists’ zones to make them safe.
Taking selfies to remember a trip or a special moment is something that allows us to remember it for a long time. But I think that too much of something is really wide of the mark. Putting yourself in danger to gain "likes" is certainly something that you should not even think twice.
While I was
looking for news or something interesting to talk about in my blog’s new entry
I found the news of the tragic incident at the party called Proyecto XXX. In
this party, there were all kinds of excesses and ended up with a dead teenager
and dozens injured. I thought it was an important issue to share and discuss.
So I started looking for information about the topic in different online
newspapers and social media networks. After a while of reading and collecting
data, I began to notice that in the comments section of the different web pages
I visited, a particular phrase was repeated many times. The phrase was
"youth is lost". This is a phrase we have heard many times and I am
sure that while reading this the image of your grandparents or
your parents saying just that came to your mind.
At that moment
I decided to change the topic because I do not think the youth is lost. So, I
began my search again, but this time for news of teenagers performing actions
worthy of imitation. I found a story about a group of high school students inTandil, Córdoba. Students in the 7th year from Technical School No. 2
"Felipe Senillosa" of Tandil will graduate as electromechanical
technicians and as their graduation trip, they will fix schools within the
country. It is a project that has been ongoing since 2015. Students look for a
school that needs repairs and travel to the place. They do electrical repairs
and welding among other things. In that way hey help needy schools in the
country.
I kept looking
and I found another news, a little old, but I thought worth sharing. The news
is also related to teenagers in the last year of high school. But this time, in
the city of Bethlehem, New Hampshire, US. These 41 students from ProfileJunior-Senior High School voted unanimously to put aside their graduation trip
and donated the money they had collected to the school's principal. They heard
the news that the principal, Courtney Vashaw, had been diagnosed with cancer
and decided they wanted to help. Miss Vashaw had always taught them to be
compassionate, caring and community minded and they learned the lesson well.
They're going to take a trip closer to where they live, but they do not care
because they know that in this way they could help their beloved principal.
These two
stories are just a small sample of what young people are capable of. Day by day
thousands of teenagers are not news but are doing productive things and
contribute to society. But the media's rating is achieved with tragedies rather
than with acts of kindness. Is the youth lost? I certainly do not think so.
There may be some rotten apples, but surely they are the minority.
You've probably never heard of "the sasaeng nightmare". Or even about the term "Sasaeng". This is a phenomenon that mostly affects famous people in South Korea. But to start talking about this issue, I must first explain what a sasaeng is?
In South Korean culture, a sasaeng or sasaeng fan (Hangul: 사생팬) is an obsessive fan of a Korean idol, or another public figure, that has engaged in stalking or other questionable behaviour that constitutes an invasion of privacy. The term sasaeng comes from the Korean words sa (Hangul: 사) meaning 'private' and saeng (Hangul: 생) meaning 'life', in reference to the fans' intrusion into the celebrities' private lives.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
After reading the definition you probably have a good idea of why sasaengs are a social problem in South Korea. But believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg. For years idols have had to endure this kind of behavior from these fans. Sasaengs will do anything just to be close to their idols and to get to be remembered by them. And when I say "anything", I mean "literally" anything. You only need to google "sasaeng fans" and you'll find hundreds of pages chronicling these girls' actions. They are 24/7 dedicated to their idols. They camp outside the homes of their favourite stars, they chase them in rented taxis and pay to hack their social media and personal accounts. From trespassing into their idols houses to even beating them, they do all kind of things with the intention of leaving an impression on them.
The reason that got me to write about this was the recent incident in which was involved Jackson Wang, one of GOT7's member. GOT7 is one of my favourite kpop (Korean pop music) boy band, so I was pretty shocked when I heard that Jackson had a car accident after being chased to the airport by sasaengs. Wang was on his way to take a plane to Japan when sasaengs followed his car causing the accident. He was escorted away by a staff member, but not before witnesses snapped pictures of him holding his back. After the incident, JYP Entertainment, GOT7's label, released an official statement pleading fans to stop this behaviour.
JYP Entertainment official statement - Jackson Wang at the airport.
After reading the news about Jackson's accident, I felt completely upset about the sasaengs' actions. I find it difficult to process that these women should be able to put aside their own lives to become a twenty-four-seven idol chasing fan. I dare to say that these people are on the verge of insanity. The saddest thing is that these girls not only annoy their favourite stars but they also discredit real fans. Several artists have stated that due to sasaengs' behaviour, they have treated all fans coldly, which is very disappointing for the fans who really support them. You may ask, what authorities can do about it, and the answer is that unfortunately, they have their hands tied. Although these so called "fans" transgress the law, most of them are minors, therefore they can not be prosecuted. Meanwhile, record companies can only hire more security for their idols and try to identify sasaengs to prohibit them the entrance to events where the artists perform other than that there is nothing they can do about it.
In my personal opinion, I think that being a fan of an artist is normal; we all have a special affection towards a singer, group or an actor/actress in particular, but that does not mean they belong to us and have to give explanations about what they do every day. Artists are also human beings and are entitled, like everyone else, to have a private life. The fact that they're famous does not mean they have to be constantly in the public. I strongly believe that the best way to support your favourite artist is to know about their work, to go to concerts, to buy their albums among other things; and to try not to feed the morbidity towards their personal lives.
If you want to know more about this issue you can watch the following 10-minute video made by a South Korean TV station.
When I read the title of the TED Talk "The beauty of being a misfit" by Lidia Yuknavitch, the first thing I did was to look up in the dictionary what the word "misfit" means. I found the following:
"MISFIT: A person who is different from other people and who does not seem to belong in a group or individual situation".
Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary.
After doing so, I started to think about the many times I have myself felt as a misfit. I think that everyone, at least once in a lifetime, has felt like a misfit. As human beings, we are so different one from another that it is nearly impossible to always fit in. I think that society forces us to follow certain standards that tell us how we should act, but as we are individuals with different ideas and ideals we tend once in a while to be outcasts. With that in mind, I continued watching the video.
I was expecting some kind of general idea of what being a misfit was. But once I finished watching the video, it turned out that her story was so compelling that I found myself moved to tears. Her words were somehow touching certain moments that I have experienced in my life. When Lidia talked about that "small sad stone in my throat" I knew exactly the feeling. I am a person that has experienced that feeling of not being able to express my thoughts not once, not twice, but many times. When I feel uncomfortable with a certain situation I don´t know how to react, I just cannot speak. It is in fact as if I had something in my throat that does not allow me to say a word. The inability to express my feelings also comes with a lot of regrets and what-ifs that let me completely helpless. This happens to me with bad things and with good things too, wich always reminds me of a quote by Stephen Chbosky:
I found myself nodding at every time Lidia spoke about "the shame we carry". It was really heartbreaking to realize that I have sabotaged myself so many times only because I felt that I was not good enough or that I did not deserve the goodness of life. Lidia Yuknavitch said something that every person should hear "You are good enough, you deserve to want and feel something good". If you hear those words once in a while, I am pretty sure that you will make choices based on what you want and not on what is expected from you.
I strongly believe that this talk will stay with me forever. I will remember that being a misfit is something beautiful. To the ones that are reading this I would like to let you the quote that I liked the most of the video, I think that you may need it someday:
