Culture Archives - Page 20 of 21

NOIZE ‘n LETTAS from Gaven: Yes, I’m Chinese, But…

February 12, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 5 Comments

Big G just dropped his first single, “Yes, I’m Chinese, But . . .” First released here on the thebirdonfire.org!

–by Gaven Li

Yes, I’m Chinese
But that doesn’t mean anything
I don’t eat dogs or kitties
Orange chicken is not always my favorite

Yes, I’m Chinese
But we no longer live in rural places
There are 14 million people in my city
Everyone will fall in love with her beauty

Yes, I’m Chinese
But not every Chinese is Bruce Lee
I don’t know Kung Fu
and never fight in the street

Yes, I’m Chinese
But we ain’t in the 1960s
Everyday after school
I don’t help my dad farming

Yes, I’m Chinese
But y’all should remember this:
Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan
They are all parts of our country

Yes, I’m Chinese
But I can still rap like Jay-Z
I’m a poetic “gangster”
Comin straight outta PRC

The “Power” to Change Your Life

February 10, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

–by Ashley Zhou

Wednesday night, January 13, was a heartbreaking moment for many people—the
Powerball jackpot winning numbers were released and 1.5 billion
dollars were taken away. . . by someone else.
The US Powerball is run by the Multi-State Lottery Association, and it
was the most valuable lottery in the United States. If no one
wins a jackpot, the prize is accumulated automatically
into the next one until someone brings the bonus home. The week before January 13 was a
craze for purchasing lottery tickets because the bonus money was the
highest ever in history–$1.5 billion.(what??!!!)

“Normally, it is not worth it to buy a lottery ticket of any kind.
Your chances of winning . . . Powerball are less than 1 in 220 million.
You’re more likely to get struck by lightning twice in your natural
lifespan than you are to win the Powerball on a particular ticket. If
the jackpot is $40 million, then the expected value of a lottery
ticket (assuming you only care about the jackpot, not the smaller
prizes), is $40 million / 220 million = 18 cents. Since a ticket costs
$2, you are spending far more than you can reasonably expect to get.

However, last week, when the jackpot was 1.3 billion, the expected
value of a ticket was approximately $1.3 billion / 220 million, or
$5.90 — more than the cost of a ticket. So, in theory, it is worth it
to buy a ticket. In practice, of course, it is effectively certain
that you won’t win, but some–myself included–derive entertainment
from imagining that they can win. That’s why I dropped $10 just this
once. Buying 5 tickets increased my chances from 1 in 220,000,000 to
one in 44,000,000, which you should recognize is still very nearly 0.
From a financial standpoint, buying more tickets is more akin to
spending more money than it is to increasing your chances of winning.”

–Statistics and Calculus teacher, Ms. Emily McKee

Even though the chance of winning the jackpot is so small, it’s
very interesting to talk about: How would you spend that huge amount
of money if you had won the jackpot?
“I’d probably donate $10 million or so to Palm Valley and set up a
scholarship. I’d definitely keep working here because I can’t imagine
anything I’d rather do, but I might give my salary to hire a teacher’s
aide just to do the less fun parts of being a teacher–i.e. everything
except teaching kids. I’d also take college classes whenever I wanted
for the fun of learning. There’d be no pressure, since a bad grade
would have absolutely no impact on my life,” says Ms. McKee.

Our loyalest blog reader, Drama teacher Mr. Sarkis, shared his
idea with us:

After paying the taxes,
I would sit down with a pencil and paper and
while crying tears of joy,
take great delight in planning large amounts to give to:

21 nieces and nephews,… 35 grand nieces and nephews,… 2 great-grand nephews,
St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital,
Sisters of St Joseph in Rochester, NY,
a merit scholarship endowment fund for Palm Valley School,
a Dance Training and Performance School….free for young people who
love to dance and are willing to work.

I’d give to . . .
the United Nations Relief Organizations.
I would purchase . . .
• a 2-bedroom penthouse overlooking Central Park in NYC
• a 2-bedroom condo on Las Terrenas Beach in the Dominican Republic
(both of which I would share with friends who love adventure and art
and life)
• a state-of-the-art jumbo-size video-screen-tv communication
console
• I would travel the world and be especially generous in handing out
substantial sums of money to good poor people I encountered along the
way.

I would spend 1 year exploring China by car, and pay whatever the cost
for a chauffeur and a guide with the personality and intelligence and
energy of PVS Senior sudent, Henry Huang.

I would hire a personal full-time cook specializing in low cholesterol
high nutrition, exotic gourmet cooking and invite friends and loved
ones to lots of dinners….. and a personal trainer/masseuse skilled
in teaching old people how to do yoga.

I would contribute large sums of money for research to find a sure cure
for drug addiction.

I would treat 10 high-school students who LOVE American History to
a trip to NYC for a dinner and performance of Broadway’s smash hit
HAMILTON…. AND a comprehensive field-trip study of the memorial site
of the World Trade Center disaster.

I would make-come-true the Dream Vacation of Susie Zachik’s choice.

I would make sure that anyone I knew who needed money…. to support a
quest for Enlightened Happiness…… got it.

I would give meaningful presents to people who really meant it when
they hugged me.

I would pay for every person who goes to dinner or to a movie with me.

I would carry 100 dollar bills at all times…. and watch everyday for
random acts of kindness….. and surprise practioners by giving them
one.

I would pay for their gas everytime I saw a mother or father drive
into a station with children in the back seat of an old shabby looking
car.

I would pay someone to write down the rest of my Powerball dreams
because it is late now and I am tired and I want to go to bed.
Indeed, that much money will definitely change one’s life, but how to
use it is totally up to you. Buying a new Lamborghini? Donating some
money to a hospital? Or getting a mansion in Beverly Hills? However, if
you didn’t win the money, you better go back to work or go
study for your tests and quizzes after daydreaming. LOL. –Editor Gaven Li

Ben Can Fly

January 21, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 5 Comments

Ben Ju, member of our senior class, went skydiving during his Christmas break. It was surprising to many people that he is indeed a fan of extreme sports. Palm Valley blog writers Zhenzhou Hu and Jim Wang interviewed Ben about this adventure. The following is the conversation between them. Be sure to play the video of Ben JUMPING out of a plane.

–Editor Amber Zheng

Zhenzhou Hu: I heard you went skydiving during this winter break. How was it?

Ben Ju: It was great! I went skydiving with my friends at Skydive Elsinore in Los Angeles.

Jim Wang: Did your parents know you went skydiving?

Ben: I told them after I did it. Otherwise, I would not have been allowed to go skydiving.

Zhenzhou: Was there anything that encouraged you to do this? Skydiving requires tremendous amounts of courage.

Ben: I did not have enough courage to do it before. However, I survived a car accident which happened during this past Winter Break. I realized that I needed to try the things I wanted to do while I could still do them. You know, . . . YOLO (You Only Live Once.) Skydiving is a way to celebrate my life!

Attached is the video of Ben readying for his jump, talking about his jump, flying, jumping out of the plane, landing, and his comments about the jump–all filmed by Skydive Elsinore.

There’s Been an Awakening–Have You Felt It?

January 20, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Chloe Sweeney

If you have not seen the film, turn back before it’s too late! This is not the post you are looking for. SPOILER ALERT!!!

The release of the new Star Wars film has had the entire world buzzing. Weeks before it came out commercials were released, action figures were advertised, and speculation as to the film’s plot were circulating. Even before its release The Force Awakens racked up over $100 million in pre-ticket sales. But, did this film live up to its hype?
Film critics really enjoyed it, and Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 93 out of 100. Metacritic gave The Force Awakens an 81 out of 100 and IMDb rated it an 8.5 out of 10. The audience review was generally very positive with only a very few people leaving disappointed. Mr. Buck, a science teacher at Palm Valley School and Star Wars enthusiast, said this about the film:
“I never thought I would say this, but I miss George Lucas. The Star Wars prequels had many flaws in their execution, but Lucas is an imaginative and creative storyteller. The Force Awakens was a beautifully directed, mediocre story. J.J. Abrams played it safe and retold Episode 4 instead of creating something new. Although I’d rather have more Star Wars than less, this movie was nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
I am far from a hardcore Star Wars fan, but I do really love the movies. Prior to the release of the seventh film, my family and I had a Star Wars marathon where we re-watched all six episodes. It was so cool getting to hear my dad’s stories about his reaction to certain plot twists when he first saw the films in theaters. It is amazing that a movie franchise has made such a profound impact on so many people spanning multiple generations.
When we went to see The Force Awakens I was ecstatic. My memory was refreshed from the older episodes, and I couldn’t wait to see how the new film would turn out. Personally, my expectations were far exceeded. I absolutely loved the return of old characters and all the nostalgic throwbacks. The lightsaber fights packed more of a punch, and I loved BB-8. I agree that the plot was not as innovative as it could have been, but I was able to overlook that. I believe that if J.J. Abrams and Disney had significantly switched up the plot everyone would complain that they lost the elements that make Star Wars the Star Wars we have known and loved for almost 40 years.
The movie did leave many unanswered questions: who is Supreme Leader Snoke? Is Rey a Skywalker? Is she Luke’s daughter? How does Rey become attuned with The Force? Why does Luke’s lightsaber choose her? Will Kylo Ren redeem himself? Of course, there are countless other questions. It is incredibly unfortunate that the world will have to wait until December 15th, 2017, to see these questions answered in Episode VIII.

–Edited by Trey Lucatero

Chinese-American Fast-Food

January 15, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

Senior Blog Writer Amber Zheng talks today about the menus of some of the fast-food brands in China that look deceptively familiar.

–by Amber Zheng
American fast-food corporations entered China several decades ago. Fast-food brands like KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Carl’s Junior, etc., are very popular in China. However, most of these American fast-food restaurants offer a much wider variety of foods in China than they do in America.

KFC was the first American fast-food chain that opened in China. It has a “localized” policy worldwide, which means it has specialized menus in different places in order to maximize the profit. Chinese KFC’s offer not only fried-chicken wings and sandwiches but also seafood porridge, chicken wraps, puddings, corn, fried rice, and even egg tarts! China is the only country in the world where KFC makes more money than McDonald’s does, and a huge part of the reason is because of the diversity and localization.

Pizza Hut was the first American fast-food pizza store that walked into China. In China, instead of a fast-food place, Pizza Hut is more like a chain restaurant that has a very big menu. A Chinese Pizza Hut menu is bigger than a Cheesecake Factory menu. Pizzas and salads are only a very small part of the options on the menu. Chinese Pizza Huts have soups such as chicken mushroom soup and seafood chowder; French appetizers such as garlic snails; different kinds of steaks such as French-style sirloin; all kinds of wines and coffee–such as vanilla latte and rum; various styles of noodles such as asparagus salmon spaghetti with Alfredo sauce; a long list of desserts including ice-cream chocolate cake, caramel brûlée, etc. Moreover, all of the Pizza Huts in China are designed as sit-down restaurants. They also have servers at the door to lead people to different tables and booths and waiters for each table. Moreover, the Pizza Huts in China offer a special packet for little kids. In this packet, kids get to go to Pizza Hut with their friends on their birthday and learn how to make pizzas. The Pizza Hut staff also arrange games for kids at their birthday parties.

–Edited by Henry Huang

The awards they’ve missed …

January 8, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 3 Comments

–by Ashley Zhou

There are some extremely famous celebrities and athletes who have gained money, fame, and public recognition. They have been acknowledged as successful in almost every way–except they haven’t obtained that one important award in their fields. For whatever reason, they have been unintentionally locked out of winning a coveted prize–although they’ve been nominated numerous times.

The first person who pops up in my head is Leonardo DiCaprio. The highest honor of being an actor is to receive the Oscar or Academy Award. Leonardo DiCaprio has been nominated by the Academy for Best Performance of an Actor in a Leading Role three times and as the Best Actor in a Supporting Role one time, but he has never won. The movies that he was nominated for were What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993), The Aviator (2004), Blood Diamond (2006), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). DiCaprio has established himself with great performances in those movies. However, the Academy obviously didn’t appreciate his talents as much as we, the audience, did. Of course, he has been teased a lot about his “so close” trophy by caring netizens (people who populate the internet), too. DiCaprio’s new movie The Revenant is being released nationwide currently with high expectations. It is also eligible for an award in the 88th Academy Awards, so we are all hoping that he can bring Oscar home this time.

For the eleventh year in a row, Japanese author Haruki Murakami was favored to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, and for the eleventh year in a row, he didn’t win.
His books and stories are bestsellers not only in Japan but also worldwide, winning numerous awards including the World Fantasy Award (2006) and the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award (2006). However, he is still missing the Noble Prize for Literature. When asked about the possibility of being awarded the Nobel Prize, Murakami responded with a laugh, saying “No, I don’t want prizes. That means you’re finished.” It is true that great writers care much more about their readers’ responses than the awards.

As a strong national team throughout history, the Netherlands National Football Team never let its fans down in the World Cup–expect for every time they were in the final match. They hold the record for playing the most World Cup finals without ever winning the tournament.
In the 1974 World Cup, the Dutch played against West Germany. With only one minute into the game, the Dutch took the lead with a penalty kick by Johan Neeskens before any German player had even touched the ball. However, Germany struggled to recover until they scored with their own penalty kick in the 25th minute. West Germany pushed for a win–Gerd Muller scored in the 48th minute. Although both sides had few chances of sending the ball to the gate, West Germany was eventually crowned the World Cup champion. This was the first time that the Dutch missed the opportunity. Then, in 1978’s World Cup, after losing the final game four years ago, the Dutch made it again. The host Argentina turned the table of a 1-1 game by scoring two goals in stoppage time. But this match was a big controversy, as the Dutch accused the Argentines of using stalling tactics to delay the match that allowed tension to build in front of a hostile Buenos Aires crowd.
In the 2010 World Cup final, similarly, Spain defeated Netherlands 1-0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time. At the end of the game, as the sound of revelry hailed from the winning team, the orange soldiers left again with their lonely shadows fading out of the scene.

–Edited by Gaven Li

eSports: “It’s not just a phase, Mom!”

January 7, 2016 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

Our popular blog writer Jim Wang is also a royal fan of eSports. He disagrees with many people’s idea that eSports are not real sports and explains his reasons in the following blog post.

–Editor Amber

–by Jim Wang

eSports means competitive tournaments of video games, especially games among professional gamers. But are these eSports real sports? Most people may say no because they think that there are not any physical aspects like those found in football or basketball in video games. However, in my opinion, I totally agree with people that categorize eSports as real sports. Here are my reasons.

Firstly, eSport competitions are similar with those of traditional sports. Like conventional sports, eSports consist of many different games such as Starcraft, DotA, IMG_0930-2 Counter-Strike, etc. So, let’s take, for example, League of Legends, a popular multi-player game. People who are really good at League of Legends must have inhuman reaction speed, excellent team awareness, and great minds–just like in any other sport. Moreover, these players have to practice for more than ten hours a day in order to improve their personal and team-working skills. You may think that playing ten hours of a video game is easy, but if you try to play just one competitive hour of any eSport game you will know that it’s not easy at all.

Secondly, eSports are generating enormous business all over the world. According to newzoo.org, which conducts market research for the computer games industry, in 2014 there were 205 million viewers of online games. The 2013 League of Legends world championship attracted 32 million online viewers, which was more than double the amount of the online viewership of the Baseball World Series and seven times the amount of the NBA finals online. The 2015 Counter-Strike Grand Final drew 36.95 million viewers online–a 295% jump in viewership from last year. The 2014 League of Legends world championship attracted 40,000 fans at Seoul Sangam Stadium, which hosted a football World Cup semi-final in 2002. And, in July 2014, 11,000 fans watched an eSports event in a Seattle basketball arena. It offered the highest eSports prize pool so far–$10.9 million, which is higher than the prize for golf’s USPGA Championship, and this event was streamed by US broadcasting giant ESPN.

Finally, the reason eSports is a true sport is that the top players earn an estimated 1 million dollars a year by winning the world championship or through sponsorship and subscriptions to live broadcasts like that on Twitch.tv. People don’t have to worry about their livelihood if they are masters at video games.

Now, more and more people are realizing the potential of eSports, and I hope that one day eSports can be accepted as real sport.

The Art of Talking

December 17, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

As you prepare to sit around the holiday table with relatives and close friends, Ashley Zhou, specialist in relationships, has some conversational advice for you . . . .

–by Ashley Zhou

“We always take good care of our appearance, our clothing, and makeup. We look into the mirror several times a day, but we don’t listen to our own voices when we are talking.” — Kevin Tsai

This is an excerpt from a famous Chinese book, The Art Of Talking by Chinese writer and TV host, Kevin Tsai. I think of this book when I hear my peers talk, chat, or argue about different topics. We really don’t care much about the way we talk to others. No one will actually tape his own voice and play it back at the end of the day. I once listened to my voice when I was doing a interview, and I felt really uncomfortable about my voice. I didn’t think the voice sounded like me. However, we can think in a different way: If we constantly listen to ourselves or pay attention to our voice volume and tone when we are talking, we will become better talkers.

When we are talking, we all want to be the dominator in the conversation. We always want to talk about ourselves. To be a good friend, however, we need to listen carefully to others. Try to avoid saying “I” in the conversation, instead, use “you” or “he.” Also, if you don’t want to be too blunt in front of newly made friends, then you should avoid those sensitive or potentially dangerous topics, such as age, relationships, politics, religion, etc. Some people have secrets that they don’t want to reveal, and others might have strong opinions about a certain issue that might cause arguments.

People want to hear compliments the most. We need to intentionally compliment our friends and make them feel special. Being a good friend doesn’t mean being honest or blunt. It means to place yourself in your friend’s shoes. Be empathetic. When we are asking someone for a favor, it is the same thing. We could use a little trick to achieve whatever we want. For example, when you want someone to cover for you at work, you may want to say, “Could you help me this time and I will substitute for you next month?”

Talking is an art, and it needs us to be studied and explored and practiced. A person who knows how to talk will be much more attractive than someone who knows how to dress.

–Edited by Gaven Li

Contemplations on Mortality . . . via a Cricket on a Screen

December 17, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

WANT NOTHING

Two weeks ago,
on an anxious return trip
from visiting foreign strands
(my living room carpet),
a cricket leaped onto the screen
of the French doors leading to dirt
and home.

Stiff now
and dry like weathered paper,
the cricket still fixes to the grid,
clinging to the mesh,
in crinkled desperation–

eyesore to the housekeeper
who, nevertheless,
lets it be,
a meditation each morning
on his own mortal instinct
to want.

Mr. Ken Sarkis, Drama Instructor and Poet

About this poem: Mr Sarkis shared his story about this poem with us:
“Ms Zachik regularly sends me wonderful creative-writing prompts.
About two months ago, she shared one that challenged me to look around
my house and find an object to contemplate and then to respond by
writing.

For months I had been looking at a dead cricket clinging to the
screen in my living room. It wanted to get outside, so it jumped on
the screen thinking that would lead to his getting ‘home’ to his
natural habitat. It died, stuck to the screen.

I sat on the sofa with a cup of coffee and thought about the
significance of it.

I thought: that little creature wanted something so desperately, it
actually died. I wondered if some of my desires, my wants, are so
strong they make me immobile, stuck, even lifeless.

I decided, instead of cleaning the screen and disposing of the
cricket, I should leave it there as a lesson. It is still there as a
reminder NOT to let my wants get in the way of my living.

I hope anyone who reads the poem will think about that.”

–Interview and editing done by Gaven Li

Let’s “Czech” Out Crazy Czech Holidays

December 10, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 4 Comments

Vánoční trhy byly zahájeny 27. listopadu večer na Staroměstském náměstí v Praze.---The traditional Christmas market at Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic was started by lighting up a Christmas tree on Nov. 27, 2010. (CTK Photo/Michal Kamaryt)

It’s the holidays. We’re familiar with St. Nick, angels atop the Christmas tree, dreidels, coal, houses aglow with lights, luminaries. But, do you know what happens in the Czech Republic during the holidays? Special Correspondent Anna Kleckerova tells us.

–by Anna Kleckerova

Devils also come to hospitals to make patients happy. In this picture is my friend Bara who is recovering from heart surgery.

The Czech Republic is a beautiful country with a wild history and culture. Parts of this are the crazy holidays and habits. First, I would like to speak about the “Devil Holiday,” which happens on the fifth of December. This holiday is very frightening for little kids because if they weren’t kind that year, they will be punished by scary devils. They come every year, around winter time, together with Mikuláš who carries a book of sins, a staff, a mitre (looks like the Pope’s hat), and wears a cross on his clothes. There is also an angel who eases the tense situation and makes it more enjoyable by bringing candy for children. The kids who weren’t kind and didn’t listen to their parents that year get potatoes and coal. In some cases they are kidnapped by the devils. The kind children that obey their parents have to sing a song or recite a poem. This allows them to be rewarded by the angel and Mikuláš.

Another weird Czech holiday occurs during Christmas. Czech people celebrate Christmas on the evening of December 24th. Entire families get together and have a fancy dinner with traditional Czech fish and potato salad. There are strange myths that surround this holiday. It is said that people who don’t eat the whole Christmas day will see a golden pig in the evening. It is said that if you float a small boat carrying a burning candle, and your candle is the last to extinguish in a flotilla of burning boat candles, you will live the longest. The biggest difference between the Czech Republic and America’s Christmas is that we don’t have Santa Claus. We have baby Jesus who comes every year to homes through the window to give presents to all of the children.

The last and craziest holiday is celebrated on Easter. Boys who live in villages go around to houses and hit girls on their butts with a whip made of willow wickerwork. In Czech, this whip is called Pomlázka. Every girl and woman, no matter her age, has to go through this. If she does not, then she will never find a husband and will die soon. Boys get painted eggs, chocolate, and candies from girls. Men get painted eggs and shots of alcohol. I did not have a chance to “enjoy” this tradition much growing up. I live in the capital city where this tradition isn’t as widespread. Most of my family lives in smaller towns or villages which gave me the opportunity to experience this yearly torture four times.

–Edited Chloe Sweeney