Caught in the middle

Mature beyond her years. Grace Wang is currently a celebrity. You may want to read this article to get some background and here it from her own voice.

Not many "victims" of incidents like this get the opportunity or have the courage to speak out. But the fact that she did shows that this is not a girl to be pushed around and good on her for standing up for what she believes in! And what does she believe in? Not China against rest of the world, not Tibetan independence but freedom for all and better understanding of cultures.

This girl learns languages in the hope of understanding more people and bridging the gap between people. She has learned there is no 'right' side in this argument, only lots of people who are not willing to quiet their own voices for just a moment to listen to what others have to say - even people who speak their language.

Lots to learn from this incident. And I've had some pretty intense conversations with Chinese people on this. In the past, I may have just taken the side of Tibet because we live in the 'free' world after all, but the more I interact with Chinese people, the more I've come to realise that neither side is 'right'. They see the whole situation in different ways. And simply jumping on the bandwagon without looking into the facts is what has conjured up these protests.

I am also beginning to realise what politics really is. Haha so much for taking politics 202 last year. This puts it all into perspective.

Personal or Professional?

I've had a history of this...my impression of someone - even a very good friend - can change instantly if I have had a poor professional experience with them. My mental image and the memories I have of them automatically conjure up a bad taste in my mouth and all sorts of negative feelings.

I guess I've always had problems separating personal and professional... but is it wrong? I place a lot of value on professional integrity and competence... both leave a strong impression on me and lead me to truly respect people. I have a holistic way of seeing people and it gets difficult for me to separate their professional and personal selves. But why should I separate them when the two should go hand in hand, right? Your professional self is a reflection of who you are as a person... or so it should be... perhaps I am just idealistic.

Anyway, I don't like pointing out examples - sensitive to peoples feelings on the web. However seeing myself in past experiences, I do forgive and sometimes try hard to forget the bad taste. And always, I like to remember the lesson I learn from each encounter.