Comments on: From Richard Nixon to Joe Johnson http://rossbaird.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/from-richard-nixon-to-joe-johnson/ I used to blog. I hope to again someday. For now, no promises. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:40:10 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Dorothy http://rossbaird.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/from-richard-nixon-to-joe-johnson/#comment-264 Dorothy Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:40:01 +0000 http://rossbaird.wordpress.com/?p=147#comment-264 hi ross! i love this post and it makes me really happy to read all about your discoveries in china. i was so afraid that you wouldn't have enough access to the people and places that would give you a comprehensive picture of the country but, obviously, my fears were unfounded. and, knowing you, i have no idea how i convinced myself you wouldn't be supremely set up. the one thing that particularly struck me about your comments was your concern regarding the current generation (anyone born post 1979-80). this is something that has bothered me ever since i started attending chinese school in 7th grade and that i have noticed has had a profound effect on my cousins. although this worries me because of the consequences of not having to think about others and "share" while growing up i think you have to also see the other side. because these children are their parents' only hope for carrying on the family name they have an IMMENSE amount of pressure on them to succeed. of course, since this is china, the pressure is most strongly felt with regards to academic career. chinese students work so hard from such a young age for a chance to get into one of the good universities, and you can imagine how competitive that is with such a huge country and only a handful of top schools. for instance, my cousin (from age 10 on) not only worked every night until the wee hours of the morning but also worked all weekend and played on an intensely competitive ping pong team. he had never gone to the movies with his friends or had a girlfriend by the time he was 16. the pressure also goes the other way too. there are many sad stories about children living out in the completely isolated countryside (no running water, electricity etc.) who have studied so hard and gotten top marks on nationwide exams and gained entrance to top schools. the tuition for these schools is minuscule compared to schools in the US (maybe 100 dollars a year for some), but some parents, especially those farmers in the countryside, cannot afford even this. i remember last year one girl in this situation came home to find that her father had killed himself out of shame for not being able to pay for her tuition and give her the opportunity to go to college. obviously there are always two sides to every situation, but i really felt like i had to defend/add to this one strain. it was great to see you at reunion! i'm so glad we had time to talk... i'll be frequenting this site a lot now! hi ross! i love this post and it makes me really happy to read all about your discoveries in china. i was so afraid that you wouldn’t have enough access to the people and places that would give you a comprehensive picture of the country but, obviously, my fears were unfounded. and, knowing you, i have no idea how i convinced myself you wouldn’t be supremely set up.

the one thing that particularly struck me about your comments was your concern regarding the current generation (anyone born post 1979-80). this is something that has bothered me ever since i started attending chinese school in 7th grade and that i have noticed has had a profound effect on my cousins. although this worries me because of the consequences of not having to think about others and “share” while growing up i think you have to also see the other side. because these children are their parents’ only hope for carrying on the family name they have an IMMENSE amount of pressure on them to succeed. of course, since this is china, the pressure is most strongly felt with regards to academic career. chinese students work so hard from such a young age for a chance to get into one of the good universities, and you can imagine how competitive that is with such a huge country and only a handful of top schools. for instance, my cousin (from age 10 on) not only worked every night until the wee hours of the morning but also worked all weekend and played on an intensely competitive ping pong team. he had never gone to the movies with his friends or had a girlfriend by the time he was 16.

the pressure also goes the other way too. there are many sad stories about children living out in the completely isolated countryside (no running water, electricity etc.) who have studied so hard and gotten top marks on nationwide exams and gained entrance to top schools. the tuition for these schools is minuscule compared to schools in the US (maybe 100 dollars a year for some), but some parents, especially those farmers in the countryside, cannot afford even this. i remember last year one girl in this situation came home to find that her father had killed himself out of shame for not being able to pay for her tuition and give her the opportunity to go to college. obviously there are always two sides to every situation, but i really felt like i had to defend/add to this one strain.

it was great to see you at reunion! i’m so glad we had time to talk… i’ll be frequenting this site a lot now!

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