A Lesson I Learned in Life

A Lesson I Learned in Life

     I have grown up in a family as an only child doted on by both parents. I had both my mother and father’s attention and their blessings in whatever ventures I endeavours. However, all changed when I was thirteen years old, when my family added one more member-my little brother. When I saw him on the day he was born, he seemed more like a gift from God to our family since he appeared so suddenly and quietly in the family. I was overjoyed that I was no longer alone and have a little brother to play with. Little did I know how much my brother’s presence would change my relationship with my parents.

     Naturally, my mom and dad could not spend time with me anymore and needed to take care of my baby brother all the time. At first, I was a bit disturbed with the sense of isolation, although I knew better than to complain. Then I got used to managing things on my own: washing my own clothes, cook my own dinner sometimes, go to school on my own, and deal with school problems on my own. My brother’s arrival brought joy to the family, but also maturity and independence to me. Also, I began to see a different side of my parents that I was never privileged to: the unconditional love that parents show their children. Obviously, my parents’ love of me has not changed, but I got to see how much they needed to sacrifice to be 100% there for my brother. I realized that was how they were with me, except I had no memories of when I was two. Children form long term memories when they almost reach school age, but it is before that time when parents sacrificed the most. And for that, I thank my brother for letting me see the beauty of parental love. Thus, the birth of a little brother is a gift for my life, and I am sure I will become the responsible big brother in the future.

My Welcoming experience to Canada

My Welcoming experience to Canada

       Sometimes it takes courage to enter a new environment, especially immigrating to a new nation at thirteen years old. When I entered the Canadian school system in grade 8, I had no deep understanding of the Canadian culture and the English language. I started school in Canada as an English Second Language student and expected it to be tremendously difficult to integrate into the Canadian culture. Boy, was I wrong! Not only were teachers extremely helpful, my Canadian classmates also welcomed me with open arms introducing me to the world famous Canadian hospitality. They took me to Canada Place on Canada Day, watched fireworks in downtown on the beach, lent me books that were challenging but interesting for me to read. I felt included and very much appreciated because teachers and students accepted me as part of them.

       Most importantly, my school embraced my math acumen and encouraged me to attend math competitions. First, the school allowed me to skip two grades in math so I was able to advance to university level in grade 11. Then my principal signed me up for the Canadian Open Math Challenge (in which I received second place nationally) and encouraged me to advance to the best of my abilities. I felt support in all my endeavours. Although English was still obstacle, I received after school help from many teachers whose efforts helped me enter regular classes just as my other Canadian classmates. In a short six months, I was attending regular classes with my Canadian counterparts, an indication of my hard work and support from my teachers and friends. When I received a $500 cheque from the University of Waterloo for getting first place in the Canadian Senior Math Contest, I was called in to the principal’s office and given a pat on the back and a bar of chocolate! He also wrote several letters of recommendation on my behalf to UBC so I could take advanced math while attending high school.

       This country has been nothing but generous and welcoming to an immigrant who appreciates every single moment he is in Canada. In fact, I can now say I understand the essence of Canadian-ness: magnanimity, cordialness, acceptance, and unconditional encouragement. For that, I thank Canada and its people for accepting my family and giving me all the opportunities available. This year, I will represent Canada in the International Mathematical Olympiad (affiliated to UNESCO) in Hong Kong. 

Image from http://www.math.ubc.ca/Dept/Photos/COMC/COMC2015/IMG_9882-r.jpg

My Favourite Book of All Time

My Favourite Book of All Time 

     My favorite book is Thinking in Numbers by Daniel Tammet. Tammet, a math savant, illustrates his unique perspectives of math and how numbers can be used to explain other trifles in his life. Although Tammet and I both love math, our views of math and life are completely different. For example, Tammet, autistic savant, once mentioned that numbers are colorful and always move around, but I think numbers are stationary but are different in sizes. Nevertheless, we can both observe patterns in groups or series of numbers, and then analyze the reasons behind the patterns. From another perspective, Tammet also enjoys sharing the love of mathematics with others; he goes to different countries and teaches children there about his unique vision of math. He observes that the Chinese language helps children remember basic rules of multiplication. I, on the other hand, also get involved in sharing my passion with others. I help younger students and volunteers organize math competitions and do lectures on the interesting topics to younger children (at the second grade level). I also try to introduce some games for them to learn during play. Tammet’s book shows just how practical math could be and how much fun people can have if they just incorporate math into their lives.

Image from http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/image/4197986-3x4-700x933.jpg

Image from http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02312/tammet-illo_231182_2312047a.jpg

My Personal Goals

My Personal Goals

  From I was young, my innate predilection of numbers drives me to the study of mathematics. I was able to identify numbers even before I could talk. Although some of my interests changed over time, my love of mathematics remains unabated. Therefore, I plan to become a mathematician or a quantum physicist in my future because I want to spend the rest of my life in the field of study I enjoy. In the short term, I will pursue a degree in mathematics in University and possibly go directly to the third year because I am already taking third year mathematics courses at the University of British Columbia. Thus, I will be able to explore different fields in mathematics when I enter university and I can then decide my favorite branches in the world of mathematics.

  Another aspiration is propagating my love of math to other students who are not others inclined. For instance, I started attending world-class math competitions at ten years old and still do. The camaraderie and sense of achievement drive me to the height of my potential. I find competitions an esteem booster as I meet other young minds who are also passionate about numbers. Thus, I would like to create a math competition prep club for math enthusiasts to be exposed to world-class math problems and enjoy the sense of accomplishment solving a difficult math equation brings. 

Image from: http://image.shutterstock.com/z/stock-photo-complex-math-formulas-on-whiteboard-mathematics-and-science-with-economics-concept-real-equations-360806618.jpg

My Thoughts on the Canucks Riot in June of 2011

My Thoughts on the Canucks Riot in June of 2011 

  The Canucks Riot in June 2011 happened before I came to Canada (I arrived in 2013), so I did not know anything about this shocking act of unlawful disorder that disturbs the peace and beauty of Vancouver. It is shameful for people in Vancouver to taint the reputation of their own city. They did not know that championships and trophies come and go, but one’s reputation takes forever to wash clean. It will be some time for people to regain their trust in others and bring back the optimism that all Canadians have of their city.

  The riots caused indelible damage to the city’s fame. I spoke to my classmates who were here when this occurred. Although most of them were in elementary school and probably unaware of the turmoil that happened in downtown, one of them was actually there with his family. As a superfan of the Vancouver Canucks, my friend Johnny was so excited to be at the location where the Stanley Cup was going to be awarded that he did not want to leave the outdoor venue when his father insisted that it was getting dangerous for them to stay. He reluctantly left but the sight of some burning cars left him confused and angry. To this day, he still couldn’t understand why citizens who were obviously fans failed to protect their city. Instead, they broke windows, smashed cars, and caused five million dollar worth of damages. When I asked him what he would have done today if this happened today, he said he would not have been reckless like those Canucks fans who over-reacted badly.


  Even though the violent hockey fans should be responsible for the events, the stadium and Vancouver Canucks team also contributed to the riot; it is dangerous to set up huge screen outside and gather thousands of fanatical fans together. The solely emphasis on team spirit causes irrevocable consequences. In the future, the municipal government should be vigilant in hiring enough security guards and police to ensure the order and enjoyment of huge sporting events.

Image from: https://sidkock.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/vancouver-riot-2011-stanley-cup-2011-wall-writings-real-fans-dont-riot.jpg

                      

The Tiny Star

                                                                                            Block D Steven Yang 

A tiny star shining deeply in the sky,

So distant that I cannot hear when it cries.

Although I don’t know what it looks like,

I know why it is crying.

Because there is nowhere to escape,

For the tiny star,

And for my lonely heart,

To trek to the finish line.

When the star stops shining,

When my heart stops beating,

Nothing will change in this complicated world,

But a single soul floating across the field.

That soul will go across the sky,

Eventually turns into a lonely star.

Shining deeply in the sky,

And nobody can hear when it cries.

Steven Yang self-publishing poem

English is not only about reading and writing, communicating and self-publishing also makes this subject uniquely interesting. I enjoy publishing my poem and letting more people have the chance to understand the beauty of poems. I decided to write my poem: A Tiny Star, after I looked deeply in the dark sky. It was beautiful but sad, I love this style of literature. I have gone to so many places with Jason Sun and Joseph Park while publishing my poem, including Vancouver, downtown, Richmond, Airport, Seabus station and North Vancouver. Even though we were tired after travelling to so many places, the experience was fun and memorable. The outside school learning experience seems very different from regular school learning experience because we need to face different kinds of challenges. Making the video was not easy, and we spent about about 4 hours just learning how to edit videos. Getting closer to strangers is even harder. However, these are essential abilities that we will need in the future. We need more than school knowledge.