A Global Architecture of Corruption

Hi guys~

This weekend I want us to talk about something about worldwide corruption.

http://www.ted.com/talks/charmian_gooch_meet_global_corruption_s_hidden_players.html

This TED speech pointed out the way powerful people occupy resources, and let

others live in miserable poverty.

The speaker and her organization investigated money laundering process and figured out corruptions occur all over the world. Then they summarized the factors of the situation.

Belows are our discussion question:

1.)    The speaker mentioned that several ppl are not able to conduct global corruption, lots of world-class banks involve in it. Do you think they are accomplice in those criminal activities?

2.)    In China and Taiwan, there are always quite strong link between politician and dirty money. How do you suggest improving the situation?

3.)    Wealthy people and elites use some skills like shell company to transform or steal money, while ordinary people work hard and get rich slowly,  How do you think about this unfair phenomenon?

4.)    Make those oil and mining industry transparency help building a rule or standard to follow. Is it possible to do so in public construction in Taiwan?

We need to talk about injustice

In our daily lives, there're too many injustice cases happening at every moment. Sometimes we put them into our consideration and try to make solutions out of them; however, very often we sort of ignore them, since they are not quite related to our own interests.  

Let's talk about injustice this weekends. :)

Reference: 
http://www.ted.com/talks/bryan_stevenson_we_need_to_talk_about_an_injustice.html

Questions:
1. Do you have anything related to injustice in your daily lives? How do you deal with it?

2. Bryan talked about the power of identity via the story with his grandmother. For somehow, our backgrounds and the education we received could shape our own identities. Please share some experiences of yours.

3. Bryan also mentioned that the opposite of poverty is justice and how we judge our society is not based on either technology or design, but how we treat the poor. Sometimes we just believe what we see, so we're inclined to omit that the human dignity should also be respected by law. Please share some of the examples which are relevant to this idea.

You're welcomed to bring some more questions here.
Free talk topic: How do you usually manage your entertaining activities in your daily lives?

Eating for a better future

"Every time you make a purchase decision, your option shape the future of the world." said by Tzu-I Chuang (莊祖宜), one of my favorite bloggers.

In past few decades, eating plays a whole new role in our culture. Instead of survive, it became the way to indulge your life, the way to demonstrate your tastes, and the way to show off.  Food programs mushroom year by year to introduce the gourmet food; foodies upload their photos to social media to allure your taste buds. In fact, our eating habits have alternated the environment profoundly and endangered many species. 

The strong demand of shark fin soup severely post threaten to the amount of sharks. Unlimited fishing broke the balance of ocean systems. In order to produce enough cheap meat, more and more antibiotics and growth hormone are applied. In the meantime, the food safety issues increase day by day.

Materials

1. 吃出更好的未來

(Although she presented in Chinese, it was a great speech. If you have time, do not miss it.)

2. Change the way you eat

Discussion

1. Would you like to pay more to buy organic food?

2. Tzu-I Chuang mentioned "if you cannot afford organic food, then you can eat less". Is it an option for you? Would you like to sacrifice your appetite for the environment?

3. When I go traveling, I arrange my schedule according to the food I must eat in that area. Are you a foodie or to you eating is just a way for surviving? 

4. Do you believe that your decision can make a difference? Why?

What not to wear when you shop

Oprah Winfrey, an billionaire woman,  recounts an allegedly racist experience she had in a Zurich boutique. While the sales clerk at the center of the controversy denies the Queen of Talk’s version of events.

pls see following link to get more information.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/oprah-account-racism-switzerland-true-shop-clerk-article-1.1424327


1. What's your opinion when you hear the news in the first time? And what do you think about this event after you read this news?

2.Do you think this event is a racist discrimination or not? Or language misunderstanding as the store owner thought?

3.Have you ever had the experience of misunderstanding during intercultural communication?

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-to-dress-for-every-shopping-occasion-2013-08-14
4.Do you think cloth culture is a latent social rules?
What will you dress in specific situation? Pls share your dress code.

5. Which one do you think is more important? Appearances or inner sides?

Unspoken Rules

According to the definetion from wikipedia:

Unspoken rules are behavioral constraints imposed in organizations or societies that are not voiced or written down. They usually exist in unspoken and unwritten format because they form a part of the logical argument or course of action implied by tacit assumptions

These rules are not written down, but they usually constrain the behavoir of the organization in a stronger way. Here are some articles about unspoken rules in working place.

5 unspoken rules that could get you fired

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-08-03/work/32335132_1_keith-block-mark-hurd-oracle

Unspoken Rules for a Successful Career

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carrie-cook/the-unspoken-rules-for-a-successful-career_b_3348380.html

1. Have you discover unspoken rules in your workplace? Please name some of them(at least 3), and try to explain the origin.

2. How those unspoken rules affect your work or career? 

3. How well would you accept the existence of these rules?

4. What would you do if you are reluctant to obey?

This is water.

Humanity often makes us complain and look at the dark side. This video obviously gives us a new thought about what life should be in reality. If we try to show more sympathy on the "socalled" annoying things around us, maybe the ugly reality wound't be that ugly.

Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwEMOt2HTJc

1. Please describe your daily life. Has anything annoyed you recently?

2. What's your simple awarenesses? Have you tried to raise your awarenesses on things around you? For example, try to observe anything which had happened on you and enrich new viewpoints on them.

3. According to the clip, the real freedom is that you give yourself a chance to think and to pay attention to, so you would have different options. Do you think if this idea is reasonable and this idea could be workable in your daily lives.

4. Does this video have anything to with water(or the statement of "this is water")?

The Surprising Science of Happiness

Hi~This week I want us to talk about a topic about "Happiness".

Here is an interesting video about "Synthetic Happiness", which compare
the difference between synthetic happiness and natural happiness.
Beside, It also talks about the way people synthesizing happiness.
It turns out that being happy is not hard, we all have the abilities to make our self happy.

Enjoy the video: http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html


Brainstorming questions :

1.)Talk about a happy experience that you once worked hard and achieved some goals.

2.)Share ur experience that you once failed doing something (passing exam, interviewing a job, a relationship...), how did deal with the failure? Did you synthesize happiness in you life again?

3.)Sometimes we just overrated the importance of some goals and push ourselves too hard, did u hv some experience about that? What did you learn from it?