6/11 Discussion Topic- Rising salary~

Dear all

We are going to talk about the hitting issue regarding salary rising for Blue-collar labor in China.
As you may know that China has been claimed as the world factory because of its low labor cost and manufacture cost. Cost issue has been emphasized by every modern business. For some, cost concern is even more important due to their low gross profit rate. However, the pressure of inflation is lurking across every corner of the Mainland China while the same measure of cost-down is still on the way. The consequence could be contradictorily devastating. Hence, the result is cystar clear, isn’t it?

Wages are on the rise!
Pls refer to the attached report from NY times and do some thinking over the following questions as well.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/business/global/08wages.html?WT.mc_id=BU-SM-E-YT-SM-LIN-IOP-060710-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

Q1. Do you believe that rising salary standard is good way to go for Foxconn? Would there be any impact on other competitors and followers in similar ind.? What would you do to cope with such dilemma if you were one of those manufacture owner?
Q2. Since the new salary reaches the recorded high level, which even surpasses the TW restricted monthly salary standard in term of NT dollars, is it a good idea for those Taiwanese companies to go back Tw for their production investment?
Q3. "Made in China" has been labeled as products with poor quality and low cost. A few weeks ago, Franz collection, a Tw-based porcelain company, met up with the setback when the French well-known company, Chanel, canceled the orders of Franz ' products due to the fact that the company's products were produced in China, and since Chanel is prestigious for its luxurious allure over its brand, such "Made in China" items will link Chanel's Products to a negative image, which may deter Chanel ‘Customers from purchasing its products. Perhaps for low-bottom tech and manufacture companies, cost-down strategy can be attributed to its successful mode of business formula. As for companies selling luxurious products, would it still be wise for them to follow the same rule? Pls state your reasons and opinions over this question.
Q4. In recent years, Taiwan has been facing the same issue as well. Usually the salary goes up as the price level is up. However, here in Tw, indication of the entry-level salary has shrunk years by years although the inflation grows each year. Pls inform your views on this phenomenon.

Q5. Property gap is widening across the whole world. For instant, in Taiwan, 20% of people hold over 80% of money. What is your perspective over this subject?

As for more discussion for such topic, you may check out the following link on u-tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A
Professor Warren of Harvard law school is expressing her research over the collapse of middle class. Her study is rather neutral but also depressive.
Find some time to go over the speech!
Bless you all

Best Wishes
Duke

6/4 Pressure

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/03/india.student.suicides/index.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/world/asia/24test.html


Tests, scores, peer pressure, competition…are those things we can’t be more familiar with in school. You might be under lots of pressure when struggling with your studies. On the other hand, you were probably always on top of your classes and regarded the school things as easy as pie. Whatever you have experienced, share your points of view with us.

Questions:
1.When you were a student, have you ever felt overpressure? Where was the pressure from?(parents, peer groups, financial problems, teachers….?) How did you deal with it?
2.If not, do you think not being under pressure is good for your future?
3.Have you ever heard that students were under too much stress to commit suicide? Who is responsible for that? (the government, education policy, parents, teachers, exams, children themselves..?) Where do you think the fundamental problem lies in?
4.If you were the president of a school, what will you do to help students release their pressure?
5.If you were the parents, would you let your children receive “Taiwanese education” (so-called spoon-fed education)? If not, what kind of education do you think is the most ideal for students?

5/28 Topics

Hello
Let’s discuss some topics about students. I am going to graduating from school, but you guys are going to become student again. At the end or the beginning of school, lots of things are worth to think about.

1. Since three of you are going to U.S, let’s discuss some things about foreign life.
a. What are the first three things you will do after arriving in U.S.?
(sleep? familiar with the new environment? Shopping?)

b. What do you most expect in U.S?

c. What are the “must do” things in U.S for you?

2.
The graduation ceremony, graduation party and Teacher appreciation banquet are all relative to this season. Although those activities are a little bit far away from our memory, was there any special thing happened to you?
a. Do you have a good time with your family or classmates at the graduation ceremony?
What did you do that day? Is graduation ceremony meaningful to you or it is just the form. Which activity excites you more among those graduation activities (graduation ceremony, graduation party or Teacher appreciation banquet…)?

b. Do you think that Teacher appreciation banquet is necessary? What do you think about that
students wear formal clothes at the banquet?

c. From kindergarten to university, which graduation ceremony impressed you more? Why?

5/21 Discussion

Dear all

Let's have some easy topics tonite, We are going to talking about traveling and pls pondering the following questions as well.

Q1. Do you like traveling? If so, do you have any traveling plan in mind rite now?
Q2. Have you tried backpacking before? Will you like to backpack any other country in the days ahead?
Q3. What countries have you been to? Which country you would like to visit the most in the future?
Q4. Do you prefer to travel alone or with your friends or family?
Q5. Do you have any good or bad memory about your past traveling experience that you would like to share
with us? If so, what is it?

Best Regards
Duke

5/14 discussion

Taiwan's heroine:

http://0rz.tw/PpBgq



Here are the questions:

1. Do you have any heroes in your mind? If yes, could you share with us? If
no, why not?

2. Leadership or professional skills, which one would you focus on more?

3. Among the celebrities worldwide, who has the attributes you admire?

4. Among the characters in the literature, drama, or movie, who has the
attributes you admire?

5. If you were selected the hero of the year by the public, which type of
hero you think you are?

6.Politicians, entrepreneurs, economists or scientists, whose words you
believe most?



More questions are welcome~

See you on then ^^

5/7 discussion

Hello everyone ~~
I would like to discuss some questions with you this week. I hope we won’t be too tired this time. ^^ After all, Friday night is a golden night and thank you for share your time.

1. Let talk about something relate to our daily life.
a. Please share your daily life for 2-3 minute. (We did this before, but not recent days.)
b. What do you plan to do on Mother’s Day?
c. Do you have some things really want to do before 30, 40 or 50? Please name at least two items and share with us?

2. The price of property is higher and higher, especially in the big city. Many citizens complain about it. Here are some questions about property.
a. Do you want to own your private departments or buildings?
b. If yes, when will you do it? What are the plans or the type of your dream house? (Location, type, budget….)
c. Car is more important or property? What is the order you could buy?
d. Is it a good timing to buy a department in Taiwan now?
e. Do you feel that you want a department belong to you before getting married?

3. Let discuss a little bit about ideal job.
a. What are the important factors of your ideal job? (salary, challenge, value, their building, office, coworker, promotion…..?)
b. How many years do you want to work?
c. Do you want to have your own business in the future or you prefer to become a super manager at company?