China: Interesting personalities
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Man he bumped his head hard
Jacob Martin
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Yeah he did. But he will live. Awesome deed he will be proud of for rest of his life.
beijingwalker
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Yes, it's a suicide attempt.
onebyone
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Zuo Hongyan ignored doctors and even her husband to devote her life to helping her son overcome adversity and make the most of his abilities
A man who was born disabled in central China has beaten expectations by being been admitted to Harvard University in the United States.
Ding Ding, aged 29, attributed his success in his academic studies as well as overcoming many of his physical handicaps to his mother’s persistence and endless devotion, the news website Xinhuanet.com reports.
Ding nearly suffocated during a birth complication in 1988, leaving him with cerebral palsy. Doctors in Hubei province suggested to his mother Zou Hongyan that she give up the baby, saying it was worthless trying to rescue him as he would grow up either disabled or with low intelligence.
Zou Hongyan nurses Ding Ding at home. Photo: Handout
Even the boy’s father agreed with the doctors and told Zou that the boy would be a burden for the family for his entire life. But Zou insisted on saving the boy and soon divorced.
To support the family and provide treatment for her son, Zou took up several jobs including a full-time position at a college in Wuhan as well as part time jobs as a protocol trainer and selling insurance.
Working mum’s woe: Chinese girl, 3, rescued from locked car after mother goes for hours-long job interview
In her spare time, she regularly took Ding to rehabilitation sessions, regardless of the weather. She learnt how to massage his stiff muscles, a symptom of his condition. At the same time, Zou would play intelligence boosting games and puzzles with him.
The mother also insisted from the start that her son would learn to overcome his disabilities as far as possible. For example, Ding had problems coordinating his hand movements, and found if difficult to use chopsticks.
Zuo played a large role in her son’s education as well as rehabilitation. Photo: Handout
While many relatives said it was perfectly understandable that Ding did not use chopsticks while eating, Zou insisted on training him to do so. Otherwise, she said, he would have to explain each time he dined with others why he was unable to use them.
I didn’t want him to feel ashamed about this physical problems,” she said. “Because he had inferior abilities in many areas, I was quite strict on him to work hard to catch up where he had difficulties.”
Chinese mother and daughter rescued after falling through faulty manhole cover
Ding graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Peking University’s Environmental Science and Engineering School in 2011 before enrolling for a master’s degree at the university’s International Law School.
After working for two years, Ding started further studies at Harvard last year. The report did not mention which major he was studying.
He said he often missed his mother who now lives in Jingzhou, Hubei province. He described his mother as his “spiritual mentor” while she relished their “close friendship”.
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/soci...efused-give-disabled-son-nurtures-him-all-way
A man who was born disabled in central China has beaten expectations by being been admitted to Harvard University in the United States.
Ding Ding, aged 29, attributed his success in his academic studies as well as overcoming many of his physical handicaps to his mother’s persistence and endless devotion, the news website Xinhuanet.com reports.
Ding nearly suffocated during a birth complication in 1988, leaving him with cerebral palsy. Doctors in Hubei province suggested to his mother Zou Hongyan that she give up the baby, saying it was worthless trying to rescue him as he would grow up either disabled or with low intelligence.
Zou Hongyan nurses Ding Ding at home. Photo: Handout
Even the boy’s father agreed with the doctors and told Zou that the boy would be a burden for the family for his entire life. But Zou insisted on saving the boy and soon divorced.
To support the family and provide treatment for her son, Zou took up several jobs including a full-time position at a college in Wuhan as well as part time jobs as a protocol trainer and selling insurance.
Working mum’s woe: Chinese girl, 3, rescued from locked car after mother goes for hours-long job interview
In her spare time, she regularly took Ding to rehabilitation sessions, regardless of the weather. She learnt how to massage his stiff muscles, a symptom of his condition. At the same time, Zou would play intelligence boosting games and puzzles with him.
The mother also insisted from the start that her son would learn to overcome his disabilities as far as possible. For example, Ding had problems coordinating his hand movements, and found if difficult to use chopsticks.
Zuo played a large role in her son’s education as well as rehabilitation. Photo: Handout
While many relatives said it was perfectly understandable that Ding did not use chopsticks while eating, Zou insisted on training him to do so. Otherwise, she said, he would have to explain each time he dined with others why he was unable to use them.
I didn’t want him to feel ashamed about this physical problems,” she said. “Because he had inferior abilities in many areas, I was quite strict on him to work hard to catch up where he had difficulties.”
Chinese mother and daughter rescued after falling through faulty manhole cover
Ding graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Peking University’s Environmental Science and Engineering School in 2011 before enrolling for a master’s degree at the university’s International Law School.
After working for two years, Ding started further studies at Harvard last year. The report did not mention which major he was studying.
He said he often missed his mother who now lives in Jingzhou, Hubei province. He described his mother as his “spiritual mentor” while she relished their “close friendship”.
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/soci...efused-give-disabled-son-nurtures-him-all-way
JSCh
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Same story from people's daily.Zuo Hongyan ignored doctors and even her husband to devote her life to helping her son overcome adversity and make the most of his abilities
A man who was born disabled in central China has beaten expectations by being been admitted to Harvard University in the United States.
Ding Ding, aged 29, attributed his success in his academic studies as well as overcoming many of his physical handicaps to his mother’s persistence and endless devotion, the news website Xinhuanet.com reports.
Ding nearly suffocated during a birth complication in 1988, leaving him with cerebral palsy. Doctors in Hubei province suggested to his mother Zou Hongyan that she give up the baby, saying it was worthless trying to rescue him as he would grow up either disabled or with low intelligence.
Zou Hongyan nurses Ding Ding at home. Photo: Handout
Even the boy’s father agreed with the doctors and told Zou that the boy would be a burden for the family for his entire life. But Zou insisted on saving the boy and soon divorced.
To support the family and provide treatment for her son, Zou took up several jobs including a full-time position at a college in Wuhan as well as part time jobs as a protocol trainer and selling insurance.
Working mum’s woe: Chinese girl, 3, rescued from locked car after mother goes for hours-long job interview
In her spare time, she regularly took Ding to rehabilitation sessions, regardless of the weather. She learnt how to massage his stiff muscles, a symptom of his condition. At the same time, Zou would play intelligence boosting games and puzzles with him.
The mother also insisted from the start that her son would learn to overcome his disabilities as far as possible. For example, Ding had problems coordinating his hand movements, and found if difficult to use chopsticks.
Zuo played a large role in her son’s education as well as rehabilitation. Photo: Handout
While many relatives said it was perfectly understandable that Ding did not use chopsticks while eating, Zou insisted on training him to do so. Otherwise, she said, he would have to explain each time he dined with others why he was unable to use them.
I didn’t want him to feel ashamed about this physical problems,” she said. “Because he had inferior abilities in many areas, I was quite strict on him to work hard to catch up where he had difficulties.”
Chinese mother and daughter rescued after falling through faulty manhole cover
Ding graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Peking University’s Environmental Science and Engineering School in 2011 before enrolling for a master’s degree at the university’s International Law School.
After working for two years, Ding started further studies at Harvard last year. The report did not mention which major he was studying.
He said he often missed his mother who now lives in Jingzhou, Hubei province. He described his mother as his “spiritual mentor” while she relished their “close friendship”.
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/soci...efused-give-disabled-son-nurtures-him-all-way
Single mother in Hubei raises future Harvard grad despite son's cerebral palsy
By Sun Wenyu (People's Daily Online) 16:16, May 16, 2017
A woman from Jingzhou, Hubei province can truly call herself a proud mother, as she raised her son, afflicted with severe cerebral palsy, to become a law student at Harvard.
Twenty-nine years ago, a medical accident caused intrauterine hypoxia to affect Zou Hongyan's fetus, depriving the fetus of oxygen. Doctors advised Zou to terminate her pregnancy, but she instead persevered to deliver her son, now 29 years old.
Out of the worry for the family's future, Zou's husband also opposed the delivery, telling Zou that he would not raise the child. Disappointed by her husband's ruthless attitude, Zou ultimately divorced him, starting down a life path that she knew would be extremely hard.
Due to her son's severe cerebral palsy and impaired motor nerves, the baby, nicknamed Dingding, was unable to walk until he was 3 years old. Because of Dingding's developmental delays, Zou had to devote much more time and energy to her baby than most mothers do. She worked during the daytime, taking Dingding to the hospital for treatments at night. She also massaged him, and spent her lunch breaks playing games with him to encourage his mental development.
Zou also tried her best to help her son overcome his learning difficulties. As a result, Dingding recognized more than 100 characters before he even turned 2. Under Zou's meticulous guidance, Dingding graduated from Peking University in 2011, and was admitted to Harvard Law School in March 2016.
"I never imagined applying to Harvard - it was my mother who encouraged me," Dingding said, adding that Zou always protects and encourages him whenever he doubts himself. In Dingding's eyes, Zou is his spiritual mentor. However, Zou says she just did what any mother would do to help her beloved child thrive.
Dungeness
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JSCh
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‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’: How security guards turned into educators
By Xie Zhenqi 2017-05-18 18:51 GMT+
More than 500 security guards working at Peking University were admitted to graduate schools or became university instructors in the last 20 years, a recent report revealed.
This figure from one of China’s most prestigious post-secondary institutions transforms the stereotype that security guards are under-educated.
Their achievements may not seem as glittery as the number of Chinese obtaining degrees overseas, but with a full-time job and family to take care of they have to exert more effort than many on studying.
Netizens have therefore joked that "Peking University security guards are truly ‘crouching tigers and hidden dragons'.”
Miao Xiangwei, one of the guards at Peking University, was successfully enrolled into the school after sneaking into lectures and self-studying for years. He wrote a book called 站着上北大 (Go to Peking University, Standing) which touched millions. /Xinhua Photo
Stories of the Peking guards
Wang Guiming, leader of Peking University’s security team of 500 guards, said that most of the security personnel have graduated from college; a small number have a bachelor’s degree, and 12 made it to graduate schools.
Former NBA all-star Kobe Bryant once asked the reporter in an interview “Do you know what Los Angeles looks like at 4 o'clock in the morning?” after being asked to reveal the secret of his success.
“It is still in the dark at 4 a.m., but I had already gotten up by then and was walking in the dark streets,” he said. “More than 10 years passed and the darkness in the streets of Los Angeles was still there at 4 a.m., but I had become a basketball player with strong muscles, excellent physical fitness, strength and a high field goal percentage.”
Kobe Bryant. /VCG Photo
And Kobe wasn’t the only one chasing success while deprived of sleep: Napoleon only slept three to four hours a day and got up at 3 a.m. for work; Edison only got four to five hours of sleep a day, and he regarded sleep as a waste of time, “a heritage from our cave days.”
These icons are geniuses, but still work so hard to strive for success. What can the Peking University guards do, when they lack such exceptional talents?
Zhang Juncheng, who was the first security guard at Peking campus to attend Gaokao, the national higher education entrance examination, is a vivid example of achieving success through diligence.
Back in 1995, Zhang, who had just graduated from a junior middle school in Changzhi, north China's Shanxi Province, tried different jobs before being hired as a security guard at Peking University.
However, Zhang quickly determined that higher education was the only way to gain esteem and change his life.
At Peking University, Zhang embarked on his road of learning by sneaking into lectures, but thanks to help from several professors, he received special permits for some classes, including English, for the importance of knowing a second language.
Zhang's permit for English class at Peking University. /China Daily Photo
One professor said he was moved by Zhang’s diligence and eagerness for knowledge, and thus encouraged him to read more and "make a plan for his life."
Under the guidance of such teachers, Zhang read hundreds of books with themes varying from literature, philosophy, history and English after getting off work. He also wrote diaries and transcribed stories. When the dormitory's lights went out, he continued to read by torchlight.
His efforts were spotted by Cao Yan, an English professor at the school who gave him permits for English class and encouraged him to sit the exam for continuing studies.
In the autumn of 1995, Zhang attended the exam and was successfully enrolled in the law department of Peking University.
Zhang keeps a diary. /China Daily Photo
Zhang, now 41, is currently the principal of a local secondary vocational school in his hometown, and his experience has since inspired many other guards who also wish to change their social status.
Zhang said over the past two decades, he has kept doing two things: keeping a diary and getting up early in the morning.
Even after rising to be a school headmaster, Zhang gets up at about 6 a.m. every day to go to the school's playground.
Zhang shows the letter of admission issued to him by Peking
University. /China Daily Photo
Authentic or fake positive energy?
Like Zhang, many former security guards on Peking campus were successfully enrolled into the university, after years of hard work and persistence.
The stories of the Peking University guards illustrate that a person's position in society is not decided by others, but their own efforts. We may not be born rich or good-looking, but we never know whether we can achieve something if we give up dreaming and trying.
Obeying destiny or being the master of our own lives -- that may be a question that keeps us thinking with the lessons learned from people like Zhang. Overdoses of “chicken soup for the soul” may bring negative effects, but no intake at all could lead to loss of hope and passion for life.
“There is only one form of heroism in the world, and it consists in seeing the world as it is -- and in loving it.” So Romain Rolland wrote in the preface of The Life of Michael Angelo. It is way too early to say “I can’t do it” before even trying.
By Xie Zhenqi 2017-05-18 18:51 GMT+
More than 500 security guards working at Peking University were admitted to graduate schools or became university instructors in the last 20 years, a recent report revealed.
This figure from one of China’s most prestigious post-secondary institutions transforms the stereotype that security guards are under-educated.
Their achievements may not seem as glittery as the number of Chinese obtaining degrees overseas, but with a full-time job and family to take care of they have to exert more effort than many on studying.
Netizens have therefore joked that "Peking University security guards are truly ‘crouching tigers and hidden dragons'.”
Stories of the Peking guards
Wang Guiming, leader of Peking University’s security team of 500 guards, said that most of the security personnel have graduated from college; a small number have a bachelor’s degree, and 12 made it to graduate schools.
Former NBA all-star Kobe Bryant once asked the reporter in an interview “Do you know what Los Angeles looks like at 4 o'clock in the morning?” after being asked to reveal the secret of his success.
“It is still in the dark at 4 a.m., but I had already gotten up by then and was walking in the dark streets,” he said. “More than 10 years passed and the darkness in the streets of Los Angeles was still there at 4 a.m., but I had become a basketball player with strong muscles, excellent physical fitness, strength and a high field goal percentage.”
And Kobe wasn’t the only one chasing success while deprived of sleep: Napoleon only slept three to four hours a day and got up at 3 a.m. for work; Edison only got four to five hours of sleep a day, and he regarded sleep as a waste of time, “a heritage from our cave days.”
These icons are geniuses, but still work so hard to strive for success. What can the Peking University guards do, when they lack such exceptional talents?
Zhang Juncheng, who was the first security guard at Peking campus to attend Gaokao, the national higher education entrance examination, is a vivid example of achieving success through diligence.
Back in 1995, Zhang, who had just graduated from a junior middle school in Changzhi, north China's Shanxi Province, tried different jobs before being hired as a security guard at Peking University.
However, Zhang quickly determined that higher education was the only way to gain esteem and change his life.
At Peking University, Zhang embarked on his road of learning by sneaking into lectures, but thanks to help from several professors, he received special permits for some classes, including English, for the importance of knowing a second language.
One professor said he was moved by Zhang’s diligence and eagerness for knowledge, and thus encouraged him to read more and "make a plan for his life."
Under the guidance of such teachers, Zhang read hundreds of books with themes varying from literature, philosophy, history and English after getting off work. He also wrote diaries and transcribed stories. When the dormitory's lights went out, he continued to read by torchlight.
His efforts were spotted by Cao Yan, an English professor at the school who gave him permits for English class and encouraged him to sit the exam for continuing studies.
In the autumn of 1995, Zhang attended the exam and was successfully enrolled in the law department of Peking University.
Zhang, now 41, is currently the principal of a local secondary vocational school in his hometown, and his experience has since inspired many other guards who also wish to change their social status.
Zhang said over the past two decades, he has kept doing two things: keeping a diary and getting up early in the morning.
Even after rising to be a school headmaster, Zhang gets up at about 6 a.m. every day to go to the school's playground.
University. /China Daily Photo
Authentic or fake positive energy?
Like Zhang, many former security guards on Peking campus were successfully enrolled into the university, after years of hard work and persistence.
The stories of the Peking University guards illustrate that a person's position in society is not decided by others, but their own efforts. We may not be born rich or good-looking, but we never know whether we can achieve something if we give up dreaming and trying.
Obeying destiny or being the master of our own lives -- that may be a question that keeps us thinking with the lessons learned from people like Zhang. Overdoses of “chicken soup for the soul” may bring negative effects, but no intake at all could lead to loss of hope and passion for life.
“There is only one form of heroism in the world, and it consists in seeing the world as it is -- and in loving it.” So Romain Rolland wrote in the preface of The Life of Michael Angelo. It is way too early to say “I can’t do it” before even trying.
JSCh
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Chinese student at University of Maryland slammed for biased commencement speech
By Jiang Jie (People's Daily Online) 14:09, May 22, 2017
The honor of speaking at a university commencement has been shattered for one Chinese graduate of the University of Maryland, after her speech drew widespread criticism for bolstering negative Chinese stereotypes.
The speaker, Yang Shuping, began her speech at the ceremony on May 21 (local time), explaining that it was “fresh air” that made her come to the university in the first place.
“Five years ago, as I stepped off the plane from China and left the terminal at Dallas Airport, I was ready to put on one of my five face masks. But when I took my first breath of American air, I put my mask away. The air was so sweet and fresh, and oddly luxurious,” said Yang, adding that she felt surprised because she grew up in a Chinese city “where I had to wear a face mask every time I went outside; otherwise, I might get sick.”
The graduate then continued, claiming that she would be “forever grateful” for the “fresh air of free speech,” since she used to be convinced that only authority figures could define the truth.
The speech, though outwardly inspirational, soon triggered discontent among Chinese students around the U.S. Some complained that Yang had deliberately exaggerated the air conditions in her hometown of Kunming, which in fact has some of the best air quality of any Chinese city.
Many wrote on social media that they were ashamed of Yang for delivering such a biased speech, playing up the wrong stereotypes about China. Netizens opined that the speech was in especially poor taste given that her parents, who allegedly know little English, were present at the ceremony.
In response, an online activity has been launched to call on Chinese students in the U.S. to make videos to introduce themselves and their hometowns in a more objective way. Students at the University of Maryland reportedly mulled to rally with T-shirts reading "Proud of China." They also expected the university, known for its truth-seeking and diversity, to answer to the calls.
“I also come from the city of Kunming ... From my experience in the last few years, Kunming's air quality on average is at least as good as [the air quality] in Washington D.C. In the U.S., we share the same rights and values of free speech, but public speech not based on the truth is really inappropriate. Especially when the false contents (lies) in the speech hurt the feelings of a large group of people and damage the image of a nation,” commented a Facebook user named Jun Zhang.
A Chinese PhD student at the University of Maryland who requested anonymity told the People’s Daily Online that he though it was normal for people to express different opinions, but that it was inappropriate for Yang to make her comments as a student representative who speaks for more than herself.
Another Chinese student who majors in women’s studies at the university pointed out that Yang, being a psychology major, should have realized that her speech would encourage those who know little about China to believe already pervasive stereotypes.
Directly addressing Yang, the student, who requested to be identified as Qian Mian, shared her own perspective: “I also feel that my motherland has many issues to deal with. I wish that I could help fix some problems using what I learn here. We are here not to feel superior to our countrymen, or even to despise them ... What you gave is not free speech, but rumor-mongering and favor-currying. Free speech is based on facts and respect; it carries no biased opinion. Your freedom cannot stand, either factually or morally. I wish that you enjoyed real freedom.”
By Jiang Jie (People's Daily Online) 14:09, May 22, 2017
The honor of speaking at a university commencement has been shattered for one Chinese graduate of the University of Maryland, after her speech drew widespread criticism for bolstering negative Chinese stereotypes.
The speaker, Yang Shuping, began her speech at the ceremony on May 21 (local time), explaining that it was “fresh air” that made her come to the university in the first place.
“Five years ago, as I stepped off the plane from China and left the terminal at Dallas Airport, I was ready to put on one of my five face masks. But when I took my first breath of American air, I put my mask away. The air was so sweet and fresh, and oddly luxurious,” said Yang, adding that she felt surprised because she grew up in a Chinese city “where I had to wear a face mask every time I went outside; otherwise, I might get sick.”
The graduate then continued, claiming that she would be “forever grateful” for the “fresh air of free speech,” since she used to be convinced that only authority figures could define the truth.
The speech, though outwardly inspirational, soon triggered discontent among Chinese students around the U.S. Some complained that Yang had deliberately exaggerated the air conditions in her hometown of Kunming, which in fact has some of the best air quality of any Chinese city.
Many wrote on social media that they were ashamed of Yang for delivering such a biased speech, playing up the wrong stereotypes about China. Netizens opined that the speech was in especially poor taste given that her parents, who allegedly know little English, were present at the ceremony.
In response, an online activity has been launched to call on Chinese students in the U.S. to make videos to introduce themselves and their hometowns in a more objective way. Students at the University of Maryland reportedly mulled to rally with T-shirts reading "Proud of China." They also expected the university, known for its truth-seeking and diversity, to answer to the calls.
“I also come from the city of Kunming ... From my experience in the last few years, Kunming's air quality on average is at least as good as [the air quality] in Washington D.C. In the U.S., we share the same rights and values of free speech, but public speech not based on the truth is really inappropriate. Especially when the false contents (lies) in the speech hurt the feelings of a large group of people and damage the image of a nation,” commented a Facebook user named Jun Zhang.
A Chinese PhD student at the University of Maryland who requested anonymity told the People’s Daily Online that he though it was normal for people to express different opinions, but that it was inappropriate for Yang to make her comments as a student representative who speaks for more than herself.
Another Chinese student who majors in women’s studies at the university pointed out that Yang, being a psychology major, should have realized that her speech would encourage those who know little about China to believe already pervasive stereotypes.
Directly addressing Yang, the student, who requested to be identified as Qian Mian, shared her own perspective: “I also feel that my motherland has many issues to deal with. I wish that I could help fix some problems using what I learn here. We are here not to feel superior to our countrymen, or even to despise them ... What you gave is not free speech, but rumor-mongering and favor-currying. Free speech is based on facts and respect; it carries no biased opinion. Your freedom cannot stand, either factually or morally. I wish that you enjoyed real freedom.”
Realtalk108
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It looks like she wanted to sound funny and cool with some self-deprecating humor but got carried away a bit. And now people are pissed. Oh well. More popcorn.
