Better World

Nowadays, people just focus on their work and don't know about what is happening on the world. Even they have spare time, they will just go out and play or rest, they will not think about what can they do to help change the world. The author of The Blue Sweater gave up her banking job and went to Africa to help change the world. I hope one day I can be her but at this moment, I need to find a job first to earn a living. Maybe after 10 years, I will go out and explore or simply doing some volunteer work in Hong Kong.

Today, I went to the LA Food Bank to do voluntary service. Their mission is to mobilize resources to fight hunger in the community. You will not know that one in six people in Los Angeles County experience food insecurity. If we donate $1, we can provide 4 meals to them already. If we try not to drink Starbucks every week, we can already provide at least 60 meals to those who are in need. I really like the idea of LA Food Bank because they will contact different manufactures, retailers and farmers and see whether they have any food that are nearly expire or not in good condition (packaging). My job is to check whether the condition of the food is ok or not and then categorize it and put them into the box. It is not a hard task. Every one can do it. I highly recommend you guys to be a volunteer for the LA Food Bank. It is just 15mins drive from USC, and the service hour is just 3 hours per section.

The disparity of wealth in Hong Kong is quite serious. There are a lot of people in Hong Kong can't afford to buy private housing. The lower class families don't have enough money to buy food for 3 meals because their salaries are too low and part of it already goes to the rent, and the remaining part is for transportation,  their kids' tuition fee etc. There are a few food banks in Hong Kong but they are all in small scale. It is quite difficult to run a food bank in Hong Kong comparing to the US because government didn't give fully support to those organizations, lack of volunteers, rely on private funds, once those private companies or organization don't donate money, the food bank may close down. Also the rent in Hong Kong is very high, is hard to rent a place to accommodate all those food. Moreover, retailers and hotels tend not to donate food to the banks because they afraid there will be liability problem like if the poor got sick after eating those food, the retailers or hotel need to bear the responsibility.

So maybe in 10 years time, I want to do something that related to Food Banks. I want to let more people know how Food Banks can help solve the hunger problem, and educate the people, both at work and at school, let them know why everyone should have the responsibility to help change the world because WE ARE ALL PART OF THE WORLD.

Random Blog Post

I went to Irvine on Sunday for a joint school meeting. This is my first time going to Irvine and I think this place is pretty chill. I really like the student housing in UC Irvine. They are all modern-style apartments. Most of them are 3 bedroom 3 bathroom, nicely furnished. After dinner, we went to a cafe called Meet Fresh. This restaurant is very famous in Irvine. This is not a typical boba place. If you are looking for some kind of shaved ice with herbal jelly, Meet Fresh is the right place for you. This is a Taiwanese dessert place which retains a lot of traditional flavors. This place is amazing. I super love it. And no matter what time you get there, there is always a massive line going out the door So much excitement happening there. Once you order, it may take an extra 15-20 minutes to get your drinks or desserts. But of course, we do not mind because the dessert is just that good.

The decoration is super cute. Many chairs and lounge areas for people to enjoy their time. There are Chinese lanterns hung up at the pick up counter making you feel like you are in Taiwan.

I ordered the signature meet fresh, which came with herbal jelly, taro balls, and sweet potato balls over shave ice. They also give you a creamer where you can pour into your dessert and then mix everything up. The sweet potato balls and taro balls are chewy and light on flavor. The creamer tweaks this dessert with a bit of sweetness that doesn't overwhelm the natural flavors of the herbal jelly.

Genius of Money Post 3: An Interview with Lynne Twist

I picked this interview because I like to do volunteer service too. During my high school life, I will do volunteer service twice a week because I think if we have the time and money, we should try our best to help those who are in need. Also, I have volunteered in the LA Food Bank and I feel that the hunger issue is a very important thing we need to solve it. Before participating in the LA Food Bank, I didn't notice that there were so many people suffer in hunger and I think the Hunger Project will be a very good platform to help them.

Lynne told us her childhood background where her religious path started after her father's death. She was very successful at school but at the same time, she was very devoted to God. She didn't want her friends to know that she was so spiritual. I know how she feels because I am a Catholic and I studied in a Catholic school before. But majority of the students are non-Catholic. They will think we are "spiritual freak", always go to church and pray. Lynne want to work hard and make her father feel proud of her.

For the last part of the interview, I need to go through it a few times to understand what she is talking about. I do agree that we should try to be happy with what we have, instead of always looking for more. We should treasure what we have got and don't take everything for granted.

Genius of Money Post

Ch.3 Trumped Money: Value and the Eye of the Beholder

This section mainly takes about the value of money. It is very hard for me to read. One of the reasons is the vocabulary very complicated; another reasons is the lack of knowledge of cohesive meaning throughout the writing. Fortunately, I understand it after lots of attempts. There are two values of the money. One is gold-backed currency, which uses gold to measure its value. Another is the “Greenback” money which is a fiat money without any measurement of its actual value. This the one we use today, the dollars. Back in the 1890s, there was a strong distrust towards bankers and government. This was the beginning of "greenbacks", a fiat currency issued to help pay for Civil War expenses and were blessed as legal tender.  At first, the government can issue fiat money without limits.  Therefore, the value of Greenback need people's consent on its values. For example, the US government issues dollar bill, which is trustworthy globally. 

People trust US government issues valuable currency, which can be used in the trade. People were assured that the bill that they got can be exchanged with an equivalent one with the same value. Then the author introduces us the idea of quantity and quality embedded in the value of the fiat currency. For the issuance and supply of currency, consumers tends to desire more quantity currency since this gives them more purchasing power, but when the currency devaluates, they will prefer qualitative currency where it supports rising value. In somehow, he also explains the metaphor “barrels” used in describing the value of money in someone’s writing. 

Ch.12 Free Market Money in a Pop Iconomy

John talks about how money can become part of the popular culture in 1960s when the post World War II made the dollar bill the most prevalent in everyone's daily experience. 

The author talks about Andy Warhol and how he created his paintings and drawings of dollar bills the same year as Milton Friedman first published Capitalism and Freedom, the seminal book that framed the rationale for our current free market economy. Friedman's theory was that an economy operating free of government control would raise everyone's standard of living. 

 

Hobbies

I like to travel because I think travel will open my eyes. Travel will simply make me a more well-rounded human being. Traveling with all the challenges it presents and opportunities will let me discover who I am in a way that only the road brings. It can also develop skills that I didn’t know I will have. The satisfaction I will get when reaching the top of the mountain, saved a woman from drowning etc. Seeing the world provides a source of education absolutely impossible to get in school or work. You get to take in culture, language, geography and so much more. The only way to learn sometimes is to put down the textbooks and go in hands on. Grasp the experience and let yourself learn.

Moreover, I like to do volunteer service during my free time. Back in high school, I used to do volunteer service at least twice a week. I will visit some mentally handicapped children in Po Leung Kuk and play with them. I will also go to some elderly centers and do services.  I volunteer because I like helping people, I feel called to volunteer and share my talents and time with others. I enjoy meeting different people from different backgrounds and cultures while volunteering. Volunteering allows me to connect with the community and make it a better place. It can also broaden my network, meeting someone with common interests and develop my social skills.

Growing a Farmer- Second Post

Overall, this book is easy to read. Kurt used simple English to write this book. Thanks God that he didn't use those professional terms when describing the farm and the process of feeding the animals, if not I will not read this book. I like those chapter titles, it is very interesting and clear. I liked how the book was broken down into discussions of the different aspects of the farm. All of the different animals (sheep and goats, bees, cows, pigs) and the garden were each given their own chapters, and how Kurt outlined his journey learning about and dealing with each of them. I've never noticed that hand milking takes such a long time. I don't even know the process of producing milk. My favorite chapter was the slaughtering of the animal. I have never slaughtered an animal. The idea of killing an animal I raised does not appeal to me. The respect and passion that Kurt demonstrates for the animal changed the way I viewed the slaughter process. Being a farmer need to have a big courage when killing the animals, because they are lives and you are facing them for a period of time. I don't think I can do that.

It is so interesting to think about raising my own food, vegetables, chickens, pigs etc. Every time when I pass by some farms, I will imagine myself working on the field early in the morning under the sun. If I want to buy some groceries or find some entertainments, I need to drive all the way to the city. I immediately don't want to be a farmer because I just can't stand it. It is very hard to move from the city to suburban or rural area. I feel proud of Kurt that he can totally adapt the farmer's life in a very short time and the way how he goes for his dream.

How to Brew a Cup of Chinese Tea

CHA CHA CHA

Most of the time, Western Tea is consumed more casually. People throw a teabag into a mug and add hot water; when the tea is ready, they add sugar or milk according to their preference. But Chinese tea drinking traditions are quite different and much more complicated. For Chinese people, it is an art to serve or drink tea. During the whole process of making tea, people use a whole set of utensils to make tea; tea tasting involves smelling the fragrance and observing the color. In this article, we will explore the different types of tea and the procedure of brewing a cup of Chinese Tea. 

Types of Tea 

Black Tea

Black Tea is derived from fermented leaves and is a red or brown color. The leaves are oxidized before the leaves are cooked and dried. The most famous black tea isqímén chá, a medium-body rich amber tea cut into strips from Anhui.

Green Tea

Green Tea is derived from unfermented leaves and is a jade green color. Green tea is grown in Zhejiang province and the leaves are pan-fried, steamed or oven-fired after leaves are picked to retain the non-oxidized tea’s green color.

Oolong Tea

Oolong Tea is derived from semi-fermented leaves. Oolong tea can be sweet and fruity or woody or green with a light aroma. Once picked, the tea is rolled into small nuggets or long, curly leaves to seal in its essential oils which slowly oxidize and darken the leaves.

Compressed Tea

Compressed tea is made by steaming and compacting tea leaves into shapes like a disc. The most popular compressed teas are pǔ'ěr, a very dark, aromatic, smooth, full-bodied tea from Yunnan and tuóchá tea from Sichuan. Pǔ'ěr tea leaves are aged for many years to reduce the tea’s harshness and bitterness from the tannins.

Things you need for brewing a cup of tea:

Tea pot- ideally a clay one but porcelain also works

Tea strainer- if not built into the teapot 

Kettle (stove top or electric)

Tea pitcher

Brewing tray

Deep plate or bowl- large enough for washing the teapots and cups and discarding used tea leaves

Teal towel

Water 

Tea leaves

Tea pick- to unclog and clean the teapot

Tea leaf holder

Tongs

Scent cups- narrow snifter cups for appreciating the tea's aroma

Tea cups- handleless cups for drinking tea 

Brewing Method

1.  Complete the first stage of the tea ceremony which involves warming the teapot and heating the cups. To do this, first heat the water in a kettle. Then, place the teapot, snifter tea cups and regular tea cups in the bowl and pour the heated water over them to warm up the tea set. Then, remove the teapot and cups from the bowl. The tongs may be used to handle the cups if they are too hot to handle with your hands.

2. Complete the second stage of the tea ceremony in which the tea is actually made. Using the tea leaf holder, scoop the loose tea leaves from the tea canister. Then, pour the tea leaves into the teapot. The amount of tea and water will vary on the type of tea, its quality, and the size of the teapot but generally one teaspoon of tea leaves for every 6-ounces of water will do.

3. Place the teapot into the bowl, raise the kettle at shoulder height and pour the water into the teapot until it overflows. After pouring the water, scoop away bubbles and tea leaves and put the lid on the teapot. Pour hot water onto the teapot to insure the temperature inside and outside the teapot is the same.

The temperature of the water 

You should use bottled or spring mountain water to brew the tea. Avoid using distilled, soft or hard water, otherwise it will affect the taste of the tea. The amount of tea and water will vary on the type of tea, its quality, and the size of the teapot but generally one teaspoon of tea leaves for every 6-ounces of water will do.

• White and green tea: 78-85C
• Black tea: 99C
• Oolong tea: 85C-100C 
• Compressed tea: 100C

4. Stir and then pour all the tea into the cups to warm them. This tea is not for drinking but only for waking up tea process. Now is tea is rinsed so now add the hot boiling water once again into the teapot. Brew it for one minute and now pour the tea into the cups and it is ready to be tasted. 

You did it! Remember don't brew for longer time as it can mar the taste of the tea. Now just take sips and be lost in the ultimate taste and storms of aroma. 

Work cited

"How to Brew Chinese Tea". Canton Tea Co. Web. 13.Feb.2016 <http://www.cantonteaco.com/how-to-brew-chinese-tea>

"Culture tea traditions".ITOEN.Web. 13.Feb.2016 
<http://www.itoen.com/cultural-tea-traditions>

"6 types of Chinese tea".Web. 13.Feb.2016 <http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/Arts/7thingsabouttea/en/ch3_1_0.htm>

"Guide to brew Keemun Black Tea". Teavivre. Web. 13.Feb.2016 <http://www.teavivre.com/info/how-to-brew-keemun-black-tea/>