A somber, yet emotionally compelling narrative that escalates it’s intensity from start to finish. The story centers on a former government agent who becomes a self-employed orthodontist. He lives inside the same apartment building as a drug-abusing mother and her daughter. The daughter is very mischievous and acts out often enough for the orthodontist to […]
North Korea By Rachel Elliott Last week, President Trump revealed that the he would meet with North Korean Leader Kim Jong-Un in May to discuss denuclearization. The meeting will mark the first time any sitting American president has met with a North Korean leader in person. Chung Eui-yong, security advisor to the South Korean president, […]
1. AMERICANS LOVE GIVING RANDOM COMPLIMENTS Americans love to compliment random people. I first realized this during my first month in the United States. In the elevator of Anderson Hall, a girl got in and said to another girl, “Oh I like your dress! It is really cute”. I thought they knew each other before […]
The tumultuous 2016 U.S. Presidential campaign may have had more of an effect on the mobilization of the alt-right than you’d expect. Hillary Clinton referring to the Internet-age right-wing movement of Trump supporters as a ‘basket of deplorables’ caused an uproar of memes and mockery online. This, by no means, was the beginning of the […]
2013年,现任中华人民共和国主席习近平就任后,先后提出共建“丝绸之路经济带”和”21世纪海上丝绸之路“的重大倡议,并积极推动实行这个经济战略,形成了如今我们所熟知的“一带一路”。 丝绸之路,是中国在两千多年前连接东西两方的商业贸易路线,当时的亚欧大陆人民,用双脚及船只,透过海陆这两条丝绸之路连接上了亚欧非文明,这不但促进了当时的中国与中东、印度及欧洲等地区国家的经济与货物来往的交流,将中国的丝绸、瓷器、造纸术、印刷术、火药等发明带到了其他国家,也相互交换了一些发展技术,间接地带动了双方国家的经济繁荣, 比如指南针促进了新航海的开辟, 价格低廉的造纸术和印刷术也相比于昂贵的羊皮纸,使到教育平民化成为可能。 虽然这两条丝绸之路在后来因为的种种原因,销声匿迹于历史长河中,但如今中国所倡导的“一带一路”,复活了这两条古老的国际经济贸易之路,同时也重启并继承古代丝路的作用:扩大中国朋友圈,分享资源技术,实现双赢。 如今, “一带一路”经济战略延续了古代丝绸之路的历史,以和平合作、开放包容、互学互鉴、互利共赢为核心的丝路精神, 以政策沟通、设施联通、贸易畅通、资金融通、民心相通为主要内容,使得中国得以与欧亚大陆实现互联互通,与相关的国家促进共同发展,也正是因为这个战略精神与合作重点,让更多的国家与地区愿意参与进来。 “一带一路”自推行至今,战略成果颇丰,现已有65个包括东亚的蒙古,东盟10国,西亚18国,南亚8国,中亚5国,独联体7国,中东欧16国等国家和地区参与其中。 最初,“一带一路”的构想建立于大量发展中国家坐拥众多劳动力和天然资源,却由于自身工业体系不完善,以及科技水平的限制,丰厚的人力资源和自然资源被闲置,于是,政府鼓励负责基础建设的华企在”一带一路“线上的发展中国家里设点开厂,修建铁路公路,设立水电站,发射卫星通信。 一来,这可让当地大量闲置的劳动力得以利用,创造就业机会,从而带动经济流通;二来,“要致富,先修路”,便利的交通使得当地的资源可以运往更远的地方,直接扩大了当地资源的市场,提高年产值,加强经济收益。 目前,中国已经在非洲肯尼亚建设蒙内铁路,在巴基斯坦建立卡洛特水电站,中亚天然气管线等,而其他东南亚,中东,东欧等地的基建项目也在逐步进行中,这样的局面,不仅让参与“一带一路”的国家得益,身为发起国的中国也从这个经济战略中直接获得的三个主要利益,达致“双赢”。 首先,中国目前有着庞大的外汇储备,如果不把这些外汇用于投资,那么,这些外汇就会面临贬值的风险。于是,中国正好利用现在的外汇储备投资于“一带一路”,减少外汇储备;二来,中国的国内市场趋于饱和,比如中国的钢铁产量虽然世界第一,但是实际上每年都有十几亿吨的钢铁没有被消费,而“一带一路”正好提供给生产过剩的产业一个更广大的海外市场,与此在改善“产能过剩”的同时,中国也可在部分参与国家当中获取当地过剩但中国又缺少的资源,比如石油,实行资源交易的互通互补。 第三,透过“一带一路”,中国也得以在国际上重新定位地缘政治,提升国际影响力。毫无疑问,“一带一路”意在牵动内陆经济的发展,一旦“一带一路”沿线的地区形成新的经济增长点,就会打破现有的全球地缘经济依赖沿海地区这样一个局面,而新的地缘政治将巩固中国在亚洲头号强国地位所需的影响力。 总而言之,“一带一路”是中国全面走进国际社会并巩固国际地位至关重要的软实力政策,这不仅让中国得以加强与其他国家的链接枢纽,透过交换资源来和贸易来促进双边的经济增长及发展,从而向国际社会展示强大的软实力,也能达到传播文化及提升国际上的影响力和话语权的作用,进一步地让中国在国际社会上树立“强国”的形象。
A celebration for all women in the world “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organization but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights,” – Gloria Steinem (world-renowned feminist, journalist and social and political activist) A look back into the past… 1908 […]
Lovers of sequential arts, filmgoers, and Marvel Comics fans have waited a long time for “Black Panther” to hit the big screen. In fact, it’s been 57 years since the Black Panther’s first debut in a Fantastic Four issue in 1961. Finally, thanks to director and writer Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole, Black […]
Have you considered what kind of job you want to do after you graduate from university? Hopefully the answer is yes. It is very fortunate to be hired in your ideal job. What if you get a job that is quite different from what you imagined? The movie Departure will tell you the answer. This […]
College students everywhere have just finished one of two of the least enjoyable weeks of the semester; the dreaded midterms week. But now it’s time to celebrate, with one of the best weeks of the year; Spring Break! I’m sure many of us have dreamed about our Spring Break experience being like Sharpay’s lavish vacation […]
Call me crazy, but I actually really like my morning commute. Japan is known for its bullet trains, and the Tokyo Subway holds up to the same standard. It’s an hour and ten minutes longer than my previous commute, which involved walking down Diamond Street and turning onto campus, but at the risk of sounding […]
Syria By: Alex Voisine News out of Syria throughout the course of the past week has been painfully grim; over 500 people have died following a bombing campaign by the Syrian government in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta. Eastern Ghouta is controlled primarily by rebels; groups fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar […]
Have you traveled before? Most of you may answer “yes”. Of course, with the development of technology, traveling is becoming more common. Advanced technology broadens people’s traveling opportunities, not only domestically but also internationally. Relaxing and having a good time with our family and friends are not the only benefits of travelling, it is also […]
请看中文翻译 “Sweetie, are you coming back for the New Year? We’ll wait for you.” Grandmother is getting older; her memory slowly fading. She keeps asking me the same questions, but I, being on the other side of the world, can only hold back my tears while Facetiming her. I answer, “I won’t be”… I couldn’t […]
Read the English Version here. “妹啊,有回来过年吗?我们等你啊。” 奶奶年事已高了,记忆力不好,总是重复问着同样的问题,但在地球另一端的我,只能隔着荧幕强忍着泪水,回答说”没有”……我不敢再多说什么,只怕多说一句也会忍不住哽咽泪崩。 甘马挽,是马来西亚登嘉楼的一个小地方,但却是承载着我童年回忆的家乡。以前每年的农历新年,都是我们后辈最开心最期待的大节日,除了可以跟前辈讨红包之外,最重要的是可以和亲戚朋友们团聚玩乐。 那时候,妈妈在除夕夜时,会在家里准备一整桌的年菜,当然包括我最喜欢的芋头扣肉;话说啊,我妈妈似乎很珍惜这门手艺,每年总是在新年才会动手做这道菜,所以我也只能一年解馋一次…..我们一家人坐在一起团聚吃饭说笑,饭后再和亲朋戚友们聊天、放烟花、玩牌,待年纪稍长后我们还可以一起喝酒玩闹,在家门外放鞭炮。 每一年的新年,我最期待的就是年初一,就算前一天玩得多晚,我都会在年初一一大早起床,换上新衣后好好打扮一番,再跟爸妈、哥哥和妹妹一同出门拜年,向亲友讨红包;晚上再约三五成群的朋友相聚玩乐,一起玩一些疯狂的遊戏,做疯狂的事。 回想起那些年的新年,是那么地无忧无虑,甚至快乐得似乎那么理所当然,唾手可得,但不曾想那些我还来不及好好珍惜的时光,现在却只能在异乡独自地默默回味。 是的,今年已经是我第二年在美国过农历新年了,虽然我妈常说科技发达,我们总是很轻易地就能联络到彼此,但我不知道如何告诉她说,当我看着荧幕另一端的家人们热热闹闹地吃着团圆饭,倒数、放烟花庆新年时,在另一端的我却自己坐在饭桌前,吃着自己随意做的料理,那种如千万支针刺痛我心的想念,两种不成正比的欢闹与孤寂,一面对独自一身不知所措感到心慌和寂寞,另一面却遏制不住那种对家人放肆依赖的思念;我真的很想跟妈妈说,我其实真的很想也能在你们身边,陪着你们过年,撒娇地向你们讨红包,和妹妹打闹,逗逗很久不见的侄儿玩耍,见证身边朋友生活的变化….. “独在异乡为异客,每逢佳节倍思亲”,是我在中学时印象最深的一句诗句,但直到现在离家后才深刻体会到这句诗的含义;有时我看着家人们的照片和影片,总是为我的缺席感到遗憾,也好奇在想,他们现在过得怎样?他们会不会忘记我了?他们也想念我吗?还是就算我不再他们身边,他们是否也没有怎么样?在这个农历新年,我在这个即陌生又繁忙的城市里,看着这里的人们过着正常得不能再正常的忙碌生活,匆匆地走过了那个我所期待的新年,心里终于明白”距离”是科技无论如何都无法拉近,反而隔着冰冷的荧幕,让我觉得我离他们好远好远。 很多时候我没有办法理解那些能回家却不回家的朋友,他们离家很近,却总是嚷嚷着回家很烦,家人很唠叨,而我总是苦口婆心的劝他们回家;看着他们,我是羨慕又恨啊!也许是因为”求学路漫漫,不知何时是归期”的缘故吧,才会把思念无限放大,会更期盼团圆,想念与亲朋好友的相聚。 旁人总是很羨慕的说”能出国留学真好!”,但实际上对于一个不怎么独立的女生来说,出国留学太难了。还记得刚来美国的时候,踏上飞机的那一刻起,眼泪就不听使唤的落下。到了美国,一个对于我来说陌生到没有办法再陌生的地方,心里出现的第一个念头是”我想回家了”…是的,我后悔了,出国留学一半是父母的期望,另一半是自己真的很想成为他们的骄傲。但我想我高估了自己,现在才发现自己没有想像中的独立,也开始发现,以前迫不及待想长大,想离开家的那个自己好傻好天真,因为离开家之后,”距离”把所有的思念都无限放大,却也把所有的期盼消磨;给那位曾经一直期盼着长大离家出国留学的自己,其实能腻在那些你相处多了觉得烦,但不在身边却觉得慌的家人身边,才是真正幸福的。 Photo Credit: Brannon Naito on Unsplash
Brazil By Rachel Elliott While Carnival is a time of celebration and dance, this year, Brazilians used the parade to tackle injustice, corruption, and inequality. The festivities kicked off with a harsh criticism of President Michel Temer, whose approval rating is now in the single digits, and Rio de Janiero Mayor Marcelo Crivella. The mayor […]
Over winter break, I found myself back in Hyderabad, India. A city of many religions and cultures, it was also once my home until I immigrated to the United States. While I was there, I had the unexpected opportunity to observe the practice of medicine at various levels. Because I had grown up in Hyderabad, […]