Reflective journal 1

This marks my second lesson at CDE. To say the truth, i still do not have much idea about what CDE is as i am nto in the CDE class last year. From what i have gathered, we will be learning about the differences between the east and the west, as well as viewing the problems of America and China in the western perspective. While i am constantly taught how to look at things with the eastern perspective, i had lesser opportunities to look at things with the western perspective, or even knowing how the western world works. The first lesson of CDE was kick started with the introduction on Cultural Intelligence, also known as CQ for short. A video on cultural differences by HSBC was played and it is interesting to see how different countries can have such conflicting cultures. The one that i think is most relevant to me is the advertisement on the eel soup. In western culture, it is only polite to finish eating all the food on the table. However, in Chinese culture, it shows that the host is not polite if there are no leftovers. It comically shows the importance of CQ, especially in this time and world, where globalization is key.

 Thereafter, a short introduction on China's "Me" generation was done. I am greatly attracted by the uniqueness of this generation of Chinese and the impacts they bring, more importantly, it is stunning to be able to draw many parallels between the "Me" generation and Singapore's generation of youngsters, also known as the X,Y and Z generation. After reading through the Times magazine article on China's Me Generation By Simon Elegant, i was surprised at how individualistic this generation of China young adults can get. They lived in the booming China era, where everything is going on the right track, or seems to be, under the rule of the communist party. it is thus inevitable that they see no point in getting involved in politics. To them, the status quo is a fantastic way of living. Their material needs gets satisfied, they are able to travel and see the world. Everything that they want is individual. This is not only fueled by the comfortable lifestyle that they are living, but also by the horrid tales of their parents who are involved in the Great Leap Foward. Such political apathy will definitely slow down the build up of a democratic society in China, and leaves us wondering if there will ever be such a day when democracy is declared. This is also partly true when i make connections to Singapore. We are living in an age of abundance, a city of prosperity due to the hard work of our forefathers. While Singaporean teens can be politcally active, the part about living for ourselves still holds true. We also see no need to get involved in many things as the path is already nicely laid out. However, being part of the "Me" generation should not always be frowned upon. Despite being nonchalant for many things, we are more open in our thinking, which is beneficial in this highly globalized world. We also tend to have higher cultural intelligence due to the frequent use of the internet. Making use of technology and creating connections will be how this generation will be able to help the society. Rather than seeing the negative parts about the "Me" generation, why not expand on their fortes?

 The syllabus of CDE is really wide and i can already envision myself walking on the path of an enriching learning journey. By far, the most interesting topic to me would be education. Through the learning of two vastly different education systems, it will be possible to point out the fundamental differences of the east and west, which will enable me to acheive my aim in this course. While it would be a learning journey, i envisioned that this course would be enjoyable for me and i can have fun while working on the assignments. Now, let the fun begin!