A Letter from My Future Self to My Past Self

A Letter from My Future Self to My Past Self

Dear My Past Self,

Hello asshole.

You are the catalyst of my suffering,

the promoter of my daily aggravations.

You are the reason why I cannot sleep at night

nor stay awake during the day.

Procrastination:

It is what rewards you,

and kills me.

Determination:

That is what you don’t have,

and it haunts me.

You are not me.

I hate you.

And the stack of work

you bequeath to me.

No, you didn’t hear me right.

I hate

You.

I despise of

You.

I loathe

You.

You make the laws

that only I have to follow.

You create a daunting courtroom

and settle yourself on the judge’s chair,  

while all I could do is

wait

for my imminent declaration of my

never-ending sentence for torture and

regret.

They say practice makes perfect.

You don’t practice,

so I’m not perfect.

I am the direct result of your laziness,

your lethargic attitude,

your lack of discipline.

You stripped me of my ambitions

and ransacked all my potential talent.

Let me ask you:

Where is your pride?

Your dignity?

Let me tell you:

You disgust me.

You’re pathetic.

You’re disastrous.

You’re...

You’re...

Dammit,

I’m too tired

to think of anything.

Meh, I can finish this letter

tomorrow.

Opening Up the Past

This picture symbolizes Amir's interaction with the homeless man on the street in Kabul.  The locker represents the memories of Amir's mother, whose life had been locked away from Amir due to Baba's guilt. Baba was unable to reveal who exactly Amir's mother was since it reminded him of his sins.  After Baba's death Amir loses his only chance to know the locker combination and open the locker of his mother's character. The locker was lost forever, until Amir meets the homeless man. The homeless man unlocks the locker with his own memories, allowing Amir his first exposure to his mother's personality. However, the half open locker shows that the homeless man can only reveal so much. His memory is blurry, and the inside of the locker is cast in dark shadow and mystique. The objects inside the locker that can be seen representing the little details that the old man possessed, which Amir craved for. It is not good enough for Amir to fully understand his mother, as he tells the old man they will meet again, but it gives him a glimpse of his mother's character and the woman whose blood he carries on. 

No Skills, No Engineers: No Clean Water

Nao Yanase

Ms. Bennett

World Lit Honors Period 2

15 March 2016

No Skills, No Engineers: No Clean Water

There are approximately 100,000 miles of sanitary sewers and over 900 wastewater treatment plants in the state of California to provide clean, reliable water to the citizens every day (California).  In contrast, the nation of South Africa only has 0.4 engineers for every 100,000 people (Dlamini).  

As a direct result of the absence of engineers in South Africa, many locations, particularly the rural areas, are being threatened by the poor water quality being provided by the country.  The lack of water engineers in South Africa can prove to be a considerable hazard, especially since it poses a threat for both the present and the future of South Africa.  Manglin Pillay, the CEO of the South African Institution of Civil Engineers, warns, “If there are no engineers then nobody is doing any planning… and planning isn’t for a year or two, it’s 20, 30, or 40 years down the line” (Dlamini).  

The shortage of technical skills amongst the youth in South Africa is the primary cause of the significant damage done to the water sector of South Africa.  Because of the growing demand for high-quality engineers and skilled trade-workers, it has become increasingly difficult for people to fill job positions, mainly for those who do not possess the skills required for that role (Steyn).  According to Mail and Guardian, “In 2014 only 8 % of South Africa employers surveyed reported difficulty in filling job vacancies, but this year [in 2015], 31% of employers reported difficulty”, which demonstrates the growing concern within the many sectors of South Africa, including the water sector (Steyn).  With many employers struggling to find workers, the water sector of South Africa has been growing inefficient with their inadequate number of engineers to care for the water.  The South African Local Government Association and the Water Research Commission discovered that “the country didn’t even have 10% of the required number of engineers” needed to efficiently operate the water networks (Dlamini).

The risks of waterborne diseases serve as the chief consequence of the scarcity of engineers in South Africa.  Without the correct skills necessary to manage the water, there is no efficient way to attain sanitation and deliver the water to the homes of many people.  The water quality is a major concern especially to those living in rural areas, as it is also stated by Professor Maggy Momba of the Tshwane University of Technology, “There are places where children have diarrhea every week” (Water Skills).  Bacterial diarrhea is the most common of waterborne diseases, even accounting for 20% of under-five deaths in South Africa (Chola and Michalow).  As long as there exists an absence of skills and intelligence along with insufficient amounts of planning, the people of South Africa will continue to fall victim to the illnesses caused by the poor water quality (Tancott).

In order to direct South Africa towards a higher water quality, many organizations have surfaced with plans of helping people develop the skills essential to benefiting themselves, their future, and their country.  For example, Pamela Tshwete, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Water and Sanitation, has been working to launch the Unemployed Youth Skills Development Project all across the country, which help to offer the youth the skills that the country requires (Water and Sanitation).  By working patiently towards a final objective, it will be possible for South Africa to go from 0.4 engineers to a solid 5 engineers, then 10, then 20…

Works Cited 

Chola, Lumbwe, and Julia Michalow. "BMC Public Health." Reducing Diarrhoea Deaths in 

          South Africa: Costs and Effects of Scaling up Essential Interventions to Prevent and

          Treat Diarrhoea in Under-five Children. BioMed Central, 17 Apr. 2015. Web. 13 Mar.   

           2016.

Dlamini, Penwell. "Skills Evaporate in Water Sector." Times LIVE. Times LIVE, 7 Mar.                        2016.  Web. 08 Mar. 2016.  

Steyn, Lisa. "SA's Skills Deficit Has a Negative Effect on Employment." The M&G Online.   

            Mail & Guardian, 18 May 2015. Web. 05 Mar. 2016. 

Tancott, Glen. "Skills Shortages Affect SA Water Sector." Infrastructure News. Infrastructure 

            News, 5 May 2014. Web. 08 Mar. 2016. 

"California Wastewater." Water Education Foundation, n.d. Web. Mar.-Apr. 2016.

"South Africa : Water and Sanitation unveils Unemployed Youth Skills Development project 

              in Limpopo."  

"Water Skills Shortage Spills over to Water Quality." Research Innovation News and Events. 

              University of South Africa, 4 Mar. 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.  

(Coal)tural Revolution

Cul(charcoal) Revolution

Sijie uses the symbol of the coal mine to imply the message of hope and to convey the attitudes of the people during the Cultural Revolution. The coal mine is often dark and light (hope of escape) is faltering, which represents the flickering hope in the hearts of the youth. They know they are doomed to a harsh life in reeducation, but they cannot help but seek hope whenever they can.

"A pinprick of light quivered in the darkness at the end of a long subterranean passage. The tiny bright dot wavered, fell, rose again, and continued its precarious advance. Now and then, when there was a dip in the floor, the dot disappeared for seconds at a time."

"To tell the truth, we accepted this infernal ordeal, because we were determined to stay in the race at all costs, even though our chances of returning to the city were no more than the infinitesimal three in a thousand."

The Brilliance in Ignorance

The Brilliance in Ignorance

You are fed with ideas,

with morals, with knowledge,

They provide you the answers,

before even mentioning the questions.

A mind, 

packed with information,

adopted as an all-powerful device

On the other hand,

an empty mind full of

harmony, serenity

darkness, and brightness;

A silky, delicate curtain,

its modest, yet intricate designs

flowing with limitless comfort.

You are blind but can still see

the faint glow of the successful path.

You are deaf but can still hear

the hum of the reassuring silence.

You have nothing to fear.

Let the Tao take over,

Let it guide you.

Embrace the Tao,

and it will embrace you.

Because the flow in your life,

it is vulnerable, it is weak 

Like how one pebble can ruin

the stillness of a serene lake

The rhythmic sensation of the Tao

can easily be interrupted.  

So don’t listen to them, be different.

Accept the gift of ignorance.

Listen to the Tao.

Listen to yourself.

Reeling in Radical Remembrance

Reeling in Radical Remembrance

Images: thenounproject.com