Tag: 2020

A year like no other—2020 in review

icaruswithwarmwingsLeave a comment

in shuttering silence

happiness is fleeting

buoyancy is turbulent 

and the grey world deteriorates

breath is belabored

and the periphery begins to seep in

the color is fading fast 

fast

faster still than hot flames

the fury and the fire in the center

burns has burned and will burn

hot

hotter than before

but still it burns through its fuel

and the sides still fall away than the center can build back

better to be honest 

better to be free

better to seek the middle even as the edges fray

better to worry about the now than lose hope in the future

as the color fades into gray

Andrea Mantovani for The New York Times

The Olympics Is the Key!!

1998sakuraLeave a comment

I was officially turned down by the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. I applied for the Winter Games volunteer program earlier this year. My plan was to work at the Korean games so that I’d have experience on my resume for when I apply for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

I was disappointed, but had suspected I was going to be turned down since I can’t speak Korean, and one of the questions on the application asked about that. Even if I had gotten the job, the event will take place in the middle of my freshman year of college, which is bad timing.

I want to volunteer for the Olympic games because I think this event is very special, and makes the world come together. Also, I like to make friends with people from around the world – our generation can form relationships with other countries despite our history. For example, I have good friends who are Korean and Chinese, but my Japanese grandparents were enemies with people from these same countries. Their generation does not have the same type of relationships that I do.

I think the Olympic games can make a big difference, and I want to be part of this special event. I really hope I can contribute by volunteering for Tokyo 2020. I’m crossing my fingers!

Photo Credit: thumbs.mic.com

Tianjin: the Self-Sustainable City of the Future

yrreskrapLeave a comment

The environmentalist trend has struck China with a bang. No, Tainjin is not just recycling and sorting out its trash. Tianjin isn’t just implementing solar power in a few office rooms here and there. Tianjin isn’t just planting trees or building houses with sustainable bamboo hardwood. No. Tianjin is going all the way.

Tianjin is becoming China’s first ever eco-city, meaning entire communities will be self-sustainable. Surbana Urban Planning Group, the company that designed the 30 square kilometer eco-city, is revolved around environmentally friendly construction. Other projects by Urban Planning include construction in Shanghai, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

Urban Planning will be finished with the eco-city in an estimated 9 years. The new city is said to be ready in 2020 for a whopping 350,000 inhabitants to experience. The newest energy saving technologies will be used and residents will be able to choose from many landscapes, making commutes a thing of the past.