reading in a foreign language deepens understanding and provokes thinking

I read books in two languages: Chinese and English. My overall reading experience in English has been very different from that in Chinese. A lot of the times I feel that I simply understand things better when reading the same idea in English, instead of my mother tongue. It seems to be quite a paradox because, assuming the content express the same idea, I'm supposed to comprehend everything much better in the language that I'm way more fluent, sensible and comfort in.

Of course, there can be a number of obvious explanations for this, such as...

(1). English is a "better" language, in the sense that it is simple and straightforward language. Or as linguists put it, it's a low-context language. This means it is easier to express ideas with clarity.

(2). There are also more great writers who contributes to the enormous pool of English contents. Admittedly, the world's most influential writers and thinkers express themselves (or at least get their work translated timely) in English more than any other language in the world.

But recently I have come to a third and curious explanation that this "English is better" perception is simply because English is my second language. Can one expect to benefit more from reading in his/her second language when the same content is available in his/her first language? Well, here I'm saying, the answer is probably yes...

First, because English embodies patterns of thinking that are so different from Chinese, I am constantly adventuring on new lands when reading in English. In other words, it stretches my brain by making it do new things. This is similar to how you would feel genuinely refreshed and delighted when occasionally writing with your less-used hand. Because your brain is functioning on a different mode, it becomes more active, creative, and joyful.

Second, reading speed is a factor. Truth is, I'm so much more fluent and comfortable with my mother tongue that I can browse over a line without really stopping to ponder what's really behind the words. In English, on the other hand, I am force to make stops all the way, trying to make sense to the phrases and sentences, and naturally giving more thoughts on the points that the author is trying to make. That leads to a more solid and lasting understanding.

learning from a real negotiation experience

My apartment-hunting last week made a text-book negotiation experience, one that finally made me believe something you learned at school can be put into real life. I know this would sound strange, but I was mentally replaying some jargons, frameworks and techniques that I got familiar with on MGBL885 Negotiation... Here's what worked:

1. Clarify Interests and Positions

I used to go into the ocean of rental market without a clear idea of what I'm really looking for and what I can afford. This time I made a quick list of the ideal features I'm looking for (like bright room, close to subway, having a swimming pool in building, etc.), and set a target budget even before doing any research. Though my final deal exceeded this budget, it clearly helped me a lot to get my decision-making in order.

You may think you know something, but you don't really know until you write them on a piece of paper.

2. Get to Know the Other Party

The landlord I'm dealing with is a Chinese immigrant family that just landed in Toronto. They are literally just moving into this North York Centre condo they bought as an investment, and renting out extra bedrooms. It would be Sam, a Grade12 boy, that will be living with me while attending high school in Toronto; his mom is here for a short stay, and will go back to China soon after things related to the new condo get sorted out. Of course, I can easily understand how badly the mother is looking for reliable and stable tenants. You want your son to be around good people when you are thousands of miles away.

3. Establish Rapport

I had two quick phone calls with Sam and his mom before going to meet them and check out the condo. I had the feeling I could get along with Sam. I knew there are certainly MORE things I could talk about (i.e. interest) with them than just a number for monthly rent (i.e. position). I understood their situations and concerns well.

While talking to Sam's mother, I called her "Nin您", a respectful Chinese word to address an elder person. Clearly, she appreciated it and thought I was a good boy (what good judgment). I asked things like where is the school Sam goes to, which universities he considers going to, what part of China they are from, and so on. In this situation I'd say these things are actually more than just random small talks, but a way to make them feel understood.

4. Offer Extra Interests and Facilitate Mutual Gain

As we spoke, Sam's mother showed me a few pieces of paper in English that neither she nor her son seemed to fully understand. Those are documents and forms from the condo management regarding utilities, garbage recycle, mail box, etc. She asked me what the papers said, and I explained to the best of my ability. "I would be happy to help with these matters after moving in."

I also mentioned that since Sam doesn't have a car, it would be no problem for me to give him rides on weekend grocery-shopping and other things. In fact, this is something I'd certainly do for my roommate anyway, especially if we get along well. There's no point NOT to bring this up in the negotiation, whether for the purpose of increasing the other party's perceived gain or merely as a gesture of good intention. Sam's mother smiled.

5. Don't Hurry to Settle

After I showed interest in taking it, we had some haggling on the price. I insisted on taking the condo bedroom AND their parking lot together, and expected to get a good discount, because I knew this would reduce their potential hassles as well.

My initial position was paying $900/m for it all: a room, a parking lot, all utilities. At this point, my offer was $920, theirs $940. A classic impasse situation: there seems to be a pretty good chance of a deal, but neither party wants to give in more. I restrained myself from compromising too soon, and said I would need some more time to consider. I told her I'd have to do more searching over the weekend to see if I could find more affordable offers, and assured I'd get back to them by Monday.

I was hoping the two-day buffer would at least cool down the tension and protect the relationship. I felt I possessed slightly more bargaining power because finding a decent roommate for her son was at least equally important as renting the space out. In other words, she wouldn't want to lose me as a candidate because of this $20. However, since she had already reduced her offer from $1000 to $940 on the same day, she would lose face if she gave in one more chunk. I totally understand how much this "face" thing matters. We are Chinese.

Plus, in case I happen to find some other good condo, I would have a better BATNA(Best Alternative To an Negotiated Agreement). That will mean more bargaining power.

"You are pretty good at haggling", she said with a smile.

6. Invent Options for Mutual Gain

Over the weekend, I was on a road trip to Quebec City. We hit the road 5am Saturday morning and planned to get back Sunday night. Admittedly, I knew I wouldn't have any time to "do more searching" when I told Sam's mom I was going to do so.

On the road, an idea flashed through my mind that I could buy my own furniture and ask for another cut on the rent. Sam's family did not furnish the bedroom yet but agreed to do so before I move in. Now if buying my own furniture would save me money at the end of the year, I should ask what they say.

I asked Erin (who just recently bought a bed and desk from IKEA) what she paid for her bed, mattress and desk. I did some math and quickly formed an option I could propose Monday. I wasn't sure if this would work out, but I was happy with my attempt to invent an alternative.

My buffer strategy turned out to have worked. Sunday morning, Sam's mother called me back and agreed to settle this deal at $920. They already bought furniture, so I did not mention my Plan B and just happily took this new offer. She said she discussed the rental issue with Sam's Dad the night before. She emphasized that it was Sam's Dad's idea that they should not care about $20 if the tenant is the right person. In my opinion, this is how she is trying to save face! Finding legitimate reasons and excuses to justify their compromise is very important for the Chinese, because we hate losing face. It took her 5 minutes to finish explaining why they finally decided to rent the room to me. By the way, it is fairly natural for a Chinese mother to refer to her husband as "Sam's Dad", instead of something like "my husband" or "John". If an English-speaking lady says "Sam's Dad", you would probably guess the couple is separated. Not the case here.

While she did the 5-minute speech, I listened patiently and said I really appreciated that. Of course I appreciate it sincerely, whoever the real decision-maker was in their family.

Special thanks to Mr. Rick Jackson, the gentleman that introduced me to the fascinating world of negotiation. The book <Getting To Yes>, which Mr. Jackson recommended, is an incredibly helpful coach too.

Something Must Be Wrong When "The One" Matters Too Much

Two recent incidents drove me to ask this question: How much should a leading individual matter for the fate of a cause?

Incident #1 is the death of Jack Layton, leader of Canada's NDP who ceased this week because of cancer. A great many Canadians are sad over the loss of this courageous fighter, who many thought was on his way to changing Canada. His final letter to Canadians messaged his hope and encouragements, but also almost marks the abortion of his ambitious cause. Here I sensed a bit of irony: If the death of an individual leader may have this big an impact on the political map of this country, Canada still has a long way to go before calling itself a model democracy. - Of course, I say this with full respect for the courage of this great fighter. May Jack Layton rest in peace.

Incident #2 may be drawing the attention of even more people: Steve Jobs quits his job. (If Apple fans all over the world collectively count as a country, it would out-populate Canada.) The finale of this great man has been this newest product "iQuit". Joking as it is, it is nothing but reasonable to believe the resignation of this charismatic CEO is impacting the perceptions of investors, employees and customers of Apple in a not-so-optimistic way. It puts into question whether or not Apple can stay equally cool, innovative, and competitive in the years to come. Again, the empire Steve Jobs co-founded and legendized is on its way to tasting the bitter consequence of himself being too charismatic and important.

My conclusion, if I have any, is that a dominantly strong leader (i.e. dictator?) is really a double-edged sword for the group. Running a cause on one of such super stars is dangerous. Being addicted to it is almost wrong. But unfortunately, like other addictions from alcohol to drugs, it's probably easier to acquire than to quit. Just one of the inevitable realities about human stupidity...

Welcome to "Cloud" Age

The other day I bumped into my classmate Michael in the subway after work. We had a quick random chat about each other's work before I jumped off the train. It was a few days after that I re-discovered Michael's business card that he handed to me that day. He must have passed it to me while we were talking, and I didn't even remember receiving it.

Well, I completely understand and appreciate his habit as a sales professional to pass a business card to his schoolmate in that context. He was also patient and passionate enough to give me a pitch about what his company does and his role in it. And I knew that he was doing so after ten hours' phone calls on his job.

But let's face this: who's still going to keep and read your business card today? If I want to get a hold of him, I'd most likely text him, Facebook him, or throw a quick email to his personal email, as opposed to his company email on the card. If I somehow need to know more about his company or job title, I'd most likely go to his Linkedin profile. All this can be done with a few clicks or, even quicker, by touching the screen on my Android phone.

Not without irony, the awesome product Michael talks about all day long with his great radio voice is basically a cloud-based database. Just like how Linkedin plays as an online storage of business cards, his company sells a system to empower businesses with enormous amount of data stored on line. This is the idea of cloud.

This week I started using a website called OhLife (ohlife.com). It sends you an email every evening asking how your day went. You can keep a personal journal by replying the email. I always enjoy writing as a way of self-reflection. To my pleasure, the interface of this website is simple and elegant enough to keep me interested.

One more free invention I just started embracing is dropbox, which gives you some virtual space that can synchronize files between Android phone and computer. Again, it is an example of how the invisible clouds change the way we do things.

I don't know where the "clouds" are taking us to. But one thing I know is business card is not the last thing to die from it.

Yuan Tengfei: Most Awesome History Teacher

The 38-year-old Beijing high school history teacher evoked public attention in late 2008, when his lecture videos were uploaded and spread on the internet. His humorous and sharp teaching style won him huge internet popularity and the title "Most Awesome History Teacher in History". In 2009 Mr. Yuan was invited as a speaker at Lecture Room (Bai Jia Jiang Tan) of CCTV, one of the most viewed TV shows in China, which features series of keynotes on Chinese history, literature and traditional culture. Prior to Yuan, this show had already popularized a few star scholars. Yuan's lectures 'Epic of the Song Dynasties' (Liang Song Feng Yun) renewed record audience ratings again with vividly told stories of history, with insightful research and interesting delivery. By the end of 2009, Yuan turned himself from an ordinary high school teacher to a well-known commentator, most welcomed speaker and best-selling author. No other high school teacher has gained as much sensation as he received in China, a country where liberal arts doesn’t gain much attention. "Calling me the Most Awesome Teacher, however, is a total exaggeration," Yuan himself responded humbly.

In early 2010 Yuan was involved into some political disputes. His comments about Mao, videotaped earlier as part of his class, was circulated on the internet and led to "punishment" by his school, though more of a gesture than real punishment, and some public pressure. This incident added to him another identity: a political dissident.

Beijing Workers' Singing Moved Millions

Two migrant workers in Beijing, with bare arms and worn faces, covered a song "In the Spring" (春天里) in their shabby dorm. This video quickly went popular among millions of viewers in China.

In the video are 29-year-old vagrant singer Liu Gang (the one with the guitar) and his friend, 44-year-old Wang Xu, who works as a docker in Beijing.

Wang Feng, original writer and performer of this song, highly praised their work as "lived out the true spirit of rock & roll from where it is most needed - the blue collar class". "I was most delighted to see my song re-produced by people like these two guys. They gave substantial meanings to my work and, more generally, all works of rock&roll as a means to express what needs to be said in our society."

-------------------------

In the Spring -Lyrics

I still remember those spring days

When I hadn't cut off my long hair

I had no credit card and no girl

No home with 24-hour hot water supply

But I used to be that happy

Only with my old wooden guitar

In the street, under the bridge, and on the field

Singing the songs that nobody would listen to

If one day I'm old and alone

Please leave me back in those past days

If one day I'm gone silently

Please bury me in the spring

I still remember those spring days

Hardly had I grown beard

No present for Valentine's Day

Nor did I have my lovely princess

But I didn't think they were that bad days

Though I only had fantasies of love

In the dawn, in the night and in the breeze

Singing those songs that nobody would listen to

If one day I'm old and alone

Please leave me back in those past days

If one day I'm gone silently

Please bury me in the spring

Now you are my beautiful spring

As warm as it used to be

I cut my long hair and grew my beard

Pains are gone with the wind

But I feel such a sadness

Time left me deeper loss and emptiness

In the sunny spring days

My tears can't help shedding

...

Busyness Leads to Happiness

Here's a piece of recent work done by Christopher Hsee, of University of Chicago, a prominent researcher of psychology and one of those who established the term hedonomics.

http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/obsonline/busyness-leads-to-happiness.html

It was three years ago when I was helping with some research on his team that Prof. Hsee told us about the original idea behind the article: he wanted to prove that people sometimes do things only to "release their excessive energy". Sounds like a strange idea, but he said he had a way to prove it (which is pretty much you read from the article above). I was soon convinced he's a genius.

Then we went to a few colleges to do the "experiments". I still remember some details: after finishing one survey, we "lied" to students that the questionnaires of next survey was not ready and they had 15 minutes to kill. They could either stay in the room or hand in the questionnaire to another location in the building where I was collecting the papers and sending out candies... At the end of the day, our data suggests that people would choose the farther location not for a better candy, but as an excuse to take a walk and avoid idling.

Now I'm really happy to see this very project is published, and realized that perhaps I should find myself some more "busyness" in order to be happier, rather than staying home all day long...