nature

Living well with nature and animals

Coronavirus risks are spreading rapidly with public health concerns and environmental problems. Love animal and live healthy are not only a good quality now, but also more about life choice.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spreads much more faster than the SARS 17 years ago, so far it has caused about 500 death worldwide in less than a month, the massive pneumonia outbreak raises the concerns about the impact on public health and the economy from local to regional and international. So where did it come from and what are the reasons?

According to WHO, the deadly virus is spreading rapidly through multiple transmissions and a PHEIC was declared across the world, but the real cause remain to be found out with investigations. Is COVID 19 a nature-related virus, animal-related disease or human-related intentional act? With more and more infected cases of this contagious disease, people are getting upset about many different sayings and unverified sources everywhere.

When it comes to an emergency situation with high infection risks between each other, we don’t have too much choice to think about thoroughly and can only respond as quick as possible. As the COVID virus can cause cough, fever, shortness of breath and death, the prevention and treatment are extremely important to protect our health and save lives. Keep a social distance, wear the face mask, stay more at home without big gathering and frequent contacts with lots of people, quarantine, isolation and vaccination, COVID outbreak has greatly changed our life in all ways.

Whatever the reasons behind the COVID 19, we need to learn from such a big lesson, don’t be egocentric, share the world equally and live with birds, mammal and wildlife together. Let’s raise more environmental awareness, respect more nature and biodiversity, take responsibility for our planet and ourselves most importantly. It’s the time for people to be fully aware of the health risks with the ignorant behaviors and uncaring mindsets, better understand about nature, animals, food chain and ecologic system. Speaking science and health, respecting nature and caring all lives just mean to protecting ourselves.

We all know how important is the ecology balance between people, nature and animals, most of people like birds and animals. My mom and I visited a bird museum in China, discovered different kinds of birds and their interesting facts, my mom also played some interactive games with some kids…very fun experience of learning birds and animal friends. Here’s a video about this visiting tour, enjoy!

Doing business with cultural diversity

May is one of the most busy and beautiful months of the year. Mother’s day, World Press Freedom day, Endangered Species day and International Day for Biological Diversity, a long list of important days can be found throughout the month of May, there’s also the ongoing month-long celebration like the following one.

The Asian Pacific Heritage celebration is a time to honor and appreciate Asian heritage and contributions to the growing and prosperous communities within North America. This is an opportunity for people to celebrate the multicultural heritage and explore Pan Asian history and traditions in Arts, culture and business. People like May as the month of sunshine and flowers, in UK it’s National Smile Month, and it’s commemorative month of Asian Pacific Heritage across North America, in the US it’s called Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, in Canada it’s simply called Asian Heritage Month.

Culture matters

When we say Asia, what comes to your mind firstly? Panda, green tea or lotus…Check out some Asian cultural icons and find out their meanings in oriental traditions and philosophy. Many Asian people see green tea as green mindset. Tea culture has thousands years of history in Asia. Over a thousand varieties of tea can be found in Eastern Asia and beyond, one of the main types is green tea. With mild smell and light taste in general, green tea has spread across the oceans from Asia to the world. Behind its popularity and health benefits of drinking, people really enjoy the oriental culture and traditions such as mindfulness, meditation, peace and harmony.

Be like a lotus, let the beauty of your heart speak, be grateful to the mud, water, air and the light.
~ Amit Ray, Indian author and spiritual master

Everything in nature has a spirit, and lotus is one of the most spiritual symbols with profound cultural meanings. The lotus is to the East, as the rose is to the West.¹ Lotus is a summer flower that rises from the muddy water and blooms gracefully like a pure beauty. In Eastern cultures, people love lotus for its purity and serenity with long and deep roots in the mud. Live like the lotus flower, be enlightened by peace and harmony: the deeper root you have, the stronger growing you are.

Culture connects us

Every culture has its profound identity and deep root through the generations, it connects people, enriches our life and defines our communities from historical footprints to cultural milestones. From Asian people to Asian community, we have seen many success stories coming from this diverse, vibrant and growing community in all aspects of life.

With the importance of transmitting culture and heritage across generations, Asian descendants and immigrants contribute actively their talent to the thriving and diverse society. To emphasize the valuable contributions by women of Asian descent, here are some notable Asian figures who have made a significant impact in different fields of arts, culture, sports, entrepreneurship and business.

A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.
–Mahatma Gandhi

Since 3 decades, Asian American writer Amy Tan has written some stories about Chinese immigrants and how they embraced Chinese heritage. Her best seller The Joy Luck Club explores Chinese American experience, Chinese culture and family relationships between two generations. As the former Governor General of Canada, Asian Canadian Adrienne Clarkson, has played an active role in multicultural environment with a long and successful career in broadcasting from journalist to arts show producer.

The award-winning geneticist and broadcaster David Suzuki is widely recognized as a world leader in sustainable ecology and environmental protection. He has received numerous honors and awards throughout the lifetime, his work, documentaries and books about nature and the environment are inspiring others “to find the ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that does sustain us.”

CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai grew up in India, studied at Stanford University, and has worked at Google to the top is a remarkable personal journey and success story to inspire many people. The professional basketball player Jeremy Lin is one of the few Asian Americans to play in the NBA with impressive athletic achievements through the years. Talented and humble, he represents a younger generation of Asian descent with higher education background and influential public image today.

David        Jeremy Lin

From the East to the West

The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people, and the beauty of life is in living it with different traditions and cultures. Open, pacific and colorful, Asian culture is well characterized by the peaceful mindset and vibrant spirit. As one of Asian culture icons, Asian food is extremely popular across North America. Noodles, General Tso’s Chicken, sushi and fortune cookies…have a look at some famous Asian food and learn more about Eastern cuisine and culture in good smells!

General Tso’s chicken is sweet and deep-fried chicken dish and almost universally available in North American Chinese restaurants. It’s named after a Chinese military leader in the history, and the origin of the dish can be traced back to over 200 years ago with the stories connecting to Chinese traditions and history. The making of dish replicates traditional Chinese cuisine of Hunan province, it’s lightly battered and covered in a mildly spicy sweet & sour sauce in a way that adapts the recipe to fit the western taste. No doubt this chicken dish represents a typical Asian American experience about cultural connections and integration.

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Healthy and fresh, sushi is another typical Asian food combined with a variety of ingredients such as cooked rice, seaweed, seafood, vegetables and more. As many other Asian cuisine, the sushi culture is rooted in Eastern traditions and Japanese lifestyle. Traditionally, sushi is served on wooden platter along with soy sauce, pickled and sliced ginger, wasabi and chopsticks. With a colorful presentation and aesthetic style, making sushi is more like crafting a work of art with different combinations and recipes. In North America, the western-style sushi has evolved to become something completely different from its Japanese origins. By inventing some new types like brown rice sushi and latin flavored sushi burritos, sushi art has become more and more interesting and creative with mixed cultural influences.

How can we talk about Asian cuisine without noodles? Unlike Italian pasta, Asian noodles are typically handmade from fresh dough which is stretched, extruded, rolled and cut into a long and thin shape. As a staple food originated in China, noodle is a symbolic cuisine of representing Chinese culture and traditions everywhere. In the animated movie series of Kung Fu Panda, Panda Po had a dream about noodles but finally becomes a Kung Fu warrior, and his father Mr. Ping is master of noodles having a secret ingredient to make noodles and run the shop…From movies to real life, making noodles is an art of perfection with passion and inspiration behind its long history and culture.

Fortune cookies are another staple of Chinese cuisine in Chinese restaurants within North America, they’re crispy and sugary wafers and folded around a small slop of paper written with a so-called lucky message. People love cracking it to open one of them at the end of a meal, be delighted or surprised to read the words: good things come in invisible packages, accept the next proposition you hear….whatever is wisdom quote, Confucius phrase or vague expression, it’s fun and entertaining by the end. Now this bite-sized dessert has become an iconic symbol in North American culture, inspiring many businesses and cross-cultural communication between the East and the West.

Cultural diversity in business

Over the last 2 centuries, immigrants have journeyed to North America from all parts of Asia, they bring in a rich cultural heritage of many languages, ethnicities and traditions. Now more than 200 million people of Asian decent are living on this land, mainly Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesians and Mongolian etc. Like many diverse communities out there, Asian Pacific communities have a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit that continues to grow and strengthen local economy.

Natural diversity is essential for a healthy ecosystem, and cultural diversity is in the lifeblood of vibrant economy. By integrating into local communities, the emigrated Asian Pacific Islander people have made various achievements in every aspect of life including entrepreneurship and business. In the US alone, there are 1.5 million Asian American Pacific Islander – owned businesses, with more than 500 billion of sales and 2.8 million workers, they are certainly fueling job creation and strengthening local communities and American economy.

Cultural differences makes the world more complex and interesting, especially when it comes to some differences between Eastern and Western cultures. Eastern culture is deeply rooted in its long history of traditions and based on a wide variety of concepts and philosophies from Confucianism, Tai Chi to Yin and Yang. Extremely complicated and profound, it emphasizes the balance of Yin-Yang and highlights the harmony through the energy movements in tranquility of Tai Chi.

Western culture has its roots in Christianity and European civilization, it has developed many themes and traditions in arts, humanities, philosophies and scientific evolutions. Based on logical and rational concepts, it focuses on the values of legal system and innovative creation through technological revolutions and discoveries along the way. Physically and culturally, Asian descendants and immigrants are different and identified with oriental colors, Asian traditions and pacific culture, but we all represent the big image of multicultural heritage, belong to the culturally diverse and prosperous communities.

The East is East and the West is West, neither is better nor worse than the other. In global community and digital age, the cultural integration and diversity are more important than ever, a good understanding of both cultures is truly practical and valuable in doing business effectively. Diversity is colorful, beautiful and powerful with the strength to broaden our mind, create the opportunity and encourage people to reach their full potential and participate positively in all aspects of life from communities to business.

Culture connects us, it brings people together to celebrate our rich and cultural heritage and promote the harmony in our communities.

To the end, culture is a tool of communication by all measures, it’s a great way of learning from each other and understand the world. Identity, language, tradition and heritage…culture is everywhere, it enriches and enlightens people’s lives from hearts to souls. In the multicultural environment, cross-cultural communication is effective for people to collaborate and grow together since it’s a creative process to interact and share with different perspectives through an open and dynamic conversation. Culture inspires people, it reminds us that we always have the power to change ourselves and make the world a better place.

Going for green in digital way

April is earth month, and earth day happens again this weekend. Celebrating earth, participating in nature’s rebirth in springtime are all about green life and green environment. Ocean, water, trees, animals and nature…the earth laughs in flowers with feelings of hope and joy, spring is certainly a good time to go outside and enjoy everything in green!

Nearly last 5 decades, earth day ( “jour de la terre” in French) along with environment issues are getting more and more attention in global business and community, now more than 1 billion individuals, families and industries take part in this world’s largest environmental movement every year.

Spring has returned, the earth is like a child that knows poems.
–Rainer Maria Rilke

Doing business with a sense of green

Today the environment is as important as the economy. Facing the bad effects of waste and pollution to nature and human, no doubt that environmental problems are really pressing concerns in the US and around the world, such as smog pollution, climate change, global warming, declined biodiversity, tree loss and deforestation, extinction of species and endangered wildlife etc. Our green earth and blue planet are calling the social responsibilities and participation of the business community.

To plant a tree is to believe in tomorrow. As the global ecological awareness and green community are growing, more businesses and organizations are responding quickly with a variety of green solutions: sustainable design, zero waste, eco art, low carbon economy, water for life, food security and clean water projects…Environmental programs and sustainable developments need to be worked on the schedule.

In springtime, the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love!  –Sitting Bull

Go green, go digital

If spring brings the sun to earth, then digital brings green to the business. Innovative green projects become a good strategical development across the industries: electric car, green building, solar and renewable energy, reuse and recycle of wastes, clean tech and digital media…taking care of the planet and maintaining business ecosystem are now or never.

Spring is the time of plans and projects, taking social responsibility of environmental sustainability is getting critical in doing business. Saving trees, consuming less, going paperless and protecting environment….how to take action in green business development and what’s the digital strategy for business growing?

Recently Apple has announced the entire company including every Apple store, data center and corporate office are now powered by 100% renewable energy. Meanwhile it’s also launched a new GiveBack program with introduction of a new robot to recover and reuse materials. For all trade-in and recycled devices during this month, it says to make a donation to the non-profit organization – Conservation International. Like Apple, many businesses started working toward smart solutions to address climate change and conserve resources on earth, do something good for the planet through environment-related programs with high tech and green innovation.

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April prepares her green traffic light and the world thinks go.
–Christopher Morley

The natural world that people rely on for food, fresh water and livelihood, the business world that people expect on sustainable development and green future for our planet. Keep a good balance between business development and green environment is big issue for companies, more and more digital technology and green solutions have been used as business strategy to meet both of innovation and conservation:
1. Reduce its carbon footprint by using renewable materials and driving energy efficiency in company’s products, services and facilities
2. Focus on mobilizing the reusable resources and green technology
3. Support green community associated with digital media and strategy
4. Create green impact through the beneficial partnership along with business growth
5. Reduce consumption with the mindset of sustainability and green environment
6. Promote green business with cost-effective ways, paperless and digital solutions

 Everyday green tips

Mother earth is giving us energy, food, water and ecology. It is our only home so make it a better place to live well. We heard that buying things and acquiring wealth don’t really make us happy, connecting to others and our natural environment are rather the keys to happiness. Spring is here, time to go out and playing in the nature. Playing is our truest form of connection and happy life, how to play for good and play for fun at our earth home?

The beautiful spring came, and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. –Harriet Ann Jacobs

Consume Less and play more…by keeping green life in our mind, let’s follow some simple and easy tips to go digital, save trees, protect the earth and make a difference in green community:

Be digital:
1. Plant a tree, use cloth towels instead of paper ones
2. Save trees with paperless, use online billing and documents without printing
3. When you need to use paper, make sure it’s 100% post-consumer recycled paper, and print paper in two-sided not one side only

Food security:
1. Buy organic food to keep your body and the environment free of toxic pesticides, and support farmers and companies who use organic ingredients
2. Grow your own organic garden, or join a farm-share group
3. Compost kitchen scraps to use in your garden — turning waste into fertilizer

Save water and energy:
1. Install solar panels on your roof
2. Contact your utility company and find out about renewable energy options
3. Use energy-efficient appliances and electronics
4. Turn off lights, and unplug electronics you’re not using including computers
5. Take the stairs instead of the elevator to save energy (and get exercise!) if possible
6. Take a shorter shower and use a water-saving shower head
7. Fix leaky faucets and shower-heads
8. Wash your clothes only when necessary with cold water and line dry

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Consume less with reusable items:
1. Reduce your carbon footprint: use environmentally-friendly, non-toxic cleaning products
2. Collect used printer, fax, and copier cartridges to recycle
3. Use reusable bags, mugs and bottles as much as possible
4. End plastic pollution: stop using disposable plastics, especially single-use plastics like bottles, bags and straws
5. Recycle paper, plastic and glass: reduce your garbage by 10% and your carbon footprint by 1,200 pounds a year
6. Donate your old clothes and home goods instead of throwing them out, and consider buying used items if you need something

Play more and wisely:
1. Get dirty, play outside and do gardening in your backyard to have outdoor fun
2. Visit the forest and parks, be careful with fire to prevent wildfires and conserve wilderness areas for future
3. Bike more, drive less…take public transportation or drive an electric or hybrid car, and reduce your carbon footprint by one pound for every mile when you do not drive
4. Take Earth Day Challenge to go outside and exercise for at least 30 minutes
5. Volunteer for a local environmental group and/or make a donation