SΩ9 - The Education Evolution

What is the objective of pre-university education? This question has been buzzing around my head for the last few weeks. I believe two main objectives are; provide a general understanding of the world and prepare youth for the ‘job world’. This begs the question: Do current systems achieve this?

Education systems across the world and even within a single country vary greatly. As this comparison is a massive undertaking, I will focus on three areas I believe should be improved. They are as follows:

• Deeper exposure to career choices
• Promoting appreciation/understanding of other cultures
• Merging of technology and education

The ‘Job World’

In the past children often got a taste of the ‘job world’ by helping to support their family’s business/trade. Many of my friends and I feel the shift from education to the ‘job world’ is like jumping into a foggy void. In pre-university education, most systems focus on a few core subjects. Many will then choose a university major based on the core subject(s) they excelled at and/or enjoyed. Yet these core subjects give a limited insight to the career options available. Also, choosing a career path without any exposure is similar to choosing to do the Tour de France, without ever riding a bike!

I suggest a pre-university system that enlightens and encourages students towards a specific career path. In my opinion the final 1-2 years leading up to university should be devoted to self-discovery. An idea could be having 2-3 projects where students choose a specific career or topic to explore. Students can either choose from a list of choices or a program can give suggestions based on interests/personality. Additionally, for a final project the students could do an internship or shadow someone in the specific field of choosing (perhaps even virtually).

The Global Melting Pot

Being immersed in different cultures is a truly eye opening experience.  In my opinion this expands ones perspective on the world and allows for creativity beyond the cultural norms of a given culture. However, most people only learn about the history of other cultures, rather than the current cultural customs, norms, and beliefs. Sticking to one’s own culture is rather futile, since globalization is rapidly pushing different cultural groups to mingle. Also, the desire for companies to succeed internationally requires employees to interact with people outside their culture on a daily basis.

Although, cultural differences are intriguing they can also cause misunderstandings and serious problems. This is why I believe school systems need to actively promote understanding and appreciation for all cultures. If schools are culturally diverse to begin with, the schools should find fun ways to highlight all the cultures present at the school. For younger children, schools can celebrate and/or teach the holidays and festivals of other cultures. For teenagers schools can arrange cultural excursions to museums, restaurants of foreign cuisine, other countries, etc. Another idea is a Skype pen pal program, where students are paired with another student of another country. Of course students also benefit greatly from learning one or more foreign languages. Especially important is to view other cultures objectively, instead of adding negative labels, like strange or bad.

The Tech & Edu Bond

To be continued…

SΩ8 - Exploring the Job Jungle

A new topic for me, yet one that most readers are familiar with: job searching. For over a year I’ve been job searching. While I’ve succeeded at freelancing, I’m still looking for the job that’s a ‘perfect’ fit. Here I give some insight into my job searching experience. In the future, I’ll write my ideas for improving the entire process! 

Problems and Suggestions

I believe most problems of the job searching process stem from the fact that it’s an imperfect puzzle. An employer searches for a ‘perfect’ candidate, which is near impossible to find. The employer must thus opt for the ‘best fit’. Here are a few problematic areas (left side) and suggestions to deal with each (right side).

Finding ‘The One’ 

Your Holy Document

Friendly Chat or Interrogation

Suggestions for the Job Post Factory

When looking through job posts, it seems most follow the same generic template:

• Talk about how amazing the company is
• List the tasks involved
• List the requirements
• List benefits and salary (sometimes)

Do these posts give a good idea of the job? I’d like some transparency and details of what the job truly is like. Perhaps a schedule of a typical workweek or for some jobs a video showing what the job and company is like. Better yet some examples of previous projects. Finally, make it crystal clear which 2-3 requirements are necessary and which are just bonuses.

SΩ7 - Culture Talks: Digi-Comm & Laughter

Drumroll, please…the winner is ‘Difference in Communication Between Cultures’! Thanks to all that voted. The main page poll had twice as many votes as the poll on ‘You: The Reader’. New poll coming soon and suggestions are welcome!

It’s my belief that learning about someone’s culture is key to understanding one another. To spark cross-cultural conversations, I offer insight of cultures most familiar to me: American, Swiss, Spanish, and Chinese. I’ll do my best to refrain from creating or supporting stereotypes.

I’ve been contemplating for a while, which differences to share. There is a wide scope of differences: from typical topics in each culture, body language, cultural habits/norms, and much more! For this post I will focus on just two: forms of socializing and humor. In future posts, I’ll discuss other differences.

Cell, Web, or Bar

The advancement of technology has given us many diverse forms to keep in touch. With just a smartphone one can socialize using any of the following: emails, calling, texting (SMS), and more. It’s been my experience that both American and Chinese have embraced digital communication, especially texting! Nevertheless, I think it’s safe to say most people prefer talking in person.

When I returned to Switzerland, I was surprised how few Swiss used social networks, texting, and emails. In Switzerland friends generally meet for lunch or dinner to socialize. Calling is also fairly common.

On the other hand, in Spain meeting in a bar to socialize is the norm! If you walked for 2 minutes from almost anywhere in Barcelona, you’d find a bar. Spanish typically send text messages to arrange a meeting at a bar. I’ve found that Spanish rarely use social networks and emails.

Here’s a rough graphic to illustrate which form of communication is more common in each culture. If you find any factual evidence that disagrees with this, please tell me!

Sunshine & Laughter

We humans invented a nifty way to spice up talks, by using humor! When used correctly, it creates a warm vibe filled with laughter. If it fails, it can lead to misunderstandings and provoke unpleasant emotions. Through the evolution of humor, many types have emerged, such as: wit, play on words, double entendre, sarcasm, slapstick, ‘bathroom’ talk, and other forms. Due to this complexity humor rarely translates well.

Besides the differences in humor, I believe there is also a general difference in how much humor a culture uses on a daily basis. It’s my belief that this is loosely linked to climate. More exposure to sunlight induces higher level of serotonin, which in turn means a ‘happier’ mood. The following graph illustrates the mean annual sunlight in selected major cities from each country.

Regarding the style and topic differences of humor between cultures, some prefer more formal or informal humor. Enclosed is a graph illustrating this, the opposite ends of the spectrum are Spanish and Chinese humor. In Spain people are full of laugher and joke about every topic. I’ve even heard 10-year-old children make sex jokes with their parents! 

Chinese humor tends to play on the complexity of the language, how certain characters sound similar, but have different meanings. Also, due to the complexity of the language, I fathom humor is limited to prevent misunderstandings. Usually, jokes about sex, death/violence, and politics are uncommon.

American humor also tends to be informal. This is fairly evident in American TV shows. Although the topics are diverse, sexual and political jokes are rather popular. In my opinion American humor often has rather simple structure and content. This is perhaps why American TV shows are so international, since the humor can be easily translated. 

For me Swiss humor is the most difficult to understand. Many jokes rely heavily on German grammar, which requires a native understanding of the language. Although jokes can contain informal content, the topics shy away from controversial topics. 

There is one style of humor that seems fairly unique to English and German speakers: sarcasm. Perhaps due to my cultural background, I tend to use a lot of it! However, would recommend using it sparingly, especially with people from other cultures. It can be extremely easy to misunderstand and even worse be taken offensively. In my experience Chinese rarely understand English sarcasm.

As they say: ‘Laughter is the best medicine.’ Just be aware of your audience, so they can share in the laughter! Also, lets all learn Chinese so we can understand their jokes as well! ;)

Your Turn!

This post only explores differences between four cultures. Would be great to learn more about other cultures. Feel free to share about your own culture! Also, I ask you to kindly correct me, if I’ve misspoken.

SΩ6 - Global Kindness: Cultural Tales II

This post includes two combined concepts. From my last post, I wanted to give examples of how to ‘nudge’ and support other people’s dreams. Also, many people liked my previous “Cultural Tales”, so figured I’d use that style.

Small gestures of kindness can be quite valuable and take a mere few minutes of effort. Every month we are awake for over 30,000 minutes. How about using a few for a gesture of kindness?

Good Samaritan of Lost Valuables

In my previous post I gave a short preview of Tokyo, Japan. Let’s start from there. There are plenty of good things to say about Japan, for now I’ll focus on Japanese culture. I believe Japanese tend to be honest and courteous people. I’d like to share one event, which I hope will convince you as well!

My first trip to Japan I visited Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara. Now I can’t imagine traveling between these cities, without the Internet. The public transport system is effective, yet can be rather intricate and overwhelming. During a subway transfer in Kyoto, I just had enough time to buy a drink from a vending machine. After a few stops I realized my luggage was rather light. I had my backpack, but had left my other bag at the vending machine! When I returned to the previous stop, my bag was gone; the subway employees were unable to find it. Later, a Japanese friend called various stops and offices to find it. It soon became apparent; my bag was lost for good!

With only a few days left in Japan, I did my best to forget my loss and bought some replacement clothes. 

A few weeks later, I received a mysterious package with foreign writing. To my surprise, it was my bag! Everything was there and my clothes were clean and neatly folded. Seems my bag ended up at the local police station and my Japanese friend had successfully tracked it down. His wife even went the extra mile to clean the clothes and pack the bag nicely. I can only imagine all the effort my friend and his wife invested to return my bag. Alternatively, if you ever find a wallet, phone, or other valuable, it’ll likely take less than an hour to return it. Be a Good Samaritan and return it!

Befriend a Traveler

Usually, I travel solo. This lets me plan my trip the way I like and encourages me to meet new people. I tend to meet fellow travelers in hostels and spend a day or two together. What’s even more exciting, is meeting locals! Yet that’s rare, since travelers are mainly viewed as business opportunities.

My experience in Istanbul, Turkey was extraordinary. The first day, a local teenage boy approached me on the beach. First, I was skeptical…maybe he wanted to scam me!? Yet what started as skepticism ended in a pleasant walk through the city as the boy explained the history and buildings to me. Even to this day, we still stay in touch.

A day later the excitement continued! I was visiting an Island close to Istanbul. On the ferry ride there, I sat across from two teenage couples. Suddenly, one of the girls smiled at me and offered me a piece of fresh pretzel. As we got to the Island they invited me on a bike tour of the Island and lunch! I’ve probably told this experience 100 times, since it’s rare that travelers are shown such kindness. Make travelers feel welcome in your city.

 

Encourage a Friend

Have you ever hit rock bottom? This is how I felt, when I returned to Switzerland. Reality had knocked me down and I was a stranger to myself. While I sorted through the pieces of my identity, my only comfort was escaping reality to travel the world. Traveling introduced me to many amazing places and I asked myself, why was I in Switzerland?

Eventually, a mentor of mine encouraged me to move to Barcelona. This push has definitely helped me turn my life around. Before, leaving Switzerland, I had lunch with a dear friend. We had a lengthy discussion about the world and plenty more. Towards the end of lunch he said: “You should write a blog”. This was the 'nudge' I needed to get my blog rolling. Life is full of uncertainties and difficult choices, so encourage your friends towards greatness. 

Key Message

There are plenty of ways to support and help others, here are just three examples: 

“Be a Good Samaritan and return it!”

“Make travelers feel welcome in your city.”

 “Encourage your friends towards greatness.”

All pictures  © Mario Christiner 2011, except picture of Simit (Turkish Pretzil) from visualhunt.com

SΩ5 - Money-Worship or 200 Dreams?

Back again, after a long break! Both my time and brain have been some what occupied. My time is mostly spent on getting my freelance lifestyle to run smoothly. My mind on the other hand is like a chaotic web of ideas and thoughts. For the most part I've been thinking about my recent interactions with other people. One question keeps reverberating in my head: “How selfish am I?”

In my opinion selfishness comes from our instinct to fulfill our basic needs. Our selfless ways most likely originates from our emotional need to feel connected with others. To me this clarifies the 'give and take' nature of society. We usually take, until our needs are met and only then are we willing to give to others. 

Considering some of my recent experiences involving 'give and take’ makes me understand the usefulness of money. For example, if I cook dinner for you and give you my old TV, what is the 'value' to you? Now consider we were friends, coworkers, or just neighbors. What if you were sick? Depending on the situation, the 'value' is completely different. Also, depending on the situation, I might be satisfied with a "thank you" or expect something more in return.

Although, both selfishness and money bother me, I'm slowly learning to accept them as part of life. This brings me to the quote I mention above, which comes from a book I can relate to and recommend. Once a person has enough wealth to support both himself/herself, what is left to do? Society propels us to believe that more wealth means being more successful at life. Why?

How about, I suggest an alternative! Measure your life's success based on how many people you help push towards their dream. If you're reading this post, you're likely in a privileged country and earn enough money to support yourself. Thus, I urge you to spend an hour or more to help someone you know, who could use a push towards their dream.

This earth is our home and we all want humanity to thrive! One person has 20 million and the other pushed 200 people towards their dream, who was more successful at promoting humanity? Your choice!

SΩ4 - You: The Reader

After only a week, since ‘Society Ω’ became public, I’ve been blown away by the praise and support. I’m genuinely surprised that so many enjoy my writing! From the feedback I received, most found ‘Cultural Tales’ entertaining, while ‘The Pursuit of Curiosity’ and ‘Society Ω’ got many people thinking and sharing their own ideas. That’s perfect, since that's the aim of this blog! In case you’re wondering about fellow readers, here are some stats:

Page Views  - 100+ (Blogger counts my views, so exact number unclear)

Number of Readers - 20 to 30 (estimate based on feedback & page views)

Countries - US, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Japan, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, & Slovenia

While pondering the next topic to write about, I asked myself: how should this blog develop? Either I could stay focused on a few topics or write about every tangent I think about! In some ways, I believe its quality versus quantity. My opinion is that a more focused blog with quality posts has a deeper influence. For now I’ll stick to this path and in the future will add other topics. My plan is to write around 4-8 posts per month.

Apart from this, I’m thinking of ways to get readers involved in the development of this blog. Would be greatly appreciated to receive honest opinions on what should be improved or changed. Maybe this is only possible if the identity of the person is kept anonymous? Will look into adding an online suggestion box to test this out.

On a similar train of thought, I was toying with the idea of letting readers vote on what the next topic should be! Here you can vote to choose the next blog topics: Blog Poll. Feel free to write ideas to be voted on for future polls.

Last, but not least, I’d like a better name for the blog. It should be something that describes the topics well and be easily found on Google. A search for the blog name should only return a few thousand hits, if possible. 

What would be incredible is getting all the readers in the same room and having a discussion! Since most of the readers are spread across the globe this isn’t possible. In the near future, I think a brainstorm via group video chat would be great. Let me know if you’d be interested in this!

In the future, I’m imagining a merge between a forum and group chat. Or perhaps create something new entirely! I think ideal would be if different platforms were made optimized for brainstorming and problem solving. Below is a concept I have for a brainstorming platform that’s a mix between a group chat centered on an ideas list that’s voted on by the present members. The central piece could alternatively be a shared whiteboard.

Looking forward to your remarks, comments, queries, and more!

Blog Poll

SΩ3 - Cultural Tales

My first posts have been filled with some rather thought provoking material. I figured it’s time to change it up a bit. As promised, my blog will also provide insight into other cultures. To start off, I figured I’d share some playful anecdotes from my experiences thus far with other cultures! If I made any blatant errors regarding my understanding of any of the cultures mentioned, please let me know!

She Kissed Me

When I returned to Zürich in 2011, I was certain I’d fit right in. It was my city of birth, my parents were both Swiss, and I was fluent in Schwiizerdütsch (Swiss German). I quickly realized my homeland was foreign to me!

Other Swiss found it difficult to pinpoint my origin and I was once asked if I was Norwegian!? Most Swiss know various regional dialects. Mine was a bizarre mixture from Zurich, Luzern, NYC English, and some standard German.

The language aside, I had trouble adapting to the various cultural norms and the countless Swiss rules. On the plus side I had inherited the Swiss tendency to be honest, organized, and direct. Great, maybe I am Swiss after all!?

There was one norm that took a while to get used to. This first caught me off guard while I was helping my roommates move. Two of their female friends arrived to help us move. One of them was exceptionally pretty. As I greeted both with a smile the pretty one kissed me! Not just once, but three times on the cheek! That’s right, in Europe it’s fairly common to greet with kisses. In Switzerland it’s typically three, in Spain it’s two. In Swiss culture, it’s usually more common to kiss people one is familiar with. Always amusing to extend a hand and instead get three kisses!

Lunch for Dinner

A few months upon arriving to Barcelona, I decided to try a work exchange. A family in the suburbs of Barcelona was looking for an English tutor for their two children. In exchange I would have my own room and free meals. Being such a tasty offer, I decided to take the Catalan plunge.

It turned out to be a two-month cultural ride. On a daily basis I received tidbits about Catalan culture, traditions and language. For example that Barcelona is in Cataluña, which is trying to gain independence from Spain. A rather overwhelming experience to be with a family so passionate about a conflict, I have limited understanding of. I was clearly out of touch with the culture I had immersed myself in.

One day I decided to show my gratitude and cook dinner for the family. Being Swiss, I naturally decided to make Tortellini with Bolognese sauce. Yes that’s right, my forte is Italian cooking! Well I’ll save the culinary post for next time, back to the story!

At around 9:00pm dinner was ready to be eaten. I made enough to feed all five of us: a full pot of tortellini and a large brimming pan of Bolognese sauce! Like a good cook, I served everyone with a gracious serving. They ate with gusto and I got ready to serve seconds. As the family was halfway done they came to a halt. Almost in unison they said to me “This is too much!” That day I learned in Spain and Cataluña they typically have 5 meals per day. Most, including dinner are fairly small and lunch is the biggest meal. I had served them lunch for dinner!

Package of the Forgotten

My first taste of Asia was a sweet one. In the summer of 2012, I finally got the chance to visit Japan. This had always been a dream location of mine. As a child I got hooked on anime and manga. Especially fascinating were the movies created by Hayao Miyazaki. I also enjoyed sushi and was intrigued by the elegant architecture of Japanese shrines and temples. Could Japan meet my expectations?

To be continued...

SΩ2 - The Pursuit of Curiosity

Born to be Curious

My childhood was driven by curiosity. I was especially intrigued by mechanical and electronic gadgets, of all shapes and sizes. Besides that, I had a deep fondness towards nature and understanding how ‘the world’ worked. As a child I had two dream jobs: detective and inventor.

At some point I discovered to become a detective, it was required to be a police officer for many years. For some unknown reason, this was a deal breaker… I didn’t want to be a cop! Nevertheless I was content exploring the world around me. Being a decent student it became clear that university was on my horizon. Yet I was a dismayed when I couldn’t find a university that offered an “inventor degree”. Thus, I decided to embark on a journey into the world of electrical engineering.

During my university studies, every minute felt like a dream! The knowledge gained, the experiences made, and people I befriended were exceptional. Yet, we all have to wake up eventually. After a year in the industry and another pursuing a Masters program I came to the realization – my curious nature needed more.

For me an inventor has the freedom to let his/her mind wander. An engineer on the other hand focuses on a specific problem or field of expertise.  Thus, I continue to search for the inventor’s path.

The Age of Inventors

Upon further reflection, I ask myself, how have inventors changed over time? Originally, inventors helped to ensure human survival. Once humans could survive the elements, inventors focused on improving all other facets of life. Around the 19^th century many inventors focused on bringing humans closer together via new forms of transportation and communication.

This was the time of my idol, Nikola Tesla. In 1887 he designed the induction motor that gave birth to alternating current (AC). AC power allowed electricity to become a global commodity. Then in 1889 he invented the first remote-controlled boat, which led to the invention of radio.  Fourteen years after, in 1903, the Wright brothers had their first test flight. In less than 20 years, at least 3 inventions came to be, 2 of which were from Tesla!

Reading Tesla’s autobiography it was clear that for the most part his curiosity was free. He spent most of his time in his lab and resulting in hundreds of patents. However, he had trouble working for corporations and supposedly died penniless. A man truly devoted to his inventions!

Humanity had taken off to the skies and was looking for new limits to surpass. At the turn of the century American commercialism spread globally like wild fire. I believe due to this, companies started tightening the filter on new products they introduced to the market. They wanted to ensure the products were profitable. Most likely this caused companies to use teams of engineers, instead of searching for the right inventor, to create products. How could the inventor’s curious minded nature survive in this profit thirsty world?

Progress with Curiosity

I believe the curiosity to invent must be reborn. Currently, the progress of technology is primarily dictated by the readiness of the market. The personal computer (PC) and mobile industry are prime examples of this. Each year PCs and mobile phones become faster, thinner, and shinier. Besides these improvements, how significant are the changes? Nevertheless, the updates are just enough that consumers flock to buy the newest PC or mobile device. Does this consumer driven system truly promote technological progress?

Yet there are some sparks of curiosity remaining… There has been a steady increase in open-source software development. Another fascinating development is the use of 3D printers, which allow individuals to easily make prototypes and other creations. Finally, the introduction of crowd funding websites has opened the doors to inventors globally. These are definitely steps in the right direction and hopefully ones that will lead to future inventions.

What would be truly inspirational is the development of a system to create an inventors co-working space. People with the curiosity to invent should be allowed to do so. Yet if employed by a company, these people are restricted by the constraints of products the company deems profitable. Perhaps a co-working space could exist that provides housing, common amenities and a base salary. The base salary would remain constant, with a bonus split among the inventors for successful inventions. The inventors would be free to invent solo or together. The inventions created, would be offered externally to interested buyers. One concern with this system, would it be enough to keep inventors motivated? Perhaps external projects could also be commissioned in house. Also, would the system still require restrictions to ensure suitable inventions? A suitable invention would be one that creates a positive progress to society.

I’m certain we all want our society to progress forward. To achieve that, there are many ways and ideas of how to do so. My opinion is to reshape the monetary system to sponsor technological progress and keep it from being the primary motivator. Let Society Ω be fueled by our natural curiosity and allow this to motivate our inventions! 

Further Reading:
10 Inventions from Nikola Tesla
3D Printing Used to Aid Surgery
Top 10 Crowd-funding Campaigns
Related Blog Post

Society Ω

How do you imagine the future?

For me, I envision a future in which society works in a united fashion to fuel progress. Although this dream might be naïve, I believe some areas can be improved, in order to move towards 'Society Ω'.

There is certainly controversy over how society can be improved; my opinion is that we must improve the way problems are approached, especially global ones, like increasing energy demands. We must learn that we all have to deal with the same problems and it’s in our best interest to work together to find solutions.

Throughout history we have improved our problem solving ways. However, I believe certain barriers exist that hinder progress. Here I mention a few and why I believe they hinder progress:

• Money is King: In many cultures, money trumps all other values.  We are taught by society that individual success is determined by wealth. This in turn causes people to be controlled by money. Two clear examples of how this has slowed progress are in medicine and technology. Profitability often determines which medicines should be developed and when technologies should be updated.
• Disconnect from Nature: Humans seem to have forgotten that we share this world with millions of other species. We use resources and other organisms with disregard to the consequences. How we use resources tends to be destructive to our surroundings and infrastructures dependent on finite resources (i.e. fossil fuels). Our ways also tend to kill off species that are key to our own survival (i.e. bees). In the long run, I believe this can damage our infrastructures and even lead to our demise.
• Split by Diversity: We all bleed red. So why do our differences still cause so much turmoil? It’s impossible to work together on solving problems if we can’t even respect each other. In the most extreme case, this ends up causing disputes, fights, and even wars. It can be argued that there are benefits to war, but are human causalities truly required to evoke progress? Imagine we were all clones and everyone had exactly the same thoughts. The chance of new ideas and inventions occurring in such a world are extremely slim. Our problems are diverse so it’s also beneficial that humans are diverse.

It’s important to remember that stating a problem is only a step in creating a solution. I plan to provide two services with this blog. First, I’ll share my life and travel experiences, to help enlighten others on various cultures, ethnicities and unique personal lifestyles. Secondly, I wish to voice my thoughts and ideas on solutions that can make this world a better place.

Let’s work together towards a 'Society Ω'!