Melodydk1205
Dec 21, 2010
Undergraduate / "Rice bowl. Husband. Pimples. " - Personal Essay [7]
Is this essay good enough to make me stand out?:
Rice bowl. Husband. Pimples.
What do those words have in common?
They are part of a famous Chinese saying, though 'warning' seems more accurate. This Chinese saying has challenged me to explore myself and my culture
"Finish every grain of rice or your future husband will have scars and pimples," my mom said in Cantonese.
"Really?" I blurted with an incredulous smirk.
"Fine, don't believe me. You'll see one day," she replied.
Logically, we all know that if children waste rice, that doesn't mean their future spouse will have bad skin. My mom told me this proverb so that I would appreciate every morsel of food that enters my mouth. I didn't know that back then. I naively assumed she truly believed the saying. As a result, I began to doubt every saying and Buddhist colloquialism my mother spoke. I feel a need to understand the facts behind customs and sayings. Why would people believe such incredible things? My ancestors created those Chinese principles and traditions to encourage kids to adhere to such morals and ethics. Through time, they were passed down from generation to generation. Many times, I have accidentally kicked a porcelain Buddha figure. I would then be told to bow down and apologize to the figure before misfortune came my way. That's kind of like the idiom "kick the bucket" (this bucket would be Buddha. Get it? Hah). I don't believe bad luck can come just like that. Interestingly, my attachment to my culture's superstitions and belief heightened my interest with science and fact.
I see my bowl of doubt with the piano. When I play the piano, I see why pianists play a certain style. I notice how they touch the white keys to express just the right timbre of each note and phrase and build up to the ultimate climax and crescendos to then slowly drift away with every diminuendo. They play to move their audience and transfer their love for that particular piece to the audience. I have a hypothesis about what would make the piece better and I have a result. I see why they play through their body gestures and facial expressions. I see how they play so well through the sound of each phrase, the tone of each note. Playing the piano isn't considered scientific and yet it is. The music is like a language, communicating to the audience through each phrase and color change. I practice in order to incite the audience. Of course, long hours of practice require immense discipline. My devotion to the piano has given me a strong sense of diligence and perseverance. I believe these traits are vital considering the field in medicine, where I must handle the long hours and detailed procedures.
At an early age, I was already thinking like a scientist. My life has been shaped by my family, and they have been shaped by their beliefs. When they believe in one thing, I have to question "why" and "how" that is so. As much as I could remember, the rice bowl saying became the spark that caused me to start questioning everything my mom said about the Chinese culture and its customs and traditions. However, I still value the sayings and the Buddhism and Chinese culture of my family. Most importantly, the family time I've spent shaped my perspective of the world and future. It led me to volunteer at my community hospital. It led me to improve at playing the piano. Even more, I've noticed how piano performance styles can help perfect musical works. The proof in enticing audiences is in the pianist's musical form and technique. Currently, I envision myself in the field of scientific research and experimenting in the future. All the questioning, the hypothesizing and finding evidence comes natural to me. The road to getting into medical school and then graduate may sound challenging; but I know I'll be okay because I am confident in my abilities and determination. So, world of science, get ready for my "bowl" of "RICE!"
Is this essay good enough to make me stand out?:
Rice bowl. Husband. Pimples.
What do those words have in common?
They are part of a famous Chinese saying, though 'warning' seems more accurate. This Chinese saying has challenged me to explore myself and my culture
"Finish every grain of rice or your future husband will have scars and pimples," my mom said in Cantonese.
"Really?" I blurted with an incredulous smirk.
"Fine, don't believe me. You'll see one day," she replied.
Logically, we all know that if children waste rice, that doesn't mean their future spouse will have bad skin. My mom told me this proverb so that I would appreciate every morsel of food that enters my mouth. I didn't know that back then. I naively assumed she truly believed the saying. As a result, I began to doubt every saying and Buddhist colloquialism my mother spoke. I feel a need to understand the facts behind customs and sayings. Why would people believe such incredible things? My ancestors created those Chinese principles and traditions to encourage kids to adhere to such morals and ethics. Through time, they were passed down from generation to generation. Many times, I have accidentally kicked a porcelain Buddha figure. I would then be told to bow down and apologize to the figure before misfortune came my way. That's kind of like the idiom "kick the bucket" (this bucket would be Buddha. Get it? Hah). I don't believe bad luck can come just like that. Interestingly, my attachment to my culture's superstitions and belief heightened my interest with science and fact.
I see my bowl of doubt with the piano. When I play the piano, I see why pianists play a certain style. I notice how they touch the white keys to express just the right timbre of each note and phrase and build up to the ultimate climax and crescendos to then slowly drift away with every diminuendo. They play to move their audience and transfer their love for that particular piece to the audience. I have a hypothesis about what would make the piece better and I have a result. I see why they play through their body gestures and facial expressions. I see how they play so well through the sound of each phrase, the tone of each note. Playing the piano isn't considered scientific and yet it is. The music is like a language, communicating to the audience through each phrase and color change. I practice in order to incite the audience. Of course, long hours of practice require immense discipline. My devotion to the piano has given me a strong sense of diligence and perseverance. I believe these traits are vital considering the field in medicine, where I must handle the long hours and detailed procedures.
At an early age, I was already thinking like a scientist. My life has been shaped by my family, and they have been shaped by their beliefs. When they believe in one thing, I have to question "why" and "how" that is so. As much as I could remember, the rice bowl saying became the spark that caused me to start questioning everything my mom said about the Chinese culture and its customs and traditions. However, I still value the sayings and the Buddhism and Chinese culture of my family. Most importantly, the family time I've spent shaped my perspective of the world and future. It led me to volunteer at my community hospital. It led me to improve at playing the piano. Even more, I've noticed how piano performance styles can help perfect musical works. The proof in enticing audiences is in the pianist's musical form and technique. Currently, I envision myself in the field of scientific research and experimenting in the future. All the questioning, the hypothesizing and finding evidence comes natural to me. The road to getting into medical school and then graduate may sound challenging; but I know I'll be okay because I am confident in my abilities and determination. So, world of science, get ready for my "bowl" of "RICE!"