ARTS / BOOKS
‘My Reading Life’ event by the Global Times encouraged me to find my life’s goal
Editor's Note:
"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society. To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.
Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at reading@globaltimes.com.cn
Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.
My dream is to change the world. I believe everyone came to this wonderful world with a purpose - something to give to the community. I was very clear about what my purpose would be when I went on a volunteer teaching trip to a poor rural place in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China's Yunnan Province.
When coming back from the airport, my mom and I discussed how touched we were about a little boy that I taught. His dad was deaf, while his mom had passed away two months before because she ate some wild mushrooms. Yet the boy still hid all the grief and hopeless feelings with a smile, regardless of how poor he was. He used his own money to buy us food. I was more than touched, and I was deeply hurt, watching him pretending to be totally fine at school but crying his eyes out at home.
This made me deeply reflect on why I have a happy family while some other people are less privileged. That's when an idea popped into my mind. At that moment, I made a decision to do something sustainable. Helping people reduce poverty is one of my major focuses.
But here came the problem: What exactly was I going to do? When I lifted my eyes, I saw my US girl dolls. I first learned about the series when my mom handed me a huge book introducing all US girl dolls. The book was titled Julie: The Big Break. It was one of my favorite books. Reading the book made me fall in love with one specific doll called Julie. She was not only a real heroine in my eyes and my best friend, but also my idol. That's when I realized how much of an impact books and dolls can make on a little girl's life.
I started reading more and more girl books that guide girls to embrace their shining inner selves and teach them all about puberty, friends, and family. It is all I need to grow into a self-loving and confident woman. Now that I look back, I can gladly say that the first US girl doll book I read when I was 5 was the one that made me fall in love with reading.
Reading has opened up countless worlds for me. It has expanded my imagination, allowing me to explore places I might never physically visit and experience events that are far beyond the realm of my daily life. Through the pages of books, I have encountered diverse characters with unique stories and perspectives, like my favorite Julie!
Reading has been a source of inspiration during some of my difficult times, offering solace and wisdom. I honestly don't think reading is just a hobby; it is a journey of self-discovery and growth that has the power to transform a person's life in countless ways, just like how it has transformed mine. From then on, I had sort of a pretty good idea of what I might do, but I felt like something was still missing.
One day at school, our teacher announced that there would be a shark tank competition, in which we could create our own business and take courses learning entrepreneurship skills. That was when the last piece of the puzzle finally fit in.
My brain blossomed with millions of tiny ideas, finally merging into a huge flame at last. I had my business idea and my determination that nothing was going to stop me. I already had my business name: "Dollison!"
Under Dollison, there will be a total of 17 dolls, each representing one of the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Every SDG will have its own representative doll, complete with a unique life story and various outfits to accompany little children as they grow.
My mission is to raise awareness about different sustainable lifestyles for the little children of future generations, using a fun and interactive way. But of course, nothing ever comes easy. I encountered loads of problems that I just couldn't find solutions.
But then, a game-changing twist happened when I approached Mr. Robert Walker at the "My Reading Life" book-sharing event held by the Global Times in September 2023.
He used to work on reducing poverty, and I learned a lot from his speech at the event. I shared my experience from my trip to Yunnan with him, and he helped me through my tough times, encouraging me and giving me tons of suggestions, listening through every step of my progress.
There was a period when I was stuck while writing a book about Colette. Colette is the name of the first doll under Dollison that represents SDG1: reducing poverty. Mr. Walker offered an idea to base all 17 stories on contributions that I've made to an SDG. This way, I had to accomplish something for an SDG and it would be much easier for me to write about myself.
Suddenly, it hit me. I will base Colette's story on my trip to Yunnan and make Colette experience everything I did and learned there. Such a genius idea! I am really grateful to have met him and for his support throughout my whole journey.
After endless months of hard work and self-discovery, my dedication and passion for Dollision really proved useful, as I got second place in the shark tank competition! I won 7,000 yuan ($965), and I decided to continue working on my project.
I am now working on finishing Colette's life story picture book and preparing for my next doll representing SDG2: zero hunger. Dollision has been a chance for me to fail, grow, gain valuable experience, and become a better self.
I'm so excited to see what the future holds for us! And one last thing to remember: Always make the change you want to see in the world.
The author is a student at Dulwich College Beijing
"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society. To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.
Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at reading@globaltimes.com.cn
Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.
Photo: VCG
My dream is to change the world. I believe everyone came to this wonderful world with a purpose - something to give to the community. I was very clear about what my purpose would be when I went on a volunteer teaching trip to a poor rural place in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China's Yunnan Province.
When coming back from the airport, my mom and I discussed how touched we were about a little boy that I taught. His dad was deaf, while his mom had passed away two months before because she ate some wild mushrooms. Yet the boy still hid all the grief and hopeless feelings with a smile, regardless of how poor he was. He used his own money to buy us food. I was more than touched, and I was deeply hurt, watching him pretending to be totally fine at school but crying his eyes out at home.
This made me deeply reflect on why I have a happy family while some other people are less privileged. That's when an idea popped into my mind. At that moment, I made a decision to do something sustainable. Helping people reduce poverty is one of my major focuses.
Eva Chang (middle) poses for a photo with students from her teaching trip in Yunnan Province. Photos: Courtesy of Chang
But here came the problem: What exactly was I going to do? When I lifted my eyes, I saw my US girl dolls. I first learned about the series when my mom handed me a huge book introducing all US girl dolls. The book was titled Julie: The Big Break. It was one of my favorite books. Reading the book made me fall in love with one specific doll called Julie. She was not only a real heroine in my eyes and my best friend, but also my idol. That's when I realized how much of an impact books and dolls can make on a little girl's life.
I started reading more and more girl books that guide girls to embrace their shining inner selves and teach them all about puberty, friends, and family. It is all I need to grow into a self-loving and confident woman. Now that I look back, I can gladly say that the first US girl doll book I read when I was 5 was the one that made me fall in love with reading.
Reading has opened up countless worlds for me. It has expanded my imagination, allowing me to explore places I might never physically visit and experience events that are far beyond the realm of my daily life. Through the pages of books, I have encountered diverse characters with unique stories and perspectives, like my favorite Julie!
Reading has been a source of inspiration during some of my difficult times, offering solace and wisdom. I honestly don't think reading is just a hobby; it is a journey of self-discovery and growth that has the power to transform a person's life in countless ways, just like how it has transformed mine. From then on, I had sort of a pretty good idea of what I might do, but I felt like something was still missing.
One day at school, our teacher announced that there would be a shark tank competition, in which we could create our own business and take courses learning entrepreneurship skills. That was when the last piece of the puzzle finally fit in.
My brain blossomed with millions of tiny ideas, finally merging into a huge flame at last. I had my business idea and my determination that nothing was going to stop me. I already had my business name: "Dollison!"
Under Dollison, there will be a total of 17 dolls, each representing one of the 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Every SDG will have its own representative doll, complete with a unique life story and various outfits to accompany little children as they grow.
My mission is to raise awareness about different sustainable lifestyles for the little children of future generations, using a fun and interactive way. But of course, nothing ever comes easy. I encountered loads of problems that I just couldn't find solutions.
Robert Walker and Chang at "My Reading Life" event
But then, a game-changing twist happened when I approached Mr. Robert Walker at the "My Reading Life" book-sharing event held by the Global Times in September 2023.
He used to work on reducing poverty, and I learned a lot from his speech at the event. I shared my experience from my trip to Yunnan with him, and he helped me through my tough times, encouraging me and giving me tons of suggestions, listening through every step of my progress.
There was a period when I was stuck while writing a book about Colette. Colette is the name of the first doll under Dollison that represents SDG1: reducing poverty. Mr. Walker offered an idea to base all 17 stories on contributions that I've made to an SDG. This way, I had to accomplish something for an SDG and it would be much easier for me to write about myself.
Suddenly, it hit me. I will base Colette's story on my trip to Yunnan and make Colette experience everything I did and learned there. Such a genius idea! I am really grateful to have met him and for his support throughout my whole journey.
After endless months of hard work and self-discovery, my dedication and passion for Dollision really proved useful, as I got second place in the shark tank competition! I won 7,000 yuan ($965), and I decided to continue working on my project.
I am now working on finishing Colette's life story picture book and preparing for my next doll representing SDG2: zero hunger. Dollision has been a chance for me to fail, grow, gain valuable experience, and become a better self.
I'm so excited to see what the future holds for us! And one last thing to remember: Always make the change you want to see in the world.
The author is a student at Dulwich College Beijing
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