Human Trafficking

I am going to talk about a serious global issue - Human Trafficking.

Human Trafficking is the illegal trade in human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. It is a modern day form of slavery. It is the world third largest illegal trade after drug and arms trafficking. It is to my ultimate surprise that there are 27 million people today that are slaved. This number is even HIGHER than the past where slavery is legal. Can you believe that? I think part of it is due to the definition change of slavery.

Out of these 27 million slaves, 80% are women. These women or young girls are involved in sexual trades or being household slaves. They act out of their will. Then what do the male slaves do? They had to unwillingly work in dangerous conditions with little or no pay that it would take them forever to repay their debt. Most of them want to be freed and rescued. They want education. They simply have no choice but to lead a miserable life. Why?! Because some need money! While some were deceived and had their passport confiscated when they went abroad. There are basically three means of human trafficking - force, fraud, coercion. So these victims were deceived at the first place.

Despite the country's size and population, Germany has the world largest sex industry. The reason is prostitution in Germany is legal. I never realize that prostitution is legal in certain countries. On the other hand, the US comes second in the sex industry. I came to realize that there are states like Nevada which enacted the legal prostitution law.

In Uzbekistan, the government forced the children to harvest the cotton without pay during the harvest season. This is another form of child slavery. I find it hard to agree to this government policy that I would advocate this illicit activity to stop in due course. The government should use this time to educate the children instead of forcing them to do slavery work that is out of their will.

In my point of view, slavery should be abolished. By studying about the Civil Right Movements of the African American from 1950-1960, I was inspired that equality of opportunity should exist in every country. There is no one born with superior status to any one of us because every human is equal. Human rights should be respected. Please help to contribute to stop human trafficking by any means possible.

Ropes Course

I had a chance to participate in a ropes course organized by ESL 360- US Culture & Institution.

1WWffflf1What was the experience like for you?
The experience was awesome! I had a lot of fun with others. It would be better if we can try the higher ropes course.

2.Were there any benefits to you as an individual?
I learned that teamwork makes a dream work.

 What were the benefits to us as a class?
Yes. I believe a strong bond within us is formed. We get to know each other better.

 Compare and contrast how this activity relates to the themes in Ch 4?
The challenges are not too tough though. But we were taught that every problem has a solution.

 Is this activity uniquely “American” or is this something your culture has or could have as well?
Our culture has it as well.

American Football

When we talk about football in the US, it is not the same football we mean in Malaysia. It is the American Football. And it is indeed one of my surprises to realize that so many Americans are crazy about this sport! Apparently, football is part of their life, an indispensable element in the US culture. It is the most popular sport in the US. Baseball comes second; while basketball comes third; followed by ice hockey.

American Football is similar to the sport, rugby. When I mention about rugby, I guess most of the Malaysians have already had an idea of what American Football is. Yes, it is a sport played between two teams where they try to score points by advancing the ball to the opponent's end zone. However, there are still some differences in rules and configuration of the field. For example, the number of players in rugby is 13, while the number of players in American Football is 11.

There is a major league in American Football -NFL (National Football League). Watching the league and supporting their state's team is a favorite past time to most Americans, be it men or women. It is like how Malaysians enjoy watching EPL (English Premier League) in England. It is a spectacular scene in UWEC when The Packers (GreenBay Wisconsin NFL team) is on the field. Almost one out of three Americans will wear their green color jersey to show the identity and support their team. It was to my ultimate surprise that my professor played the live show in class while he was teaching. Wasn't that incredibly ridiculous? He didn't want to disappoint his students by missing The Packer game. You see the heat of football in the US? It is unbelievable! And I would like to see what would happen on campus when The Viking (Minnesota team) plays against The Packers (Wisconsin team).

Football is part and parcel in typical American's life. I believe the reason is it complements their life in the way they value heroes. Almost all American male heroes on television and in movies have traditionally had the common ability to demonstrate their strength through physical violence. Possessing great physical strength is like being a warrior to them. And this value is truly reflected in football games.

I had a chance to watch a football game in UWEC Homecoming - Blugolds versus Pointers. It was amazing! A picture is worth a thousand words.