The two lectures talked about the two conflicting political visions between Hong Kong and Beijing, and the leading factors of occupying central movement.

In lecture 1, Professor Sonny Lo explained different perceptions towards democracy in which how people of different class, socio-economic status understand and perceive democracy in Hong Kong. Someone will use institutional set-up and institutional arrangement as an indicator. For example, whether there is direct election of the chief executive and whether rotation of political party in power exists and whether political leaders are competing for people’s votes to have legitimacy. Through this specific perspective towards democracy, it leads me to compare the situation of political status of different countries or cities. For example, there is a large rotation of political party in power in Tai Wan that western-style democracy have been applying because of rotation of political party, while the size of Hong Kong political party is too small, worse more, China even lacks this kind of power for people to fight for their desirable democracy.

In addition, Professor Lo introduced us an inspiring and new word “tolerant”. He said that some educators will focus on educative side when deciding democracy, which is educating people to be tolerant of different views. I can’t exactly get the meaning of “tolerant” at first, he then told us that tolerant means learning to accept different views. It inspires me to think that people can still accept or tolerate various diversified views but not to disagree them when facing a controversial issue. It is about an attitude that can be applied in political aspect: if people just show their anger and disagreement without appropriate tolerance, it is probable that society will be easy to be politically and socially instable, which encourages social disintegration and social disorder. In short, I think acceptable extent of political tolerance is of high importance to maintain social stability. 

Overall, the lectures are so beneficial that it teaches me how to apply different and multifarious perspectives to observe and analyze the other political and social issues, which helps equip me as sensitive and critical person instead of just sitting down in the classroom to blindly receive messages from the professors.

In this lecture, Professor Ho Puay-peng introduced what principles of architecture, what the functions of the building are and how the story of building relay its meaning.

First, I learnt the interaction between the social and cultural factors and the functions of building. For example, professor Ho showed the pictures in Man Mo Temple in Sheung Wan of Hong Kong, in which I have seen there are pictures of pomegranate inside the design of building, having the symbolic meaning of flourishing the next generation. It reflects how the cultural environment influences the decoration and functions of the building. In addition, professor Ho introduced the big windows in the old public housing estates, and told us that it is for good ventilation during after the period of plaque in Chinese society. Moreover, there is an air-conditioner becoming one of the steps of the staircase in one of the photos showed by professor, telling that huge influx of immigrants in the past force people in terms of large family to live in each small floor, hence producing a bad living condition. It is therefore apparent that social development impacts the functions of building.

Apart from being more familiar with functions of the building and its relating factors, I also acquire the importance of appreciation towards each architecture. I have been impressed by one sentence said by Professor Ho, “building is not dead, but has to communicate.” In my opinion, building is just a dead matter which carries no meaning except providing the place of living or working. Yet, professor mentioned that there are narratives in each of the building, which contributes the meaning of the building. It reminds me that the decoration of one building, including colors, structures and patterns, actually represent the spirit of the architect. For example, professor told us that a church in CUHK contains a special design in wedding ceremony, in which when the pastor starts to verbally bless the new couple, the design of the building allows the window to gradually open to reveal the scene of sea and hill outside, which blesses the love of those couples to be as deep as the sea and as strong and firm as the hill. Through this romance, it fully demonstrates that story of a building is strongly relaying its functions, which motivates me to start to look around each design and decoration everywhere, keep my eyes open to enjoy all the good design, at the same time, learn to criticize those bad design.

Last, professor encouraged us to touch the building at the end of the lecture. Due to the fast-paced social atmosphere, it is rare and uncommon for us to touch the physical body of the building in person, even the wall of the building, therefore it is difficult to answer how the wood, plastic, robber feel. But it is the right time for me to enjoyably touch and feel the design of architecture in this world.

These 2 lectures mainly talk about the theme of human evolution. The first lecture has introduced the factors of how human evolve from early ancestors to modern homo sapiens, and the ways to assess the information of origins. The second lecture introduces 3 main factors that contribute human’s successful evolution.

At the beginning, Dr. Paul Stapleton used two different angles to lead us how to perceive human evolution in different aspects, which arouses my interest in this topic. Dr. Stapleton first shows us photos of Pachamama – the Mother Earth and several creation theories, in which it has applied religious perspective to see human evolution. Afterwards, he began to demonstrate the appearance of scientific revolution, stating that humans start to focus more on scientific process in which observation, experimentation and evidence are all placed emphasis on, providing a better understanding for the humans who have raised lots of questions about evolution. For example, invention of antibiotics, medical diagnosis of tuberculosis, the fact that humans do not evolve from chimps but only have the same ancestors with chimps etc. are all revealing the importance and feasibility of scientific process. In my opinion, it is quite challenging for the student, including me, to choose which perspective I should believe. Since there is a big contradiction that one part is my own religion and values which has sustained my own thinking for a long time, another part is an objective information which has been proved plenty of time through accurate process. Yet, it has encouraged my “multi-thinking” when thinking and analyzing a single issue, which also opened my mind to alternative world views. 

In addition, the ways of finding the evidence involving human evolution allow me to appreciate the scientific method. While Dr Stapleton indicated various kinds of scientific method, including paleontology, chemistry, geology, astronomy, Computer science and linguistics, it is mentioned that in the past 400 years science has provided answers replacing the creation myths of our ancestors, which has settle most of the “mystery” in human. For example, through DNA evidence, it is clear that we evolved in Africa and some of our ancestors moved beyond only about 60,000 years ago, which makes me feel that science helps us get closer to the truth, including how we, a homo sapiens, come from. Therefore, I have learnt of recognizing the importance of the interdisciplinary approach after the lectures.

Finally, while talking about the factors contributing successful evolution in humans, it leads me to reflect that whether the “modern human” is the product of our ancestors that makes us human. One of the factor- sexual behavior tells that the sexless reproduction at the beginning of the world are now changed into sexual one in which humans are benefited from the sharing of DNA diversity which enhances fast adaptation against today’s varying living environment. Yet, this kind of beneficial diversity is at the expense of human’s survival that will bear risk such as labor pain, miscarriage etc. Another factor, diet, reveals that homo sapiens, not only are easier to get food, but also are more available to eat “delicious” food compared with people in the past. Our past ancestors were living in such an extremely tough living environment that they have to climb on a cliff to get sugar or other supernatural food source. Whereas todays we can buy food in supermarkets or restaurants, while processed food, though contains fruitful nutrients that make our brains coordinate better, increase those unnecessary fat contents around our hearts and other body organs, thus cancers, heart diseases, high blood pressure arose in modern society. What it demonstrates is that although someone says we are the products of our ancestors, it is reflected that humans prefer to change from the ancestors rather than just follow our basic instincts. Therefore, in my opinion, as humans grow and evolve with existence of progressive technology and cognitive wisdom, humans actually become less “human, and what makes us human is no longer the ancestor, but ourselves.

The lectures has introduced how humans think of this world, the basic operating systems of human physical body and the differences between human and animals

First, the lesson inspires me that we cannot assume and there is no longer only one world value among individuals around the world. Prof Stapleton, at the beginning, showed us a picture in which I think imitate behavior of a man and woman is being shown. However, I was told that the picture, in another visual aspect, is about a group of 9 dolphins, which made me feel so puzzled and surprised. After that, Prof Stapleton asked the students to describe anything chosen by each of us. One of us described an item as red in color, yet, professor said it may not be red, and asked “do you know what is red?” His question made me feel so weird towards him that why this person wonders whether a natural red item is red. He explained continuously that everything, which carries no meaning originally, in this world has been labelled as particular noun, subject, verb by humans, including numbers, colors, sizes and others, which are all subjective that there are different standards towards each particular word. Therefore, we cannot be sure if that item is red or large. The words of professor have reminded me that the mind and values of individuals are affected by various cultures and traditions from time to time and from place to place. For example, red, in Chinese people, means positive issues including celebration and achievement, while the western countries think red as the bloody, horrifying or warning issue. Meanwhile, the tutor in tutorial class mentioned that mindset of human beings is similar with an operating system that we will have different responses towards different matters. Once there are other values contradict with our own thinking which is built since we are born, we will feel strange or reject those “outer interferences”. Added by these words, I realized if I choose to be self-centered that immerse in my own culture and standard in continuous, it will be difficult for me to understand and accept others values. That’s why I think Prof Stapleton is an odd person at the beginning.

In addition to enchanted world mentioned in the first lesson, Professor also noted an enchanted body in subsequent. He showed us a plenty of forms of Tai Chi through several clips. Some of extreme forms in those videos have shocked me a lot that it includes physically dangerous and highly difficult but abnormal behavior. What I have acquired is there are actually most types of ways to make body strong, as mentioned by the professor, in this world, which is fairly beyond imagination.

Last, professor introduced the differences between human beings and animals. It is undoubtable that humans have a relatively higher moral capacity than the animals’.

Professor indicated “Rational choice theory” that humans are agents optimizing their utility via rational self-interest and are seeing and acting from self-angle. Although humans are sometimes selfish, there is another occasion of humans’ nature. Professor also talked about “Dual nature of man” that humans do not only fulfil their biological needs-meeting physical needs and functions, but also have a spiritual mind- following higher values and spiritual principles, which is seeing and acting from the universe. That’s why I believe there is a definite difference humans and animals. Yet, I disagree that this kind of higher wisdom of humans can be used to increase our self-value and negatively intervene ecological systems, whereas it is more reasonable and brilliant of us to use this “inherent widow” to take on our responsibility towards this ecosystem, nature and the world.

Professor Angela Wong was responsible for the topic of Gender and Sexuality which is about the concepts of Sex and Gender and Nature versus Nurture, the presence of gender equality and gender diversity in Hong Kong and how to treat people with different sexual identity and orientation.

First, this topic gives me a message that gender and sexuality, actually, are very close to and familiar with us compared with the days before in which people were less willing to mention issues about sexuality in ancient time. Professor Wong, at the beginning, showed us a picture of boxes for gender choice which can be easily found in surveys or personal information papers. It reminds me that there is no longer only male and female in terms of gender, “others” has begun to appear in today’s society, developed countries or cities in particular. Moreover, in tutorial lesson, the tutor asked us to search the number of gender choice included in “others” boxes through the Internet. What extremely excites me is that there has been over 70 choices in several western countries nowadays, which encompasses a lot of terms I haven’t heard of or I’ve heard but don’t understand, such as “bisexual”, “intersex”, “transsexual male or female” etc. In fact, it produces a more clear understanding of different terms of gender choice.

Second, I have realized that issues of sexuality may not be the product of modernity, but be inherited from the ancient time. As before, my thought is as general as the majority of people that situation of “bisexual”, “intersex”, “Lesbian”, “Gay” emerge in recent decades in which modernization in thinking, lifestyle and economic and social practice take place. In tutorial lesson, I’ve been introduced a book called “男男正傳” that in fact there were a group of “Gay” old Chinese men who didn’t disclose their sexual values in 20-30s but still followed the cultural rules or norms that a person need to get married and give birth for family inheritance. I felt quite shocked when I knew that because there are groups of people suffered mentally and spiritually when they lived in a world of less liberal. Yet, people who are facing this kind of similar situation has more chance to voice out their inner thinking and fight against discrimination through the movement, small community or clubs formation or other ways in order to fight for more public appectance. Thus, I think modernity, especially in thinking aspect, probably provides a big channel for society to know, think and respect the issues of sexuality and the people of different values, but not the cause of sexual issues.

Finally, the two-lesson lectures are able to let me reflect questions about gender and sexuality and change my attitudes. Two transgender females- Joanna and “Miss small” were invited to give us sharing about their story. After knowing about their background and life story through the short clips, I begin to understand how they are in struggle as before. In fact, I was less willing to accept those people with different values with sexuality because they are often thought to be with mental disorders or odd and non-conformist thinking by me, but now I realize their torture, both physically and mentally. For instance, those who born with abnormal sexual organs are actually helpless and even desperate since they have no way to choose but only transsexual surgery. And those who have sexual orientation opposite to their gender may feel extremely fretful while striking a balance between socio-cultural norms and personal desire. It’s so glad that I begin to more accept and respect these types of people with the increasing empathy and compassion.