Updates (June 18, 2025)
Now I understand the stereotypes of people and the jobs they do normally …
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I tried out computers to see how it is in 2013.
I went to the far end and found out it is endless and can make your mind so open that it becomes hard to think level sometimes.
The good thing is that I tried it and have something to say about getting educated and skilled.
I guess that was all it was. To jump so far out in the deep end that you go “Oh man… What have I gotten myself into?”
But I should have done this sooner.
After high school, I should have went to my local college and did computing to realize this sooner rather than later.
Now I am working a normal job and see life stable most of the time.
There will be always work doing trades …
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People will always be thinking how to get out of negative thinking and balance and feel good by improving.
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The thing about living in Oshawa (Canada).
The daily conversations and interactions you have in life in a place like Oshawa is always happening and moving.
You grow here and learn to get along and grow.
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What I learned from living in Scarborough compared to Oshawa.
In Scarborough, I was mainly living Asian 98% of the time. I just hanged out of Asian people and we all got along.
Eating, walking and talking casually.
It got too comfortable that I forgot I was in ‘Canada’.
And is that is good or bad? I think you should always be in constant interaction with all types of people so you grow and don’t be bored …
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What I think about the Asian stereotypes of work?
I understand that to think normal and sane most of the time you got to do normal jobs really.
But you get this once you tried to reach, reach and reach. Reach the furthest.
After doing computers for 5 years, it became unhealthy for me.
I can not be 10000% plugged into my computer all the time.
I won’t have time to eat, enjoy, buy a burger/pizza really??? Not be able to socialize outside.
I won’t be able to have a family.
I would always be learning bigger and bigger systems until I get to “assembly language” or web development full time.
Is that good? Well after I did computing from 2013, I can finally socialize with people and not be scared. And think on the most mature level now.
There is a component of learning that enables you to communicate and stay present with all people all day.
For example today, I was working with my dad doing kitchen countertops. I had to cut out the sink and faucet area and install it the fixtures.
Before 10+ years ago, I would be scared and would hire someone. I was scared of measurements and plumbing. But now we don’t hire much.
That is the power of maturing and learning to the max.
So it is important to do you dreams until it gets weird.
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But what do you do when you are at a standstill?
Well you reach first …
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When I went to the hospital at Toronto a week ago, I realized this. People are always learning.
But what happens when you don’t care about X and Y? You still have to get along and learn daily.
That is what you learn going outside.
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How I learned was 4 ways.
- Working in Oshawa since I was 14 years old back in 1998.
- Going to school in Scarborough for university.
- Going to Vietnam a few times to see that even wet food market sellers are your aunties and want you to try your hardest in the Americas for the ‘hell of it’. Serious but not serious. This seriousness and not serious feeling gets normal after you visit Vietnam a few times and grow from each visit. The people you meet at each stage in your life will grow you.
- Going to school in Scarborough for college meeting mass immigration. 99.9999% overseas.
Immigrants pushed me to strive in 2019, while going to college in Scarborough. Immigrants want the best for themselves. I thought “Oh no! I better live 120% to see what they want in life and see what I am missing.” That is why I studied back home in Oshawa in 2020 trying to strive and live better.
It was all external really and taught me life whole. Instead of just working routine jobs, it taught me the immigrant way of life. As a first gen born in Canada, I don’t have the perspective of refugees and immigrants my age or younger until I visited college in Scarborough in 2019.
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Vietnamese born in Canada or other Asians born in Canada see this as normal if they have parents or family members already successful in the past. They see both the born here and immigrant stories mingle and if they live in Toronto they get more of it.
If you have a parent or uncle working for a Fortune 500 company, they have the information for you to strive for the same.
But who gets to learn it? What type of person also strives for the same as their parents or uncle or aunts? A very mature one. Time and experience teaches us to do the same. If a kid is young and rebellious, then time will teach them to strive like their parents or family.
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But after striving for 5 years, what did I learn?
I learned there are Asian immigrants wanting a better life here in Canada striving more than me who was born here. Then I learned to strive for independent wants.
It is impossible to compete with immigrants though. I think the best I can do is work hard and see what I get after doing my independent goals to grow and feel good.
It is a clear struggle trying as hard as immigrants.
But live for me as a person born here in Canada is not negative, negative. We have open minds and are willing to hear and see alternative perspectives of all people including immigrants.
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What do you do in Canada knowing all this? But also later in life?
I see people my age who matured so quickly with parents who are engineers work for the top computing companies and have 1-2 kids.
What did I miss?
I guess life just went this way.
I did do the things I always wanted.
But what is life doing work for top computing companies and getting paid really well?
I guess that requires more growth and experiences to get to that thinking.
Seems like my personal and team projects are just something. Just something.
But to have that nice house and car and family of your own? What thinking does that require?
I guess it is daily work and working out experiences.
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What is life now working normal jobs.
There is a lot of learning and socializing.
Lots of things are new.
Is it satisfying? Only when you work, take a break to socialize with like minded friends really then you are calm, rested and OK/satisfied.
The thing is to talk something that feels good and grows you maturely.
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Living and born in Canada I did not know stuff …
Was life working and living to impress immigrants? You defiantly have a full life and maturity, smarts and growth trying to impress them.
But some Vietnamese born in Canada, either already know this and maybe discard this or it is something they don’t really emphasize forwardly. It is not on their frontal lobe to do stuff really. They do Western things mostly like living for themselves which at the end is pretty impressive and satisfies the impression.
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Instead of staying home doing my thing, I realize what I am doing outside working with my dad is a lot.
Not only do I do think my way but I have to think like everyone else in the public world.
It is a lot and you have to get along and work forward.
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My parents never had the education and skills to do thinking, thinking, thinking.
They are unsatisfied.
But that is the thing.
If you work trades all your life you miss out on thinking jobs.
But if you do thinking jobs, it is 1000% stressful and it is thinking bad trying to use computers to do everything putting people out of work and potentially you out of work.
People will always complain who has it better. And also people will always find things to do.
My dad just complained today that he wants to retire from his work.
But he doesn’t know if he quits he will have nothing to do and live for.
That is just life.
My mom complains why I am not working computing jobs now. I went to the deep end and it made me lose my marbles.
Some people just don’t see the other side because they never had the opportunity. So that is sad.
I had the opportunity to see both sides. So that is why I can not complain. I see the flip side to everything to the most extreme cases. Having that mindset puts you at ease and then you have nothing to worry about in life.
So it was important to try your hardest to reach the biggest dreams possible so you live normally after. You had to reach like immigrants to see what life has to offer.
Maybe that is why countries allow mass immigrants so the native population see what they strive for.
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I am part immigrant but not.
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When you stop caring about the differences everything is OK and no worries.