Conversation Partner #4

I met up with Vena and her sister for dinner at Pizza Snob for our fourth meeting. They were a little overwhelmed at first with making their own pizzas, but did an excellent job communicating. In past meetings I had talked with them a little bit about the culture in Taiwan, but wanted to hear more about it. I was intrigued to see how their experiences here had differed.

The most interesting part of our conversation centered around money and passion. Both sisters informed me that they had received their bachelors degree back in Taiwan. Vena had majored in computer science and her sister had majored in accounting. I asked them what had prompted these decisions and their answers were quite interesting to me. Vena shrugged her shoulders and her sister bluntly responded, "to make money". I sat in silence for a while, questioning these responses. I asked a simple question in response "do you like it?". Both answered with a fervent NO.

I know in American culture there are many people that work in areas they may not be passionate about. I am not arguing that. BUT, I do think there is a large difference between something that maybe is not your favorite and something that you disdain. Many people that I know that have opted for a "deffered life plan" by putting their passions off until they have made enough money at least majored in something in college that they enjoyed. Maybe later on in life, or after graduation, they chose a job because it would make them more money. Very rarely have a talked to someone who majored in college in something that they absolutely hate. I believe that Americans maybe value money to an extremely high degree, but I also do believe that we don't value it to the extent that we would put ourselves in the state of absolute and total unhappiness to attain it. There are people who do this, but I believe that most of American citizens are not this way (but then again maybe I am naive and idealistic).

When I voiced my concerns to them, they asked me what I wanted to do when I get older. I said that I just simply want to do something that makes me happy. This idea was so foreign to them that they laughed in my face. Most Americans might not hold my same idealistic nature, but deep down inside might have that same yearning. For Vena and her sister, there wasn't even a yearning because this idea was so foreign to them. I asked them bluntly would you rather have money or be happy. They instantly blurted out that they would rather have money.

Seeing how much their culture revolved around this idea of money above happiness was very saddening to me. Imagining Vena working for the rest of her life in a job she absolutely hated brought me a lot of sadness. I dream that one day both of them could find professions that could both bring them money and happiness.