LING LI
Relationships
The relationship between my father and me is very important and difficult in my life. I admire my father. He was a successful businessman.When I was a child, he was always busy, so he didn’t have much time at home. He was illiterate, but he was good at communication with others and he was sincere with us.
The problem is that he talks less time with me and our relationship is not close. The good part is that when we have problems, he always works to solve them. He gives us a sense of security. I know he loves all of us, but he never says that. I think this is the same situation in many families in China.
Paragliding – and other distractions
I don’t like paragliding. I’m afraid when I am high in the air. There are many ways to get away from our problems. For example, I can sleep all day or go out with friends and eat foods that we like. When we explore some interesting things, we will forget the problems we have at the moment, but I think the best way to solve a problem is to face it and not retreat.
Quotations
When the wife and son talked with each other in the restaurant, the mother said, “Your father wants everyone there when they explode the rock. your father worked hard in Iran so you can go to college and have a good life in America. I know your father.”
It is like my father. He also tries his best to provide all we want and to give us a good life. So we understand his difficulties and support his determination.
Relationships
In 2020, the pandemic panic came in the world, people were scared and the cities were locked down. My son Haoyang was studying in NYU, and my family still was in China. We couldn’t travel like usual, sometimes we couldn’t go to school or work, we even couldn’t go out for walks.
During the worst of the pandemic, we couldn’t meet on vacation and Haoyang felt down because he couldn’t go home. We used Video Chat. It was the difficult time for us.
I knew we must have action not only words. So I changed my tactics: I asked Haoyang to be the writer of my firm’s official account. He must write a book review or translate an article about the newest economic, business, technology, cryptocurrency, and politics. After the pandemic, Haoyang told me that he learned a lot from the reading and the writing, and he will never forget his home language, Chinese.
Actually, I learned more: we continue to communicate and exchange our perspectives until now. Then I can understand what youth’s concerns are about and why they think that way.
Part 2 in the life of Farhad
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
Like Farhad’s idol, Thomas Edison, the giant rock just is a test – not the final destination. From this experience, Farhad realized that he must learn more about American business.
Farhad’s wife likes nuts, but in America, the prices are expensive. For example, In Iran, the retail price for pistachios usually is lower than $3 per pound and wholesale prices are cheaper. But in New York, the retail price for pistachios usually is higher than $8 per pound, and In Nuts Factory, the retail price is $13. Farhad analyzed the market and found a lucrative business of importing nuts from Iran.
But, Farhad will face another Giant Rock.
According to the America Sanction Law, American companies aren’t allowed to make deals with Iran.
In Iran, the farmers have lots of grapes, almonds and pistachios, but they have no money to buy medicine and food. Usually, farmers celebrate the fruits big harvest. On the contrary, it probably means a humanitarian crisis in Iran when it lowers the fruit prices. Many Iran friends asked Farhad for help.
At the beginning, Farhad planned to avoid the sanction through Saudi Arabia or another country trade, but the lawyer warned that Farhad would have broken the law if he did so.
Farhad and his son must find a new way. They must have a specific OFAC license (OFAC is the Office of Foreign Assets Control, under the Treasury Department ). And OFAC is rare and generally only granted for humanitarian needs, like medicine or food aid.
So, Farhad and his son continued to write the president, the Congress, and all of the representatives of New York. Every weekend, they gathered the Iran Americans and got up petitions, pledged Americans to help the starving and ill Iranian farmers.
Two years later, Farhad got the OFAC license and started up an import company. Now, Farhad is not only a successful businessman, but also a social activist.
Paragliding – and other distractions
I’ve never tried to run away from my problems because I believe there’s always have a solution to solve everything.
First thing to do is stay calm and think about what has happened. If I’ve tried to fix something and it doesn’t work, I will try to look for other ways like talking to someone who has experienced the same situation as me and maybe they might help me out.
Paragliding appeals to me because when you’re up in the sky, you will forget everything else. You’re completely focused on that moment, and it gives you the freedom to imagine and dream.
The importance of HOME
Home means a lot to me. It’s where I feel safe, comfortable, and loved. It’s not just where I sleep, it’s where I can relax and hang out with people who care about me.
In my culture, home is like the heart of everything. It’s where families stick together, spend time, and look out for each other. We eat together, celebrate special moments, and show a lot of respect to our elders. Those values are super important and usually start at home.
If something goes wrong, I try not to freak out or stress too much about it. I just stay calm and talk it through with people who can help. I think most problems can be solved if when I ask someone I trust for advice.
The importance of HOME
He has a goal — to build a house for his wife and family. When you start something, whether it’s a project or a new chapter in life, having the support of someone close to you is really important. Farhad had his family’s support, and that’s what helped him get through his struggles.
For me, a home is not just a place where you eat and sleep. It’s where you feel safe, where you’re loved, and where someone is waiting for you. My home is wherever I am. My home is my fortress.
Part 2 in the life of Farhad
Farhad built his dream house on a smaller rock and brought all his family and friends together, like he always wanted. He also started selling quail eggs. Farhad went to his son’s concert, and later his son married a very nice girl from Iran. The land with the big rock became a special place for their family.
The importance of HOME
Farhad tried to stand a higher stage to see his problems and tried not be defeated by the difficulties. He had a great patience to handle the problem.
According to Chinese Confucian culture, FAMILY is the basic unit of our society. It is as important as the country to some extent. Young people have to respect ancestors and obey the elder member of the family. As the time goes by, the world changed. Thanks to the internet connection and economic development, our social basic structure has change from large family to small home. Young people focus more on themselves, thus the form of family, or family members changed. For example, single young people don’t go into marriage, a dog or a cat can be a family member. Even though traditional family has changed a lot, I think everyone needs a HOME, not only physically but also mentally, to let your body and soul to settle down.
Home is the most important thing for me, especially our home members (my husband, my son and I) are all in the U.S., far from our hometown. I’m in a delicate position. I come from a traditional family, but to provide my son with a better education and a broader perspective, my husband and I decided to send him to study and work in the U.S. which is so different from our country.
So we have to accept the consequence of this choice. When my son’s lifestyle and ideals are different from ours, we learned to understand and to tell him our feelings, try to help him understand us. We communicate every week. There’s always some problems among us, but we still love each other and like to share our opinions. That’s what I thought about the meaning of HOME.
Quotations
1) Farhad’s wife said: You ’re always thinking of going to the moon when we haven’t left the ground.
Farhad said: I’m going to take you to the moon.
2) Farhad’s wife said: You are pushing him( the son) away by holding on so tight.
Focus on Behrad (the son), like you would one of your projects.
3) Farhad said to his son when his son told him about moving out: I’m still gonna build you that room.
4) Fahad’s son said: He’s never gonna stop, is he? Farhad’s wife said: You know your father.
This story told about a brave Iranian merchant who kept striving for his dream. To emphasize his courage and optimism, the story made the Sentence 1) and 4) to show that Farhad would like to dream big and never give up to chasing his dream.
Meanwhile, from Sentence 2 and 3, I found that Farhad had a very considerate and attentive wife. She often found the gap between the father and the son, smoothed their relationship, and inspired Farhad to find a new way to solve the problem. Faraz also had an open and growing mindset. He faced the failure and changed his mind in spite of staying in his comfort zone.
All these sentences made the characters of the story more lively and impressive, and let us easily understand their motivations and purposes in the story.
For me it means a lot. There are always some problems in a family, such as financial problems, a generation gap. You must be patient, and find out the key to the problem, confide in your family members and find a way to overcome the problems.
Never forget – the most important thing is honesty and love!
When Saving Money Costs More
Farhad’s story shows that irrationality causes mistakes. He wanted a cheap piece of land, but he did not know a big rock would make building a house hard and costly.
In America, work costs a lot, and his plan to save money brought trouble. I feel sorry for Farhad because he wanted a house to keep his family close, which is important in Iranian culture.
FARHAD is afraid that his son is losing his Iranian roots.
He is scared that his son Behrad, who loves rock music, will forget his Iranian ways, and I understand him., but his quick choice makes me sad and teaches us to think before we act.
Stories like this show we must check things to avoid trouble. I believe we can help kids remember their culture if we think carefully and avoid mistakes like Farhad’s.
Relationships
I remembered an experience when I watched this video. When I was very young, my father worked in the US. He was always busy. In my memory, he never sent texts to me or called me, but he would send me money and living expenses. I am indebted to him even now. He is stubborn when I am talking with him, and he doesn’t listen to my suggestions. I often feel helpless. When I am working now, I understand his hardships and difficulties, and I am trying to respect his ideas. I literally still appreciate him now.
The importance of HOME
In my opinion, HOME is like a harbor in Chinese traditional culture. The people always said whether you go anywhere, you have to miss your home and family, I think that it’s a belief when I do anything in my life, So when the Spring festival comes, we’ll be coming to our Chengdu in China, my hometown. and enjoying everything at HOME. Maybe we will have a meal at home with relatives and friends or have a chat. Everyone will enjoy this moment at HOME.
Relationships
One of the most important relationships in my life has been with my parents. They have always supported me, but our views on life often differed. My parents were used to more traditional approaches and expected stability and “proven paths” from me, while I was striving for growth, change, and new opportunities, especially in my career and education abroad. Challenges arose when it was difficult for them to understand my decisions — for example, changing my profession or moving to another country. However, over time, through open dialogue and mutual trust, we were able to find common grounds.
Four Interesting Quotes from the Video and Their Meanings
“When you are high in the sky, problems stay down below.”
This phrase felt important to me because it symbolizes how a change of perspective can help us let go of heavy thoughts and find peace
“I want my son to know where he comes from.”
A very powerful statement about the importance of preserving one’s roots and cultural identity
“Home is not the walls, it’s the place where you are awaited.
This quote touched me because a true home is not about its appearance but about the warmth we feel among loved one
“Sometimes you have to let go of a dream to find a new one.”
This idea is very meaningful: sometimes life changes our plans, and the ability to accept that opens the door to new opportunities and growth.
Paragliding – and other distractions
Sometimes we can’t solve problems because we look at them from only one perspective. The solution can be very simple if we view the situation from a different angle. For Farhad, paragliding became exactly that new perspective. For me, an important part of solving problems is to turn off emotions and think about the situation with a clear head. I dream of trying paragliding myself and I’m sure that the emotions from the flight would outweigh any negative feelings caused by the problems!
The importance of HOME
The concept of “home” is incredibly important to everyone. For many years, I rented apartments and dreamed of having my own place. When that dream finally came true, I was overjoyed. I truly hope my house will remain intact until the end of the war. For me, home is all about comfort, safety, and peace.
In Ukrainian culture, a lot of attention is given not just to the house itself, but also to everything that surrounds it. There are always cherry, apricot, and apple trees growing near houses, along with plenty of flowers. In spring, a blooming garden is pure beauty, and in summer and autumn, it’s delicious too 🙂
The younger generation
I think that Behrad will not lose his Iranian roots if he goes to live with friends. Behrad is becoming an adult. He needs independence. He needs his own path. He needs to make mistakes and correct them. National identity and hobbies are different things. I think he is old enough, and he already has an understanding of his roots. Parents are often an example for children. If parents maintain their identity, Behrad will also remember his roots.
It is difficult for me to write about such a situation in my family, because my children are still small, but I have an interesting relationship with my older sister’s children. We are different. They are modern and digital children. I am probably old school. They often ask my opinion and often understand it. I am often an example for them. I have enough time to deeply analyze questions and situations with them.
The importance of HOME
I think that in any culture, HOME is the center of family life. Home is security. Home is silence. Home is understanding. Home is support. Home is new ideas. Home is plans for life. Home is not just a room, it’s people. Home is when we are always together with my wife and children.
Only two things help me solve problems: My family and discipline. Family is support and emotions. Communication with my wife is finding a solution. Hugging children is like charging a battery. Emotions are new journeys with my family. Discipline is the word you need.
Paragliding – and other distractions
.Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed, I spend some time with my friends or cousins and this helps me to get away from my problems. After sharing with them I feel better. Also when I can’t forget my problems, I just think that they are not my problems and think as if there were someone else’s in order to not be emotional and to gain perspective. So my mind is more rational and I can think of solutions clearly.
Paragliding looks fantastic. Maybe I can try this someday.
The importance of HOME
Farid tries to overcome his problems being optimistic and looking for solutions like hiring immigrants, taking away the rock with his own hands.
For me it is important to have a place to live to feel stability and build a home where my family and I could feel comfortable, secure and happy. I have lived in many houses and always make sure these spaces are special.
In my culture it is really important to have your own space, where you can create memories, see the family grow up and be part of the community. I remember some popular proverb that says something like “Having a house is not wealth, but not having one is poverty”. Definitely in my culture, having your own space is considered a good step in your life.
Relationships
In the story, family traditions play a big role.
In my family, things are a bit different – we come from very different generations, and we don’t really share common interests, which are usually the foundation of strong relationships and spending time together.
Also, my creative path and my desire to follow my own way made the gap even bigger between us.
The importance of HOME
In our culture, everything depends on the financial situation of the family. In most cases, only farmers or people over 30 want to have their own piece of land.
When my parents decided to build a house, they wanted to start from scratch. The plan was for a three-story house – first the foundation, then the walls, the garage, and finally the roof.
I started spending a lot of time on the property, while most of my peers were relaxing and having fun. I became a kind of guard and caretaker, and tried to keep the house running while my parents were away.
Dealing with problems
The best way to avoid problems is not to create them. And if they have appeared, you have to resolve them. No matter how you distract yourself from the problem, it still remains. And sooner or later you will need to resolve the situation. Sometimes time is your best assistant and you need to wait for some time, but sometimes on the contrary, the sooner you get down to business, the faster you will get the results!
Relationships
It’s natural when the next generation is different from yours. You shouldn’t change them to suit yourself. Maybe you should change your attitude towards this. Remember our relationship with your parents. Make the right conclusion. Keep up with the times!
It’s an interesting situation between father and son.
In my family, I’ve noticed that young people are often more open-minded and curious about different cultures. They use technology and social media a lot to express themselves, which is exactly what my generation does. Sometimes there are disagreements about values or life choices, but it can also be a great opportunity to exchange ideas and better understand each other.
Part 2 in the life of Farhad
As Farhad’s life progresses, he finds himself working on his new home project, so he begins building it on a smaller plot of land, incorporating elements of his Iranian culture. He involves his son Behrad in the process, which strengthens their bond. Despite criticism from the community, Farhad realizes that happiness comes from authenticity. He organizes a party to celebrate the construction progress, mixing Iranian and modern music, symbolizing the harmony between the past and present. Ultimately, he builds a home and bridges between generations.
Paragliding – and other distractions
Risk gives Farhad a strong rush of adrenaline and endorphins, making life feel brighter and more exciting. In paragliding, he feels freedom from the ground rules. A true sense of independence.
As for me, I avoid such sports because of my high natural anxiety.
Part 2 in the life of Farhad
Farhad was building a house on the small mountain when he saw old Native American drawings. He knew they were important and decided not to touch them. He built his house a little close to drawings. Farhad wanted to respect the mountain and its story.
Paragliding – and other distractions
In the story about Farhad, we learn that he enjoys paragliding because it helps him forget his problems. When he is flying, everything on the ground looks small, and his worries seem to disappear.
I also believe that it’s important to have a way to escape from daily stress. For me, walking in nature or listening to music helps me relax. I haven’t tried paragliding, but it sounds exciting and peaceful. I think i would like it because it gives you a new perspective and freedom,, just like flying in a dream.
Part 2 in the life of Farhad
I would continue this story like this: After realizing the giant rock is too expensive to remove, Farhad decides to buy a smaller piece of land with fewer problems. He and his wife start planning a new house not as big as before but cozy and peaceful. Farhad still dreams of flying, so he chooses a location on a hill with a great view. He builds a small launch pad for paragliding next to the house. His son starts helping him more and they become closer. Farhad opens a new parking lot business near the area and starts teaching young people how to paraglide. Even though the house is smaller, Farhad feels happier than ever, because now he lives with purpose, freedom and his family close by.
Paragliding – and other distractions
My way to get away from my problems is cuddle with my cat. We always cuddle on the sofa or bed and watch movies together. It works for me very well because I know he would always love me and be with me no matter what. And no matter how hard the situation is, I need to be strong and keep going, so I can take good care of him. I’m a little bit scared of heights, so I’m not really interested in paragliding. But I would like to learn skateboarding or surfing instead.
The importance of HOME
When we were kids, home was where our parents and family were. As we grew up, home became the place we came from — the place we had to leave but always miss.
Later, we begin to build our own little family, even if it’s just with ourselves. And slowly, we come to understand: home is wherever we are.
Paragliding – and other distractions
Yes, I usually go walking when I have something in my mind that I have no idea how to solve. I think we only need to change the perspective of any situation, understand that there are different points of views and many possible solutions for just one problem. Of course, sometimes I am still confused, but at least my body and myself get connected again to provide me peace to analyze what is happening.
About paragliding, it looks interesting. To be honest, I would like to do any “extreme” activity, because when we change our mindset is when we see the real dimension of a situation. The solution can be something irrational, like complex numbers.
Relationships
My relationship with my mother. Like many of us, I have had arguments with my relatives, because I thought everything has to be solved in a rational way. However, I remember the day when my mom and I talked seriously, as two adults, about our relationship. I told her: “I am really sorry for my behavior in past years, and thanks for supporting me. I promise to respect your opinions from today.”
She replied: “My son, nobody teaches us how to be good parents. We do our best and I know sometimes I failed. We just do the most we can.”
Since that day, our communication has improved a lot, and we can support each other in any situation. About arguments? It is something of our past, I do not remember the last time we had a bad argument.