Burmese Python (continued)

               The invasion of the Burmese Python is now a gigantic worry for the federal government, and the citizens of Florida. Many ideas have been proposed and disputed. The two main points of view are whether to kill the pythons or capture them.

              After a search team has captured a python, what actions should they take? Should they kill it, or bring it back to animal centers for lab tests and maybe return it to its native habitat? The “killers” argue that killing the pythons on the spot would save a lot of time and  money in transportation. As for bringing them back for lab tests, “killers” say that scientists already have more than enough Burmese Pythons for testing. Capturing the snakes and killing them allows the search teams to track down and dispose of more pythons in a day. Without a heavy load of pythons, the teams can move and search more quickly. But even with these arguments, the action taken by most teams is still capturing, instead of killing.

              “Capturers” have a strong stand of their own. They say it wasn’t the Burmese Pythons’ fault for escaping into the wild; they were just trying to survive. So these people think that it is the right thing to capture them, and bring them back where they belong. The “capturers” maintain that although these predators should be stopped, bloodshed should be avoided, for these reptiles are just innocent animals surviving in the environment. Also, if there were bloodshed, other predators or scavengers could be attracted to the scene. That definitely would not help the search teams.

               Some of the ideas that crossed my mind regarding the control of the Burmese Python population included inventing robotic machines that could work day and night to capture and deliver pythons. These robots could be programmed to sense Burmese Pythons with their acute computers. They definitely would work faster than humans, because they have no need to sleep or eat, and don’t get tired. But after a couple seconds, I knew that idea was impossible with the technology we have right now.

Another idea that came to mind was getting rid of  the pythons’ eggs. As Burmese Pythons are able to lay up to 50 eggs at a time, the reproduction rate is a huge factor of the snakes’ growing population. By getting rid of the pythons at the base is probably a good idea. But after more thought, I became pretty sure that the idea had already been put into action.

              But one idea appealed to me: introducing a new species to balance out the whole food chain. Environmentalists and scientists could go to Asia to find species there that are able to keep the number of Burmese Pythons low. Perhaps the species they find can become prey to the alligators of Florida. That way, the new food chain would be complete, with the new species controlling the pythons, and alligators controlling the new species.

             Something that I only recently learned about invasive species was that all these were started by something small: Burmese Python pets released, or a storm that freed a couple of misplaced 20-inch-long pythons. All these things were small, yet after 20 or 30 years, this instability in the environment that could cause extinction is the result.

           The experience of writing this article taught me how fragile the environment is, and how small actions can have huge consequences. The environment is delicate, so treat it delicately.

Burmese Python Part 1

             Of all the invasive species in the world, one that I found especially intriguing was the Burmese Python. I wanted to learn more about it the moment I saw that this huge reptile could eat alligators. Also, the reptile VS reptile fight seemed pretty interesting.

The Burmese Python, already one of the largest snakes in the world, can easily grow up to five meters in Southern Florida. Although these pythons are interesting, I shake about the thought of meeting an agitated or hungry one that could quickly snap me in half and consume me. The python is tan in color, with dark puzzle-like blotches, similar to a giraffe’s. Its head is a typical snake shape, wide at the neck and tapering to form a rough triangle, ending at the nose. With jaw structures that can be disconnected, this python can fit any animal into its mouth that is about five times the length of its head.

    The Burmese Python’s natural habitats are the semi-aquatic areas of India, lower China, the East Indies, and the Malay Peninsula. Being a good climber and swimmer, this type of python is able to hunt for a variety of prey, making it a formidable hunter.

    Every invasive species in the world is caused by a small mistake. A citizen of Southern Florida bought a small Burmese Python as a pet. After about two years, the python had grown so much that its master thought it took up too much space. So he released the gigantic snake into the wild, thinking that it wouldn’t do any harm to the environment. But that one snake survived and probably found another python, probably displaced from a conservatory after a hurricane, and mated. Since then, Burmese Pythons have reproduced madly, setting a deep anchor in South Florida’s Everglades. Since the marshy environment is similar to its original home, there was no real need for these pythons to adapt, making it even easier for them to survive.

    The main problem of almost every invasive species is the same. They offset the delicate balance of the environment, and cause extinction in some cases. It is the same with the Burmese Python. Because of their big size and great agility, along with the huge mouth, these fearsome reptiles eat almost anything, such as a variety of birds and mammals, and even alligators. Burmese Pythons have been caught eating endangered Key Largo wood rats and grasshopper sparrows. As a foreign species, no large predator has moved to Southern Florida that has the ability to take on the job of controlling the number of pythons yet. Even the alligators have trouble with these pythons, suffering casualties among the young and inexperienced, and sometimes even the adult ones. Apart from humans and adult alligators, the Burmese Python is invincible.

    Environmentalists, scientists, and local park rangers are hard at work to control the number of Burmese Pythons. Like the lionfish issue, the pythons have such a stronghold in Southern Florida that destroying all the snakes is Mission Impossible.

Some things that the people have been doing are limiting the import of Burmese Pythons as household pets. There have also been human and dog search teams responsible for tracking down and killing Burmese Pythons. Another not-so-successful idea was trapping. But since pythons do not move around extensively, trapping was not as useful. Another idea that was considered was the use of gas specifically targeting Burmese Pythons as a biological control. The action was not performed, because the risk of killing other endangered species was too high. Having python catching contests didn’t prove too successful. As cunning reptiles, pythons are hard to catch. A month-long contest of 1,600 participants only resulted in 68 pythons caught. Hunting Burmese Pythons for food was also not a great idea, unless some crazy person wants to be poisoned by high amounts of mercury, as most high-level predators, including pythons, have a preponderance of this element in their bodies.

               So far, there has been no overly successful way of controlling the number of Burmese

 Pythons. But we humans are intelligent creatures, and I believe that we will find a solution some day

in the near future.

My Grandparents’ House

There are just so many places on the Earth I enjoy being in. But if I had to choose my favorite place, it would be my grandparents house, in Shanghai.

Although not too big, the house gives me many wonders. My favorite part is the kitchen, with its constant mouth-watering smell of frying eggs, and grilled chicken. Holding within it a huge supply of snacks, enough to last me a month, my grandparents’ kitchen can give me a good feeling of satisfaction nowhere else can provide. Another good reason are all the great comforts of my grandparents’ house. Their strong AC’s installed separately all over the house keep the house nice and cool. A greater comfort is the actually “Hi Speed Wifi” that they have, allowing me to watch movies smoothly without downloading it. Probably the most important reason is that my grandparents are always there, ready to accompany me in almost any sort of fun activity, like playing video games, swimming, biking, and so many other things. While grandpa likes joining me in the more active things, grandma gives me awesome company by playing cards and teaching me good family recipes.

           These are only some of the reasons why my grandparents’ house is the favorite to be for me; there are more reasons that will always remain a mystery to others.

Missing My Great Grandpa

    Not everyone in the world has experienced a loss of a family member, and not every family has been pulled closer by the aftermath of the death. Our family has gone through both of these experiences, with the passing away of my Great Grandpa at the age of 96.

    Last spring, Great Grandpa caught a common cold. But after a while, the cold didn’t go away, but got worse. After going to the hospital, the doctor reported that Great Grandpa had pneumonia. My whole family was trying to get all sorts of tips and medicines for helping treat pneumonia and even some traditional secret recipes, too. But even with everyone’s effort, the stuff did not help the sickness, and my Great Grandpa was deteriorating, despite all his mental might to survive.

    By now, almost every relative was taking some time off from jobs to see Great Grandpa, and to keep him occupied. My grandpa took fewer business trips in order to care for him more. Uncle was able to get a small portable oxygen tank for him, and brought a small cot to Great Grandpa’s house, so that Uncle could be there to tend to his needs. Every one of the skilled chefs in our family also made their best soups and dishes in an attempt to feed Great Grandpa, who was now losing his appetite.

    My dad flew back to China as much as possible to visit Great Grandpa and give him company. After getting sick, Great Grandpa had become severely confused. Many relatives, like my dad, came and talked to him to help him use his brain more. Mom and I also helped out by Skyping and calling Great Grandpa almost everyday, asking how he was and chatting about the regular day to day gossip.

    Summer vacation came along, and I was able to talk face-to-face with Great Grandpa. He still had his usual slow Mandarin, and still had his big smile, but his physical state had changed. He old yet fit body was gone, replaced by a slouching and sagging posture. His hacking coughs weren’t very pleasing sounds to hear, but overall, I was still happy to see Great Grandpa again.

    After several more weeks of critical sickness and lack of nutrients, Great Grandpa passed away peacefully last December, with almost the whole family crowded around the small white bed containing the even smaller frame of my Great Grandpa. Minutes after the death, right when Mom was picking me up from school, we heard the news.

    I thought that this experience with the passing away of Great Grandpa pulled the family closer by helping us learn how to live with the loss. At first, we all tried to forget the pain, and to push it out of our lives. But then, Mom had the awesome idea of pulling out pictures of Great Grandpa from before, and chatting about the stories behind the pictures. We started reliving happy memories of us with Great Grandpa.

    Mom shared these old picture with some relatives back in China, and from what we heard from Grandma, the pictures have been spreading through our family faster than Great Grandpa used to bike to the bank to check on his money. Back at our home here, Mom and I exchanged fun stories of Great Grandpa on vacation with us in Taiwan, and at one Chinese New Year Party when I was little, in which Great Grandpa had too many drinks, and started dancing crazily with one of my aunts. She was a bit shocked, but danced quite nicely with her 90-year-old partner.

My favorite scene with Great Grandpa that I shared with my mom was once, when Grandpa and I were visiting Great Grandpa last summer, he was justing waking up from a long nap. Great Grandpa was a bit groggy when he answered the door. The moment he laid his eyes on me, he yelled, “There’s a crazy Japanese guy at my door!” But luckily, Grandpa charged in, calmed him down, and told Great Grandpa who I was.

 

    Through the last few months of Great Grandpa’s life, and the years following that, everyone was

 supporting each other. Nothing can bond a family closer than losing a shared loved one. From this

 experience, I learned to never turn your back on the memory of the loss. Instead, bring out the happy

 parts of the memories and keep them forever inside you.

Haste Makes Waste

 

    Most people know of the phrase, “Haste makes waste.” This means whenever you rush to get something done, its very possible that you could waste valuable products and even time. I totally agree with this phrase. Haste almost always produces waste and irritated mood and atmosphere. My proof comes from a very reliable source, my mom.

    A part of Mom’s hastily completed work acceptable, and definitely not perfect. But a much bigger proportion holds not so pretty products.

    One example was when my mom played Online Poker Gambling or Korean drama way past her schedule of cooking at 5:30. Now, with barely ten minutes to cook the dinner steak, she made the tender beef catch on fire, and finished cooking by reducing the steak to hot, dry ashes. This haste not only wasted the steak, but also valuable time to clean up.

    Another example was when my mom rushed out of the house when she suddenly remembered a forgotten appointment scheduled in five minutes time. After hastily rushing out the garage, she had no memory of closing the garage door. So, with Mom uncertain whether the garage door was closed, she had to drive back to check. That wasted expensive gasoline and priceless time that she could never get back.

    With the phrase “Haste Makes Waste” in mind, remember that it is better to work slowly and precisely than do a lightning fast mess up.

Two Heads Are Better Than One

 

    With the phrase: “Two head are better than one," I agree. It is more likely to come up with satisfactory plans or directions than just one head.

    For example, if my boss assigns me with a project, and gave me the choice of working alone or with a partner, I would choose with a partner. With more people to work on the project, the effort can be distributed and allows each other to have less of a workload. To me, taking a partner means that the two heads working on the project can cover more area of information than just one. After the rough draft of the report or slideshow is completed, two heads will also pick up more errors and lack of information in a particular section before it . Two brains can come up with more creative ideas of presenting the information of the work project.

    I have come across an issue that supports my opinion of “Two heads are better than one.” A couple weeks ago, my history teacher set us a project to build a medieval style castle, but with a different theme. After racking my brain, I came up with many ideas, like Star Wars, SpongeBob and Despicable Me. But none of them satisfied me. In the end, I chose to work with a partner. After another couple minutes of painful brainstorming, my partner advised me of the perfect idea: Harry Potter. Both of us absolutely loved the series, and we quickly agreed. Without the second head reaching a wider area of creativity, I would  have been stuck doing a bright yellow Despicable Me castle protected by jelly turrets.

    Although some might say there would be friction between the two heads, I think that’s a minor drawback. With much more creativity and much less work, I think two heads are definitely better than one.

Good Leadership Scouting

 

  

One of the few bright points in my slightly boring summer vacation was scouting. The many activities, like service projects, day hikes, and summer camp planning gave me a feeling of activeness and purpose in my life.

    Although I didn't attend the annual and traditional Boy Scout Summer Camp at Catalina Island with the rest of my troop as I did last year, I was able to find an awesome alternative.

    National Youth Leadership Training held at Camp Trask, Monrovia, was the camp I have been planning to go for a long time. It lasted for a total of five days and four nights.

One of my favorite parts of the camp was the food. I just couldn’t resist the temptation of the scout made meals. For the duration of the course, we were handed raw ingredients for all of the meals, which we used to cook our own food. Although more tiring to cook our own meals, we were able to control the amount and quality of our food. The best part of the morning meal for me was the rows of perfectly white eggs, just sitting there, waiting to jump into my drooling mouth after being tenderly treated in the frying pan by me. But not all the meals were perfect. We had a frozen hotdog dinner one Saturday night, cooked by a smart but not too experienced Scout in our patrol. I also tried lettuce sandwiches after I finished with my patrol leader council - everyone had finished the ham before I could get there. Even then, these experiences did nothing to downgrade my awesome NYLT time.

    On the first day of NYLT, all of the scouts were separated into two troops, Aqua and Magma. I was put into one of the four patrols in the Aqua Troop, The Blue Shark Patrol. Each of the eight patrols had a Troop Guide from the NYLT staff to teach and demonstrate all the different challenging activities ahead.

    Our patrol’s troop guide was a short yet agile Chinese Eagle Scout, Nicholas Chan. Although he loved talking about random Japanese cartoons during our limited free time, our whole patrol was drawn in by his humorous yet informative presentations  and summaries. From just Nicholas, we were able to learn a lot of communication and vision making skills.

    Our leadership techniques were boosted to an even higher level by the Senior Patrol Leaders and Assistant SPLs from the Aqua and Magma Troops. Although all the scouts were very tired, their great speeches, descriptive lectures, and inspiring videos captivated us.

    Two of the things I learned at NYLT that had the most impact to my life were being a servant leader and setting SMART goals. I always had an inkling that a good leader is also a good follower, but I never understood why. Now I know that an effective leader should listen to the people he leads, serve the people he leads, and share the work with the people he leads.

Good communication skills are essential for good leadership . Without being able to communicate, you can’t be a good leader, as I learned during this course. There were also the hand motions to emphasize your speech I had no idea existed until then. All these lessons circled around the two indispensable points of Scouting: the Oath and the Law. With these two guides towards life, they create a moral compass that will always point towards success.

My personal vision has always been to become a medical doctor, but I never had goals of reaching it. Now that I have a series of SMART goals, I will conquer my elephant-sized vision one bite at a time. There are not only personal visions, but group visions, like for a troop, a sports club, and even an entire nation!

If you can see it, you can be it.