During the past few weeks, our class has been discussing and analyzing different literary works. One of them was a comic written by Art Spiegelman called MAUS. The graphic memoir portrays the author’s father Vladek’s experiences as a Holocaust survivor and a Polish Jew. Part I of the book focuses on Vladek’s struggle as a survivor. During the Holocaust, his identity as a Jew made his life harder and more miserable. Thus, I consider his survival as some sort of miracle.

In the past, people’s lives were overwhelmed by wars. Families were split up, and the survivors were left with nothing but the will to survive. Artie (Spiegelman)’s family was nearly annihilated during the Holocaust, and he feels that their suffering should be remembered.

 

This book reminds me of my grandfather’s experience. He experienced war in Taiwan and was one of the soldiers during the war. I remember him telling me that he ran from Taiwan to Hong Kong to escape from the chaos. His experience to him is memorable, and I also think that I have to duty to remember his story and tell my future kids. Even though there is no way I can relate to how hard life was in his past, but there is one thing I could do: be thankful that he is still living healthily and happily at this moment.

 

        

 

My mother’s experience as a child was not wonderful as well. Living in a small unit in Hong Kong back in those days with five younger siblings was never easy for her. Since she was the eldest, she also had the most responsibilities in the family. My mother had to take care of her siblings while studying, help out her family’s hawker business, and cook dinner for her family. I could still never imagine how tough and strong she was as a young lady. However, I often hurt her feelings when I couldn’t understand her experience as a kid. Whenever I told her how much I hated my life, she would tell me this story, and I would only reply her: time has changed, our condition now is different. In fact, I rejected to understand her and her strive to survive in such an under-developed society.

Of course, it is clear that survival issues still exist nowadays even though the cause might not be war. People who are disabled and diseased may find it hard to pass through each day. However, they still try their best from what they can do. Either through medication or assistance, they would still pay the effort to survive.

 

Recalling such stories and experiences sometimes make me feel ashamed of my past self. During a period in middle school, I often hated myself and felt like the world hated me as well. I often complained about why I was so chubby, why I was so useless and why was everyone so mean to me. However, I never appreciated what presents God has got me: a great family, the opportunity to do anything I want, and most important, the fact that I never had to worry about survival issues. Thankfully, my blaming self is now gone. Maybe growing up, being able to play volleyball and sing as well as encountering different experiences in life has helped me become a more positive person. I now finally understand that surviving in the past and present is not as easy for everyone. Indeed, the time has changed, but problems that threaten people’s survival still exist. One of the most known problems that threaten teenagers is education. With numerous workload and stress, some students would choose to commit suicide. Maybe it was because of their high self-expectations or their parent’s expectations that caused this.

As a student at UBC, I am really thankful. I would not have been able to study here and meet so many friends if my parents were not able to support me financially and mentally. Even though I still face stress and challenges as everyone else does in university, I will remind myself of the positive aspects of life and encourage myself to “stay strong no matter what.” This short quote applies to everyone, and I hope that all of my classmates would be happy even if they are facing some hard times at university.

 

p.s. If you’re feeling blue, you can always watch my YouTube video below for some POSITIVE VIBES!!