At five, I started getting ear infections. When I got a third infection, my parents couldn’t afford the treatment. I went deaf in my fight ear and was left with 20 percent hearing in my left at last. My doctors predicted that I would be thoroughly deaf but I’m not.

There was always music on in my house in my childhood. My dad was a DJ, so he played different kinds of music home and abroad. For my 18^th birthday, my dad asked me to deejay at the restaurant he owned. After doing that for a few weeks, I desired to learn more. I e-mailed DJ Shiftee, a distinguished New York City DJ: “ I know you like a challenge. How about teaching a deaf person to deejay?” He wrote back, “Challenge accepted.” He tutored me, helping me develop correct technique. I practiced four hours a day.

Now when I’m performing, muscle memory takes over. When I started, I wouldn’t tell the club managers that I was deaf. I would just shop up, introduce myself, and start playing music. They were always so astonished to hear I was a deaf DJ. Sometimes I would bring doctor’s notes to prove it. It was a comfort that they were giving me opportunities to perform because I was brilliant, not out of sympathy. Eventually people started calling me “ that deaf DJ”, and the name stuck.

What fascinates me most about deejaying is the creativity. I use software that turns the music into lines of color on a computer screen. I’m visually hearing the music. That is, cover your ears, and you’re able to hear the music in a different way. Music is not all about hearing. I play all sorts of get- togethers now. I also go to elementary schools for the deaf and talk to the students about motivation and believing in themselves. I’m big on talking to the parents. I tell them, “ My advice to you is let your kids chase their dreams. I’m a deaf DJ, so why not?”

Gahriela worked for a multinational company as a successful project manager in Brazil. Later she was transferred to manage a team in Sweden. She was excited about her new role but soon realized that managing her new team would be a challenge.

Despite their friendliness, Gabriela didn’t feel respected as a leader. Her new staff would question her proposals openly in meetings, and when she gave them instructions on how to carry out a task, they would often go about is in their own way without checking with her. When she announced her decisions on the project, they would continue giving their opinions as if it was still up for discussion.

What Gabriela was experiencing was a culture shock in expectations. Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede uses the concept of “power distance” to describe how power is distributed (分布) in different cultures. In her previous work environment, Gabriela was used to a high power distance culture where power is respected. In such a culture, leaders make the big decisions and are not often challenged. Her Swedish team, however, were used to working in a low power distance culture where employees often work together with their bosses to find solutions and make decisions. Here, leaders act as coaches who encourage independent thought and expect to be challenged.

When Gabriela became aware of the cultural differences between her and her team, she had an open conversation with them about their feelings about her leadership.

Pleased to be asked for their thoughts, Gabriela’s team openly expressed that they were not used to being told what to do. They enjoyed having more room for initiative and creative freedom. When she told her team exactly what she needed them to do, they felt that she didn’t trust them to do their job well.

With a better understanding of the underlying reasons behind each other’s behaviour, Gabriela was able to make adjustments to her management style. Finally, she effectively motivated her team to achieve their goals.

A boy was sitting on a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly saying his praise to God, “God is great!” He shouted without worrying whether anyone heard him or not.

Shortly after, along came a young man who had recently completed his studies at a local university. Being eager to show his knowledge, he asked the boy why he was so happy.

“Hey,” asked the boy in return with a bright laugh, “don’t you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle.”

The young man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to try to open his eyes to the ‘realities’ of the miracles of the Bible. “That can be very easily explained. Modern science has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10 inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelis to walk across.”

The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible. The man, satisfied that he had taught a poor, naïve (天真的) young boy something, turned to go.

After the man had taken two steps, the boy began to feel happy and praise lauder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for this renewed happiness.

“Wow!” shouted the boy happily. “God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning (溺死) the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!”