Living in New York City, I take a lot of things for granted, especially things that provide me convenience. I tend to think that I deserve what is around me and the absence of such conveniences is unacceptable. Everything from modern cellphone technologies to infrastructures such as the New York City subway system, provide convenience to my life as well as the lives of millions of other New Yorkers. I couldn’t imagine not being able to take a train anywhere I wanted, or not having good cell phone reception at all times. The STEM field (or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) plays a huge role in providing this convenience for people.
Arriving in China, I was fortunate to discover that the country is modern enough in all its major cities to provide the same conveniences that I’ve grown accustomed to in New York City. The countryside, however, is a whole different story. Basic necessities like electricity, water filtration, and cellphone services are available, of course. However, more luxurious conveniences are not, such as high speed internet and Wi-Fi, public transportation, and in some cases, paved roads and sidewalks. Imagine what a mad-house New York City would be without paved roads for cars to drive on and sidewalks for pedestrians to walk on!
