It's a "Pure Planet."

“hello! What's your name? “Pen-Yuan Hsing.” "What?" is the first thing I hear after I see the expression. Starting school in the United States with no knowledge of English and returning to Taiwan three years later with no knowledge of any Chinese characters is hardly the best situation for integrating into society. When it came to social gatherings, I was the one who sat alone in the corner, rarely engaged in conversation, and generally felt left out. I was the "non-citizen."

As a freshman at Lishan High School, I decided to join the Earth Science Club because I had always been fascinated by astronomy, which was the club's main topic that year. I didn't aware that the weekly meeting time of our club was also an elective Earth Science course that students from other high schools might attend. I had no idea how much this arrangement would change my life.

An earth science student from a nearby institution approached me towards the end of the first semester. For an environmental survey of Taiwan's Keelung coast, Taipei Wetnet, she asked if I wanted to join her. I paused for a bit because I'd never had to react to an invitation before. When the words "Sure, what time?" escaped my lips without warning, I was taken aback.

As a result of the three years I spent in Taipei Wetnet, I gained a close friend, understanding of environmental issues, and probably most importantly, a network of people who shared my passion for saving our planet. My first scholarly article at a conference on environmental education was presented a year after I was exposed to this organization. This experience has taught me that I don't have to be the quiet one in the corner, and that I have something to say to others. My fears are unfounded.

That terrible day has haunted me ever since I made the decision to accept her proposal. Why was she attracted to him? Another possibility is that she was instrumental in "turning the switch" on a part of myself that had always wanted to come out. This life-changing encounter and the lessons I gleaned from it are what I desire to impart to the rest of humanity.

Maybe there's someone more hiding in the shadows out there, just waiting to be discovered. A switch that's ready to be pushed. All you have to do is find it, switch it, and the world will be a little bit brighter and cozier.