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Hey guys - this is Tong Ling, a rising senior in China. I was raised in an underdeveloped city, went to high school in a medium-sized city, and am currently living in the capital of China. It is surprisingly interesting and beneficial to my own experiences to live in such different cities, especially as I have always been an zealot observer and story collector. I would like to share two interview projects I initiated this year. The first one is called 99 Bodies Reflection. Teenagers are likely to experience depression because they dislike their own bodies. What I’ve been trying to do is to find and interview people online who have struggled or are struggling to overcome negative moods towards their perceived body image - while also opening dialogue on the topic. In another project, I am interviewing gay men who married females across China about the decision-making process, the everyday struggle, and the vision for the future. One of them had no idea about homosexuality before marriage and came out to his wife after recognizing himself gay. Surprisingly, they are still together and have found their own marriage pattern. These voices enable me to see how diversely people lead their lives, outside of what I’m accustomed to. Throughout months of attentively listening, the picture of how humans’ lives work is getting clearer to me and making me more empathetic, in the light of those genuine voices. As a TeenzTalk Peer Leader, I hope to let every human-being’s voice be heard and build a bridge for people in different communities and ultimately create a world in which no one has to hide or pretend anything. Teens, like us, talk and learn from each other through TeenzTalk.
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