Jarod Yong

This week, I will embark on a soul-seeking journey across the US with the Millennial Trains Project .     From July 31 to August 7, I will be away on a transcontinental train journey across the US together with the most amazing individuals from around the world . During my journey, I will: 1) Learn about efforts to bridge educational disparities  in undeserved communities (low income, minority, refugee, immigrant, etc). I will visit individual/s, school/s or organisation/s, learn the what, why, & how of their program/s, & share everything I've learned online so that my fellow educators around the world can benefit too. 2) Propose a  Youth Video Exchange Project  between students in the US & Malaysia . I want to be able to give back to the cities that I'm visiting. Something that will be useful to them. Therefore, I will invite the teachers in those cities to mentor a team of their students in this video exchange project. He...

This method is legal too! =D Very important because you don't want to be blocked from the game from using one of those hacks . Also, you don't know what those hackers will do with your login information.       If you have read some of the guides online like this one , you would have been mislead. Because they probably cut & paste each other without having played the game & understanding how the Gym Reward system actually works. I read all of them & was mislead for a very long time until I was enlightened by a trainer untainted with such misinformation. In this blog post, I share a way for even a low-level trainer with low-CP pokémon to get free pokécoins legally.

from millennialtrain.co Whoever designed this cabin is a genius!       I am very honored to announce that I will be one of the 50 millennials accepted into the very selective  Millennial Trains Project  (MTP). This year, there are 2 journeys with 25 participants each: Change & Unity . Basically, the MTP is a whole new way to conference. Participants take part in talks & workshops from distinguished mentors inside a metallic retro train slowly moving across the US. We'll be able to pick the best minds in the US. Furthermore, the train will also make several stops along the way where participants will get the chance to learn from local leaders/organisations as well as run a personal project during those stopovers. My project involves going to  Pittsburgh ,  Chicago ,  Albuquerque ,  Kansas City , &  Los Angeles : 1) Learn about efforts to bridge disparities in education with at-risk communities (low income, minorit...

          Early in the game, pretty much anything you do will result in a level up. You'll probably get up to level 15 before you start to feel that the game get draggy. I pretty much stumbled my way onto level 15 pretty quickly just by exploring the game & the pokémon available nearby. Then, I started to feel the game drag. It was a long time before I leveled up again. Think about it: Every pokémon you catch only provides 100 experience points (XP). In order to collect the 20,000 XP required to level up, I'll have to catch 200 pokémon! Needless to say, it was a real pain! So, I formed a strategy which helped me to advance through the levels pretty quickly. Here, I share the strategy. This is something I wish I knew when I first started playing. I hope that this will help you to level up faster than I did!

I really need your help to spread the word. If you think that this project will be beneficial to the youth in either country, please share. Let's make this viral. REGISTRATION CLOSED Once upon a time, a handwritten parchment was a cherished means of bringing people together. It is still low-cost & easily accessible so, for many years, I used it for a meaningful writing project which connected the beautiful children at my secluded school deep in the jungles of Borneo with those in other parts of Malaysia. I've seen first-hand how both sides benefited from the exchange & gained so much from each other even though the exchange was merely intra-national. Despite coming to the US as a Fulbright scholar , my heart has always been with the children in Malaysia: What can I do to help them develop into wholesome global citizens ? Also, as a guest to the United States, I've also been wondering what I could offer to this country that has so graciously hosted me at...

On July 7 2016, an invited panel of current & alumni  Fulbrighters spoke at the Writer's Workshop for High School Students by Sarah Lawrence College , Yonkers Public Schools , & Fulbright NY . Panelists: Mariam Farooqi (Pakistan), Mir Hassan (Pakistan), Tony Spanakos (US Fulbright Alumnus to Brazil/Venezuela), Jarod Yong (Malaysia), & Josephine Dorado (President of Fulbright NY).         For more than 15 years, Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) has held this 5-day Writer's Workshop for High School Students. This program aims to provide a safe environment for participants to experience writing in a non-competitive, & non-judgmental environment while encouraging risk, exploration, and adventure in the creative process. Every day, participants take part in writing & theater workshops led by performance artists, writers, & poets. The third day of the workshop is International day. This is when participants are encouraged to tak...

Who can say no to this face? Pikachu is excited to join you too!         I started playing Pokémon Go last night & nabbed Pikachu as my first pokémon! How did I do it? It's very simple. ANYONE can do it! Also, it might just be the most important thing to do first in the game!

Gooroo : a service designed to help people find the best tutors in their city.    I recently learned about Gooroo  on Facebook & signed up as a gooroo out of curiosity. Little did I know, I'd be contacted by the startup & invited to have coffee with them at their office in New York City! During the meeting, they took a 1 minute video for my Gooroo profile & fed me all the donuts & bananas I could carry. They have kept in touch & also referred several potential clients to me. Honestly, I feel like I'm an actual part of the organisation instead of an outsider & very taken cared of. In this blog post, I will share about how I became a gooroo. If you're a poor student like me & interested in making a little pocket money on the side, this is the solution for you! It's really easy. The only criterion is you need to be in New York. There are no signup or subscription fees.

To tell you the truth, it was a real pain in the beehind. *ouch* If you're an international student, let me save you A TON of trouble by telling you to STAY IN CAMPUS HOUSING at least for your first year while you familiarize yourself with different areas of the city & the legal requirements of renting. If you think that campus housing is too expensive, compare it to the median rent chart here  & Craigslist listings in the area. As international students, we don't meet 2 fundamental qualifying criteria: 1. a good  credit score 2. an income of at least 40x monthly rent Tenants in New York have many laws protecting  their rights . Therefore, landlords are wary of bad tenants and have imposed strict requirements to protect themselves. Also, in New York, there is more demand than supply, so it's a landlord's market. Believe me, there are plenty of people desperate enough to sign a lease for a horrible apartment. Also, there will be many unreasonable...