Daily Life Unanswered Questions FAQ

Communication & Social ​

1. What should I do if a language school doesn't reply to my email? ​

First, confirm whether the email was properly received by the school. Check that you used the official contact address from the school's website (not an agent's), and look in your spam folder for any auto-reply. No reply within 3 working days is common.

Second, try multiple channels. Language schools in Japan, Korea, etc. usually have an international office or Chinese-speaking staff. Call the school directly or use instant messaging tools like WhatsApp. You can also leave a public message on their official social media (Facebook, Instagram) – schools often respond quickly to maintain reputation.

Third, seek third-party help. If you applied through an agent, ask them to follow up. If direct, contact the education section of the country's embassy in China or local education authorities. Keep all records (email screenshots, call logs) for potential complaints or rights protection.

Finally, if no response after 7 working days, call the school's main switchboard and ask for the international office, or ask a local friend to visit the front desk. Some schools may have technical issues with email; phone confirmation is most reliable.

2. Are people really too busy to reply to messages for a whole day? ​

Yes, it's very common. Workplace and psychology research shows that "delayed messaging" has become a normal phenomenon in digital-age social interaction; non-reply does not equal disregard.

Three main types of "busy":

1. Job nature prevents immediate response: Doctors (in surgery), pilots (flying), programmers (deep coding), lawyers (in court) – these high-focus professions deliberately delay checking non-urgent messages. Studies show that after interruption, it takes an average of 23 minutes to re-enter a deep work state, so many choose to process messages in batches.

2. Message urgency grading: People subconsciously evaluate urgency. For example, messages like "You there?" with no real content are often deferred, while those with clear action items (e.g., "Confirm 3pm meeting room") get faster replies. Social psychology calls this "message value judgment."

3. Social battery management: Some (especially introverts) enter a "low battery" state after intensive social interaction and need time to recharge. Studies show over 65% of professionals admit to not replying to messages outside work hours due to "social fatigue."

For important matters, use a double confirmation method of "phone + message" to avoid communication breakdowns due to delayed replies.

Gardening & Household ​

3. Is rice water a good fertilizer? ​

Untreated rice water applied directly is harmful. Three main risks:

• Root burn: Starch and protein in rice water ferment in soil, generating heat that burns roots.
• Attracts insects: Unfermented organic matter attracts fungus gnats and pests that lay eggs in soil.
• Acidification & compaction: Long-term use lowers soil pH and hardens the top layer, impairing root respiration.

Correct usage:

1. Ferment: Put rice water in a sealed container (plastic bottle or bucket), place in sunlight, leave a tiny gap (or open daily to release gas), ferment for 1–2 weeks until liquid turns yellow and smells sour.
2. Dilute: Mix fermented rice water with water at 1:10 ratio (1 part fertilizer liquid : 10 parts water) before use to avoid over-concentration.
3. Suitable plants: Mainly supplies nitrogen, good for foliage plants like pothos, spider plant, and monstera; for flowering plants (e.g., roses, jasmine) you need additional phosphorus and potassium – rice water alone is insufficient.

Avoid using on succulents, cacti, or other drought-tolerant plants, as well as plants in flowering or seedling stages.

Philosophy & Science ​

4. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? ​

The answer: the egg came first.

This classic paradox has a modern scientific resolution from two perspectives:

Evolutionary biology perspective: Species evolve gradually. At some point, two "proto-chickens" (not modern chickens) or their close relatives reproduced, and a genetic mutation occurred in their offspring embryo, which possessed all the traits of a modern chicken. This first individual carrying chicken DNA existed in the form of an egg before hatching – therefore, the egg that hatched the first chicken came before the first chicken.

Scientific consensus: A joint study by the University of Sheffield and the University of Warwick (2010) from a protein chemistry angle found that eggshell formation depends on a protein called ovocleidin-17 (OC-17), which is produced by the chicken's ovary. This finding was widely reported as "chicken first," but it was merely a study on eggshell formation, not a refutation of evolution. Evolutionary biologists generally agree that the study was oversimplified in media; the egg-first view is the mainstream consensus in evolutionary biology.

Philosophical extension: If you ask "where did that first egg come from?" – that goes beyond science into the philosophical problem of infinite regress, similar to questions about the origin of the universe, which logically has no solution.

Sources & References ​

• Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) study abroad help: jasso.go.jp
• Korea National Institute for International Education: studyinkorea.go.kr
• APA report on digital communication stress: apa.org
• HBR article on deep work and messaging: hbr.org
• Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences – Home Composting Guide
• American Horticultural Society (AHS) compost safety: ahsgardening.org
• University of Sheffield/Warwick ovocleidin-17 study (Nature, 2010)
• UC Berkeley 'Introduction to Evolution' materials: evolution.berkeley.edu