A bit cynical, but not too much, I hope.

This is the last day of 2007. On my way to the class, I heard many people discuss where they wanna be in the countdown party. I never even consider crowding into Taipei101 my plan, for I think it’s somewhat stupid to do a thing simply because businessmen create such an idea. Don’t get me wrong, I said if you think it’s interesting, that will be fine; but if you go there just because your peers do, then you really are a born sucker.

Still, I am faced with a dilemma: I personally think it’s best to start a new year with families, but as the finals are getting closer, I do not want to waste all the good work so far by missing out the chance to study. After a long struggle, I decide to stay at school and focused on my works.

Prison Break

My parents seem to really get into Prison Break lately. It all started when my dad borrow the first DVD from his colleagues, and then after gobbled down all the episodes in the first season, they started to consumed the second season yesterday.

Prison break is an American TV series originally broadcasted on Fox channel. The story revolves around a man who was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and his brother's elaborate plan to help him escape his death sentence. The story line is somewhat complicated and it often depicts the life of the marginalizers. I haven’t watched this film yet, but I think the storyline is sort of genius.

The endnote of 2007

2007 is finally come to an end.

All the madness, pride and prejudice had been washed away. At least I am coming clean inside. But from the realistic point of view, the hardship continues and more tears and toils are going to spread on the years to come. I know, I know, it’s a heavy way to start a new posting, and it’s a heavy way to start a new year, but simply 2008 isn’t aspirin, being there doesn’t solve the problem automatically.

But after saying all these dismal staff, at least I am still there in a new year. I’ve told myself endless times: I still have to muster up all the courage and roll the dice of destiny in my life. I will be persistent to the end, if there is an end.

Miles to go before I sleep

Endlessly every time I think: Finally I am the master of my life. There are always some unpredictable reasons then I make a slip, then the life I want seems so far away again. Don’t get me wrong: I am a person with strong faith. Most of the time I can bear the life just fine and I’ve been through more downfall than average people in this age. But this time I just hope things is going to be a bit more promising than it is. The road is winding and the mist is deep. I just want some guidance from above.
This poem utterly grasp how I feel.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

Destination Australia

This winter vacation I’m gonna fly down under to unwind. My friend Nick promises the rest is all on him once I pay the plane ticket. This is a great opportunity to jump out of the emotional downhill I am experiencing now.

We might spent the majority of my stay exploring the labyrinths of Sydney and window-shopping in Victoria department store. Then in the evening we might enjoy playing Diablo together. What a luxurious life! But firstly I’ve got to prepare some gift for him and his family. That’s a bit nerve-racking.

Holy night, library night!

Last night I am extremely busy. Accordingly, I don't seem to have the spirit to party up. Due to the fact that the semester is driving to its end, I have to gear myself up for the last testimony. Don't blame me if i choose to "larvish" holy night on piles of books. In merely 3 weeks the final exam is gonna sculpture the final shape of my grades. This thought simply is scary enough. So after studying what I supposed to study last night, I feel a strange satisfaction rising above inside me. At least I am still the artificer of my life in the holy night.

HERO

Yesterday I watched HERO episode1. It somehow strengthens my determination to become an executioner in the future. Although I am in the wrong department now, probably I can fix it in just a few months.

Now back to the drama, hero is a great hit back in 2000. The leading character was played by Kimura, who was so young back then. I considered it’s a great chance to know more about executioner and its working environs. Of course it’s more dramatic in a drama than real life and we must discern the difference, but it still made my pulse quicken when I think of such a interesting profession.

I will change the course I’m running now. Cross my heart and hope to die！

Definitely the Coldest winter

My parents went to see me yesterday. Deep in my mind, there are great many things I want to say, but strangely I oppressed the feeling of shouting out all those secrets in front of them. I understand that after this semester things are going to be clearer to me---whether I had the luck to fix up what I blow up during this summer vacation.

I hate to add pressure on my parents, but I find it hard to take it all on my own. Don’t get me wrong! They’ve already known what I am thinking inside. What they don’t know is that it pushes me so hard that sometimes I think the Armageddon probably has arrived. No matter what I said here, the only thing I can do is keep carrying the burdens now. I will be patient, In the end, God will bless me.

Where the heck is the track?

Today I grab the first chance to use the treadmill in these two weeks. I’ve been hiding in Library studying the approaching exam for a couple of days, when I tread back to the dorms I always find the treadmills occupied by others.

When facing with a situation like this, I often choose to jog around the campus for 20 minutes. To be frank, I found jogging in school campus rather painful, for the ground is too hard for my knees. Shamefully, Sanshia campus has been established for some time, but the track still is no where to be seen. That’s far from thoughtful to the students and the community .

Gourmet and more

I am a big fan of Japanese cuisine. When I was little, I consumed endless cuisine mengas and gourmet TV programs. There is no more luxurious way of exploring a culture than beginning with a gourmet hunt. I began my journey with sushi.

For me, sushi is a sound start, for it is a great opportunity to learn the characteristics of different seafood at the same time. After a year or two sorely in love with sushi, I move on to la mian (hand-pulled noodles).

For me, tasting la mian is a complete different story. When tasting a bowl of la mian, I often ask myself what is the component of the stock, and later on, why is the noodle in this stand chewier than other stands. Asking these questions somehow improve my knowledge of prepackaged or even packaged food, and more importantly, it’s more fun eating when you consider yourself an expert.

Water matters in Au election

Finally, I steal some time reading a bit of magazine today, what interested me is a section about water shortages influencing the outcome of Australian election. Labors keep focusing on economic issues, after all, with a record like John Howard, economy is the nuclear weapon that help him survive his tenure.

Liberal choose to stay ’ green’ in order to compete with John Howard. Candidate of Liberals (Now the president of Au) keep on trumpet signing Kyoto Treaty, but privately, he is still full of rhetoric. What tickled Australia if is to sign Kyoto Treaty is that Countries like China and India are going to gain the edges in the coal industry. What the politicians are saying is true, but sadly, the world has grown too competitive to my liking.

Stuck in the middle......

I feel a bit tired lately, not just because I have not even started to enjoy college life since the end of summer time---it’s more than that. I understand it’s quite important to make myself happy everyday, but it’s the crunch time for me to decide what I really want to do in the future, so simply I feel confused and out of place most of the time.

No one can help me jump out of this predicament now, I am sure. The only thing I can do is be patient, and let time go by. Although the time to make choice is driving near, it’s maddening to sit here and remain, simply, helpless.

Some cliche on reading

I love reading. I think most of us make this announcement before, but strangely the statement above does not apply to every stage in our life. Probably because of the stress of studying for school subjects, outside reading sometimes seems so distant to students in high school. Sadly, adolescence is the most crucial time for character-forming and soul-exploring, and most of us simply lack the chance to open the door to self-understanding. That’s probably one of the reasons the many college students now do not have the motivation to make self study a life-long habit, which may prove to be more valuable than most of the knowledge we acquire in school education. That 's probably a cliche, but it's true.

Any one of us(stupid mistake)

I've been letting you down, down
Girl I know I've been such a fool
Giving in to temptation
I should have played it cool
The situation got out of hand
I hope you understand
It can happen to anyone of us
Anyone you think of
Anyone can fall
Anyone can hurt someone they love
Hearts will break
'Cos I made a stupid mistake
It can happen to anyone of us
Say you will forgive me
Anyone can fail
Say you will believe meI can't take, my heart will break
'Cos I made a stupid mistake A stupid mistake

This is one of Gareth Gates's hits. It echoes how I feel inside.

There was a time that I now realise I was so pointless in my life. I do not have an clear goal I can pursue endlessly, and I just keep on blaming why things don’t work out for me. Thus formed the vicious cycle that plagued me for at least half a year.

Since I was away from home, I often explore the depths of my soul and think of some heavy stuff I seldom considered before, and admittedly, I can’t express how regretful I am to those rebellious days. Sarcastically, there is always the silver lining. Those soul-exploring has made me a better person I could hardly realize half year ago. Even though I am confident that I am more mature and considerate to others now, I dare not forget the mistakes I made in the first place. If I don’t understand myself in the past, there is always the obligation to fix it right now, and probably, there are rainbows lie in the future. I will always pray to god, but realizing here on earth god’s work must be our own.

Farewell to thou

My friend Nick had just taken China Airline home today. A month had passed. So soon.

When we were saying farewell to each other, it struck me that the wheel of time turns in a way that’s both merciful and merciless to all mankind. A month ago Nick had just paid a visit to my home and we were just rekindling our friendship, and now it’s time for us to be back to where we should be.

To think of our life positively, through tears and toils we can fight trough the toughest time in our life with the pass of time; on the contrary, time and tide wait for no man, so no matter how well we use our time there is always an end to everything. There is neither eternity nor fixed point in this world. But there is no turning back, we can only stride forward. And there are miles to go before I sleep. Miles.

Seeing Red!

Forgive me if I am being cynical here. It really struck me dead when I ‘comprehend’ the fact that I only got 72 on Economics. I have invested more on Economics than any other subjects except Accounting; frankly, I am seeing red when realizing what I put into had just burned to ashes. Why do I care so much about merely a school subject? Good question.

In my previous posting I had mentioned probably dept of accounting doesn’t suit me that well, and it is best if I get myself ready when there are some other opportunity to make some amends. Secondly, a less practical yet often ignored idea: I think attitude is very important in leading a meaningful life. If I do well on the common things now, there is greater chance of completing bigger tasks in my life time.

I do hope there are some mistakes occurred when the instructor is filling in my grades, but I know the chance is rather dim. Now, the burden is heavier, for I can’t afford to fail next time.

Exam fever---again!

Oh, gosh! This Thursday is gonna be such a horrible test day. In just 1.5 weeks the instructor has barreled over 3 chapters, and is ready to give us a test on what she just taught!

I had been working like a dog trying to catch up on the lesson last week, and stunningly, this week I found myself lagging behind the lessons again. Actually, I pride myself on solving many lengthy accounting problems last Friday; for I thought I had just finished previewing the new chapter. What I did not know is actually I just finished reviewing the lesson.

I realize probably it’s best to set up a study schedule which I used in high school. Although I am not steadfast enough to keep on writing a diary, I dare to say I am realistic enough to jot down a very useful goal which may prove valuable in the future.

Burning candles at both ends

These day it seems that I just don’t have enough time to juggle the tasks of getting my report done and brushing up on piles of school subjects. This worries me sometimes, for I understand the preparing final exams are going to be a lot more time-consuming than the previous ones. Upon my calculation, it would be best if I can finish my Buddhist Art report within 2 weeks, then I still have another 3 weeks to concentrate my energy on final exam. But in actuality, I realize that accomplishing the report within 2 weeks would be a Hercules task, for during this period I have to prepare my Accounting and Calculus exams as well.
Fine, if things got to be done, it shall be done accordingly. I will do my best.

A new ace in Post-Matsuzaka era

It is the week of Asian Baseball Championship, so I want to write about a new prospect in NPB(Probably not a prospect, cause he is too famous to be a prospect now).

Darvish, a Iranian-Japanese baseball starting pitcher, is listed as 196cm and 85 kg, which give him great advantages over other pitchers in NPB. Last year, I still think Darvish only use his inborn advantages to scare off some hitters in NPB, for he used and control breaking balls poorly. With a fastball hanging in the early 90s and a poorly controlled breaking ball, he is just a ‘potential’ ace for Hokkaido Nippon Ham fighters.

But after one season, this year I found Darvish really is able to improve himself in such a short time. With a more versatile pitching, he is 15W5L with a 1.82 ERA in 2006 to 2007 season.

After the leaving of Matsuzaka and the ongoing injuries of Saito, Darvish certainly is the one that carries the honor of the ace of Japan now.

Cross the road?

I dig into library to study Accounting, Calculus and Economics almost every day. Up to this point, I still doubt department of accounting is really my destiny, therefore, it’s quite a practical approach to climb up to the tops of this department so I have more options if dept. of accounting doesn’t work out for me.

When I was in high school, there wasn’t much doubt on what department we should get into in the future, for we simple knew too little about university. Most of us announced we want to get into ‘business department’, but actually there is no ‘business department’. What we have are some more specific choices: Business Administration, Accounting……

What struck me now is why I did not consider dept. of law all along. After consulting with a few people with experiences like this, I understand I am not the only fool in this world, and people really are blind sometimes.

While things look quite clear for some other people, I am certainly in the crossroad of my life.
Be vigilant, the moment to make choices is drawing near……

In the mirror

Looking into the mirror,I wonder who is that boy staring straight at me.

Sometimes, I don’t even know myself.
It is quite pathetic to know so little about who I am before I got into college. If I still want to be the master of my life, there is no other way than keep asking my self difficult questions now. Instead directly asking myself who I am, probably it’s best asking what I want to be. Instead of asking what I want to be, it’s more pragmatic to ask what I want.

I am not too ambitious. I worry about not being too ambitious sometimes.
I am not too adventurous. I worry about not being too adventurous sometimes.

But I have to be true to my heart, I tend to choose stability over growth. At an age like this, stability is torturously hard to maintain.

A brief introduction of Elton John

Elton Hercules John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 march ,1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist.

Musical Style and Voice

1. In the 1970s, Elton John's sound immediately set him apart from most others by being piano-based in a rock 'n' roll world dominated by guitars.

2. His songs often use a slowly building crescendo that brings the song to a climax.

3. John also has a distinctive vocal style. In particular, his phrasing is often a bit metronomic.

4. In his classic period in the 1970s, Elton sometimes swept up from his normal tenor into a versatile falsetto.

Lyrics to Can you feel the love tonight

There's a calm surrender

To the rush of day

When the heat of the rolling world

Can be turned away

An enchanted moment

And it sees me through

It's enough for this restless warriorJust to be with you

And can you feel the love tonight?

It is where we are

It's enough for wide eyed wanderer

That we got this farAnd can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest

It's enough to make kings and vagabonds

Believe the very best

There's a time for ev'ryone

If they only learn

That the twisting kaleidoscope

Moves us all in turn

There's a rhyme and reason

To the wild outdoors

When the heart of this star-crossed voyager

Beats in time with yours

And can you feel the love tonight?

It is where we are

It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer

That we got this far

And can you feel the love tonight

How it's laid to rest?

It's enough to make kings and vagabonds

Believe the very best

It's enough to make kings and vagabonds

Believe the very best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkGDrV_2ehI

Slower, yet smarter

Age certainly is another part of wisdom. When I was younger, I practiced playing baseball with my mates all the time. I was the pitcher most of the time, so I invest loads of time thinking of ways to make my pitching more powerful. At that time, throwing breaking ball troubled me greatly, so I mainly focused on enhancing the speed of my four-seam fastball. No matter under what situation, fastball was the only option when facing hitters or, more serious problems in my life.

Right now, because of the lack of weight training, my fastball probably is not as fast as it was. Yet age still grants me something called experience.

Right now when facing hitters, I am able to confuse them with a couple of breaking balls like shooter, slider, fork, or even slow curve. And most important of all, experience taught me to be more patient and observant while facing difficulties, whether in playing baseball or journeying through life.








shooter









Fork

New vision

This Saturday I went to National Palace Museum to prepare my report. The exhibition I focused on is called”New Vision at the Ch’ing Court ‘, which mainly depicts how western-style painting came to influence the tradition of Chinese painting. The hero at this exhibition is Giuseppe Castiglione, who is considered one of the most talented and well known missionary-painters.

His paintings present a very intriguing feature that’s worth mentioning---The mix of western painting technique with Chinese one. For example, while using western perspective to draw animals, he chose to paint the background in Chinese way.

It certainly offers us a new vision to look at things.

Fighdo

The exam fever is finally over. But other duties are still on my shoulder. I am not too comfortable to announce what my responsibility really is here. But it is some thing that keeps reminding me how humble I should be right now. What has to be done must be done. No matter what is going to block my path, I still have to keep on fighting and dreaming. If needed be, I will be a trailblazer and cut down things which are trying to impede me.

Combuy and Fighdo！(Japanese)

Too cynical to do any good

The end of midterm exam is finally within the horizon. I have been working extremely hard preparing for this exam, for admittedly, I feel somewhat guilty for my college entrance exam. Why? Because I know I work hard for an average student at that time, but if I want to achieve excellence like some of my classmates in my high school, my contribution is far from enough. The main reason I probably did not live up to other people’s expectations is that simply I am a true pessimist at that time. I was unwilling to face the exams and complained a lot too many for my age. Although it is partly understandable that after high school entrance exam, students have the right to be afraid of another 3 years of transmigration, but it really hurts to see myself failing to do my best in the face of my whole family.

What’s been done has been done. And there’s always the silver lining.
I know:
I will never let another chance slip away. I will be more vigilant from this time.
I will break through all these chains and live up to my true potential.
Although I can’t change the past, I will shape my own future.
And nothing is gonna stop me now.

An unforgettable voice---Naotaro

It is never easy for me to become a fan of a particular singer. And I am still not a fan of Naotaro Moriyama.

But, these days I find his music inspiring. He is not handsome enough to merely use his face to earn his living. But because of his gorgeous falsetto, his albums have been a hit in the dismal market in Japan. His greatest hit is Sakura, a song that makes my soul tremble again and again. Besides Sakura, his new song kazemachi kosaten is also quite a success both in Taiwan and Japan.

Naotaro singing Sakura

Murphy's Law

This week we paid a visit to Fo Guang Shan Jin Guang Ming Temple in Buddhist Art course. No until I got into the temple did I realize how big the whole places are. In actuality, the buildings are merely 5stories, but the dinning rooms, the plaza and the hall all look strangely dominant to me. The first thing I learn in this trip is that looks can be deceiving.

Due to a bit of misunderstanding, the monks show us around in a way that did not correspond to our schedule. So after we toiled around the temple for 2hours and 30 minutes, the chance of catching up the bus I planed to take equals zero. So I wait and wait and wait for the next bus blue45 to arrive and save the day.(Which is scheduled to arrive in 10 more minutes)

After a while, the instructor decided to drive us to the main road, and told us it’s a lot easier to catch a bus there. But it took me another half hour to get one.
Alas! Murphy’s Law.

Killing two birds with one stone

This week is the week of midterm exams. But fortunately I still find a way to keep on writing my blog while preparing for midterms: Friday I have to sit for my English midterm, and the teacher mentioned she would probably put a series of question about Olympic in the exam. And I decide to practice answering one of the questions(the mostly likely one) and post it in my blog.

The following question appeared in Mosaic,

What are the problems and controversies we are facing in modern Olympic?

Ans: Political problems, Nationality have long plagued the games. In the modern society, whether shemales have the right to compete in the fields also confuses many regulators. And the most serious challenge the Olympic is encountering is the doping problem, the problem has never been solved to this day.

I'll finally get there. This I swear.

Two days ago my friend Nick Wei has just finished his college entrance exam in Australia. Yesterday he arrived in Taiwan and paid my family a visit. Nick has always been my friend since we were in the 3 grade of elementary school. When we were first grader in junior high, most of the members in his family (With his father back in Taiwan dealing with money issue) migrated to Sydney.

Unfortunately, today I got to go to Sanshia and keep on living in the school dorm. It really pains me to realize I can’t be there when a true friend arrived. I hate the fact that I had to be here for so long. I really blame my self for not able to do what I want to do.

I have to find a way to turn things around. I will keep on going.

Fighting all alone......TOGETHER

How to save the earth from partial or even total destruction by mankind? It certainly is a mission impossible for a single person. And it is never realistic to expect those big companies to turn green in a short time. So the future sounds dismal enough, huh?

Yes, if we keep on exploiting the recourses in this way, Armageddon is not just a nightmare for us; it is a destiny for the next generation yet to come.

But if we try to do the basic thing, we might still have a chance to influence the world around us. We must develop a sense of community. Only so, we realize we often ignore the most important thing that supports us. And by doing so, those who care about the community may not find themselves scattered. If we split asunder, there is little we can achieve; but if we keep a united front, no global company or any government dare to directly repress or marginalize the voice that is going to change the most fatal scenario.

Life, a single and simple solution?

How to make life a more satisfied experience? I don’t have a single answer, but probably there are thousands of ways to make life better

First, do the right thing. If we can put things into perspective, then the chance of getting into undesirable situations may greatly reduce. After all, prevention is better than cure.

Second, do things right. If we can approach things in the right way, then our life will be more efficient, since we control the tempo of our lives.

But most of the time, we make mistakes.
Sometimes we just do things wrong, and every thing seems out of control.
When facing situation like this, it is recommended to save some time for ourselves and, at least, find a way to cope with what’s gonna happen ahead. If it is a situation that we could not offer a solution, then its time to seek guidance from our supporting system---our parents, our peers or even our teachers in the past. When understanding what to do, often it demands us of our brave heart to carry out the plan to turn things around. If we feel lonely fighting alone, it is the moment to let religious into your life. We all know that ‘here on earth, god’s work must be our own ‘. But don’t forget to seek his guidance and blessings beforehand.

Konami Cup 2007

Today, it's the opening of Konami Cup Asia Series. This yearly baseball contests are played between the Champions in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and the Chinese national team. It is a highly anticipated event in Taiwan because the regionization of sport is common in Europe, yet rare in East Asia.

This year the four contestants are Chunchin Dragons from Nippon Professional baseball, Sk Wyverns from Korean Baseball Organization, Uni-President Lions from Taiwan and Chinese national team.

While posting this article, the first game between Uni-President lions and China Star(Chinese national team) has just finished. Although the Lions grabbed the game, it is quite frustrating to see them allow 16hits to China Star(generally speaking the weakest team) . The only thing I dare to hope right now is at least they can try their best when facing Chunchi Dragons(The strongest).

Faith conquers all

Lately, I find my self facing some of the problems that never occur to me before. And constantly I realize life has forced me to explore the dark side of my life. I had to admit I am in the dark valley of my life journey.

'Rejoiced in hope, Patient in tribulation’ is a memo I cling tightly to. This few days, motivational readings have been life savers to me. When I am not at my best in my life, I realize I just have to keep on fighting and be patient at the same time. Faith conquers all. Things will finally work out for me. Yes, it will.

My Sushi experience

When I head home this Friday, my parents and I went to Sushi Express to wind up after a long and somewhat frustrating week. Sushi is one of my favorite food since I was little. Why did I get into Sushi? Okay, I had to admit I fall in love with sushi simply because I read ‘shota no sushi '--- a Japanese manga with clear and vivid description of the art of sushi. Every time I go to Sushi Express, I try reminding myself to calculate how much rice I had gulped in. Most of the time this tactic works just fine, but this week I put this rule behind me and let my hair down……I end up spending all weekend doing sports, getting my fingers crossed I had killed all the calories.

A simple Calories graph I copied from the menu
Type of sushi---Calories
Tuna---78.64
Scads---72
Eel---119.8
Salmon---105.8
Octopus---70.82

Weekly review of my enhancement plan10/28--11/4

Another week has gone, and it’s time for me to review what I have accomplished in the past few days. First, I have to admit that I did not closely stick to my plan this week, for the mid-term exams are drawing near. On the flip side, I still read a lot of English books because three courses(Management, Accounting principles, Calculus) in the department of accounting use English-version textbooks. On improving listening, I spent an hour this week listening to BBC drama (Silverstreet).

What I have done:10/28—11/4
1, Listen to Silverstreet for an hour.
2, Study ‘Management’ 1 hour.
3, Study ‘Accounting Principle’ 2 hour.
4, Study ‘Calculus, an applied approach’ 4 hours.
5, Use fragmented time at dorm and on MRT reading reader’s digest. (Hard to calculate how much time has spent on it.)

Tamshui, a blend with past and present

I’ve been living in school dorm for nearly 2 months, and, honestly, it would be an act of pure hypocrisy to conclude that I do not want to spend some more time home. Then, today I had the epiphany that I should write down some thing about Tamshui---a place not relatively far from here, but still is quite necessary for me to stay in the dorms.

Tamshui, a seaside town with a blend of West and East, offers tourist a lot to see. When I was back home, I could see loads of teenage boys and girls sauntering along the ‘old street’ of Tamshui. The shops in old street have become the most exuberant ones in Taipei county, for tourists never cease to pour in. For those who prefer a cultural feast, Tamshui offers not just a mixed culture but also a combination of modernity and tradition.For example, Fort San Domingo is a great destination for those who want to know what it feels like in a 17century castle. After the visit to the fort and ‘old street’, travelers often end their journey on the riverside where they can watch the stunning sunset which guarantees that a visit to the northeast coast is worthwhile.

Some thing to say after this shaky baseball season

Finally, the baseball season in Taiwan has reached its end. All in all, it’s obvious that CPBL (professional league in Taiwan) had gotten into one of its coldest winter again, for the financial statuses of almost every team are in hot water.

Despite all these glittery ‘exported’ players like Wang, I have never enjoyed watching Taiwanese traveling abroad. Why? Because I believe in order to enhance the overall standard of baseball players in Taiwan, we must produce a lot more young players so we can pick up the best of them. How do we raise both the quality and quantity of our players? We must offer them a future that’s both promising and challenging so the players are willing to risk their future on turning into pros. We have to admit that only the best of the best has the opportunity to sign a contract with either a MLB team or NPB team (Nippon Professional Baseball). Therefore, for those who are interested in turning pros, the future is quite dismal. That is to say, a healthy baseball league in this island is rather beneficial both to the players and the baseball fans.

But I doubt if we’ll get there in a few years.

The MTV for Taiwan Series 2007:http://www.uni-lions.com.tw/2007champ/movie.html#

Homework 3: Revise My Comprehensive English Enhancement Plan (CEEP1.1)

Homework 3: Revise My Comprehensive English Enhancement Plan (CEEP1.1)

Listening
Overall listening comprehension:C1
Understanding conversations between native speakers:B2
Listening to announcements and instructions:C1
Listening to media and recording:C1
Listening as a member of audience:C1 orB2

Reading

Overall reading comprehension:C1
Reading correspondence:C1
Reading for orientation:B2
Reading for information and argument:C1
Reading instructions:C1

Specific Goal

Prepare myself ready for IELTS within 3years. 6.5 will be an appropriate mark.

Overall:6.5(realistic), 7(optimistic)
Listening:8
Reading:8
Speaking:6
Writing:6

General goal
Find a new way to appreciate this culture. Then at that time I will develop a healthier relationship with the language.Specific GoalPrepare myself ready for IELTS within 3years. 6.5 will be an appropriate mark.



Specific Action
(1)Listen to BBC programs (Drama, live show, football season game…etc) at least 20 minutes a day. When listening to the shows, pay additional attention to numbers, places, and idioms native speakers like to use

(2)Attend English class every Friday.

(3)Read Times 10minutes everyday. When reading magazines, try to memorise, or even copy some native usages the idioms, structures or the whole sentences


My strengths and weakness in accomplishing my plan

When carrying out the scheme, I often drive my self overheated. While in the beginning I normally exceed what I plan to do, later on I go too deep in it and start to question whether I had really done enough. Brooding over staff like this makes me anxious all the time and it hinders my progress in my study as well as sucks up the pleasure in acquiring knowledge. On the flip side, due to my earnestness in learning a new thing, I pride my self on outpacing other learners in the progress during the same semester or vacation.

Sakura, an irrepressible love

Sakura, or cherry flower, means more than just a kind of flower. Although sakura represents the transient life of a samurai, it also celebrates the eternal beauty of this spirit. In Japan, sakura-watching can be more than just an entertainment; it can be a cultural event that unites friends, families or even a whole nation.

Because of its tragic beauty, I have long possessed a near-morbid fascination with it. Every time I go through Japanese travel magazines, finding pictures of sakura has become my top priority.

Yoshinoyama(The pictures in this page ) is my favorite sakura-watching spot, for it boasts more than 30,000 cherry trees and 200 kinds of cherry flowers. Yoshinoyama always is a place where heroes come to embrace their tragic endings; no wonder endless literati had come to paid their tributes to this very spirit, this very mountain, this very flower.

My Comprehensive English Enhancement Plan for 2007-2008 School Year

My Comprehensive English Enhancement Plan for 2007-2008 School Year黃文謙

(For the past three years, I had been working like a machine trying to complete the Hercules task of migration to Australia. As my high school year drew to its end, I find out that my fascination with migration is merely a way of running away from the stress of college entrance exam. When I finally realized this plan isn’t going to work out for me, I buried all my passion for English with the past I tried to forget.)

Goal
Find a new way to appreciate this culture. Then at that time I will develop a healthier relationship with the language.

Specific Goal
Prepare myself ready for IELTS within 3years. 6.5 will be an appropriate mark.

Specific Action
(1)Listen to BBC programs (Drama, live show, football season game…etc) at least 20 minutes a day. (2)Attend English class every Friday.(3)Read Times 10minutes everyday.

(Silverstreet2)

先打出Silverstreet的網址 只要連上去就能收聽BBC每週更新的內容
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/asiannetwork_aod.shtml?asiannet/asiansilverstreet_om
The Chauhan family is the one of the most important 'residents' in Silverstreet. In the last 3 years, the Silverstreet storyline centers around this extended family.

我只介紹The Chauhans 畢竟他們是我ㄧ開始聽這部戲最早認識的人物
http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/silverstreet/characters/上有更完整的介紹
以下內容是我從BBC彙整出的簡介
After this brief(?) illustration, I will post some of the situations they face when living in Britain, then we can all think about what we will do under those circumstances.


Jai Dattani (The leftest) Son of Kamla
Despite constantly getting into trouble as a kid, Jai's charm has meant he's always remained his mother's golden boy. A great story-teller and popular with the kids he has a talent for charming people into giving him exactly what he wants. The older residents of Silver Street however, wouldn't trust him an inch!

Kamla Dattani(front right) Mother of Rita and Jai, her husband had been dead for quite a long time
Kamla thinks she knows everything, and isn't afraid to say so, particularly to her daughter Rita(front left). She's independent and strong, and can be extremely stubborn at times. She's also very proud, and hates to feel a burden on Rita and Pradeep. Kamla's a loving grandmother, and is particularly close to Jas.












Pradeep Chauhan (last column, right) Husband of Rita
Pradeep is a sensitive, family man. He loves being outdoors and getting involved in community projects, or cheering on Krishan's football team at weekends. He's not as modern as his wife Rita, or as sure of himself, and he often feels the sharp end of her tongue!

Rita Chauhan(front left) Daughter of Kamla; Jai's older sister

Rita likes to make the most of life, and finds pleasure in simple things, like having her hair done and singing along to the latest pop tunes. She’s extremely sure of herself and isn’t afraid to complain if she thinks she’s being taken for a ride.

Jasmine Chauhan(the second from left)Rita and Pradeep's daughter; older sister of Arun and Roopa

Jas is level-headed and responsible - being the eldest child meant she had to grow up pretty fast, and she's always felt older than her age. She's bright and hard-working, and often finds it hard to really let herself go.

Roopa Chauhan(the rightest)Rita and Pradeep's daugher; little sister of Jas and Arun

A bit of a show-off at heart, Roopa adores singing and dancing, and dreams of being in Pop Idol. She knows the words to all the latest pop songs, and never tires of singing them over and over! Roopa likes to think she's worldly-wise, and loves helping out at the salon because it makes her feel grown-up.

Arun Chauhan(The fourth from left)son of Rita and Pradeep;Younger brother of Jas; But is older than Roopa and Krishan

A natural charmer, Arun likes to act tough and cool in front of his siblings, but he isn't really - he's not even in with the local gang, and that's not for want of trying. Arun's really into music and he's always on his decks. He dreams of becoming a famous DJ.

A bit of a show-off at heart, Roopa adores singing and dancing, and dreams of being in Pop Idol. She knows the words to all the latest pop songs, and never tires of singing them over and over! Roopa likes to think she's worldly-wise, and loves helping out at the salon because it makes her feel grown-up.

Krishan Chauhan (second from right)Son of Rita and Pradeep; the youngest

Krishan is extremely bright for his age. He’s impatient to learn more about the world around him, understands a lot more than people realise, and knows everyone’s business! Krishan worships his dad and follows him everywhere. He loves football, dinosaurs and chess.

(Dailysport1)Something to say about football leagues

For most Taiwanese, English Premierleague simply isn't some thing we care to follow on the newspapers. But for most Africans and Southeast Asians, not to mention the Europeans, Premierleague is one of the most loved sports leagues in this world.

高一的時候
認識了一個平常也有在注意歐洲足壇的同學 英格蘭超級足球聯賽 西班牙甲級足球聯賽 意甲 德甲 法甲 都成了我們研究的課題

後來我發現 歐洲足球真的是很寬廣的世界 學習歐洲足球 不只是練英文 更是了解先進國家體育文化的最好方式 他們的制度規劃之精密周全 還真是我們幾十年之內學都學不來的

(Silverstreet episodes discussion1) An introduction

Silverstreet, a soap which has been on air since May, 2004.





All my life, I've never stuck to one TV show for such a long period of time, let alone a radio-based drama.





為了完成在文化變種失敗前移民澳洲的理想 當年的我 每天狂練英文 也在這部廣播劇前面蹲了三年......





在所有的熱情被現實掏盡之後 三年後的我 儘管還沒有走出對英文複雜情感所造成的心理障礙





但是 All along, this very Drama, this very moment, though silent all these years, had been firmly kept in the depth of my mind.


真的是很有意義的廣播劇 對學英文及模擬在英國亞裔的生活都有極大助益 今天先大略介紹這部戲一個人物 其餘這半年再慢慢談



Pradeep Chauhan Played by Ashvin-Kumar JoshiDOB: 18th September 1959FAMILY : Wife - Rita Children - Jasmine, Arun, Roopa, KrishanLIVES: In a terraced house by the park, backing onto the canal. WORK: Pradeep is head chef at Mani’s restaurant. CHARACTER: Pradeep is a sensitive, family man. He loves being outdoors and getting involved in community projects, or cheering on Krishan's football team at weekends. He's not as modern as his wife Rita, or as sure of himself, and he often feels the sharp end of her tongue!STAR SIGN : Virgo

Redirected from http://www.bbc.co.uk/asiannetwork/silverstreet/

部落格開張---an outline of my blog

Welcome to Dueling with destimy! First. I would like to offer a brief illustration of my personal blog. All the articles posted here are classified into the following 5 catagories---Silverstreet episodes discussion(A BBC-produced british radio soap I've been listening for over 3 years) , Dailysport(Articles about Premierleague and European football), A life-long duel and duelists(My complicated relationship with English, that is- My language-acquiring experience),This sceptred isle(DailyNews), Another side of lingua franca-The sun also rises(My personal Japanese-learning experience and Nippon culture) .

(An illustration)

Dueling with destiny

-Silverstreet episodes discussion

-Daily sport

-A life-long duel and duelists

-This sceptred isle

-Another side of lingua franca-the sun also rises