uNBalanCEd

sometimes negative emotion emerges meow~~~~

sPIn

像是陀螺 又開始轉了 一拐一拐的也不知道要轉到哪去 就是在生硬的桌上 地上 沙發上 草地上 碎玻璃上 陶醉不已 很多不平衡的紙星星 在陀螺的肚裡飛舞者 什麼時候 小男孩才要幫陀螺裝上靈活的眼睛呢？

conTRoVERsiAL

Today, after the english class, we went to a speech -- the invisible ax. it talked about the deforestation in Amazon. Laura and i were surprised that there were many people. I think we do care about that human beings are running out of the natural resources, but as an individual, what can we really help on that? in the Q&A session, some people raised the challenge that the terrible serious situation is not going to be changed only if human could make some systematic changes. I think they are right in some ways. People who have resources, powers and money should put their hearts and green-peace awareness in their business and related issues. Also, we need to make this widely spread around the societies, especially to children, young people and the big companies. Easier is set than done. However, any one would know that we have no choice to ignore these sort of issues, since there is only one earth and this is the only way.

SummARy

今天看到一本書

其實算是教育書吧

在講一個媽媽結婚前沒有出國玩

但是有了家庭之後開始帶著孩子到處玩

的旅行教育

寫的真不錯

其中提到

出發前會和孩子一起做功課

一起評估要出去的地點

回來後會叫孩子寫一份"旅行報告"

話說雖然叫旅行報告

但實際上完全讓孩子自己發揮

孩子也不因為是"作業"而做

而是因為"想做"而做

他發現

孩子把自己當美編、主筆，十分認真積極的去做這份旅行後的報告

而且還隨著時代與科技演進

從紙版變電子

我個人還滿喜歡這個點子的

旅行後的報告

其實的確可以訓練自己把抽象的獲得用自己覺得適合的方式記錄下來

可惜自己之前的旅行沒有督促自己這麼做

希望接下來的旅行可以囉

USe iT or LOse iT

vocabulary:

• retail: the activity of selling goods to the public
• justify: to give or to be a good reason for
  Do real changes take place in the brain with age to justify such grumbling?
• grumble: to complain about someone or something in an annoying way
  She spent the evening grumbling to me about her job.
• incident: an event which is either unpleasant or unusual
  how quickly you can react to fast-moving incidents on the road.
• inevitable: certain to happen and unable to be avoided or prevented
  the inevitable: something that is certain to happen and cannot be prevented
  Eventually the inevitable happened and he had a heart attack.
  the near-inevitable slowing with age also partly explains why soccer players are seen as old om their thirties, while golf professionals are still in their prime at that age.
• prime: main or most important; of the best quality; the period in your life when you are most active or successful
  The is a dancer in her prime.
• temporal lobes
  the parts of the brain known as the temporal lobes control new learning.
• vulnerable: able to be easily hurt, influenced or attacked
  i felt very vulnerable, standing there without any clothes on.
• juggle: to throw several objects up into the air, and then catch and throw them up repeatedly so that one or more stays in the air, usually in order to entertain people; to succeed in arranging your life so that you have tome to involve yourself in two or more different activities or groups of people
  Working memory is the brain's blackboard, where we juggle from moment to moment the things we have to keep in mind when solving problems, planning tasks and generally organising our day-to-day life.
• Absent-mindedness: describe someone who often forgets things or does not pay aatention ot what is happening near them because they are thing about other things
  Absent-mindedness occurs at all ages because of imperfections in the working memory system. 
• creep: to move slowly, quietly and carefully, usually in order to avoid being noticed
  creep up: if the value or amount of something creeps up, it slowly increases.
  Such absent-mindedness tends to creep up on us as we age.
• chalk: (noun.)a type of soft white rock or a stick of this rock or a similar substance used for writing or drawing.
  chalk: (verb.) to write something with a pieve of chalk
  It occurs because our plans and intentions, which are chalked up on the mental blackboard, are easily wiped out.
• stray: stray things have moved apart from similar things and are not in their expected place
  stray dog
• preoccupation: an idea or subject that someone things about most of the time.
  Stress and preoccupation can also cause such absent-mindedness.
• bleak: depressing
  the news, however, is not all bleak.
• superior: better
  the mentally active professors in their sixties and early seventies were superior to their contemporaries.
• contemporary: a person who is of the same age as you
  she didnt mix with her contemporaries, preferring the company of older people.  
• sprout: to produce leaves or to begin to grow
  he has shown that animals kept in stimulating environments show sprouting and lengthening of the connecting nerve fibres in their brains.
• beneficial: helpful, useful
  a stay in the country will be beneficial to his health
• contestant: someone who competes in a contest
• apparatus: a set of equipment or a structured system
  the divers checked their breathing apparatus.
• intrigue: to interest someone
  Such findings lead to the intriguing possibility of mental fitness training.
• faculty: capability
  just as people go bald or grey at different rates, so the same is true for their mental faculties. 

the GReat woRK MYth

Vocabulary:

• press: newspapers and magazines
  work gets a terrible press
• deprive: to take something, especially something necessary or pleasant, away from someone
  you can't function properly when you're deprived of sleep.
• scapegoat: a person who is blamed for something that someone else has done
  work has become the scapegoat for all out woes.
• woe: great problems or troubles
  unusually poor harvests have added to the country's woes.
  i'm cold and wet and i havent got enough money for my bus fare home. Woe is me. (said to express how unhappy you are)
• persuasive
• as far as something is concerned: if we are discussing or thinking about a particular thing
  As far as work is concerned, we've never had it so good.
  As far as unemployment's concerned, a change of government would be a good idea.
• maternity: the state of being a mother
  a lot of firms offer longer maternity leave.
• sabbatical: a period of time when college or university teachers are allowed to stop their usual work in order to study or travel, usually while continuring to be paid
  a third of firms now offer sabbaticals.
• rhetoric: part of a talk or speech; clever language which sounds good but is not sincere or has meaning
  The rhetoric about longer working hours also needs to be put in perspective.
• in perspective: an object or person that is in perspective has the correct size and position in comparison with other things in the pictures
  the rhetoric about longer working houes also needs to be put in perspective.
• despite: without taking any notice of or being influenced by
  Despite all the improvements in work over recent decades, there is still an ingrained attitude that happiness lies outside work.
  He managed to eat a big lunch despite having eaten an enormous breakfast.
• ingrained: (of beliefs) so firmly held that they are not likely to change.
  the belief that you should own your house is deeply ingrained in British society.
• alienated: being separated from
  alienation: separation
  He described workers being alienated from the product of their labour.
• constitute: to form or make something
  what constitutes the alienation of labour?
• mortify: to cause someone to feel extremely ashamed or embarrassed
  it does not develop his physical and mental energy but mortifies his body and ruins his mind.
  he'e mortified by the fact that at 38 he still lives at home with his mother.
• dubious: feeling doubt or not feeling certain
  work is becoming too important for it to be of dubious quality.
• poll: a study in which people are asked for their opinions about subject or person
  according to a poll by recruitment consultancy
• prevalent: happening often
  In truth, they are simply made to feel as if they have a problem because of prevalent attitude.
• futile: (of actions) having no effect or achieving nothing
  futility
  the shift of work towards the centre of our lives demonstrates the futility of much of the current debates about "work/life balance".
• stack up: match
  yet the idea that it is being forced upon us without our choice just doesn't stack up.
• ultimately: finally
  Ultimately, our goal must be to begin seeing work as an intrinsic part of our life.
• intrinsic: being an essential and basic characteristic of a person or thing
  maths is an intrinsic part of the school curriculum.
• adjunct: something attached or connected to a larger or more important thing
• don: a college teacher especially at Oxford or Cambridge University
• manifesto: a written statement of the beliefs, sims, and policies of an organisation.
  he has the right manifesto for the future of work
• abolish: to end an activity officially
  abolition
  the abolition of slavery
  that i mean abolishing the distinction between work and leisure.
• leisure: the time when you are not working
  most people only have limited amount of leisure time.
• lousy: very bad
  employers keep workers in lousy jobs by granting them some leisure time.
• strive: to try very hard to do something
  we should strive to be employed in such a way that we dont realize what we are doing is work.
• downpayment: an amount of money that you pay at the time that you buy something, but which is only a part of the total cost of that thing.
  it is indeed time to abandon the notion of work as a downpayment on life. 
• sap: to make someone weaker or take away strength or an important quality from someone.
  the ones that continue to stereotype work as intrinsically sapping, demeaning and corrosive.
• corrosive: a corrosive substance causes damage by chemical reaction.
  the corrosive influence of racism

HapPINeSS

the article we learned last week :

the latest global analysis of happiness and satisfaction levels shows that the most satisfied people tend to live in latin america, western Europe, and northern america, whereas eastern europeans are the least satisfied.

over the past decade, the study of happiness has become a bona fide discipline. as a result, government policy advisers are getting interested and politicians are using the research as the basis for new strategies.

what above all else has made systematic study possible is data gathered from hundreds of surveys measuring happiness across different cultures, professions, religions, and socio-economic groups.
they can investigate the impact of money and inequality.
we can now show which behaviours are risky as far as happiness goes. We should eventually be able to show what kind of lifestyle suits what kind of person.

while it is tempting to hold up those nations that report the highest levels of happiness as a model for others to follow, this may be unwise.
first, the word "happiness" has no precise equivalent in some languages.
secondly, "satisfaction" is not quite the same thing as "happiness".
thirdly, different cultures value happiness in very different ways.
    in individualistic western countries, happiness is often seen as a reflection of personal achievement. this pressure to be happy could lead people to over-report how happy they feel.
    in the more collectivist nations in Asia, people have a more fatalistic attitude towards happiness. in Asia cultures, the pursuit of happiness is often frowned on, which in turn could lead people to under-report.
How satisfied a person is with their life depends on how successfully they adhere to their particular cultural standard.

One of the most significant observations to come from research findings is that in individualised nations, happiness has no risen with average incomes.
the desire for material goods, which has increased with average income, is a "happy suppressant".

Since nothing about materialism can help you find happiness, governments should discourage it.

the key to making people happier is to shift the emphasis from economic well-being to personal development, and to discourage the pursuit of social status.
paradoxically, by striving too hard to climb the global happiness rankings, governments are in danger of turning the pursuit of happiness into yet another competitive quest for status - just what researchers have shown is a sure path to making people miserable.

riPPLes

a mess outside 

and also 

a mess inside

Uk

隨著時間

心裡有時也開始萌生乾脆去英國的時候不要找正職(雖然也不是說我想找就找得到)

來真的打工渡假的念頭

只是不管最後是甚麼

多少還是憂慮著

自己是不是太奢侈了

老媽某方面真的很了解我啊

noT eNOUGh

不知道




看著別人的驚歎號

自己卻只能盯著大問號

如果配著隨遇而安  容易滿足  不會想東想西的腦袋瓜就算了

偏偏

很愛想

很愛考自己

很天真

但又還不夠爛漫





真不知道

voCAbulaRY

hu~ we had lots of vocabulary this time. finally i have done it!

vocabulary:

• ubiquitous
• identify:
  Which person in the photos do you identify most closely with?
• adjectives to describe personality:
• ambitious
• anti-social  < >  sociable
• altruistic  < >  self-centred
• courageous  < >  timid
• balanced  < >  obsessive
• easy-going  < >  highly-strung
• phantom
• illusion: something that is not really what it seems to be
• compelling: get your attention
  This illusion is extraordinarily compelling the first time you encounter it.
• striking: attracting a lot of attention
  There is a very striking illusion in which you can feel a rubber hand being touched as if it were your own.
• conceal: to precent something from being seen or known
  i tried to conceal my surprise when she told me her age.
• uncanny: strange or mysterious
  you will have an uncanny feeling that you are actually being stroked on the fake hand.
• sensation: a general feeling caused by something that happens to you
  the  sensations you feel will seem to emerge directly from the plastic.
• discrepancy: difference
  they believe this illusion is strong enough to overcome the discrepancy between the position of your real hand that you can feel and the site of the plastic hand you can see. 
• twist: the change information so that it gives the message you want it to give
  You're twisting my words - that's not what i said at all.
• resemble: to look like or be like someone or something
  The object your helper touches doesn't even need to resemble your hand.
• acquaintance: a person that you have met but do not know well
  this time get your acquaintance to rub and tap the surface if in from of you.
• matching: having the same colour or pattern as something else
  a green dress with matching green handbag
• extraordinarily: very, more than usual
  this illusion is extraordinarily compelling the first time you encountered it.
• blow: a hard hit with a hand or a weapon
  if you threaten the table by aiming a blow at it, the person winces. 
• wince: to show pain suddenly and for a short time in the face, often moving the head back at the same time
• perspiration: sweat
• incorporate: to include something as part of something larger
  It is as if the table becomes incorporated into a person's own body image.
• perceive: to come to an opinion about something
  the subject perceives a threat to the table as to themselves.
• perception: a belief or opinion
  we have to change the public;s perception that money is being waisted.
• limbs
• intact: complete and in the original state
  put their intact arm on the reflective side
• cramp: a sudden painful tightening in a muscle
• likelihood: the chance that something will happen
  what is the likelihood that what i see and what i feel could be identical simply by chance?
• intellect: the ability to understand and to thing in an intelligent way
  our intellect cannot override.
• inanimate: having none of the characteristics of life
  even a lifetime of experience that an inanimate object is not part of your body is abandoned in light of the perception that it is. 
• premise: an idea or theory
  one premise that seems to be beyond question is that you are anchored in your body.
• anchor: to make something or someone stay in one position by fastening them firmly
• forsaken: to leave someone forever
  this obvious fact is temporarily forsaken.

SomEwHeRe

Lost in the darkness
Hoping for a sign
Instead there's only silence
Can't you hear my screams?

Never stop hoping
Need to know where you are
Cause one thing's for sure
You're always in my heart

I'll find you somewhere
I'll keep on trying
Until my dying day
I just need to know
Whatever has happened
The truth will free my soul

Lost in the darkness
Tried to find your way home
I want to embrace you
And never let you go

Almost hope you're in heaven
So no one can hurt your soul
Living in agony
Cause I just do not know
Where you are

I'll find you somewhere
I'll keep on trying
Until my dying day
I just need to know
Whatever has happened
The truth will free my soul

Wherever you are
I won't stop searching
Whatever it takes me to know

開始吧

轉眼就十月中了，該開始認真準備出門的事。之前自己猶豫徬徨的心情也大致調整了，家人的態度也慢慢地軟化和接受，這些都花了不少時間，但是能從內從外都有更明確的支持，這還是很值得的。現在，就是挑戰自己準備的能力和克服自己內心面對未知的不安吧!

這次出門，最希望可以在當地找到收入不錯的正職或是時間夠長的簽約工作，倒也不是期待能未來都在那邊工作，只是希望當地的收入能滿足當地的支出罷了。最完美的情況是一份同產業類型的工作(例如軟體工程師)，這樣就還能體驗不同文化的工作，還不用太擔憂回來後有工作斷層的問題，果真如此就真是實現我心中的夢想啦！

不過，凡事要做最壞的打算。找不到正職，當然就來找打工吧！其實這不算是最壞的選擇，只是透過很不一樣的經歷來補貼生活的錢。這時候的重點應該就會是擴增視野，藉由不同的嘗試探索不同的自己。當然，運氣好的話，希望是一份有趣且值得學習的工作嚕！

那最壞的打算是甚麼？應該就是賺不到錢，沒有工作吧！這意味著我更要謹慎管理能運用的資源，好讓自己還是能好好體驗國外生活。相對的，空閒的時間應該不少，便能盡可能的利用深度旅行來探索自己和這個世界。

其實這三種計畫應該沒有甚麼好壞之分，說不定最後收穫最少的是我本來以為最完美的選擇也不一定。只想告訴自己，妥當的準備自己在好的心態下出發，過程平安最重要，至於其他的部分，就隨興而致吧！既然都選擇出門了，就努力創造未來吧！

題外話，雖然深知待在國外一段時間，英文也不一定能顯著進步，但還是要強迫自己在這方面努力，期許可以達成自己的目標吧！

stOp

can time stop ?

leAVe

那種焦躁

那種心情

我什麼時候可以擺脫掉呢

SolE

開始有點理解當初的那種迷惑

也許我也是那種很需要時間跟自己獨處的人

就因為容易受牽動的個性吧

真正的單獨沈澱

才能清楚分離自我和外界

brEAkinG RulES

i am just not that into the rule. I respect rules. There must exist a reason, at least, that people created rules and keep following them. However, the standard procedures sometimes dont suit as time is going. i encourage myself to understand the current rules and standards first and think of "why" behind the scene. it is not too difficult, but to have your own opinion is. to form your own opinion needs to think through several steps -- understanding the reality, reflection, adjustment, challenging and verifying your own adjustment. I like thechinese expression of this procedure -- 思辨. simple and make sense.

vaGUE

actually, i am still afraid and not confident to go to UK.

I am afraid that i would realize it is not what i want and that turns out to be a regretful decision. Be honest i think i m not ready. Comparing to the past, I become less independent, in physically and mentally.

all the motivation has gone. all the energy has gone. the power of dreaming has become weaker. i feel like full of sawdust in my mind and body. it is really an awkward feeling to me.

she yelled, "dont step back! hang on there". but, how...?

sTRUggLiNg

everyone is different.

maybe i just cant get in that way.

uncertainty has been spreading everywhere along the road i am walking on.

i have known i changed at some points and i dont like it, but the most important thing is that can i reshape myself to be the one i desire to be?

currently i even dont want to or admit to say that, but everything has revealed the truth and reality again and again. it's nothing to do with fear but self-confidence. you just dont trust yourself. I am not really aware and understand that is a serious problem to a person until very recent. i am struggling in some way.

WasTE

有時候

這樣發現自己虛度時間

是多麼的厭惡啊

stARt

今天花了點時間翻了一本雜誌

迅速筆記一下一些讓我有印象的句子

成功的定義在於實現夢想
如過不撐過去，我永遠都要從掃地小妹開始做起
....


糟糕我忘記了！！！！
(oh my god~poor memory Q_Q下次再來補)

hoLLOw

有點像骨質開始流失一樣

空洞和脆弱

喀擦一聲

多麼無神

sTONes

feel a bit tired.

i asked, 'why do people like travelling?'

we hear many people go travelling periodically, at least, i am. people always say feel tired a bit and go travelling to feel released, to breathe fresh air, and to relax. cant we feel released, breathe fresh air and relax during the daily life? why do we feel tired?

touCHINg

StrESSfuL

today's English Class was really challenging. Mark let us have IELTS-like speaking practice which requires not only speaking but also thinking about the topic, such as consumerism (be honest, i dont really know much about it). Although it was quite stressful, I still enjoy today's class very much. I hope i will have this kind of class more. This kind of practice and training forces you to think more and to give your own opinions. (sometimes i feel a bit depressed when i make an impression that i'm a person without my own thought just because i don't know how to express myself properly.)

Besides speaking, we also focused on listening during the class. at first, I hardly catch any idea about Richard Branson's interview. we continuously replayed, listened, and guessed almost every sentence. Of course, we did need Mark to say it again for us and then listened to it in original speed one more time. It was taking long time to do this practice but i liked the feeling when i finally got the idea about it.

I should have practiced in this way by myself more often. I hope i will! :D

DeCISIOns

how can i know what choice is the right choice?

Opera said, "follow your own heart". but this wisdom words are so vague to me.

what is wrong decision?

what is right decision?

or is there any gray one?

I just dont get it!

12th DaY iN caNADA

it was a very tense and hard day.

in my travelling plan, i would get up a little bit earlier and leave my hotel at Banff heading to Calgary. i had to return my rental car before noon and take aeroplane at 17:15 to Vancouver. i know i would feel stressed because of the timeline, but i'd thought that thing would go fine as as my previous experience. the truth is -- no, not smoothly at all!

the frist thing was filling up petrol. there seemed some problem at the counter so that everyone was queued for quite a long time. and then, when i was trying to set the destination on my GPS navigation, the big problem appeared -- it asked for PIN code! i didnt know any pin code at all. i'd got the gps workable without asked for input any pin code since i rented it. i tried several default pin code like 0000 or 1234, it's just not working! i started to worry that i was running out of my time and still didnt know how to go to Calgary. I recalled that there was a Avis store in Banff's downtown, not far away from me, so i drove there and thought i could ask then about the pin code. what?! it had opened yet? oh my god! its almost 9:30 am. ok, another way i could try was calling directly to Avis in calgary! yeah, as every drama's plot could have happened, no one answered my phone call. i gave up! i started to read the maps and taught my mom, who doesnt really understand english and maps, to become my assistant pilot.

eveything looked ok when i was driving along the highway. Calgary was 158km away from banff.   but not entering the calgary city centre was a mess! really dont know how to describe the situation i encountered when i had to driving in high speed (because i hadnt got off the highway i think. the exit sign wasnt really clear to me) and deciding which way i should follow (there were so many direction signs appeared which were not shown on my map of course!). Plus, my panic mom. we were lucky enough that every turn we made was correct! soon or late we drove in the right way that was shown clearly enough on our map. and another lucky thing was a petrol station showed up! (Because i had just missed some when i was still in a mess.) hu~what a big relief was! i was really not sure if i could drive in the correct ways again.

However, i hadn't known i would face to a big problem. i'd been informed that the original store where i picked up the car would have been moving to a new place. the new place actually is a landmark of Calgary, the calgary tower, so i thought it would be fine to return my car. but i just couldnt figure out which parkade was the right one. there are so many parkades around Calgary tower and the traffic was not good enough to let me hanging around. i was forced by the urgent situation, it was already around 11:30 am, to park shortly in 30-min parking zone and ran into the office for help! gosh! what a long line to the frontdesk. i couldnt wait for long so i cut in for quick enquiry. i paid the parking fee at the machine (again, this was my first time to use it! i was in such a hurry...~"~) and soon tried to follow the staff's "unclear" help to find the parkade. as everyone could imagine, i failed again. so i just did what i'd done once again -- temporarily stopped, asked for clearer instruction, and drove away. this time i'd got no time to hesitate and drove directly to a parkade which was no sign of Avis and was not like a parkade for rental car at all, i even i had to take a parking ticket at the entrance! Fortunately again, i was right and the staff was right. anyway, i made it and brought our 2 big suitcases with my mom to the office. ya i felt so relieved after returned the car, even i was queued in line for 20 minutes at the frontdesk. What a tense and hard time is.

i didnt feel hungry totally due to this journey. my mom and i grabbed some food and took the bus to airport. everything had become better. we arrived at airport smoothly and got good latte. my plane took us to Vancouver and a cab took us to the hotel. therefore, i am happy to stay in this nice hotel!

englIsh oF MenU

notes todays vocabulary of menu. (To be continued...)

vocabulary:

• entreé
• grill / roast 
• sirloin
• fillet
• basted
• caesar / wedge
• Teriyaki
• rib
• scallop
• marinated
• striploin
• accompaniment
• battered
• asparagus

Descriptive:

• flavourful
• ultimate
• mignon

4th daY in CAnADa

ok. it's the day 3!

i didnt think about logging my trip to Canada. Thank to Enid to remind me this, although its my third day(or fourth?) in Canada.

i woke up early as previous day, around 5:00 am. I think thats all because i went to bed really early almost every day during my trip. but i think my mom hasnt had a good sleep, so that i waited for her every morning. 

today after we finished the poor breakfast (?), one cup of hot tea made in the lobby and an apple fritter bought from starbucks yesterday, we had started studying what journey we would have today. we were planning to go to the Lake Minnewanka, two Jack Lake and Hoodoos, even if we couldnt find the search result on the GPS!!!! We followed the map and, very luckily, arrived every spots! However, there were too many travellers in the Lake Minnewanka that we hardly found a parking space. We kept driving and stop at a small lookout to see the beauty of Lake Minnewanka. 

And then, we headed to Two Jack Lake and parked there without any difficulty. less travellers were there and its beauty didnt let people down. 

after Two Jake Lake, we had decided to go to another lake which is close too, Johnson Lake. We followed the sign on the road and found the nice place soon. lots of people had snacks, picnics, and BBQ there. some people even brought their dogs! since we still had time, we walked the trails beside. at the beginning, we a little bit worried about what if we met a bear. It is obvious that we thought too much. some people also hiked along the same trail and even brought their own chairs and sat beside the lake to enjoy the quietness and freshness. we took loads of pictures. i thought my mom was really happy to use her new camera and take pictures of these amazing natural scenery.

it was already 15:00 when we got back to our accommodation in Banff. we took a rest and suddenly heard of loud live music. it sounded like a match on the street! ya! it was. we took out camera and rushed out to the avenue and found crowds along the road. today is Canada day. there are various teams in the parade. (my poor english now is helpless to describe the details.) anyway, its quite fun! the atmosphere is totally different to that in Taiwan. 

there was one nervous moment in the moring which is i had to fill up petrol for my car but i had no idea about what kind of gas i should fill up and how to fill up by myself. actually its not my first time to fill up petrol by myself. i did that in my New Zealand trip, but i couldnt remember too many details. And forgetting to ask the type of petrol for my rental car was the most worrying thing to me! luckily, i got the answer from the staff and the people queuing in petrol station were quite patient. (that is one of amazing things i found here. )

another funny thing was the driving speed. they drove so slow! i think its probably because most cars on the roads were travellers as me and the sign of maximum speed. thats it! the most puzzling thing is the maximum speed is really low. thats totally opposite to the impression in the new zealand! i went new zealand last year and got amazed that the speed limitation was quite high, even in the mountain curving roads. despite the speed, their driving convention confused me. i really dont want others put fingers to me (i saw one did that to a driver!!!), so my rule on the road in Canada is stopping at every crossroad first!!!!!

StiPPED

重新審視很多自己

看著那一分一刻的心情

聽著強說著心聲時的心情

感受零散又時深時淺的回應

握著最重要的底

好好打牌

WeAK

You said  that i am not independent

That's harsh to me actually.
 

PurPle

終於


出現了


這顏色
真累

PowEr

That's really weird

Odd

Strange

Messed

fIghTeR

dear ms field,

good evening, madam. i have started missing you for a year, i guess. you know my person. your smile attracts me all the time. your thoughts, your talks and even your tastes are so interesting to me.

i know you've gone to a trip and just been through a hard time just like me. i read about you. i was told that you are still the same. the way you behave is still -- hate to be controlled. people say your wildness will put you down one day. however, eventually, their endless desire and envy will bury them first. i admire your witness and bravery which i used to have. those core of your nature have been embedded in you eyes like forever. That makes you.

I have got your news recently. i really dont know what words can exactly describe my delight. i couldnt help but reading my watch again and again to expect that day. i should've been detached, at least, from the appearance.

i miss the day we lied on the grass. wind breezed. clouds danced without music. you sang like my black angel. i listened with my skin and heart. we have got our words. we've got our words.

your faithfully,
sword



                   

andRoid appS

several android apps that are pretty cool i found today

AirDroid
link to Google Play

Youtube Remote
link to Google Play

LIama
link to Google Play

Paper Camera
link to Google Play

digNitY

everything is starting to break

since the time that the fairy tale was been told

floods, draught, disease, .......

she left only silence to the end of the story



with painful memory

with torn heart



the story has to be last still

unless

she collects another factor instead

FaCE it

enjoy the suffering

feel the pain

see your sorrow passing through out you brain




only dark and hurt could make life precious

only sadness and tears could make you stronger



you are sad about details

you feel harmed by people

you are wandering on the edge of being fragile



but dont forget

you've got all you need......

CowErIng

still confused about it

is there any way out

you see all the thoughts of disturbance

tied to the fear



when did you become like this

hALo

Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make up a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
It's the risk that I'm takin'
I ain't never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You're the only one that I want
Think I'm addicted to your light

I swore I'd never fall again
But this don't even feel like falling
Gravity can't forget
To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
The risk that I'm takin'
I'm never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
Halo, halo

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace

You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

Pray it won't fade away...
(I can feel your halo)

CrAZY

i've got a little bit crazy.

its not good

stop talking

stop thinking

stop being cynical

stop being loved

stop loving

stop being clear

stop breathing






sadly, i love the person who i was

rUBbIsh

就甚麼都不要講

默默的走就好了

當作的越來越少

就直接丟掉

aNti-agEINg reSeARCh

vocabulary:

• eternal (lasting forever)
  do you fancy an eternal youth?
• ageing (relating to get older)
  the ageing problem has become serious.
• wear out (to use something so much that it is damaged)
  the human body is programmed to wear out at a maximum of about 120 years.
• cease (to stop something)
  we all have a biological clock inside us which determines the moment when our organs cease to function properly.
• arthritis (a serious condition in which a person's joint become painful)
  we are more likely to begin to suffer from the diseases of old age such as arthritis.
• rheumatism
  she suffers from rheumatism.
• throw light on (to reveal or provid information to make it easier to understand)
  Rapid advances in DNA research are beginning to throw a light on the secretes of the ageing process.
• lifespan (the length of time for which a person or animal or thing exists)
  humans have a fixed lifespan.
• amphibian
  frogs are amphibians.
• indefinitely (for a period of time with no fixed end)
  certain other organisms appear to live indefinitely.
• alligator
  alligators are cold-blood animals.
• retard (to make something slower)
  it is this gene may retard or repair damage to the body caused by ageing.
• halt (to stop moving)
  Perhaps the most immediate advance we ware likely to see in the battle to halt  the ageing process will be organ replacement.
• lizard
  a lizard is a small reptile.
• immortality (living forever)
  Suddenly immortality seems within reach.
• maturity (a very advanced or developed state)
  we grow to maturity.
• breach (an act of breaking a law, promise, agreement or relationship)
  He was sued for breach of contract.

suPERYoungER

fill up the blanks:

1. There are many other factors to take into account. 
2. They often have friendships and relationships with people younger than themselves.
3. They're sort of people who wake up refreshed in the morning.
4. General speaking they are also people read more and less watch TV. 
5. They tend to prefer individual sports such as swimming and walking.
6. We also discovered that they tend to be more honest.
7. Non-smokers outnumbered smokers by about 20 to 1.
8. No, in fact the opposite was true.

phrases:

• the middle aged man who can beat people half his age on the court...
• drink in moderation 
• stag night | hen night
• keep things fresh

Vocabulary:

• irrelevant (not related to what is being discussed or considered and therefore no importance)
• moderation (the quality of doing something within reasonable limits)
• neurotic (behaving in an anxious way)
• irritating (making you feel annoyed)

hatE

if leaving is the best way to live,

why do u still grab the dead body and dont let go?



if you hate all this shitty things,

why dont you clean up your ways and leave them alone>

本末倒置

有時候覺得

強調流程去獲得理想結果

只是讓整體更忽略真實存在的問題

FEels

wow...2-hour talk has given me some thoughts.

1. passion can be started by others. that's a good leader should be aware of and able to do. 

2. choose rather than assign. 

3. trust is more important than anything. but how? to be truly honest is  a good way. sharing everything, detailed information, and even personal knowledge and opinions is quite helpful. at least, i have been seeing it worked today. 

4. understanding. take every question important, or say, response in honest way and with the same mind set of the questioners. thats important to make you reply the question positively and constructively, even you spend a little bit long time on it. questions are expected to be answered.
5. ......

there are still some left behind. sometimes it is a little bit hard for me to translate the feels into words, although i know that is a good way to digest the thought. i am always trying to.  todays ideas are more about leadership. different styles result in different atmosphere. i am not a leader yet, but i can analyse the leadership from the way i have been lead. just like, i am not a speaker, but i can know what sort of style of speakers i like, as long as i can 'see' my feel. 

faCe 2 buRbeRRY

Vocabulary:

• launch
  Burberry launched its first logo in 1900.
• register
  i registered the car in my name.
• signature
  burberry registered the signature check pattern as a trademark in 1920.
• trademark
  Velcro is a registered trademark.
• conservative
  it was an established luxury brand for wealthy middle-class conservatives.
• revamp
  the CEO revamped its image.
• heritage
  he repositioned the Burberry brand in line with its luxury and exclusive heritage. 
• depict
  Ads were designed to depict the essence of the new Burberry.
• essence
  time is of the essence.
• elitist / elitism
  it gives a modern feel combined with classic British elitism.
• intend
  somehow i offended him, which wasnt what i'd intened.
• embrace
  If Burberry embraces the new audience, will they lose their core customers?

ChroME EXtenSIONs

There are several handy extensions on Chrome browser which are worth being shared.

1. Screen Capture (by Google)

    you can easily and quickly capture your screen within Chrome with provided 4 different ways. It also provides simple and essential editing functions(highlight, blur, block) before you save or share the image you have just captured. It's easy to save and share, although the share function is still considered not sufficient. 

2. NYTimes

    be honest, i dont read NYTimes frequently, however, i think this web app is well designed. If you are familiar with a reader app, Flipboard, on iDevice(such as ipad), you will be used to the use flow and page layout of NYTimes. the layouts (it provides 4 different design) enable each headline to be clearly read, and so does the content. you can select your interested topics and customized the keyboard shortcuts. i think it will also provide good user experience on All-in-one with touchscreen, although i dont really have one. 

3. Numerics Calculator & Converter 

    It's definitely a handy utility for a person needs so some calculation often. it supports a little bit complex math operation, such as sqrt(2+6*3-0.5^3). the history of your calculation is also recorded which is a easy way to go back to any step of your complex operation. I love the Calculator function most. However, it also provides another useful tool -- converter for currency and units. it is still intuitive to use. 

thE beaST

累了

但是還是殘忍的圈住

sAY you WilL

聽著聽著

覺得就是喜歡如此直接歌詞

滿滿的情緒

最真實的感觸

理性在這裡不是一切




It's taking you too long to decide
And I don't want to be the one, the one
Crying over wasted time

If you think you're strong enough to let me in
Then come on, stand up and be honest, be honest
I'm tired of feeling so alone
Cause you won't let me understand
I don't wanna pretend, I wanna feel, I want to love

Say you will or say you won't
Open your heart to me
Now or never, tell the truth
Is this real, is this real?

Whenever you're around, I can't fight it
You get under my skin the way that I like it
And I can't take anymore
Tell me what you want from me or leave me alone
'Cause I'm all caught up and I'm losing control

I'm tired of holding on so tight
When you won't let me understand
Now I'm falling apart
I never meant to lose myself

Say you will or say you won't
Open your heart to me
Now or never, tell the truth
Is this real, is this real

Say you will or say you won't
Open your heart to me
Now or never, tell the truth
Is this real, is this real?

Like drops of rain against my heart
Cut through like silver
And I want to make you feel that way
And I want to make you feel the way that I do

Say you will or say you won't
Open your heart to me
Now or never, tell the truth
Is this real?

Say you will or say you won't
Open your heart to me
Now or never, tell the truth
Is this real, is this real?

BRokeN

壞掉了

壞掉了

你的玩具斷了頭

掉了手腳

妳無心修復

摸摸她的頭髮和臉龐

微笑的感慨這是怎麼壞的

壞掉了

壞掉了

接不回去的舌頭

她也只能奮力厭惡的擠出聲

感慨自己為什麼壞掉了

cuRSE

dont know what i was talking about

answered

answered

answered

just dont like it

is that what i was waiting for?

AutiSM

vocabulary:

narrator (the character who tells you what is happening in a book or film)
you are going to read about an unlikely bestseller which has an autistic teenager as the narrator.

intractable (very difficult and seeming to be impossible to control)
we are facing an intractable problem.

despite (without taking any noticed or being influenced by)
Despite its difficult, apparently intractable problem, the judges said of his The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time: "we can think of few readers can take no pleasure from this wonderful novel."

inferior (not as good as someone or something else)
these products are inferior to those we bought last year.

entanglement (a situation or relationship that you are involved in and that is difficult to escape from)
he tries to bridge the mysteries, fears and entanglements of life using logic and his gifts for mathematics.

dePOsiTORy

害怕的時候

就追問自己怕什麼

生氣的時候

就追問自己氣什麼

難過的時候

就追問自己在難過什麼



如此抽絲剝繭

就會理性多點

paRAdoX

nothing is definitely right or wrong. you shouldnt be afraid of losing things you now have, as long as you believe that you can get them back or some things instead through ways. One never knows whether the decision made is correct or not at the moment. the only thing you can do is to judge if you are on the way to your goal. therefore, goals matter.

i always admire people clearly knowing their own goals, no matter they sound great or ordinary. what is mine? one of my friend, he'd wanted to be a good teacher. he took education programme in college. he spent time studying chemistry because to be a junior high school teacher his physics degree was not sufficient. now, so happy for him, he is a great teacher. after teaching for a while, he told me he wants to get the certificate of english teacher in junior high school. he's started to study english on his own and, even better, he applied for the english institute. i admire his ambition and his courage to chase things he wants. if i were him, i guess i wouldnt do that because i would challenge myself that how could i get a certificate of teaching english and become an english teacher if my major was physics and others who have already studied in english for such a long time. (after i've just written this, i feel what i've concerned sounds so stupid. XD)

can i calm down and shut up?

3Rd conDitionAL

Story:

• a young Spanish couple, Victor and Josefa, had just got married. they were from two of the richest families in Spain. they wanted to spend part of their honeymoon travelling to New York on by the Titanic. But Victor's mother didn't want them to go, because she had had a premonition that the Titanic was going to sink. Victor prepared many postcards, already written, and asked his servant to send one postcard every day to his mother a postcard to his mother on each day.
  
  When the Titanic hit the iceberg, Josefa was in the bed and Victor was getting ready for bed. he told Josefa to get dressed. they both went got on the deck. Josefa got into on a lifeboat. Victor stayed on the ship.
  
  When the Titanic sank, Josefa and the other people in the lifeboat heard the terrible cries of people in the water. Josefa shouted her husband's name Victor again and again.
  
  Josefa arrived New York safely. at first, Victor's mother refused to believe that his son was dead. 'I've just had a postcard from him got his postcard from Paris today.' she said. 

vocabulary:

• premonition (a feeling that something unpleasant is going to happen)
  his mum had a premonition.

make questions:

• what would Victor have done if he'd known the Titanic was going to sink?
• would Victor's mum have faced jer son's death more easily, if Victor hadn't asked his friend to send letters for him?

sobER

某一天

才突然理解

最不能忍受的

原來就是看到自己

 在時間飛逝下

 原地踏步

 與期望漸行漸遠

fiRM

• foreman (leader)
  the foreman of jury got to his feet to deliver his verdict.
  


• verdict (a decision made after judging the facts that are given)
  the jury returned a verdict of not guilty


• climax (the most important or exciting point in a story or situation)
  the election reaches its climax next week


• defendant (a person in a law case who is accused )


• descend (to go or come down)
  the darkness or night descends, it becomes dark and day changes to night.
  the traditional tense silence descended on the court


• court (a building where trials happen / an area drawn out on the ground which is used for playing sports, such as tennis, volleyball, basketball)


• tickle (an uncomfortable feeling in your throat which makes you want to cough)
  a member of jury couldn't control the tickle in the back of his throat any longer


• devastated (very shocked and upset)
  she was utterly devastated when her husband died.


• devastating (making someone very shocked and upset)
  devastating news


• puzzled (confused because you don't understand something)
  one of the jurors was puzzled why he was jailed after being found not guilty


• console (make someone who is sad feel better)
  his lawyer tried to console him


• sentence (to decide and say officially what a punishment will be)
  he was sentenced to life imprisonment


• imprisonment (to put someone in prison (noun.))
  judge Gibbon sentenced Alan Rashid to two years' imprisonment


• imprison (to put someone in prison (verb.))
  he was imprisoned in 1965 for attempted murder.


• ill-timed
  the ill-timed cough


• drown out (a loud noise cover the sound)
  the ill-timed cough drowned out the vital word 'not'.


• convict (to decide officially in a court of law that someone is guilty)
  he has been convicted of robbery


• discharge (allow to leave)
  the judge discharged the jury


• mystify / mystified / mystifying (confuse)
  i was mystified by her decision


• usher (a man who shows people where they should sit, especially at a formal event such as wedding or at a theatre or cinema)
  a mystified juror asked a court usher why a man they had acquitted was being imprisoned


• acquit (to decide officially in a court of law that someone is not guilty)
  she was acquitted of all the charges against her


• hasty / hastily / hastiness (describe something that is done in a hurry)
  "he looks good for his age." she hastily added


• reconvene / convene (to arrange a meeting (again))
  the court was hastily reconvened


• bizarre (very strange and unusual)
  bizarre behaviour/situation


• offence (an illegal act, a crime)
  he committed several serious offences


• flatten (make thinner or become level)
  flatten the bottle


• inhale (to breath air, smoke or gas into your lung)


• exhale (to send air out of your lung)


• decriminalize (to stop something from being illegal)
  the campaign to decriminalize cannabis


• cannabis (marijuana)


• mind-altering (describe a drug has string influence on a person's mental state)


• contraband (goods which are brought into or taken out of a country illegally)


• lenient (not as severe in punishment as would be expected)
  they believe that judges are too lenient to terrorist suspects


• puberty
  at puberty, pubic hair develops and girls begin to menstruate


• consent (permission or agreement)
  they can't publish your name without your consent
  age of consent


• manslaughter (the crime of killing a person by someone who did not intend to do it)


• murder (the crime of intentionally killing a person)


• premeditated (planned)
  a premeditated murder/ attack

DROwn

suddenly
fall into a hole

all the negative thinking have emerged from the surface

A leSsON

不要想敷衍 ,盡力做到最好, 縱然不喜歡 ,即使不能理解 , 先做到 ,而且盡力做到好 .

如果 你猶豫 ,那就先停下來 , 當你聽到或是看到 , 你就會知道了

BiTTEr

feel exhausted to face all of it

its bitter

why do i need to experience it

i hate that