You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March 2007.
“If I could count “peace and quiet”, I’d say the number of “peace and quiet” here is as many as the tree in the forest. In the British-style garden, I sip a warm latte and think how close people feel to nature. Suddenly, a tourist interrupts my thought and asks, “Excuse me, sir. What date is today?” “Sorry, I can’t remember, either.” I reply with a smile.”-By Andrew- (the part of English 4U)
Last night, I read this essay in a magazine. I had a strong feeling in my mind, and I would like to share it. People in this world are too busy today. We spend a lot of time doing our work so as to earn more money or to do a better job than others. We seldom think about taking a break for a while. But in this essay, it tells us a comfortable impression of relaxing yourself. You don’t have to remember what date is today. You don’t have to remember how much work you have to do. All you need is just let your tiring body and soul take a rest.
Going to the forest seems to be a good idea that can release your pressure. Walking in the woods and breathing the fresh air will clean your mind. You will throw your troubles behind so as to have a good mood. Though you might be too busy in the real-life, take a trip once a week would not take you so much time. So try to take a rest and do not wear yourself out.
For me, I don’t like the busy life I have, either. It makes me feel confuse and tired. So I tell myself “You don’t have to be like that!” and I will take a break for a while. Every time after taking a rest, I feel more powerful and energetic. It enables do a better job. My classmate and I have the same feeling, so we decide to go to the National Dong Hwa University as our college. The environment in there is quiet and peaceful. You can read and study in a comfortable place. On weekends, you can climb mountains or go to the beach to see the beautiful sceneries instead of going to the shopping malls or department stores. We though it will be a good life without the noise and disturbance. And we can be more absorbed in studying subject.
You might think I am not practical, but life can be comfortable and interesting, not just working, working and working. You will feel the days wear on like years, if you have a boring life. The life is yours. No one can control it except you. You can decide how to live it. I hope you can find the best way to make your life terrific, but don’t forget to have your soul “Take a Break”!
Project:The Story Of My Family
Student & Reporter: Alice Spancer
The person I interviewed: Chu-Hui Huang(黃初惠女士)
Time: 2007.3.30
Location: On the phone call
| (PART1) Who is Ms. Huang? |
| 1. What’s your name? And how old are you? |
| A: My name is Chu-Hui Huang. I am already 64 years old. |
| 2.What’s the relationship between you and me? |
| A: I am your one of your aunt, and I am the oldest sister of your mom. |
| (PART2) Our ancestors |
| 3. Where our ancestors come from? China? Or another place? |
| A: They came form Fukien(福建省) in China. I think most of the residents(居民) in Taiwan came form Fukien. Fukien is a nice place and it’s like spring all the year round. There are a lot of beautiful sceneries. |
| 4. When did they come to Taiwan? |
| A: It’s hard to answer. I have not looked into the pedigree(族譜) for a long time. But when I was 25 years old, my great-grand mother was already 100 years old. So I think our ancestors(祖先) came to Taiwan in Manchu Dynasty(清朝). |
| 5. Why did they choose Taiwan to be their second hometown? |
| A: I think the reason is they felt they can live better in Taiwan. It is near form Fukien, and the environment in Taiwan is similar with there. Not only the weather but also the people in this small island. And they can open the ground that they like and no one will stop them. They were free in this new place. So they decided to live here and worked hard to built their own world. By the way, there were a lot of people came from China since Ming Dynasty(明朝). So did our Guo Family. |
| 6.Where did they live when they came here first? |
| A: I don’t know where they lived before. I only know we lived in Taoyuan(桃園) since my great-grand parents lived here for a long time. |
| (PART3) The route my ancestors moved |
| 7.Did they move to another place? Why or Why not? |
| A: I don’t know, either. It’s too difficult to find out the real reason. But I know why we still lived in Taoyuan. Because here is the place we born. Here is the place we are used to live. Sometimes, we even feel the responsibility for this land we lived for a long time. We love this place and never want to leave. So that is the reason we won’t leave our hometown even the airport is located at the outskirts of Taoyuan city. |
| 8. Is there any big event in our family? What is that? |
| A: My family was very rich in Manchu Dynasty. Because all of my family is businessperson and they are good at managing money. Our family can wear beautiful silken clothes in that time. But when we moved to Taiwan, my great-grand mother spent all the money on game. She lost heavily and needed to sell all the ground to pay back the debt. So we became very poor. We can’t buy the things we want, and we can’t even buy the rise sometimes. |
| 9. How did they solve the problem? |
| A: We worked harder and harder to support all the costs in my family. We have eleven children in the family, and all of us need to work hard since we were little. But we didn’t have a good life even if we worked so hard. |
| (PART4) Story of my family |
| 10.Do you know another intreresting story about the family? |
| A: Your mom cut her sole of the foot by the cullet when she was playing with her friends in the river. |
| 11. Can you tell us the details of the story? What happened? |
| A: She enjoyed playing in the river. So she didn’t know she had been cut for a long time until she found there was blood in the water. She suddenly knew that she was hurting. I think it is funny that she didn’t even feel hurt while she was playing. |
| (PART5) Celebrity in my family |
| 12. Is there any celebrity in our family? Why he or she is famous? |
| A: Yes, there is one famous celebrity in the family. I think every student should know who he is. He is Zi-Yi Guo(郭子儀). He is a general(將軍) in Tang Dynasty(唐朝) and he solve a heavy sedition(叛亂) which calls ‘An Shi Sedition’ (安史之亂). |
| 13.Do we have a pedigree to take down all the ancestors’ name? |
| A: Yes, but I don’t know who is taking care of it. I think it might be taken care by my little brother. It is very impotant to the whole family. |
| 14. If we have one, what is the first name on the record? |
| A: Oh! It is a good question. The first one on it is Zi-Yi Guo. But I don’t know why he is the first one. Maybe because he is so famous that everyone know him. |
| (PART6) The memory in your lifetime |
| 15. In you mind, when you were the little girl, which memory is the most unforgettable? |
| A: There was one time I sicked seriously when I was little. I couldn’t move my body and felt terrible. Your grand father carried me on the back to a distant hospital. I know I was heavy at that time, because I was already 12 years old. I was very sad and felt guilty. If I didn’t sick, my father won’t have to do that. After we saw the doctor, he bought me some fruit for me. I was so happy then, so I ate all of them. Suddenly, I found that I forgot to leave some of the fruit for my father. I said sorry to him, but he just gave me a smile and said “Never mind. I don’t have to eat.” I felt the love of my father, I won’t forget the moment for all life. |
| 16. If the time can go back, which part you want to go back? |
| A: I want to go back…when I was a little girl. Because I can play with my sisters. Though that time was hard to live and I had to take care a lot of my sisters, that time is the happiest in my life. |
| 17. Did you do something that you don’t want to in the past? Or didn’t you something you want to do? |
| A: I don’t know what I should do or what I shouldn’t. It will change the world and my life if I changed any part in the past. I feel I have a good life now. So I didn’t want to change. |
| 18. When you are young, do you need to work for your family? Because a lot of people who are as old as you need to work when they are young. |
| A: Of course, yes. All the children in that time should work as hard as parents. The oldder children have to take care of the younger ones, because both parents are too busy on the work. They have to earn more and more money to feed all the children. So I had to take care my sisters, too. |
| 19. What kind fo work you did? Do you like it? Why or why not? |
| A: I took care of my sisters before I was 20. But after that I just married with my husband. So I did all the things for my own family. I was luckier than all my sisters, for example, your mom had to work in the factory while she was in the school. She had to work hard to pay the school expenses if she want to study. And she needed to help the family on the weekend even she was too tired to do everything. Guessed how old she was? She is only 14 years old!! |
| (PART7) After the interview |
| 20. How do you feel to be interviewed? |
| A: Great! But a little tired. |
| 21. Do you think it is a good way to let children understand the story of their family? |
| A:Yeah, it can let childrean to know their family well. But it costed too much time to have a interview. Though it is kind of tired to answer all the questions, I like to tell the story about family. So if there is an interview next time, I will help and invite you to visit me. |
| 22. Do you have anythinf else you want to share? |
| A: All of the children now are too lucky. They can’t consider how life can be so difficult. In the past, we had to do a lot of housework to help our parents. Sometimes, we were too poor to buy anything. We had to borrowed some rise from our neighbors. I know it’s hard to believe. Because all of you just need to study hard, you don’t have to worried whether you have the dinner today or not. So don’t complain all the time, you are luckier than we were. And thanks to your parents. They do a lot for you. |
| 23. Do you want me to write something for you in the paper? |
| A: Ha! Ha! What should I ask you to write for me? I am the most beautiful old lady in the world?? You mom will say it is not ture. |
| 24. How do you feel right now? Because we just finished the interview? |
| A: So so. I felt a little tired. Beacause it’s late in the night. You students are work hard. I really hope you can do a good job Alice. I expect your report. So after you finished the homework, please send me a copy in Chinese. I can’t read in English. Bless you~ |
Hi~ It has been a long time I didn’t write anything on the blog. I am very sorry to everyone who like to visit my blog and my dear teacher. Lately, I am too busy to do the things that teacher asked me to do. I will do it as fast as I can. But I want to show my plane of the interview today. I want to interview my first aunt. ( My mom’s first sister) She is already 64 years old. She knows a lot about my family. And the history of Taiwan during more than the past 50 years.Because I am so busy that I can’t visit her ( she lives in Taoyuan where is my mom’s hometown) to have an interview, I decide to make a phone call on this Friday. So there is no picture I will take, but I will try my best to find some pictires about my family and my aunt. And I choose some questions to ask her. I hope I can do a good job, so just bless me~
The questions I want to ask……
(PART1)
1. What’s your name?
2.What’s the relationship between you and me?
(PART2)
3. Where our ancestors come from? China? Or another place?
4. When did they come to Taiwan?
5. Why did they choose Taiwan to be their second hometown?
6.Where did they live when they came here first?
(PART3)
7.Did they move to another place? Why or Why not?
8. Is there any big event in our family? What is that?
9. How did they solve the problem?
(PART4)
10.Do you know another intreresting story about the family?
11. Can you tell us the details of the story? What happened?
(PART5)
12. Is there any celebrityin our family? Why he or she is famous?
13.Do we have a record to take down all the ancestors’ name and what they did?
14. If we have one, what is the first name on the record?
(PART6)
15. In you mind, when you were the little girl, which memory is the most unforgettable?
16. If the time can go back, which part you want to go back?
17. Did you do something that you don’t want to in the past? Or Didn’t you something you want to do?
18. When you are young, do you need to work for your family? Because a lot of people who are as old as you need to work when they are young.
19. What kind fo work you did? Do you like it? Why or why not?
(PART7)
20. How do you feel to be interviewed?
21. Do you think it is a good homework to let children understand the story of their family?
22. Do you have anythinf else you want to share?
23. Do you want me to write something for you in the paper?
24. How do you feel right now? Because we just finished the interview?
I think they are all the questions I want to ask. If I ask too many questions, maybe my aunt will feel a little angry…= =
That are what I planed to do!!
Have you ever had a hero who affects you a lot in your lifetime? Maybe he or she is a movie star, a singer, a writer, a scientist or a successful business man, kind of celebrity. I have mine also. My hero is my father.
In my mind, my father is the most important person in the world. The way he acts really influences me a lot. First of all, take the way he educates me for example, he is very strict to me. He always tries his best to provide the best education for me, but he can’t blame me. Instead, he sets an example to me. For instance, he is never late for work. He will arrive earlier. He thinks it is not polite to let others wait for you. In addition, he is really optimistic. He always looks on the bright side of life. Even if he came across something bad, he still told himself it is not the worst, it is just a test for him, and tries his best to cheer up himself. Beside, he always asks me to do the right thing at right time.
Second, my father has sense of humor. As I mentioned above he is so strict, but most of time he is interesting. I remember one night, I went into my parents’ bedroom and wanted to say goodnight to my father. He hid behind a closet so as to scare me. When I was walking toward the closet, he ran out and said “Goodnight!” loudly. I burst out crying in fear then. I told him angrily “What do you do that for me!!??” My father said “Don’t be so serious. I just want to see your surprising face.” He stuck out his tongue and made a funny face like a little boy. Who can tell what I can say at that time? He is funny, isn’t he?
Third, my father loves me so much that my mother will envy me sometimes. For instance, my father always takes me home by bicycle after I finished the class in the cram school every Friday night. Because he thinks it is dangerous for a young girl to walk on the street alone at night. My father is such a great father. I love my father very much.
No matter who is your hero, he or she must be a good person. So does my hero, he is the best father in the world. And no matter how big I might grow to be, I hope to be as great as my hero, my father.
Written by Alice.S
Hi! I am the first grade student at Lishan Senior High School. My name is Alice Spancer.
I have lived in Taipei since I was born, and I was complete a city girl. I was born on Oct. 20, 1990. In this year, something happened in my family. I want to share with you, and hope you enjoy it.
Because I was the first baby in my family, everyone was not only excited but also nervous. Before I was born, my parents worried about that they couldn’t be a good mom or a good dad, so they bought a lot of books, which were telling people how to be good parents. And I guess they read them for many times.
After my mom gave birth to me, every member of my family and friends of my parents were happy for them. But, for sure, my mom must be the happiest person. She said she was unbearably painful at that time, but when she looked at me, she forgot everything about the pain.
While I could go home, everyone visited my family, and tried to find out how I looked. My mom said after they saw me, they couldn’t help but laugh. Because I had a lot of locks on the top of my head and they were a little…scruffy. (My dad said not only “a little.”) They said I looked like an old man and it was kind of funny.
My dad liked to take pictures since I was born. He always took some interesting pictures of me like when I was sitting on the table crying seriously or when I fell down on my bed. He said he was appreciating God gave him such a cute girl. I am the best present he has ever received.
However, a new life always comes with joy. I though I brought nothing but happiness to my family. I know this story might be ordinary, but it was important and special for me. Because it proved how much my family love me, and how many people take care of me. I really appreciate all of them, and I just want them to know how much I love them, too. I love you all^ ^.
P.S. Do you like this story? Do you tell your family how much you love them? Try to tell them, and you will find something you have never known.
Hello! Welcome to my world. My name is Alice Spancer. I am the first grade at Lishan
Senior High School. And I am a Taiwanese. Because a lot of people do not know where
Taiwan is, or even have not heard about it, I decide to introduce my country to you first.
Taiwan is a small island at the west of Pacific Ocean and the east of China. The Tropic Of Cancer also passes through our territory. In our country, Chinese is our official language, but you can hear that we talk to each others in another language. It is called Taiwanese. The people here are really amicable. They will do their best to help those in need. Don’t worry that no one can understand what you say as a foreign visitor. If you talk in English, a lot people can catch on your mind. If you speak the language that no one knows, you can make some signs, I’m sure you can get some help, too. As I told you, we Taiwanese are friendly.
In Taiwan, you can eat all kinds of foods. In the early morning, ( People in
Taiwan usually get up at 6 o’clock, and go to work at 7 or 8. The students are much earlier than others. ) you can eat breakfast at traditional breakfast bars. They often serve fresh soybean milk, sesame seed cake and a special food is called “You Tiao”. It is a deep-fried fluffy dough stick that you taste like cookies, but crisper than cookies. It is one of my favorite foods. In the afternoon, you can find a lot of interesting foods on the street. For instance, dumplings, bean vermicelli, etc.. Of course, after a tiring day, night is the best moment in Taiwan. There are many night markets. You can not only feed yourself, but also have fun by taking all kinds of games in it. Though there are always full of people, visitors that come from different countries still enjoy the part of life in Taiwan. In addition, there are a lot of scenic spots in Taiwan. Take ” Yangminshan National Park” for example. The area is known known for its hot spring. Tens of thousands visitors come here every year so as to take comfortable hot spring bath. After relaxing yourself, you can eat a steamed bun as snack, and your trip will be more significant. Last, there is one more thing that I want to tell everyone about Taiwan. Though
Taiwan is so small that it might not be found on the map, Taiwan is an interesting place to visit. If you want to know more about Taiwan or want to adventure in
Taiwan, you can key in the word “ Taiwan” on the Internet. You can find a lot of information on the website. I really hope I can meet you in Taiwan and make friends with you. P.S. You can give me some replies. I would like to change ideas with you.
Written By Alice.S
Recent Comments