Saturday, September 19, 2009

Candlelight Dinner--An Old Irish Man and Several Chinese Kids' Story




I didn't know how to express my pleasant and appreciation when saw the scene: in Dan's "Old Irish Course", he prepared a table of beautiful dinner with candle light. It was amazing! How much he value our friendship and how he likes us! Looking at the candle at the middle of the table, I couldn't say a word. I need learn how to express emotion, I think. When each dish is ready, he raised his goblet and said, "To my mom." Kevin, Holly, Lerry and I stood up and cheered with Dan. "Thank you, Dan!"
The main dish was rump roast and gravy, of which cooking guidance written by Dan and has even been published in a cooking book. It was his mom's favorite. I can feel the emotion of missing a person, deep and soul. It covers a person's heart that bleeds day and night. I haven't seen Mom for more than a year. This night I was moved, cried in heart.
During the dinner, Dan told some stories and explained his life philosophy. His mom let him make ten boxes and put his troubles into the boxes, sit on them and laugh. What a funny story! That shaped his sense of humor. When his daughters grew up and about to leave home, he told them, "The most important job you should do is, be happy," he interpreted, "'be happy' doesn't mean 'have fun'. Have a lot of fun but do nothing valuable would be boring. Nobody like that kind of life. To be happy, is to know what you want to do in life, have goals, go for them, and accomplish them. Enjoy the process and accept the result." I've had a very important lesson tonight. An old Irish man's life philosophy is like the traditional Irish music.
We listened to more music and watched the slideshow of pictures taken on the sailing day. We laughed, talked, memorized details of that trip, and thanked God giving us these opportunities to get together and have good times.
I really appreciate it. On November 11, we will have some work in the Job Affair. I wish I am helpful for Dan. Trouble makers like it. Ha ha!!!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Review--"A Very Long Engagement"






“A very long engagement” is one of the most moving movies I have ever watched. It tells a story about a young lady who gathers information from returning soldiers in order to figure out what on earth her fiancĂ© was alive or dead. People think it is a love story, but for me, it is more like a suspense and consequence movie. Do you know why? Because the whole story is like a mystery that leads audience guess and infer the characters’ destiny. As the story happened during the World War I, people suffered from terrible wars and wished to live in peace. Love was luxury for them; it guides today’s people review peace and love in contemporary life.


Audrey Tautou performs Mathilde, a pretty lady who has engaged with Manech, performed by Caspard Ulliel. Manech and other four Frenchmen are sent to frontline to battle against Germen. The war finally ends and the survival soldiers return home. They bring bad message to Mathilde, tell her that Manech has already dead and burned. But she doesn’t believe it. She insists to search for information from all possible sources no matter how hard and dangerous the searching is. She gives herself hope, but each time she fails to get a satisfied result. The lighting divides the film into two themes: one is bright and harmony light that emphasizes the beauty of peace and love; the other light character is dark and cold, which shows audience a cruel and ugly war. Two styles of scenes are completely different from each other and highlight the theme. In addition, scenes change through reality and memory, which lead audiences seek for clues together with the female character. So this film is presents in a consequence way. It attracts people to continue watching it, but it is hard to understand some specific details.



“A Very Long Engagement” is a drama; it has influenced many people and lead people think about the relationship between families and wars. It is a creative film because it contrast loving and killing in through a lady’s life seeking for her fiancĂ©. This is Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s second famous movie following the movie named The Fabulous Destiny of Amelie Poulain. Love can encourage people to do what they believe is right. Mathilde’s love goes on and on, which remands me the most famous movie “Titanic”. No matter how much time goes, how the world changes, true love lasts for a life time.





Introspection

She is my classmate in economics class. The first day we study toghter, I found her very good at analysing and gets involved all the time. I think that expains why she was one of the two selected studying abroad students in PUC. She plans to study from 6:00p.m. to midnight in Star Bucks. I make up my mind to have a trade-off--go to Star Bucks and study with her instead of going to the Chinese Food party and have fun with friends.
Even I made this desicion, she pointed out that I am not like a crazy studying student. Yes, she is so clever that needles my weakness. It feels cool because she helped me to face to my weakness. I was shocked. A student like me who stops on the enderstanding level isn't a really good student. Whole A grade could only be a daytime dream if I don't refuse those external noises such as parties and trips.
I'm typing in SUL now, thinking about my future, regreting that I have wasted amount of time. I'm Not Positive Enough,She Is Right! I must change my situation!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Reflect on the ENGL 396 CALL class

This semester I have learnt some basic skills of using dream waver and movie maker. The last project, my favorite place slide show is my favorite. Because it's much more complex than the other ones. It concludes both visual project and sound. Also I need to match them at the best second. Moreover, this kind of media tool is really useful for me because I am looking forward to make something interesting via movie maker.
This semester, in English 396 CALL class I started my account on face book and blogger. They gave me a lot of happiness~ I love the feelings that reading comments written by friends. I also like to give some comments to others.
One day, in the library I saw a book by accident. The book teaches people how to use dream waver. I was surprised that dream waver has so many inner useful aspects that I had never known about. I think what I have learnt from this class is far less than I really need to know about in the future. As a result, I decide to make some project by myself, just do something interesting.

For the final project, my partner Jim and I will make a project which topic is transportation. We will introduce the evolution of transportation as a history progress. It will be an interesting journey to learn and pay attention to transportation.
I am going to make a project about diary after this semester. An electronic diary book, better than the one in the movie Princess Diary. That's a plan by now. I will accomplish it in summer. Good luck, Doris!

Transportation~~

My partner and I chose transportation as our topic. As we know, transportation concludes many branches which evolute year by year. It is not a difficult topic, however, it is not easy to chose a perfect way to name them by categories. For example, we thought of time lines, electronic lines, evolution lines, and distance lines.
Finally, after discussing, we decided to make them to different categories, on the land, in the water, and in the sky. So the problem is solved. The next step was much easier and the progress goes quickly.
It is my first time to make a project like this. There may be some other problems in the following days, but I am prepared to face to difficulties. Just do it!

Monday, April 6, 2009

My Favorite Place--Metropolitan Museum of Art


My favorite place is Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is located to the east of the Central Park in New York City. The museum is the best one I have ever visited in my life. It was so marvelous and graceful, like a princess who is going to become a queen. My tour to the museum was on January 2, 2009. My friends and I spent all day in the building and enjoyed it all the time. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the world’s biggest galleries.

The art works are displayed all around. When stand in the hall, I feel I am covered by art, from the roof to the floor, from my head to my toes.
Some of the departments are dark because the museum tries to build the most likely atmosphere. For example, the time I went there was in winter, and there was a huge Christmas tree on the first floor. I remember that the lights on the tree were not the same with simple Christmas trees. They were bow shaped. I really enjoyed staying under the tree.
I like this museum because it has many my favorite painter, Monet’s works, include Water Lilies, The Path, and so on. With great passion, I visited the greatest artists’ works and was shocked by the marvelous paints.
Great art works have magic to attract people. I remember that day when I saw this painting, I couldn’t help to stop there and I lost myself in the painting. That was amazing experience.
I almost lost myself in the modern art display hall. I have to say that I don’t really understand all the works and the deep meaning of the projects. How extraordinary, I had that chance to spend my whole day with the greatest art works in the museum. That is a place I will never forget! Whenever I think of that place, my heart flies to enjoy the atmosphere again.