Be a winner

I have been a winner in the Linguistic class today. I insist on that our professor is a very nice person even though she never gives me any special attention. She not only makes the class easy to follow, but keeps it fun also. Last week, we had an assignment to find out some minimal pairs. She suggested students who were natural English speaker to do the whole assignment, but non natural speaker students might finish an easy part only.

However, I thought I should try my best to do the assignment. I checked dictionary, did research from internet, discussed that with my tutor. I believed I was the person who completed the most in our class. This was the reason I became the winner. In today's class, the professor declaimed I was the winner and put my name on the blackboard. I really enjoy it. I assume the some of my classmates may feel unhappy about that. They do participant and show off in the class always, but they lost to an ESL student this time. I am happy that they are unhappy. Woo, I am dark inside.

Finished the presentation of Anthr 101

We had the presentation section in the Anthropology 101 class today. I didn’t feel well about that. There was not any communication before the presentation among our group members. I had sent an email to all members of my group after our group was arranged, but nobody responded to me. We finished our own part separately and emailed it to the person who was in charge of the final organization of the paper and doing the presentation. That was all. We didn’t meet outside class to discuss our topic, nor contacted from emails. Last week, the professor especially left a class for students discussing the group projects, but in our group, two of the members said that was not necessary. The paper was handed in today; except the girl who did the final paper, none of our group member had chance to read it. The girl did a very brief presentation. I didn’t believe she well prepared her job. I felt that the professor may give us a B if we are lucky

However, it finished anyway. I felt tired about this course. I don’t except a good grade on it anymore. But I still will try my best to prepare for the final exams.

I went to Flushing Main Street twice today. I sold a book from the Internet, so I had to ship that book as soon as possible. I went to do that this morning. This afternoon, when I was in college, my friend Cool called and asked me coming to Flushing library. She said we would have some drinks with Barry. This was the second time she invited me, and I like to meet Barry very much, so I decided to go.

Cool has been in America less than a year, but her English is improving rapidly. She stays in the library very often. I believe she spends most of her free time in the library English learning center. We had a pleasing time in Starspark with Barry. After Barry left, we returned to the library and studied together until the library closed.

Is twenty-five year old young

So far, all of my classes go on smoothly except Anthropology 101. I am worried about it badly but I don’t know how to work on it. My tutor Barry said he’d like to help me. I am touched by his word. However, I think I have to try my best to solve my problem by myself.

I got 91 points on the second exam of Anthropology 102. I thought it good. When one of my classmates, Antony, asked me, I answered him proudly, “It’s good. I got 91.” When I asked him how was his result. He said he got 107. Antony answered correctly all the questions plus some extra questions for extra credit. I was embarrassed at that moment. My score certainly is not bad, but not compare to an excellent student as him.

Antony is an ABC, America Born Chinese. He is twenty-four year old. He asked me how old I was when we first time talking. After I told him my age was too old to say. He said, I’m twenty-four, are you old than twenty-four? Seam as twenty-four is a very large number. However, I understand his feeling. My cousin is twenty-five years old. When he said he felt he was too old, I answered him like this, “If you are a sophomore when you are twenty-five, you are old. If you are a professor when you are twenty-five, you are absolutely young.”

Antony also has a Chinese Given name, Guorong, as most ABCs. That is same with a famous Chinese movie star’s. After introduced his Chinese name, “But I like girls.” Antony added a complement immediately. At that moment, I couldn’t understand why he shifted subject so quickly. But I realized the reason a few seconds later. Woo, even an ABC knows that movie star was a gay.

A homework of the Cultural Anthroplogy class.

Because we discussed the topic of immigration on the Cultural Anthropology class, the professor asked each student to write a short paragraph about the immigration situation of their own families. This is my writing below.

My parents are still in my home country, China. I am the first generation who immigrated to America in my family. When I arrived to New York, I had a little money with me that was all of the saving of my parents. I started to find a job at the second day. On the seventh day, I found my first job as a salesperson in the Main Street, Flushing; however, the boss fired me two hour later. Nevertheless, I got a ten dollar bill as my first income in America. I found the second job a month later, working as a cashier in a supermarket. I worked here several months and shifted to another supermarket for higher pay. While I was working in a full time job, I enrolled some free English programs to improve English.

During my early years in America, I was unable to move to a better job but only worked as a low-pay labor. That was indeed a difficult situation. Thus, while I had some saving, I decided to go to college. Now, I have finished half of my college study. I hope I not only can get a bachelor’s degree, but also a master’s, or even further. For me, the American dream is not to be rich, but I hope I can free study knowledge widely and develop my own interest completely. I am especially interested in history, I want be a scholar with an outstanding achievement on the field. I understand this is a large chance that I may fail my dream on the half way. However, in my opinion, holding your dream and never giving up is just one of the most attractive characteristics of the American spirit.

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day.

I went to the Kissina Park yesterday with two of my friends. The sky was extremely blue. I asked friends to allow me to go back home to take my camera, but they said you could take pictures with your cell phone. They didn’t want to waste time to do that. I really enjoy the lovely spring days and took some pictures about the trees, blooming flowers, and a lake. The natural scenery was pleasing, but I was not satisfied by the effective of those pictures from my cell phone. I planed to go to the park again today. However, today, the sky is no longer as blue as yesterday. I am regretting that I didn’t insist to take the camera yesterday.

My husband posts his practice of English writing on a blog everyday, and I always try my best to correct those sentences for him. Also, we have been talking in English on phone twenty minutes a day since several days ago. Thus, he has the chance not only writing but also speaking. It’s very difficult for an adult to learn a foreign language; however, I wish what we are doing is helpful for him. Anyway, correcting his work is not a totally boring job. I learn his live from his writing, and I am also improving my English during the same time.

Being patiently

I don’t feel comfortable when I am in my aunt’s home.

Today I went to school in the morning. I ate breakfast in a Chinese bakery. The women who worked over here smiled to me. I knew they smiled to a customer, but I still enjoyed the wonderful feeling that someone smiles to you in a fine morning. I worked from 9 to 1 o’clock in the Media Center in the college library. I said good morning to my supervisor, his said same words as greeting to me as well. I usually don’t talk with him much, but I have kept a peaceful relationship with him. I show my respect to him; thus, when I encounter some problems on my job, he never refuses to help me. I have a much closer relationship with most of my co-workers. We chat a lot when we get together.

This morning, I asked my co-worker, Nancy, to help me to solve a question from my Linguistics course. The question is to find a minimal pair about “b” and “m”, and the “b” and “m” sound must in the middle of the two words. It was indeed challenging. Yesterday I have asked somebody in the academic support center for the same question. There were several tutors sitting over here who spent around ten minutes to think and discuss. However, sadly, they provided no effect. The reason I asked Nancy today is because she is major in Linguistics. I thought she probably should have some knowledge about minimal pairs. Nancy said this was an interesting question, and she’d like to think about it, but she could not find a pair of words fulfilling the requirement either.

I had an exam of Anthropology 102 this afternoon. I felt I did well. I wish I can get A or B. since I got a 69 points on one of my courses this semester, there is no long stress existing in my mind anymore. I have made some friends in this class. They called me before the exam because they expected help. From them, I feel that making friends is really a duty rather than an advantage. I probably can ask help from friends also, but I really don’t know how to do that. I need to learn.

The professor of the East Religion course returned our third paper in today’s class. I got an A-. It’s a pretty fair grade since it was from a tough grade professor. About this paper, the professor gave me a comment such as, “the content is good, but please improve the English.” I told myself that I didn’t have to improve the English because I have already gotten an A-.

Finishing the last class, I met an old classmate when I was on the way to go back home. We are not too close friends, and even never make phone calls to each other. However, when we meet in the campus sometimes, we always have a short but pleasured conversation together.

I felt fine the whole day. It was a peaceful day, the time that I exactly want. However, when I entered into my aunt’s home at night, I felt cold suddenly. Cold faces, cold air, and cold environment. Nevertheless, I can never require or complain anything. If my aunt asks anything such as “Why do you come into my home and my live. Who invited you here? You came by yourself.” I have no words to reply her certainly. Thus, I can only be patiently and submissively.

I told my painful feeling to my husband on phone. After speaking out, I feel much better now. If I cannot move out recently, it’s better to think things in a positive manner. Also, my husband always understands and supports me in an absolute way. He offers me the most support and love. Depending on it, I am crossing the difficult days when I am in the foreign country alone.

blogspot.com was closed in China recently

Chinese government closed blogspot.com in China recently. My husband complained that he couldn’t visit my blog anymore. I have another blog in Sina China, but I dislike it. There are many conditions you have to follow that make people inconvenient to use it. For example, it happened several times when I tried to post an article, the system didn’t allow me posting for some reasons. Sometime it said my article was too long; sometime it said the title was not allowed. I just feel bad that I spent two hours to write an article but they didn’t allow me posting it.

The second exam of the Biological Anthropology course will take place on next Tuesday. Although I am studying it a whole day, I still don’t have confidence about the coming exam. The exam is going to cover many materials. The evolution from mammals through monkeys, ape, and the finally to human is too complex. I am trying to read the text book, but those words for the proper field are not easy understand; especial, I may misunderstand some parts due to my English skill. The format of the exam is multiple-choice questions. This sort of questions may be trick if you don’t understand the materials very well.

Anyway, I will try my best. I always feel difficult on study. However, probably, some students feel even more difficult.

A gap in heart

My husband told a short story to me. I think it is an excellent story.

One day, an intelligent professor asked his students a following question. “Why do people speak loud when they get anger?” one answered, “If people are not clam down, they turn to speak loud.” “Sometimes the others stand very close to a person, but the still speaks loud. What is the true reason that people attempt to speak loud?” The professor asked again. This time, the students provided various answers, but the professor was not satisfied by any of them.

At last, he explained, “If two people are anger with each other, there is a large gap between their hearts. They try to eliminate the gap and speak very loud in order to make sure another can hear. However, while they speak loud, they get even more anger. When they become even more anger, the gap becomes larger.”

A new blog for pictures

These is a new blog of mine. I put some pictures on it. Welcome to visit.
www.tenyear1996.blogspot.com

Candy is going to leave New York

Spring break is almost meeting an end. This week, I met many friends, including my college classmates and ex-coworkers. I like stay with my friends even though that creates some expense. Many people see saving money as their primacy goal of their lives. They have a frugal and excessively simple live. I just cannot image how boring that kind of lives are.

My friend Candy is going to move to New Orleans for a new job. Her previous job is working as a waitress, which she has been working around two years. Recently her friend introduced a cashier job to her. She made a decision to try. She is brave because, in my opinion, it’s easy to make some comments, but making a really decision to change live is a complete another case.

I admire Candy for her courage. She is always actively to try something new. Although life is tough enough for her who is in a foreign country without little external assistance, she always shows an optimistic side to the world. She constantly smiles, rarely complain. She actively makes friends, expanding her friend circle. She encourages me in some ways; not only on the dinner table for eating more food, but considering our future in a more positive way.

We had a lunch together this Sunday. Candy holds a positive perspective that this new job and the new environment is a good chance to improve her English. Chinese people who want to learn English has a same dream, escaping from New York, from the Chinese circle. On the other hand, we pointed a disadvantage of living the U.S. states other than New York. There are usually very slow. The diet is simple and people eat something very fat. She is in a risk to grow fat.

How many words do you know?

There is a very interesting discuss between my husband and me those days.
Since he is studying English this year, he always counts how many words he has learned; for example, somebody is in the level of two thousand English words. I have not interest about that completely. Moreover, I feel it is ridiculous. How about you know how to read and spell a word but don’t know how to use it to make sentences. Do you count it as a learned word or not?

He also likes to ask me if I can understand the TV news, cartoon, or talk shows. When I answered I could not understand them. He assumed I was deliberately cheating him. I have been living in American more five years; I am a college sophomore student, how can I say I don’t understand those normal English.

I know I am frank; perhaps, the problem is due to the standard. When somebody understood ten percent of a conversation, he claimed he understood it. The other one understood ninety percent, but he felt he didn’t understand it entirely, so he said, “I don’t understand it.” I am always a sore of person as the latter.

The Russell’s book is not too difficult to understand because he wants people to understand, I guess. Some novels could be hard to understand if the authors wish other look up them as knowledgeable people. I love the topic that Russell talking as well. He talks about if the world really exists or it is merely the collection of sense-dates.

Philosophy is extremely important for everybody’s life though most people don’t believe it. They feel philosophy is empty and these topics are useless for their daily lives. However, in my opinion, although some people look like smart, they tend to make wrong alternatives at a key point of their lives, which results serious cost. The main reason is just because they had no idea about philosophy.

traveling with a cyclopedia

I have planed to go to Six Flags in New Jersey today, but the plan was cancelled because of the snow this morning. I didn’t believe that was a good day to go to an amusement park. Also, there were ten people in the group. I thought it was too many people to go together. I prefer a group with three to four people.

In fact, I love travel with my husband alone. We can make or change decisions fast, don’t need spend much extra time to wait somebody coming late. While I travel with my husband, we cooperate with each other. He drives the car, I tell stories to him for entertainment. I am familiar about Chinese history and literature. Whenever we go, I knew some stories about those places.

Last summer, when we were in Xian, there was a statue about the woman playing swords around a park. I told my husband, the woman was Gongshun lady. When he approached the statue to check, he found the name was exact as I said. He was shocked and claimed, “I am traveling with a cyclopedia.”

My husband always admires me as a very intelligent person although it is not true. I enjoy staying with him because he encourages me in many ways. When I stay with my husband, my parents, and a few close friends, who are willing to understand me, I am becoming more and more colorful and wonderful.

In contrast, when I stay with others, I am ignored as a rule. I feel I was a tiny dust, so plain, so humble. I am disappointed by that. But my husband said I cannot require everybody understand me.

Reading Russell's work

The week is the spring break of my college, but I still don’t have too much free time. I need work two days; I plan to meet some friends whom I don’t time to meet during the regular study period. I also plan to complete two essays for the Oriental Study course. One is a comparison of Buddhism and western religion, other one is comparison of Mahayana and Hinayana. When I talked these topics with my husband, he was surprised by those unfamiliar topics. However, since I love philosophy and religion, I am not tired to discuss those topics at all.

I have borrowed a book today, the problems of philosophy. The author is Russell. One of my favorite Chinese writer admired Russell’s philosophy very much. For this reason, I want to try and see how amaze he is although I doubt if I can really get a joy from a philosophy work in English?