This post is about the information of non-verbal communication such as hand gestures, body language, and facial expressions you can find on the Internet.
The links below are from Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_expression
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gestures
One gesture I'd like to share with you is "corna". When I attended rock concerts, the audience usually raised their hands and used this gesture to show their appreciation of the performance. I pulled it out just as everyone else did but never understood its meaning until a while ago. It's actually a devil sign! I should've known! Then again, rock music is rebellious, and I don't get to use a devil sign on other occasions. Rock on!
You can also talk about a gesture/expression that is commonly known as one meaning but interpreted differently in a certain culture. Please see the video below.
When YES means NO
Another option is to elaborate on one common gesture/expression that people often use but annoys you. For instance, I feel uncomfortable when people clear their throats. It is merely a pet peeve.
2009年5月1日
2009年4月26日
First Impressions of Tsing Hua
I visited Tsing Hua in August of 1989 the first time, as I already obtained a job here and came to register. Although a lot of Taiwanese commented that Tsing Hua has a beautiful campus after they knew I worked there, I like my own school more where I went for graduate study in the USA (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, http://www.uiuc.edu). Although lots of people told me Tsing Hua has a beautiful campus, I really think it just fine compared with two American universities I had studied (another school is Iowa State U, http://www.iastate.edu). Over the years, I increasingly like the campus at Tsing Hua. In Chinese; Tsing means water and Hua means flower/woods. It is pretty with lakes and trees. With a school of humanities and social sciences, people here seem to know how to better the campus by adding this and that--definitely some of them were not as successful.
People in this campus are generally hard-working--day and night as well as weekdays and weekends. They are thus more productive. The campus is full of energy and dynamics: events, conferences, speeches, movies, performance, etc. When we work and live with outstanding scholars here, we tend to be motivated or stimulated by their behaviors, working styles, and their achievements. We want to be like them in the future. We can find role models at Tsing Hua in various academic disciplines.
As I know more about the campus, building, talents, people (role models), and achievements, I like this school and the location (Hsinchu) better as I stay here longer. I hope I can contribute to the campus and the school as well. [reposted from 2007/9/27]
People in this campus are generally hard-working--day and night as well as weekdays and weekends. They are thus more productive. The campus is full of energy and dynamics: events, conferences, speeches, movies, performance, etc. When we work and live with outstanding scholars here, we tend to be motivated or stimulated by their behaviors, working styles, and their achievements. We want to be like them in the future. We can find role models at Tsing Hua in various academic disciplines.
As I know more about the campus, building, talents, people (role models), and achievements, I like this school and the location (Hsinchu) better as I stay here longer. I hope I can contribute to the campus and the school as well. [reposted from 2007/9/27]
Making Decisions for Oneself
Life is a process for us to make decisions. If we can be responsible, usually we live more happily. I came from a middle-class family with my father working as a primary school teacher supporting a 5-member household. He came from Mainland China so the financial situation was bad for quite a long period of time. He always wanted to become a public school teacher like himself because that is an "iron bowl" with the government supporting the family.
Well, I think I am a good elder daughter at home with 2 younger brothers to take care of. I was successfully admitted to Taichung teachers' college and Girls' Senior High after my junior high education. My parents told me to get into the teachers' college to become a primary school teacher--at that time students studying there do not even need to pay the tuition. I asked my teacher for advice and made a decision the first time in my life--I chose to go to a normal senior high in order to get into a college. My father then gave his second advice: then you should study in the Normal University.
In the second time, I obeyed his order getting into Taiwan Normal University, leaving home the first time. I actually could get into Taiwan University. That 4-year experiences living in Taipei form my independent personalities. Then, I went back to Taichung, my hometown, to teach in a junior high for 2 years. I felt being there suffocating my personalities. I then told my father I wanted to go abroad for an MA degree—I already passed the entrance exam of the master program at Normal University. My father was puzzled, not understanding why I chose to give up the iron bowl. Since he is one who encourages more learning opportunities, he let me go. Yet I have to support myself financially. I did have my saving from the 2-year job experiences.
My first step of graduate education was at Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa). It was an English teaching program, like one of the master’s program offered at the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature at Tsing Hua University. My advisor, although at an assistant professor’s rank, was at the same age as my mother. She indeed treated me like my American mother, serving as my role model in my academic career. I learned from her about how to treat students, how to prepare to teach graduate courses, and how to conduct research in applied linguistics. The wonderful experiences at Iowa State encouraged me to pursue a doctoral degree. I love studying in USA. Although this time my father was against the proposal: why did a girl need to study this much? Anyway I insisted on my own decision. This round I actually ran out of my own savings and I did not get any financial support in the first semester from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the school of my doctoral program. I served in the student cafeteria, earning US$3.25 per hour (8 hours a week) to subsidize a small portion of the living expense. Luckily I found research assistantship the second semester, ending my most miserable period of the graduate student’s life in US. I was also quite lucky to immediately find a job in May, 1989 from Tsing Hua while defending my doctoral thesis on July 3 in the same year.
I took 186 credits when I was a college student including 28 education hours. For some time, I did not feel being benefitted much from most of those coursework. In 2003, when I was the Chair of our department, I even bolded to say I want to make our own department better than the one in Normal University. Now, I think I am more humble and understand better I did obtain insights from courses I took, not so much the knowledge itself, but the time and the interaction with classmates and professors. It is a valuable period of one’s life. I went to Taiwan U and the Chinese department of Normal U to audit their evening classes. Those were all very much enjoyable.
On the past Saturday, April 25, our alumni came back to the department. Most of them mentioned great resources Tsing Hua provides benefitted them the most. Yes, when Tsing Hua dared to establish a college of humanities, they invite diversity into our community. What we can contribute is not so much the papers the humanities professors can publish (we do fulfill their expectations), but a humanistic perspective. What is it? It is an insight of understanding humans better and in a deeper way. The science experts at Tsing Hua also give their rationality to us. Actually it happens the two American schools I went to, Iowa State U and U of Illinois, are famous for their science and engineering achievements.
So you make decisions for your life. I did not grow up from a very resourceful family but I am contented with the life and the lifestyle I have now. [One of our alumni said so on Saturday—she is at her 30.] I hope you can say so. There are various kinds of opportunities in the coming 3 years as long as you are prepared.
Well, I think I am a good elder daughter at home with 2 younger brothers to take care of. I was successfully admitted to Taichung teachers' college and Girls' Senior High after my junior high education. My parents told me to get into the teachers' college to become a primary school teacher--at that time students studying there do not even need to pay the tuition. I asked my teacher for advice and made a decision the first time in my life--I chose to go to a normal senior high in order to get into a college. My father then gave his second advice: then you should study in the Normal University.
In the second time, I obeyed his order getting into Taiwan Normal University, leaving home the first time. I actually could get into Taiwan University. That 4-year experiences living in Taipei form my independent personalities. Then, I went back to Taichung, my hometown, to teach in a junior high for 2 years. I felt being there suffocating my personalities. I then told my father I wanted to go abroad for an MA degree—I already passed the entrance exam of the master program at Normal University. My father was puzzled, not understanding why I chose to give up the iron bowl. Since he is one who encourages more learning opportunities, he let me go. Yet I have to support myself financially. I did have my saving from the 2-year job experiences.
My first step of graduate education was at Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa). It was an English teaching program, like one of the master’s program offered at the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature at Tsing Hua University. My advisor, although at an assistant professor’s rank, was at the same age as my mother. She indeed treated me like my American mother, serving as my role model in my academic career. I learned from her about how to treat students, how to prepare to teach graduate courses, and how to conduct research in applied linguistics. The wonderful experiences at Iowa State encouraged me to pursue a doctoral degree. I love studying in USA. Although this time my father was against the proposal: why did a girl need to study this much? Anyway I insisted on my own decision. This round I actually ran out of my own savings and I did not get any financial support in the first semester from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the school of my doctoral program. I served in the student cafeteria, earning US$3.25 per hour (8 hours a week) to subsidize a small portion of the living expense. Luckily I found research assistantship the second semester, ending my most miserable period of the graduate student’s life in US. I was also quite lucky to immediately find a job in May, 1989 from Tsing Hua while defending my doctoral thesis on July 3 in the same year.
I took 186 credits when I was a college student including 28 education hours. For some time, I did not feel being benefitted much from most of those coursework. In 2003, when I was the Chair of our department, I even bolded to say I want to make our own department better than the one in Normal University. Now, I think I am more humble and understand better I did obtain insights from courses I took, not so much the knowledge itself, but the time and the interaction with classmates and professors. It is a valuable period of one’s life. I went to Taiwan U and the Chinese department of Normal U to audit their evening classes. Those were all very much enjoyable.
On the past Saturday, April 25, our alumni came back to the department. Most of them mentioned great resources Tsing Hua provides benefitted them the most. Yes, when Tsing Hua dared to establish a college of humanities, they invite diversity into our community. What we can contribute is not so much the papers the humanities professors can publish (we do fulfill their expectations), but a humanistic perspective. What is it? It is an insight of understanding humans better and in a deeper way. The science experts at Tsing Hua also give their rationality to us. Actually it happens the two American schools I went to, Iowa State U and U of Illinois, are famous for their science and engineering achievements.
So you make decisions for your life. I did not grow up from a very resourceful family but I am contented with the life and the lifestyle I have now. [One of our alumni said so on Saturday—she is at her 30.] I hope you can say so. There are various kinds of opportunities in the coming 3 years as long as you are prepared.
My Mom and Me
re-posted from an entry 2007/11/8
When it comes to the person I admire, the image of my mother comes to my mind. Formation of my character has been from her influence and that of my father, who passed away in 1998. She brought her three children for baptization to Buddha when they were born, as herself is a devoted Buddhist. Her wisdom and compassion make her my role model.
Although she suffers from long-term illness, she has been quite positive. When I was a college student in Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, she was sent for a surgery on one leg. [to be developed] Her wisdom toward life, her own illness, and inner strength have supported her strong will to live positively.
With firm belief about Buddhism and her own perseverance, my mother has been an excellent wife, taking care of her three children and my father every well. Although my father is a loyal husband, most of her love was left home in mainland China with his first wife. Sometimes my father could become furious as he had felt guilty of leaving home in China without preparation and could not return to take care of his own parents for his life. When we were young, the financial situation at home was not good, which could make my father restless or even angry with trivial things. Those negativities are what my mom has to face and bear, but she has been kind without compaints about my father, performing a wife's duties well.
I became a vegetarian due to my friend's advice in 1991, with long-reaching influence from my mother as well. Since being 25 years old, my mom has stayed as a vegetarian. She has cooked meals with meat for the children and the husband without regret or complaint, keeping very skinny share for her own.
Partly due to her personalities and her religious devotion, she has been one with ration, wisdom, passion, and compassion. She actually has a stronger character than I have and she does get mad sometimes in daily life, but her outlook of life is rational. [to be developed] My stable personality comes from her behaviors and her influence.
With blood and bone, I owe my mom, but even more, I owe my spiritual life to her.
When it comes to the person I admire, the image of my mother comes to my mind. Formation of my character has been from her influence and that of my father, who passed away in 1998. She brought her three children for baptization to Buddha when they were born, as herself is a devoted Buddhist. Her wisdom and compassion make her my role model.
Although she suffers from long-term illness, she has been quite positive. When I was a college student in Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, she was sent for a surgery on one leg. [to be developed] Her wisdom toward life, her own illness, and inner strength have supported her strong will to live positively.
With firm belief about Buddhism and her own perseverance, my mother has been an excellent wife, taking care of her three children and my father every well. Although my father is a loyal husband, most of her love was left home in mainland China with his first wife. Sometimes my father could become furious as he had felt guilty of leaving home in China without preparation and could not return to take care of his own parents for his life. When we were young, the financial situation at home was not good, which could make my father restless or even angry with trivial things. Those negativities are what my mom has to face and bear, but she has been kind without compaints about my father, performing a wife's duties well.
I became a vegetarian due to my friend's advice in 1991, with long-reaching influence from my mother as well. Since being 25 years old, my mom has stayed as a vegetarian. She has cooked meals with meat for the children and the husband without regret or complaint, keeping very skinny share for her own.
Partly due to her personalities and her religious devotion, she has been one with ration, wisdom, passion, and compassion. She actually has a stronger character than I have and she does get mad sometimes in daily life, but her outlook of life is rational. [to be developed] My stable personality comes from her behaviors and her influence.
With blood and bone, I owe my mom, but even more, I owe my spiritual life to her.
2009年3月27日
Due days for journal entries
2nd and 3rd entries due on April 17, Friday
4th and 5th entries due on May 29, Friday
6th and 7th entires due on June 17, Wednesday
4th and 5th entries due on May 29, Friday
6th and 7th entires due on June 17, Wednesday
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