Recently I saw a movie in Listening and Speaking class. It was "Facing the Giants". I was touched and I had some thoughts to share.
It's a story about a football coach, Grant Taylor, who has led the team for six years but they never had a winning season. Therefore, some parents force the principal to fire Taylor and promote Brady, one of Taylor's assistant coach, to be the head coach. Taylor is very upset but his problems just come one after another. First, his car often breaks down and he has no alternatives but to endure it for he cannot afford to buy a new car. Besides, his house is always full of stinky smell and the stove cannot be used. Worst of all, Taylor and his wife, Brooke, have been trying to have a baby for four years but they just cannot succeed. Taylor goes to see a doctor and the result makes him more frustrated. It is his problem that they cannot have a baby. With so much endless "giants" to face, Taylor turns to God, praying for help and instruction. Then he changes his attitude toward everything. He also delivers his new attitude to his students and friends who are also encountered with "giants". This new attitude is about to believe in God and do your best to honor God. God will give you the results. In the end, the team becomes the state champion and every thing just go smoothly.
There was a scene really touched and encouraged. Brock, the team leader, is a passive person. He doesn't have determination to win games. One afternoon coach Taylor is training them as usual. He asks Brock to crawl over the field for 50 feet with a 160 pounds teammate on his back and his knees cannot touch the ground. Besides, Brock has to cover his eyes with a piece of cloth. At first nobody believes that he can do it, nor does himself. However, every time when he wants to give up, coach Taylor will yell at his ear encouraging him. Though he feels that his arms are burning, he doesn't give up until the couch says stop. Finally, Brock crawl over the whole field and it is totally 100 feet! Every player is shocked and inspired. So do I. Usually before we do something, we may not be confident of ourselves. Surely we won't succeed. That's what exactly the movie wants to tell us, "Believe in yourself and there's nothing impossible."
2009年3月17日
Yes, man
After I watched the movie, yes man, i had a strong feeling about one notion, that is one should be an open-minded person to explore the true world and to live a unique life that belongs only to oneself.
It is easy for us to say no to the things that we have no confidence in doing it. Yet, little do we know how strong we can be while encountering some difficult situations. I believe that our potential strength is unlimited. One can stretch it's own ability to a surprising level when they have to do something that they are not good at it and not even familiar with in a short, limited time. My strong belief of these notion developed by the experience that took place in this winter vacation. I was assigned to be responsible to design two activities for a winter camp. I haven't done such job like these before, i was so nervous, worrying about not being able to make my activities interesting. The only thing I can do at that time is to do my best and ask for the help of others. At the end, the result turned out well, my activity was one of the favorite activities that people who attended the camp voted to.
What I want to say is that never shut yourself down in any situation. We are actually exposed to many opportunities that can make our life become better. We got to learn to find out these opportunities and don't let them slip away through our fingers.
It is easy for us to say no to the things that we have no confidence in doing it. Yet, little do we know how strong we can be while encountering some difficult situations. I believe that our potential strength is unlimited. One can stretch it's own ability to a surprising level when they have to do something that they are not good at it and not even familiar with in a short, limited time. My strong belief of these notion developed by the experience that took place in this winter vacation. I was assigned to be responsible to design two activities for a winter camp. I haven't done such job like these before, i was so nervous, worrying about not being able to make my activities interesting. The only thing I can do at that time is to do my best and ask for the help of others. At the end, the result turned out well, my activity was one of the favorite activities that people who attended the camp voted to.
What I want to say is that never shut yourself down in any situation. We are actually exposed to many opportunities that can make our life become better. We got to learn to find out these opportunities and don't let them slip away through our fingers.
2009年3月16日
Journal-Slumdog Millionaire
I watched a movie, Slumdog Millionaire, which won eight prizes of Oscar. In the begining, there is a man, Jamal Malik, who is on a TV show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He answers all the question correctly and only have to answer the last question. The whole movie is about the story behind the answer.
Through this movie, I saw a lifestyle totally different from mine in Taiwan. The three main characters, Jamal, Salim, and Latika are live in the slum in India. Life in slum is tough, even children have to make money as possible as they can. Jamal’s mother die during the Hindu anti-Muslim violence. Jamal and his elder brother, Salim have to make living by themselves. They go through many terrible thing but they still conquer it and find a way to live. People always feel discontented with their lives. However, comparing with the slum, I’m so glad and thankful that I live in Taiwan and have a better life than them in slum.
This movie also talks about destiny. Jamal doesn’t have a regular education but he win the game. The questions are all have connection to his life. Just like providence that he win the game and be a millionaire.
Through this movie, I saw a lifestyle totally different from mine in Taiwan. The three main characters, Jamal, Salim, and Latika are live in the slum in India. Life in slum is tough, even children have to make money as possible as they can. Jamal’s mother die during the Hindu anti-Muslim violence. Jamal and his elder brother, Salim have to make living by themselves. They go through many terrible thing but they still conquer it and find a way to live. People always feel discontented with their lives. However, comparing with the slum, I’m so glad and thankful that I live in Taiwan and have a better life than them in slum.
This movie also talks about destiny. Jamal doesn’t have a regular education but he win the game. The questions are all have connection to his life. Just like providence that he win the game and be a millionaire.
2009年3月15日
Environment v.s Economic
After reading the article of “profiteers turn to an Africa Eden”, I think it is always a hard dilemma to seek a balance between the economic development and the environmental protection.
The immense pristine rain forest in Gabon has been a heaven for various kinds of creature and also the hope that it will be the steady stream of cash for a long time. Thanks to the industry of fossil oil, the beautiful land almost entirely untouched. However, the good condition does not last long, the government decides to destroy the waterfall and construct a dam to power a mine and its rail way because the fossil resource is now shrieking radically.
If I were in the shoes of the government in Gabon, I wonder which decision I would make to save the economic crisis in my country. Is it really an inevitably fate that the economic cannot coexist with the environment? I don’t think so. For example, Spanish make good use of their tourist resource which includes culture, architect, arts, and natural environment. Combining these special characteristics and the perfect scheme of great service, travel course planed down to the last detail.
Though, like the article mention that it won’t be an overnight miracle, if once building up the comprehensive tourism industry, the prospect of the industry is optimistic. Looking back to Taiwan, there are still many defects and some room for improvement. It not the matter of how many luxury hotels we build in the tourist spot, instead, it whether or not we bring the characteristics of the spot to the visitors thoroughly and the surrounding of the attraction is well organized. If we can make effort to develop the tourist industry, I believe the environment projection won’t be an obstacle but stimulation to economic.
The immense pristine rain forest in Gabon has been a heaven for various kinds of creature and also the hope that it will be the steady stream of cash for a long time. Thanks to the industry of fossil oil, the beautiful land almost entirely untouched. However, the good condition does not last long, the government decides to destroy the waterfall and construct a dam to power a mine and its rail way because the fossil resource is now shrieking radically.
If I were in the shoes of the government in Gabon, I wonder which decision I would make to save the economic crisis in my country. Is it really an inevitably fate that the economic cannot coexist with the environment? I don’t think so. For example, Spanish make good use of their tourist resource which includes culture, architect, arts, and natural environment. Combining these special characteristics and the perfect scheme of great service, travel course planed down to the last detail.
Though, like the article mention that it won’t be an overnight miracle, if once building up the comprehensive tourism industry, the prospect of the industry is optimistic. Looking back to Taiwan, there are still many defects and some room for improvement. It not the matter of how many luxury hotels we build in the tourist spot, instead, it whether or not we bring the characteristics of the spot to the visitors thoroughly and the surrounding of the attraction is well organized. If we can make effort to develop the tourist industry, I believe the environment projection won’t be an obstacle but stimulation to economic.
2009年3月14日
[Journal 1] Mei-Chu Competition
It was the excitest competition that I have ever seen since coming to Tsing-Hua. Mei-Chu Competition is an annual great event between Chiao-Tung University and Tsing-Hua University. It took three days and almost every students would went to the match courses to see the players and cheer for their own shool. As a Tsing-Hua University freshman, how could I miss this! ! So I went to see basketball and volleyball competition with my friends. These games were excited but the 'fire-power cheer teams' were the interestest organization which made me so thrilled and heated. They yielded many slogans to encourage our players and also to boo the opposite rivals. I enjoyed shouting these slogans with them and also cheering when our players gained points.
Both of these two games which I've seen were very spectacular, and the cheerleaders and dancing clubs' performances especially heated the atmosphere to the highest that evey audiences clapped and shrieked for them. There were also two disguised animals walking on the grandstands which represent these two schools-- The panda for Tsing-Hua and the fox for Chiao-Tung.
At the end of the whole competition, Tsin-Hua University has won the award of this year after losing six years continiously. All the students of Tsing-Hua was delighted and crazy about this great news. For me, this is going to be an unforgettable memory in my university life, and this competition has also made me prouding of my university--Tsing-Hua.
Both of these two games which I've seen were very spectacular, and the cheerleaders and dancing clubs' performances especially heated the atmosphere to the highest that evey audiences clapped and shrieked for them. There were also two disguised animals walking on the grandstands which represent these two schools-- The panda for Tsing-Hua and the fox for Chiao-Tung.
At the end of the whole competition, Tsin-Hua University has won the award of this year after losing six years continiously. All the students of Tsing-Hua was delighted and crazy about this great news. For me, this is going to be an unforgettable memory in my university life, and this competition has also made me prouding of my university--Tsing-Hua.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
In winter break, I went to Movie Theater to watch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It is a story about a guy named Benjamin Button whose life is unusual. He was already eighty years old when he born. As time goes by his age and appearance become more and more youthful. Despite that, he cannot prevent time from going by just like us, the common people.
I very enjoy its plot that using different aspect to talk about life. Through the story, we were given so many ideas that inspiring us to compare infants with the old. In fact, the old and infants have many common points, such as the ability of walking that the old might need wheel chairs or canes to help them move; similarly, infants need walkers.
Though the old and infants are similar, I think the life of Benjamin is horrible. First, he was hardly having the same age children to be friends. Second, he could not live with his child, because he will become burden to his wife and child. Third, I consider it most terrifying to become younger and younger; nevertheless, you forget you past a whole life step by step. That is because I believe even if I get Alzheimer's disease that I forget almost everything, I would knew I had live for a long time.
It is such aa interesting movie that is worth watching. So, why not go to watch right away?
I very enjoy its plot that using different aspect to talk about life. Through the story, we were given so many ideas that inspiring us to compare infants with the old. In fact, the old and infants have many common points, such as the ability of walking that the old might need wheel chairs or canes to help them move; similarly, infants need walkers.
Though the old and infants are similar, I think the life of Benjamin is horrible. First, he was hardly having the same age children to be friends. Second, he could not live with his child, because he will become burden to his wife and child. Third, I consider it most terrifying to become younger and younger; nevertheless, you forget you past a whole life step by step. That is because I believe even if I get Alzheimer's disease that I forget almost everything, I would knew I had live for a long time.
It is such aa interesting movie that is worth watching. So, why not go to watch right away?
Lupin the gentle thief
Arsene Lupin, a character created by a Franch writter Maurice Leblanc, is a thief who is great at imitating other's voice, disguising other's looks,and entering and bring out his target from the building which is guarded sternly by the police with ease. No one in the world knows his truly look and original voice. In short, Lupin is a figure covered by thick fog to the public.
What makes him an attractive gentle thief is that he always steal precious artistic production such as paintings, statuary, and sometimes dimonds or jewelry from politicians and nobles who get their money, authority and fame through illegal and ashame measures. He kept some of his captures in a secret storehouse for appreciating by himself. But most of the time, he usually sells the stolen items for money and donate it to orphanage and philanthropic institution. The reason that makes him to do that may be out of his compassion since he was also growing up from that kind of environment without complete love. That's why he is notorious to the police and authority people, though, being admired by the society.
As a patriot, he once had stolen the blueprint of submarine from Germany to Franch government. And then he joins the French army during World War Two as a doctor since he is also knowledgeable on medical science. Moreover, his courteous manner attracts almost every women who met him, that is how the title "gentle thief" comes from.
Although Sherlock Holmes is more well-known then Lupin in the world of dective, but for me, a character with such special disposition different from the stereotype we would have toward thief before, he is really out-standing.
What makes him an attractive gentle thief is that he always steal precious artistic production such as paintings, statuary, and sometimes dimonds or jewelry from politicians and nobles who get their money, authority and fame through illegal and ashame measures. He kept some of his captures in a secret storehouse for appreciating by himself. But most of the time, he usually sells the stolen items for money and donate it to orphanage and philanthropic institution. The reason that makes him to do that may be out of his compassion since he was also growing up from that kind of environment without complete love. That's why he is notorious to the police and authority people, though, being admired by the society.
As a patriot, he once had stolen the blueprint of submarine from Germany to Franch government. And then he joins the French army during World War Two as a doctor since he is also knowledgeable on medical science. Moreover, his courteous manner attracts almost every women who met him, that is how the title "gentle thief" comes from.
Although Sherlock Holmes is more well-known then Lupin in the world of dective, but for me, a character with such special disposition different from the stereotype we would have toward thief before, he is really out-standing.
2009年3月13日
The First Journal Entry
Editorial Notebook(NYtimes)
Portraying Shakespeare By VERLYN KLINKENBORG Published: March 10, 2009
Not knowing what to read, I browsed through the New York times to find some interesting articles and one word grasped my attention. " Shakespeare", I know he is super famous but, honestly, as a English major student I know little about him. Therefore I chose this article to be the subject of my first journal entry; however, what the article is writing is far beyond my expectation.
This article shows some opinion about a painting of a well-dressed Elizabethan man which was taken from the private collection of an aristocratic Anglo-Irish family, the Cobbes. This painting has drawn so much attention because many people think it is the portrayal of William Shakespear, the significant play-writer with little biographical information. However the author argues that the hunger for the more about Shakespeare's biography is not necessary. He thinks that Shakespear represents the force of the creative mind, but he also embodies the pastness of the past." Every claim to have found some relic of the original Shakespeare, the author says,is just another reminder that his work needs no biography at all."
In my opinion, I really agree with the author's opinion that a great person's achievement won't mean less to us even if we know little about personal information. Moreover, I even think that people's remarkable achievement in some specific area should be rewarded independently. We really don't need to care about what they are. Well, I admit that curiosity is the human nature but I think we shouldn't be so eager to find someone's privacy even if he or she is dead. I consider that it is always more adorable that some mystery remains unknown; after all, reality is usually cruel.
Portraying Shakespeare By VERLYN KLINKENBORG Published: March 10, 2009
Not knowing what to read, I browsed through the New York times to find some interesting articles and one word grasped my attention. " Shakespeare", I know he is super famous but, honestly, as a English major student I know little about him. Therefore I chose this article to be the subject of my first journal entry; however, what the article is writing is far beyond my expectation.
This article shows some opinion about a painting of a well-dressed Elizabethan man which was taken from the private collection of an aristocratic Anglo-Irish family, the Cobbes. This painting has drawn so much attention because many people think it is the portrayal of William Shakespear, the significant play-writer with little biographical information. However the author argues that the hunger for the more about Shakespeare's biography is not necessary. He thinks that Shakespear represents the force of the creative mind, but he also embodies the pastness of the past." Every claim to have found some relic of the original Shakespeare, the author says,is just another reminder that his work needs no biography at all."
In my opinion, I really agree with the author's opinion that a great person's achievement won't mean less to us even if we know little about personal information. Moreover, I even think that people's remarkable achievement in some specific area should be rewarded independently. We really don't need to care about what they are. Well, I admit that curiosity is the human nature but I think we shouldn't be so eager to find someone's privacy even if he or she is dead. I consider that it is always more adorable that some mystery remains unknown; after all, reality is usually cruel.
My Journal
There is an article in The New York Time. And its title is : Some Low-Tech Fixes for High-Tech Problems. This article talks about that some high- tech products' problems can be solved by some tricks. I think some tricks are worth sharing with you:
1. Do you know that your cellphone will lose its battery charge fast if you put it in your pocket? Part of the reason is your pocket is warm that might speed up chemical processes inside the cellphone's battery. That makes it lose charge faster. So that means the battery lasts longer if kept in cool. And the article suggests us to put our cellphones in the refrigerator to make the batteries not lose charge quickly...... do you want to try?
2. No one wants this happens: dropping the cellphone in the water( in the article is in the toilet, I change the word.) But it could happen to anyone(it is not a curse.) According to the article, if you dropped your cellphone in the water, you should scoop up it and take the battery out as soon as you can instead of just looking at your cellphone bubbling in the water. And then cover it with uncooked rice(<--extravagant!!). Because rice has high chemical affinity for water, so that rice can avoid water invading deeper into the cellphone. (......==)
In conclusion, there are many tricks about dealing with high-tech problem. Do you have your own trick? (Such as beating on the computer's particular site when it crashed...) Share with us!
1. Do you know that your cellphone will lose its battery charge fast if you put it in your pocket? Part of the reason is your pocket is warm that might speed up chemical processes inside the cellphone's battery. That makes it lose charge faster. So that means the battery lasts longer if kept in cool. And the article suggests us to put our cellphones in the refrigerator to make the batteries not lose charge quickly...... do you want to try?
2. No one wants this happens: dropping the cellphone in the water( in the article is in the toilet, I change the word.) But it could happen to anyone(it is not a curse.) According to the article, if you dropped your cellphone in the water, you should scoop up it and take the battery out as soon as you can instead of just looking at your cellphone bubbling in the water. And then cover it with uncooked rice(<--extravagant!!). Because rice has high chemical affinity for water, so that rice can avoid water invading deeper into the cellphone. (......==)
In conclusion, there are many tricks about dealing with high-tech problem. Do you have your own trick? (Such as beating on the computer's particular site when it crashed...) Share with us!
2009年3月6日
Movie:Slumdog Millionaire; novel:Q&A
In recent days, here is a popular movie in the world (Yes! Not only in Taiwan but in the whole world! ),called Slumdog Millionaire. It portrays a dramatic experience of the main character. In addition to its exciting plots, it also consists of many social issues, making the audience realize the unique life style in India. Watching Slumdog Millionaire, the characters' personalities touched me a lot. Not only the main character's bravery and determination but also his girlfriend's patience inspired me as well as made me feel sorry for them from the bottom of my heart. It is not surprising that the film become the most popular film in the world. A great number of business films just try to entertain the audience, making them laugh, just anticipating them to spend money on their"products"; however, Slumdog Millionaire has us reflect rather than merely watching.
What's more, I have read its original novel, named Q&A. Through reading this fiction, I found that there are a lot of differences from the movie. Its depiction is much more detailed than the movie, letting me clearly understand how the whole incident happened. The author's ability of describing scenes is awfully perfect as if the entire events performed in front of me.
I am really fond of the film along with the original fiction. It does not just play a role to amuse people, it also educate me to learn more about the different culture. Here, I recommend you the most meaningful movie Slumdog Millionaire. Watch it at once, or you will regret!
What's more, I have read its original novel, named Q&A. Through reading this fiction, I found that there are a lot of differences from the movie. Its depiction is much more detailed than the movie, letting me clearly understand how the whole incident happened. The author's ability of describing scenes is awfully perfect as if the entire events performed in front of me.
I am really fond of the film along with the original fiction. It does not just play a role to amuse people, it also educate me to learn more about the different culture. Here, I recommend you the most meaningful movie Slumdog Millionaire. Watch it at once, or you will regret!
2009年3月3日
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