The Dogs of Babel

The Dogs of Babel



Author: Carolyn Parkhurst
★★★


Had I known but yesterday
What I know today
I'd have taken out your two gray eyes
And put in eyes of clay,
And had I known but yesterday
That you'd be no more my own
I'd have taken out your heart of flesh
And put in one of stone.

QUESTIONS AND TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Paul is a college professor and, by all accounts, a rational man, but the truly seems to believe he can teach his dog, Lorelei, to talk. What has led him to this turnaround in his life? Is he simply crazy with grief, or is there a way in which his off-balance actions make sense?

The death of his wife, Lexy, and the suspect changes which were made in the very day drive him yearn to figure out the truth of Lexy’s death. Besides, it seems that some academics and underground researches have achieved part of the goal of teaching dogs to speak.


2. Paul and Lexy seem to be a perfect illustration of the phrase “opposites attract.” What has drawn them to each other? What is it about Paul that Lexy finds endearing? And why is Paul so intrigued by Lexy, even after signs of her darker side have started emerge?

Their very first meeting in a yard sale, their very second meeting in the same day that Paul visited Lexy again with square eggs that she has the tools but never made, and their very first unordinary date to Disney World with eating a week of appetizer (since they did not want their first date ended too early by having an entrée) have drawn them to each other. In other words, maybe those irregular actions, especially the crazy first date plan, which has taken place when they just knew each other.

What is so special of Paul that attracts Lexy is not mentioned a lot. It may be that Paul made the whole crazy plan of their first date for her, and he accepted her, he did not turn away or left her alone when she lost control of emotions during their first date.

Her darker side is inseparable from the opposite side. The love, happiness, talent, and fertility of her connect to her sensitivities, the way she acts something she thinks is right without fears and frustrations, and, the tendency of being driven by her emotions. He knows it and he loves her. And those characters of her intrigue him. Sometimes he is tortured by her bad emotions though, but I think most of time he is captivated by her inspirations and idea, besides, her pretty face.

3. What kind of clues does Paul find to suggest that there’s more to Lexy’s death than first appears? Do you think Lexy deliberately left him a puzzle to put together? Or is he so desperate for answers that he’s finding meaning where there isn’t any?

He found that she had rearranged a bookshelf of theirs, and a whole twenty-once steak was gone, which was supposed to be eaten by Lorelei. And the suspected points are why a person died in accident would deliberately resort a bookshelf, and treat their dog with an unexpected wealth of meat.

I think she deliberately left him a puzzle to put together, and he is truly desperate for answers, he is eager to connect any change to her death.


4. Why do you think Lexy becomes fascinated with death masks? What effect does it have on her to work on such a somber project? Do you think it’s a morbid pursuit, as Paul believes, or is it a positive way of memorializing the dead and comforting the living, as Lexy sense?
I think she becomes fascinated with death masks since her first case, the suicide girl, Jennifer. Lexy reads Jennifer’s diary, which is never read by her own parents. And Lexy found some connections between them. They both are not understood by their closest. She creates her first death mask for Jennifer, not for her folks. And those following cases do not captivate Lexy as Jennifer does. However, she is still curious about their lives when they were living, and she gains some positive feedbacks from comforting the relations of the dead.

To some people, it is a positive way of memorializing the dead. But to some people, it isn’t. The latter ones merely want to memorialize the dead with the memory and the impression they think the dead is.


5. Lexy creates a death mask for a young girl named Jennifer, who committed suicide. Why do Jennifer’s parents reject the first mask Lexy makes? What kind of significance does the mask take on for Lexy? What do you think might have been in Jennifer’s diary?

She paints the Jennifer’s really life. She paints the girl’s really features underneath a smiling face, a pleasure-look mask. And Jennifer’s parents can not stand that. They can not face their daughter appears in front of them with an appearance they do not know, or is not similar to the impression they believe their daughter is.

The mask makes Lexy indulge into Jennifer’s life very often. And she must think she’s like Jennifer, who lives underneath a lovely mask.

I think the reclamation of suicide is an option might have been in Jennifer’s diary. And the decision of leaving the best lovely impression to her closest or love might have also been in it. Moreover, the feeling of being not understood by her closest might have taken a large part.



6. Paul’s obsession with the Cerberus Society leads him and Lorelei into a dangerous situation. Why is he so fascinated with this strange group? Is he responsible for Lorelei’s abduction?

Because there are a lot of discussions about that Wendell Hollis, who belongs to Cerberus Society, has enabled Dog J speaking. The neighbors, journalists, and juries declared they have heard Dog J, a.k.a. Hero, asking for help. That convinced Paul to believe that Wendell Hollis succeeded to make dogs speak. And sure, he is responsible for Lorelei’s abduction. His curiosity has Lorelei suffer such cruel surgery performed by Cerberus Society.


7. What do you make of the incident with Blue Mary in New Orleans? Why does want so much to believe that she’s seen a ghost? Why do you think her disappointment at discovering she didn’t see Blue Mary takes the form it does?

The incident reveals a big distinct between Paul and Lexy. Paul is really a rational man and Lexy is a sensitive woman. Paul tries to use every situation he can image to persuade Lexy that she did not see a ghost at all; Lexy tries to use every detail she experienced to convince Paul that she saw Blue Mary.

Maybe Lexy just can not accept that a dead person is no longer a human in the world, and that may be the reason she desires to believe that she’s seen a ghost and disappointment at discovering the truth. And she may think one day she or Paul will die. It would comfort her a little if she knows no matter the time elapse, she can accompany him or she can have his company forever.



8. Lexy faithfully records her dreams in a dream journal. After her death, Paul hunts through this book, searching desperately for answers. What role do dreams play in the novel? Do you think they offer a window into a person’s psyche? How do Paul dreams about Lexy reflect how his own grieving process progress?

The dreams in the novel reveal the secrets of the person. They reflect the person’s concerns, thoughts, and worries that are not known by others.

I think his dreams about Lexy reflect that he gradually forgives her characters and problems and angry with her secrets, or angry with the fact that too much about Lexy that he does not know.


9. In what ways does the Tam Lin poem mirror Paul and Lexy’s relationship? Which character do you think is most like Tam Lin? Who is most like Janet? Why does Lexy call Paul her “finest knight”? Do you think he could have saved her?

The Tam Lin poem reflects that one of them looks for the other one. I think Lexy is most like Tam Lin. She’s Paul’s finest knight, she brings so much funs to him, and she gives him a wonderful life he never had. In addition, she is most like the fairy queen, too. And Paul is most like Janet. He enjoys the company of Lexy. Besides, he tries to steel her back from the captivating of death masks, from her bad moods, from the period that she’s lack of inspirations. I think she calls him her “finest knight” because he suddenly falls to her life. And he shows his compassion at the first time that she lost control of emotions during their date. Somehow, she loves him. She’s the fairy queen who loves her “finest knight”, she finally gives up him. She returns him the life that she thinks he deserves.

I think he could have saved her if he spent more time to understand her, to talk with her more, and to take her to a psychologist.


10. Do you believe Lexy when she says that “suicide is just a moment”? Do you think she would have killed herself if she hadn’t become pregnant?

For a suicide, it’s just a moment, but for his or her friends and family, it’s a pain forever.

I think she would kill herself even she hadn’t become pregnant. She loved Paul too much, but her lover didn’t understand her at all. She loved Paul so much, that she’s willing to kill herself to free him from her overreactions.


11. Why role doest the phone psychic, Lady Arabelle, play in Paul’s quest for answers? Does she shed any light on the events that led to Lexy’s death?

She’s the one who uses a mystery and irrational approach combined with a conscious and reasonable direction to comfort the caller, such as Paul and Lexy. She points out that Lexy’s most concerns: pregnancy, the relation between her and Paul, and the meaning and the courage of keeping her life going on. Lady Arabelle might shed Lexy’s will to die a little bit for a moment, but she still could not regain her courage and will to live the next day.


12. Do you like Lexy? Do you have compassion for the pain she feels, or are you annoyed by the ways she lashes out? What about Paul – is he a good husband or an oblivious one? Is there any point at which this troubled marriage could have taken a different direction?

I like Lexy, and I have compassion for her. I don’t think she means to lash out anybody. She merely thinks that to kill herself is the best solution for everybody, including the upcoming baby.

Paul may be an oblivious husband, but the truth is that they don’t communicate well. She hasn’t told him the pain she feels, the courage she loses, or the will to live she needs. Most people are not aware a terrible thing is undergoing, until it becomes a fact, and Paul is not an exception.

I think their marriage could have taken a better direction if they have communicated well and contacted with professions or psychologists.

Sonny's Blues

Sonny's Blues



1. From whose point of view is "Sonny's Blues" told? How do the narrator's values and experiences affect his view of the story?

“Sonny’s Blues” is narrated by the older brother. He’s a practical man, who likes to be normal. He wants anything to be reasonable and rational. In the beginning, he slights on Sonny’s friends, and he thinks those guys who play music can not have normal, general, and fine lives. He can not believe Sonny’s decision is made rationally.



2. What is the older brother's profession? Does it suggest anything about his personality?

He’s a teacher. He’s prone to control situations and others’ decisions with his own belief and thoughts. He scorns someone who doesn’t live in his way.


3. How would this story change if it were told by Sonny?

He might narrate about his older brother, his brother’s values, his brother’s habits, and how his older brother begins admiring his music and becomes one of his fans.


4. What event prompts the narrator to write his brother?

His daughter’s death.


5. What does the narrator's mother ask him to do for Sonny? Does the older brother keep his promise?

She asks him to look for Sonny. He doesn’t keep his promise at first. However, after the events, he gradually reunites his family and Sonny. He starts trying to feel Sonny’s feeling and to know Sonny’s thoughts and life.


6. The major characters in this story are called Mama, Daddy, and Sonny (the older brother is never named or even nicknamed). How do these names affect our sense of the story?

That suggests that Sonny is the leading role in the story. But the personalities, habits, thoughts, and life style of leading role are constructed from others’ views.


7. Reread the last four paragraphs and explain the significance of the statement "Now these are Sonny's blues." How has Sonny made this music his own?

The other musicians step back, gathered around him and made his music step out. Besides, he played music with his soul; he put his view of life. A life is flat in the begging, maybe monotonous till the end, unless a person can stop lamenting and start to feel and to be free.

中午下午

台灣人中午跟下午都在幹什麼？
隨便寫寫也請您別太計較

中午下午大概在上班上課吧

上班族大概會偷上無名逛

學生就在教室裡自己的夢境裡逛



大學以上的...

有些會睡死在床上因為前一晚MSN聊太晚或者出去夜唱認真實踐青春宣言或者一夜春宵體力消耗過度

有些在批踢踢上嘴砲覺得自己什麼都比別人屌連學校升學考也拿出來嗆好像豬在炫耀牠所屬的養殖場跟血統跟牠吃了多少歐羅肥讓牠在十五歲十八歲及二十一歲的肥腸競賽名列先矛

有些在虛擬世界逐鹿做做發財夢兼虧妹兼嗆隊友跟對手兼呻吟自己懷才不遇因為台灣不若南韓重視遊戲產業

有些在社團享受青春或者爭奪權力相互幹譙指責對方什麼沒做好其實自己也半斤八兩

有些在團書館或星巴克邊聊天邊念書準備考試或者把口水滴到教科書上實驗滴水能不能穿書

有些在誠品裝氣質自以為有文化在不會買的書區偷看正妹而且腸枯思竭找不到搭訕的台詞最後買一本把妹高手

有些在實驗室準備講稿唬教授想著要畢業要升學要當兵還是要去找工作最後回到批踢踢嘴砲或看嘴砲


名媛跟紈褲子弟可能在東區逛
晚上也不會出現在夜市只會出現在夜店


(好久沒去夜市了 >"<)

Compare and contrast knowledge gained from books and knowledge gained from experience in your opinion, which source is more important? And why?

Oops, this is a crap I worked out in 30 minutes........


Usually, we gain the knowledge of specific fields from books, and we gain the knowledge of living from experience. And most of time, we apply the theories that we learn from book on real lives. In other words, we experience them by ourselves. Thus I think knowledge gained from experience is more important.

To learn from books without thinking is inaccessible. The knowledge in books can not convince me unless it has been examined with the experience. When I gain some knowledge from book, I treat it as comparison to my own experience. I might correct the knowledge which I gain from experience when the books change my mind. Nonetheless, without experience, there will be nowhere I can stand. Therefore I think the knowledge gained from experience is more important since it is the key which is used to open the lock of books to free the knowledge into my mind.

The Effects of RFID in Modern Life (Final)

        After climbing a long stairs, we finally get to the 5th floor in this building. Wait, an automatic door blocks our way to the classroom. The only way to make the door open is not saying the secret password loudly, but showing our student ID cards instead. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is now widely used in transportation payment, identification, and object-tracking, etc. around the world. And it has changed our lives tremendously: it’s changing our lives, and it will change our lives further. RFID has made our daily living issues easier, and also brought about some controversies which can not be neglected.

        First of all, RFID has made the way we take massive transportation system more efficiently. In Taipei, the necessity we have to bring with us when we want to take a bus or an MRT is neither coins nor the monthly-ticket, it is Yo-yo card. While we are out of the balance, we would not look for the service-window. We would rather consult an Add-Value Machine. At the time we arrive at an MRT station, we do not go to a tickets-machine or a booking clerk. On the contrary, we just go through the gate and board the train, and the payment will be deducted automatically as we are leaving the destination station. RFID saves our time of picking coins from our pocket, counting the sum of them, and furthermore purchasing the tickets.

        The second most important change made by RFID is the identification method. In the past, if we want to pass a restrained door or gate, we have to enter passwords into a machine, show our identification to the guards or barcode readers, or find the key for the lock. There are many companies that deploy RFID technology to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing the rooms, equipments, or resources that are supposed to be accessed by their staffs only. For more instance, our student ID card is embedded with RFID tags. We can have the authority to hang around on campus by putting our ID cards in front of the sensors. RFID has made the process of identifying more speedy and convenient.

        Another effect made by RFID is object-tracking. A lot of libraries deploy RFID technology to replace the traditional barcodes for tracking books, and the library of the NTUST is not an exception. Stores, shopping malls, and supermarkets also use RFID to track objects. They put a sensor-gate at the exit, if someone brings a good which is not paid or a book which is not checked out, the siren will alarm loudly. Thus they can protect their merchandises and collections from being stolen. RFID tags are also embedded into pets. The pet-owners can find their most-loyal-friend easily when they lose their partners. The identification code is much more recognizable than face, and easier to track back to the pet-owner when the database is set well. RFID has made the approach of object-tracking more reliable and fast.

        However, the most concerned controversy is privacy. "How would you like it if, for instance, one day you realized your underwear was reporting on your whereabouts?", said California State Senator Debra Bowen, at a 2003 hearing. The above quote concludes that privacy is risked by RFID. First, we have to have the prerequisite knowledge that the security is not absolutely guaranteed. It is possible to be read and decrypted by an unauthorized reader or sensor. Another prerequisite knowledge is that in some extreme cases the signals can be received from tens of kilometers away. Therefore, a well-known concern in turn comes up. The concern is that the owner of a RFID-tagged item and the tag can be read at a distance without the knowledge of the individual, and it is possible to gather sensitive data about an individual without consent. Think about this, how horrible it could be if a group of adversaries can get our identification card numbers or credit card numbers at a distance and forge them! Moreover, RFID tags can be attached to everything – clothes, foods, pens, etc, and thus can be used for surveillance, someone has the suitable equipment can know how we interact with those stuffs, when we go to bed, when we leave home, and so forth. As if we enjoy our lives in our personal spaces which are actually no longer personal. RFID surveillance is most welcomed by totalitarian countries and the governments that are interested in controlling every person. In other words, we gain the convenience and efficiency, but we are prone to lose privacy.

        RFID has made our lives easier, and it is still changing our lives. Overall, I very enjoy the advantages it has made. But if it is used in an unlimited way, it could risk and bother our lives. If it is used in library books, stores’ goods, Yo-yo cards, which do not contain the owners’ sensitive information, I am for it. On the other hand, I am against it in being used in civilian ID card or credit card. I do not want to risk my privacy nor life for little convenience, as if a person unclothes him or herself for walking faster nakedly in a city.

The Effects of RFID in Modern Life (2)

        After climbing a long stairs, we finally get the 5th floor in this building. Wait, an automatic door blocks our way to the classroom. The only way to make the door open is not saying the secret password loudly, but showing our student ID cards instead. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is now widely used in transportation payment, identification, and object-tracking, etc. around the world. And it has changed our lives tremendously, it’s changing our lives, and it will change our lives further. RFID has made our daily living issues easier, and also conducted some controversies can not be neglected.

        First of all, RFID has made the way we take massive transportation system more efficient. In Taipei, the necessary we have to bring with us when we want to take a bus or an MRT is neither coins nor the monthly-ticket, it is Yo-yo card. While we are out of the balance, we would not look for the service-window. We would rather consult an Add-Value Machine. At the time we arrive an MRT station, we do not go to a tickets-machine or a booking clerk. On the contrary, we just go through the gate and board the train, and the payment will be deducted automatically as we are leaving the destination station. RFID saves our time of picking coins from our packet, counting the sum of them, and furthermore purchasing the tickets.

        The second most important change made by RFID is the identification method. In the past, if we want to pass a restrained door or gate, we have to enter passwords into a machine, show our identification to the guards or barcode readers, or find the key for the lock. There are many companies that deploy RFID technology to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing the rooms, equipments, or resources that are supposed to be accessed by their staffs only. For more instance, our student ID card is embedded with RFID tags. We can have the authority to hang around on campus by putting our ID cards in front of the sensors. RFID has made the process of identifying more speedy and convenient.

        Another effect made by RFID is object-tracking. A lot of libraries deploy RFID technology to replace the traditional barcodes for tracking books, and the library of the NTUST is not an exception. Stores, shopping malls, and supermarkets also use RFID to track objects. They put a sensor-gate at the exit, if someone brings a good which is not paid or a book which is not checked out, the siren will alarm loudly. Thus they can protect their merchandises and collections from being stolen. RFID tags are also embedded into pets. The pet-owners can find their most-loyal-friend easily when they lose their partners. The identification code is much more recognizable than face, and easier to track back to the pet-owner while the database is set well. RFID has made the approach of object-tracking more reliable and fast.

        However, the most concerned controversy is privacy. “How would you like it if, for instance, one day you realized your underwear was reporting on your whereabouts?” — California State Senator Debra Bowen, at a 2003 hearing. The above quote concludes that privacy is risked by RFID. First, we have to have the prerequisite knowledge that the security is not absolutely guaranteed. It is possible to be read and decrypted by an unauthorized reader or sensor. Another prerequisite knowledge is that in some extreme cases the signals can be received from tens of kilometers away. Therefore, a well-known concern in turn comes up. The concern is that the owner of a RFID-tagged item and the tag can be read at a distance without the knowledge of the individual, and it is possible to gather sensitive data about an individual without consent. Think about this, how horrible it could be if a group of adversities can get our identification card numbers or credit card numbers at a distance and forge them! Moreover, RFID tags can be attached to everything – clothes, foods, pens, etc, and thus can be used for surveillance, someone has the suitable equipment can know how we interact with those stuffs, when we go to bed, when we leave home, and so forth. As if we enjoy our lives in our personal spaces which are actually no longer personal. RFID surveillance is most welcomed by totalitarian countries and the governments that are interested in controlling every person. In other words, we gain the convenience and efficiency, but we are prone to lose privacy.

        RFID has made our lives easier, and it is still changing our lives. Overall, I very enjoy the advantages it has made. But if it is used in an unlimited way, it could risk and bother our lives. If it is used in library books, stores’ goods, Yo-yo cards, which do not contain the owners’ sensitive information, I am for it. In the other hand, I am against it being used in civilian ID card or credit card. I do not want to risk my privacy nor life for little convenience, as if a person unclothes him or herself for walking faster nakedly in a city.

My three Resolusions for the New Year

I wish I can...

1. At least double the amount of my reading.
The good start is, I've read a English fiction this year, and I've joined a literature online study-group and taken an American literature course...

2. Learn how to sketch.
This is a wish that I've made for many years...

3. Have fun of my upcoming grad life and the field I'll research in.
I've found a professor who's in charge of an unique laboratory to be my adviser at the NCKU...

The Effects of RFID in Modern Life (1)

        After climbing a long stairs, we finally get the 5th floor in this building. Wait, an automatic door blocks our way to the classroom. The only way to make the door open is not saying the secret password loudly, but it is showing our student ID cards instead. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is now widely used in transportation payment, identification, and object-tracking, etc. around the world. And it has changed our lives tremendously, it’s changing our lives, and it will change our lives further. RFID has made our daily living issues easier, and also conducted some controversies can not be neglected.

        First of all, RFID has made the way we take massive transportation system more efficient. In Taipei, the necessary we have to bring with us when we want to take a bus or an MRT is neither coins nor the monthly-ticket, it is Yo-yo card. While we are out of the balance, we would not look for the service-window. We would rather consult the Add-Value Machines. At the time we arrive an MRT station, we do not go to tickets-machine. On the contrary, we just get into the gate and board the train and the payment will be deducted automatically as we are leaving the destination station. RFID saves our time of picking coins from our packet, counting the sum of them, and furthermore purchasing the tickets.

        The second most important change made by RFID is identification method. In the past, if we want to pass a restrained door or gate, we have to enter passwords into a machine, show our identification to the guards or barcode readers, or find the key for the lock. There are many companies that deploy RFID technology to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing the rooms, equipments, or resources that are supposed to be accessed by their staffs only. For more instance, our student ID card is embedded with RFID tags. We can have the authority to hang around on campus by putting our ID cards in front of the sensors. RFID has made the process of identifying more speedy and convenient.

        Another effect made by RFID is object-tracking. A lot of libraries deploy RFID technology to replace the traditional barcodes for tracking books, and the library of the NTUST is not an exception. Stores, shopping malls, and supermarkets also use RFID to track objects. They put a sensor-gate at the exit, if someone brings a good which is not paid or a book which is not checked out, the siren will alarm loudly. Thus they can protect their goods and books from being stolen. RFID tags are also embedded into pets. The pet-owners can find their most-loyal-friend easily when they lose their partners. The identification code is much more recognizable than face, and easier to track back to the pet-owner while the database is set well. RFID has made the approach of object-tracking more reliable and fast.

        However, the most concerned controversy is privacy. “How would you like it if, for instance, one day you realized your underwear was reporting on your whereabouts?” — California State Senator Debra Bowen, at a 2003 hearing. The above quote concludes that privacy is risked by RFID. First, we have to have the prerequisite knowledge that the security is not absolutely guaranteed. It is possible to be read and decrypted by an unauthorized reader or sensor. Another prerequisite knowledge is that in some extreme case the signals can be received from tens of kilometers away. Therefore, a well-known concern in turn came up. The concern is that the owner of a RFID-tagged item and tag can be read at a distance without the knowledge of the individual, and it is possible to gather sensitive data about an individual without consent. In other words, we gain the convenience and efficiency, but we probably prone to lose privacy.

        RFID has made our lives easier, and it is still changing our lives. Overall, I very enjoy the advantages it has made. But if it is used in an unlimited way, it could risk and bother our lives. If it is used in library books, stores’ goods, Yo-yo cards, which do not contain the owners’ sensitive information, I am for it. In the other hand, I am against it being used in civilian ID card or credit card. I do not want to risk my privacy nor life for little convenience.

Time

I found two interesting articles which describe about time. One of them was written by Yu-Fen, she described the fireworks in the New Year’s Eve as “The powders and pieces of papers were exploded into the fire trees and silver blooms in such a luxury way, and nothing were left behind. That was definitely a quite adequate time-ceremony could not be suitable anymore. It was like a parable, mist, and lighting. It was a dizzy and captivating emptiness. We were extremely charmed in the moment, but exceedingly regretful as we were awake…And that was time, and its elapse.” You can find the article in full text with the following URL, http://blog.chinatimes.com/yufen/archive/2008/01/06/233147.html

I think that is very thoughtful, and accurate. When I was doing something important, emergent, or meaningful, I thought I was doing something good for me. Nonetheless, I look back on my past year now, I think, what the hell I was doing? It is hard to me to recall many memorable things. And when I think about the memorable things, or the time I might be able to make something forgivable and significant, I feel regretful.

Another article talks about the relative feeling about time elapsing between childhoods and adulthoods. He says we feel every new year is shorter than the past year. The reason is, comparing to the years we lived, to the latter year in our lives, the divisor or the denominator becomes greater. Thus we feel each of the latter years becomes shorter and shorter. You can find it in
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/gradlive&article_id=7093650

Well, I think that is true. I feel the latter years are shorter than those earlier years. And I think another reason is, if we choose our rest years as the divisor, then we will have a divisor which becomes smaller and smaller as the years are passing. Thus the value of the latter years is greater than the one of the earlier years in our lives. As we think our time is more and more important and valuable as we are aging, we feel the time is elapsing faster and faster.

天將降大任於斯人也

孟子曰：「天將降大任於斯人也，必先苦其心志，勞其筋骨，餓其體膚，空乏其身，行拂亂其所為，所以動心忍性，增益其所不能。」

大概就是這句話，造就了無數刻苦耐勞，以公司為家的工程師...

The Last Day and The First Day

Happy New Year, everybody. Where were you when you are counting down the last few seconds of 2007? I was in a mountain which is near Taipei 101 with my classmates. There was a very good sight, and there were so much people, and, we contributed about 25 of the sum. It was a bitterly cold night, filled with enthusiastic emotions. It was my first time to see a Taipei 101 fireworks show. I felt pretty excited thought I heard about that it was the same as 2007. Some classmates of mine said he was not as heart-beat as last time, the first time he watched the fireworks show. Well, I may have to spend the last few second of the year at something else next time.

After the show, we left the square, where we crowded in, with our junks to the lower lane where we parked our scooters. When we were riding down the mountain, a friendly foreigner was chasing me and my classmate who was on the ride. He was video-recording us and said, “Happy New Year”. We slowed down and said, “Happy New Year”, to him, too. He seemed extremely happy, and said the blessing to every passenger delightfully. That’s interesting, I don’t remember I have seen any Taiwanese except clerks and groups of Christians said “Happy New Year” to strangers.

And then we were gathered in our Lab, and planed where to go next. Nonetheless, I left earlier because I felt I got a cold and ached everywhere. Well, to say the truth, I felt uncomfortable before we went to the mountain. It seemed that I got the cold already but I still went to the mountain to see the fireworks with them. One reason was to keep my promise, another one was that I seldom attended my class activities, and I might have to attend this one at least. Finally, when I was back to my studio, I laid down in my bed, fell asleep immediately. And I spent the whole first day in 2008 at traveling in my dreams. However, in the second day, I felt much better. Cool, I never recovered from a cold so fast. Maybe it was a good sign to me.

Happy New Year!!!

新年快樂~

2008新年快樂


跑出去跨年結果感冒

祝福大家不要跟我一樣......