End of Semester, End of Blog

A sudden shut down notice changed my plan of blog. I would want to write something more. Anyway, as the last post, what I want to say is the blog assignment indeed makes me learn a lot. As we don’t need to pay much attention on grammar and some writing patterns, here, I can write anything in my way. I have chance to try some new even informal experiences. Different from academic writing style, I feel very relaxed. Of course, during my whole writing processes, I also try to avoid grammar errors and uncertain experiences. Luckily, from the comments of my friends, I believe, they can understand most of my meaning and also give me encouragement, suggestions and criticism. So, I want to say thanks to my friends, who had left messages here, you make me great progress. At the same time, I often go by to my friends’ zones and also post my opinions and wishes. Although we are from different countries and culture, it is a good chance for us to learn something new. Actually, we got that. We can get progress by each other. At last, I want to thank my two lovely instructors: Regina and Zalfa, your guidance makes us learn more.
Best wishes to everyone!

Peaceful Parade

A great peaceful parade about "against Tibet spilttism, support Beijing Olymyic Game" was held yesterday afternoon (Mar 29, 2008) in the city of Calgary. It was very successful and significant and thousands of chinese took part in it. The purpose of the parade were to advertise Tibet is a part of China just like the relationship between Quebec and Canada and meanwhile public a lot of real situation about western media's biased reports including CNN. The parade started in the City Hall/Olympic Plaza and around Macleod Trailand, 3 Avenue SW, 1 Street SW, 6 Avenue SW, 8 Avenue SW and then went back to Olympic Plaza. People held lots of slogans such as "Tibet was, is and will always be a part of China", "No Violence", "No Terrorism" and "No Biased Reports" and so on. ...

It was said that similar parades were also held in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Edmonton. Some of my friends and classmates had joined with it and they said that was excited and proud for us. I was so glad to hear about that.

My Writing Strategy

I believe everyone in EAP 2 will agrees that he/she had great progress in writing, especially because we have already studied many useful patterns, such as brainstoming, outlining and comparation, even something helpful in punctuations. All of them will have great help in my future academic writing. However, I am still doubt if only write the outlines for assignment are useful. Actually, no matter outlines and brainstomings are only help us to collect and arrange our ideas. Thay should be very free and we don't have to pay much attention to some details such as grammar errors and fragments. As a result, the best writing strategy in my opinion is try to explain all of my information to the readers. As to spelling and garmmar errors, I can try to avoid them, but they should not be a very important part. As we know, in our future academic essaies, we have enough chances and time to check and fix them.

Shopping

Shopping is usually looked as a broing thing to men. My friends and I went shopping yesterday. I indeed bought a lot; however, I didn't enjoy my time and I was so tried of this when I went back to home.

When looking for the clothes of myself, I was so tried to try them. Some malls, such as the bays in chinook, the fitting rooms are so far. I have to bring a lot of them and then get back again and again. Of course, I also want to buy some clothes to my family. I am not interested in clothes because I never know their sizes. When finding something looked evey nice, I am not only worried about whether they like the style, I am also tried of deciding what size is better. Parents always tell me that it is not necessary to bring things back. However, waht I want is buy some fanous brands which are very chapter than China. To tell the truth, it is really difficult to find them. Maybe I am not good at shopping, but at least, I shopped the whole afternoon yesterday and I found never good for my family.

I have more than 4 monthes until my back. I hope I can find something good next time.

Tang poems

Tang dynasty is one of the greatest and most affective periods in Chinese history which has lots of creative inventions from technology area to culture. Tang poem can be looked the most important inventions in culture and it had indeed great influence to traditional Chinese culture. Its creativity is mainly represented to great numbers of the writers and works, high qualities poems, and influence to the follow writing styles. In the first place, the number of the writers and works is quite much. There are more than 3,700 writers who are discovered in history and about 54,000 poems in total which is much more than all of the works before the dynasty. Secondly, the quality of poems is also high leveled. There are so many popular poems left in tang dynasty and we still know something nowadays as an important heritage. Thirdly, the tang styles of poems gave great influence in history, and the reason is some creative styles came out. Many poets had created many new styles of poems which are quite different the styles before and they are easier to read. Of all the culture history of china, tang dynasty is a very important period. Not only are we surprised to so many high leveled poems and also great amount of poets, we are also proud of its creative new styles and great influence.

Books on sale!

I bought 3 on-sale books from the bookstore of our University last Wednesday. I am here to thank Yunlong and Ree because they told me about the good news. To tell the truth, there are not so many good books in the on-sale zone. Maybe it is the real reason: they can not sell them as original prices. However, I bought my favorite books: one is A Midsummer Night's Dream from Shakespeare, and one is Learn to SKI in a Weekend, and another one is Have No Career Fear. Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers all over the world, I am wandering a book from him for a long time. I need try to read his classical articles. The second one SKI, I think as a international student in Canada, SKI and skating are essential skills. I have already known sonething about skating, so just try in SKI. The last one: No Career Fear, is parpare for after 2 years. However, when I am looking back to these 3 books today, Suddenly I find that I should not to buy them. They are not very useful to me . If they are not for sale, I won't buy them. If some books are not on sale, and they are do useful to me, I will buy them. Just like an old saying goes that customers are never as smart as the merchants. I got an extra ten more dollars for the books.

Dell and Jobs: Different Styles of Creativities

(This is the article which is not allowed to be the writing assignment 2 because nobody in class chooses Jobs; as a result, I have to post here and just as an outside class practice.)

Michael Dell and Steve Jobs are both outstanding enterprisers who are full of creativities in IT area. However, they have different styles in product designing and marketing strategies. The designing of Dell computers emphasizes more useful and convenient. Dell also uses modular criterion that the most computers can use similar parts and they can be purchased together in order to decrease the costs. In addition, the most famous marketing strategy of Dell is direct-sales methods. It is a new kind of marketing method that computers will be mailed from Dell factories directly after customers order them online or by telephone. Because of no retailers, it is also a good way to reduce the cost and makes Dell Company gets great success. On the other hand, Steve Jobs has his special opinions quite different from Michael Dell in manufacturing and marketing. What he thinks Apple is not only a computer, it is also an art. It is designed by using ivory-white surface and its own Mac OS operation system which is more creative than most traditional PCs (personal computers). However, compared with its fashion design, apple’s marketing strategy is just traditional method. Apple retails are opened in many big cities all over the world. Almost every retail shop is gorgeous decorated and filled with the atmosphere of art. It is a convenient way for customers to taste Apples in retails and fall in love with them. While direct-sales methods may not have this kind of effect. In conclusion, different people have different ideas in creativities. Between Dell and Jobs, we can find that Dell is an excellent enterpriser and he has his own ways to control costs. However, Jobs is an artist. What he designed are not only computers. They are also arts, aren’t they?

Follow me: cooking

Cooking is a basic skill in our daily life, at the same time, it is also my hobby. As a hobby, I am always fond of try some new styles of cooking methods. Some of them are very delicious and I can share with you here. Let’s begin from the easiest way: stir-fried rice. First, you should prepare all the ingredients before you turn on the oven: two eggs, a lot of green onion and ginger, a small tomato, each piece of cumber and green pepper, some barbecued pork ham and white rice. Second, cut the green onion and ginger in small chunks, and dice the tomato, cumber, pepper and ham. Third, while you turn the oven, put 10ml oil into the pot (wok) and wait about 3 minutes to heat the oil. Then put into green onions and gingers, but not too much. At the same time, break and mash the two eggs and also put them into the pot and toss them. Forth, put the ham and all the vegetables and white rice to the pot and toss again until they are well mixed. Then lid the pot for about 2 minutes and then open again and sprinkle with sugar, salt, chopped spring onion as well. At last, remove the pot from heat. If you are also interested in cooking, try to follow the 5 steps with me and I hope you will also enjoy the delicious Chinese style cook.

The coming days

This week is maybe the most busy week in the semster. We have 3 quizs and the mid-term exam is coming soon from wednesday to friday. Acually, it is also the due dates of so many assignments. what is more, for me, I have to work about 20 hours this week. I can not image how busy I will in the coming several days. keep reviewing, studying, working...
Luckily, the great reading week, is also coming soon. We have a 9 days' vocation. Just like the others I have also planned, having a trip to banff, going skiing to sunnysides, trying to find another part-time job out of campus if possible, having several parties and so on.
In order to enjoy ourselves next week, I have to work hard and do my best in the exams. I am looking forward to the coming reading week and also best wish to the mid term exam.

Happy Chinese new year

Spring festival is the other name of the chinese new year. It is the most important festivals in chinese eyes, just like Christmas day in the western countries.
It is a pity that we don't have a hloiday for it in my University. However, we asked for an absence and celebrate it. It was the first time for us to celebrate the spring featival without our family. Compared with the feelings in my home country, I had some different experiences. I found that celebrate it with my classmates were also so interesting. In order to follow the calendar of China, because of the 15 hours' time differences, we got up so early this morning (4:30am). Then we begun to cook together and make dumplings. Although the dumplings looked not beautiful (it was also our first time to make dumpling), luckily, they tasted quite good. At the same time we saw the Spring Festival Gala Evening, we were saying, laughing, eatting and enjoying all the time.
It was very tried but very happy for me. I will never forget the special spring festival!

About Academic Writing

Of all the two weeks’ English academic writing training, I find that it is quite different between Chinese and English writing. It is a little difficult for me to change from Chinese writing styles to English academic writing because they have different forms, habits and thinking styles. However, I have to try my best to change and learn by using English forms, habits even thinking styles. English academic writing requires us a very serious form. It contains a wh-question listing, a brainstorming, an outline, and the final draft. Every one of them has also a serious of specific requirement, such as outline, we have to write a hook to attract the readers at first and then try to narrow our topics from a general introduction to a specific examples. The next step is about the thesis, the sentence must contains a subject, a verb, a object and some reasons which are going refer to in the main body paragraphs. Although it is so complicated, actually, to write a good academic essay is not very difficult. I just have to follow its forms and add my own topics and examples, it will be finished.