Breeze and Nightingale

What is the most fascinating sound in the world? The gentle whisper of breeze and the embalmed song of a nightingale can draw the romantic human beings to the illusionary land.

During the Romantic period, Breeze is mentioned several times in the poetry. In Wordsworth’s Prelude, “O there is blessing in this gentle breeze.” Then, within the poet’s body, the correspondent breeze blows. Wordsworth and Coleridge both mention the Eolian Harp. It seems that the breeze is a general topic and a symbol to the poetic mind. Breeze connects the sentimental soul of the poets with outward nature, and blows, stirs, and arouses the unlimited imagination from the unquiet spirits.

The soft breeze brings inspiration to the poets. The poets acquire sweet sensation from the breeze. Though the wind is gentle, it creates an incessant inner storm in human body. For example, in the Prelude, “For I, methought, while the sweet breath of heaven/ was blowing on my body, felt within,/a correspondent breeze, that gently moved/ with quickening virtue, but is now become/ a tempest, a redundant energy.” The poets’ creativity and sensibility of the delicate and elegant natural elements are really touching, and their work opens a new vision on the relationship between mankind and nature.

Nightingale is also what the poets praise. In many stories, nightingale suggests a mysterious, fascinating figure of love and death. Keats writes “Ode to a Nightingale” and the poet is drunk in the sweet music of the nightingale, lingering between the dream and reality. It makes me think of Wilde’s “The Nightingale and the Rose,” in which the nightingale dedicate its life to love. The blood-stained rose doesn’t win the lover in the end. Therefore, the song of the nightingale is veiled with light melancholy.

Various sounds surround us, joyful or sad alike. The different music stimulates our sensory organs, and sometimes creates a wonder. It’s a pity that feeling free in the embrace of breeze, somehow, might be luxurious to the busy modern people. However, if we can appreciate the call of breeze and the anthem of a nightingale, if possible or other bird’s song, maybe we can find some relief and magic power in the waking dream.

Portraits Taiwan

There is a series of TV programs called, Portraits Taiwan, on discovery channel. Many successful Taiwanese are interviewed, and I am glad that people can have this opportunity to know more about their story and to identify with Taiwanese. This time, it features a famous Taiwanese picture book writer, Jimmy.

Jimmy’s books are translated into several languages, and lots of products on which his pictures are printed are also popular. Jimmy Spa, his own brand, also holds its own theme stores. Jimmy’s books win many people’s applause. His stylish books are suitable for both adults and children. The picture books convey sentimental feelings, sense of void in the big city, etc. The words in the books are few, but they’re full of wisdom. The pictures, colorful or black-and-white, attract the readers and create a fascinating atmosphere. Jimmy overwhelms people in this society, and brings them warmth and hope in the Pandora’s Box.

I look forward to watching more units of Portraits Taiwan. In addition to Jimmy, the interviews include the great Taiwanese puppet show presenter, Huang, and a famous TV show host, Chang, and so on. I am curious that whether the interview will mention the English version of Taiwanese puppet show and the history and creativity of its story. To know about the background, the thought and ideals of those successful Taiwanese is quite interesting and stimulating. I think maybe the best way to present Taiwan on the international stage is to inspire and assist more Ang Lee, Chien-Ming Wang, Jimmy, etc. If Taiwan’s government do more to help and support the new generation’s multifaceted development, many Taiwanese can make it big in various fields, and Taiwan can show the unique identity of itself at the same time.

Daredevils

Some people love doing dangerous activities or extreme sports. These daredevils challenge themselves and do some incredible things. Some may sound silly and dangerous, and some sounds awesome. Everyone has different degrees of acceptance of taking risks. The reasons why they are attracted to the extreme games are also appealing to people. Some conclude that it may be attributed to material, biological, mental factors.

On some levels, sometimes people do dangerous activities for prizes or rewards. However, it cannot thoroughly describe why they are willing to risk their life and enjoy in extreme sports. Some scientists agree that risk-seekers may be addicted to the excitement caused by the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline helps people fight against dangers and starts fight-flight response. Some daredevils may enjoy the thrill and be motivated by the physiological reaction. Therefore, some risk-takers enjoy the speed and love confronting dangers. They go bungee jumping, sky surfing, snowboarding, etc.

Besides, some daredevils like to challenge themselves to see where are their limits, or try to prove that “impossible is nothing.” Some may enjoy the pleasure in the break-record glory or love to wow people and make them stunned and fascinated. Some magicians may freeze themselves in the ice or lock themselves in the water, and then they escape and win the audience’s applause. Recently, a foreigner has gone parachuting from the top of 101. These daredevils take the risks for various reasons, and they are obviously in love with the thrill and take the stunts as essential parts of their lives.

Some people explore rain forests, Antarctica, or space, some straddle the tips of lofty mountains, and some take part in X games. Each of risk-seekers holds his or her own reasons, faith and his or her own adventurous story. To those daredevils, the most exciting thing is the most irresistible.

Loving Whatever You Do

I agree to that people should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Most of us have encountered something we are reluctant to deal with. We can hardly escape from our duties and flee from the forced work or obligation, though we would not like to do them or feel uncomfortable while doing the things. I think it is better for us to face the reality and finish the harsh and unpleasant work as soon as possible, and then we can entirely get rid of what we don’t like to do. Some people even have a comment of wisdom about how to solve this problem. That is, “love whatever you do.” In my opinion, this attitude can transform our unwillingness into positive thinking and bring a promise to the difficult conditions.

As children, we have to study and do our homework, though we would like to go out playing on the field and just have fun. As adults, we have to enter the society and take up lots of responsibilities, though some tasks are tough and we sometimes bite more than we can chew. As parents, we may have to feed the baby and change his or her diapers several times at midnight, though we are already worn out from work in the daytime. As employees, we have to endure all the assigned tasks and swallow our feelings towards some unfair or unreasonable treatments. As employers, we have to be decisive and responsible, and we sacrifice some of family time for earning more profits and making the company function well.

What may happen if we turn away and ignore what we should do? We might not get enough educated and well-developed. We might not be independent and accomplish things on our own. We might not take good care of our children. We might not keep our jobs, or maintain our enterprises. Therefore, we sometimes have to encourage or even force ourselves to do things we don’t enjoy doing in order to gain something beneficial. In this case, trying to change the mood and being calm, considerate, and rational can help. We can try not to react too extremely and to figure out some advantages in things we dislike. We might surprisingly find we don’t really detest the task so much. The situation is not as bad as what we imagine. Then, we can progressively find joy in the tasks to entertain ourselves, and we will not feel it’s so unbearable.

Doing things which we don’t enjoy doing can be a struggle. However, trying to love whatever we do and find enjoyment can make us feel more balanced and do the things well. Temporary endurance and positive reaction can result in good and satisfying consequences. Besides, we can better ourselves at the same time. Actually, we don’t lose anything at all, but gain more than we predict.

Self-Study or Learning with a Teacher

Both studying by one’s own and learning with a teacher have their advantages. One is more individualized, and the other is more systematic. Take myself for example, I prefer combining these two study methods, and I believe that, in this way, I can get the most efficient and suitable learning.

Classroom learning can provide students an initiation of the subjects, and input the fundamental knowledge to students. Lectures can inform the students in a short time, and the teachers can also explain the difficult subjects in their ways, and solve the students’ various questions. The interaction between teachers and students, or among students, can be a spark of further thinking, discussion, and research. With a teacher, students can learn from his or her experience, and try to get the essence of the lectures. For me, from lectures, I learn what I don’t understand when I read alone. The learning becomes effective, and I find out some important details I overlooked. Classroom learning kindles my interests, teaches me the rule of thumb of studying the subject, and paves an easy way for me to future learning.

Self-study also has its own benefits. For instance, people can learn by themselves anywhere they are, anytime they want. Self-study makes learning more elastic and individualized. People can choose any subject and material they like, which substitutes the static contents of text books. Nowadays, online learning is a convenient and useful way, too. It suggests several programs which fit the individual’s level and create a low-stress environment. As to me, I enjoy self-study for I can read whatever I am interested, regardless time and space. Some computer learning programs also enable me to learn at my personal pace. I can emphasize my weakness in some specific aspects and make progressive advances on what I’ve already learned. Self-study can add to my classroom learning, and the learning turns out to be more enjoyable and multifaceted.

Combining self-study and classroom learning not only compensate for the shortcomings of each other but also strengthen both advantages. Adding the two learning methods together can let me get rid of boredom and stimulate my interests. Studying by myself and learning with a teacher both have a good influence on me and make my learning more lovable and refreshed day by day.

Classroom Learning and Personal Experience

I agree with that some people say, “Not all learning takes place in the classroom.” From classroom instructions, we can gain a lot of knowledge, but we may have more impression from the experience of the application in daily life.

Classroom learning can provide students an initiation of learning. The teachers can suggest efficient study skills and solve the students’ questions with their proficiency. However, merely memorizing the studying material or having tests can not clarify the understanding of knowledge. For example, even though we read the maps, see the pictures of other countries, we still have a vague impression of the exotic lands. Instead, if we really go abroad, meet the natives, taste the food, and see the architectures and the scenery, we can get a stronger feeling and memory because it’s a part of our experiences.

In learning, the classes and the books can give us a basic knowledge. The experiences, in another way, enhance our abilities and make the knowledge surefooted and near to life. For example, when we are learning a language, we just see the words and phrases in the books, but if we really use the terms we have learned, we can make more progress in that language. It’s more practical to ask and find how to take a bus in foreign language in that country than just writing down the possible conversation on the paper.

Moreover, the personal experience can give more insights to the individuals. For instance, we may improve our communicative and problem-solving skills in work, activities, and life experience. The reflection from experiences may be invaluable help for us and it is beyond the mere classroom learning. In every minutes, we are learning form life, from what we do, what we see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. We accumulate these experiences and feed ourselves with the response to the things and the world. The interaction with the outside world can open our inward eyes, and we may generate a correspondent wind to the world and enlarge our mind. This kind of knowledge can be taught, but can not be gained in the classroom.

The sources of knowledge are various, but I think personal experience is extraordinarily important. The classroom learning has its value, but it can not replace the real experience. Personal experiences impress us, inspire us, and render us acquire the knowledge in a natural way. In a nutshell, learning takes place not only in the classroom, but also in the experience, in life, and everywhere.

Time-limited Writing

Time-limited writing is my weakness. In a short period of time, it is hard for me to come up with a creative idea, to analyze things in details, to make a point clearly, or make some arguments. While writing, I feel that it is hard for me to choose the precise word, that is, I need to increase my vocabulary and to be familiar with how to use it correctly. As to idioms and slang, those are also challenges for me. Most of time, I prefer sitting in front of my desk, writing, and revising my essay for many hours. However, I know how to express oneself effectively in the limited time does show one’s capability of that language. Time flies, and it push me to try to make the best of time in both writing and other things in life. I wish I can have more time practicing my English and making a good foundation of it. In one of my class, I am asked to memorize some poems. I hope I can recite it and try to put it into practice. I hope it can enhance my memory and color my everyday conversation and my article with the beautiful words, though I am not good at that. Maybe writing some flash cards can do some help. If the time permits, I think I should also do more free-writing. I try to make myself feel comfortable in writing, and I am learning to use the clear and concise description when writing. Besides, I have to learn how to be a good reader before being a good writer. I still have a long way to go. I have to keep learning and practicing. In that way, maybe I can do better in time-limited writing and in other aspects.

Writing Practice: the Microwave and Fast Food

In my opinion, the invention of the microwave and the increasing popularity of fast food restaurants show a negative impact on this fast-paced society. Nowadays, people seem to be frenzied in their work or social lives, and don’t even want to spend one minute on their meals. However, preparing and having a traditional meal with family and friends is beneficial to our health, and it is a medium for mutual communication for which a microwave and fast food cannot be substituted.

With microwave, we can easily have our meal done, but the taste of the food is less delicious than what we predict. Also the sense of fulfillment of cooking on one’s own or the thankfulness for a family member’s cooking vanish in the process which emphasizes speed, but not quality. We may be quickly tired of microwave food, but we may certainly remember the savoring tastes from our hometown. The microwave, a technological product, can bring us temporary convenience, but never true satisfaction from the relationship between the food and people.

Fast food is another product of the efficiency-claimed society. We choose to eat fast food to buy time; however, we neglect that we should keep balance in every nutrients. The procedure of deep-frying food in reused oil many times not only results in obesity, but also has a bad influence on our health. On the scale of our life, we should balance our time and our health, instead of letting either side sink.

Microwave and fast food restaurants spring up everywhere nowadays, but they cannot replace the delicate and close human connection by traditional food. We should not pursue the fastest way in cooking and other things all the time. Waiting with patience and stewing for more time can bring us much more delight and awing surprise.

Sleep Deprivation

Sleep deprivation is a common phenomenon nowadays. People may accumulate sleep-debt because of their work shift, baby care, somnorexia, or biological clock.Some surveys even find that teenagers stay awake in the middle of night using cell phone. No matter what the cause, lack of sleep bothers people in many ways.

Because of melatonin secretion, youngsters feel energetic at night and easily feel drowsy during the day time. Students may nod off in class and cannot focus on study. People usually fail to be alert while doing their work in the day time if they don’t get enough shut-eye. Shortage of sleep can also cause danger when people are driving or using machines. Some say that short sleepers may easily become tired, make bad decision and be emotionally instable. They may be more likely to feel depressed and frustrated. Besides, the amount of sleep is linked to the appetite-regulating hormones, and sleep deprivation might lead to weight increase. Having enough sleep is beneficial to our brain function and metabolism, and it can also affect our efficiency at many things.

Take myself for example: if I stay up late, fatigue and drowsiness will overcome me the next day, and I can hardly keep my eye open. Much worse is that I have to make up my sleep hours in the following days, which causes inconvenience and abnormality of life. Therefore, I believe that enough sleep and good sleep quality are required.

Recently I have tried to go to bed earlier and get more time to sleep. Although actually I am a night owl, it is still worth giving it a try for my health. Otherwise, I may face what my classmate says is the biggest problem—aging—in a horrifying way.

Face the Music and Dance

Last week, I read an article about the Mozart effect, which has been a trend in these years. Although some scientists are debating on the Mozart effect, there are huge amounts of CDs and books of that in the store. People, especially pregnant women, may be attracted to the claimed spectacular effect on infant’s intellectual development. Nevertheless, the Mozart effect is still a myth because we cannot really prove it or disprove it.

One experiment shows that the kids who listen to a Mozart sonata in D major have improvement in paper-folding task. However, maybe it’s just a temporary effect on spatial reasoning, and its help is limited. On the other hand, some scientists find that music therapy is helpful for some patients who suffer from epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, or autism.

There are other anecdotes about the power of music. Some say a plant leans towards the source of classical music, especially Bach music, and another plant leans against the source of rock’n roll. Some say that cattle which listen to the music, especially Mozart, can produce more milk.

I don’t really know whether the Mozart effect is real or not, but I do agree that music has a soothing power for humans. I believe that music can relax and relieve our minds, and set our hearts free to fly. Sometimes music is the best companion when one is alone overloaded with unbearable weight of sorrow and pain. Music can also cross the borders of countries, and we may feel overwhelmed by music from different corners of the world. Sometimes music gives us a touch that is too deep for tears. Music strikes strings of our hearts and does incredible healing.

I don’t know much about music, but I appreciate the wondrous encounters with music. The issue of the Mozart effect may be still controversial, but it doesn’t stop us from enjoying the music. Maybe it’s not the right time to ponder the question now. Let’s just face the music and dance.

Housewife Issue

Recently, I have read an article from Times, and the content is about “housewives.” According to Times, some women write homemaking books and post online blogs about housewife’s skills, and they are quite popular.

Nowadays, maybe we should define “housewife” in a new way. Before, we might think that a housewife should be enslaved to her husband and should have no financial dependence and no personal recreation and pastimes. However, on one of the blogs, the blogger says that they feel tired and overworked, and they decide to have a new plan for life. In my opinion, to devote oneself to domesticity is not guilt, but a personal choice to live.

Thanks to their articles about how to clean or how to cook, many of us can try to do housework in an efficient way or a creative way. Some of the long lost skills are very useful in ordinary life. We might cheerfully find some knacks to knit a dishcloth or to clean the toilet. The skills can not only help us be smart to deal with the housework, but also give us pleasure and a sense of achievement when we finish our work. I find many of my friends are interested in knitting and cooking, and that shows even in this modern era, women would still like to do some handcrafts for fun or for other reasons. This trend can promote us to think outside of the box, and to think of other possibilities. The author who writes the homemaking manuals says that the blogs and manuals do not mean we’re going retrograde. I think the fashion of housewife is a reflection of the busy life style, and it also shows that doing domestic work well can also be a pride—the repetitive tasks can be an art, too.

I think we are lucky that women can freely choose to be a housewife or to go out for work at their will. Both can show women’s importance and ability. To accept different point of views and life styles can also show an embrace and tolerance of diversity in our societies. No matter what is fashionable, it is good progress.

Plain Stage but Moving Performance

I remember that last time I went to Fei Yu Qing’s live concert which had my heart filled with delight and content. Fei’s concert did not focus on the state-of-the-art stage effects which could provide pleasure to the eyes, but the simple, modest, and graceful touch which brought sensuous quality of music.

According to some reports, Fei did not hire any hair stylist. Instead, he blow-dried the hair on his own. He just prepared one suit for the concert, so he did not need anyone to take care of his clothes, either. The stage was decorated in simple and elegant way--There were some curtains which could be projected with variety of images. There were just a band and a few dancers in the back of the stage. All just highlighted the singer, Fei himself. Fei is a marvelous singer in old Chinese songs, and he is renowned for his crystal-like voice. To my surprise, he also sang some pop, folk, and Taiwanese songs in that concert. He has insisted in his gentle and delicate style of singing for many years, and he has also maintained his own posture when singing—raising his head 45 degrees upwards. I was fully satisfied with his singing and almost had goose bumps being in the live concert.

He is also a man with quick wit. He is talented in jokes which make the audience burst out laughing. He said that some great singers held concerts at the same time and people struggled to get the tickets, but he was also grateful for all seats being occupied in his concert. The last part of the concert was imitation. Fei is a genius in imitating other singers, and he always exaggerates the feature and makes it funny. The audience could not help applauding and laughing out loud. Later, Fei said that he found out what the audience really wanted to see is the abnormal Fei. The statement was killing me and other audience again.

Overall, I truly enjoyed his performance, and I was amazed that he did not attract people by special effects, but by his dedication to music. Time after time, the gentle voice and the sentimental songs are softly floating within my deep heart’s core and never fade away.

A Picture in My Mind--People in Kyoto

Encountering people and discovering different cultures and life styles in a foreign country are exciting and unforgettable experiences of going abroad. While backpacking through Kyoto, Japan, with my family this summer, I met some nice locals who helped me in different ways. The People I met reminded me of the warmth, hospitality, and mutual respect of valued humanity, which crosses international borders.

When my family and I arrived in Japan, we couldn’t take the scheduled train because of some accidents. We proceeded to the station counter, and a man in uniform came to ask me some questions. He told us about the railway accidents and how we could take another line and transfer. Although my Japanese is quite poor, he still tried to answer all my questions of traffic in a clear, slow, and easy way to help me understand. Finally, we found that taking the shuttle bus was the easiest and most direct way. We appreciated his assistance and departed. The information note he wrote is still in my drawer now.

Once, I had difficulty getting a bus and I turned to ask a Japanese man whom I thought was also a traveler. He answered my questions and gave one of his local maps to me. He still had a few maps, and he kept looking at them. After a little chatting, I found he worked for the local government, whose building was located on the opposite side of the road. He told me about the city bus, the festival, and the historical attractions of Kyoto, etc. He said that Kingakuji is the must-see place. After we got on the bus, we waved goodbye to him. But what impressed us the most happened in the next fifteen minutes. When the bus arrived at our stop, we didn’t notice that we should get off because we didn’t understand the language and supposed the destination is two stops farther. The driver burst out saying, “Taiwanese people, Taiwanese people!” We were surprised and immediately knew what he meant. We felt grateful that the man we met at the bus stop had reminded the driver where we would like to go so that we would not miss our destination. How thoughtful and kind he was.

I met other polite, generous, and earnest people in Kyoto and all of them composed the wonderful memories of my travel experiences. Thanks to them all, I really had a delightful time.

My Philosophy of Life

Everyone has different perspective on life. Some people live their life in the fast lane, while some enjoy a quiet and peaceful life. Some live with passion, some are go-getters, and some make it big. Life is a process, and there is no certain answer to the question of how we should live. As for my philosophy of life, I would like to take life easy.

One of my favorite Taiwanese songs, called “Huan Xi Jiu Hao” (Just Be Happy) , reveals the secret of living happily. The lyrics say, “Some people complain that their cars aren’t fashionable, their houses aren’t spacious, their food isn’t tasty, and their wives are ugly. However, some worry their deluxe cars might be stolen, their mansions can’t be cleaned in detail, their blood pressure might rise because of delicacies, and their pretty wives might be seduced by lads. ” Indeed, we seem never to be content with what we own. We search for our illusion far away. After long-term wandering and exploration, we suffer and become old, and eventually we might find out that the genuine treasure is nearby the things we neglected at first. For me, the lifelong lesson is to accept the imperfections in life. I believe that as long as I can generously accept what I am encountering, peacefully experience highs and lows, and cultivate a smile in the midst of this mysterious, funny, and even crazy world, I can find the identity of my true self and part of profound meaning of living.

The Chinese philosopher, Zhuang Zi, told people a fable in which two countries on each of the antennae of a snail have wars, and many residents are killed fighting for their territory. Does it sound silly? Not to me. Why are we struggling and fighting for trivial things in this small world? We can just put down our arms and enjoy the fabulous things surrounding us like the moon and the breeze, just like what Yeats said, “ She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs. ”