Community College - Monday Class - Stress - October 13

Dear All,

Yesterday we talked about dealing with stress, when you get stressed and how you feel when you get stressed. I believe everybody has their own answers.

Talking about stress, I get stressed when there is a big ceremony. I also get dressed when I find my students having problems on their lessons; because that might mean they can't understand what I am teaching in class.

When I am stressed, I cannot sleep well at night, I will keep thinking about the problems I am encountering that time. I will keep thinking about it until the problems are solved.

About our homework this week, "How do you deal with your stress?" I usually cry when I am stressed or go hot spring as well as get a massage.

Please tell me how you feel when you are stressed and what you do to deal with it.

Belly Dancer - Rachel Brice - Lesson 1 - Locks On The Up

This is the first lesson of Rachel Brice, the belly dancer I talked about last time. Let's start with lesson one, "Locks On The Up." Have Fun!!!

Community College - Wednesday Class on October 8

Dear All,

This is the possible answers we talked about on Touch Stone, Book 1, page 60.

Q1 - What is the telephone number for the guitar lessons?
A1 - The telephone number for the guitar lessons is 689-555-4040.
It is 689-555-4040.

Q2 - What is the cost of the English classes?
A2 - The cost of the English classes is 15 dollars an hour.
It costs 15 dollars an hour.

Q3 - What are the three items for sale?
A3 - The three items for sale are G6 laptop, S300 printer and in-line skates.
They are G6 laptop, S300 printer and in-line skates.

Q4 - What is the time the play starts?
A4 - The time the play starts is 8:00 p.m.
It is 8:00 p.m.
The play starts at 8:00 p.m.

Q5 - What are three words you want to learn?
A5 - The three words I want to learn are ______, _______ and ________.
I want to learn ______, _______ and ________.

Q6 - Tell me an ad that sound interesting.
A6 - I think ________ is interesting because ___________.



Please check your answer here and feel free to call or leave any comments if you have any questions.

Community College - Tuesday - TOEIC - 10-7

Dear All,

This is the link of the ESL website I told you last time. Please visit it and download the program.

The homework this week is to post your answer about what you used to do when you were a kid; how did you use to celebrate Chinese New Year and so on.

1. How did you use to celebrate Chinese New Year? What do you do now?

2. What did the city you live use to be like? What is it like now?

3. How did the weather use to be like 10 years ago? How about now?

4. Talk about something crazy you used to do when you were young but you don't do it anymore.



Please also post the grammar homework here. Have Fun.

Community College - Monday Class on Oct. 6 - Homework

Dear All,

We have homework this week. Please read the questions on page 27 and post your comments here.

1. Are you feeling tired today? If so, why?
2. Do you sleep well, usually?
3. What do you do if you can't sleep?
4. Do you ever wake up during the night?
5. What is your bedtime routine?
6. Do you even have vivid dreams or nightmares?
7. Do you remember your dreams?
8. Do you snore or talk in your sleep?
9. Are you a sleepwalker?

Please post what you think here. Have Fun!!

Community College - Monday Class on Oct. 6

This is the activity we did tonight. It's the extended activity for page 26, Lesson C, part B.

Group A: Miranda / Olga

A: I only sleep about five hours a night.
B: That's not much. Are you getting enough sleep?
A: No, I'm not getting enough sleep, so I'm very tired.
B: What time do you get up?
A: I usually get up at 6:00. Then I go to work at 7.
B: What time do you go home?
A: I usually go home at 11.
B: Why do you go home that late?
A: I sometimes work overtime, sometimes, I need to go to class after work and sometimes I have a date.
B: Oh. You are so busy. You must be careful of your health.



A: I need a lot of sleep.
B: Really? How much sleep do you need?
A: I usually need 7 hours sleep.
B: That's not much. Don't you get 7 hours sleep?
A: No, I don't have a lot of time.
B: Why don't you get 7 hours sleep?
A: Because I can't sleep.
B: Why can't you sleep?
A: When I watch TV, I always take a nap, but when I go to bed, I can't sleep.
B: That's too terrible. Did you try any methods?
A: I try everything, but it's useless.
B: Maybe you can sleep on the sofa.


Group 2 Brenna / Sunny

A: I usually go to bed early during the week.
B: Do you need to get up early?
A: No, I don't get up early but I am always busy in the office. So I need enough sleep to give me energy.
B: What do you usually do in the office?
A: I am a banker, so I need to talk to a lot of people.
B: I see. It's a very hard work.


A: If I can't fall asleep, I usually read.
B: Really? So do I. What kind of books do you usually read?
A: I usually read story books.
B: Story books? What kind of story books do you read?
A: Ahhh... Like Jimmy. I also listen to some soft music.
B: Oh. I don't like to listen to the music before I sleep. I need a quite environment when I sleep.
A: What else do you do to make you sleep then?
B: I talk with my husband because he is a boring man.
A: Hahahaha.....



Group 3 Gigi / Chien-Yu
A: Do you often take a nap after lunch?
B: Yes, I usually take a nap after lunch if i am not busy that day.
A: Where do you take a nap? In the office?
B: Yes, sometimes I take a nap in the meeting room.
A: How long do you sleep?
B: Around 15 minutes.
A: How do you feel when you wake up?
B: I feel I have enough energy to keep working in the afternoon. How about you? Do you take a nap at noon, too?
A: No, I don't take a nap. I am a superwoman.


A: How many hours do you sleep at night?
B: I sleep five hours a night because I need to get up early to prepare breakfast and lunch box for my family and then I need to clean my house.
A: What time do you wake up?
B: I usually wake up at 5:45.
A: What time do you go to bed?
B: I often go to sleep at 12:30. How about you? What time do you go to sleep?
A: I usually go to bed around 12 and get up at 7.
B: Oh! That's good.
A: Do you think you get enough sleep?
B: No, so I usually sleep more during weekends.

In One's Shoes

This morning, when I was waiting for the train to come back to Taipei for work, I saw a blind man waiting on the same platform as I did. He was very nervous because I could see he was sweating and keeping changing his gestures. He stood there alone with no one talking to him.

I was expecting there might be someone walk to him and ask him if he needed help, but no body did. So, I walked toward him and asked him if he was taking the train alone. He replied yes. Then, I asked where he was heading; he told me he was going to Taipei. So, I told him I could take the train with him. All in a sudden, I could feel he was relief.

I am not talking about how nice I am, but I just put myself in his shoes. I can't image if I were him, waiting in a place in black; surrounded by the strangers. People talking, making different noises but all I could see was nothing. How scared I would be. I would fall to the rail way!!

I don't think what I did is great or what. It's not a big deal. Not even a tiny deal. I've been helped by a lot of people in my life, I just want to make other people feel the warmth, make them know that there is still someone who cares about them.

Something About Relationship

A friend of mine is going go to get a divorce with his wife today and he asked me something about how to go through the process.

人和人之間的關係真的是很奇妙的… 兩個人相約由同一個地方出發，卻往往不能一同走到終點。 When I first got married, I wanted to last with him. I believed that everything could be changed, my ex would have never done the things that he did to me. 2 years after we got divorced, I had a chance to tell him how I thought about our relationship. I said, "I don't blame you or hate you. You just didn't know how to treat a woman you've loved once." But I still told him that I wanted an apology, and he did. I knew he didn't really feel like he did wrong, but that was all I needed. "I'm sorry for what I did to you." from his mouth, that was enough.

About my friend, he and his wife live and work in two different countries. He is taking their two kids while his wife is running part of their business in China. When I heard that the first time, I felt interesting. I thought men are supposed to be the one who work their asses out for the family out side, not the wives; but he told me he liked it this way. Then, when we met, he told me that he found his wife was having an affair with someone and he has known for awhile. I asked him what he wanted to do. He just simply replied, "Nothing. We have no feeling on each other anymore."

After getting divorced, I've become a totally different woman. I don't trust men easily. I don't believe in "love", I don't even think I will get married again, at least that is what I think now. But, I met a guy who I am seeing now. He is a very decent man who really cares about me, but he didn't know that I am divorced and have a daughter when we first dated. I lied to him. I was afraid if I told him, he wouldn't have treated me the same way. After a year of dating, I still told him the truth. I didn't expect that he would have accepted the truth, but he did. However, things have changed.

He is still the decent man I like, but every time when I talk about my daughter with him, he has no response. I know it's hard for a man to take the truth that his girlfriend was married once and has a daughter. I give him time, I avoid to call my daughter by her Chinese name because it mentions her last name of her father. I don't even call my daughter "daughter" but instead of calling her by her English name. I don't know if he can really feel and understand why I am doing this. I just hope there may be one day, he will tell me that he wants to talk about it. Just don't know when he will be prepared; and I am not sure how long I can wait.

There is something really touching I saw from the movie "Guess Who." When the main actor was talking about his girlfriend with the girl's father. He said, "She is the other half I am not." There is someone said about the same thing to me before. I was very touched, but didn't think we could work out. I will always remember what he said,"You are my better half."

Belly dancer - Rachel Brice

I have been taking belly dancing class for more than 6 months. Lately, when I was searching if there are some interesting belly dancers' pieces, I found an amazing dancer whose name is "Rachel Brice". I post one of her piece here that shows how your belly can move to do the "Pelvic Locks" in the front.

Belly dancing is a very good way to exercise your belly, it helps you to get a better figure and be more like a woman (which I am not really like one. haha). Have fun.

The Beautiful Scenery Around You

I like to take pictures when I go out. Here are something I wanna share with you. Those pictures were not taken with any professional cameras but with my Sony Ericsson K88i.

This picture was taken in Peng Hu. It was the inn I stayed there.



This picture was taken in Dam Shui. I was in the Starbucks when I took this picture.

Forest Love from Greenpeace