Log #7

I have watched a movie called “How to be Single” recently. Amazingly, I have got a lot of opinions and thoughts about this movie. The reason is that I have encountered a similar problem. I broke up with my ex-boyfriend on March in a bad way. And after watching this movie I became happier and more optimistic overall.

As I mentioned, I broke up with my ex on March, the main reason that he tried to cheat on me. At that time, I felt so tough and I suddenly blacked out. What’s worse, I started to act like a zombie, I don’t eat, I do nothing but sleep every single day. But, I realized I didn’t need to put focus on the man who was not worth it. I bestirred myself to read books, watch movie and hang out with friend. That’s why I have a chance to watch this movie. This movie is talking about a couple separated for a while to take a breath, but after they separated from each other, everything changed. When the women saw the man in a coffee shop, the man told her that he is seeing someone already and the woman of course felt sad and desperate. Then, she started to go to the clubs or somewhere can forget he pain. During this tough time, she has got a boyfriend as well, but she found that this is not she want at all. Finally, she realized that being single is not a bad thing, being single can do everything you want to try without others permission. You can go shopping any time anywhere as you wish.

        What’s more, there are one more connection between me and the main character: we have read the same book called “Wild.” I truly love this book, and it is also talking about a woman experienced many tough things so she decided to start hiking from the Pacific Crest Trail. I considered that was a hard and brave decision in her life. To sum up, I want to say that girls and women can be single and complete a mission or task by our own. Nothing is impossible until we have our own faith.

Concept Map

Log #5

Wild

     This is a story about a woman, Cheryl Strayed. She hiked for 1100 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail alone. She began from  the Mojave Desert and hiking through California and Oregon to the Bridge of the Gods into Washington. The book also contains flashbacks to prior life occurrences that led her to begin her journey.

     Why she chose to go on this journey is because. At age 22, she had been devastated by the lung cancer death of her mother at 45. Her stepfather disengaged from Strayed's family, and her brother and sister remained distant. She started using heroin, and eventually she and her husband divorced. Therefore, she started to seek self-discovery and resolution of her enduring grief and personal challenges. Finally, at age 26 she set out on her journey, alone and with no prior hiking experience. 

     This book intertwines the stories of her life before and during the journey, describing her physical challenges and spiritual realizations while on the trail.

Log #4

Smoking ban 

               

      There are many people smoking for many reasons. Somebody smokes because of stress, somebody smokes because of business, somebody smokes because of some irresistible reasons. Therefore, this is the reason why that cigarette cannot be ban in our nation. I have three aspects to tell that cigarette should keep selling in Taiwan, first, health, cigarettes’ business and income from selling cigarette.

        You must wonder is cigarette really has good influence on human’s body? The truth is “Yes.” Based on the website called Live Science, they give five points that smoking also has benefits and I will pick three of them to talk about. First, smoking lowers risk of knee-replacement surgery. It is the study from the University of Adelaide in Australia, appears in the July issue of the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism. Knee-replacement surgery was more common among joggers and the obese, smokers rarely jog and they less likely to be morbidly obese. Next, smoking lowers risk of Parkinson’s disease. The latest, well-conducted study was published in a March 2010 issue of the journal Neurology. Researchers found that the number of years spent smoking, more than the number of cigarette smoked daily, mattered more for a stronger protective effect. Third, smoking helps the heart drug clopidogrel work better. A study by Korean researchers in the October 2010 issue of the journal Thrombosis Research builds upon work by Harvard researchers published in 2009 that demonstrates the benefit of smoking at least 10 cigarettes a day. It seems that something in cigarette smoke activates certain protein called cytochromes, which convert clopidogrel into a more active state.

        According to Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation, they announce that they have almost 7000 employees in their company. Moreover, they are not totally attach to government. They open privately run, it means our citizens can in charge of the company as well. By using “OT” which means operate transfer, more and more citizens invest the company. Thus, if we choose to ban cigarette, stop selling cigarette, they will cause a serious problem is that many people in the company, no matter public servant or normal employees will face to lose their job, half of them will have no jobs after banning cigarette. Consequently, we cannot stop selling cigarette.

Health and Welfare Surcharge of Tobacco Products is the one of the huge income from selling cigarette. Based on Health Promotion Administration, they announce that the income from Health and Welfare Surcharge of Tobacco Products is almost thirty billion in each year. 70 percent will balance resources to the reserve funds of health insurance; 6 percent giving to people who really cannot afford their health insurance; 5.5 percent will be use at cancer’s prevention and cure; 3 percent to update medical facilities. The rest of money will be use at Tobacco Hazards Prevention, rare disease and helping related industry.

        To sum up, we cannot ban cigarettes so easily. From these aspect, cigarettes are such on of important products in our country. No matter the buyers or the sellers, they must have mutualism. Or we may encounter more serious problems like what I must mentioned it may increase unemployment rate. Or some people cannot afford their health insurance and if we ban cigarette, government could not help them because they do not have income, they do not have money to help them , so we cannot have smoking ban policy.

Sources:

http://www.google.com.tw/amp/amp.livescience.com/15115-5-health-benefits-smoking-disease.html

http://www.coolloud.org.tw/node/72696

http://www.facebook.com/hpagov/posts/991801950848577

Log #3

How Chinese Culture affects Women

     Everyone knows that women in our society are seriously affect by our old-fashioned concept.  From ancient times until now, this kind of concept still exists in many our last generation's mind.

Of course, some of people start to give up this concept, but some of people still can't accept the latest concept now in the society.

     Let me show some realistic example from ancient China. There are many phrases such as “女子無才便是德。” It means women don't need to be educated. If a woman acquires too many knowledge, people will think that woman don't have any morality. Moreover, there is one more phrase called “牝雞司晨” it is a really negative phrase to a woman. It means a woman gets too much power so she may interfere man's status. For instance, some people will say Wu Zetian, who is the first female emperor in ancient China, an aggressive women. It is all because she takes regime by herself and makes herself the first female emperor in history. In a women's aspect, we will think that it is a great way to improve women's social status; on the other hand, men's may think this is a world create for them to rule not for women. In ancient times they even think that it is a bad phenomenon when a woman rule the world, they think their dynasty will come to an end.

    Nowadays, Taiwan elected the first female president. I don't belong to any party, I just want to express my point of view. A female president, it is surprising that Taiwan has a female president, it is also an improvement that people in Taiwan start to accept women can take charge of what men can do as well. I hope this phenomenon can keep going until we have real gender equality.

Log #2

    I've read an article about "Glass Ceiling." What is glass ceiling? It represent an invisible barrier that keeps a given demographic, typically applied to women from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy. In another hand, it also mean an unequal treatment or pay happen on women. 

    Based on the article I've read, there are several examples that women in work places have unequal pay compare with men. For instance, a woman says that she works eight hours a day as same as a man and in the same position. She sometimes works more than eight hours a day, and more than other men college in the company. However, when she gets her salary, she finds that she gets three thousands less than men. At first she feels weird, but the fact is the boss in that company is a gender discrimination person. So she decides to sue her supervisor.

    What I want to convey is there should not exist glass ceiling.  Me as a woman, maybe I will encounter the same situation. I hope that kind of incident will not happen in the word ever after. 

Log #6

Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights 

Page 81~Page 179

     Hindley suffered from his wife's death. His wife died because Dystocia while she gave birth to their son, Hareton. On the other side, Cathy chose to stay with Edgar. She thought that why she had done can help Heathcliff kept away from her brother. Sadly, Heathcliff didn't think so, he misunderstood Cathy's purpose. He got really mad and left right away.

     

      Cathy decided to marry Edgar after three years. And Heathcliff became a rich man, also he had full prepared to revenge. He gambled with Hindley and seduced Edgar's sister, Isabella. The result was he won all the properties and married Isabella successfully.

     Heathcliff still felt upset and unhappy because Cathy died while gave birth to her baby, Catherine. He felt alone than before.

     This is really the most heart-broken tragic love story I have ever read. Though Heathcliff successfully revenge, he found all of his beloved were died, they all left him alone. The only thing he can do is being alone until he died, accompanied with suffered from  Cathy's died.

Log #5

Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights 

Page 1~Page 80    

     We've chosen this book, Withering Heights, written by Emily Bronte to read for our group project. In the beginning, I thought this book is really classic but some writing skills are a little bit confusing. Anyway, I still willing to read the book after seeing the brief introduction of the book.

     There is a man called Lockwood. And one day he visited his landlord named Heathcliff. During his visiting, he found an old nanny's diary unexpectedly. This diary was telling a story about generation by generation.

     A gipsy child, Heathcliff, who was adopted by old Earnshaw. He was bullied by others because of his race. However, Heathcliff and Earnshaw's daughter, Cathy. They are really close friend, they always played together. Unfortunately, Earnshaw died, Heathcliff suddenly lost all of his supports. After all, Hidley inherited Earnshaw's heritage. Moreover, he made him as his servant. Heathcliff planned to escape with Cathy, but Cathy was hurt coincidentally and she was rescued by a rich man called Edgar.

     Go through many tortures, Heathcliff burgeoned into a mental-twisted person. He wanted to revenge, he wanted those who hurt him experienced the same torture.

     After reading those chapter, I have a really sad feeling because of Heathcliff's experiences. It was really a terrible thing, it is just because of his race, so he should suffer from these torture. Moreover, there are also many people like Heathcliff suffer from racist and racism. I truly hope and wish, racism  can be disappear forever and people all over the world can get along with different races.

Three best presentations

1. Sally
I love Sally's presentation the most. The reason why is because, first, she give a question to the audience at the beginning and catch the audience. Next, she bring out the connection between the book and her own experience. By using this kind of method can make the audience feel more close to the story. To sum up, her presentation is flowing and interesting that can make the audience read the book.

2. Sindy
Sindy's presentation give the audience many quotes in the book she has read. Through reading the quotes she had introduced to us, I found that I have some similar connection with the book. Thus, it really evoke my interest to the book. Also, she introduce the book fluently and clearly.

3. Regina
She is the only person who didn't use power point in her presentation. But, I think that she still did a great job. For instance, she bring the book to the class and shoe us what exactly the book looks like. Also, she prepare the movie trailer about the book to the audience, though it didn't show to us successfully. Finally, she use a gleesome atmosphere to talk her book and this make the audience won't feel bored.

Log #4

Foreword by James Cameron 

     Recently, I started to read a classic called Titanic. I think everyone agrees with me that it is a classic. So, I am willing to read it again and again.

     Although I had watched the movie before, I still wanted to know the differences between book and movie. I only read the first two paragraph. It was talked about the hunter of jewel was finding a necklace called the heart of ocean. And they found the survival named Rose a 101-year-old lady. They invited to their boat and the lady started to remind the whole incident in that day, that night on Titanic. She also mentioned that how she met Jack. Jack was a man got the ticket by gambling and Rose was a woman with respectable social status. Rose tried to commit a suicide on the cruise and Jack rescued her at that time. Thus, they fell in love with each other gradually.

     This is the summary of chapter one and two, I will keep reading and bring more story next time.

Log #3

Book: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn

 In my opinion, it is a book full of controlling-maniac and horrible lover. I will talk a little bit about the plot. It is really attractive but thrilling.

     A normal married couple, one day, the wife called Amy was missing. Her husband called Nick and her family called the police and made up a group named finding Amy. They tried to find Amy overall in their neighborhood. However, everyone thought that Nick was the murderer because he has another woman and he took a picture with other women happily. Besides, Amy had changed her appearance and stared her avengement. But she can barely think that she was robbed by her neighbor and finally Nick knew that it was all Amy's conspiracy. Nick started to fight with Amy as well. So, he went to the interview on television and talked about his wife. He expressed himself to Amy in order to induce Amy to come out and face it. Finally, he did it, Amy came back with his child. Sadly, Nick can not divorce but keep act like a good husband and father.

     I really "in" with the book. I was so shocked that Amy can be so smart to plan all the incident, thought it was really a crazy and creepy behavior. I do recommend everyone to read this book. 

     

Log #2

Book: The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty
Author: James Thurder

     Some will watch this movie before. Yes, me as well. Actually, I watched the movie first and then I bought the book. And now I am going to compare with book and movie.

     I would like to talk about if the movie really convey the complete point and idea in the book. I do not say it really did, but it express the right emotions through the actors and actresses. I remembered that there was a clip about Walter Mitty was dreamt that he was dating a girl who was in the same company with him. Amazingly, it is almost one hundred percent similar to the book. The same place, same atmosphere and even the same script. I love it so much. Next, I consider that it is still some differences between book and movie, some chapters did not connect with the movie, maybe it is all because the movie should control the time, so they choose to cut this not really so important part.

     This book want to tell everyone on earth, if you encounter some difficulties, do not give up so easily. There is hope, there is help, or try to make yourselves calm and think about the bright side. You will find your life more beautiful and brighter, even feel like your life can be smoothly. It is definitely a good book to read.

Log #1

A Stolen Life
Author: Jaycee Duga

     This is a special and a hard book I had ever read. First, why it is a special book? It is because the author is same as the main character in this book. Moreover, she only has fifth grade in elementary school's degree. These are the reason why I think that this is a special book. Second, it is really a hard book to read, you need to have a strong heart to bear all the things that the author had experienced. In 1991, Jaycee, the author, she was a fifth grade elementary school student. On her way to school, she was kidnapped by a man by using stun gun. After this, she started her horrible life for 18 years. The man forced her to stay and live in warehouse with no windows. She was scared and confused, but all she can do is nothing. She was treated like a prisoner or worse than a prisoner. The man and his wife, the accomplice, they were both addicted to drugs. When the man was taken some drugs, he tried to do something disgusting on Jaycee. He raped her. So, Jaycee got pregnant without a doubt. She gave birth to her first daughter when she was only 14 years old. She raised her baby all by herself. In order to avoid others suspicion, he said that he and his wife got a baby girl to their neighbors. This is not the end, she got another daughter when she was 17 years old. She faced these same torments day after day until the man's wife took Jaycee to manicure and police thought something strange. Finally, Jaycee was rescued by police. She gathered with her family with tears.

 
     After this terrible nightmare, she went to psychological intervention. And she wrote this book. Amazingly, she wrote this book without anger or negative emotions. She chose to tell all of us and be aware of this kind of tragedy happen over and over again. 

   
     I really admire Jaycee has such courage to face this harsh situation, if I were her, I think I can never forget what I had encountered. We should more pay attention on this kind of case and I wish this incident will not happen anymore on earth. 

My Reading History

     At first, I don't really think I'm a reader,but I gradually found that I really love novels either in Mandarin or English. So now I definitely consider myself a reader.
     I remembered that I had read a book named "A Date in Sydney Tower" and translated "留學生的援交日記"in Chinese. Though the name is not so attractive and  positive, I still give it a try to read. It  is about a girl who studied abroad in Sydney. Seems like everything is all right, unfortunately, her father become a criminal because of debt. And she choose to be a prostitute for earning money helpIng her father settle the debt.
     I become a reader because of my mom. She is an English teacher, as I remembered, she always buy books and read books all day. Sometimes she will give me some interesting books to read. Besides, my college classmates also push me to read some magazines, they made me more like a reader.