Log #6

The silent wife
The interaction between Jodi and Todd is very interesting and vivid. Every time I read the description I can almost feel that I am just standing in front of them like an onlooker.  This week, I find out that Jodi is also a mental counselor, which I think is very cool. She heals many kinds of patients and observes what are their characteristics. I think this is also what we need to learn. When we want to get along with others or help people, we first need to know them deeply. Only through this way can we really see the problems or the key points.

There is a short essay, which I think meaningful this week: An optimist is a person who says, after being run over by a drunk driver and having both legs mangled and mortgaging the house to pay the hospital bills: "I was lucky, I could have been killed." Though this sounds a little bit too extreme, it's real that if we hold an optimistic attitude toward our lives we live happier. I think I am an optimistic person. There are times when I really feel bad because of some matters. When this happens to me, I will conquer it through ways like eating, listening to music, or chatting with friends or my family. I always think that there are still lots of people love me and they can help me. What's more, even though some obstacles exist in my life, my life is still filled with lots of pleasure. Optimism indeed helps our life.

Concept Map

Log #5

The silent wife

This novel tells a story that a woman named Brett had a car crush with a man, Todd; it sounds bad to have a car accident, yet however, it's this car accident that brought them together. After that little car accident, Todd found himself rude, so he asked Brett out for dinner. Then they gradually began their love. 

What amazes me is that the depict of scenes the author gives always brings me into the novel's world. When he writes about the ladder or the outside of the buildings and people's portrait, we can always see the real one. For example, It was a Gothic Revival eyesore of decaying brick, flaking paint, and narrow windows, with spiky gables that gave it a menacing upward thrust- a vulgar aberration on a street lined with square-built structures that were fully restored. 

I think the story of Todd and Brett does exist in our world. As a Chinese proverb goes, 不打不相識, sometimes we may have a fight with others. However, that fight or quarrel is not necessarily a bad thing. I just think that everything is meaningful, and sometimes it's just a fate. One of my friends broke up with his girlfriend. However, because of his girlfriend, he met with his old friend that he hadn't contacted for over ten years. Thus, we can also state that every love exists in our life because it is meaningful. It may not be a good ending but it will definitely bring something to us. As of the two people in this novel, I wonder how's their love will go. 

Log #4

Refugees' policy

Recently I see some news about refugees policy again. Last time when I was writing my Log2 I said that I change my mind of supporting refugees' accommodation. This time after I read that news I hold more firmly to my situation. There are three elements that the report provide: job opportunity, humanity, and culture differences. I am gonna give my opinion to these three aspects. 

First of all, job opportunity, will be a big problem if we accommodate refugees from other countries. Everyone knows that as population gets bigger, job opportunity will decline. With fewer jobs provided, the competition becomes more intense, and high job competition will lead to unemployment. Next, robotic automation are progressing, and countries able to take refugees are usually those developed or developing nations, which means they have high technology. After refugees get into those countries their jobs will mainly be laboring works. As a result, citizens, refugees and robots should compete with each other, and that must not be a good news. What’s more, Gartner Technology Research Company predicts that in the following ten years job opportunity will decline 30 percents because of robotic automation. The economist in Cambridge University also says that about half of jobs will be taken over by robots in the following 20 years and automation will widen the gap between the poor and the wealthy. Furthermore, when refugees flee to other countries, their hometown will lose a great deal of labor force and cause the development to stop. Thus the gap between poor countries and wealthy countries will also become bigger. Last, as labor population increases, the welfare should be updated and this requires more tax to citizens.

Second, people support refugees’ accommodation due to humanity. Yes, we human should of course bear kindness and humanity in mind. Conscience tells us that people with more power should help people in need. However, when benefits and conscience fight with each other, it will be very hard to keep the latter. There is a convention called Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees which is used to ensure refugees’ right. Sarcastically, some countries that have signed this convention should refuse to take refugees. For example, according to statistics, 55% of French and 94% of Hungarian do not agree to accommodate refugees. These countries’ names are listed in the convention but they don’t put their words into practice. Is it possible to guarantee refugees’ equality? What’s worse, people are calling on humanity but they don’t really know how much will it cost a country, including money, people’s safety, right and so forth. German also stated that they need to pay at least 3.7 billion dollars per year to support their refugees’ policy.

Third, since refugees are coming from different countries, cultures must differ a lot. When religion, values and other culture-related aspects happen, things are going to be very complex. According to psychological researchers, Islamic refugees are the group more likely to attack others because of their religious values.  Furthermore, Muslim religion’s awareness also allows believers to deal with things in the ways they call “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”. That is why U.S new president Donald Trump especially wants to ban Islamic refugees. Culture differences will also have an impact on daily life such as the way to say hello to others, body signs, driving cars, and foods. 

Due to these three reasons: job opportunity, humanity, and culture differences, I think it’s not appropriate to take refugees from other countries. If there are no any countries in this world can absolutely guarantee refugees’ equality right then, no one should give promises, because it will only make refugees suffer. However, though it’s still not the mature time to take refugees we still have alternative ways. We can donate money to them or send some volunteers to help them build their houses, teach them knowledge or give them food. There are lots of choices, but I don’t agree the accommodation one. After all, no one want to see something go into a vicious cycle. 

Log #3

The myth of going viral on the Internet

People nowadays surf on the Internet every day. It has become our daily routine, and we can not live without them. So what are the benefits it brings to us and why we are so dependent on it? It brings us the newest things and knowledge and its convenience is one of the very important elements. However, things are not going so simply. The very core idea of Internet is connection. That is, it can make separated people become a group only by a click or a sharing. 

Look Facebook, Twitter, and Instgram. Such social media helps us get new information or friends' movement easily. According to statistics, the vast majority of the news that people see on Twitter- around 95%- comes directly from its original source or from one degree of separation, so we don't need to worry that we may get a very wrong information. What's more, sharing can also help some people or company that few know become famous. It promises small-time writers, photographers and videographers that a moment's inspiration can transform into sudden fame. Their works or product and be advertised just by every single click and sharing. 

Internet can be viewed as a convenient and efficient broadcast, and this is why things can go viral easily through the Internet. It does bring a lot of benefits to us as long as we use it in a proper way. After all, there is nothng in the world perfect, we should control it carefully is case it should really "go viral" and this one people aren't wanna see. 

Log #2

Is it worth taking refugees?

Recently I read an article from the website. I have been caring refugees' issue some time, and I always support that countries having enough resources and abilities to accommodate refugees. However, this time, after I read that article from the website named MAD World News, I started to put myself into a difficult situation- is it worth exchanging refugees' new life with citizens' safety? What's more, I think I can somewhat know why some countries such as America, French and so forth do not want to take asylum seekers, especially those of Muslim. I had known that safety must be a very serious problem in this issue, but I always believed that through careful examination we can reduce this kind of danger to the lowest rate. Nonetheless, after reading some tragic news pieces by pieces, I really have some doubts in my mind. 

In that event, a Muslim asylum seeker attacked and raped a girl in Netherland. What's worse, he tried to drown her to dispose of the evidence. Luckily, the girl, in the end, was sent to hospital and her condition remained stable. I believe that the girl will absolutely suffer mental illness that may haunt her for the rest of her life; however, what shocks me more is that that mother fucker guy should have passed up dozens of safe countries in the Netherland. How dare you break the country's heart and even destroy those people's trust on you by betraying them in such a shameful way. How heart-broken the thing it is!

I think one of the reasons causing this sad event to happen is culture and value. In Muslim religion awareness, it's okay to rape a woman you capture even in front of her defeated husband. On the other hand, posing force to women is acceptable. I don't want to say this, but now I can really understand why some countries refuse to offer asylum seekers with new homes "especially Muslim". While such incidents break out again and again, there will be more and more countries turn down refugees' accommodation project. It must go into a vicious cycle, since Muslim will regard such rejection as discrimination. However, there are really some reasons for those countries; after all, no one want to sacrifice himself or herself to save others.

Log #1

Refugee TAIMAA

First of all, I want to say we really need to cherish what we have now because there is a group of people scattered on some corners of the world suffers that we don’t know. Refugees’ migration has been a controversial issue for a long time. Since U.S new president’s policies it is catching on fire recently. I read this event on Time magazine. A 24-year-old mother of three newborns (one with illness) was seeking to resettle in a new countries. But since the migrating law in Europe is getting more strict, Taimaa was trapped after arriving there. In fact, about 60,000 asylum seekers were trapped. They didn’t know where to go. An UN refugee agency spokesman said “ It’s not a big task to accommodate 50,000 people in the richest region of the world. These people are not going back. Where will they go?” Yes, they don’t know where to go; actually they have nowhere to go. Some words from that mother affect my heart. Taimaa was once a music teacher but now she wants to open a beauty salon. However, she said she didn’t know which languages her customers were going to say. That is, she didn’t know where she is going to live next in her life. It is very unfair that one’s dream is broken just because his or hers situation is bad. In addition, some of the Europe countries took passive action since the number of refugees they received was far less than the EU had pledged to do. After a great effort Taimaa couples finally moved to a small country which few know. However, they subsequently faced lots of problems about language, foods, and culture. Luckily, they gradually get used to the life there.

It’s not any countries’ responsibility to accommodate refugees but if one has enough sources, I think it will be very kind to provide them with a home. Though there will be a lot of concerns existing in this issue such as safety, culture, and so on. Anyway, I think every country around this world should make some efforts to help solve this problem. Some can provide accommodation while others can provide funds. Though due to our land limitation Taiwan may not be able to provide them with a home but we can donate some money; even a little amount of it can make a big difference. After all, we’re all people living on the Earth and we are family. 

Log #9

The Kite Runner

This week I have finished this amazing book, and I find many elements existing in it, including guilt, morality, redemption, family, friendship and so on. I can only name a few. After finding Sohrab, Amir found out that there are more and more obstacles that he was facing with on his way of bring Sohrab back. However, even he had gotten seriously injured in these difficulties; he still didn’t give up his goal. How touching was it! I think it’s her redemption mind that encourages him to overcome all the trouble. He had done something bad to his old friend so the only thing he wants to do is to make efforts to compensate him. After bringing Sohrab back, there is still some problems between them. Luckily, in the end Amir makes Sohrab talk again, saying that no matter what happen I will be at your side. The climax plot this week must be the Amir’s fight for bringing Sohrab back, and the most touching part must be the words given by Amir in the end. Thus, we can see the whole plots are surrounding by friendship, compensation, guilt, and morality. Though Amir did something bad in the beginning he finally made up for it. What’s more the words given by Amir in the end do touch my mind because it was those words once was given by Hassan to him, and it’s like a positive cycle. It also reminds me that the one who truly love you will not leave you behind but stand by you forever and ever no matter what happens, like a family.

This week our discussion topic is the core idea of the “Kite” runner. What does the Kite symbolize?

We all think that it is equal to friendship. The friendship between them meets lots of difficulties just like a kite will not go in certain way because of the wind. Amir keeps chasing behind the friendship he has ruined just like the runner behind a kite.

We also come up with a very interesting way that Amir once was the guy who asked Hassan to prove his loyalty, but Amir himself then needed to ask for Sohrab’s trust. It’s a little bit sarcastic.

Log #8

The Kite Runner

　　After Amir's father die, a friend of his father also his old friend invite him to meet with him, begging him to bring Hassan's unknowing son back. He also tells Amir that Hassan is his sibling. Facing with danger of wars and his guilt as well as the emotion to his friend, Amir falls into a hesitation loom but finally decide to go.

　　Our discussion this week is that why Hassan still set on to find his old friend's son even though he may be caught in a high-risking war field. We think that it's because guilt, regret and emotions to Hassan are greater than his fright to the danger. When they were children Amir did something bad to Hassan and this guilt has haunted him for over 20 years. He really wants to do something make up for his mistakes. What's more, we think his reaction not only as a redemption but also a repayment.

　　We all have the experience that someone, our friends or family members, give us a gift on our birthday or do us a favor that we really want to pay them back even though we have difficulties doing it. Take me for example, in one day's morning, one of my classmates didn't bring her very important homework but it's the day that she need to do her presentation. She is my best friend and has done lots of favor to me like comforting me when I encounter some difficulties. Thus, though it's five minutes to my class, I still ride my scooter and bring her to take her disk. Although I was late for my class that day, I didn't feel bad about it; instead, I though that I have helped a girl who always accompanied me to conquer lots of trouble. I think Amir is also in the same case.

　We also come up with a question this week that whether this child is the string which will connect the relationship between Amir and Hassan that has lost for a very long time again. We are very looking forward to finding out this question.

Log#7

The Kite Runner

This week I read the dark site of humanity in this novel. Hassan is Amir's royal servant. He treat him with his real heart, and not only see him as his lord but also see him as his true friend. He do anything to help Amir, and even makes himself get both body and mind hurt. However, when Hassan have difficulties, what Amir does is to hide and see all the things happen. What's worse, because Amir want to get rid of his sense of guilty, he tries to drive Hassan away through slanderous ways. 

This is not what a real friend should do. I hate this kind of people; I can even say that they are not human at all. We human should respect each other, and this is the truth no one can deny. I totally understand the stance Hassan has. Once I considered two of my friends to be my true friends. I treat them with royalty, telling everything to them. I then thought that we can support each other. But as time went by, I saw the real face of them. I did things for them, helped them, and took them as my real friends. However, what they did was to betray me, attacked me, and hurt my heart. There was a period when I thought that this world was hopeless. I spent a lot of time to understand the real sense and walk out of this shadow. Nevertheless, I think I should thank them. It is these two guys that teach me we cannot pour all of our heart to a guy who we just know. We shouldn't hurt others but we should also prevent others from hurting us. Experiences teach me that only when we have known a man deeply can we treat his or her with a royal heart.

Our team this week however has discussed what's the real factor between these two friends that cause the betrayal. We think it is because of tribe, envy, selfish and the guilty. The relationship between stays blurred because Hassan is a discriminated tribe, while Amir has high social status. Amir has been envious about his father's love to Hassan, so he did something bad to him. However, guilty comes to Amir's mind, so in order to get rid of it, he use tricks to drive him off.

We also present a question whether they will fix their relationship later. After all, they grow up together.

Log# 6

The kite runner

　　I start this novel two days before. In the beginning of it I see two poor children who have lost one of their parents. I feel so sad about it. However, to my surprise, they still lead a very happy life. I suddenly strike on the fact that there are a lot of people who are much more miserable than us. But we human tend to complain. We complain about anything, life, chores, difficulties and so forth. Such poor children as those of "the kite runner" can still live happily; why we can't? We should know that complaint can only produce the negative power which will make us feel more sorrowful and may also affect others. The only thing we need to do when we encounter obstacles is to think about the solution and think positively. Those who have been very successful are people who don't think of the past. Things which have happened can not be changed; instead, we can only reverse current situation. 

　　So we can see lots of examples existing in our society. The artist Shieh kunshan lost three of his limbs, but he doesn't give in to fortune; instead, he finds out his own living way and becomes an extremely successful artist. Though, it will be very hard for us to not feel bad if we encounter difficulties, the key to solve problems is not to regret. After all, as time goes by, things follow behind.

Log# 5

  Blood on snow

　　I have finished this book a week ago. I find out that this book is absolutely a touching one. In its last part, the author teaches us that we really need to care more about people or things surrounding us. Sometimes we don't notice that people who treat us best are always around us like our family or best friend. In the end, Olav finally found out that Maria was his true love, the one who treated him with her loyal heart. I was so touched by them. I suddenly realized that yes, this is true. I sometimes take my parents love for granted, so when they are worried about me and were nagging on me, I would feel a little bit annoying and might have a fight with them. However, this is a true love action from a person who really want to help you, whether that guy is our friend or family member. After all, a beneficial word is always hard to be accepted.

　　What's more, some people complain that there is too little beautiful things around us. But I want to say that if we pay more attention on environment around us, we'll find beauty everywhere. Animals, water, flower, smile or laughter from others are all beautiful elements that will make us feel happy. There once a famous writer stating that this world is not lack of beauty but lack of discovery. Thus, as long as we slow our life pace and take a look on our mother nature we will find out that our world is filled with beauty.

Log #4

Blood on snow

Author: Jo Nesbo

I finally finish this book for over a month. Thvolvo he drove. After a while's struggling, it seems that Olav still ends up dying . However, it's quite blurred of what's going on with Olav in the end. To my relief, Marina finally knows his mind after reading a piece of paper from Olav.
is week I finish the last part of it, and it's still amazing. The police still found Olav because of the

It's the author's writing style that makes me so obsessed with his books. In the end of Blood On Snow, the author still remains the plot a secret. Instead of telling readers that Olav is dead, he uses the inner mind of Maria to let readers imagine what may happen next. What's more, in the last few pages, he doesn't use any of the characters' names but only those pronouns like "he" and "she". This holds the rest of the plots much more mysterious. 

All elements contained in this book are so attracting, no matter about its style, its plot, its variation, its climax, its description or those should be in a novel. I think the way of writing skills of either Chinese or English are all the same. When I was taking my Chinese courses in Senior high, my teacher had taught me the most two important keys to succeed in doing a good writing are reader and story teller. First, reader means that authors should  leave readers vivid images as if they are in the real story and take part in the plot. The author of Blood on snow did finish this part. Every description he had made could make the pictures pop up in mind immediately. Second, story teller means that the writing styles of authors. That is , how they show their plots to readers, and in this novel I find the author very cool. He always leave us in a very mysterious stance, which can push us to read more and more, and then we never want to stop or put down our books. What's more, he sometimes use the quotation from other books, which makes me feel like he is sharing instead of just being an author. I really should mimic his way of writing.

Log #3

Blood on snow

Author: JO NESBO

　　This week I have almost finished this book. To my surprise, the plot reverse dramatically. This is the author's style which makes me hold the author in respect; he can always makes his readers feel like they themselves crash onto a wall, not painfully but inspiring. Language is so rough that I can not use my own one to describe how touching I feel when this kind of feeling bump into my mind. It's like the light in darkness or the glass of ice tea for a thirsty person. All I can say is "Wow! That's amazing!" Okay! Now let me tell you what has made me so sentimental.

　　The main character Olav has been in love with Corina since he killed Mr. Daniel, the son of Mr. Hoffman and saved Corina from the suffering. They love each other so much like every couple does in the world. Every single detail the author describe will make it hard for readers to believe that Ms. Corina is actually one of those who want to kill Olav. After Olav finished his fixing task, carried his gun shot and went back to his house, he accidentally found out that Corina had contact with fishermen who was his boss but wanted to kill him in the end. So he then ran out out of his flat, driving his volvo toward the road with a gut-wrenching broken heart. After miles of driving, Olav cannot put up with the pain and faints away. Just at that dead moment, a girl shows up. It's the girl that he had saved before and he knew that she loved him but his inner mind was blurred then, Marina. He finally knows that they love each other, and Ms. Marina is his true love though she is deaf, an imperfect woman. How touching it is! After a round of bad fortune, he finally finds his true love, and the true love is the key to save his life. 

　　This does make me think about love among people. Some people want to find a handsome boyfriend or a beautiful girlfriend. But they don't know that the real lover is just nearby them. Moreover, that kind of lover is always the person who serves them silently. We really need to pay more attention to things and people around us. Whether they are our family, boyfriend, or girlfriend, the people who treat us loyally tend to be overlooked by us. It is because the persons giving us their true heart are those who will not ask for rewards.  

Log #2

　　The content I read this week is about the love between Olav and Corina. I was fascinated by the details the author give us. The description the author use is so vivid that I can even feel as if I was watching two people’s real interaction. From their eye contact I can realize the what’s the true soul living in their body, and from their facial emotion as well as language I can feel how truly they love each other and how great they eager for this love. In this week’s reading, Olav has already started his plan to fix Mr. Hoffman. He went to meet “Fishermen” which once was their enemy.

　　There are some sentences that I find meaningful and want to share. 1. Greed is like melt water, when one channel gets blocked he simply find another one. We human sometimes are indeed greedy, and become so ridiculous. We may do something against our conscience to achieve our goals. However, greed is not that bad when it becomes ambition because we will spare no effort to fulfill our dream. 2. The fact that someone gets hit by stronger doesn’t mean they don’t deserve it. Laws and cognition nowadays always protect the weak. For example, if a scooter have car accident with a car, the car driver tends to take more responsibility; however, it may be the scooter driver that doesn’t obey the road rule. As a result, there is a Chinese sentence goes that “大車撞小車，大車理虧”. This doesn’t make any sense at all. 3. A few ripples in water, there for a while and then gone. As if they’d never been there. As if we had never been here. Things usually acts like what the sentence has told us. Time conquers everything. No matter how happy or sad we are at a moment, the feeling will definitely faint away as time goes by. Thus, there is a proverb goes that time heals everything. If we are upset now we shouldn’t give up because everything will be okay as time passes. Also, we get a Chinese sentence that 時間過了事情就過了. No matter how difficulty one thing is, as long as we hang on we complete our tasks. 4. That was the virus I had in my blood. This sentence make me think of bad habits. Bad habits are always easy to form but difficult to get rid of like virus. Nonetheless, if we dispose of it we get a great achievement.

　　In the following story, I am looking forward to how will Olav cooperate with “Fishermen” to take Mr. Hoffman down and how will Olav and Corina maintain their relationship so that they can lead a happy and sweet life. 

Log #1

　　I choose Blood on snow as my reading fiction. I find it a very attractive book. This book talked about a person whose job is a “fixer”. The fixers in this novel dose not really fix things like tools, machines or others; instead they fix things that bother their boss. Most of the tasks acquire assassination.

　　In the beginning of this novel, the main character Olav has killed a man on a snowy day because of his boss’s order. Then he said that he couldn’t do anything but killing. He once drove for his partner, and rob a bank, but only to be caught by the police. He also tried to manage prostitution. However because of his sympathy and conscience for women he failed his mission. He even punched a prostitute’s junkie boyfriend because he had been rude to his girlfriend. To be a fixer Olav must take many cruel tasks, and he doesn’t feel guilty at all. However, it is a matter which he should fix that change his career and life. His boss Daniel Hoffmann has a very beautiful wife, Corina Hoffmann; however, Mr. Daniel said that she has an affair with a man. As a result, Olav was asked to kill Ms. Corina. When he sees her in a distance he falls in love with her. From then on he starts to keep track on her instead of killing her directly. To his surprise, the person who is said to have affair with Ms. Corina keeps treating her badly. Olav feels angry about it and think that killing the man is equal to killing Corina. After all, the affair will be ended. After he told his boss that the man has been executed, Mr. Daniel reacts not happily but astonishedly with a word “ you kill my only son Benjamin?” Daniel hangs up the phone and goes to meet Corina in person. He knows that only by killing Daniel can he and Corina live a happy life; otherwise they will both be dead. He then starts a series of action.

　　I think Olav himself is not such a bad guy. There is still a little bit conscience born in his mind. This book is so attractive to me because he always leave the suspicious plots which make me want to read more. While I was reading this book I can’t notice other things. It just like I am the onlooker of the whole things happening in this novel. In my opinion, because the author is born to England, he show a sense of gentleman in his book. For example, even if Olav is a killer, he shows respect for women. We should show this kind of attitude not only on people but also on everything we do.

My reading history

    First, yes, I consider myself a reader both in Mandarin and English. However, when I was a little child, I actually didn't like to read at all. I considered reading as boring and time-wasting chores. It was not until I became fifth grade of elementary that I started to love reading. My homeroom teacher then recommended a book called Warriors to us, asking us to hand in reflection every week. I felt bothered at the beginning; nonetheless, I gradually took interests in the cats' adventure, habits, as well as their inner mind in the story. The fiction impressed me a lot, so I now can still remember the plots clearly. The Warriors was the best also the first one that inspired my interests in books.

    Unfortunately, as I getting the Junior high school, the pressure from my studies skyrocketed. I barely had my own time to choose my favorite stuff to read. Few things I can say that I read every day were notebooks, and textbooks. That was not reading but studying, instead. Then, I lost my interests in reading again. After becoming a senior high students, free time shrank more. My only free reading then was English magazines, which are not about fashion, sports or gossip, but about vocabulary. I read them because I needed to enhance my words ability, not to mention interests. Luckily, one day my English grammar teacher gave us a book called Dracula to read. Oh! It's fantastic. The plot in it is of suspense, and excitement. As a result, I grabbed my passion for reading again.

    I now have much leisure time to enjoy fictions and I will absolutely take good advantage of it. Last day, I went to picked up a book called BLOOD ON SNOW with my friend. I was abstracted by the beginning of it. Hope that I will finish it soon, finding the end tick all my boxes.