Happy Encounter with Yu-han

This morning, at MOS Burger, I bumped into Yu-han, a former student who graduated in 2011 and is now studying at graduate school at National Central University. We were so happy about the encounter that we gave each other bear hugs several times. Yu-han was wondering whether it was right to choose to study instead of taking a job after graduating from college. I told her, "You never know. Don't regret over your decision because you'll never know whether the other option is better. Just keep going."

40 Years After We Graduated

On Oct. 11 afternoon, we, graduating from TFG 40 years ago, paid a visit to our alma mater.

Nice Gathering with Annie

wikiHow: Interesting and Useful Website

At this website, all the articles begin with "how to" and offer practical tips on doing something.

http://www.wikihow.com/Main-Page

For example, here's how to help someone with low self esteem:

http://www.wikihow.com/Help-Someone-With-Low-Self-Esteem

 

To Make the Past Listening Test Public Or Not?--"高中英聽公布考古題？ 大考中心：不宜"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/6885/1249372-%E9%AB%98%E4%B8%AD%E8%8B%B1%E8%81%BD%E5%85%AC%E5%B8%83%E8%80%83%E5%8F%A4%E9%A1%8C%EF%BC%9F-%E5%A4%A7%E8%80%83%E4%B8%AD%E5%BF%83%EF%BC%9A%E4%B8%8D%E5%AE%9C

高中英聽公布考古題？ 大考中心：不宜

2015-10-15 08:30:29      聯合報 記者張錦弘／台北報導

高中、補教師：至少公布常出錯題目 才能對症下藥

大學招生已正式採計的高中英聽測驗，過去3年從未公布考過的試題與答案。高中及補教老師昨要求大考中心公布英聽考古題，至少每年要公布考生較常出錯的題目，老師才可對症下藥，有效改善學生的英聽能力。

"A History Between VW and Porsche"--from Diego

A history between VW and Porsche. An article by Diego, a former student who is insightful about many issues. He LINEd and invited me to read this post this evening.  I've been always amazed at his memory and knowledge and even suggested that he be a college professor.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/diego-khoo/dk%E8%AC%9B%E5%8F%A4%E7%A6%8F%E6%96%AF%E5%A4%A7%E7%9C%BE%E9%9B%86%E5%9C%98%E8%88%87%E4%BF%9D%E6%99%82%E6%8D%B7%E7%9A%84%E6%9C%B1%E9%96%80%E6%81%A9%E6%80%A8/1035342046500225

 

Reunion Trip

I am in Hualien, on a high school reunion trip.

TFG Reunion_the 40th Graduation Anniversary

My junior and senior class 高三忠

Hong-yin & Pu-wei's Wedding

Time: 6pm, Oct. 10, 2010

Place: Brother Hotel, Taipei

This evening I attended my deceased former colleague's (羅珊 老師) daughter's wedding. When Hong-yin's father asked me a few months ago if it was ok to invite some NHSH colleagues, I said it would definitely be our honor to be at the wedding. We would be happy to witness one of the happiest moment of our dear friend's daughter's life.

"Svetlana Alexievich wins Nobel Literature prize"--from BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34475251

Svetlana Alexievich wins Nobel Literature prize

8 October 2015  From the section Entertainment & Arts

Belarusian writer and journalist Svetlana Alexievich has won the 2015 Nobel Prize for literature.

Announcing the prize in Stockholm, the chair of the Swedish Academy, Sara Danius, called her writing "a monument to courage and suffering in our time".

Alexievich called the award, presented to a living writer and worth 8m kronor (£691,000), "a great personal joy."

My comments: It is! Had she ever dreamed of winning the prize? I don't think so.

TFG 40th Reunion Theme Songs

This Sunday, Oct. 11, I am going to attend a TFG school reunion banquet. Actually we celebrated our graduation in the 30th year in 2005. 40th is a bigger number, so we had not only a banquet but also a 3-day trip to Hualien, starting Oct. 12.

The following are three songs we'll sing together on Sunday. They are all songs that accompanied us in our teens, and thus remind us of the good old days we spent together. Each video contains not only the song with its lyrics but also photos.

Nice Seeing You Again, Biling

When I was in the States in September, Biling, or Chia-wei, a student graduating in 2006, sent me a private FB message, requesting a meet-up. And here we are.

Biling is a reporter for Taiwan indigenous TV. During the gathering tonight, he shared with me his working experience. It is not new that the job of a reporter is tough and stressful. However, Biling seems to enjoy it quite much. He told me his work required that he get in touch with different people and deal with a variety of issues and that to him, that was the fun. As a teacher, I'm always happy about students' happiness.

How To De-Stress 9th Graders--"李家同：如何減輕國中生升學壓力"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1231213-%E6%9D%8E%E5%AE%B6%E5%90%8C%EF%BC%9A%E5%A6%82%E4%BD%95%E6%B8%9B%E8%BC%95%E5%9C%8B%E4%B8%AD%E7%94%9F%E5%8D%87%E5%AD%B8%E5%A3%93%E5%8A%9B

李家同：如何減輕國中生升學壓力

2015-10-06 01:40:14      聯合報 李家同／清華大學榮譽教授（新竹市）

最近政府和社會又在關心十二年國教問題，我相信政府知道十二年國教並沒減輕學生壓力，所以有重新採計在校成績的想法。雖然很多家長反對，但我要指出，在十二年國教施行以前，國中生升高中是有完全免試的，採計在校成績也可以升學。以博幼基金會的學生為例，當時有七十％學生免試進高中職；值得注意的是，我們的學生都是想要進社區高中職，並沒有想要進明星高中。這種免試管道對於這種孩子是非常適當的，如孩子程度相當高，一心一意要想進明星高中，當然不太可能用這種管道。

What 9th Grade Life Is Like--"國三課 官員來上上看"

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1229014-%E5%9C%8B%E4%B8%89%E8%AA%B2-%E5%AE%98%E5%93%A1%E4%BE%86%E4%B8%8A%E4%B8%8A%E7%9C%8B

國三課 官員來上上看

2015-10-05 01:43:30      聯合報 曾慧珊／教師（桃園市）

乍見聯合報報導「落實免試，教部擬提前國中會考、降低比重」，心裡的怨氣又升起，不解為何政府官員們總是不食人間煙火，和民意有如此大的距離？

單就會考來談，一個是「時程」問題，會考五月中舉行，學生考完後大解放，老師要進行課程難上加難，儘管學校三申五令要照表操課，請老師規劃加深加廣課程，以利學生銜接高中學習，無奈學生根本不想聽不想學，最好每一節都上電腦課、體育課；許多老師只得放影片安撫學生，學校亂哄哄，校園管理相當困難。這種「加深加廣」的課程，可以請唱高調的官員們來上上看嗎？

My comments: What if teachers teach what is related to students' life? Take English for example, teachers can have students put on a play depicting junior high school life in Taiwan or somewhere else. Don't expect students to listen to your lecture; just have them do something.

Goodbye, USA! I'll See You Again

I'm leaving San Jose for Taiwan this afternoon CA time. During the 23 days' stay here, what impressed me most is

1. The air quality. Even though it is very hot sometime somewhere, the air keeps pleasant to breathe in;

How Do You Say in English "兩台互換" on the TV Remote Control?

I never thought about the English equivalent of this phrase until I came to stay with my sister in San Jose.

Happy World Smile Day!

(picture from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley)

"Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile." Yes!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Smile_Day



 

Guess Where I Was

Guess where I was on Sep. 25, the day before I went on the four-day trip. A cafe?

Four-Day Trip with Sandra

I had a four-day trip with my sister Sandra from Sep. 26 to 29. Look how excited I was when I found myself in Grand Canyon.

Archichoke

Yesterday, my sister invited me to eat something I'd never tasted before. I told her as long as it was not animals or insects, I would give it a try.