"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.

Secrets of Longevity--"全球人瑞15個飲食習慣 長壽秘訣"--from World Journal

Home alone at my sister's place in San Jose, I came across this article on a page of The World Journal on a table. Glad to share.

http://udn.com/news/story/6812/1182881-%E5%85%A8%E7%90%83%E4%BA%BA%E7%91%9E15%E5%80%8B%E9%A3%B2%E9%A3%9F%E7%BF%92%E6%85%A3-%E9%95%B7%E5%A3%BD%E7%A7%98%E8%A8%A3

全球人瑞15個飲食習慣 長壽秘訣

2015-09-13 03:21:24      世界日報 編譯宋凌蘭／綜合11日電

作家布特納（Dan Buettner）十多年來與專家合作，在全世界五個百歲人瑞最多的「藍區」（Blue Zones）進行研究。分析過去一個世紀於藍區進行的150多項調查後，布特納歸納出這些人瑞值得借鏡的15個飲食習慣。

My comments: Blue Zones official website: https://www.bluezones.com/

食物的95%應來自植物：在日本沖繩島、義大利薩丁尼亞島、希臘伊卡里亞島、哥斯大黎加尼科雅半島和加州洛馬林達這五個「藍區」，蔬果、全穀物和豆子是全年主食。最棒的長壽食物是多葉子的蔬菜。

First Language First--"「不要亂用外語跟孩子溝通」 老外：先學好母語吧"

https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E3%80%8C%E4%B8%8D%E8%A6%81%E4%BA%82%E7%94%A8%E5%A4%96%E8%AA%9E%E8%B7%9F%E5%AD%A9%E5%AD%90%E6%BA%9D%E9%80%9A%E3%80%8D-%E8%80%81%E5%A4%96%EF%BC%9A%E5%85%88%E5%AD%B8%E5%A5%BD%E6%AF%8D%E8%AA%9E%E5%90%A7-013022815.html

「不要亂用外語跟孩子溝通」 老外：先學好母語吧

20150919

來台發展的義大利籍藝人韋佳德身兼多重角色、還會講七國語言，有語言學專長的他在臉書撰文，呼籲台灣人不要再亂用外語和孩子溝通，這樣反而會阻礙他們認知發展。他這篇文章貼出後，引起許多家長迴響，有數萬人按讚、分享。

台灣家長很重視外語教育，且深信要贏起起跑線上，有些除了將小孩送到補習班、學校學習之外，自己也喜歡用英語和小孩溝通，希望小孩子的英語說得呱呱叫。

San Jose Public Rose Garden

Visit to Facebook

Yesterday evening, Geroge, my sister, and I paid a visit to Facebook, escorted by my son. Guess what I wrote on the facebook wall.

 

Hi from Stanford University

Today, during the daytime George and I visited Stanford University.

The List Producer--a Good Website

The List Producer: using lists to lead your best life. A website I found in the book Listful Thinking this evening.

http://listproducer.com/

Signs in San Jose

I arrived at SFO the day before yesterday to visit my son and sister and have been staying in San Jose. When we were out, one thing that drew my attention is the sign. I like to read the words on the signs I came across because they are authentic materials for language learners and teachers. The following are some examples:

Life Clock--"薛承泰／生命時鐘"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7340/1169194

薛承泰／生命時鐘

2015-09-06 02:21:28      聯合報 薛承泰

去年智慧型手表上市之後，筆者發現已有人將「生命時鐘」的概念融入，手表除了一般計時與融入手機的功能外，也是一個隨身保健秘書。

My comments: Life clock, an app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mrelte.lifeclock

作為一個商業產品，生命時鐘的設計將使用者基本訊息輸入，包括年齡、身高體重、個人與家族病史，以及生活習慣等，根據這些訊息計算，隨時顯示「剩餘的壽命」，讓使用者了解自己身體健康狀態，提供相關保健與醫療資訊，並拓展出更多的商機。

My comments: So, everyone in their midlife would feel pressed for time?!

Passion for Work--"點燃你的熱情魂"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7046/1172303-%E3%80%90%E9%9D%92%E6%98%A5%E5%90%8D%E4%BA%BA%E5%A0%82%E3%80%91%E9%BB%9E%E7%87%83%E4%BD%A0%E7%9A%84%E7%86%B1%E6%83%85%E9%AD%82

【青春名人堂】點燃你的熱情魂

2015-09-08 09:24:22      聯合報 今日登場鄭俊德

你的工作快樂嗎？

這問題只有極少數的朋友會表示很滿意現在的生活與工作，普遍答案是普普、不甚滿意、還好、騎驢找馬，或是轉移話題。