When I was little, I liked to go to my neighbor’s front yard because there were two humongous Ping-pong trees. Now for those who don’t know this kind of tree, the origin is actually from China and the name is “Sterculia nobilis”. The English name, Ping-poing, was translated from Chinese too.
My friends and I used to climb those tall trees to catch birds or pretended we were Tarzan. And when the tree bore hundreds of red fruits, we were all thrilled to harvest the best desert in the world! The nuts were black, kind of like hazel nuts; and we usually just boiled them in water. You would never believe the taste because it was like eating lots of delicious egg yolk. I also loved to roast them. It was always a fun afternoon activity in the grassy yard.
Ping-pong tree bore my childhood memory and those good-old days. Sometimes in the middle of night I can still hear the breeze brushing by those trees’ verdant leaves. I can also see my red ribbon tied highly around one of the strong branches, sending best wishes to a far-away buddy…
Many years later, I passed by our old neighborhood and found the trees had been gone. It was sad to learn they were cut down and replaced by a new building. I wonder what happened to my old friends. Where had they moved to? How are they doing now? Did they know Ping-pong trees were gone? I bet they would miss them as much as I do. And of course, those cicadas were an important part of our great times. I just liked to listen to their songs in the summer.
“L’envie d’aimer” is the song playing on the French radio I’m listening to now. Who would’ve thought I could speak French and madly fall in love with it? W, do you know I can speak English now? I recall the time I saw you reading an English magazine under those Ping-pong trees and envied you for being able to understand the language…
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Impish Smile
Impish Smile
Who are you imitating
Half-covered half-nude
The arid surface of indigo body
Lying helplessly
A pebble falls hastily
Knocking out green ripples
On my silver odyssey
You send a message in a bamboo boat
Shouting S.O.S
Spellbound by the snow-white toll
I walk toward the lost folk
Never ever summon
For I will not turn back
Even your impish smile
Hangs high in the blue firmament…
Who are you imitating
Half-covered half-nude
The arid surface of indigo body
Lying helplessly
A pebble falls hastily
Knocking out green ripples
On my silver odyssey
You send a message in a bamboo boat
Shouting S.O.S
Spellbound by the snow-white toll
I walk toward the lost folk
Never ever summon
For I will not turn back
Even your impish smile
Hangs high in the blue firmament…
Written by Jerski Bjorksen
You don't need to be like this...
If there isn’t any propose of life, what are we doing here on this earth? Why do we want to prove at school, at work, or in life: the praise of others or self-fulfillment? Now I’m directing my own path toward another world, which makes me feel great but at times I feel so tired and helpless. What then after I have reached my goal?
“Arrogance that is what she got! Tell all of them to eat shit!” Alex said angrily.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t believe those foreign teachers said we must respect they’re standard. In their countries, they are usually paid such and such and work such and such, blah, blah, blah… Gee, who were they trying to bluff? I also lived in the western society before!”
“Oh, they could just go back to their homelands if they are not happy here.”
“That’s what I said! When you work as part-time teachers, you just have to come in early for prep. And they dare to ask for pay for the preparation. Don’t they know that’s how people do in Taiwan?”
“That’s called cultural ignorance and bullshit ego.”
“Think about how much they make here and how much they can make in their own countries. They get twice or three times as do average workers here; and I want to ask whether they can get the same ratio when working back home.”
“I bet they can’t, for most of them, because they are a bunch of losers!”
“Why are you so ticked off?” S. asked
“Because I am!” replied Alex
“Nothing is fair in this world. White people have been dominating the major part of this planet for quite a long while. But I think there are other nice people doing wonderful things to better our society.”
“Yeah, I know. It just upsets me, you know. See, how easy for them to get a work permit and if we want to work in the US, yeah, tough as fighting the devil…”
“I’m not sure if I want to work in America…”
Sounds familiar? I get this kind of crap from time to time. Whose fault? It’s hard to draw the line but hey don’t worry. Chinese fever is coming right up! But are you ready to catch this train? You don’t need to be like this, so cynical and sour. That’s why I set goals and move on although the road seems winding and the task daunting…
“Arrogance that is what she got! Tell all of them to eat shit!” Alex said angrily.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t believe those foreign teachers said we must respect they’re standard. In their countries, they are usually paid such and such and work such and such, blah, blah, blah… Gee, who were they trying to bluff? I also lived in the western society before!”
“Oh, they could just go back to their homelands if they are not happy here.”
“That’s what I said! When you work as part-time teachers, you just have to come in early for prep. And they dare to ask for pay for the preparation. Don’t they know that’s how people do in Taiwan?”
“That’s called cultural ignorance and bullshit ego.”
“Think about how much they make here and how much they can make in their own countries. They get twice or three times as do average workers here; and I want to ask whether they can get the same ratio when working back home.”
“I bet they can’t, for most of them, because they are a bunch of losers!”
“Why are you so ticked off?” S. asked
“Because I am!” replied Alex
“Nothing is fair in this world. White people have been dominating the major part of this planet for quite a long while. But I think there are other nice people doing wonderful things to better our society.”
“Yeah, I know. It just upsets me, you know. See, how easy for them to get a work permit and if we want to work in the US, yeah, tough as fighting the devil…”
“I’m not sure if I want to work in America…”
Sounds familiar? I get this kind of crap from time to time. Whose fault? It’s hard to draw the line but hey don’t worry. Chinese fever is coming right up! But are you ready to catch this train? You don’t need to be like this, so cynical and sour. That’s why I set goals and move on although the road seems winding and the task daunting…
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Tomato Tie~ Chapter 1
It’s the last year of high school; and everyone was busy preparing for the college entrance exam. Waalt didn’t worry about getting into a prestigious university because with his grades he could go to NTU with ease.
Weekend was always a time racking his nerves, because he needed to go home to help his parents on the farm. Waalt’s parents grew all sorts of vegetables and raised some cattle and chicken for living. Supposedly, he should be very comfortable with an idyllic lifestyle. The breathtaking scenery around his house and the perennial running water in the green river nearby all made up a wonderful farm life. But Walter just despised it! He wanted to get out of the tiny and quiet village on this remote east coast of Formosa…
When the first light emerged over the horizon on the Pacific, Waalt was up already. The other roommates were still asleep as they were exhausted after pulling an all-nighter doing intricate math homework. The cool autumn air sneaked into the room under the windowsills and brought a sense of refreshment. “It would be another nice day today. But shit! I have to go home,” sighed Waalt.
The twenty-minute bike ride had become a mechanical reaction for each Saturday. Although the purplish unknown wild flowers, emitting their contagious fragrance, waves their hands at Waalt on the sides of the road, he had no mood appreciating such beauty from the nature, but kept paddling his seemingly over-heavy-and- beat-up bike.
Upon arrival to the familiar yet bitter-sweet home, he felt a chill crawling down his spines. “Damn! Someday, I am going to leave this stinky place for good!” Waalt said determinedly.
On the right side of the house was the huge vegetable garden, the one Waalt’s father, James, was very proud of. He spent over ten years growing a great variety of greens and legumes. Walking down the furrows, one could easily spot rows and rows of tomato plants. They were James’ hardworking result! The humongous and crimson fruits were all worth the effort when the harvest season approached. However, those treasures were a bunch of crap in Waalt’s eyes. Every time he saw the tomato plants, a raging steam would start to boil in his blood, getting ready to explode any moment.
…To Be Continued.
Weekend was always a time racking his nerves, because he needed to go home to help his parents on the farm. Waalt’s parents grew all sorts of vegetables and raised some cattle and chicken for living. Supposedly, he should be very comfortable with an idyllic lifestyle. The breathtaking scenery around his house and the perennial running water in the green river nearby all made up a wonderful farm life. But Walter just despised it! He wanted to get out of the tiny and quiet village on this remote east coast of Formosa…
When the first light emerged over the horizon on the Pacific, Waalt was up already. The other roommates were still asleep as they were exhausted after pulling an all-nighter doing intricate math homework. The cool autumn air sneaked into the room under the windowsills and brought a sense of refreshment. “It would be another nice day today. But shit! I have to go home,” sighed Waalt.
The twenty-minute bike ride had become a mechanical reaction for each Saturday. Although the purplish unknown wild flowers, emitting their contagious fragrance, waves their hands at Waalt on the sides of the road, he had no mood appreciating such beauty from the nature, but kept paddling his seemingly over-heavy-and- beat-up bike.
Upon arrival to the familiar yet bitter-sweet home, he felt a chill crawling down his spines. “Damn! Someday, I am going to leave this stinky place for good!” Waalt said determinedly.
On the right side of the house was the huge vegetable garden, the one Waalt’s father, James, was very proud of. He spent over ten years growing a great variety of greens and legumes. Walking down the furrows, one could easily spot rows and rows of tomato plants. They were James’ hardworking result! The humongous and crimson fruits were all worth the effort when the harvest season approached. However, those treasures were a bunch of crap in Waalt’s eyes. Every time he saw the tomato plants, a raging steam would start to boil in his blood, getting ready to explode any moment.
…To Be Continued.
Indignant Outcry
Pluto was degraded to a “dwarf planet” and lost its planethood in our solar system. Apparently this stirred quite an attention in the astronomical community. There are many who protest against this proclamation; yet how many of us really know about this planet for the past 76 years?
An Austrian girl was kidnapped on her way to school eight years ago and recently escaped from the imprisoned life. Apparently this spellbound event again brought a quiet country such as Austria to a heated stage. Many wrote letters to the girl and her family to show support. However, the now-teenaged girl seems to take the episode well and has developed the so-called “Stockholm Syndrome”. No one really knows how she undertook all of those miserable days and how she is holding up psychologically. I just feel angry how someone could do such things to a naïve girl and lock her for 8 years. The suspect has committed suicide right after the girl ran away.
Of course, there are hundreds of tragedies happening every minute in our world, and lots of them are hidden in the dark or just unable to be unveiled by the media. For those who are religious might think why God allows devilish matters to occur if He really loves human beings, especially the innocent children. I don’t have answers to all of the questions in life but I strongly believe man is here to elevate his spirituality via comparison of good and evil and render service to others.
Then again, many factors could alter the way we behave, be the chemicals in our brain, or the intention of ourselves. Nonetheless, if you still feel compelled to show sympathy or support to those who have undergone tremendous misfortunes, you are the ones building the spiritual blocks inside. World peace seems so clichéd but isn’t it always our hope for a better global community or even universe?
I usually get upset and unleash my indignant outcry whenever I see or hear someone impose unbearable tortures upon others, but I guess it is because I want to contribute my part to the better world. Hope my motive and desire will never fall apart and wither as society gets more and more fiendish nowadays!
An Austrian girl was kidnapped on her way to school eight years ago and recently escaped from the imprisoned life. Apparently this spellbound event again brought a quiet country such as Austria to a heated stage. Many wrote letters to the girl and her family to show support. However, the now-teenaged girl seems to take the episode well and has developed the so-called “Stockholm Syndrome”. No one really knows how she undertook all of those miserable days and how she is holding up psychologically. I just feel angry how someone could do such things to a naïve girl and lock her for 8 years. The suspect has committed suicide right after the girl ran away.
Of course, there are hundreds of tragedies happening every minute in our world, and lots of them are hidden in the dark or just unable to be unveiled by the media. For those who are religious might think why God allows devilish matters to occur if He really loves human beings, especially the innocent children. I don’t have answers to all of the questions in life but I strongly believe man is here to elevate his spirituality via comparison of good and evil and render service to others.
Then again, many factors could alter the way we behave, be the chemicals in our brain, or the intention of ourselves. Nonetheless, if you still feel compelled to show sympathy or support to those who have undergone tremendous misfortunes, you are the ones building the spiritual blocks inside. World peace seems so clichéd but isn’t it always our hope for a better global community or even universe?
I usually get upset and unleash my indignant outcry whenever I see or hear someone impose unbearable tortures upon others, but I guess it is because I want to contribute my part to the better world. Hope my motive and desire will never fall apart and wither as society gets more and more fiendish nowadays!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Ethnocentrism
Okay, I am not judging anyone but stating a fact that many foreign language teachers in Taiwan in one way or the other feel superior to local people. Whom should we blame? This is not a one-way trek; rather it’s a two-way street.
When I hear someone complain that his or her English teacher is incompetent or lacks of teaching qualification, I just sneer at it. What can I say? Tell all those trashy people to get out of here? What has our government done in terms of screening foreign teachers’ qualification? What have cram school owners done in respect of hiring quality teachers?
Before criticizing those foreign teachers, we ought to think whether we have done our best to ameliorate the circumstance. Does speaking English fluently make you a better person or bring you to a higher social status? Although English is regarded as the international language, it can’t make a person become better automatically. I hate to admit no matter one goes, lives, or works at, it is inevitable to encounter ethnocentric individuals. Yet, I personally think why we bother being provoked by this “issue”? If we understand the essence of being a human, then we should tweak our way of thinking and switch our focus to more important things in life.
In this era of high technology and globalization, one has to know he or she is no longer competing with domestic citizens but people from all over the world. I believe bias will forever exist; but one must not look down on himself or herself regardless of skin color, race, or language.
Everyone has a talent and we just need to discovery it. It is thrilling to find a talent. And perhaps you have more than one. Wouldn’t it be great being able to know more about oneself? I dislike many foreign teachers I’ve met over here; yet there are still some cool ones, really…
Maybe I’m just plain-looking but don’t judge me by my appearance only. If you don’t know me well, then do not jump to conclusions saying I know less than you. Native-speaker doesn’t make a person necessarily better than non-native speaker in the regard of teaching a language. Some of my high school fellow students had bad Chinese too and this analogy applies to all other parlances.
Suddenly I have an idea. Why don’t we lock up all those ethnocentric people and make them compete with each other? I bet the survivors will be some interesting subjects for certain neural or psychological researches… By the way, those who possess ethnocentrism might change when being challenged by someone that feels superior to them. Don’t say it will never happen; it might just come later!!
When I hear someone complain that his or her English teacher is incompetent or lacks of teaching qualification, I just sneer at it. What can I say? Tell all those trashy people to get out of here? What has our government done in terms of screening foreign teachers’ qualification? What have cram school owners done in respect of hiring quality teachers?
Before criticizing those foreign teachers, we ought to think whether we have done our best to ameliorate the circumstance. Does speaking English fluently make you a better person or bring you to a higher social status? Although English is regarded as the international language, it can’t make a person become better automatically. I hate to admit no matter one goes, lives, or works at, it is inevitable to encounter ethnocentric individuals. Yet, I personally think why we bother being provoked by this “issue”? If we understand the essence of being a human, then we should tweak our way of thinking and switch our focus to more important things in life.
In this era of high technology and globalization, one has to know he or she is no longer competing with domestic citizens but people from all over the world. I believe bias will forever exist; but one must not look down on himself or herself regardless of skin color, race, or language.
Everyone has a talent and we just need to discovery it. It is thrilling to find a talent. And perhaps you have more than one. Wouldn’t it be great being able to know more about oneself? I dislike many foreign teachers I’ve met over here; yet there are still some cool ones, really…
Maybe I’m just plain-looking but don’t judge me by my appearance only. If you don’t know me well, then do not jump to conclusions saying I know less than you. Native-speaker doesn’t make a person necessarily better than non-native speaker in the regard of teaching a language. Some of my high school fellow students had bad Chinese too and this analogy applies to all other parlances.
Suddenly I have an idea. Why don’t we lock up all those ethnocentric people and make them compete with each other? I bet the survivors will be some interesting subjects for certain neural or psychological researches… By the way, those who possess ethnocentrism might change when being challenged by someone that feels superior to them. Don’t say it will never happen; it might just come later!!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Rainy Day
We have had some afternoon showers for two days and it did bring some cool air to the scorching hot Taipei basin. I wonder whether summer is slipping away, which means I won’t be busy teaching morning classes and can read more books to get references for my research proposal.
French class is going alright; and I’m looking forward to Septembers’ German course. I try to learn new stuff and make my brain absorb useful information. By the way, I really enjoy doing cross-word games. I never thought I would take up this puzzle because I always thought it was not for me, especially in English. Now it is just thrilling to do it in my leisure time.
Deposition of President Chen is under the way and the money collected by Mr. Shi has surpassed one hundred million NT dollars. I don’t see why Mr. Chen still wants to hold the position after so many scandals happened in his family. I hope people in Taiwan can unite power and really utilize democratic influence to let this corrupted President and his related ones step down…
I hope the rain will stop soon…
French class is going alright; and I’m looking forward to Septembers’ German course. I try to learn new stuff and make my brain absorb useful information. By the way, I really enjoy doing cross-word games. I never thought I would take up this puzzle because I always thought it was not for me, especially in English. Now it is just thrilling to do it in my leisure time.
Deposition of President Chen is under the way and the money collected by Mr. Shi has surpassed one hundred million NT dollars. I don’t see why Mr. Chen still wants to hold the position after so many scandals happened in his family. I hope people in Taiwan can unite power and really utilize democratic influence to let this corrupted President and his related ones step down…
I hope the rain will stop soon…
Monday, August 21, 2006
Serotonin
Serotonin
High or low
A balance must lie
Between the lines
More or less
A demolition will fire
Among the physical and spiritual
When genes are triggered
By outer influence
Noradrenaline can be imposed on
Serotonin
Or both will be combined
When strengths decline
Such a relationship of teeter totter
Is like him and his wife
The only conundrum is that
Violence can be outward or inward
For they are nothing benign
But wickedly vile
Kill or commit suicide
It all depends on each side
Fortunately there are other substances
Invented for regulating this vice…
High or low
A balance must lie
Between the lines
More or less
A demolition will fire
Among the physical and spiritual
When genes are triggered
By outer influence
Noradrenaline can be imposed on
Serotonin
Or both will be combined
When strengths decline
Such a relationship of teeter totter
Is like him and his wife
The only conundrum is that
Violence can be outward or inward
For they are nothing benign
But wickedly vile
Kill or commit suicide
It all depends on each side
Fortunately there are other substances
Invented for regulating this vice…
Written by Jerski Bjorksen
Saturday, August 19, 2006
There must be some ways
It’s another week passed by without anything particular, but I was quite touched when one of my students shared his good news with me. J. had a new baby boy and it’s a tradition to give people some glutinous rice, red eggs, and cake. Although it’s a small gesture, it just touched my heart.
I guess I’m this kind of person, easily affected by petty gestures and thoughts. I hope to keep in touch with all these great students and some day I will be more than honored to share my success and happiness with each one of them.
What happened to all those high school buddies, I reckon? Is F. still in New York doing his PhD or has he already come back? Gravely influenced by a mother who was so arbitrarily dominant in the family, I wonder what C. has become now. As for my good old friend, A, I hope he has found his love. I recall all those hot summer afternoons, we rode our bikes, wandering in alleys and trying to explore our small hometown. I was the one who refused to take the college entrance exam but had to give in at the end. Those silly days!
The course of life is inconceivably intertwined with unknown pathways, which makes me ponder where my own road would lead to if I hadn’t had the courage to challenge authority… I think I would probably have become the scientist I long before desired to be, really!
What were my neurons doing when I suddenly heard a very old Taiwanese folksong early tonight ? The song triggered my deepest memory and I thought to myself why it seemed so facile to understand the lyrics although I hadn’t heard the song for ages. Were those data hard-wired in my brain and I didn’t need to try hard to locate the stored info? My question is why one cannot use the same mechanism in second language or third language acquisition? How can we unravel the mystery and come up with a pragmatic application to enhance people’s foreign language learning? There must be some ways, I strongly believe!
I guess I’m this kind of person, easily affected by petty gestures and thoughts. I hope to keep in touch with all these great students and some day I will be more than honored to share my success and happiness with each one of them.
What happened to all those high school buddies, I reckon? Is F. still in New York doing his PhD or has he already come back? Gravely influenced by a mother who was so arbitrarily dominant in the family, I wonder what C. has become now. As for my good old friend, A, I hope he has found his love. I recall all those hot summer afternoons, we rode our bikes, wandering in alleys and trying to explore our small hometown. I was the one who refused to take the college entrance exam but had to give in at the end. Those silly days!
The course of life is inconceivably intertwined with unknown pathways, which makes me ponder where my own road would lead to if I hadn’t had the courage to challenge authority… I think I would probably have become the scientist I long before desired to be, really!
What were my neurons doing when I suddenly heard a very old Taiwanese folksong early tonight ? The song triggered my deepest memory and I thought to myself why it seemed so facile to understand the lyrics although I hadn’t heard the song for ages. Were those data hard-wired in my brain and I didn’t need to try hard to locate the stored info? My question is why one cannot use the same mechanism in second language or third language acquisition? How can we unravel the mystery and come up with a pragmatic application to enhance people’s foreign language learning? There must be some ways, I strongly believe!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
What if
The fortuneteller said that I would not have many friends but a few really good ones. Well, I just laughed over his comment. After all, I don’t believe in fortunetelling…
When one feels devastated or encounters major trials in life, he turns his hands in some unknown power or religions in hopes to find a way out. There is no right or wrong in doing so; but one must realize every person’s life actually depends mostly on himself or herself.
What if I, all of a sudden, evaporate from this place, would anyone notice? What if I decide to change my career plan? Will it be too late? Or what is called lateness?
Today I ripped off my attachment to the old past: a cumbersome burden traced back to my teenage days in Taidong. I burnt the archaic memory data and flushed the bitterness down the toilet.
From now on, I do what I want and choose whom I want to render service. As for friendship or relationship, I treat it as Chou-Gong: Those who are willing to play join the game, otherwise, get lost!! LOSER! (This is my own connotation!)
When one feels devastated or encounters major trials in life, he turns his hands in some unknown power or religions in hopes to find a way out. There is no right or wrong in doing so; but one must realize every person’s life actually depends mostly on himself or herself.
What if I, all of a sudden, evaporate from this place, would anyone notice? What if I decide to change my career plan? Will it be too late? Or what is called lateness?
Today I ripped off my attachment to the old past: a cumbersome burden traced back to my teenage days in Taidong. I burnt the archaic memory data and flushed the bitterness down the toilet.
From now on, I do what I want and choose whom I want to render service. As for friendship or relationship, I treat it as Chou-Gong: Those who are willing to play join the game, otherwise, get lost!! LOSER! (This is my own connotation!)
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Suddenly
Suddenly I feel life is no longer that tough; my feelings towards others have completely changed. I used to try so hard to please everyone around me but I don’t have any desire doing that any more.
Suddenly I know I can do whatever I would like to accomplish and don’t have to look back and worry there might be hidden arrows.
Nothing would be fair no matter how hard we try; if there is any arrogance embedded in me, it will be my last pride of being human being. Stop telling me it would be much better if I were blond with blue eyes. That was absolutely ignorant and superficial!
I know I’m not a native-speaker but I’ve tried my best! And language is my whole life. You have no idea how strong my passion is! Whatever you say, it will not degrade me because I at least know how to write poetry and speak 6 languages and going on 7, 8, 9, and 10…
Suddenly all is bullshit! I shot a glimpse to the old and shabby tavern and laughed at your silly story, the one that lingered like thick foams in the sultry eve…
Monday, August 14, 2006
Life without TV
Well, I don’t have a TV now and it’s actually okay. I had lived one year without TV before I went to Norway in the year of 2000. That was a time I read the most and found myself doing so much in life.
Although I feel like 24 hours are not enough for a day, at least I get to read books and exercise more regularly.
Britain is worried about the lack of scientists in their country because the number of students taking science courses is less and less. I believe many people’s scientific knowledge is dire unless they have cultivated an interest in it. I reflect it upon our own school system and there is also a lot of stuff we must work on efficiently.
The government needs to develop a better curriculum to attract students to study physics, chemistry, and math. Students should be encouraged to take challenges to learn science too. However, I personally think one has to be given all sorts of resources to explore his or her real interest and make the best choice in terms of career. Students should be provided chances to develop at least two skills so as to meet the requirements in a more and more competitive job market.
Red King Crab invasion in Norway! Albeit the uncertainty of the impact on the ecosystem in the sea, scientists are closely observing the outlandish species. Ha! If it happened in China or Taiwan, I bet there wouldn’t be any problem at all to control the amount of those crabs because they will be caught and sent to restaurants and down to gourmets’ eager stomachs before the little ones grow up and ravage the environment…
Although I feel like 24 hours are not enough for a day, at least I get to read books and exercise more regularly.
Britain is worried about the lack of scientists in their country because the number of students taking science courses is less and less. I believe many people’s scientific knowledge is dire unless they have cultivated an interest in it. I reflect it upon our own school system and there is also a lot of stuff we must work on efficiently.
The government needs to develop a better curriculum to attract students to study physics, chemistry, and math. Students should be encouraged to take challenges to learn science too. However, I personally think one has to be given all sorts of resources to explore his or her real interest and make the best choice in terms of career. Students should be provided chances to develop at least two skills so as to meet the requirements in a more and more competitive job market.
Red King Crab invasion in Norway! Albeit the uncertainty of the impact on the ecosystem in the sea, scientists are closely observing the outlandish species. Ha! If it happened in China or Taiwan, I bet there wouldn’t be any problem at all to control the amount of those crabs because they will be caught and sent to restaurants and down to gourmets’ eager stomachs before the little ones grow up and ravage the environment…
Sunday, August 13, 2006
A Piece of Me
A piece of me
Lying in the lake of Zurich
Breathing the cool air
Of silk
A piece of me
Running on the top of lily
Spinning like a whirlwind
Of the Milky
Take a sip of this nectar
On a serene summer eve
The feel of the Universe
Splits my destiny
If only I knew
If only I knew
Where to put the piece of me
In this zigzag-puzzled galaxy
A piece of me
Is void of something
A prayer maybe
A home probably
For an old folktale
Singing a mystery
Like a lost soul
Roaming on the prairie
Only if I could
Only if I could
Cast the piece of me
In the dream
Trickling down the lake of Zurich
Returning to embrace
The real Me
Written by Jerski Bjorksen
Lying in the lake of Zurich
Breathing the cool air
Of silk
A piece of me
Running on the top of lily
Spinning like a whirlwind
Of the Milky
Take a sip of this nectar
On a serene summer eve
The feel of the Universe
Splits my destiny
If only I knew
If only I knew
Where to put the piece of me
In this zigzag-puzzled galaxy
A piece of me
Is void of something
A prayer maybe
A home probably
For an old folktale
Singing a mystery
Like a lost soul
Roaming on the prairie
Only if I could
Only if I could
Cast the piece of me
In the dream
Trickling down the lake of Zurich
Returning to embrace
The real Me
Written by Jerski Bjorksen
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Important teachers in my life
Today was the first time I taught eight hours of classes and it surely made me exhausted by the end of the day. However, I enjoyed it very much. Later tonight J and I went to the night market for a bite. I love snacks there; there are always many varieties to choose from and people to see. Of course, night market is also a unique thing in Taiwan.
There are five teachers that had influenced me tremendously in my life. The first one is my English teacher in junior high school. She opened my window to the English world and taught me the best way to acquire this language. I still recall those role-playings we did in class. My group was always the first one to present, which gave me lots of fun in learning English.
My second one is the math teacher in junior high school too. He made math so much easier and interesting to learn. Although I hated math in high school but I did calculus at university in the U.S. And guess what? I got an A! Dear math teacher! I really love math, you know? Thanks to your great teaching!
The third one is my French professor at the college in Suisse. She showed me how a great language teacher should be; and I have been emulating her example in my own teaching career now. Oui, Madam V, je peux parler français maintenant!
The fourth one is my Chinese teacher in high school. She had me learn lots of wonderful things about Chinese literature. I did well in her class and remember she once said that I was the only one who could probably speak more articulately than her in front of all the class… Thanks to her, I was the valedictorian. But don’t mistake me for I wasn't the best student in high school. However, I was regarded the best public speaker at school. So, they elected me as the valedictorian…
The fifth one is my linguistic professor at the university. His devotion to linguistics truly inspired me; and here I am trying all I can to get back to school. I’ve decided to do research in the field of cognition and neuroscience in hopes to figure out some day to reveal how an individual can learn English well if his mother tongue is Chinese as opposed to one’s mother tongue is English and want to learn Chinese better.
I am aware that there will be tons of challenging tasks to accomplish but I’m not afraid. I have faith in God and myself as well…
There are five teachers that had influenced me tremendously in my life. The first one is my English teacher in junior high school. She opened my window to the English world and taught me the best way to acquire this language. I still recall those role-playings we did in class. My group was always the first one to present, which gave me lots of fun in learning English.
My second one is the math teacher in junior high school too. He made math so much easier and interesting to learn. Although I hated math in high school but I did calculus at university in the U.S. And guess what? I got an A! Dear math teacher! I really love math, you know? Thanks to your great teaching!
The third one is my French professor at the college in Suisse. She showed me how a great language teacher should be; and I have been emulating her example in my own teaching career now. Oui, Madam V, je peux parler français maintenant!
The fourth one is my Chinese teacher in high school. She had me learn lots of wonderful things about Chinese literature. I did well in her class and remember she once said that I was the only one who could probably speak more articulately than her in front of all the class… Thanks to her, I was the valedictorian. But don’t mistake me for I wasn't the best student in high school. However, I was regarded the best public speaker at school. So, they elected me as the valedictorian…
The fifth one is my linguistic professor at the university. His devotion to linguistics truly inspired me; and here I am trying all I can to get back to school. I’ve decided to do research in the field of cognition and neuroscience in hopes to figure out some day to reveal how an individual can learn English well if his mother tongue is Chinese as opposed to one’s mother tongue is English and want to learn Chinese better.
I am aware that there will be tons of challenging tasks to accomplish but I’m not afraid. I have faith in God and myself as well…
Friday, August 11, 2006
Reality really bites
I don’t recall how many times I’ve had students ask me to help them with their English because they planned to study in the Unites States. The thing is they usually don’t realize preparation in advance counts a great deal when it comes to studying in English.
I believe there are many people who can carry on a decent conversation in English; yet it does not mean one is able to do studies well at university in the US. Speaking and writing are two major obstacles for lots of Asian students, let alone doing some profound academic research and oral presentation.
If someone tells you he wants to go to graduate school next year and is going to take the TOEFL exam in September and expects you to help him to increase writing skills in a month, what will you do?
Many think as long as they spend money; and time is never an issue! Sometimes I want to shout at those students! Wake up! It’s a mission impossible! Getting an excellent score on TOEFL or GRE takes time to prepare and practice; especially those tests have been modified to a more difficult level nowadays.
I’m the 'best' example! Having thought of my studies in the States, I thought I could easily get a high score on GRE. Therefore, I didn’t really prepare a lot. Guess what? It was a flop! I didn’t even finish my exam! For both verbal and quantitative sections, I had to guess many answers because I was too slow… I realized practice plays such an important role on those tests. Basically, one has to answer each question within 30 seconds and if there is any hesitation, he will fall behind the time.
Oh well, such is life! I will challenge myself again! And certainly, I will do all I can and study all is germane to the test before I embark on another test. Besides, I will time myself for each practice exam I do at home.
So, is it really difficult to mast a foreign language? I doubt it. Since our brain is full of plasticity; it should be able to acquire language skills regardless of the fact a person has passes the critical period. My speculation is as long as a person had been exposed to linguistic stimulation before the critical period and his or her brain had developed the necessary neurons for learning a language, it should not be too daunting for the individual to learn other languages.
It all depends on how much effort a person puts in and how much stimulation his or her brain has received in order to produce new neurons for the new language learning.
If a subject takes 20 minutes thinking in the target language, how long will it take for the subject to express fluently in the target language without major difficulties? I would love to conduct a research in the near future!
So, those who want to study abroad should be aware of the truth: Start preparing early if you want to study overseas. Giving yourself enough time to learn and digest and internalize English, then you should be fine!
I believe there are many people who can carry on a decent conversation in English; yet it does not mean one is able to do studies well at university in the US. Speaking and writing are two major obstacles for lots of Asian students, let alone doing some profound academic research and oral presentation.
If someone tells you he wants to go to graduate school next year and is going to take the TOEFL exam in September and expects you to help him to increase writing skills in a month, what will you do?
Many think as long as they spend money; and time is never an issue! Sometimes I want to shout at those students! Wake up! It’s a mission impossible! Getting an excellent score on TOEFL or GRE takes time to prepare and practice; especially those tests have been modified to a more difficult level nowadays.
I’m the 'best' example! Having thought of my studies in the States, I thought I could easily get a high score on GRE. Therefore, I didn’t really prepare a lot. Guess what? It was a flop! I didn’t even finish my exam! For both verbal and quantitative sections, I had to guess many answers because I was too slow… I realized practice plays such an important role on those tests. Basically, one has to answer each question within 30 seconds and if there is any hesitation, he will fall behind the time.
Oh well, such is life! I will challenge myself again! And certainly, I will do all I can and study all is germane to the test before I embark on another test. Besides, I will time myself for each practice exam I do at home.
So, is it really difficult to mast a foreign language? I doubt it. Since our brain is full of plasticity; it should be able to acquire language skills regardless of the fact a person has passes the critical period. My speculation is as long as a person had been exposed to linguistic stimulation before the critical period and his or her brain had developed the necessary neurons for learning a language, it should not be too daunting for the individual to learn other languages.
It all depends on how much effort a person puts in and how much stimulation his or her brain has received in order to produce new neurons for the new language learning.
If a subject takes 20 minutes thinking in the target language, how long will it take for the subject to express fluently in the target language without major difficulties? I would love to conduct a research in the near future!
So, those who want to study abroad should be aware of the truth: Start preparing early if you want to study overseas. Giving yourself enough time to learn and digest and internalize English, then you should be fine!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Green Pearl
Green Pearl
Traveling miles and miles
My dear friends
From the top of Monkey Mountain
The natural pathway of cascade
Carries billions of tiny men
Sliding down the blue ocean
Via a rainbow-liked lake
Once upon the destination
Stimulation and nectar sustain
A long process of magnificence
Day after day
Year after year
Eventually comes the one and only
Green pearl
Hidden in a pink mansion
Awaiting a lucky master
To unveil its gorgeous face
Traveling miles and miles
My dear friends
From the top of Monkey Mountain
The natural pathway of cascade
Carries billions of tiny men
Sliding down the blue ocean
Via a rainbow-liked lake
Once upon the destination
Stimulation and nectar sustain
A long process of magnificence
Day after day
Year after year
Eventually comes the one and only
Green pearl
Hidden in a pink mansion
Awaiting a lucky master
To unveil its gorgeous face
Written by Jerski Bjorksen
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Contact Lenses
“Yeah, we should go to grandma’s house next week,” said a woman to her son.
“That would be great!” The boy replied.
“By the way, how’s school today?”
“Oh, it wasn’t too bad. I got the highest score in a math test today. It’s 69!” The boy said with giggles.
“What? Hahaha! That’s okay, I guess…” said the woman.
That was a conversation I overheard on my way to lunch this noon. Well, I thought that was funny because both the mother and the son laughed over the score. I bet there are many parents out there, who would be pissed off if they knew their kids scored 69 in math. However, what’s more important to children? I think self-confidence is very critical. After all, if they have tried their best, why not let them enjoy a wonderful childhood?
I think I cursed more than one hundred times and used more expletives I have ever said in my entire life. Damn the contact lenses! I never thought it would be that difficult to put on a pair of them. I did my right eye quite easily but the left eye was the devil! It basically took me more than two hours to get it off!! Shit shit shit!!! For a typical Aries, I just can’t stand not being able to accomplish simple tasks rapidly!
“That would be great!” The boy replied.
“By the way, how’s school today?”
“Oh, it wasn’t too bad. I got the highest score in a math test today. It’s 69!” The boy said with giggles.
“What? Hahaha! That’s okay, I guess…” said the woman.
That was a conversation I overheard on my way to lunch this noon. Well, I thought that was funny because both the mother and the son laughed over the score. I bet there are many parents out there, who would be pissed off if they knew their kids scored 69 in math. However, what’s more important to children? I think self-confidence is very critical. After all, if they have tried their best, why not let them enjoy a wonderful childhood?
I think I cursed more than one hundred times and used more expletives I have ever said in my entire life. Damn the contact lenses! I never thought it would be that difficult to put on a pair of them. I did my right eye quite easily but the left eye was the devil! It basically took me more than two hours to get it off!! Shit shit shit!!! For a typical Aries, I just can’t stand not being able to accomplish simple tasks rapidly!
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Typhoon again
Today I bought two books about neuroscience on my way to work. I have to admit I’m really into this field and want to learn everything about brain, especially in the domain of language acquisition.
I crashed for two hours this afternoon, which made me revitalized afterward. Summer classes have added a much bigger load to the usual one. I feel tired and desperately in need of a vacation. However, I was so happy to see students do their public speaking practice tonight. I guess it’s all worth it even though I have to work long hours.
Will there be a twin typhoon
The rain has been on and off
What I see is my future
Cognition and Neuroscience
I will get ready
Before the storm hits…
I crashed for two hours this afternoon, which made me revitalized afterward. Summer classes have added a much bigger load to the usual one. I feel tired and desperately in need of a vacation. However, I was so happy to see students do their public speaking practice tonight. I guess it’s all worth it even though I have to work long hours.
Will there be a twin typhoon
The rain has been on and off
What I see is my future
Cognition and Neuroscience
I will get ready
Before the storm hits…
Sunday, August 06, 2006
La Corrida
Oh my goodness, the radio is playing Francis Cabrel’s “La Corrida”. This song had accompanied me for many good times and bad ones in Europe. I love Francis Cabrel’s music. One time I even heard someone playing his songs while getting out of my dorm in Oslo. The time just froze for like 10 minutes…
Yeah, I went to my French class this morning. Although it is supposed to be an advanced course, most people still need to work on their conversational skills a lot. To me, they should be in the basic-level class. I wonder whether one really needs to be in a francophone environment to master French. I didn’t speak too much but next week it is going to be different because the reason I go to this class is practice speaking… I don’t care whether others will think I’m showing off; I am not going to waste my money. Regardless of other classmates’ level, I enjoyed the class. I understood 100% the content and the teacher was amusing too.
Now that’s a sort of review for my French; next will be German in September. I am thinking to have a one-on-one class after I have taken one term. It will be more expensive but still a lot of cheaper than taking a course at a university back in the States. I will continue taking German until I feel I’m good enough to carry a decent conversation. Then, it will be Spanish and Italian. I did study those two languages myself in the past. I just need a teacher to practice with and correct my mistakes. Sounds daunting, right? But for a language-person, this is absolutely nothing at all…
Chad suddenly announced ending its diplomatic tie with Taiwan and the whole thing basically humiliated our PM. Oh well, do I care? To be honest, I think Taiwan doesn’t need to waste any time and money on those countries! What for? They are not going to help us much; on the contrary, we are the ones who stretch out hands to assist those Third World countries.
No matter what the government tries to do in terms of foreign affairs, Grand China will do its best to intervene and sabotage our position in the international community. My personal opinion is we should spend more time ameliorate our education, economy, and other societal issues. There are tons of poor children, aboriginal families, the sick, who are in need more desperately than those so-called diplomatic-tied countries.
The entire expanding-foreign-tie strategy is a joke to me. Unless, China is willing to give up on Taiwan and proclaim to the whole world that they recognize Taiwan as an independent sovereignty, otherwise no matter what we do will be a completely flop! So, wake up those government officials! Don’t waste my tax money any more!
Yeah, I went to my French class this morning. Although it is supposed to be an advanced course, most people still need to work on their conversational skills a lot. To me, they should be in the basic-level class. I wonder whether one really needs to be in a francophone environment to master French. I didn’t speak too much but next week it is going to be different because the reason I go to this class is practice speaking… I don’t care whether others will think I’m showing off; I am not going to waste my money. Regardless of other classmates’ level, I enjoyed the class. I understood 100% the content and the teacher was amusing too.
Now that’s a sort of review for my French; next will be German in September. I am thinking to have a one-on-one class after I have taken one term. It will be more expensive but still a lot of cheaper than taking a course at a university back in the States. I will continue taking German until I feel I’m good enough to carry a decent conversation. Then, it will be Spanish and Italian. I did study those two languages myself in the past. I just need a teacher to practice with and correct my mistakes. Sounds daunting, right? But for a language-person, this is absolutely nothing at all…
Chad suddenly announced ending its diplomatic tie with Taiwan and the whole thing basically humiliated our PM. Oh well, do I care? To be honest, I think Taiwan doesn’t need to waste any time and money on those countries! What for? They are not going to help us much; on the contrary, we are the ones who stretch out hands to assist those Third World countries.
No matter what the government tries to do in terms of foreign affairs, Grand China will do its best to intervene and sabotage our position in the international community. My personal opinion is we should spend more time ameliorate our education, economy, and other societal issues. There are tons of poor children, aboriginal families, the sick, who are in need more desperately than those so-called diplomatic-tied countries.
The entire expanding-foreign-tie strategy is a joke to me. Unless, China is willing to give up on Taiwan and proclaim to the whole world that they recognize Taiwan as an independent sovereignty, otherwise no matter what we do will be a completely flop! So, wake up those government officials! Don’t waste my tax money any more!
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Challenging Authority
“Hey big boss! The head teacher just summoned you to her office!” Alex told me as I was doing my math exercises at my desk.
“Yeah, I know…”
“Are you gonna be alright?”
“Don’t worry! I’ll be fine,” replied I assuredly.
As our beloved English teacher, head teacher, was replaced by the new Chinese teacher, which stirred severe turbulence in our tranquil school, I decided to put up a defense wall to observe this new comer.
Being a class leader for two years, I have gained a lot of support from my fellow students. For some reason, I just couldn’t stand this new head teacher no matter how well she taught in Chinese class. In fact, I don’t think she is a great instructor.
“What is going on with this class?” The new head teacher asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“No one really listens to my lecture no matter how hard I try,” she said angrily.
“I can’t force everyone to listen to your lesson,” said I coldly.
“But you are the class leader!”
“That’s not the issue,” answered I nonchalantly.
“Okay, I guess I will have to take some extreme action to resolve this problem…”
A few days later, we received a huge load of homework in Mandarin, requesting us to memorize five archaic essays for a test. Everyone complained and murmured throughout the week.
“Big boss, what can we do? There is no way we can memorize those essays by heart in three days. There are at least 4,000 characters!” The whole class told me.
“I know, I’ve told the new teacher but she wouldn’t listen to me!”
What kind of teacher was that? I questioned myself hundreds of times. Why did we need to tolerate lousy teachers like that? I know teacher has been a dignified profession in our Chinese society for thousands of years. People respect teachers highly. Parents even allowed teachers to give their children corporal punishments in the past. Of course, nowadays, doing so will only jeopardize a teacher’s career and lead him or her to law suits…
“What the heck do you think you’re doing? How dare you hand in a blank exam sheet?” The Chinese teacher said.
I looked away and said nothing.
“Did you hear what I said? Or are you suddenly deaf now? Answer me!” she slapped hardly across my right face.
I turned my face back and looked right in her eyes as I shouted, “How could you slap me? My parents don’t even do that to me! You filthy, evil and ugly slut! I will make you pay for what you did to me and the whole class!”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Yes, I am. So what? You’re dead meat!”
Although I was only fourteen, I had read quite a lot and in many ways was a lot more mature than my peers. I happened to know a good buddy whose father worked in the county bureau as a high ranking official. I quickly plotted a revenge scheme and phoned my buddy’s father…
…To be continued.
“Yeah, I know…”
“Are you gonna be alright?”
“Don’t worry! I’ll be fine,” replied I assuredly.
As our beloved English teacher, head teacher, was replaced by the new Chinese teacher, which stirred severe turbulence in our tranquil school, I decided to put up a defense wall to observe this new comer.
Being a class leader for two years, I have gained a lot of support from my fellow students. For some reason, I just couldn’t stand this new head teacher no matter how well she taught in Chinese class. In fact, I don’t think she is a great instructor.
“What is going on with this class?” The new head teacher asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“No one really listens to my lecture no matter how hard I try,” she said angrily.
“I can’t force everyone to listen to your lesson,” said I coldly.
“But you are the class leader!”
“That’s not the issue,” answered I nonchalantly.
“Okay, I guess I will have to take some extreme action to resolve this problem…”
A few days later, we received a huge load of homework in Mandarin, requesting us to memorize five archaic essays for a test. Everyone complained and murmured throughout the week.
“Big boss, what can we do? There is no way we can memorize those essays by heart in three days. There are at least 4,000 characters!” The whole class told me.
“I know, I’ve told the new teacher but she wouldn’t listen to me!”
What kind of teacher was that? I questioned myself hundreds of times. Why did we need to tolerate lousy teachers like that? I know teacher has been a dignified profession in our Chinese society for thousands of years. People respect teachers highly. Parents even allowed teachers to give their children corporal punishments in the past. Of course, nowadays, doing so will only jeopardize a teacher’s career and lead him or her to law suits…
“What the heck do you think you’re doing? How dare you hand in a blank exam sheet?” The Chinese teacher said.
I looked away and said nothing.
“Did you hear what I said? Or are you suddenly deaf now? Answer me!” she slapped hardly across my right face.
I turned my face back and looked right in her eyes as I shouted, “How could you slap me? My parents don’t even do that to me! You filthy, evil and ugly slut! I will make you pay for what you did to me and the whole class!”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Yes, I am. So what? You’re dead meat!”
Although I was only fourteen, I had read quite a lot and in many ways was a lot more mature than my peers. I happened to know a good buddy whose father worked in the county bureau as a high ranking official. I quickly plotted a revenge scheme and phoned my buddy’s father…
…To be continued.
French Day
Knowing what you want to do with life is something critical, be it career-oriented or spirituality-wise. It took me a long while to finally stick to what my passion gears toward on my path to dreams. I have to admit I enjoy teaching language very much. When your heart keeps sending messages to your brain, it is wise to follow it, I reckon.
Perhaps I look somewhat cold and distant for many people, but that is the way I am. I used to try to be very interested in others in hopes to let them be the same to me. Then, I realized it was impossible to please everyone and I didn’t need to do so.
So, I freed myself and just behaved what I was supposed to. At least, I think I am a well-mannered person, not having intention to harm others…
Yeah, I did get Snow Patrol’s new album. It is really awesome! And plus it is cheap too! I only had to spend NT 298! Wow, I couldn’t believe it when I saw the price; and it just made my day!
I hate moving around now but my nomadic gene is agitating again. I can feel it inside my blood. I hope this time I will get a place for settling down. Yet, I still long for going back to Suisse. The spiritual feel I sensed while riding the tram truly hit me years ago.
Believe it or not, I am taking a French course tomorrow. I just want to practice speaking. It will be fun doing that again. Funny to say, I ran into R. on the Internet yesterday. Sounded like he really enjoyed life in Thailand. Well, c’est bien, n’est pas?
Yeah, French day tomorrow!
Perhaps I look somewhat cold and distant for many people, but that is the way I am. I used to try to be very interested in others in hopes to let them be the same to me. Then, I realized it was impossible to please everyone and I didn’t need to do so.
So, I freed myself and just behaved what I was supposed to. At least, I think I am a well-mannered person, not having intention to harm others…
Yeah, I did get Snow Patrol’s new album. It is really awesome! And plus it is cheap too! I only had to spend NT 298! Wow, I couldn’t believe it when I saw the price; and it just made my day!
I hate moving around now but my nomadic gene is agitating again. I can feel it inside my blood. I hope this time I will get a place for settling down. Yet, I still long for going back to Suisse. The spiritual feel I sensed while riding the tram truly hit me years ago.
Believe it or not, I am taking a French course tomorrow. I just want to practice speaking. It will be fun doing that again. Funny to say, I ran into R. on the Internet yesterday. Sounded like he really enjoyed life in Thailand. Well, c’est bien, n’est pas?
Yeah, French day tomorrow!
Friday, August 04, 2006
With or Without Language
In the special edition, “Becoming Human”, from “Scientific American”, there is an essay about human language acquisition. The article mentions the delicate tools made by Neandertals and whether it was possible to pass on such skills without speaking language.
A Japanese research team made a stab to conduct an experiment, which they divided a group of undergraduates into two teams. They taught one team how to make a typical Neandertal stone tool by spoken language; whereas the other one received no such teaching expect silent examples.
I agree with the author’s point of view that we cannot presume our thinking or method of doing thing is the only way to do business in the world. The experiment conducted by those Japanese researchers must remember that their subjects are modern human beings and those undergraduates have already developed a solid cognitive ability. Besides, the team that received only silent instruction possesses verbal language skills as well. I personally think such an experiment lacks of credibility.
The question lies at the heart of the issue: How can we know whether cognition and perception of our world can be developed without certain forms of language, be it spoken or written? Modern human beings’ linguistic skills and language acquisition involve more than one aspect whether it is cognitive, linguistic, and psychological.
We can only have theories-such as Noam Chomsky’s Universal Grammar-that assume our brains are pre-wired with some linguistic ability before other stimuli come into the process of language acquisition. After all, it is daunting to measure one’s perception and cognition in the area of language learning without losing subjectivity.
A Japanese research team made a stab to conduct an experiment, which they divided a group of undergraduates into two teams. They taught one team how to make a typical Neandertal stone tool by spoken language; whereas the other one received no such teaching expect silent examples.
I agree with the author’s point of view that we cannot presume our thinking or method of doing thing is the only way to do business in the world. The experiment conducted by those Japanese researchers must remember that their subjects are modern human beings and those undergraduates have already developed a solid cognitive ability. Besides, the team that received only silent instruction possesses verbal language skills as well. I personally think such an experiment lacks of credibility.
The question lies at the heart of the issue: How can we know whether cognition and perception of our world can be developed without certain forms of language, be it spoken or written? Modern human beings’ linguistic skills and language acquisition involve more than one aspect whether it is cognitive, linguistic, and psychological.
We can only have theories-such as Noam Chomsky’s Universal Grammar-that assume our brains are pre-wired with some linguistic ability before other stimuli come into the process of language acquisition. After all, it is daunting to measure one’s perception and cognition in the area of language learning without losing subjectivity.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
104 Degrees
When I saw your glaucous eyes
Stagnant as a lake
I felt an icy cold air
Soaring rapidly like a flash
Cutting, slashing, and splashing
Where would those swans swim to
There was no end to the skyline
Only yellow tulips lay quietly
On a Scottish stained-glass ferry
Is it really that hot
104 degrees
Burning heat waves struck
I do not recall anything similar
All I have in the memory
Is more than the Pandora’s Box
A vicious thought
A wicked plot
And a lethal shot…
Written by Jerski Bjorksen
Stagnant as a lake
I felt an icy cold air
Soaring rapidly like a flash
Cutting, slashing, and splashing
Where would those swans swim to
There was no end to the skyline
Only yellow tulips lay quietly
On a Scottish stained-glass ferry
Is it really that hot
104 degrees
Burning heat waves struck
I do not recall anything similar
All I have in the memory
Is more than the Pandora’s Box
A vicious thought
A wicked plot
And a lethal shot…
Written by Jerski Bjorksen
Cocoon
“What’s up with th E.?” asked Johnny.
“The same old problem,” replied Tomas.
“I thought he had got over with it. It’s been over three years….”
“Yeah, I know. There is on cure but himself. We can’t help much if he doesn’t want to walk out the shell,” sighed helplessly Tomas.
Sometimes we are stuck in our own cocoon and think there is no way out, no future, and the world must have forsaken us. Surprisingly, if one looks around or takes a deep breath or just forgets about oneself for a moment, there is usually some hidden beauty of oasis in the seemingly arid desert…
Snow Patrol has a new album. I like the song played by the MTV, “Eyes on”. I’m going to buy their CD on Friday. Well, that is if I’m lucky to get one.
One student told me she had a severe retinal problem, worse than ordinary floaters, a kind of detachment. She almost lost her eyesight when studying in high school. That struck me a bit although I know how volatile life can be at times and the morbid destiny can cast its spell on us any moment… I still felt shocked. I guess everyone has his or her untold story. It’s not just: Everyone has a dirty laundry. I shall say everyone has an unveiled sorrowful episode. The question is: Do we care to share it with others? Do others want to listen to us? What difference does it make when telling our stories or perhaps they are just too bland to the listeners?
Cocoon might be rotten after days or years; but if we don’t break it ourselves, we might’ve died long before it gets eaten away naturally. Therefore, help yourself and don’t expect highly from others because they could let you down very easily…
“The same old problem,” replied Tomas.
“I thought he had got over with it. It’s been over three years….”
“Yeah, I know. There is on cure but himself. We can’t help much if he doesn’t want to walk out the shell,” sighed helplessly Tomas.
Sometimes we are stuck in our own cocoon and think there is no way out, no future, and the world must have forsaken us. Surprisingly, if one looks around or takes a deep breath or just forgets about oneself for a moment, there is usually some hidden beauty of oasis in the seemingly arid desert…
Snow Patrol has a new album. I like the song played by the MTV, “Eyes on”. I’m going to buy their CD on Friday. Well, that is if I’m lucky to get one.
One student told me she had a severe retinal problem, worse than ordinary floaters, a kind of detachment. She almost lost her eyesight when studying in high school. That struck me a bit although I know how volatile life can be at times and the morbid destiny can cast its spell on us any moment… I still felt shocked. I guess everyone has his or her untold story. It’s not just: Everyone has a dirty laundry. I shall say everyone has an unveiled sorrowful episode. The question is: Do we care to share it with others? Do others want to listen to us? What difference does it make when telling our stories or perhaps they are just too bland to the listeners?
Cocoon might be rotten after days or years; but if we don’t break it ourselves, we might’ve died long before it gets eaten away naturally. Therefore, help yourself and don’t expect highly from others because they could let you down very easily…
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