Happening to see the article "2007 simple reminiscence" written by my friend,it occurred to me that I should also write one,now that an old year, 2007 has ended,and a new year 2008 has begun.
In 2007,before the Entrance Exam in the beginning of Febuary,I had been busy commuting between school and home,studying and preparing for the coming exam.After the result came out,I felt upset and discouraged,but soon picked myself up and moved from home to a dormitory.It was then I met my new roommate.She taught me a lot and we both learned many things from each other,though she had already qualified as a madical academy student.
At the beginning of June,my only roommate moved from the dormitory,leaving me living without company for the whole month.But I was glad that some of my friends came to my dormitory and kept me company from time to time.On June 9th,I graduated from Taichung Girls' Senior High School.It was not until that day did I find myself so reluctant to say goodbye to my classmates.
The final big exam fell on July 2,3.So thoughtful my brother was that he went for the exam with me.Not only did he keep waiting outside for me,but he went afield in order to buy me lunch.Two days later,I flew to Mainland China with tens of my senior schoolmates for the fifteen-day trip.We did have a great time,broaden our horizons,make friends with one another,and go through difficulties all together on the journey.The day before I came back to Taiwan,I was sad to hear that I did not make well on the big exam.To speak frankly,the score was lower than I had expected.On August 8,after the result released,I was announced to be a freshman of Accounting Department of National Taopei University.
At the end of summer vacation,I got a fracture of my left hand in an accident.With my hand fixed,I took almost one and a half month off in school and stayed at home.I missed the golden chance to befriend my new classmates and adjust to the new school at the beginning of the semester.After the National Day,eventually I could go to school and began my new college life.So far I have fitted in well and got along well with my classmates.
On November 24,I had lunch with my senior schoolmate in Taichung City.On December 1,I went shopping around Taipei Main Station with my classmate and spent a lot of money.On December 14,15,I went out with my senior high classmates.On December 27,I got my hair permed.On December 29,I went to Shiling night market with my previous roommate.On December 31,the last day of 2007,I ate hotpot with my classmates in celebration of passing an old year and welcoming a new year.
2008年1月5日 星期六
2007年12月31日 星期一
Happy New Year!
Celebrating the new year
by Audrey Wong
January 31, 1995
New Year's Day comes twice a year to San Francisco. The year 1995 started on January 1st. The year of the boar starts today.
While the westernized version of New Year's Eve is usually one day of debauchery, Chinese New Year carries a heavier meaning for many people.
"It's all American holidays rolled into one," Ernest Chan, 50, said. Chan, an amateur historian said, " There's the firecrackers, that's your Fourth of July for you, we exchange gifts like we do for Christmas, a family dinner like Thanksgiving, and we have flowers like Easter."
Chan said traditionally Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festivial is a private holiday, reserved for family, relatives and friends.
Mei Yu, a waitress for Uncle's Cafe in Chinatown said Chinese New Year is a time for family. One day is set aside for the nuclear family where they have a special dinner together. Then the rest of the new year festivities are spent visiting relatives and friends.
Madeline Leung, a member of the Chinese Historical Society, explained the traditions and customs of Chinese New Year in more detail.
"Before the new year, it's time to spruce up. We buy new clothes anad make sure it has some red in it. It's a time for spring cleaning, the whole house is washed, dusted and decorated with flowers....you get all your bills paid so you could start off the new year good," Leung said.
Leung explained anything in the red range symbolizes good luck. That includes oranges and tangerines which are piled in a pyramid shape.
"Piling the oranges means it's closer to heaven," Leung said.
Families offer the pile of citrus fruits to ancestors as a sign of respect. The offerings include burning incense and fake money.
The color red is also incoporated into the lysee or gifts of money tucked into red envelopes. Leung said only married people can give lysee away but everybody gives gifts of candy or oranges.
According to the Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes, by Theodora Lau, the emperor Huang Ti introduced the concept of the lunar calendar 2637 B.C. The lunar calendar runs in 60 year cycles which are further divided into five year cycles of 12 years each.
Lao wrote the concept of animal horoscopes stem from a Buddhist legend. Supposedly Buddha summoned the whole animal kingdom to bid him farewell before he left earth. Only 12 animals came to say good-bye so Buddha rewarded them by naming each year in the cycle after them in the order they arrived. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
More than a century since the Chinese arrived to the United States to build railroads and mine gold, Chinese New Year remains basically Cantonese, Chan feels. But an influx of modern times, other Chinese ethnicities and American ways have altered Cantonese traditions to a point.
'The parade is definitely American," Chan said.
Subtler details such as food and the amount of lysee have changed.
"In my day, I got 25 cents in a red envelope. Now people put in a lot more money these days," Chan said.
Chan also pointed out Chinese from Singapore will display tropical fruits like durians instead of the usual citrus fruits. People are also going out more for Chinese New Year when they used to stay at home, Chan said.
SF State liberal studies senior Tarina Chau said the United States spends one day celebrating Chinese New Year while in people in China take 10 days off celebrating the New Year.
Chan said the reason for the shortened celebrations is the fact people can't take that much time off work.
Some people pick and choose which traditions to follow.
Dale Chung of the SF Wu Shu Martial Arts team said every person follows the customs to a different amount.
"I'm not going to kill a live chicken for dinner but I won't have knives in the house during Chinese New Year, that makes sense. This is Chinese American, it's a hybrid culture. My parents passed on but I still remember the traditions and I can give that knowledge to different generations," Chung said.
"My mom doesn't burn the incense for our ancestors anymore because she believes in Christ," Melvin Mah, a City College student said.
William Ng said he didn't plan to do anything special for Chinese New year. "I'm just going to get money. I get a day off from Galieo High. I'm just going to stay home," Ng said.
(quoted from http://www.journalism.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/gater/spring95/jan31/cele.htm)
by Audrey Wong
January 31, 1995
New Year's Day comes twice a year to San Francisco. The year 1995 started on January 1st. The year of the boar starts today.
While the westernized version of New Year's Eve is usually one day of debauchery, Chinese New Year carries a heavier meaning for many people.
"It's all American holidays rolled into one," Ernest Chan, 50, said. Chan, an amateur historian said, " There's the firecrackers, that's your Fourth of July for you, we exchange gifts like we do for Christmas, a family dinner like Thanksgiving, and we have flowers like Easter."
Chan said traditionally Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festivial is a private holiday, reserved for family, relatives and friends.
Mei Yu, a waitress for Uncle's Cafe in Chinatown said Chinese New Year is a time for family. One day is set aside for the nuclear family where they have a special dinner together. Then the rest of the new year festivities are spent visiting relatives and friends.
Madeline Leung, a member of the Chinese Historical Society, explained the traditions and customs of Chinese New Year in more detail.
"Before the new year, it's time to spruce up. We buy new clothes anad make sure it has some red in it. It's a time for spring cleaning, the whole house is washed, dusted and decorated with flowers....you get all your bills paid so you could start off the new year good," Leung said.
Leung explained anything in the red range symbolizes good luck. That includes oranges and tangerines which are piled in a pyramid shape.
"Piling the oranges means it's closer to heaven," Leung said.
Families offer the pile of citrus fruits to ancestors as a sign of respect. The offerings include burning incense and fake money.
The color red is also incoporated into the lysee or gifts of money tucked into red envelopes. Leung said only married people can give lysee away but everybody gives gifts of candy or oranges.
According to the Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes, by Theodora Lau, the emperor Huang Ti introduced the concept of the lunar calendar 2637 B.C. The lunar calendar runs in 60 year cycles which are further divided into five year cycles of 12 years each.
Lao wrote the concept of animal horoscopes stem from a Buddhist legend. Supposedly Buddha summoned the whole animal kingdom to bid him farewell before he left earth. Only 12 animals came to say good-bye so Buddha rewarded them by naming each year in the cycle after them in the order they arrived. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
More than a century since the Chinese arrived to the United States to build railroads and mine gold, Chinese New Year remains basically Cantonese, Chan feels. But an influx of modern times, other Chinese ethnicities and American ways have altered Cantonese traditions to a point.
'The parade is definitely American," Chan said.
Subtler details such as food and the amount of lysee have changed.
"In my day, I got 25 cents in a red envelope. Now people put in a lot more money these days," Chan said.
Chan also pointed out Chinese from Singapore will display tropical fruits like durians instead of the usual citrus fruits. People are also going out more for Chinese New Year when they used to stay at home, Chan said.
SF State liberal studies senior Tarina Chau said the United States spends one day celebrating Chinese New Year while in people in China take 10 days off celebrating the New Year.
Chan said the reason for the shortened celebrations is the fact people can't take that much time off work.
Some people pick and choose which traditions to follow.
Dale Chung of the SF Wu Shu Martial Arts team said every person follows the customs to a different amount.
"I'm not going to kill a live chicken for dinner but I won't have knives in the house during Chinese New Year, that makes sense. This is Chinese American, it's a hybrid culture. My parents passed on but I still remember the traditions and I can give that knowledge to different generations," Chung said.
"My mom doesn't burn the incense for our ancestors anymore because she believes in Christ," Melvin Mah, a City College student said.
William Ng said he didn't plan to do anything special for Chinese New year. "I'm just going to get money. I get a day off from Galieo High. I'm just going to stay home," Ng said.
(quoted from http://www.journalism.sfsu.edu/www/pubs/gater/spring95/jan31/cele.htm)
2007年12月30日 星期日
Shiling Night Market
Yesterday my friend and I went to Shiling Night Market together.We got off the MRT at Jiantan station and out from No.1 exit.It was only three o'clock in the afternoon then,but most of the stands and stores had been open.Having heard of some must-eat food,we went straight to those stands."Coffin" came as a start.Afraid that we we had no appetite soon afterward,my friend and I shared one.What came next is "small bun wrapped in large bun",which was probably the best-known food at Shiling Night Market.It was my first time to try one,and it turned out to be extremely delicious!
Da-Dong Road was lined with many clothes stores and shoe stores.Since it was not yet dark,the streets were not that crowded as I had imagined.Turing to Da-Nan Road,from the distance we could see a long line waiting to buy "pan-fry bun".I jointed the line and bought one,disappointedly finding it was not as tasty as I had expected.Then we went on to try "snowflake ice".Yummy!
We left Shiling Night Market about six-thirty,the time crowds of people began to flood in.Though stuffed to death,I will never regret having gone to Shiling Night Market.On the contrary,I'm planning to go there again!
Da-Dong Road was lined with many clothes stores and shoe stores.Since it was not yet dark,the streets were not that crowded as I had imagined.Turing to Da-Nan Road,from the distance we could see a long line waiting to buy "pan-fry bun".I jointed the line and bought one,disappointedly finding it was not as tasty as I had expected.Then we went on to try "snowflake ice".Yummy!
We left Shiling Night Market about six-thirty,the time crowds of people began to flood in.Though stuffed to death,I will never regret having gone to Shiling Night Market.On the contrary,I'm planning to go there again!
Taiwan Storyland
Taiwan Storyland is located on B2 floor of K Mall,opposite Taipei Main Station.Having a free admission tichet,my friend and I only had to pay NT$150 for a tichet to get in.I had thought that it was a place showing the beauty and unique species of Taiwan,but not until I entered did I find I was totally wrong!The moment I stepped in,I saw the street scenes and the way people lived in 1940's and 1950's.How amazing!As I walked a long the street passing by the stores and houses,I could almost imagine what people did and what they thought of that time.
Slogans could be seen on wire poles.Old songs could be heard here and there.I went into a grocery store and saw the cookies we liked to eat when we were little.I went into a classroom and found the setting were pretty much the same as the present one.I also looked through the window to see the out-of-date TV set and record player in the living roon of a house.All the scenes were foreign and new to me.I had ever seen those sights on TV,but that was the first time I experienced the atmosphere in person,as if I were born in that period.
Teachers who teach Taiwan history should really take students to Taiwan Storyland,in the way students can know and experience what it feels like to live in that time.
Slogans could be seen on wire poles.Old songs could be heard here and there.I went into a grocery store and saw the cookies we liked to eat when we were little.I went into a classroom and found the setting were pretty much the same as the present one.I also looked through the window to see the out-of-date TV set and record player in the living roon of a house.All the scenes were foreign and new to me.I had ever seen those sights on TV,but that was the first time I experienced the atmosphere in person,as if I were born in that period.
Teachers who teach Taiwan history should really take students to Taiwan Storyland,in the way students can know and experience what it feels like to live in that time.
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