Life in front of screens and within rooms

In the wake of the unapologetic democratization of personal computing, most city people began to expend the best part of their workday or/and leisure time in front of screens of some sorts, and within the walls of rooms of some sorts, day in and day out.

The Difficulty of English Learning Deserves Its Due

(Image from http://bit.ly/a184ha)

Here goes a brief piece at the NYT - English-Language Teaching Deserves Its Due. And there is a passage in it that hits the spot:

Learning French, Greek or Chinese is considered neither an easy nor basic task even for your exceptional Ivy League student; why should learning English be considered differently?

It has developed that it is rather cumbersome for an individual to cross the dichotomy between the Indo-European languages, English for one thing, and the East Asian languages, including Chinese and Japanese. And that is precisely why it is far easier for an English speaker to acquire Spanish and so on than the Chinese language, and on the other hand, for a Chinese to master the Japanese tongue than the English one.

Enormous difficulties notwithstanding, the imperative to gain fantastic English proficiency is not to be ignored by a speaker of an East Asian language, given the omnipresence of the one and only sucking global economy. The better part of the 21st century will see some intriguing realignment of global resources, especially human capital and cultural capital, along the dimensions of distinct languages families.

Straight from the heart - Music video - "Fifteen" - Taylor Swift & Miley Cyrus

Here go the lyrics: http://bit.ly/I7UKP


Belatedly did come popularity of this fantastic magnitude for a country music star. Taylor Swift has become such a stupendous hit in the world of pop music nowadays.

Her music is typically straight from the heart. By the way, I like Miley Cyrus' singing voice.

FYI: It seems that the young Ms. Taylor Swift writes all her music by herself. Wow, pretty.

Article via web - 今天你学英语了吗？

(Image from http://bit.ly/9bdxJx)

Disclaimer: I am not, in any way, affiliated with the author of the article below. And similarly, I am not associated with the author's company or organization.
--double_take




"
今天你学英语了吗？

在过去三年的教学工作中我看到太多人付出极大的努力提升自己的技术，学习再学习。我所认识的多数本地公司管理者也对中国人的技术水平，敬业精神赞不绝口。为什么还是有这么多中国人找不到自己的位置？为什么还是有这么多同胞在工作几年后仍然得不到提升？

我听到过多种版本的答案，有人说我们对本地文化不熟悉，有人说我们没有很好的平台，有人说我们没有人际网络，甚至有很多人把问题归咎于歧视。

在维多利亚学院的经历让我看到我们当中的太多人以为只要技术好工作和提升不成问题，所以我们孜孜不倦，不惜工本的学习，拿了一个证书还要拿第二个。说实话我真的有点为这些刻苦的同胞惋惜，他们要是拿出这些时间精力来学英语的话可能他们的生活早就不一样了。

英语有多重要？让我们先把文化了解，流利程度，听力好坏这些重要的东西抛开，让我们假设这些都不是问题，就单拿口音一件事来举一个非常简单的例子。假设您是一个本地企业的管理者，某一天您为了招聘一个程序员面试了一个中国移民，此人技术水平无与伦比，敬业精神没的说，但是就一个问题，他说话满嘴"中国饺子味"您会录用他吗？我想大多数人都会。一年后，您需要一个Team leader, 管理3-4个人，您会提升他吗？没问题。又过了一年，一个部门经理的职位空缺，这个经理职位管理上百人并需要和客户经常沟通，您还会用他吗？我想多数人都不会，因为职位越高就越需要沟通，越会被视为公司形象的代表。多数管理者会从实用的角度着想，既然这个人技术好，那就让他多去做不需要，或者只需要少量沟通的技术工作吧（这就是为什么很多人升不上去的真正原因）。如果我们自己都不会提升自己那么又怎么能苛求您的雇主提升您呢？我们又怎么能在那个技术比您差很多的白人同事得到经常的提升的时候把问题归咎于歧视呢？如果说公司歧视中国人，那您又该怎么解释那个在公司里游刃有余的CBC呢？

我看到的这些都是真实发生在我们身边的事情，这就是为什么我早已经不能把"潜能英语"当成是我自己的事情。实际的情况是，在过去的三年里"潜能英语"已经经过实践而慢慢的成熟起来，教学相长，这套系统早就已经是集体智慧的结晶（我在这里要郑重感谢在过去三年中亲临维多利亚的每一位学员，是您的信任和帮助才成就了今天的"潜能英语"）！正是由于这些"感动"和"感谢"，使我不能再把英语教学单纯的当一份职业，这是一种使命，是有关我们整个民族的一份使命。2008年，"潜能英语"理应升华，应该释放出不同以往的更加有力的能量。

在三年的教学过程中我发现比方法更重要的是我们的心态，所以请允许我暂时抛开技术层面的东西而把我在这三年英语教学中发现的"中国人学习的弊端"与大家分享。 其实，中国人在学英语的过程中，首先应该解决的是"思想"上的六大障碍！

障碍1，放弃心理：认为这辈子学不好英语，彻底放弃了学英语。


我们有一个叫Kathy的学员，她在两周前讲过她自己的经历。她先生是我们一年前的学员，每次和她推荐来上我的课，她就一副说辞，"如果花480元我能从Jerry那儿买一粒神奇的药片，让我吃了马上和他的英语一样好，我会立刻去买，但如果让我去学的话，我就一定不会再去了，因为这么多年，我用各种英语学习方法去努力过，但基本没效果，所以，我已经决定不再学英语了，我不是不相信Jerry，我只是不再相信我自己还能学好英语。" Kathy的想法是非常多的中国人学不好英语的最根本原因，也是我每次讲座花最长时间与大家探讨的，那就是一定不能丧失学英语的信心。其实Kathy在无意中走进我们的教室听课到一半的时候就决定报名了。 她说："迄今为止，没有哪一种英语学习方法可以改变人的思想, 但Jerry的潜能英语改变了我根深蒂固的逃避心理，让我相信：中国人的英语是可以学好的！" 感谢您对"潜能英语"的信任和赞许，永远不要忘了，最大的敌人是你自己放弃的心理，在学英语的时候尤其是这样！

障碍2，侥幸心理：认为在加拿大，环境可以让我的英语变好。


我发现很多朋友因为这个想法而使自己的英语突破之路变的很难。我们有一个学员叫宁，在多伦多的医院里做医疗器械的操作员已经7年了，在课上到一半的时候，有一天很高兴的过来跟我说，有一个仪器的名字，每次她说完了，病人都要说"Pardon", 搞得她很尴尬，旁边的西人同事非常好，一次又一次的纠正她，就是不成功，但今天，她用最新学到的发音，很轻易的就让病人听懂了，我觉得她说的非常有道理，"环境会有帮助，但第一，即使本地人愿意教我们，他们也无法一针见血的指出我们的问题，第二，即使别人每天都在你身边讲英语，但如果你没有刻意去学的话，仍然不会有很大提高，这个道理就像一个加拿大人即使在中国待很长时间，如果不去刻意的学中文，也是不可能就自动会说中文一样的浅显。"


宁说的道理和体会应该是非常有代表性的，但可惜的是，大家经常怀有侥幸心理，刚来的时候英语不好没关系，别着急，只要待的时间久了，自然会好，结果是过了几年之后发现英语长进不大的时候开始后悔，为什么没有早一点开始刻苦学英语呢？更有一些人因为在加拿大待了很久但是还没有说好英语就彻底放弃了。请您公正的回答一个问题，不管您在北美生活了多久，您到底花了多少时间去学英语？一个人不会因为住在海边就自然的会游泳，游泳时要花时间精力去学的！

障碍3，得过且过的心理：认为英语不重要，不需要精益求精，只要能交流就行了。


如果您这么想的话，原因只有一个，那就是您对自己要求比较低，这句话可能尖刻了一些，但这是事实，您对自己的要求越高，尤其是职业工作方面，您就越会发现英语的重要。其实，工作给予人有两种享受，除了工资以外，精神上获得的尊重和认可也很重要。可惜的是，我认识一些已经做得很好，甚至年薪很高的人，仍然因为英语无法很好的表达和沟通，使得自己在公司里根本无法获得和工资相对应的地位。很多雇主一直把"有没有主动上过英语课"做为审核员工的标准，这是非常英明的。一个移民对于自己英语水平的要求会直接反映出他的进取心和他对职业生涯的期望值。

障碍4，急于求成的心理：希望很短的时间内马上见效，热火朝天的学一阵，发现没有明显效果，就很容易放弃了。

大部分华人移民和留学生的年龄经超过25岁，而英语作为第二语言对我们来说是挺难的。我们一定要有一个充分的心理准备，应该给自己制定一个至少半年的计划，每天累计半小时到一个小时的英语学习时间，才能有一个比较明显的效果。我知道对于大部分华人来说，每天的工作和生活压力很大，额外拿出半小时到一个小时都不是件很容易的事情。请注意，我说的是"累计"，这也是"潜能英语"非常独特的一点，我们强调使用您的零散时间。实际情况是大多数的学员都可以达到这个时间累积而提高。另外，学习任何一种语言，都不可以脱离文化的土壤，如果您的确是下定决心要学好英语，那么请您马上很认真地要去做一件事，去努力了解和接触北美的文化和习惯，了解一种全新的文化确实是要花力气和时间的。"潜能英语"的很大一个组成部分就是北美文化，所有人都知道文化重要，北美文化就在我们身边但还是有些人了解领悟的快，有些人慢，这个区别是在方法上。我们不能只去努力了解北美文化，更重要的是要掌握方法，了解如何去加快这个文化融入的过程。无论如何，如果您真的坚持有半年的时间很努力的去学，去了解文化，我可以坚定的告诉您，您未来的北美生活之路将会平坦许多！

障碍5：自卑心理：没有语言天赋，年纪大了，不可能学好英语了。我们的承诺是"让您在走出教室之前彻底发出北美的英语纯正发音"。

所以，不管多晚，我都要把在课堂上没有纠正过来发音的学员留下来，直到他们的发音正确才算结束。我纠正过太多自认为没有"天赋"的学员，也看到了太多"天赋"不佳的学员完成英语发音和交流上的飞跃。我清楚的知道自己不是天才，因为当年我为了练好英语会每天用3-6小时苦练，任何人能够做到如此辛苦的付出，都会成为'英语天才'！请您在决定用年龄太大，底子太差，天赋太低，舌头太笨，来加拿大太晚，耳朵太不好用，中气太不足甚至嘴太小等我们听过无数遍的借口给自己下一个我这辈子英语没戏了的定论之前如实的回答自己一个问题，不论您在过去学过多少年的英语，您究竟为了说好英语下过多大精力？花了多少时间？实验了几种方法？您是不是也会觉得一个虽然表面上学了很久，但是从来没有认真系统的练过弹吉它的人在弹出很难听的曲调以后说自己没有吉它天赋是一件很可笑的事？又有哪一个有天赋的吉它大师是不用刻苦练习就变成了大师？

障碍6，不相信学习方法的心理：认为学英语只要学就行了，不用讲究学习的方法和有效性。

学习语言一定要有一个正确的方法，方法对了可以事半功倍。"潜能英语"注重发音，并且力求甚解。从单独的发音开始学习看起来很慢，但是是最有效的方法。很多人看到我们不教语法，不教单词的教学方法与众不同就认为这是一种新方法。其实从语法学习语言才是新方法，语言不是从语法上发展出来的，而是对已经成型的语言做的总结，没有哪一个人是从语法开始学习自己的第一语言的。就好象大学里研究人体结构的教授没有运动员跑的快，中国的大学英语教授没有一个普通加拿大中学生英语说的好一样，语法的好坏和语言能力的好坏没有任何直接关系。我就不去举什么人高分通过了什么英语考试但是还是说不出听不懂的例子了，相信大家身边都不乏这样的实例。

我有时会大言不惭的说我相信我是最棒的英语老师。原因很简单，加拿大英语老师英语说的好，但是他们绝对不了解我们的痛苦，更不知道我们需要的是什么，这就是为什么ESL和LINC对中国人帮助不大。大多数中国英语老师绝对了解我们的痛苦，但是他们中的很多人自己还在痛苦之中。(Important questions and thoughts of mine: Why has Jerry, the author of this article, acquired sufficient capacity to help Chinese immigrants master the English language and culture, if most Chinese teachers of English in China, as well as all the Canadian teachers of ESL in Canada, still haven't, after all these long years? Because he was in the same boat with us Chinese immigrants? And how much would be the probability of his possessing the capacity truly? And he hasn't shown us any real example of his techniques, has he? Nonetheless, his system of English learning techniques should be well worth exploring.    --double_take)只有完全了解中国人英语症结所在并完全解决了这些问题的人才可能帮助我们真正快速提高。我坚信"潜能英语"是最科学的英语学习方法，因为它对症下药，解决的是我们交流最需要解决的问题 (Certainly English communication skills, both oral and written, are quite important. But, overall, the learning of the English language and culture is not all about gaining the fluency of communication in English, actually, on top of that, it should be also about acquiring the contents of the English language and culture along the way.    --double_take)。听着好像是我在做广告了，您怎么看都好，我的建议是，在下决心找到一种好的方法学好英语之前  (为什么一定要找到一种好的方法以后才开始学？为什么不可以一边学一边找？不管有没有找到，先学起来再说。找到了更好的方法，就采用；没找到，就继续用自己多年进化形成的目前这套方法。    --double_take) 仍然是问自己一个问题，我为什么学英语，如果是为了拿分数过考试，那我劝您考虑新东方，他们的课程就是为了拿高分设计的，而且有多年的经验，当然十分有效。 如果您想提高自己的英语交流能力从而提高在北美的生活质量，给自己和自己的家庭一个幸福的北美生活，请您在您身边或者网上找到一些学习过"潜能英语"的同胞，问问他们的意见，同时也真诚的邀请您来维多利亚亲身体验一下。

以上六条是我个人对突破英语障碍所必须解决的"思想问题"的一个小小总结。希望能给大家一些帮助。

"


- Copied from http://www.viccollege.ca/data/2008/0514/article_3112.htm in around 2008


- Recycled in 2010

Asylum

(Image from http://bit.ly/9RO6JY)

A tactless little poem of mine:

Asylum

It is strange a place so cold
Is such a popular asylum
Don't people have apprehension
For coming to a new world

?

Staccato illegal immigrants
Keep arriving ashore
They are young mostly
And want to expend their

Better part of life in this
Foreign and white asylum
After having broken out
Of the familiarized past

.

Reality

(Image from http://bit.ly/c8JnCS)

Muddy boots ongoing
Crummy wheels en route
Cruddy streets close
Mountainous white afar

Indignant birds fly around
Gentle marshals ride along
Belief in truth curtly tips
Approximation of justice seeps

Reality checks and modulates

Azure inspires and balances

Cynicism wreaks encores

Rapture treks up shrubberies

Video - Exciting innovation - Vocaloid Hatsune Miku, the world's virtual diva

(You can toggle the "CC" button on the screen for closed captions in English.)

Exciting stuff is happening. Innovations know no bounds. And Japanese' technological R&D prowess is scarcely fathomable.

English learning - James Patterson's fictions

(Image from http://bit.ly/buBTha)

I came across a revealing article "James Patterson Inc." the other month at The New York Times. Well, we can suppose that most writers who dream to approximate their literary aspirations do invariably fail to achieve that, can't we? Capability of appreciating art and that of creating art are two different things. It seems that only commercial mass market authors succeed plausibly nowadays. And James Patterson is one luminous example of that.

Mr. Patterson created his own unique brass ring and his enormous fan base has unwavering rapport with him. And as an author churning out the likes of detective novels, boy, rabid is he, and rapid is he. What a man!

Personally I did try out a couple of his fictions. And they were mostly good for sheer entertainment, but not for enlightenment, which was what I looked for in books for the most part. So I quit on him.

However, if you are a budding English learner, James Patterson's stories can be suitable ushers, because their language is relatively accessible and the spinning of the yarns fairly gripping.

Interlude

(Image from http://bit.ly/94BX0O)

In the cinema and between flicks
They parted and drifted into the
Ludicrously dull Montreal winter
With tectonic shift happening

Dune

(Image from http://bit.ly/9HIU6P)

Yellow sands crowd into a dead dune
Carrying their unceasing yearning all the way
The silent winds can't bring them here
Without their own red eye for a golden dune

Lands have delicious foods and drinks

(Image from http://bit.ly/b2Eode)

Seven is the approximate number of the countries whose names have a "land" in them.

Scotland has fine atmospheric whiskeys, which taste bracingly delicious on the rocks. England has "Newcastle" brown ale (Admonition: Don't drink too much of it, because beer gut is not an urban myth). And, Netherlands has "Heineken" lager. Thailand Thai cuisine. Switzerland cheeses.

Then what tasty stuff do Finland and Iceland have? I have no idea yet.

From choppy oceans

(Image from http://bit.ly/94Ic5G)

When it was dark

The sea pushed many waves toward the far shoreline

When the daylight arrived

The water mass flowed with only minor wrinkles

And seagulls flew in their ranges

Article via web - 從「韓流」談韓國人學英文

(Image from http://bit.ly/dfsMJX)

Low levels of English proficiency among the citizens are the weak link in the chain of South Korea, as well as China, Japan and the likes. That is a deep pain which has perpetuated in myriad minds of Eastern Asians.


At the same time, the potential side effects of the worldwide sweeping wave of English learning may need to be addressed and mitigated before long. For one thing, the being of many Western young males teaching English overseas with an eye to local girls and a nudge and a wink has wreaked resentment among some nationalists in China and South Korea.

And, this article is approximately the best one that I've ever seen describing the globalization efforts invested by South Korea: 從「韓流」談韓國人學英文. OMG. Below are some excerpts:

台灣對東北亞的關注長久以來是重日而輕韓，對日本人學習英文的經驗，台灣人略有所聞，但對鄰近日本的韓國人英文教育的現況，與我們英文教與學的經驗有何異同，卻十分陌生。然而這種對韓國不甚明瞭的狀態近年來有了轉機，這個轉變是由於韓國「文化觀光部」多元化推廣韓國文化工業，成功地將「文化產品」諸如出版、電影、電視劇、動畫、流行歌曲、電玩業等行銷世界各地，隨著韓國文化大舉輸出，「韓流」一詞逐漸在台灣的報章雜誌流行開來。

　　「韓流」一詞，顧名思義，是描述從韓國傳來鋪天蓋地的文化影響力。1996年以前韓國政府仍採取向內發展的媒體政策，但隨著國家振興經濟的需求，及感受到日本流行文化在亞洲市場行銷成功所帶來的經濟效益，如今他們也逐漸採用全面積極開放的文化政策。1998年台灣首度引進韓國電視劇，韓劇旋即在台灣受到注目與歡迎，而韓國電影近年來在台灣的票房也節節上升，許多偶像明星屢屢在台灣造成轟動，影響所及，韓國生產的汽車、電器用品及手機也成為消費者選用的對象，此外，吃韓國料理、遊韓國山水、穿韓衣、學韓文，甚至留學韓國也逐漸轉為熱門。

因為這股新興勢力有沛然不可禦之勢，媒體上遂出現「韓流」一詞，生動勾勒出這股熱潮，台灣人也因而開始注意韓國文化的一舉一動，例如英文從業人員與出版商也開始關心韓國英語教育的現況。2004年六月初在韓國首都漢城舉辦的世界書展，台灣出版界首度組團參加盛會，許多台灣出版社對韓國出版品題材的多樣與印刷的精美連聲讚嘆，點子新穎的英語教學教材，以及韓人自製描述本國風土人情的英文繪本也吸引台灣同業的眼光，台灣某出版商甚至一舉買下多本韓國英文圖書版權，計畫在台灣發行中文版本。因此可以預期在不久的將來，市面上將出現韓製英語教材，韓「材」台用，這也算是「韓流」威力所及的一部份吧！

...

韓國政府的英語教育政策

與政府全面主導文化工業發展的方向一樣，韓國的英語教育政策也是由政府一手擘畫。打開韓國五十年來的英語教學史，在第一階段（1950年代），韓國中學首度使用英文課本，開始推動英文課程，當時教學重點著重於讓學生瞭解韓文與英文的差異。第二階段中(1963-1973)，英語教育分為聽和說、讀、寫三大部份。第三階段(1973-1981)是加強英文文法訓練。到了第四階段(1981-1987)，則又重新考量英語會話的重要性，將學校課程改為聽、說、讀、寫並重。1982年教育部開放中小學課後英語教學課程，英文課也納入課後輔導。而在第五階段(1987-1992)和第六階段(1992-1999)，教育部為了順應全球化趨勢，於1995年起大舉修訂英文教科書內容，改以「溝通式教學法」為取向，在1997年規定小學生三年級起開始學英文，以期儘速與世界接軌。目前英語教育政策已進入第七階段，仍以延續溝通式教學為主軸。

為了貫徹「溝通式教學法」，韓國教育部於2001年公佈新政策，規定各級學校英語課上課全部得用英語(Teaching English through English)，不過多半韓籍英文老師卻無法達成這項「不可能的任務」，有的大學為了獎勵教授用英語授課，甚至以額外津貼誘之，不過效果不彰[1]。在韓國教育部出版的English Education Curriculum Interpretation手冊中檢討英語教育的成效時，不得不承認理想與實際仍有一段距離："Korea's English education does not teach English words first but has wasted too much time teaching knowledge of the English language through letters from the elementary level. Teachers cannot teach English classes in English because they lack the ability to speak the language."

在美國Florida University任教的韓籍博士班研究生Jimmy Lee於個人網站"Is Teaching English Through English Possible in Korean Public High Schools?"一文中，檢討政府在高中實施這項新政的困難時，歸納出以下三點原因：

一、 韓國家長及學生都不相信現有的英文老師有能力以英語授課，他們認為只有英語為母語的老師能在課堂上以流利的英語授課。 

二、 韓國的英文老師多半是受傳統的「文法翻譯教學法」訓練出身，對用流利英語互動式的教學方法十分陌生，也無能為力。 

三、 高中教育的終極目的在於將每位高中生送進大學，學生期待在課堂上習得英語考試「得高分」的技巧，所以寧願花時間在閱讀能力的增進及文法能力的加強，而不願浪費時間練習會話。 

　厚植全民英文能力本非易事，遭遇困難也在所難免，不過韓國人行事作風向來就憑一股衝勁，學英文也不例外。為了提升韓國人的英文能力，以便早日與世界接軌，政府和民間無不卯足了勁，花下大把銀子。既然要求本國英文老師用英文授課的成效不彰，韓國教育部的權宜之計，即招募「以英語為母語」的老師來韓國教小學生英文，這個計畫後來因為90年代末期韓國的經濟危機而沈寂一時。但從2003年起，其教育部又開始大舉聘用英文為母語的老師加入英語教學行列。除此之外，漢城國立大學教授Lee Sang-eok也建議政府徵召英語系的韓裔美僑歸國，接受短期韓文訓練後立刻披掛上陣，派往各級學校教授英文。不過許多韓裔老師雖說得一口漂亮的英文，卻因外型與韓國人相同，每每遭到與西方人不平等的待遇。有位韓裔老師在網上Korean Job Discussion Forums-Ethnic Koreans not as desirable?大罵祖國公民是「種族主義者」之後，發出不平之鳴"I wish people did realize we speak English with the same proficiency as non-Asians!"。另一位在韓國教了四年英文，也是韓裔美籍的網友則以另一個角度解釋道：「學生家長是希望孩子能在學外語之餘也學習外國文化，他們希望自己的孩子能『看』到外國人，讓孩子知道除了韓國人外，世界上還有其他人種。」 

即使韓裔老師咋有怨言，但因為市場需要，所以韓裔的外籍老師還是絡繹於途。除了積極聘請外籍老師任教外，企業界和政府更攜手在國內廣設英語學習村(English Village)，學生只要進入其中就得說英文。課程則由外籍老師給予學生密集式的英語訓練，以減少每年假期學生短期出國學習英文的外匯支出。另外，更有人建議大學入學除了現有的入學考試門檻外，還應給予通過TOEFL和TOEIC的考生額外加分，不過這個建議韓國政府尚未付諸行動。

民間英語學習熱

　韓國上焉者對全球化時代的來臨嚴陣以待，下焉者也不敢掉以輕心，一般人民花在子女課後學英文的學費上不可小覷，據估計平均一般家庭花在孩子課後的補習費佔家庭總收入的三分之一，許多父母為了不讓孩子輸在起跑點上，早在幼稚園時期就將孩子送往雙語幼稚園，學生放學後上英文補習班(hagwon)或請外籍老師到家授課。更有甚者，根據路透社二○○三年十月十六日的報導，整形風行的韓國，居然有父母將子女送去「整形」舌頭，將舌頭下方的筋切開，割短一厘米，以便孩子發英文的捲舌音「er」[2]。

除了學童外，成人學習英文的風氣也十分鼎盛，主要原因是私人機構要求新聘用的人員皆得通過Test of English for International Communication和Test of English as a Foreign Language兩項英語測驗。一部描寫韓國人瘋狂學英文現象的電影Please Teach Me English《英語完全征服》，在網路上也引起各國網友熱烈地討論。片中描述韓國各行各業都因不同程度的需要，不得不發憤學英文，連在公家機關上班的小職員Na Young-joo也不例外，她因偶然一次面對外國人辦理稅務而不知所云的尷尬場面，不得不報名以外籍老師授課為號召的英文補習班，努力消彌語言能力不足所帶來的挫折感。在課堂上她遇到與她有著同樣困擾的社會人士：有無法與外國乘客交談的計程車司機、有在外商公司因英語不流利而遭排擠的職員、也有想交洋妞的小伙子......等全都集聚一堂，大家跟著一位金髮碧眼的外國老師Cathy學英語會話，可惜這位老師只會說英語而不懂英語教學法，更不瞭解成人學英語易受挫折的心理，因此也鬧出許多學生抗議的笑話。最後電影劇情雖偏離學習英語的主題，但觀眾對韓國人學英語的狂熱，無不印象深刻。

English learning - Quaint motorcars

(Modern motorcar)

(Vintage motorcar)

I tend to be fascinated all the way by words like 'motorcar'. Those words seem quaint and suggest certain historically technological or scientific progresses. For instance, the 'motor' in 'motorcar' tends to hint that motor for vehicles was a fancy thing, when the word was coined. 'Motorist' is also interesting in that sense. Some other English words approximate to "motorcar". One nice example would be 'motorbike'.

Don't you think the current word 'car' to be a little curt, comparing with 'motorcar'? :-)

On a different note, in American English, people don't regard the word 'car' coolly in their minds. They have certain emotional attachment to it. It indicates 'liberty', 'freedom', 'mobility' and so on, to my knowledge.

Applicable to English learning too - 日本语达人之道 - 豆瓣

Certain ideas on the web page 日本语达人之道 - 含MP3光盘 - 豆瓣 can be applied to English learning too, I suppose. And those are:

文化是日语的基本精神——少了它，处处不对味

虽然知道不少单词句型，却抓不住日本人的精神，只能表面沟通，达不到深层沟通。

Music video - Eminem feat Elton John - Stan (Live)

Here go the lyrics, which are too rabid and painful and may offend some people.


/
When the sounds proximately emerged and parted from Elton John, the beauty of music came to life.

Eminem, as well as a host of black and colored rappers, raps cathartically. I can feel the anger in their music. On the other hand, it can be hard for a Han Chinese like me who grew up in a largely monolithic China to entirely fathom the frustration of the American black population, which the rap culture was born in.

Trench coat, pea coat, or sweater coat?

(Image from http://bit.ly/cQ3LvQ)

You can tell, pea coat is in the canon of the received dress code in Canada, for the most part. So a few weeks ago, while the blasts of the fall blew, I went into a W store, with the meme that a pea coat would preen myself a wee bit. I bought one over there. But it's a glance at a sign "Sweater coats" in the store that sent me scrambling to find out the distinctions among trench coat, pea coat, and sweater coat. I just vaguely figured out. The differences between trench coat and sweater coat are still not crystal clear to me.


Alas. It's such a painstaking trek to acquire the myriad of English nouns and phrasal nouns designated to clothing items. Too many of them are in active daily usage! 'Garment', 'apparel', 'outfit', 'outer coat','suit', 'jacket', 'bridge coat', 'trench coat', 'pea coat', 'sweater coat', 'shirt', 'T-shirt', 'wife beater', 'hoody', 'sweater', 'denim', 'jeans', 'sweater pants', 'trousers'... Endless. And these are only for the comparatively simple arsenal of men's clothes. Not to mention the plethora of nouns and phrasal nouns describing women's clothing items. Gee.

Atmospheric music videos - The Corrs - Breathless, live in Trafalgar Square and so on

The lyrics are here: http://bit.ly/1aj5Uv

Four other versions of the fantastically well received song:


























In the first video, you can see that the fans at the site were enraptured, transfixed, yet moved all the way by the performance.

I can scarcely believe that I hadn't heard of The Corrs back when China was still my abode country. The band was so hot and groovy! And for the most part, its music is just pretty.

By the way, the Trafalgar Square, where the first live concert above was held, celebrates the historic sea battle between Britain and France, which took place in Spain.

What our infant daughter needs

What she demands day in and day out is proximateness to us, intimacy, interaction, and feeding, yes, lots of feeding. Ah, girls always need attentive company, straight from day one. :-)

Notification - I'm switching from Reddit to Google Bookmarks to recommend excellent articles

(Image from http://bit.ly/9IHUtO)

Because Reddit.com is too much a hassle to deal with, I'm switching from it to Google Bookmarks, in order to refer to groovy articles that I'd like to share with you.


Here goes my newly inaugurated Google Bookmarks public list: http://bit.ly/cM4XeO . Thanks.

Marvelous music / video - Summer Wine

The edition by The Corrs / Bono




The version by Nancy Sinatra / Lee Hazlewood



Lyrics:
http://bit.ly/6XEmlm



I go into raptures every time when I listen to the music in this particular song "Summer Wine".

The song made its way into the canon of the world pop music in the 1960s, then it has been revitalized time and again by various artists since. The Corrs' version above is appealingly modern, while the Nancy Sinatra's more picturesque and golden. Personally I love the classic edition by Nancy Sinatra / Lee Hazlewood more, due to the texture, tone and so on of their voices.

As outlined in the lyrics, an impostor presenting herself as a welcoming girl plays havoc on the male protagonist. All swindlers tend to have charming surfaces, don't they?

On a different note, I suspect that Nancy Sinatra derived some proximate glamour from her father, Frank Sinatra. Or she didn't?

News - Embraer takes aim at Bombardier

Here goes a piece of news from The Gazette: Embraer takes aim at Bombardier.

I generally commented on that issue the other week in this post.

Now does the proximate head-to-head competition from Embraer worry Bombardier's top brass? You bet.

Notification - I've put up a page for first-class resources for English learning

(Image from http://bit.ly/9IHUtO)

Here's the new page. You might really want to take a peek at it, if you're an English learner.

A spooky night walk

(Image from http://bit.ly/a2JGhc)

I was taking a walk on the street around 2AM the other night. For sure no one was out and I was by myself all the way.

Then this squat and portly guy in his forties appeared, about thirty meters away from where I was. I had seen him around before, for few times. But still, observing him drifting quietly in this dark fall night? It didn't make me feel comfortable. Anyways, he walked past me undisturbingly.

Two minutes later, I spotted another tall man in a trench coat, moving quickly toward my position. He was crossing a street corner. Due to some shrubs and the likes, I could only see his lower body. O.K. That did it. I became spooked.

I hurried towards the 24/7 convenience store at the gas station at the major intersection, where I could expect to find and see a few real and unspooky people.

Music - Captain Nemo - Ace of Base

The lyrics are here: http://bit.ly/4Crl7w



Ace of Base once was the world's favorite all the way and used to have abundance of ardent fans. Their fantastic air and acute music used to know no bounds.

For sure the band's popularity sagged in recent years, given that it's been on the world's pop music stage since 1987. Nothing, definitely nothing, can mitigate any pop star's decline, I suspect.

By the way, the abode of Ace of Base is Sweden, which has spawned glamorously popular singers and bands such as ABBA and Ace of Base. Sweden, Iceland, and Finland, which are cultural and business innovation powerhouses, are in proximity to each other. And that group of Nordic countries never ceases to amaze me.

Saint Joseph's Oratory & the recent sainting of Brother Andre

The Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, the largest church in Canada, was initiated and founded by Brother Andre. And he got canonized by the Pope in Vatican lately. What an enormous event for Quebec Catholics that is! Will Catholicism rally a bit in Quebec in the wake of this high profile event?

The miracles and good deeds emanated from Brother Andre left their mark on Quebec, Canada. The canons of modernity seem to only suggest secularity and materialism. But religion, and people's inner yearning for something higher, is here to stay.

University of Geneva

Wow. University of Geneva was founded by John Calvin! It's almost surreal for me. He created it.

U of Geneva must be a significant keeper of the precious original documents of the John Calvin canon, I guess.

Elegant Geneva, Switzerland and its monkey business of private banking

Geneva, Switzerland is never a vapid and rapid city like some others are. Pretty scenery, gourmet foods, tasteful cultures, high science establishments such as CERN, ... They have it all.

Now the private banking biz of Geneva, which has been always under lock and key for decades and decades, is prone to cracking and rupturing, due to the public leak of the tax evasions scandal. All the nations' governments, I believe, must have gotten enchanted and enraptured by the case and be watching or involving in the development of it closely. Well, that should be "bliss" for the banking industry of Switzerland.

Barnes & Noble Nook

The Barnes & Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, and the likes constitute an elegant range of e-book readers for consumers to choose from. People do need the kind of raptness when they read a good novel or something. And that's why James Patterson's fictions have been such hot commodities all these years.

All the same, the sordid DRM things will kill some businesses here and there.

News - Security Council rejection a deep embarrassment for Harper

Is this news article cunning enough? I'm waiting for The New York Times to try its hand at reporting and analyzing the causes of the particular fiasco.

Not being inside the UN Security Council would leave Canada's successful defense

Bern, Switzerland

(Image from http://bit.ly/a8OmE6)

I haven't been aware that Bern, or Berne, is the capital of Switzerland.

Ah, the zesty and tasty Europe. Asia's developing countries have seemed to be held so rapt with the U.S.A. They're not quite aware of Europe's strengths and richness, for my money.

On a different note, the edict of secret banking services offered by Switzerland is intriguing and loathsome to other nations, if you will. Think about the current scandal of discovered tax evasions by some HSBC Private Banking clients residing in Canada, France, U.K., etc.

Exceeding - Music video - Two songs by Elliott Smith

"Miss Misery"







"Miss Misery" Live








"Fond Farewell"
(Unfortunately, no good live version of "Fond Farewell" is to be found on the web for the time being.)




And their lyrics are:
http://bit.ly/a2hrYK (I especially appreciate the part "That you left lying around" in it.)
    &
http://bit.ly/7zSyMI

Elliott Smith with his art, vis-a-vis vices, is too tragic. His savage death is juxtaposed with his beautiful art.

These two songs are a blast from the past for me. I go into poignant raptures about Elliott Smith every time I listen to them.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier - The Man with the Silver Tongue - The Canadian Experience

A part of transient politicians became portly statesmen in a nation's history and heritage. Mr. Wilfrid Laurier is one of them for Canada. It would be an odious wrong for the state-of-the-art generations

Totally engaging - Blitzkrieg - Wikipedia

Panzer! The Third Reich took the whole Earth with its Blitzkrieg by stupefaction!

The quick and sharp movements of panzer divisions, and the tank bombs' blasts thrust bloody ways for Germans in the European battlefields. In those early years of panzer which were full of successes, Germany's military officers must be

McMansion

I almost always view California with rapture. It's in the vanguard of almost everything. Silicon Valley, alternative energy, the mammoth movie-making industry, Stanford U., UC Berkeley, Caltech, the sophisticated San Francisco,

English learning - Wife beater, sweatpants, and sweatshirt

Do you know the gal in the picture? Man, that's Britney Spears, in her unphotogenic wife beater and sweatpants. No, I don't mean she beats her wife. The upper outfit she wears is called "wife beater" in English. A provoking name, isn't it?

O.K. Here comes some eye candy in a wife beater, and this Ms. Keeley Hazell sends British men into raptures:

Video - Hot case - Above Suspicion - the fifth estate

It's the real hot case of Colonel Russell Williams of Canada's Air Force.

Here's a groovy documentary video by CBC: Above Suspicion - the fifth estate.

What a shocker. Now that RCMP is tarnished by leadership struggles, and this ugly incident happens with a top officer in the Canadian army. What is wrong with Canada's public forces?

On a different note, it strikes me profoundly that one's private life and work/public life can be shockingly inconsistent.

Connecticut, U.S.A. - Wikipedia

Connecticut, U.S.A. is a nice place to be in. It's got a moderate weather. You don't expect encounters with winter blasts like you do in Montreal, Canada, do you? And it's got the highest per capita income in the U.S. It's nigh the fantastically sophisticated and cosmopolitan New York City. Moreover, it's home to Yale U., whose faculty and students are rapt and tasteful learners, in my humble opinion, and the also prestigious Wesleyan U., which not many mainland Chinese know of, I suspect.

Windows Phone 7 - Wikipedia

Android, iOS, and Windows Phone 7 are worthy of keeping tabs on. Now with dapperer products, is Microsoft gonna be able to turn the tables on Apple and Google?

HP cuts full year outlook - Reuters

Here's a piece of news in 2009: HP cuts full year outlook | Reuters. Facing the fierce competition from Acer and Lenovo, HP's PC biz isn't above suspicion of collapsing in the upcoming months, for my money. Where's "the HP way" now for average consumers? Smart phones and tablets made by HP?

At the same time, it'll be intriguing to see the fate of Dell.

Mutterer

No wonder he likes night
He comes out of it
No wonder he fusses with night
No one distracts him at it

No wonder he gets enraptured by night
He does things at it
No wonder he mumbles about night
He misses the moodiness of it

Brief video - Brazil Boom Continues

A piece of video at Yahoo: Brazil Boom Continues (in 2010):

Brazil Boom Continues

Fri Oct 1, 1:20PM ET - CNBC 4:04 | 198 views

The emerging world is hungry for resources, and Brazil is happy to feed that appetite, with William Landers, BlackRock portfolio manager.

Investors who hold Brazilian equities must be in rapture these days. The Brazilian economy's been doing so well in a world blitzed by turns after turns of slipping of GDPs.

On a different note, the comments of the wily financiers are typically dry, aren't they? "The market will see some volatility", "the interest rate hike will make investors alert", etc., etc.


P.S. The aircraft in the above picture was manufactured by Embraer, the third largest airplane company in the world, which is headquartered in Brazil. Now I start to worry over the future of Bombardier, which I suppose has a higher cost structure than Embraer.

Goldman Trust - The New Yorker

There is an article on the elegant New Yorker website: Finance Dept.: Goldman Trust.

The overly complex phantasms of financial products dragged down the highflying Goldman Sachs (a.k.a. 高盛集团). Begone, the legendarily easy money-making. Welcome, Wall Street malcontents.

Wall Street Smarts - NYTimes

Article from NYT: Wall Street Smarts.

The fantasies and tricks of financial products know no bounds.

Introduction - The novel "The Catcher in the Rye"

The Catcher in the Rye, my friend, is a famous fiction. Its title is translated as "麥田守望者" in Chinese. The specific novel gets mentioned, recommended, or read time after time across the entire English-speaking world.

I perused the novel the other month. For one thing, the protagonist berated those phonies in the American society while possessing a heart of gold, if you will. The tale is elegant, and the language accessible and suave. Highly recommended.

Always wonderful - Moscow State University - Wikipedia

Introduction at Wikipedia: Moscow State University (a.k.a. 国立莫斯科大学)

Quote:

Moscow State University has educated 8 future Nobel laureates, 5 Fields Medal winners, as well as a number of writers, philosophers and politicians. The university is alma mater for the famous writers of the 19th century, such as Anton Chekhov and Ivan Turgenev, mathematicians and physicists of the 20th century, such as Boris Demidovich, Vladimir Arnold and Andrey Kolmogorov.

Speaking of academic prestige, Moscow State University is in fact on a par with McGill U., UToronto, and UPenn and the likes. But all these higher education institutions, are well behind the, ah, formidable yet munificent Havard University, with which around 75 Nobel laureates and a few Fields Medal winners are affiliated.

BlackBerry's PlayBook

After having read some hype over the official announcement of the still phantasmal Blackberry Playbook, I've concluded RIM made a move that's not too smart. Eventually RIM will be toast, under the management of the seemingly prodigal Co-CEO Jim Balsillie, who seems to be always wanting to buy a hockey team. Think about it, what real needs of customers will the BB Playbook be able to satisfy? Not quite much.

On the front of the consumer market, Playbook seems to be lackluster in comparison with iPad and the increasing slew of Android tablets, in my opinion. And on the front of the enterprise market, I suppose, only few people have a workspace larger than a typical desk, and they don't need a tablet beside their work desktop computer; as for those field sales reps, when they hit the road, they mostly only want to carry a more portable smart phone, not a somewhat clunky BB Playbook; and as for those executives with their own little offices and couches, there's a bad omen for RIM, which is 50% of the Fortune 500 executives have been reportedly considering deploying iPads within their companies.

I understand that RIM's been a little desperate lately and scrambling hard. But to launch Blackberry Playbook isn't a very suave move. RIM will continue going south, but it will survive for a long time notwithstanding. And that prediction isn't a fantasy only owned by me. I don't want to bash RIM all the time, seriously.

On the article "亲子教育，从接纳孩子的情绪入手"

Here goes a superb article: 亲子教育，从接纳孩子的情绪入手-心理健康与家庭教育-搜狐博客.

Well, the ideas expressed in the article are subtle and complex. I don't think the author did a suave job expressing the set of and logical relations among the ideas.

My take is, for one thing, as following:

看来，喜、怒、哀、惧，这人类的四种基本情绪中，怒、哀、惧在童年不被父母无条件接纳的话，从此通通会转化成变形的“怒”的情绪能量。但是，如果“怒”的本能在童年被抑制被消灭的话，怒、哀、惧就会转化成“哀”、“惧”中的两种或一种。


Nonetheless, the article is an eminent piece, for my money.

Quebec - The most corrupt province (in Canada) - Macleans

Article from the Macleans magazine: Quebec: The most corrupt province (in Canada)

>

Well, Quebec's politics is obviously pedestrian. Posses of politicians slink and siphon off sums and sums of public money. Look at what truthful services some public servants have rendered.

Is it a fantastic project to get Quebec politics clean? Or more cynically, is politics clean from money always just a phantom, in the human world?

Updated - Netflix has finally arrived in Canada!

(Image from http://bit.ly/axERTe)

Here's a piece of new news from NYT: Netflix Faces New Competition in Streaming.

For one thing, most U.S. companies have been fantastically sluggish coming to Canada. Is the Canadian market too small for them? You bet!

In addition, Google TV is noteworthy, for my money.

***
My old post just few days ago:

Netflix has finally arrived in Canada! Here it comes: Netflix Canada - Unlimited TV Shows Online & Movies Online

Well. Netflix, an American giant business and a Johnny-come-lately into Canada, are sweepingly blasting the hitherto remaining phantasms of relatively inefficient video rental stores. Somewhat poignant, eh? I'm wondering if the phantom limbs of the Blockbuster video rental stores will sheerly rent games, in lieu of movies, in the forthcoming years, if not months.

博客來書籍館>IBM老總教你1500字溜英語(上)：跨國主管的英語反而最簡單(附mp3)

Introduction from the web: 博客來書籍館>IBM老總教你1500字溜英語(上)：跨國主管的英語反而最簡單(附mp3)

/
Perhaps the Globish language that the French author preaches is sheerly a new watered-down and valueless version of the elegant English tongue, or perhaps it is surrogate English which

Books of The Times - The Human Behind the Heroic Pose - NYT

Article from NYT: Books of The Times; The Human Behind the Heroic Pose

Simon Bolivar used to have a fantastic dream of assembling the then largest country in the world by uniting the South America. He for sure failed and lamented, "America is ungovernable". How can a person distinguish realistic dreams from fantastic dreams? It's one of the hardest questions every human being ever faces.

The Greenroom » History Written By The Losers

An article from the web: The Greenroom » History Written By The Losers

>

It's interesting to look at Obama, who's used to churning out cunning speeches, from the side of his enemies. Speaking of his management of the slippery U.S. economy, people're never going to know whether the assumed economic catastrophe without mammoth fiscal stimulus packages will be phantasmal or not. Or are they?

On a different note, I've been wondering if the whole world will regain their confidence in the economic U.S. It's probably just a fantastic project, if the United States of America can't get their loathed Wall Street straight.

In the end, for the majority of the American population, let's hope all's well that ends well.

Stratford-upon-Avon

(Image from http://bit.ly/ajMHZo)

Stratford-upon-Avon is Shakespearean all the way! It's marvelous that the matchless Shakespeare had been born in this seemingly pedestrian town.

Like someone once put it, "Shakespeare... familiarizes the wonderful". But not too many people nowadays read Shakespeare, to my knowledge. Is it fantastic to peruse Shakespeare in this modern era?

Switching from iPhone to Android

Here's an excerpt from Switching from iPhone to Android - Computerworld Blogs:

The iPad was a game-changer for me in my relationship to the iPhone, and not in a good way. Most of the things I used to do on the iPhone are now things I do in the iPad: Reading, Twitter, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, Web browser. The iPad has made the iPhone a lot less important in my life.

And it got me thinking. The fact that the iPhone with iOS is a pretty closed platform is just unmeet for the majority of the consumers population. That kind of systems means potential deep lock-in. I doubt that iPhone will ever grab a fantastic amount of market share, even sheerly in the developed world.

Curiously, I'm waiting to see the next moves of Nokia, which has become largely phantom in the U.S. and Canada. And, ah, there's Samsung, whose products I personally regard to be a little shoddy but have been extremely popular among consumers nevertheless.

Music video - New Slang - The Shins

Its lyrics is here.


Oh, I love The Shins. For your information, the song's been quite popular and received just well by a great many discerning music fans.

It's a blast from the past for me, isn't it? I for one hold it dear. Its lyrics are a little labyrinthine. Just the same, those're excellent English, for my money.

Music video - Cara Dillon - Bonny Bonny

&

The song's lyrics

Beautiful English is showcased in Cara's lyrics.

Ah, what bliss! Just an exalting piece of music, lyrics, and singing, by Cara and her husband! I simply can't keep myself from being fond of it.

However, the video illustration uploaded by someone to YouTube isn't terribly tasteful, for my money.

On a different note, Ireland, the once poor country, has spawned so many poignantly wonderful creative singers such as U2, The Corrs, and Cara Dillon.

It's sad to see the particular nation's economic prospect, which had been rosy in the not so distant past, got blasted by its own folly and the current global recession.

Last but not least, sorry for my wordiness. :-)

Profoundly significant - Outsourcing to India Draws Western Lawyers

Article from NYT: Outsourcing to India Draws Western Lawyers

>

Mark this, ladies and gentlemen, mark this heavy and taxing article.

Ah, this unfeeling world of business decision-making, this apathetic world of business cost-aversion. American and Canadian employees have been carrying the overbearing brunt of off-shoring

Well, pictures depicting colicky babies

These pictures are just vivid: http://bit.ly/dD5mWH

/

Our daughter just had a colic and cry session, I suspect, this evening. And that sent us scrambling. Sigh...

我们从一个实际的例子来看英文有多重要 - Re - Leon Chua

Memristor 是 HP Lab 的革命性新产品。而 memristor 的理论奠基人则是 UC Berkeley 的蔡少棠教授。

让我们来对关于蔡少棠教授的 Wikipedia 的中文版和英文版来做一个比较：

http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%94%A1%E5%B0%91%E5%A0%82

vs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_O._Chua


以信息的丰富程度和含金量来讲，中文版较之英文版相差何止以道里计！你我当知用心用功之所在。

An excerpt and my two cents - "But Old Man Stark looked at the Boss"

"But Old Man Stark looked at the Boss, and said, "I sorta reckined--I reckined you was gonna stay out here tonight." There was any trouble figuring out what he said, though. The child comes home and the parent puts the hooks in him. The old man, or the woman, as the case may be, hasn't got anything to say to the child. All he wants is to have that child sit in a chair for a couple of hours and then go off to bed under the same roof. It's not love. I am not saying that there is not such a thing as love. I am merely pointing to something which is different from love but which sometimes goes by the name of love. It may well be that without this thing which I am talking about there would not be any love. But this thing in itself is not love. It is just something in the blood. It is a kind of blood greed, and it is the fate of a man. It is the thing which man has which distinguishes him from the happy brute creation. When you get born your father and mother lost something out of themselves, and they are going to bust a hame trying to get it back, and you are it. They know they can't get it all back but they will get as big a chunk out of you as they can. And the good old family reunion, with picnic dinner under the maples, is very much like diving into the octopus tank at the aquarium. Anyway, that is what I would have said back then, that evening."

--p.35, the novel "All the King's Men"

In the author's perception, this yearning for possession of one's children's life, as described in the paragraph, is distinct from love. And it is interesting to note that this distinction made by the author has never been stated in any Chinese film or article that I have encountered.

Pictures - Three sorts of bats

Sometimes I smart from the phenomenon that mastering short English words can be harder than long words.

I've taken notice that there're three sorts of bats. And each of them is popular.

I googled the pictures of "bat" for my benefit and found them somewhat interesting.




A bat in the night






Baseball bats






Cricket bats

Eureka! I have discovered a top-notch novel which I like to read through - "All the King's Men"

In this world, who doesn't like reading groovy novels and having a good old time? And luckily, one nice way to advance a person's English language skills is to peruse fine novels. So in this holiday season, I set out to look for some worthwhile fictions to pour down into my brain. The famous 'David Copperfield' or 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'? I tried but soon concluded they were too dull for me. Perhaps that's because the lives of the protagonists were not immediately relevant to my own life and so the two books couldn't rouse my interest.

Hmm... Then what could I do? I turned to the All-Time 100 Best Novels list, which was compiled by the Time magazine, in order to dig out a fiction that I'd like to invest time to read. Finally I seemed to have observed one--'All the King's Men', by Robert Penn Warren. Then I borrowed a copy of it from a library and started to read through it. My typical and favorite location for the reading has been the various coffee shops, which are actually not so various from each other sometimes, in Montreal.

You can take a peek at the gist of this novel and some customer reviews on it here:
http://www.amazon.com/All-Kings-Robert-Penn-Warren/dp/0156004801

第一次到我的博客看哪里？

英语专家如是说 -- 学英语就得查词典



double_take recommends: 两本权威的在线英英字典



交美国朋友?



感悟时事英语 ——美英报刊导读读后



英语专家如是说--英语学习的误区
http://alexincloud.blogspot.com/200...og-post_28.html



转: 我混吃等死的加拿大生活和割舍不断的中国情结
http://alexincloud.blogspot.com/2008/06/article.html



香港起码有一半人口,为学英文而痛苦了二十年
http://alexincloud.blogspot.com/200...og-post_18.html



(My own notes): Re: 与时俱进 & 張忠謀先生對學習的看法
http://alexincloud.blogspot.com/200...y-notes-re.html



所謂「國際觀」，就是在這種不斷的漣漪「波及」中逐漸累積見識



double_take recommends: FAQ: What are (free) podcasts?


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