Hear of...

Since I came here leaving my hometown that I have lived for twenty one years, seemingly I have completely isolated from eastern global, everything that I can do now is restricted in this western nation. The exclusive approach of getting information about my home is just rely on hearing of …

I heard of that the house my family bough recently is extremely beautiful and gorgeous: Its acreage is almost two hundred square meters, and it’s very spacious. In addition to four bedrooms, one studying room, one living room and one dinning room, it has an outdoor balcony which is my favorite.

I heard of my high school classmates’ party. “It’s fabulous!” everybody told me like that. I feel upset because I have missed three consecutive parties. I am missing them so much because I have not seen them for a very long time. It is said that majority of these guys already have boyfriend or girlfriend who participated our party too.

I also heard of grandmother’s funeral three months ago, my brother espousal ceremony in last month, father’s birthday party several days ago, and my friends’ experience including enjoyable or distressed…all of these sometimes make happy and excited and sometimes make me sorrowful and worried, but, no matter how, I like it, and that is why I have to be on phone more that two hours everyday.

To Dad

Happy birthday,dad! Today is dad's forty-five year birthday.
Dad, sometimes, is a annoying guy. He has a lot of small bad hobbies: everyday he will not get up until 900am, and sometimes he is wallowing in playing cards and nobody are allowed to interrupt him. But in reality dad is a typical good man: good temper,responsible, confidence and self-reliance. Absolutely, dad plays a more important role in my life than my mom does. When I confront some problems, no matter they come from life or study, dad is my faithdul fan. He support me and help me conquest them. Grandmother always says to us with smile: “your dad, when he was ten years old he had known how to earn money, just ten years old while other boys just know playing.” Yes, father has a little talent on dealing with business and that is why he can operate our home business successfully now. The most important thing is he want to be self-reliance even thought he was just a little boy at that time. He always tell us the recipe for success is confidence and tough. In a word, dad is not only a good father but also a best friend.

Happy New Year

Today is the first day of 2007 in Chinese calendar. There are many things I have to say.

First, I want to give my heartfelt wishes to my beloved grandparents, parents and brother: heath, happiness, prosperity. Especially, I hope God can deliver all of these wishes to heaven to my grandmother. I have been regretful that I didn’t see her for the last time when she was gone because I was in New York at that time. I want her know that I love her and I will miss her all the time. And then send wishes to my relatives and friends, this years is pig year, I hope all of they live like a happy pig.

Then, this is the first spring festival I spend outside home. In the morning, such a strong feeling of desolation attacked me that I can’t help crying. I called back home knowing about that they were playing cards and watching TV, what I used to do in this moment. I began to complaint with my mom why they send me here. I am missing my family, my friends and the atmosphere of Chinese New Year. Mom said a series of words to console me. “You can come back anytime in your free time,” mom said. Yes, I can come back anytime, maybe just less than three months later. Why not deal with it optimistically? Nothing is impossible, spending three or at most four years abroad is not a big deal. I am sure I can go through it. Happy New Year, everybody!

Valentine's Day

—“Happy Valentine’s Day” is the first word on this special day. I hope myself happy, and hope all people whether in love or not happy too—


It is undoubted that everyone is familiar with western Valentine's Day, so in the following part I would like to tell you something about Chinese traditional Valentine’s Day.

Chinese Valentine’s Day is on lunar-day July 7th. There are always some beautiful fables coming with traditional customs in China. It is came down that July 7th is the date day, the only one in each year, between Altair and Vega, who was the princess in the heavenly palace. Vega violated the heaven’s rule because she fell in love with Altair—a mortal. In order to punish Vega’s mistake, the emperor, Vega’s father, separated Altair and Vega using the Milky Way and permitted them to meet on July 7th every year. On that day all of the magpies will carry branches to bridge on the Milky Way for Altair and Vega. Therefore, Chinese Valentine’s Day was derived from this fable. On that day, the lovers always exchange presents one another in order to express their love, such as roses, jewelry, chocolate or something else, which is same with western. Additionally, some few couples preferred to hold their wedding on this day.

Alone but Free

“…Alone is lonely, but also can be free…”is the word of a sentimental song, whose singer is Gigi Luang, my favorite female singer in China. I think it is very lucid if cite the word to describe my New York life.

Since I came here alone, I have found many differences between USA and China. First, there is not too much interaction between people, which means you have to get accustomed to do your own things alone and do not need to care about how others think about you. Unlike China, one-person event usually involves a group of irrelevant people, some of who help and tell you how to solve the problem while others criticize what you have done. There are too many things you have to think and care about.

There is another important aspect. America is a free nation, where all people have freedom to do everything they want as long as they do not violate the law or do harm to others. Politically, you can make any public comments about government’s policies and actions as long as all you said are valid. Similar phenomenon maybe can not exist neither in China nor other countries(maybe), or everyone will consider you as a vicious person. Regarding to trivia, as a student, you can choose to change your major even transfer to another school(about this aspect, I have my own experience: last semester I changed my major very easily). In China students rarely have opportunity to change their schools because the high requirements.

I am alone, which means I need do everything myself, and sometimes is a kind of lonely. However, I really love the feeling of freedom—It seems like: one day after raining in spring, I weave my way aimlessly and freely through garden, which is filled with colorful fresh air and covered by colorful flowers. Without any restriction…

Smart Elevators

I watched a video on New York Times’ webpage, which is about the brand-new elevators in Mahattan. It’s very interesting.

These elevators were first installed in Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square, which is the busiest hotel in Mahattan and five thousands persons come here to have a deal or convention everyday.

These new brand elevators—miconic 10—are different to regular elevators. Instead of a button outside the elevator to call the elevator to stop, there is a keypad by which you can enter the information about which floor you want to go and the screen on the keypad will display which elevator you should enter. Therefore, you can find a organized group which want to go the same or nearby floors. In this way, you can get you destination directly. In traditional elevators, if ten persons go to different floors, the elevator have to stop, stop, and stop all the time. So these smart elevators are more efficient and faster—on average of 50 percent faster.

There is also some problem. Because there is not buttons inside the elevator, you can not control it and stop it when you get the wrong floor. Besides, some few people feel uncomfortable because of the high-speeding.

In the next few years, all new building in Mahattan will install this kind of smart elevators. So we have to get accustomed to use them.

An Old Song

Country Road

Almost heaven, West Virginia,
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
Life is old there, older than the trees,
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze.
Country road, take me home
To the place I belong,
West Virginia, mountain momma,
Take me home, country road.
All my mem'ries gather 'round her,
Miner's lady, stranger to blue water.
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky,
Misty taste of moonshine, tear-drop in my eye.
Country road, take me home To the place I belong,
West Virginia, mountain momma,
Take me home, country road.
I hear her voice, in the morning hours she calls me,
The radio reminds me of my home far away.
And driving down the road I get the feeling
that I should have been home yesterday, yesterday.
Country road, take me home
To the place I belong,
West Virginia, mountain momma,
Take me home, country road.
Take me home, country road.

This is an American song--such an old country song .I have been loving it since I first time listened to it on the radio ,althought at that time I couldn't understand the singer--John Denver--at all.I had been wondering that was what a feeling if you leaving you hometown for many years where you had been living since you was born and cann't hear one word from your beloved father and mother.Of course ,I couldn't understand at that time because it was impossible for me to have such a similar experience with John Denver.

There is another person who told me he also liked this song very much.It's my English teacher who spended eight years in American because of study .He listened to this song over and over again during the eight years."Yes,I understand .I can understand that is what a feeling ."he said when talked about this song which was related to his experiences in American.

Several years later,when I listened to this song again after leaving hometown for NewYork,"yes,I can "is the first words came to my mind .I am sure I have understood John Denver completely now.Sometimes ,I was dreaming I am driving in my country road and can get my home soon...The river ,the mountain,the tree...everything is beautiful...