Winnie's Wonderful World

Bye 2007

2007-12-31T01:00:00.000-08:00

It is the last day of the year, nothing special on this day, most of my classmates enjoy this day, but I feel sad instead. I have no expectations for the year 2008, beacause what I wish will never come true. The weather is making me even more uncomfortable, it is really cold and I am freezing to death. I stayed inside my cosy bed for the whole day. This is the worst time I have ever had.

An unforgettable experience

2007-12-27T00:44:00.000-08:00

Everyone must have the most unforgettable experience and I am no exception. My first time to swim is the unforgettable experience for me. It's truly the reason why I make up my mind to learn swimming.Our school had the swimming class once a week when I studied at the elementary school. All my classmates looked forward to having the special class except me. At the beginning, they cannot wait to change into their beautiful swimming suits and trunks. After they put on their swimming suits, the teacher grouped us around him and asked us to take exercise. Meanwhile I did not put on my swimming suit, and did not even do the warm-up exercises. Because I was so afraid of swimming pool, I hide behind the crowd until teacher found me.“Winnie, what are you doing? Why do you hide here?” my teacher asked me. I told my teacher that it's my first time to swim. To my surprise, he didn’t blame me but encouraged me. So I made up my mind to learn swimming. I praticed swimming and followed the tips he taught me. Finally, I can swim well, and even swim as fast as others. My teacher was so happy that he gave a present for me! I was so glad that I can learn the skill of swimming. Until now, I will take more time for swimming. And I never forget the unforgettable experience.

Eating

2007-12-26T00:59:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, I like Chinese food, but not because I am Chinese. I’ve no idea, I just like them. The reason is maybe they cater my appetite. You know, I don’t eat food that I don’t like even if they are the healthiest food in theworld, I eat food that I like very much as long as they are not poisonous.I have stated many times that I am a life enjoyer, so I always try my best to let my life be as comfortable as possible. If I have to eat so called healthy food that I don’t like everyday, I’d rather lose my life. What’s interesting is I am always healthy, no disease attacks me. Now you know the reason.Those so called healthy food are not healthy at all. My own slogan is“Eat everything you like, so you’ll be healthy,

What happen to my computer?

2007-12-25T00:55:00.000-08:00

In the beginning, there was just a small problem--some fan inside the computer made a little noise sometimes, probably because of a loosen screw or something. As the system was still working alright, I didn't pay any attention to it. Later on, the fan complained with bigger and more frequent noise, so I had to look into it. It's the fan for north bridge processor. Without any surprise, the fan was already damaged. Because it was hard to find another fan of the same size to replace it and I was busy at that time, I decided to fix it a few days later. However, after a week, the fan became silent again. And everything "seems" fine. I feel happy that "time do fix things". Although, since then, the computer crashes sometimes (about once a week), probably because the fan was not running at all. But the crashes were not frequent enough to attract my attention. Today, I have computer maintenance team check it. It turns out both the main board and the graphic card are broken down probably due to overheating problem. Now, I have to get another new computer and reinstall all the IDEs and setup Linux system for simulation again which might take a few days, all because I am too lazy to fasten a loosen screw in the first place.

Grades

2007-12-24T00:29:00.000-08:00

I have seen what homework I have left out this semester. The "flight or fight" homework and the unicorn girl. I feel really sorry about it. I didn't mean to ignore them instead I have tried my best. The reason is because I could not understand what the movie is talking about or what it is trying to tell us! Therefore, I could not answer those questions you have given us for homework. Secondly, regarding the drama - The Unicorn Girl, I have something on on both the two nights and it is a pity that I can make it. I heard from my classmates saying that it was really fantastic. Since I did not not watch the drama, I was not able to do the homework you gave us.

Sorry!

Winter Vacation

2007-12-22T07:57:00.000-08:00

Poor me! I am going to stay in this remote place during my winter vacation alone. None of my classmates are staying, they are all going back to their sweet home. The reason why I have to stay here is because I have to earn some money for next semester. The salary for college students is 95 per hour. Though it may seem little, it is better than nothing. All the best to me for my winter vacation.

Christmas

2007-12-21T05:12:00.000-08:00

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. The fact that it happens in the winter, my favorite season, has a lot to do with it. But, more importantly, I think it was because of my childhood. My family embraces all aspects of the Christmas season with gusto — gift giving, music, food, decorating, worship services, candles, advent calendars etc. I know lots of people who get frustrated and stressed and depressed this time of year and seem to thrive on grumbling through it all. I have never heard this be the attitude in my family, though. Yes, there have been years when money was tight and when that caused some stress, but Christmas was still Christmas and it was a joyful time to be celebrated.
We are having some people over this evening to help decorate the house. We will share a meal and then have some sugar cookies and snacks to keep us fortified. I have been tidying the house and putting the tree together and preparing so things are ready when our friends arrived. I just bent over to get the advent calendar, Christmas tablecloth and placemats out of the hutch and had a huge sense of nostalgia. I love remembering the years that our whole family would sing around the piano after the presents were opened. You haven’t really heard the 12 Days of Christmas until you’ve heard it done with each person taking one day and singing it in the appropriate spot. As we go through this season this year, I’m prepared to have some tearful moments. I know, though, they are tears of thanksgiving and blessings and joy given from the memories of my Christmas’ past.

Sweet Valley series

2007-12-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

It’s about twin sisters who look exactly alike but in the inside, they were different as night and day. I like their exciting lives upon reading these books, you can see Sweet Valley University as they journey to college life without parental guidance, they’re on their own. Their lives were very colorful and I can really rely on their stories . They solved problems about friendship, love, school, family. I can use it as I also go through life as they were. I am looking for the series of books but I could not find it. I have checked the school library and even the bookstores that came to set up stall to sell English novels. I have read the some of the Sweet Valley Kids series, they are really entertaning.

I like my house

2007-12-14T07:26:00.000-08:00

This may seem like a weird title for a blog, but it is true. I like my house right now because it is close to being clean! For those who have been over to my house you know that I am not a good housekeeper. There are usually several piles laying around and clutter on the floor. This weekend my grandma will be coming to visit us and bringing the cousins to have fun. Since they are coming I have been in cleaning mode and wanting to take care of some messes, I have been trying to get to for a while. Today the kitchen is almost done, I have to finish a couple more areas to work on. If I can just get my good habits going, my house really would be in good shape and I don't have to spend so much time and effort cleaning.

Tired

2007-12-12T05:51:00.000-08:00

I will be so glad to be over this cold, or whatever it is that I have. I have had a sore throat for a week today. Waking up in the morning is the worst, or just sleeping in general. I have a lot of housework to do, especially since I haven’t been feeling well, so house work has been on the bottom of my list. I should get off the computer and get some work done. Like picking up the mess in the room and washing my clothes. I need to be feeling better as we are feeling a real financial strain right now and I need to be able to work and possibly get some overtime so I can have money to live on for the next month or so. I hate the consequences of bad decisions, but I hope I will make good use of the lessons learned.

Post cards

2007-12-08T01:42:00.000-08:00

I received some postcards from Singapore. I was so surprised, they are from my friends in Singapore. They missed me a lot and told me that they had wanted to visit Taiwan a lot and asked me if I can be their tour guide. They had heard a lot about Taiwan, probably the food had attracted them the most. They wonder how the stinky tofu taste. However, I am too busy and I feel so sorry.

The Kite Runner

2007-12-04T01:37:00.000-08:00

The next book for our reading class is "The Kite Runner", I must say that it is really a tough book. First, we are not familiar with the cultures of Afganistan, therefore we may not understand what the phrase or word represents. Second, the vocabulary are of a higher level. We are not going to check every word that we don't know, that will take us many years to finish the book. Lastly, it is too thick and the words are so small. There are no pictures at all. It is really a very challenging book.

Take me home, country road.

2007-11-26T07:39:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was listening an English song. It is called "Take me home, country road". "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is a song written by John Denver, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, and initially recorded by John Denver. It was included on his 1971 breakout album Poems, Prayers and Promises; the single went to #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The song is the theme song of West Virginia University and has been performed at every home football pre-game show since 1972. In 1980, Denver performed his hit song during pre-game festivities to a sold-out crowd of Mountaineer fans. This performance marked the dedication of Mountaineer Field and the first game for head coach Don Nehlen. In fact, the song is played at virtually all athletic events and many other university functions. It is played after the football team wins at home, upon which the fans are encouraged to stay in the stands and sing the song along with the team. It has also been played after WVU Men's Basketball victories.

School 17th Anniversary

2007-11-24T04:19:00.001-08:00

Today is school's 17 th Anniversary. Stalls were set up in the school campus. Many visitors from other school admired our school environment and facilities. I was not feeling happy that day because of some bad memories that happened during the previous year came to my mind. Sometimes things are just out of my control. I feel so helpless.

FRIENDS

2007-11-22T04:00:00.000-08:00

For our speaking class, we watch Friends and learn English speaking from it. Everyone on this show is so witty and delivers their lines superbly that it's hard not to like all of them equally. However, I do have my favorite characters/actors/actresses. My favorite character is Jennifer Aniston act asRachel Green, Rachel Green is a fun-loving, cute little waitress, who seems to always have trouble finding Mr. Right, who is plainly right in front of her 24/7. Who is that, you ask? Well, obviously Ross Gellar. Her roommate Monica's brother. Rachel is undoubtedly most everyone's favorite character who watches this show, just not mine. Sometimes her personality can get a little annoying, and although I like her better than Joey, not very much more.

Great Discovery

2007-11-15T03:18:00.000-08:00

While I was surfing the internet, I discovered a very useful website for teachers. It is a free text tool that can help you transform text into fun classroom activities.
http://www.teachers-pet.org/index.html
The most interesting tool to me is the one which you can make a crossword puzzle by yourself. I like solving crosword puzzles, maybe next time in class, we can share our puzzles in class with our classmates.

What If You Had A Universal Remote... That Controlled Your Universe?

2007-11-13T03:06:00.000-08:00

I have watched this movie three times already, I find it so meaningful! The name of the movie is "Click". In Click, Adam Sandler plays Michael Newman who is a talented architect stuck in between life and work. If he works hard there is a promotion ahead, but there's a constant pressure from his wife Donna and their young kids to spend some time with the family. Micheal is frustrated that he can't ever find the correct remote control when he finally has a moment of time to watch TV and so he goes looking for a universal remote control. He drives past BestBuy and ends up at, of all the places, Bed, Bath and Beyond. The movie is about a balance between life and work, the priorities and how far one is willing to go to achieve his goals. It's funny, but serious.

Eating out

2007-11-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

For many people, dining out is a favorite way to relax and socialize with friends. But it's more difficult to tell how food is prepared, and selecting the right foods presents special challenges for people with heart failure. With some planning and initiative, though, eating out can be both healthy and enjoyable. Ask for more details about how food is prepared and cooked. For example, a food that looks acceptable because it's baked or grilled might include a high-fat sauce or salty seasoning. It's OK to ask the waiter or waitress for help.

Alone

2007-11-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

This weekend I was alone in the dormitory. All of my room-mates had gone home. I could not sleep for long and therefore I felt boring. I think of all the things I can do like surfing the internet, reading the books I borrowed from the library and doing homework. However, these are not the things I am interested in. I got tired very soon, I got back to my bed but I could not sleep. I stare at the ceilings thinking of someone and my tears drop.

TOEIC

2007-11-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

Finally, I got my results for the TOEIC test I took on October 28. I was so excited and nervous, I am afraid that I did not perform as well as I had expected. I logged on to the website and clicked on the icon that said "check your results", my hands were shaking as I was moving the mouse. I filled in some information to confirm my status and within three minutes, the results were sent to my mail box.
I read the mail, it says 470 for listening and 400 for reading, and your total score is 870.

Witches

2007-11-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

For our reading class, we are doing the novel "Witches" by Roald Dahl. Though we were asked to finished reading the book before the schools starts, I finished reading it today!
The book gives several characteristics which distinguish witches from the rest of the characters. These are told to Boy by his grandmother near the beginning of the book.
1. Slightly larger nostrils
2. Blue tinge to tongue and teeth (spit is naturally blue)
3. Pupils that seem to have fire dancing inside
4. Always wears gloves to cover claw-like fingers
5. Wears a wig to hide baldness and can be seen scratching hair due to itchiness
6. Wears pointy shoes and limps slightly because witches have no toes
7. Always a woman
8. Might hold the nose when they pass children

Shopping through the Internet

2007-11-02T16:41:00.000-07:00

I have been surfing the web recently and look at many of the websites that sell things. Though the photographs on the website have attracted me, I still didn't buy it after all. It is because I feel so unsure of the quality, especially clothings, you can't try and you never know if it fits you or not. Further more, you have to pay an extra amount of transportation charges which is not needed when you shop in a shopping mall. Therefore, I prefer to shop with my "legs" not "hands".

Halloween

2007-10-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

It is Halloween today! Not many people in Taiwan celebrate this occasion. To them, it is a weird day. I could not understand what is the purpose of playing "treat or trick", I have to admit that it is fun but it do scares people. Instead, I like Thanksgiving Day more than Holloween, because there is turkey on Thanksgiving, I have not tried turkey before, therefore I hope I can taste it on the Thanksgiving Day.

Back home

2007-10-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

Finally I wait till this weekend and I can go back to my hometown - Taipei. I am really not used to the place here. It is not as prosperous as Taipei, not a single bus is seen on the road. I can only ride a bicycle which means I can only move around within the shcool. What about the places outside school? I wanted very much to go shopping but there is no shopping mall to be seen in Douliu. I have to make good use of my time in Taipei to do my shoppings.

Chocolates

2007-10-25T03:42:00.000-07:00

I like to eat chocolates except those which taste bitter. The chocolate I like most is "Ferrero Rocher". They are so nicely wrapped and once you opened it, there is a smell that come straight to your nose. I expecially like inside - the chocolate sauce, it is not too sweety.

A Talk

2007-10-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Today I attended a talk in the hall. It was a talk given by the manager from the Gigabyte company. He was talking about how cellular phones affected us and what is the future trend of the cellular phones. He talk about watching TV on the phone. That is really a cool invention! In this way, I will not miss my favorite TV program.

Busy

2007-10-21T03:37:00.000-07:00

I am really busy these few weeks. There is hardly any free time for me to do my own business. I don't even have time to do "day-dreaming". It is really stressful because things are never done. There are always things coming up for me to do. When will be the time that I can relax?

Attittude

2007-10-20T03:33:00.000-07:00

Attitude is an important issue to we, teenagers. In my opinion, attitude is indeed essential in what ever you do. You may come across something which is difficult or something that you cannot handle, it does not matter. The key point is your attitude towards the problem. To take me as an example, I have met some problems that I cant't solve, but I have an positive attitude towards it.

Tv program

2007-10-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

I was just watching the most interesting show on nature channel about sharks. It was both fascinating and freaky. I learned so much. Did you know that sharks have been aound for over 150 million years? That is even longer than the dinosaurs!

Did you know that sharks never run out of teeth? When they lose a tooth another one just comes in to replace it.

I also learned that some of the biggest sharks are not carnivores, so they don't attack like the really vicious ones, like Great White sharks or Hammerhead sharks.

I always worry a little bit about shark attakcs when I am swimming in the ocean, but from this TV program I learned that it is not very common at all. That should probably ease my mind, but I am still afraid of sharks.

Weird Dream

2007-10-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

At first I just feel anxious, but it turned to pure fear as I tried to get out of the stair. All the doors were locked. I ran to the top of the stairs and there were two last doors.

Somehow I knew that behind one of the doors was something awful and frightening, but I didn't know which one. I trembled and froze on the spot. Then I heard someone coming up the stairs closer and closer and I lunged for one of the doors, praying that it wouldn't be locked.

The door opened and I ran through it. All of a sudden, I was falling through the air. My heart jumped and I woke up in a cold sweat. It was only 4am, but I got up because I was too scared to fall back asleep.

My day?

2007-10-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

I didn't think I could take one more day of the dreary, dark weather of the last few weeks. It was really beginnig to drive me crazy. It is Saturday, so I don't have to go to school. I am free to do anything I want!

Oh, today is a perfect day! I guess rain is goos for making the world look clean and pretty, even if you can't tell when the sky is overcast like it has been all week. I can't decide what to do first. I think I am going to call someone and see if they want to go shopping with me.

I want to experience the breathe of human beings.

Flowers

2007-10-16T03:37:00.000-07:00

The weather is beautiful again. It is really starting to feel like spring. The wind is blowing pale pink petals from the cherry blossoms al over the street and it smells delicious. There are tulips everywhere. I went to the florist this afternoon and bought a bouquet of red, orange and pink tulips and they are sitting right beside me as I type.

Fresh flowers definitely add life to a room. I feel happy every time I look at them. Some people think that flowers are a waste of money because thety just die, but I think spending a little money on something so beautiful is reallu worth it. Flowers remind me that I should appreciate the beauty in life today because nothing lasts forever.

I don't mind buying myself flowers. It would be nice to have a man buy them for me sometimes though. It is such a romantic gesture. But flowers are not only for romance. They can be all kinds of love.

New hair style

2007-10-16T03:10:00.000-07:00

I did something impulsive. I made an appointment with my hairdresser for tonight and went in after school and got a new hairstyle.

I just told her to do whatever she thought would look good on me. I said I am tired of the log straight black hair. I had been having this hair style for many years, so she suggested I dye my hair for a fun change. I didn't want that, I just want to be simple.

still sick

2007-10-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

I have not been sick in a long time and I forgot ho miserable it is. My mom is going to come over to take care of me. She is bringing homemade chicken soup and some DVDs so I don't have to watch any more bad daytime television.

I must confess that I like some soap operas, but I haven't followed them for months so I don't really know what is happening in the stories. The only other thing that is on TV during the day is the news and a few talk shows. I am not interested in either of those.

sick

2007-10-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

I was coughing all night and my nose is running. I'm stuffed up, sneezing, and I have a headache. I hate being sick. I wanted to call in sick this morning, but I thought I might feel better.

I realized I am wrongI can't even concentrate and I feel terrible. I am not to busy, so I think I will go back to the dormitory after lunch. I need to have some rest, some chicken soup, and some vatamins. With any luck I will be as new tomorrow.

My sick Day

2007-10-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

I have a cold. I have had a sore throat since yesterday, but I thought it might be from the people smoking at the restaurant on Saturday night. I don't smoke so I am very sensitive to cigarettes. It's worse this morning, though.

Shopping with no money

2007-10-02T03:15:00.000-07:00

This week was so hectic, I desperately wanted to sleep in this morning but Betty called bright and early, insisting that I go shopping with her. I am flat broke these days, but she is very persistent when she wants something badly enough.

But I had one condition - I made her promise not to let me buy anything. I'm saving up for a summer vacation and can't afford to spend any money these days!

Anyway, Betty and I had a fabulous day together. We used to hang out all the time, but it's been a while since we have spent any quality time together, just the two of us. I didn't even spend a dime!

I fell in love with a gorgeous jacket and considered using my credit card, but Betty was true to her words and made me just walk away. It was actually a lot easier than I expected to spend all day at the mall and not buy anything. But I definitely prefer shopping when I can buy things.

exercising

2007-10-01T03:04:00.000-07:00

It's been months since I have been to the gym. I really noticed how out of shape I am when I was hiking last weekend. We climbed a couple of big, long hills and I could hardly breathe by the time we got to the top.

It is obvious I have been inside watching TV all the time! My legs are so sore from overdoing it last weekend. I can barely walk up or down the stairs.

I don't mind a little bit of muscle soreness. It felt so good to be outside in the fresh air with all the smells and sights of nature.

But I realize now that it is time to get back to the gym and get some regular exercise. I love feeling slim.

What a terrible day!

2007-09-30T02:02:00.000-07:00

This week is just getting worse and worse. First, I slept in because instead of hitting snooze on my alarm clock, I accidentally turned it off. I was late for class.

My teacher noticed, but luckily she didn't give me a hard time about it. It was stressful start to my day. Then, I met my friend for lunch and she told me that she went to a big party at our friend' s house on Saturday night.

She talked and talked about how much fun it was. Eventually, she asked me why I didn't go and I tod her that I wasn't invited so I didn't know about it. I don't think she noticed that I was feeling so left out and sad.

Lonely

2007-09-29T01:53:00.000-07:00

No one has called to invite me to do anything social for a while. I guess all my friends are staying in, too. So, tonight will be another night of watching TV at home alone in my pyjamas. I spend so much time alone lately. At least my favorite show is on soon.

It is a drama about crime investigations and I think tonight's episode is a new one.

Okay, it is almost time for my show to start and I still haven't had dinner or changed out of my clothes.

Winnie's Days

2007-09-29T01:04:00.000-07:00

I am so tired of summer. First it was so hot and my body feels sticky all the time. However, these few days it has been raining. It rained so much that I can hardly remember what the sun looks like. It had been wet and miserable for days and days.

All I want to do is climb into bed, crawl under the covers, and hide from the world until sunny day is here. I have been feeling down lately and I think it has a lot to do with the depressing weather this month.