Goodbye! Congratulations!

Dear Sean and my classmates

I'm so glad to be at same class with you. Everyone is easy going and so kind to help each other. After these few months, I learned many tips about composition and made many friends. Even though we had so many assignments, we all did it. When I writing this letter, I feel a little sad because we may leave. Nevertheless, this is the best way to wish you all dream comes true.

Good Luck!!

Best Regard

Evelyne

Reaction to Baraka

The movie Baraka makes me think in many different way, and many scenes in the movie impress me. I am touched by the "Manufactured world". It's like a metaphor to our life now and reminds that this the real world. Roads are built connecting everyone. People live in a crowed world. We just like chicken being taken good care of but in limit room. In the city, most people's eyes reveal worry.

When watching the scene, I felt depressed. Only when the nature and religion scenes make me feel peace. In my opinion, people can have real happiness when they back to the nature and far away from competition.

Journal 15: Anticipating Your Parents' Objections

Dear Mom and Dad

I'm so thankful to what you have taught me. You always give someone a hand even a stranger. When you see someone who looks needing help and begging, you always give him money. Sometimes I know that they are not what they look and stop you giving money. I know you will not be happy to hear that but these "poor-guys" may be fake. Trough watching news, I know that some people pretend to be pity to get sympathy and get financial aids. In fact, there are more poor people needing help. I really understand that helping people who need is a good thing and I want to help people who "really" need our help. Maybe we can donate to some charity foundation like Tzu-chi or Red Cross Association to make our money more efficient.

Sincerely

Evelyne

Summarize/Paraphrase Practice

Goodwin Jenifer (2011, Nov. 25). Four common meds sends thousands of seniors to hospital. USA TODAY. Retrieved Nov. 27, 2011, from http://yourlife.usatoday.com

Some common medicines in our daily life seems to occur adverse drug reactions. Goodwin (2011) reports that four types of medicines - two for diabetes and two blood-thinning agents- result to two-thirds of drug-related emergency hospitalizations (par. 2). According to the study cases identifying 65 and older, nearly 48 percent of the hospitalizations occurred among adults 80 and up and also nearly 66 percents were of unintentional overdoses (par. 6). The four medicines are cited in different percentage to emergency hospitalizations (par. 7) and different side effects (par.8). Prior research has also found that older adults are nearly seven times more likely than younger people to have an adverse drug event that requires hospitalization (par. 12). Patients and doctors should word together and discuss whether the drug is necessary to prevent serious problems in the future.

Analyzing an argument

Poloti, D. (2001, November 24). Argentina’s Big Mac Attack. New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from

http://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/24/argentinas-big-mac-attack/

In this article Poloti claims that the curious low price of McDonald's most famous burger means how Argentina government pressures businesses to keep certain prices frozen and manipulates economic statistics in its interest (par. 6). The government tried to influence the Economic Big Mac Index ti hide the truth of world's highest inflation rates (par. 8). Also, the Economist found that the gap between its average annual rate of burger inflation and its official rate is far bigger than in any other country(par.9). Poloti thinks that price-fixing or data-cooking should not be a way to the long term economic problem which has eroded the peso’s competitiveness (par. 11). According to the data the author used, it is a very strong evidence to persuade readers.

Research Day

Allen, A. (2007). Vaccine: The Controversial Story of Medicine's Greatest Lifesaver. New York: W.W. Norton.

Arthur, Allen wrote this book which including the history of vaccine and development. Not only the effect but also the defeat of vaccine. I choose this book because it also introduce some experiments about that if vaccine would cause autism. I think that I could get some information about the relationship between my article.

First source

POLAND, G. A. (2011). MMR Vaccine and Autism: Vaccine Nihilism and Postmodern Science. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 86(9), 869-871. doi: 10.4065/mcp.2011.0467

Dr. Gregory Poland is the chair director of Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group. The article focuses on the misconception created in the mind of public regarding the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. The author states that there is no credible scientific evidence that the MMR vaccine causes autism and offers information on the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP). The author notes the role of the media in creating confusion among the public and states that there must be responsible reporting of information. This journal interested me to find out the relationship between vaccine and Autism. Even though it may be proved no connection recently, I still would like to try to study more resources about the argument. Another aspect I interested is about the social role of a scientist which may has huge influence on all over the world.

Research is coming!

About the research, I want to try to find new knowledge about Autism even though I have learned it before. Actually, I searched the journal yesterday and found a interesting title about Autism vaccine which I haven't not known before. As in my school life and career time, textbook usually tells me what is the pathology and how to treat Autism. With the technology and science proving, there are much more researches and knowledge which may change what I have learned before. So that I would like to find out if vaccine will cause Autism.

Advice- to give or to get

When I was a child, my parents always gave me advices to help me to make a decision. As I grow up, I get advices from different contexts, such as my teachers, classmates, and friends. Actually, not only the elder people can give me advices, but also friends who are younger than me. I will always remember that the most important advice from my junior classmate which help me to recognize my working environment and get along with the boss well. Until now, we are still good friends.

But when you ask me that if I am a good adviser, I'm not really sure. Usually my friend ask me about my opinion of their love stories, in fact, most people agree that we should not over give our personal opinions just in case they complain you reversely. So I only encourage them to become brave and face the problem between their relationship. Most of time, I prefer to be a listener more than an adviser because I know the most important for them is they feel my empathy.

American Food

I believe, "What is American food?", the first image of most people may answer "fast food", such as hamburger, french fries, and many different kinds of high calories foods. In fact, American food is a symbol of combining multiple cultures. But in my mind, when I watch TV, American family celebrate Thanksgiving or other holidays with roasted turkey and many delicious dessert, like pumpkin pie, apple pie, and various cakes. Therefore, I think American like to cook some homemade meals and share with their friends. Actually I find that the way to cook American food is simpler than Chinese food. Sometimes just put some salt and pepper then roast the food, and it tastes so yummy and healthy. Another different aspect is the season favors. For example, American like to use cinnamon for dessert, but people in my country usually use it to stew meat. These two different ways but also enhance the favor of the food.


Halloween is coming!! I see many seasonal products made of pumpkin, such as pumpkin coffee, pumpkin cake, pumpkin yogurt, and many other kinds. I would like to choose coffee or yogurt to try which I never had pumpkin favor before in this season. It would be very interesting!!

Optimistic Quote

" A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." means that if we are optimistic, we can find opportunity even in the most difficult situation. Most of time I am an optimist, and I usually see the bright side of the facet. Because when I feel distress, I can do nothing but worry. For example, when I work in my country, sometimes I would face to different challenges about new pattern patients. At beginning, I just worried and felt anxious, but I found that couldn't help me to solve problem. Since I worried to hurt the patient or increased his symptom, the patient had less progress than others. Then I tried to search more journal and found out the way. As a result, I not only helped the patients to recover, but also increase my knowledge. Sometimes I would like to try something new to challenge myself, it would be interesting and increasing life experiences.
Now, I wish I can pass the second driving test even though everyone tells me it is difficult to pass in Fullerton. I admire that I was very stressful at the day I didn't pass.But now I accept and practice more than before. I wish I can pass it.

Birds of a Feather

Some people say " birds of a feather flocks together", but when I look at my friends, I think we are "opposites attracts". Thus habit, characters,likes and dislikes are mostly different between my friend and I. These differences makes us compensate each other.

First of all, my friend is very sensitive to everything. For example, when we went traveling, she got angry to me because she felt isolated. The truth was that I was attracted to scenes and took pictures everywhere. After we talked to each other, I felt so sorry and apologized to her for ignoring her. And now she can understand that I am not purposed.

Another different character between us is that I'm usually a positive person and easily become carelessness. In contrast, she always analyzes all the details then makes decisions. By the way, that's why I always depend on her plan when we go traveling.

In brief, we are each other's best friend just because we are so different. Even though we may make each other angry, we will always support each other.

If I were Dr. Dolittle

If I were Dr. Dolittle, I would like to listen to what the dog I had before. Because my pet died when I studied far from my hometown, I really wanted to know how I could help her at that hard time. She was just like my family member and we loved her so much. Even she was old, she still waited us in front of the door. I want to understand how she felt when losing sight and having heart problems. I wish I could have helped her relax when her life finished.

In addition, I want to say sorry to the goldfish which I fed when I was 10 years old. That winter was so cold, and I heated the water then... they all boiled!!! Sorry~

Besides these sad stories, if I could understand animal's language, I want to talk to dolphins. I might ask them how about the life of sea and if they could take me to go underwater. I love to go diving and they can go with me. That will be so awesome!!

My favorite song

Before I watched the movie "Amelie from Montmartre", in my opinion, the European movies must be very boring and can not understand. After I watched it, I love the music and the France scenes. Even there are no lyrics, the melody can also let me recall the image of the curious Amelie, such as her strange behaviors, various emotions, and non-fashioned hair stlye. When my friends invited me to go Europe, I decided to visit at the coffee shop she worked and learned Franch to prepare the tour. When I standed outside the coffee shop, the music like playing around my ears accompanying what I saw. I felt that I am brave as Amelie to be a backpacker to go to Europe in my first time. Until now, I could still remember details of the tour and music of scenes.

Weather of Tainan

It is not easy to get rain in my hometown, Tainan, except the typhoon season in summer. The weather is so much similar to CA. Usually the spring and fall season are similar, the weather would be cool and makes people comfortable. These two season are my favorite ones since I can go traveling comfortably. Sometimes it would also rain and thunder in spring to remind people spring is coming. But in summer, typhoons always come and I really don't like wear raincoat to ride motorcycle because it makes me totally wet. Can you image that your shoes become rain-boost? That's really annoy me. But the good thing is that sometimes we may get a holiday when the typhoon is too strong. Because my hometown is in the south of Taiwan, it is not really cold in winter except the cold stream comes. Only comes the cold stream, it makes me frozen and I have to wear like a polar bear to ride to school. But it's really a good excuse to eat hotpot!! To sum up, I feel that the weather here is so similar to my city, but I would like to have more rain here to make me cool and show up my beautiful umbrella. ^^

Still Afraid~

I am shy.Rarely do I want t speak in front of people. I ALWAYS feel nervous when I have to present in front of people even in class. Most of the time now I feel much anxious since I can only use English. I usually worry about that no one could understand what I talk about and both hands like ice and numbness. Someone told me that it would make me relief if I pretend all audiences are watermelons or stones. During these semesters, I tried to practice and this helps me to decrease my nervousness. Actually, when I pretend everyone is watermelon, it makes me laugh. Maybe I should try different objects.

Life in California

After arriving America, I always need someone to drive me to different places. No matter go to school or market, car is really important for me to live in CA.

Even though I have drive licence in Taiwan, the high speed of vehicles in CA terrified me. I'm trying to pass the drive test but always forget to do shoulder check. When I arrived at LA, I was so surprised that it's inconvenient to take public transportation. I really miss the transportation of my country because I can save much time to go anywhere.

Yesterday I went to Hollywood Bawl for concert and I just joined in traffic congestion. Even it happens everyday, I very hate to be stopped on the way. I consider that why government doesn't want to establish public system, which can decrease not only traffic problem but also air pollution. I really want what residents in CA think about their traffic problem.

Introduction

Hi ~ my dear classmates

Today is really hot and I'm thinking how to introduce myself. I come from Taiwan and I am an occupational therapist in Taiwan. My job is to train children or adult who were disabled to complete their daily occupations. I love my job because I can help them to come back to their life. Beside working, I like go traveling to visit different countries and taste different delicious food. But now I miss Taiwanese food so much and like to cook by myself.

I just got married at the end of summer semester. (That's a big secret!!) I consider that it is difficult to be a student and housewife because there is so much homework and housework I have to finish. I like to try different recipes and enjoy the process. And now I wish I can apply graduate school which I really like.

Interview with Tinna

I have known Tinna since last semester, but we do not know each other very well. Even though we met several times before, I only knew she is from China. Tinna is an easy-going girl but still a little shy to share about her story. Tinna comes from Fujiang, in the south-east of China, but she cannot speak Fujianese, which is similar to Taiwanese. That is why we communicate only in English and Mandarin. I am so jealous that she is good at mathematics and physics, which I like less. She said she had not liked learn language since she was an elementary school student. After graduating from university, she now studies hard and hope to get master degree of computer science in the future.