5/17 study group
Actually, I feel uneasy about this topic. It reminds me how bad the relation between me and my parents was, and I don’t want to talk about that.
Now a day, Mother’s Day becomes more and more important and commercial. There are big sales everywhere and mass media keep reminding us we should do something to our mother on that special day. It’s not a bad thing. Families have a reason to get together. Mothers can get some luxurious things they won’t buy in daily lives.
The meaning of Mother’s Day has been talked too much, so our group changed to discuss “will you want to be a mother?” However, we all more care about the willing to be a wife. Maybe as time going by, the question of being a mother or not will become more urgent than being a wife because of the age. XD
It seems that our society pay more attention to Mother’s Day then Father’s Day. The first reason is that it’s easier to sell gifts for mothers than for fathers, so the businessman will push Mother’s Day more than Father’s Day. Second, the intimacy between mothers and children is stronger than fathers and children. Third, Father’s Day is on summer vacation. There are no teachers to ask children to make cards and teach them the meaning of Father’s Day.:P However, I think the most important reason is that we chose a special day to honor a great character and we all think mothers are greater than fathers because they devote more and sacrifice more. On the other hand, fathers already get all the resource and power in a family, so it’s not necessary to treat them special on Father’s Day.
2007年5月19日 星期六
2007年5月11日 星期五
Vegetarian
Study Group 05/10
Our human beings are an omnivorous species, so I think being a vegetarian is a little bit unnatural. Many experts said we can get all the nutrition we need from vegetables, if we have well-planned diets. However, why should we choose those substitute nutrition from vegetables instead of just eating meat?
We read three articles this time and they provided three different reasons.
First of all, those slices of meat we ate came from the animals which were treated cruelly. They were crammed into tiny spaces, drugged to keep them alive or to grow faster, and slaughtered in pain.
Second, vegetarians are less likely to develop heart disease and to be obese. In other words, they are healthier.
Third, raising animals for food wastes more resources and produces more pollutions than growing vegetables.
In my opinion, we can choose to eat meat from animals which are treated well and slaughtered humanely. By doing this, we can encourage those factory farms to adjust their balance between low cost and high quality.
Concerning the second reason, I think people who choose to be a vegetarian (no matter out of health or religions) more care about their health than other people. That’s why they are healthier. XD
Going to the third one, we should turn off the light, use the public transportation system, not waste food, not waste paper …etc. to protect our environment. However, changing to a vegetarian? I don’t think it’s necessary to put it on the list.
We also discussed about the inconvenience of being a vegetarian, how people who have different diet habits can get along well…etc. and had a simply conclusion: the diet habit is an import parameter to influence our daily life, and it’s hard for everyone to change their own diet habits.
Our human beings are an omnivorous species, so I think being a vegetarian is a little bit unnatural. Many experts said we can get all the nutrition we need from vegetables, if we have well-planned diets. However, why should we choose those substitute nutrition from vegetables instead of just eating meat?
We read three articles this time and they provided three different reasons.
First of all, those slices of meat we ate came from the animals which were treated cruelly. They were crammed into tiny spaces, drugged to keep them alive or to grow faster, and slaughtered in pain.
Second, vegetarians are less likely to develop heart disease and to be obese. In other words, they are healthier.
Third, raising animals for food wastes more resources and produces more pollutions than growing vegetables.
In my opinion, we can choose to eat meat from animals which are treated well and slaughtered humanely. By doing this, we can encourage those factory farms to adjust their balance between low cost and high quality.
Concerning the second reason, I think people who choose to be a vegetarian (no matter out of health or religions) more care about their health than other people. That’s why they are healthier. XD
Going to the third one, we should turn off the light, use the public transportation system, not waste food, not waste paper …etc. to protect our environment. However, changing to a vegetarian? I don’t think it’s necessary to put it on the list.
We also discussed about the inconvenience of being a vegetarian, how people who have different diet habits can get along well…etc. and had a simply conclusion: the diet habit is an import parameter to influence our daily life, and it’s hard for everyone to change their own diet habits.
日本,搭個便車吧
我又開始看遊記了
之前在圖書館總是跳過這一區
深怕我看一看又想幹麻幹麻
這種想法其實也很奇怪
好像是要用一種認命的態度來過自己並不樂意過的生活,所以拋棄了一切會讓自己改變主意的東西
其實也沒辦法啊,東碰西碰之後還是在原地
只能換個作法
可是啊....憂鬱的快死掉了
所以(反覆記號,請跳到第一行)
日本這個念頭最近突然跳到我的腦袋裡
免簽證耶,去日本找masako, misa, yuri....吧
kozue不知啥時回日本
總之啊,我在圖書館裡就拿起這本書翻了
寫的很無聊的遊記很多
這本倒是挺好看的
搭便車這種方式可以遇到很多當地人,發生很多故事
在加上作者是個"老外",又有更多的衝突可以描述
重點是作者粉幽默,如果換了其他人可能會寫出完全不一樣的感覺
P.S.這本沒有讓你馬上開始查詢日本機票價錢的危險性
不會擾亂你過日常生活的步調,可安心服用
2007年5月8日 星期二
Comfort Women
當作參加5/3英文讀書會的homework吧
I must say that I haven’t studied this issue or even thought about it before. After our group discussion, I realize that this issue is not only about the existence of comfort women or they need an apology. It has very complicate aspects include politics and human rights.
It started from a piece of news. The Japan’s leader, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in his visit to the United States offered an apology but used pointedly vague language to sidestep the issues of Japan’s responsibility toward the comfort women. He said he had ”deep-hearted sympathies that the people who had to serve as comfort women were placed in extreme hardships” and expressed his “apologies for the fact that they were placed in that sort of circumstance.”
It was very weird that Mr. Bush said, “I accept the prime minister’s apology.” Is he a comfort woman?
I think no one will doubt the existence of comfort women, but one of us said some Japanese do. They have no idea what was going on during the World War II. Their government didn’t put those things into their history textbooks. However, comfort women were not ghosts lived in the pass, some of them are still alive and they open their stories to public. Therefore, I think those Japanese can say they don’t know but they can’t say they don’t believe.
Why can’t Japan just say they were wrong and give an appropriate apology? No one will blame them. However, the victims’ countries especially China may ask huge compensation and use this issue to get political benefits. That’s what Japan want to avoid. I think that’s why they choose to give apologies in the United States instead of the victims’ countries.
Another debate is Mr. Abe claimed there was no evidence that the Japanese military had coerced women into sex slavery. In my opinion, no matter those comfort women were volunteers or coerced, the fact is they became sex slaves instead of just providing sex service. There were many sex providers during the wars, but they didn’t become sex slaves. I think this proved Japan lacked human rights during that time and this comfort women issue will always be a prickle on their back when Japan talk about human rights.
I must say that I haven’t studied this issue or even thought about it before. After our group discussion, I realize that this issue is not only about the existence of comfort women or they need an apology. It has very complicate aspects include politics and human rights.
It started from a piece of news. The Japan’s leader, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in his visit to the United States offered an apology but used pointedly vague language to sidestep the issues of Japan’s responsibility toward the comfort women. He said he had ”deep-hearted sympathies that the people who had to serve as comfort women were placed in extreme hardships” and expressed his “apologies for the fact that they were placed in that sort of circumstance.”
It was very weird that Mr. Bush said, “I accept the prime minister’s apology.” Is he a comfort woman?
I think no one will doubt the existence of comfort women, but one of us said some Japanese do. They have no idea what was going on during the World War II. Their government didn’t put those things into their history textbooks. However, comfort women were not ghosts lived in the pass, some of them are still alive and they open their stories to public. Therefore, I think those Japanese can say they don’t know but they can’t say they don’t believe.
Why can’t Japan just say they were wrong and give an appropriate apology? No one will blame them. However, the victims’ countries especially China may ask huge compensation and use this issue to get political benefits. That’s what Japan want to avoid. I think that’s why they choose to give apologies in the United States instead of the victims’ countries.
Another debate is Mr. Abe claimed there was no evidence that the Japanese military had coerced women into sex slavery. In my opinion, no matter those comfort women were volunteers or coerced, the fact is they became sex slaves instead of just providing sex service. There were many sex providers during the wars, but they didn’t become sex slaves. I think this proved Japan lacked human rights during that time and this comfort women issue will always be a prickle on their back when Japan talk about human rights.
2007年4月29日 星期日
Glaciers(the Franz Josef and the Fox)
Franz Josef Glacier
Fox Glacier
這兩條冰河算是紐西蘭最有名的兩條,因為世界上其他同緯度的地方並沒有離海平面這麼近的冰河
(如果我的破英文沒理解錯誤的話,嚮導說還有一條在智利)
結束了在Greymouth悠閒的四天後,搭車前往Franz Josef
參加了全日冰河健行的活動($125NZ)
我還蠻擔心上廁所這件事的,結果都沒人想上廁所(包括我),真是蠻奇怪的
平常哪有機會看到冰河,更別說穿上冰爪在冰上走路,那是電影裡才有的鏡頭吧
嚮導拿著十字稿(不知道專有名詞是啥)走在前頭幫我們開路鑿梯子
我們拿著冰斧跟在後面走(就是電影裡有人拿兩支在手上跑跑跑跳過一個大裂縫,用力鑿進對面的雪裡,那樣的東西吧)
藍色的冰好美啊
冰河健行分三種:半日 全日 直升機
這三種的差別在於你能到達多高的地方
參加半日的因為時間的關係爬不高,看到的冰混著土都灰灰髒髒的
全日的就還有機會走到更高的地方,冰也相對的更白了點
直升機就不用爬了,直接帶你到很高的地方,當然就是一片雪白啦
想說在Franz Josef參加全日健行,到Fox Glacier參加直升機健行好了
(兩條冰河距離20公里,分別有兩個小村莊)
(我在Franz Josef待三晚,在Fox Glacier待兩晚)
結果這個活動結束後就一直下雨
只能窩在旅館裡看魔戒
雨一直下到Fox Glacier,魔戒也一直放到ivery towers(backpackers)去
話說到了紐西蘭旅行之後,不知看過幾百次魔戒了
來紐西蘭旅行的觀光客在下雨的時候都很喜歡在旅館放魔戒來看^^;;
因為天氣差,所以打消了坐直升機的念頭
(反正也走過冰河了,而且粉貴XD)
Fox Glacier另一個景點是Lake Matheson
在天氣晴朗的時候可以看到遠方Mt. Cook和MT. Tasman在湖面上的倒影
網路上找來的圖:
可惜天氣不好,我只拍到雲....
如果有人時間不夠,兩條只能挑一條玩的話
我會推薦Fox Glacier
雖然我沒有參加過Fox Glacier的健行活動
可是應該大同小異
而且還有Lake Matheson
Franz Josef除了冰河就沒別的了
另外在Doubtful Sound遇到的一對夫婦也推薦Fox Glacier的Sky Diving
跳下去的時候可以看到兩條冰河和Mt. Tasman,Mt. Cook壯麗的山景
Fox Glacier
這兩條冰河算是紐西蘭最有名的兩條,因為世界上其他同緯度的地方並沒有離海平面這麼近的冰河
(如果我的破英文沒理解錯誤的話,嚮導說還有一條在智利)
結束了在Greymouth悠閒的四天後,搭車前往Franz Josef
參加了全日冰河健行的活動($125NZ)
我還蠻擔心上廁所這件事的,結果都沒人想上廁所(包括我),真是蠻奇怪的
平常哪有機會看到冰河,更別說穿上冰爪在冰上走路,那是電影裡才有的鏡頭吧
嚮導拿著十字稿(不知道專有名詞是啥)走在前頭幫我們開路鑿梯子
我們拿著冰斧跟在後面走(就是電影裡有人拿兩支在手上跑跑跑跳過一個大裂縫,用力鑿進對面的雪裡,那樣的東西吧)
藍色的冰好美啊
冰河健行分三種:半日 全日 直升機
這三種的差別在於你能到達多高的地方
參加半日的因為時間的關係爬不高,看到的冰混著土都灰灰髒髒的
全日的就還有機會走到更高的地方,冰也相對的更白了點
直升機就不用爬了,直接帶你到很高的地方,當然就是一片雪白啦
想說在Franz Josef參加全日健行,到Fox Glacier參加直升機健行好了
(兩條冰河距離20公里,分別有兩個小村莊)
(我在Franz Josef待三晚,在Fox Glacier待兩晚)
結果這個活動結束後就一直下雨
只能窩在旅館裡看魔戒
雨一直下到Fox Glacier,魔戒也一直放到ivery towers(backpackers)去
話說到了紐西蘭旅行之後,不知看過幾百次魔戒了
來紐西蘭旅行的觀光客在下雨的時候都很喜歡在旅館放魔戒來看^^;;
因為天氣差,所以打消了坐直升機的念頭
(反正也走過冰河了,而且粉貴XD)
Fox Glacier另一個景點是Lake Matheson
在天氣晴朗的時候可以看到遠方Mt. Cook和MT. Tasman在湖面上的倒影
網路上找來的圖:
可惜天氣不好,我只拍到雲....
如果有人時間不夠,兩條只能挑一條玩的話
我會推薦Fox Glacier
雖然我沒有參加過Fox Glacier的健行活動
可是應該大同小異
而且還有Lake Matheson
Franz Josef除了冰河就沒別的了
另外在Doubtful Sound遇到的一對夫婦也推薦Fox Glacier的Sky Diving
跳下去的時候可以看到兩條冰河和Mt. Tasman,Mt. Cook壯麗的山景
2007年4月26日 星期四
Greymouth--雪景,單車,kayak和免費早餐
又偷懶直接把以前寫的東西貼出來
時間是接在一個偽背包客/僞腳踏車族/偽開車族在月光下看企鵝之後
5/14號回到Christchurch的時候,天氣很糟,大風大雨5度c
本來隔天想去搭有名的高山火車(從Christchurch到Greymouth)去南島西岸
聽說沿途景色超美的,之前在農場食宿交換的女主人跟我推薦的
她說尤其是冬天的時候坐在火車裡可以看兩旁的雪景,超美的
想說天氣不好,想說現在還是秋天,可能沒雪看,還是省錢搭巴士去就好了(差了$100NZ)
結果,我真的是運氣很好很好啊^^;;;;
(昨天突然變冷了所以山上有雪,而且雨停了)
雖然不是坐火車,可是巴士沿著蜿蜒的73公路開,道路兩旁都是雪
超美的山景,很寧靜
整車的乘客都一直盯著窗外看(因為窗戶會起霧,大家都自動自發一直擦窗戶)
中間停在Arthur's Pass休息吃午餐
下雪了,雪很小很輕,所以四處飄
第一次看到下雪,好感動喔~~~~
坐在cafe裡喝咖啡吃派看雪,超棒的
到Greymouth的時候天氣大好,住global village
因為第四晚免費,所以就待了四個晚上
不過Greymouth其實沒啥好逛的,大部分時間都待在旅館裡看雜誌吃東西
然後它的浴室有個體重計,一量,驚死,胖了六公斤
天啊天啊天啊來紐西蘭不過三個月就胖了六公斤,真是晴天一個霹靂
以後不能再餅乾巧克力吃到飽了T__T
Global Village不愧是BBH中評價90分的backpackers
有免費的單車,kayak和早餐
放的音樂很好聽,短短四天K了好多本NZ戶外活動的雜誌
第一天走路去海邊,好遠
第二天改騎腳踏車去,也去走了些track
第三天騎了11km去Brunner Mine Site晃晃
在紐西蘭騎腳踏車其實是蠻危險的
尤其騎在時速100的公路上,車子就從旁邊呼嘯而過,根本就沒地方閃
下午就去kayaking囉,太陽粉大,湖很小
有很多pukeko在湖邊晃(NZ蠻有特色的鳥類,不過到現在才看到)
第四天,沒幹麻,市區晃晃
下一站 Franz Josef
時間是接在一個偽背包客/僞腳踏車族/偽開車族在月光下看企鵝之後
5/14號回到Christchurch的時候,天氣很糟,大風大雨5度c
本來隔天想去搭有名的高山火車(從Christchurch到Greymouth)去南島西岸
聽說沿途景色超美的,之前在農場食宿交換的女主人跟我推薦的
她說尤其是冬天的時候坐在火車裡可以看兩旁的雪景,超美的
想說天氣不好,想說現在還是秋天,可能沒雪看,還是省錢搭巴士去就好了(差了$100NZ)
結果,我真的是運氣很好很好啊^^;;;;
(昨天突然變冷了所以山上有雪,而且雨停了)
雖然不是坐火車,可是巴士沿著蜿蜒的73公路開,道路兩旁都是雪
超美的山景,很寧靜
整車的乘客都一直盯著窗外看(因為窗戶會起霧,大家都自動自發一直擦窗戶)
中間停在Arthur's Pass休息吃午餐
下雪了,雪很小很輕,所以四處飄
第一次看到下雪,好感動喔~~~~
坐在cafe裡喝咖啡吃派看雪,超棒的
到Greymouth的時候天氣大好,住global village
因為第四晚免費,所以就待了四個晚上
不過Greymouth其實沒啥好逛的,大部分時間都待在旅館裡看雜誌吃東西
然後它的浴室有個體重計,一量,驚死,胖了六公斤
天啊天啊天啊來紐西蘭不過三個月就胖了六公斤,真是晴天一個霹靂
以後不能再餅乾巧克力吃到飽了T__T
Global Village不愧是BBH中評價90分的backpackers
有免費的單車,kayak和早餐
放的音樂很好聽,短短四天K了好多本NZ戶外活動的雜誌
第一天走路去海邊,好遠
第二天改騎腳踏車去,也去走了些track
第三天騎了11km去Brunner Mine Site晃晃
在紐西蘭騎腳踏車其實是蠻危險的
尤其騎在時速100的公路上,車子就從旁邊呼嘯而過,根本就沒地方閃
下午就去kayaking囉,太陽粉大,湖很小
有很多pukeko在湖邊晃(NZ蠻有特色的鳥類,不過到現在才看到)
第四天,沒幹麻,市區晃晃
下一站 Franz Josef
2007年4月17日 星期二
Dolphins
我跟海豚還蠻有緣的
在Kaikoura參加了和海豚游泳的活動
雖然要$125NZ,可是很值回票價
不知道為啥,在Kaikoura的沿岸聚集了幾百隻的海豚
這個活動就是坐船到海豚聚集的地方,然後把你丟下去跟海豚游泳
游的差不多了就吹哨叫你回船上,再去找另一個地點丟你下去
生平第一次看到野生海豚
(聽說有人坐船去綠島就看到過,我只能把一層層的浪花當作海豚自我安慰:~~~)
還可以跟他們一起游泳
(不能用手摸就是了)
所以如果有人問我推薦哪些行程,我都會推薦這個和海豚游泳的活動
結果大部分的人都會接著問....不會游泳怎麼辦=_=;
沒有救生衣(因為穿著就潛不下去了),提供防寒衣,蛙鞋,面鏡呼吸管
工作人員只會在船上,不會跟你一起下水游
還要自己游回船上
所以啊,還是還是先學好游泳再去紐西蘭吧
Kaikoura是以賞鯨聞名的
雖然大家都說賞鯨蠻無聊的,不如去看海豚就好(只看不游的話只要$60NZ)
我還是又花了$125NZ去賞鯨
除了賞鯨外,他們也會順便帶你去看海豚和海豹
這次就算是第二次看到海豚囉
第三次是坐船遊覽Milford Sound時看到的
載我去的司機說我很幸運,因為不是每個參加行程的人都看的到的
第四次是在Doubtful Sound Overnight Cruise
第二天早上,跑去船艙外吹風
(基本上又下雨又冷,可是就是不想隔個玻璃窗看美景)
然後一群海豚躍出水面
跟著船游了一陣子就消失了,很多聽到消息趕來的遊客都沒看到,嘿
第五次是在北島的Mt Maunganui
那邊算是高級度假勝地,在漂亮的海灘旁有一整排高級的渡假飯店
那天早上,我不過就是在沙灘上散步
就看到幾隻海豚在離海岸不遠的地方游過去\^O^/
最後一次是在Fiji
坐船離開tavenui要回savusavu的路上
又看到海豚跳出水面
(這篇看起來怎麼跟那篇Kayak好像啊)
在Kaikoura看到的海豚是幾百隻,其他地方看到的才幾隻
雖然有幾百隻,我的拍照技術還是拍不到什麼好看的相片
只有幾隻的就更不想拿出我的相機了....
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