Not Too Late- Norah Jones

What Did You See?

This is a news clip from BBC news on 20th Sep., before the killing. When you saw this clip, what did you see?

And this is the clip when the killing happened.

Did you see a country go mad? Or did you see a place that needs your help in any form?

I wish I can do something, anything. I want to make the world to be a better place to live.

Math Pickup Line

Picture from: Instant Attitudes


And a funny math joke, if you can get it. ;)

A newlywed husband is discouraged by his wife's obsession with mathematics. Afraid of being second fiddle to her profession, he finally confronts her: "Do you love math more than me?"
"Of course not, dear - I love you much more!"
Happy, although sceptical, he challenges her: "Well, then prove it!"
Pondering a bit, she responds: "Ok... Let epsilon be greater than zero..."

Kick Ball

I've never plaied kick ball before. It is absolutely a fun game. We all had some sort of war paint on our face, here is me and my best friend.

Air Pollution from China

One of my grad-students asked me about how Taiwan look at the problem of the air pollution from China.

I can't answer it.

Why? Because of the news I've been reading from Taiwan's news source never talked about this part. All they are reporting was the fight between KMT and DPP, they talk about how scary the society became, they talk about inside Taiwan. China? It is just a huge country right next to us and try to take over Taiwan. Pollution? Who cares, we are not dieing yet, everything is just all right.

Because of this attitude, we have a president like him. Because of this attitude, we put ourseves into danger of being the outseider of the global community. Because of this attitude, we are loosing our spot in the world.

What does Taiwan think about air pollution from China? We just suck it up.

Diana Krall

老師的十二樣見面禮 文 / 簡媜

「放輕鬆不要緊張，這裡的老師都很親切，沒什麼事難得了你的對不對。看到老師要打招呼，讓他們知道台灣來的小朋友都很有禮貌。上課要專心聽，聽不懂也要聽，聽久就懂了，不明白的地方要問。兩塊錢放好別丟了，午餐時記得帶去交，不要第一天就給人家白吃白喝，知道嗎？」

「知道了。」

「午餐不要選油炸的。」

「好好好。」

「好你個頭，敷衍我，到時你一定忘光光。上學有沒有信心？」

「有啦有啦！」

「上課專心不能亂講話喔！」

「好，我走了，媽，再見。」

「再見，祝你好運！要記得多喝水喔！」

（唉，這個媽怎這麼囉嗦！）

這是開學第一天。我們暫時住在南區的租屋，待月底CSU的宿舍空出再搬去。此處離學校較遠，姚同學開車先送小姚去Dunn，再去CSU幹活。我一人在家讀書寫功課非常快活。

落地已數天，生活初步安頓。姚頭丸吞了幾個漢堡打了幾次球後，原先的緊張與壓力一掃而空，也習慣哇啦哇啦講英文，滿口ok ok， sure sure，反正給它「凸落去」，聽不懂是別人的事不是他的責任。

自從借到一個大同電鍋，我這個「全陪」已能供應三餐，還做了壽司。美式生活不鼓勵花太多時間在廚房，超市有很多處理好的菜、肉，很得我的歡心。這裡的水質是高山溶雪，甘美無比，可生喝，帶來的烏龍茶用這水泡，特別甘醇。既然老小二姚都去上學，我首要之務是好好使用這大屋，才不孤負一日七十元房租。

下午四點多放學歸來，姚小弟心情不錯，大老遠就聽到聲音。他似乎有一種天生的適應環境能力是超乎我們想像的，一進門就嚷嚷:「媽，我交了七個朋友！」他唸出一串名字。「不錯不錯，第一天就立下豐功偉業！」我說。

「但是，鬧了一個笑話！」他說，上體育課時（兩班各一半混在一起，另一半上音樂課），老師要男女生分開各排一隊，他很雞婆地對一個長髮小朋友用不靈光的英文說：「You are a girl, you must go there.」

小朋友回答：「I am a boy.」

我笑著說：「你的眼睛放口袋嗎？連男女都分不清就去指揮交通！」

「他留長頭髮耶，看起來像女生！」姚頭丸說。

「誰說男生不可以留長髮，穿裙子也可以哩！你留長髮我幫你綁辮子要不要？」

「不要不要。」

姚小弟的書包裡沒有功課，只有一個牛皮紙袋。打開看，掉出牙籤、橡皮筋、OK繃、鉛筆、橡皮擦、口香糖、棉花球、巧克力、面紙、金線、銅板、糖果。我乍看以為他把食物垃圾全裝在一起，正要開訓，忽然看到一張粉紅色信，看了才恍然大悟，甚至有點感動。級任老師Reines小姐首先歡迎小朋友進入四年級，接著說，這個紙袋裡的東西可能是多餘的，但象徵一些訊息，當你看到這些東西，希望提醒你想起這些訊息。她寫著：

第一樣牙籤，提醒你挑出別人的長處。

第二件橡皮筋，提醒你保持彈性，每件事情都能完成。

第三件OK繃，恢復別人以及自己受傷的感情。

第四件鉛筆，寫下你每天的願望。

第五件橡皮擦，提醒你everyone makes mistakes and it is OK 。每個人都會犯錯，沒關係的。

第六件口香糖，提醒你堅持下去就能完成工作。而且當你嘗試時，你會得到樂趣。

第七件棉花球，提醒你這間教室充滿和善的言語與溫暖的感情。

第八件巧克力，當你沮喪時會讓你舒服些。

第九件面紙，to remind you to help dry someone's tears，提醒你幫別人擦乾眼淚。

第十件金線，記得用友情把我們的心綁在一起。

十一，銅板to remind you that you are valuable and special。提醒你，你是有價值而且特殊的。

十二，救生圈（糖果代替，救生圈形），當你需要談一談時，你可以來找我。

一個老師大費周章準備二十三個紙袋，確認每個紙袋都裝齊了東西，開學第一天，送給每個孩子，還寫了信，充滿濃厚的人文氣息與溫暖情懷。沒有一件提醒作業考試測驗卷評量練習簿，也沒提醒安靜守秩序準時處罰，卻提醒「你是有價值而且特殊的」，提醒「挑出別人的長處」，提醒「記得幫別人擦乾臉上的眼淚」。

我想起幾個朋友的孩子在台灣時學習成果不佳，到國外卻拾回自信心，原因可能是老師第一天就告訴他，你是有價值的，你是特殊的，而不是你怎麼這麼笨，你很蠢，除了吃飯還會做什麼，你簡直是多餘的……。

做為媽媽，誰不希望孩子開學第一天得到這樣一個牛皮紙袋呢？

In Memory of Pavarotti

Happy Labor Day

While the days getting chillier, and shorter.
Leaves strat to change its color.
Air is full of the smell of harvesting.
Lovely autumn is coming. Finally.

May every one has a wonderful Labor Day, and a great autumn.

"If I..." - Renting Experience from Last Year

If I have a chance to go back in time, I would love to change the fact that I lived in a house that made me loose my mind.
Can I go back in time? Nop. So I am fucked up in my mind.

If I can change one thing about the house I lived in last year, I would change a better person to be my landlady.
Can I change anything? Nop. So I got fucked.

If I have the power to make anything better, I would love to change the whole situation between the house and the landlady.
Can I change the relationship between all of us? Nop. But I blame it on myself.

If I am brave enough, I would just say no and went away.
Am I brave at all? Nop. So I hate myself.

If I can color myself, I would not be an non-white and rent a house from that lady.
Can I change my color? Nop. So there is the gap.

If I can chose my gander, I would love to be a guy.
Can I pick a gander? Nop. So there is the tension.

If I have to say what I learned from last year. I would say, thank you for teaching me how to fake my mood when I am facing the person I don't appreciate. Thank you for teaching me what does it feels like to be absolutely angry and what does it means by "there is no point to talk to you." Thank you for teaching me "home" is not the safest place, at least not the house people rent from you. Thank you, and have a nice long life. Wish you the best.