Day 2

"Where can I have my lunch?" I kept asking myself when I was at Meiji Shrine. The shrine looked so devine,and it truly was,I couldn't eat wherever I wanted. So I brought my sushi and kept hungry until I finally found a place to eat them. It was outside the shrine,next to a subway exit. There was a small park,and I ate them there.

I also went to Omotesando Hills,a place seemed like to mimic Beverly Hills. With elite boutiques standing alongside the both sides of sidewalks,Omotesando Hills gave me a fleeling that"Am I walking around the Beverly Hills?" They even have similar names,using "Hills" as the the second word.
I can't say which one is better. Actually,they're both good.

Imparial Palace,Ginza and Tokyo Tower were the other places I visited for the rest of the day.
I heard that "Japan is a high-definition world." That means everything is neat and clean so it looks like you would watch everything in Japan like with high-definition. Is that true? Yes,it is. I've proved it by myself.

Of course there are shortcomings of Japan. We'll talk about them later. Now it's time to take a rest.

Day 1- In Tokyo

I almost missed my plane today. I woke up so late,my dad had to hurry give me a ride to the airport to catch a shuttle flight,from Kaohsiung to Taoyuan. Hail Dad.

I have to admit I went with a bad mood. I cannot say why,all in all,it is my fault.

Anyway,since I will be here for 4 days,just follow the plan I made a couple months ago.
That time,I was kept away from this country because of the outbreak of swine flu.

Today I went to Daiba(台場),a romantic place usually shown as a background in Japanese dramas.
It was romantic. And chilly. Especially when I lost two buttons of my jacket.

Let us explore the city again tomorrow,and 4 days later,I can be home again.

Accounting Lesson

Today's Accounting lesson was a torture. I went to the class after finishing dinner just half an hour before it started. The result was I almost passed out during the class.

Drowsy,lenthy lecture and full of food in my stomach made me feel so sleepy and couldn't keep myself awake anymore but fell asleep.

I chose to attend that class,because it'll finally do me good when I need to use basic accounting knowledge in judging a financial statement.

The truth is Accounting takes lots of time to practice if you want to get a whole picture of it. I failed doing that by lack of time excercising examples provided by textbook and the lecturer.

It's no doubt that Accounting plays an important role in modern business. I need more time to better study it.

Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor,the latest named U.S. Supreme Court Justice,the first hispanic who claims this title. (Photo:AP)

Couldn't imagine how deeply diversified of people from different ethnicities working together at Los Angeles Int'l Airport,when I set my foot on America for the first time.

America,a once so-called "Melting Pot" of world races,was tainted partly becaused of the war on terrorism. And I prefer calling U.S. "A Plate Putting with Many Cuisines" to "A Melting Pot." Melting means everything is melted together.

Though,America has gone on a right way and retaken it's role that it used to play. It's good to see talents being recruited and has their spots on American society.

Sonia Sotomayor,the first hispanic Supreme judge,will take a role on any critical issues like abortion and same-sex marriage.

She now holds the power to judge and have a say on America,that stands for everyone is equal before law,and everyone's able to have equal rights,like a hispanic American sharing the spureme jurisdiction,Whites and Blacks alike.

I know not much about Justice Sotomayor,but I hope she speaks for justice,and a better America.

Great...I didn't do it!

Once upon a time,I had a chance to complete the following :

New York. Fly to Boston.Down to Baltimore,Washington,Miami and perhaps Tampa Bay. Then en route to Chicago.Make a left turn to Los Angeles. Last stop,San Francisco.

Obviously,I didn't do it. Given the circumstances inside and outside,I was capable of traveling all over America.

I didn't do it.

Now I want to turn back time, grasping tightly all I've missed.
Opportunities,they hide behind those you think you can't make.
And if keep locking youself up in the pattern you used to be or getting used to,you'll lost them easily.

I would no longer have time to travel like what are mentioned above,if I keep a full-time job. And sure,there's no chance going back to the past.
So this is the George-three-year-later blaming the George-three-year-earlier.

Time's gone. Of little use to regret. But I still miss all the good things slipperd away from my fingers.

Down to earth

The H1N1 epidemic is alive again. Seems like it would repeatedly destroy my plan to the nation of sakura if the disease failed to be scaled down.

This time may be one of the last few chances I could travel freely for some reasons.So going fearlessly but fully prepared is necessary. A flu shot might help,if there is one.

I may travel frequently in half a year from now,and I can work with strolling over the wet streets along the Seine supposed it would be damp in February. Though it's not really my thoughts exactly.

Take good advantage of a 9-day vacation just announced by the government for the next Chinese new year. Sadly,I would never see the green lawns and leaves as people would witness in spring or summer,when I take my backpack and get away in winter.

Paris is always a heavy hitter in tourism industry.Too many must-sees in this city turns out to be a cruel test for travelers. A bittersweet self-indulgent in an exotic country. "Excuse-moi, la gare,s'il vous plait."

Still a bundle of nerves,I pray that I'm well on my way toward any trip and safe like any other day. And,don't break the bank.

Unlock the power

前天吧,在網路上看FOX NEWS,剛好那天除了歐巴馬去Indiana演講之外,還有柯林頓把2個記者從北韓帶回美國的新聞.

其實很享受能夠完全溝通的感覺,不需要翻譯,雖然只能掌握到7/8成的內容,但是已經夠了,剩下的是增加單字量,以及習慣各種口音.

能夠了解一種外語,並且溝通無礙,真的是一種很暢快的感覺. 這是我高中時拒絕學測,拒絕指考後,所做的最正確的一件事. 從那時起開始喜歡閱讀英文報章雜誌,還有一些簡短的短篇故事,其中有些是西方世界masterpieces的簡易版,像是莎士比亞的作品.

高中時看到國文課本,不禁覺得我們的國民要被這些[之/乎/者/也]還有那幾個唐宋八大家的懷才不遇心境害到何時? 感覺那些人的文章多是悲觀,充滿壯志未酬的心理,搞的中華民族的心理年紀都超齡,民族缺乏活力. 為什麼不多介紹一些外國的作品? 這世界也不是只有中國人啊!

就是從這種心理出發,開始對英文有興趣,直到現在.

還好我在高中不想讀書,不想拼明星學校的那段時間裡,還有唸英文,現在真的是很受益. 或許唸外文系出來的也不一定找的到工作,語文不能當飯吃. 不過當成一種興趣,自己練習,到能夠慢慢地進步,真的很欣慰.


話說,FOX NEWS是保守派的新聞台,多半是偏共和黨的,所以當柯林頓帶回2個記者時,它們當然高興,但是也認為這樣是讓北韓得逞了,美國派出層級這麼高的人去跟北韓低頭. 針對這點,FOX的評論中對這次營救行動帶有貶意. 隨後前保守派的駐UN大使 Bolton也投書華盛頓時報吧,認為這次的事情處理得並不好. Bolton,全名是John Robert Bolton,之前英國金融時報有出過他的專訪,標題是Hungry Hawk.

所以,美國國內的衝突跟黨派之見並不小啊,不是只有台灣有藍綠之分. 從以前觀察他們的國會選舉及總統選舉,就知道其實民主 /共和兩黨再很多議題是差異很大的,尤其小布希上台真是有種撕裂美國社會的感覺. 從他一開始跟高爾的計票爭議,就已經讓民主黨支持者很不爽了,到之後的二次伊拉克戰爭以及想要開發北極圈石油的想法,讓美國社會的對立加重.

不過,不同台灣的是,他們是一個完整的國家,最後所有爭吵,會回到國家政策的爭辯之上,並不會像我們一樣,最後導引到統獨的走向,然後一切無解.

在接收媒體的訊息時,最好有能力可以自行判斷,因為像是國內的媒體,翻譯有誤的真的不少,畢竟有些很道地的用語,連唸英文系的人都不懂了,何況非語文主修出身的記者?