Anita's Journals

Journal #16

2009-05-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

My writing has improved this spring. I have learned the different kinds of essay. I have never written an argumentative essay before. It is my first time to learn how to write it even though I struggled a lot. And the topic that I picked was really appealed to me. I am glad I have a chance to sort out and make clear my thoughts.

The writing skill that I want to improve is about literacy. Sometimes I still make a lot of mistakes, especially proposition. I still have a big problem on propositions. There is no shortcut for English writing. Only one thing that I can do is to practice more.

Besides, I can not only use the simple sentence but also the compound complex sentence.
I really hate compound complex sentence because it is really confusing me. But at least I practiced it and learned about it. I hope I will keep using it.

Journal #14

2009-04-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

If I could make a change to have an ideal body, I would like to be taller. My ideal height is 5"4. However, my height is 5"2. I think I am too old to change it. If I was a teenager, I might have chance to be taller. Actually, my parents and my brother are not tall either. I am not tall because of gene.

However, I think there is no plastic surgery that can help me to become taller. I already gave up to become taller. I will try to use high heels to “fix” my height. That is why I have 8 pairs of high heels and all of them are around 3 inches. Fortunately, I am a girl and I can try to rationalize it---the short girl is cute.

If a person has some serious blemishes, he/she is able to have plastic surgery because plastic surgery has some health risks. This is because plastic surgery is a medical surgery. And plastic surgery can make patients more confident. Harelip is a good example for having plastic surgery.

Journal #13

2009-04-17T18:11:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite comic books is Detective Conan, also known as Case Closed in the United States. This is a Japanese comic book which is illustrated by Gosho Aoyama. It was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday since January 1994 and it is not finished yet. Detective Conan has comic books, TV drama, movies, and video game. There is a Detective Conan movie which will be screened in Japan every year since 1997. Usually it is screened during Golden week each year.

The plot of Detective Conan is about a junior high school detective who usually works with police. He was attacked by 2 people from a mysteries crime organization and took the medicine that should kill him. However, he did not die. (Of course!) But he became a kid, the medicine transformed his body. Then, he tries to hunt this mysterious crime organization and get the antidote. He lives with his girlfriend after he became a kid because the father of his girlfriend is also a detective and he may have some clues about the mysterious crime organization.

The thirteenth movie of Detective Conan will be screened on April 18, 2009. The title of movie is “The Raven Chaser”. The mysterious crime organization will figure out the high school detective did not die and try to kill him and people around him. I am really excited about this movie and looking forward to seeing it as soon as possible. Because I do not understand Japanese, I usually have waited until this summer and the movie will be screened in Taiwan. It is a long long long journey for me.

Journal #12

2009-04-10T10:40:00.001-07:00

Some people think some boys are too shy to ask girls out, so girls should be active. However, it is a rationalization for those lazy and passive boys. Girls are also shy when they ask boys out. Besides, boys would be the energetic people and be full of courage if they like girls very much. There is no problem for boys to ask girls out even though boys are shy.

Girls are normally the ones getting asked out, and girls should ask guys out as well. On the other hand, to ask girls out is a gentlemanly behavior. The roles of boys and girls are different. Being a lady should not ask a man out. Men would not feel good if girls take over their job.

If girls keep waiting, they will loss the chance to fall in love with boys. Boys may not like girls who ask them out and turn down girls’ asking. Someone may think at least to give it a try. However, if girls fail to ask boys out, the reputation of girls will be ruined by rumors. Boys would think girls who ask them out are reckless.

Journal #11

2009-04-03T11:20:00.001-07:00

My friends had gone to Israel for ten days. They have two children, one is nine years old and the other one is 11 years old. They needed a babysitter when they were in Israel. Actually, I did not have plan for my spring break. So I was available to babysit their children.

However, I do not think I am a good babysitter. This is because I had no experience to be a babysitter. I was so nervous when I lived in their house. I am a person who do not like to stay overnight in others’ place. The most important point is about children’s meals. I do not know how to cook.

The schedule of children is amazing. They wake up at 7:00 o’clock in the morning and go to bed at 7:30 in the evening. Children are well-behaved and I did not worry about their behavior. However, I was worried about how to follow the children’s schedule and try to put them to sleep on time. After babysitting their children, I realized that my mom deserves my respect.

Journal #10

2009-03-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

My unforgettable sport event is a baseball game happened on August 15, 2008. This baseball game took place at Wukesong Baseball field on 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. I did not watch TV, but I did watch “Gameday”, which is the premiere destination for following live baseball on the Internet with words and pictures. The game was between China and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). At the end, China won the game.

I really like to watch baseball game “at home”. Usually people who live in Taiwan would like to watch baseball game. They would watch games together in front of some malls because there is a huge screen over there. At the same time, audiences will prepare some tools to cheer for the team. I think this is an unforgettable game event because China had never beaten Chinese Taipei.

On the other hand, this is my first time to use Gameday to “watch” baseball game. Due to the speed of my Internet, sometimes it was lagged. I tried to refresh the page frequently because I want to know the latest news. I think I will not use Gameday anymore since I spend more time on nerves. If I watched TV, I know the situation immediately. But the Gameday will need some time to update it.

Journal #9

2009-03-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

I had lived in Taipei for nineteen years before I came to the United Sates. Actually Taipei has changed a lot recently. However, I have never gone back for 2 years. The current Taipei City may be different with Taipei City in my memory. Two things that I want to mention the life in Taipei are residence and living.

First, I want to talk about the residence in Taipei. Even though Taipei is a big city in Taiwan, it likes the other crowded cities in the world. There are many multi-storey buildings in Taipei. Actually I think people in Taipei can not live without elevators. Besides, the shopping districts are not separated from residential districts. In other words, if you are really hungry at 10 o’clock at night, you can just walk out your house and find some food along the roadside.

Second, people who live in Taipei get used to a fast-paced life. You can see people always walk fast, talk fast, and react fast. You can feel that they are busy all the time and their schedules are tight. It seems like they need 48 hours to finish their work a day. Usually in the morning, you can see people always lower their heads and walk really fast. It doesn’t matter about their age, their occupation, or their gender. It’s about the living style- a fast-paced life.

Journal #8

2009-03-09T12:21:00.001-07:00

I think I can improve my writing by doing more practice. When I start to write either a paragraph or an essay, I usually can find some English usages that are confusing me. Therefore, I will try to figure out how to use them correctly. At the same time, the more practice can build up my ability of organization. Actually, I believe that practice makes perfect.

In this class, I wish I can do more peer edition. When I finish a paragraph or an essay, I want to know others’ opinions about my writing. Also, I want to know how others do about their writing. I think it is helpful to be pointed out flaws by others. The most interesting thing is that sometimes we make the same errors on our writing.

I would like to read more articles to improve my writing. It is useful to read some professional or academic articles. I can learn some good points they have and broaden my views through these articles. At the same time, wild reading will increase my vocabulary. I think that the more vocabulary that I can use perfectly, the more ideas that can be explained well.

Journal #7

2009-03-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

“Deal or No Deal” is an American game show and it is also a reality show. “Deal or No Deal” is showing on Friday 8:00 PM at NBC channel. The show is built up by a contestant, a banker, and a host. Usually people are all entertained by this kind of show. Also, many mathematicians, statisticians, and economists would be interested in this game show because it is related to that how people make decisions. I like to watch “Deal or No Deal” for two reasons.

“Deal or No Deal” gives audiences a dramatic change or performance. “Deal or No Deal” provides a stage to make a millionaire. In fact, it is hard to make a million dollars in 60 minutes. However, there is a TV show that can make people’s dream come true- to become a millionaire. Of course, a contestant could have a chance to leave the state with only 1 penny. This setup would increase audiences’ nervousness. I would like to know what will happen on the contestant.

On the other hand, I would like to observe those contestants. How do they make decision? How do they react to the situation or the offer from the banker? I sometimes would make an assumption – Do I make the same decision as she made? Finally, I have to recognize that the personality really affects the decision a contestant makes. Also, I like the way they negotiate with each other. I learned some communication skills when I watch the show. It is interesting to observe their behavior and how the baker makes an offer.

In conclusion, “Deal or No Deal” entertained me by its unpredicted results and the reaction of contestants. Because of the unexpected end result, people would wait until the last minute to know what the contestants get at the end. People might be interested in the answers of the contestants because audiences might have the different decision with the contestants. These are two main elements to appeal me to watch this TV show.

Journal #6

2009-02-23T12:31:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite TV shows is “Friends”. “Friends” is an American situation comedy. When I was in Taiwan, I usually did not like to watch American TV shows. This is because I was afraid of listening English. Even though these American TV shows always had the Chinese subtitle, I still resisted watching them. Besides, another reason was because I was not so interested in American culture on that time.

After my Dad told me that I will study abroad, I realized that my poor English and the broken English conversation skill must be improved before I flew to the United States. However, Rome was not built in a day. I had no idea how to improve English even just a little bit improvement. I went to an English conversation class and the teacher recommended that I should watch some American TV shows. Then, I found “Friends” one day.

“Friends” is so funny, and I laughed loudly when I watched it. My family thought I was crazy when I watched it at night. I did try to figure out some American humor. I really like the friendship between the six main characters and the way they react to some situations. I bought the complete series collection and reviewed it all the time.

Journal #5

2009-02-20T17:58:00.001-08:00

There are many difficulties that foreigners have to overcome when they encounter the different culture. Before I came to the United States, I saw many Hollywood movies and I think it is interesting to study abroad. After I came to the United Sates, the first difficulty that I met was that people talk too fast. In the beginning, I was afraid of going to school because I could not understand what my professors and classmates said. However, I think I can be more comfortable to say “Pardon” now and to get the key word easily.

The second difficulty that I found was I need a car. In my country, if I do not have a car, I still can live conveniently. Besides, the market is always close to houses. I do not have to worry about the transportation. But if people do not have cars, they can go nowhere in the United States. Therefore, I realized a fact that I need to get driver license and buy a used car as soon as possible. I had taken bus for a year before I got a car.

The last difficulty was the teamwork. I was like to do my project or homework alone and I believed that group project was time-consuming. However, professors in college or university like to give group project to students. The problem was how to communicate with my team members when I had a new or opposite idea. At the end, I found that group project also has its own advantages; for example, thinking out of box.

Journal #4

2009-02-15T22:36:00.001-08:00

Mt favorite season is “winter” now. Actually, my favorite season is always changed when people ask this question. I always can find a lot of reasons to explain why I choose this season to be my favorite season. Therefore, I can conclude that I am so capricious. Do not be surprised that I will give you another answer about my favorite season.

I have the following reasons to tell you my favorite is winter. First, my hands sweat a lot. My hands will not sweat a lot during winter because of the cold weather. I feel more comfortable when my hands do not sweat that much. Second, I feel like I can eat more in winter than the other seasons. When I feel cold, I would like to eat more and keep warm. Last, I can save money from being home. When the weather is cold, I like to stay at home and get the less chance to go outside. It also reduces the chance to spend money.

Many people like winter because of snow. However, I can tell that I do not like snow that much. I think snow is a trouble when it makes the traffic difficulty. I believe that I will give you a different answer about my favorite season next time, or maybe I will tell you I hate winter. But I can tell you “at this moment” my favorite season is winter.

Journal #3

2009-02-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

One of my best birthdays was on my age nineteen. My birthday is on June and I came to the United States on August 2003. This was the latest birthday that I had with my family. Usually I went back to Taiwan during winter (December and January); I did not get any chance to celebrate my birthday with my family. After I came to the United Sates, my parents called and told me to get some delicious food on my birthday. Actually I don’t like to celebrate my birthday after I reached twenty. The birthday only reminds me how old I am. (I am so depressing, right?)

My parents celebrated my 19th birthday with me. Of course, they took place my birthday party. This birthday party was only for family members included my grandparents, parents, baby brother, aunts and my aunt’s family. We went to my favorite restaurant and ONLY ordered the dishes that I like. Hey! This is my birthday. Of course, I have right to order my desired food and my favorite dishes are not including fishes. I hate fishes and all of them know this very well. We did have a good time and shared many jokes. Everyone gave me some blessings.

Besides, some of my friends also celebrated my 19th birthday for me on another day. I received some birthday gifts that are related with studying aboard from my friends on this birthday party. They have never thought I will go to study in the United Sates someday. Actually I did not feel sad on that time because I think I will be back. Guys! I study aboard not immigrate, OK? However, my 19th birthday showed me how much my family and friends love me. I do appreciate they care about me and the blessings they gave me.

Journal #2

2009-02-04T20:40:00.000-08:00

The 43rd Superbowl game was on February 1, 2009. I was actually not interested in football game. I totally forgot the Superbowl game was on February 1, 2009. Until I went to my church that is in an elementary school, I saw there was a paper on the wall of a classroom. There was an interesting slogan---Have a “Super” day! Say something nice to someone. I was wondering the teacher probably wrote a wrong word. The regular sentence should be “Have a nice day!” Then, I asked my friend regarding to this weird sentence, and she told me today has the 43rd Superbowl game.

I went my friend’s house to watch game together. He knows the football game rule well. I asked him to tell me some basic rules about the football game. However, it was hard to park on the street of the resident area. I guess people always get together to watch games for fun. In the beginning, I could not see where the football was and I just only saw a group of people crushed together. Finally, I realized that they will repeat the spectacular parts many times. It was a nice and breath-taking game. The game has many dramatic parts, especially at the last three or four minutes of game. I cannot believe that Pittsburgh turned over the game at the last moment. Even though I am not a fan of Arizona, I felt bad for them.

I was so glad that the first football game I watched was awesome. I finally know why people are crazy for the Superbowl game. Besides, some commercials are remarkable. My most favorite commercial is created by Coca-Cola. The ladybugs, crickets, butterflies, and some insects steal a bottle of Coca Cola from a sleeper. This commercial is really creative and it also has a lot of humor. I think I have a good experience with the 43rd Superbowl game.

Journal #1

2009-01-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Anita's Journals! I hope everyone is all smiles when you enjoy your weekend. Who am I? Let me introduce myself. My name is Meng-Ju Lee and my nickname is Anita. I prefer you call me Anita. I am from Taipei, Taiwan, which is a small island next to the mainland China. I am 24 years old and will be 25 in June.

I have been here for five and an half years. I graduated from CSU Fullerton last summer with my B.A. degree. My major is Business Administration and my concentration is Accounting. I am going to pursuit M.B.A degree at California State University. I come to ALP to improve my English skills. No matter how long I have been here, I am still an international student and my English is not perfect. Besides, I am studying for CPA exam right now. I wish I could be an Accountant in the future.

I like to watch movies when I have time. Sometimes I invite my friends to watch movies with me. Is there anyone in my class who also like to watch moives? Then, we can make friends. I like to use online DVD rental service. It saves my time and money. I also like to eat the delicious food. Food, movie, and money drive my life. I like to try the delicious food from not only my country but also the other countries. Please tell me some good movies and good restaurants if you knoe some.