Season Greeting


Quote

"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."

Frank Outlaw

July 25, 2010

W 3 - Tomorrow I'm going to spend the day with .....


Tomorrow I'm going to spend the day with the committee of President Obama’s birthday party organizers in Seattle, because next month August the 4th is President Obama's birthday. Part of this meeting is going to focus on the menu. We wish to create a royalty meal plan, that is going to be unforgettable to all guests. It will be dishes that are inspired by places all around the world. In contract to other officially celebrate events, the guests who are going to be influential, notable persons, Seattle’s guests are going to be the vagabonds in Seattle city.


This feast is made possible by an initiative of an anonymous woman, which is being kept secret from the public. The cost of the party is being covered by  contributions of private person , and organization. All labor will be provided by volunteers. None of the contribution are tax deductible.


Can you tell me if the story is bogus or fact?  

July 24, 2010

W.3 Assigment- what future will be?


Our week 3's write assignment is written in future tense. It leads me to think about this song. "Que Sera, Sera". Just post for joy.
 "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)", first published in 1956, is a popular song which was written by the Jay Livingston and Ray Evans songwriting team.
The song was introduced in Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 film"The Man Who Knew Too Much", with Doris Day and James Stewart in the lead roles.
The song's lyric below  is for your usage in case you want to sing along with the video clip
*When I was just a little girl. I asked my mother what will I be.Will I be pretty.
 will I be rich. Here's what she said to me.Que Sera Sera.Whatever will be will be.
The future's not ours to see.Que Sera Sera.What will be will be.
When I grew up and fell in love. I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead. Will we have rainbows day after day. Here's what my sweetheart said. Que Sera Sera.Whatever will be will be.The future's not ours to see. Que Sera Sera. What will be will be.
Now I have children of my own. They ask their mother what will I be. Will I be handsome . will I be rich.I tell them tenderly.Que Sera Sera. Whatever will be will be.The future's not ours to see.Que Sera Sera. What will be will be. Que Sera Sera*

W3 my extra assigment - America the Beautiful by Kristen O'Loughlin

I love to read, but today I mostly do it online. I come across this website. I like it a lot.
Just want to share this poem to the Class . The poem is written By Kristen O'Loughlin.
Mostly there is a biography of the author on the web link , but not on this author.
I do not able to find anything about her.

Title : America the Beautiful
by Kristen O'Loughlin

America the beautiful, America the free.
You have created this prosperous life for me.
In the past there have been struggles,
which we are continually fighting,
the common crusade, proven to be uniting.
America the beautiful, America the free.
You have given us our rights, bestowing all Americans with liberty.
Each person created equal, deserving of the same rights,
compared to other countries, America has reached new heights.
America the beautiful, America the free.
with all that we've accomplished, and will continue to pursue.
We are a great country .    
Follow link  below, or link list ( Poems) on the right of this blog, you can discover more Poet, Poems, Quotation,  Songs lyrics etc..
America the Beautiful by Kristen O'Loughlin

July 19, 2010

About H.C Andersen

Asigment week 2 post 2
The story “Clumsy Hans” is one of many stories from a Danish author name Hans Christian Andersen (H.C. Andersen). He lived from 1805 – 1875. Today in the litterature's  world he is a legacy. He is the Danes' pride.
He was noted for poet,  for his children's stories. His poetry and stories have been translated into more than 150 languages. Many of his stories have inspired to motion pictures, plays, ballets, and animated films.

You properly have heard stories such as "Thumbelina", "The Snow Queen", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Little Mermaid", "The Emperor's New Clothes", and "The Princess and the Pea". There are from HC Andersen . There are remain popular and are widely read. "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Ugly Duckling" have both passed into the English language as well-known expressions

In the Copenhagen harbor , near the Queen’s castle, there is a statue of The Little Mermaid. It was placed in honor of Hans Christian Andersen. April 2, Andersen's birthday, is celebrated as International Children's Book Day.

In the United States, statues of Hans Christian Andersen may be found in Central Park, New York, and in Solvang, California. The Library of Congress Rare Book and Special Collections Division holds a unique collection of Andersen material

Many time H.C Andersen children's stories got mixed up with the Brothers Grims

In Denmark his stories are part as folk tales. At high school level, we studier his story, analyze and interpreter his messages.

Once time, I read an English business journal, they compared the Daner could be associated as Clumsy Hans. They were relaxed, easy going, informal, and not afraid to be themselves and strong mind. Base  on my experience I just love this story because I focus  on humor  portion. It reflex lot of  the Danish's humor . It is so sarcastic, that I do  not to see in America.

I will say if Clumsy Hans is The Danes, so the two older brothers are symbolic as The American.

A folktale - Clumsy Hans


Assignment week 2 post 1 /

A folktale from Denmark
Clumsy Hans by H.C.Anderson.

Far out in the country side there was an old mansion. An old squire lived there with his two witty sons. They had height thought about them self. They believed they were clever for words. They decided to propose to the King’s Daughter, because she had announced publicly that she would take the man who had most capable to speak for himself to be her husband.

The two brothers had 8 days to prepare for the travel to the king’s castle in town. It was all the time they had, but it was enough for they had many accomplishment and had been recognized how useful it was and would be.

The first brother knew the whole Latin dictionary by heart and the town's newspaper for three years - so well that he could repeat it backward or forward.

The second brother had learned all the articles of law and knew what every alderman must know. He was sure talk all about governmental affairs and beside he could embroider belts because he was very gentle and good with his fingers.

Both of them said “I will win the Princess!”. The father also agreed with their statement. He gave them a beautiful horse each.

The First brother got a coal-black horse. The second brother got a milk-white horse. To make them self be  more fluently speaker (glib). They both smeared corner of their mouth with cod-liver oil.

At the depart day, all servant was assembled in the courtyard to watch them mount their horse, and just before they rode of,  the Third brother came up, because the squire had 3 sons. Although the 3rd was his son, but nobody paid attention to him, because he was not learned and intelligent as the two older. In fact everybody called him “Clumsy Hans”

He asked where the two brothers were going, since they were dress up. The two told “Clumsy Hans “that they were going to the King’s court  and freer to the princess, who was proclaiming all over the country by the king’s drummer, that she would take the man who was best capable to speak for him self to be her husband

Clumsy Hans thank you to his two older brothers and told them he also would like to go, but his brothers only busted out in laughter as they rode away . Clumsy Hans went to his father. He asked his father for a horse , and told him,  that the princess would take him and if she did not take him , he would take her. His father replied., that was a lot of nonsense! Clumsy Hans would not get any horse from him, because he mean,  Clumsy Hans didn't know how to speak properly and not intelligent as other brothers."

Since Clumsy Hans couldn’t have a horse, he decided to mounte his own goat, because his said his goat could carrier him as well as a horse. He dug his heels into sides of his goat and galloped off to the highway. He was happy and signing all the way. It was so load that his voice could heard far away. When he met someone on the way,  Clumsy Hans shouted “Alley-opp! What a ride! Here I come!"

In apposite to his relax , noisy and joyful attitude, his two brothers rode quietly ahead of him. They did not speak a word, because they were thinking for preparing and memorized beforehand of all the clever speeches they would need to make at the meeting with princess.

On the road Clumsy Hans had picked up a dead crow, an old wooden shoe with upper part’s was broken off. He told to his brother that he would give those to the Princess. They laughed at him . They told him clumsy, and rode on far in advance of him. In the end of the country road Clumsy Hans told his brothers that the princess would be pleased with the black mud out of the ditch which he fill his pockets with. He brother took no notice of him any more. They galloped ahead as fast they could. And they arrived to the town gate a full hour a head of Hans.

At the gate each suitor got a number ticket and in line. They were arrange in rows, six to a row. It was packed and tightly that they could not move their arms. It was planed wisely, otherwise they could be chaos. They would chop each other to pieces. There were many people in town, who stood around the castle. They were peering in through windows to watch how the suitors of young man became tongue-tied after meeting with princess. The Princess rejection was "No good! Take him away!"

At last it was the 1st brother’s turn. He was the one who were able to memorize the dictionary by heard, but he had completely forgotten it, while he was in line and when he entered the guest room, he heard the floor creaked under his footsteps, and saw himself standing on his head, because the ceiling was covered by minors. He also noticed there were three clerks and an alderman stood at each window. They wrote down every word that had been spoken, and went immediately to printed in the newspaper that was sold for two pennies on the street corners

It was an extreme experience , and besides the stoves in the room were fires up. The fire was so hot that the pipe was glowed in red

The 1st brother said as he entered to the guest room "It's terribly hot in here,". The princess replied, because her father was roasting chicken. He got surprise by princess answered. He only able to said "Baa!". Then he got stump. He did not prepare for a speech of this kind. He could not find a word to say. The princess said "No good, Out with him!" ‘she was sent him away as other suitors.

The second brother approached, he said "It's dreadfully warm hereL" The Princess replied "Yes, we're roasting chickens today," he stammered "What-what did you-uh-what?", and all the clerks carefully wrote down, "What-what did you-uh-what?" as the 1st bother the Princess replied again "No good, Out with him!" as consequently he need to leave.

Now it was Clumsy Hans's turn, and he rode his billy goat right into the hall. He said  "Terribly hot in here." The Princess replied "I'm roasting young chickens," Clumsy Hans asked "Why, that's fine! Then I suppose I can get my crow roasted?" The princess told him that he could, but if he had something to roast with, because they were running out of pots and pans.

Clumsy Hans replied he had a cooking pot with tin handle, at same time he pulled out the old wooden broken shoe and put the crow right into it . The Princess looked at Clumsy Hans and said " that's enough for a whole meal! but where do we get the gravy from?" Clumsy Hans replied that he had in his pocket , and in fact he had much of it, so he afforded to spill some of it. Then he poured a little of the mud from his pocket. The princess liked his answered and told him that he had an answer for everything, and he knew how to speak. She would take him to be her husband. But she want to frighten him and see how his reaction would be . She pointed at the clerks and the chief magistrate (alderman ), She told Clumsy Hans “do you know that everything we've said and are saying is written down and will be published in the paper tomorrow? Look over there, you'll see in each window three clerks and an old alderman, and that alderman is the worst of all; he doesn't understand anything!" She said, but all the clerks amused with what they just heard and saw. They burst ed in laughter that led to spurt blots of ink on the floor. Clumsy Hans said. "Oh, so these are the gentlemen! I must give the alderman the best thing I have." Then he turned out his pockets and threw the wet mud in the face of the alderman. The Princess told Clumsy Hans. It was Cleverly done! She could never have done that, but she would learn in time!
So Clumsy Hans was made a king, with a wife and a crown, and he sat on a throne

July 16, 2010

A Perfect Day

A perfect day for me including sleeping in and a nice traditional Chinese breakfast with a nice bowl of noodle soup. After this I'm able to sit out in the garden reading my newspaper with a cup and a pot of hot green tea next to me.
A perfect day includes time to go to the beach and taking a walk in the park. Time for visiting friends, having a casual dinner.
A perfect day includes positive converstation with my husband and daughter. We are helping each other to get the house clean
A perfect day will include freedom from  job hunting!

July 12, 2010

BEST and WORST

BEST and WORST thing  with supportive ideas from personal experience.

The Computer.
My favorite daily activity is to be on my Computer. I do many things with my computer such as record-keeping, reading, e-mailing, jobs searching many more fun and joyful activities when I connect to the Internet.
As I recall, 10 years ago when I arrived to Seattle, the first thing I invested in was a computer and Internet connection. In my back-pack of knowledge, I only knew how to use word, excel and email in Danish.

But having a PC with Internet connection help me to navigate my self into the US society. Mostly my English is self-taught by reading online.
With time I taught myself lot of things via online work with purchasing, cataloging, record keeping, protocols for work. I also used a PC for my project of digging up information about health care insurance, laws and regulations. I also used it in research project to locate different ethnic groups around King county by cities. It was for an outreach project for SHIBA (Statewide Health Insurance Benefit Advice Helpline), which I’m currently a volunteer helping clients to navigate within Health insurance, such as
"Apple for Kids”, It is a WA state health program for kids.
Basic Health”, It is a state health program for low income, which is stopped now because of the budget cut in WA state .
"Medicare" is mostly for the population at age 65 and above.

I also use my computer for financial needs such as bill payment and banking. Last but not least, I use it as a telephone in keeping contact with friends and family in Denmark

In the past year I have gotten many health-related question answered online. I also use it as a cure for my emotional down moments, getting inspiration and positive thoughts by reading and writing.

Now today most of my entertainment with news, film, music also through online. In this way I 'm in control, free from advertising distractions and am able to be selective with information.

Computer with an Internet connection allows me to travel visually any time without leaving the comforts of home.

Today I will definitely saying that Computer and Internet are a must for me. Like a fridge in my kitchen. Computer is window to the world. The biggest "world library" are in-front of you just taking up minimal space. I can follow news and developments in other countries, which interests me.

Frustrations with PCs are that so much information is very overwhelming. Also, they change too often. Sometime changes do not improve productivity, but only add frustration for the user. There are also too many products for the same thing, and they often don't talk with each other.

Based on my experience, once when using security check my computer indicated it had a virus, so I tried to remove with programs I had available. But there was no way to correct it. At last I called my Brother in San Francisco. He advised me to download a free program. It took me a week to get my computer to work properly again. At the moment, I can see my PC is not working right, because The Chinese and Vietnamese programs are in conflict with the English programs.

The worst aspect of PC is technology. It is changing with lighting speed. Technology changes make me feel old and slow, like I can never catch up. Secondary is cyber space theft, Many fraud and ID theft take place online. Personally When I'm on my computer time flies; spending 2 -3 hours feels like 2-3 minutes. I feel my computer steals my time. And this activity is sedentary. Physically it is not healthy for the body.

July 9, 2010

Blog Introduction

This is Victoria 's blog for ESL Writing Assignment at Renton Technical College summer quarter 2010.

About Me
I'm Victoria Mai. My nuclear family is 3 persons. Me, my spouse Dieu , and my daughter Eveline.
All 3 of  us came from Denmark  10 years ago. At the moment we live in Renton, WA, USA.