Journal #10 American Feels Financial Pains

Recently, I read one chapter from Time magazine which describes American economic recession that I think it's a really current issue that people concern. Around 1999, the companies of technique bloom too fast and the price was not deserving so high that it resulted in the price of stocks dropped down rapidly. Many people who bought the stock lost lots of money. Besides, in the past, people used to spend too much money and also they used to buy real estates by money which come from the banks' mading loans to people. Recently, the house price is getting down that it means people had to pay more money on debts that the results they have were not expected before. Finally, people can't pay for debts and the banks can't get money which become irrecoverable loans that it was one main reason of American economic recession. Another one is that gasoline price is increasing that people who have cars need to pay more costs on it, even costs on heat homes. Also, food price is getting higher that people try to cut back on their extra spending. It affects the retail stores because of earning less money. Moreover, the owners of retail stores change to hire fewer people on emplyment in order to reduce their costs to survive. It also makes the problem of unemployment. The U.S. government try to stop the downturn of recession, like Federal Reserve which is the central of banks that they cut three-fourths percentage of a point that they try to encourage people to invest on stock markets. The Congress made a policy of issing tax-rebates that they give rebates to people who earn a paycheck.
Actually, there is no really correct solution for recession, like people you know are always looking for job, and oil price won't be lower. The tontent in the end give some tips for people to survive. For example, you may need to prepare for switching a career that you should prepare looking for a job in case of being fired. In investment, they think people can make a shopping list for stocks which prices may lower than their really prices, they suggest people make a financial plan on it for a long-term strategy. Finally, they think when people get tax-rebates, if get a check, people should put money on their high-interest debts like credit cards. If not, they suggest people put money on tax-referred account, like IRA(Individual Retirement Account.) It may loose the American financial pains and overcome the recession during this time.

Journal # 9 Disneyland

It is always a dreamful and full of magic place that not only children but also adults would think about Disneyland at first thought. I didn't take part in activity that ALP hold it, but I had been there many times. Before I went, I read and saw the movies which the Walt Disney made including the Cinderella, Snow White, Little Mermaid, Lion King, Peter Pan which are old ones, and Finding Nemo, Toy Story, The Aristocats which are new ones, and so on. It was in the evening that I went there at my first time with my home's mom. First, I bought the annual ticket and went inside through the entrance, meanwhile, my home's mom took a picture for me as a unforgettable memory. Passing through it, there is a garden that one big picture of Mickey's face which was consisted of flowers in different colors seems agreeing me. Then, we kept going with people that suddenly my home's mom stopped me and she said "Emily," and pointed me some information in front of us written "The Happinest Place on Earth" that I thought not many people mentioned about it except my home's mom. Then, we did a childish work that we jumped a small step which meaned we entered the best place in the world. We passed through quickly the Disneyland Railroad and walked torward to the castle passing through the Main Street in order to see the fireworks. Every one had been waiting for a long time to find out the best place greeting the fireworks' coming. It really impressed me that before fireworks started and it said "Remember...Dream comes true," and then it played the music accompany with fireworks. It's so spectacular and gorgeous that I realiazed that why people would rather stayed here for one or two hours in order to wait for this coming. It's such magic that you can see setting fireworks was not only simple things that I saw varied shapes like Mickey, smile face, especially one like Tinker Bell flying through the air. After seeing fireworks, we went to Petter Pan's Flight that it mentioned the story about Peter Pan brought Windy and her two little brothers to the Neverland. We lied up for a long time that in the end we took our train and started our tour like we were two of them in the story. we were just alike them sitting on the train instead of flying who went through the air joyfully that we can saw city beneath us became tiny one. It was the most impressive part at that night and I thought I had a really good time.

Journal # 8 The Central Park

There is a place where I remeber when I went to at fist time that it was really amazing place appealed me in my eye. It is named the Central Park which is located near my house in America. When you drive east way on the Rolling Hills Dr. to the end in Fullerton, you will be stopped and asked to park at their parking lot. Meanwhile, you'll see words written "The Central Park" on the carved wood setting in front of it. I always was there by bicycle accompany with earphone which plays the music on my way to the park. Passing the sign with wind's blowing, here come a large space just like in the forest that I was used stopping to walk and enjoy the quietness with deep breath. In the middle of park, there was one big lake where there was plenty of geese and ducks swimming on it that sometimes they went ashore to beg for food from people. Round the lake was a path that you could see people jog, run and walk with their firends or thier pets around the lake. Outside of the path was the field which was covered with grass that people had a picnic sitting on the grass, and you could see childs playing with each other. By the way, I always did nothing but sat on the chair besides the shore seeing this beautiful scenes. It's my favorite time that nobody bothered me and it seemed nothing to worry about but also lose of stress. Sometimes, I really missed my parents.I always took lots of time in deep thought until feeling cold which it occured me to do exercise. There was one thing that walking around the lake, every aspect it showed in different view that it's interesting for me to have a sightseeing. The other funny thing was that some people I bumped into few minutes ago and we met again that sometimes we said "Hi!" or smiled to each other.

Journal #7 A Unforgettable Memory

It's really hard to recall having something special in my childhood. There was one special interesting . One day, in music class as an elementary school student that my teacher needed to pick one to be the conductor when we played national anthem every morning. The main responsibility not only conducted the musical group but also all students and teachers standing in front of big platform. Teacher chose me in the end becuase I learned music after school for years. It's so embarrassing that standing in front of all people made me nervous and frightened. Before that, my music teacher taught me numerous times how to conduct correctly in case of too fast little by little. On my first day as usual, all people lied up straight in front of platform as a team and musical group besides it as the other group. Meanwhile, the marshal and I was getting ready to perform our morning ceremony as a routine. When the marshal said and began the ceremony singing the national anthem that I was so nervous walking step by step to the front of all people with wobbly body. When I raised my hand as a implication that meaned musical group accompany with me in the same time and so did people. Finally, I succeed finishing my task and went down the platform with a wonderful sense of achievement. It is really memorable for me and a happy story when I was a child.

Journal #6 Earthquake

At midnight in 1999, here came the biggest earthquake without precedent history in Taiwan. When I was a high school student who lived in the student dormitory, as usual, nothing special except studying as a diligent student, did my homework, and talked with my roommates with laughing and complaining all about daily life at school. Before time to sleep, I always took a shower, and did laundry for myself in the rest room that you could imagine hearing lots of noisy and busy sounds throughout rest room. We always had a reunion every night to meet manager who was responsible for schoolgirl. She always made a long speech talking about what the next needed to do, and what should we adjust our bad behavior that never done any more. We stood for a long time that my soul had been out of this speech, not paid attention to the speaker. Sometimes, I always thought of tests and homework for tomorrow I did not complete it that I was thinking in the same time why they set this reunion every night and it wasted me too much time. I was always lazy walking to my room after boring meeting. I thought of too fatigue, just felt some one was violent shaking my bed with noisy murmurs when I was sleeping. Until the next day, all the school was off, and I figured out what had happened at midnight. All of people were talking and staring at TV which reported calamities anywhere, especially the middle of Taiwan because of epicenter. All of a sudden, I immediately went back to my room finding my cell phone, tried to contact with my boyfriend who lived in the worst situation. In fact, I could not sleep well these days until I got his message of safety, seeing so many disasters spreading Taiwan and people died when they slept with unconsciousness. In the end, I thought this deep sorrow always in our mind never disappeared, especially people who lost their families.

Journal #5 A Story

It occured to me that I read some stories when I was a child which I liked the best called " Cinderella" that originally I didn't know it translated in different name in Taiwan. Cinderella who was a girl living with his father and her mother with happiness. Later, her father remarried becuase her mother died. Her stepmother pretended to be friendly with her as her
child before of her father's decease. Unfortunately, she moved to the upper blockhouse with break, dard,and shabby situation after her father's death. Besides, She had to do housekeeping and breakfast for her stepmother and two sisters every day. Acturally, she was used to doing these chores acoompanying with her grouth. One day, the king released and set a ball for women who were unmarried and Chinderella and her two sister's were no exception. When she knew she couldn't go because of endless tasks that her stepmother was so mean to give, she realized that her dream was broke completely. She went outside with tears when her stepmother and her sisters had left home to attend the ball. All of a sudden, here came a fairy "Godmother" who helped Cinderella dress up with a beautiful gown. In the same time, Godmother were changing the pumpkin into a big carrage, mice into waiters, and dog into horse. When they started to the castle for the ball, Godmother remided her must leave at 12 p.m. that all the magic from her would become the original one. When Cinderella came, her attendence appealed prince that he invited her to dance for a while and they had a good time. When the clock knocked at 12p.m., She was running away from her prince, and said goodble to him without any words. The prince was urgent not to leave but failed just one glass shoe left. After that, prince ordered to search for the owner as soon as possible which gave the only clue was one glass shoe. Struggling for a while, they finally found where the owner was that therefore Cinderella became the princess with happiness.

Journal #4 My First Time to America

About four months ago, it's memorable for me to leave for America by oneself without any experience. There was one extremely strong typhone surrounded Taiwan in the same time, and people coudn't make sure if the airport opened or not, and I was no exception. I was always keeping my eye on the screen of my laptop the night before leaving. After making sure the flight would be on time, my father took me to the airport for 3 hours with my mother. I just tried to calm down, hiding my nerve and anxiety on the way to airport, thinking that how one girl stepped out of her country in different language by herself without any help. I just thought of " Let it be," "everything will be fine," and tried not too much imagination in case of my parents worry. After arriving the airport, my parents stayed with me for a while that we took pictures to memorize, and then came to my friends seeing off my leaving. I tried to relax, but I failed and cried when I walked into the Departure hoping no one can see it. When the airplaine flied with noisy engine, I couldn't burst crying sitting my window seat and wiped my endless tears with tissues just because of fear. On the way to America, all I could do was just sleeping and crying, even couldn't touch presents which my friends gave me. I thought woman sitting besides me might can't believe that I wished I could escape out of airplane just like a prison. By the way, I didn't know how come my stomach get hurgry frquently, and I thought it was just the reason of too much focus on tears. After 11 hours flight, I just follwed people in the same trip and lied up for custom allowing your arrival. I just felt curious and lucky that I met the black kind custom, and black guy who was responsible for arranging shuttle which I took. Here came to one interesting thing that you might can't believe I took 2 hours back and forth at LAX airport because of no courage walking outside. I really pretended that I wasn't new, just as a usual. After taking my smooth-going adventure, I arrived at my host family's home paying 50 dollars included tips, my home's mom said " You're home!" when she saw my in the first sight. It was such a wondering experience and shock to me that I really couldn't believe I was really in America lasting for 2 months.

Journal #3

Chinese New Year has been coming that there are many people get together to meet their family, even people who live far away. It's a good time for every one to reunite and last ther affections, especially when they don't live with their parents. It's my first time not to staying at home to help my parent to clean our house, even the windows, and any corner, we clean up from top to down. Before New Year's coming, the market is very crowded in small town, we can see many peole are ready to buy abundant food, like chickens, fish, vegetables, candies for their reception, and my mom is no exception. My father always ask me to buy new Spring Festival couplets to decorate in front of door, and stick some on the walls in every room. My mom is always staying in the kitchen with my grandmother for preparing food. All relatives will come on Chinese New Year's Eve to have a big dinner with two big tables for many members. There are many dishes, wines, beverages on the table. In the meantime, we talk to each other about things through this year, and what's our plan in the next year. After dinner, children are ready sitting in the living room to watch TV, and play papercards, like small gambling. The atmosphere for agreeing the new year's coming is so exciting and so wonderful. For a while, the elder will get ready to give a red envelope for each child, including people who don't have a job. Besides, you will see the youngest children who get the most ones. Every year, I always burn the midnight oil to watch TV program to agree with the New Year's coming in the same time.
On the first day of the lunar year, my grandmother always goes to the temple to pray for good luck through the year all our family. Sometimes, we go to mountain climbing to relax and breath new fresh air with relatives. Sometimes, we have a tour to go around Taiwan for 5 days. They are all memorable for me. Now, I think I really get homesick, and miss my mom's delectable dishes.

Journal #2 My Major in Finance

There are many things in our life for business, like shopping, investment,trading,even watching TV, and so on. My major is Finance that I think it is one of the popular business classes in the universities and colleges. It ranges from Economics, International Business, Accounting, Investment to Mathematics that I am really interested in. Managing money is also the important part of life that we need to learn how to make our money larger, how to keep our life steadily, and how to deal with our money putting in many ways for different goals in the future. Also, there are many ways for investment that I can learn and absorb any information from it, take stock market, real restate, and mortgage for example, risks always come with them. Finally, I think Finance is useful for me no matter in which country that I hope working in business in the future is my dream.

Journal #1 Writting

As a writer, the content is important and it should be meaningful and absorbing. Going about writing, I think that getting ideas is the first process, and then write down quickly when you start brainstorming. The more ideas you have, the better ways you write frequently. It is just like a free writing regardless of correct grammar. In my opinion, that’s the best way to start. You can revise and make more sentences on your free writing. There are many things that I am interested to write. Take the life style issues for example, everything surrounds us, including life experience, work, travel, school, and the like. The way we live, the places we visit, the food we taste, and even the friends we make in every minute are so amazing. They are all attractive and surprising. That’s what I would love to share with people in my writing.
On the other hand, the science and logic issues are not my styles that they need to learn more knowledge in advance and you must make sure what you say in your writing, not casual, should be more formal, and professional. For instance, the topic “How do you think about researches on space by spending lots of money, and human researches issues”, it is very serious and unpopular.
To sum up, I think a good writer must to train oneself frequently and read a lot in many aspects that the more reading you absorb, the more writing you get ideas. It’s hard to start writing regularly and keep finding massive ideas that if you do as a routine, you will be a good writer in the future.

Friday Feb 1st 2008

Friday Feb 1st 2008
(waiting boarding)
wrote my journal at airplane
I’ve been expected for today’s coming that the flight to San Francisco that I attend my cousin’s wedding.
Since school’s opening, I’ve been tired until now that we have lots of homework needed to do. Before school, like my home’s mom saying that I stayed up for fun, and now just for homework. Is it funny? I think I really have two big black eyes, don’t I?
In this morning, I got up very early and I went to classroom sitting outside with one classmate who comes from Vietnam. We talked for a while and I started to feel something wrong that no one came here except we two, and time was up. I called other classmate to make sure, and then knew that I was in the wrong classroom. Did it show that we were not pay attention in class? Unfortunately, we had one time-writing that I tried to brainstorm and did all my best in writing.
(in the airplane 6:00pm)
After class, I rode home and ate some pieces of pizza that my mom bought it yesterday. Then, I had a laundry directly and packed and checked my luggage including my usage and my dresses in case of forgetting some things.
At 4 pm, mom took my housemate and I to the John Wayne Airport, and we arrived at 4:30pm. I tried by myself to check in, but it failed because of companion ticket. I waited for a long time waiting for just one servant who worked for United Company. After checking in, I went to the security, and lied up as a usual. When someone who is responsible for checking ticket, he took me to the special waiting place that one man had been stood there the same with me.

John Wayne Airport
(At 6:15pm I was ready to fly. I started to be nervous because of the instantly high speed and soon fly through to the air, feel little fainted and had a headache because of pressure. Wow! I saw the night view and cloud was under my airplane. Why I always take the window seat?)
Broadcast: see the sunset

We used the red box that the color is different to others. I saw this man took off almost his staff, including his belt, jacket, shoes, and so on. I thought it’s so embarrassing to take off shoes and walked on the floor without them. Finally, one old woman who took me to the examination without lying up and I walked across the X machine also without shoes. I threw up my knife, and one bottle of water. The last process is checking my body seeing if something dangerous.
I passed the security and looked around the lobby that there are so many stores with my favorite Starbucks. I was not bold to take pictures and not sure if it’s possible or impolite. At 5:40pm, it’s boarding time and I was the stand-by that I needed to wait for passengers that they boarded first.
Walking toward to the airplane, and finding my seats that I started to be nervous because that I pretended like I was on the way to my country that it always made me upset when I thought about it over and over.
San Francisco Baggage Claim
(7:30pm, I arrived at San Francisco International Airport)
To sum up, I really worry about my too much homework, so I bring them from Orange County to San Francisco.