Thursday, December 29, 2011

2012, is it really the end of the world?


2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
2012
What will happen on Dec 21, 2012?
When the new year 2012 is approaching, a stream of fear arises from the bottom of my heart. Maya civilization predicted on this day our world will come to its end. What if it is true? What if we will all die? Where will be the safe spot? China? Are they really building arks?


Victoria's Secret Aquatic collection



Aquatic collection is my favorite of  the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2011.
And these two shell angels are my top votes.
Is there something between me and shells?
Also, songs are heat.
Adam Levine
Move like jagger
One Republic --- Secrets

Overall,
It is a feast of vision.
Love!


Why Mandarin is more difficult to learn than Cantonese for 2nd generation oversea?


I have seen more children raised in Cantonese speaking families retain their language skills than Mandarin speaking ones. Why? Environment.

Language environment is critical in mastering a new language. Both Mandarin and Cantonese speaking parents talk to their children in their mother tongue, but I don't think that is enough, especially for teenagers. In this stage, teenagers seek for peer recognition. I remember when I was in junior and senior high. Besides schooling, my friends and I started to pay attention to entertainment industry, and we have board topics of games, TV soap episodes and songs, etc.. This is where differences lay between the two mentioned above language environments. In Cantonese community, people manage to provide children with radio programs, popular TV series, songs, celebrities and magazines. The impression left for children is COOL to know about all these. In Mandarin community, I don't think parents even care about entertainment industry to children. Children shame about speaking mother tongue, which is the failure of traditional education.

Boxing Day Symptoms


Boxing day was exciting. My husband, my cousin and I got up at around 6 am, and headed to Future shop and BestBuy. On the way, we were kind of surprised to find people were driving back already. They must camp outside stores we guessed.

I do love camping, even though it costs a good and warm sleep sometimes. However, camping in a civilized mall is something out of my dictionary so far.

When we arrived, we were convinced to act fast upon we saw other customers' tense faces.  Divided into two teams, we jumped into the crowd and aimed at our targets. My cousin and I grabbed a Xbox Kinect and an iTune card, while my husband was checking TVs in future shop. Fortunately, there was a BestBuy located in the same mall. Well, maybe I should not say it like that. It was not fortunately, but because we had done our homework. So, we went to BestBuy to hunt for other items on our shopping list. There was nothing more  delightful than finding out our 43" Samsung TV was still available in stock when the shelf was empty. In some degree, if you like people watching, boxing day could be a perfect day to celebrate. Lineups were in every directions. It didn't take us long to locate our stuff, but I think we stood in line longer. When we finally happily escaped from the mall, a TV, a Xbox Kinect, a computer, a Xbox control, Halo 3 and an iTune card were all on board.

To me, the most exciting part is the shopping process. This is pretty popular statement among my circle. Gathering must be one of the social function for our female ancestors thousands of years ago, so that the mark is carved so deep to affect even offspring in modern 2012.


Friday, December 23, 2011

A book I want to read


I have found Alain De Botton's name in the these 33 great writers. Back to my college days, I could have never kept my hands away from his books. 

"For so many of us a Jane Austen novel is much more than the epitome of a great read. It is a delight and a solace, a challenge and a reward, and perhaps even an obsession. For two centuries Austen has enthralled readers. Few other authors can claim as many fans or as much devotion. So why are we so fascinated with her novels? What is it about her prose that has made Jane Austen so universally beloved?
In essays culled from the last one hundred years of criticism juxtaposed with new pieces by some of today’s most popular novelists and essayists, Jane Austen’s writing is examined and discussed, from her witty dialogue to the arc and sweep of her story lines. Great authors and literary critics of the past offer insights into the timelessness of her moral truths while highlighting the unique confines of the society in which she composed her novels. Virginia Woolf examines Austen’s maturation as an artist and speculates on how her writing would have changed if she’d lived twenty more years, while C. S. Lewis celebrates Austen’s mirthful, ironic take on traditional values. 
We read, and then reread, our favorite Austen novels to connect with both her world and our own. Because, as A Truth Universally Acknowledged so eloquently demonstrates, the only thing better than reading a Jane Austen novel is finding in our own lives her humor, emotion, and love.”

Practice wishing


I guess making wishing is not that hard, right?
It only takes a little practice.
Ok. Here we go.
I want to have a lot of people visit and like my blog. That is for sure.
I want to have my once-in-a-life-time marriage ceremony next year
I want to enroll into law school in 2013
I want to have 2 babies, a girl and a boy
I want to have my own online business
I want to study in fashion design or related courses
I want to keep my husband happy everyday
I want my parents enjoy their lives
I want to find a dream job
...........

I still have  rules and realistic boundaries in mind, but, this is a start.


Make a wish


I bet I had a lot of dreams and wishes when I was way younger. Why I don't dare to dream anymore? 

Holidays!

I have officially started my 10 days holiday YEAH!!
But I suddenly become sleepy and cranky......


I bet you must have watched the commercial that if a person is lack of a kind of snack he or she gets old and crabby.
I don't remember what product they yearn to sell though.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

How do you know it is almost Christmas?



Our CEO got these from “The Book of Holiday Awesome”, and shared them with us. Now I am going to share with you:


1. Getting a Christmas card from someone you thought you lost touch with
2. Going into a grocery store and seeing the first shipment of eggnog
3. Plugging you Christmas lights in from last year and having them all work
4. That moment when there’s suddenly cookies, chocolates and candy everywhere
5. When your neighbor shovels your little patch of the sidewalk
6. When strangers wish you happy holidays
7. Eating all your chocolates in your Advent calendar at once
8. The smell of a fresh Christmas tree
9. Pulling out that old box of Christmas ornaments from when you were a kid
10. Finally finding the start of the roll of tape
11. Eating the first freshly baked cookie from the oven even though it’s way too hot
12. Forgetting you ordered a gift online and having it randomly show up
13. Just barely wrapping a gift with that tiny scrap of leftover paper
14. Nailing the perfect move in a Board game on Christmas Eve
15. When the Christmas tree gives the only light in the room
16. Waking up and realizing it is Christmas!


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones


Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Salute to Vienna


My desire to go to the concert of Salute to Vienna starts from the moment I found its brochure in Toronto on our vacation at the end of October. We decided to make it as the entertainment of the start of a new year at that time. However, as my husband's busy work schedule, we postponed the plan again and again. On the website, it is said that it will be presented by the finest local musicians, dancers and singers, which makes me so eager to check it out!


Hope I still have the chance to go!!
I don't want to miss it.

I have fish babies!!

When the family are busy preparing the Christmas, our fish mom sent us Christmas gifts as well! Thank you for my husband to notice fish mom's big belly. Now we have around 20 babies roaming in the tank.


To share some fish patterns
It reminds me of the patterns on china


 All rights reserved by Deep Indigo

Handy aquarium




Angelina's bachelors--- A novel with food

I have received my three chapters trails of Angelina's Bachelors last week, and I found myself addictive to it. Who can resist the temptation of good food?

Cover art for ANGELINA'S BACHELORS
+FROM THE BOOK JACKET+

Far too young to be a widow, Angelina D’Angelo suddenly finds herself facing a life without her beloved husband, Frank. Late one night shortly after the funeral, she makes her way down to the kitchen and pours all of her grief and anger into the only outlet she has left—her passion for cooking. In a frenzy of concentration and swift precision, she builds layer upon layer of thick, rich lasagna, braids loaves of yeasty bread, roasts plump herb-rubbed chicken; she makes so much food that she winds up delivering the spoils to the neighbors in her tight-knit Italian community in South Philadelphia.


Retiree Basil Cupertino, who has just moved in with his kindly sister across the street, is positively smitten with Angelina’s food. In a stroke of good fortune, Basil offers Angelina (not only husbandless but unemployed) a job cooking for him—two meals a day, six days a week, in exchange for a handsome salary. Soon, word of her irresistible culinary prowess spreads and she finds herself cooking for seven bachelors—and in the process discovers the magical power of food to heal, to bring people together . . . and maybe even to provide a second chance at love.

I have to said this book triggers my desire to renew my library card.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Christmas NBA Games

My husband and I have been busy shopping since the beginning of December. We have to decided to combine Spring Festival and Christmas together to make it fun and special this year. Another thing to make this Christmas so exciting, is that NBA is going to back on track on December 25!! We have planned to crouch on sofa and watch the games for a whole day.

Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd were finally the NBA champions last year!
I witnessed  this, and want to see more to come.

Christmas gift

I have received a Christmas gift!!!
I'm so excited to share. HERE
It's so unique and 100% handmade!! It can be a scarf or can be put on head. It is wide enough to cover my ears, and perfect to work as a ring around my neck!
I love it so much!! Thank you!! The warmest gift this year!

Let it snow

Christmas is approaching. Our Christmas tree "dressing" project has mostly come to the end. It is always fun to climb up and down to put on ribbons and all kinds of cute ornaments.

 This year, we have found adorable snowmen lights in Wal-Mart. They are playing hide and seek on the tree now. Since we set up the lights and candles, the first thing when I arrive home now is to turn on the light of our Christmas tree to greet my family and other neighbors!!
One of our snowmen

It is said that we only have about 47% chance to have a white Christmas according to some science research.
Please
LET IT SNOW!!!