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.

A book I want to read

 A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen

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?