Ma Mam Mia

Located in the downtown New York City, the Broadway is known of its Broadway Show. Since 18th century, the New York City has been the center of American theatre. Many familiar dramas such as Chicago, Phantom of Opera and Cat are all come from Broadway.
It is my first time to be in New York City, the most imagine for me is not the tall buildings and busy people. In contrary, I was expecting the Broadway Show. Theatre can usually present a culture concern rationally. A player on the stage can present a family or a shadow of a society. A conflict and a climax can also express the mood of people and the movement of the society. The stage and props can also show the art and economy of a nation.
Couple weeks before the trip, I checked the Internet for information of Broadway Show ticket. When I saw the price, the first thing came to my mind was “Taiwanese Headache” which my mom always made fun of me because I didn’t like to spend money, but after my theatre teacher who lived in New York before suggested me to try if I could find the half price ticket online, I finally found out an acceptable price. A little asks could save me hundred bucks.
The show we saw was “Ma Ma Mia” which had been played in Taiwan before but I hadn’t had a chance to see it. The Ma Ma Mia is talking about a young girl has no daddy. Before her marriage, she wanted to find her father and accidentally read her mother’s diary about her three former boyfriends. She sends the invitation to each of “father candidates” to here wedding. She also needs to figure out who is her real dad among three men. The story is happened in the Greece, a romantic and mythic state
First time appreciating a formal show, there was nothing could cover my curiosity and happiness. Mom and I lined up for the show in front of the Winter Garden Theater on the Broadway. We were all excited and expecting to see the show. Entering the performance hall, we saw many people wore formal clothing and looked like ladies and gentlemen walking around and talked with each other elegantly. The spotlight and the elaborate architecture constructed an atmosphere of beau monde.
The show started with a happy girl sang about how happy she was to get married. She invited her cousins, aunts and her “dads”. Her mom was a hard-working money lover. She sang the song “ Money! Money!” in the very cute way. Other flat characters and dancer gathered together and tried to hook the audience as the money hooks mankind.
The girl’s fiancé was an employee who had a strong infatuation with diving and fishing. The night before wedding, he even went to diving with his buddies. The girl’s aunts were totally different. One of them was a mammon, and the other was expedition. Three fathers had their own personality too. They were successful businessman, explorer and normal person. In addition, there was always a strong single parent momma. They tried to find the perfect match with each other on the crazy little island. How “Ma Ma Mia” it was
Bowing, the certain slowly fell as feathers. That was a great night with my momma. A good theatre always reflected a deep part of people’s mind, which wasn’t expose too much. In the final scene, the girl decided to let her mother being her father. Mother always support and love children. I love my mom and glad that she cam come.

My Dream Land MIT

Since I was fifth grade, I have had a strong interest on engineering. In our daily life, everything is based on engineering whether it is a giant building or just a piece of chocolate. Engineer is the brain and the human of human civilization.
I remember when I was child, my mom gave me toys such as playing block, which I need to think and create. My sister and I liked to create new stuff. Sometimes we combine many different kinds of toys to make a new shape or a new function; even we try to do ‘’surgery’’ on my sister’s Barbie doll. Later in the kindergarten, we still like to create.
Since 2003, my life had been full of scientific research project. My first long-term project was to analyze the principle of fluid dynamics in order to make an efficient aircraft. Since very early, I have realized and learned the spirit of science and the way of science such as teamwork. Science had been my interest and ambition through my academic life.
Maybe it is too early to establish an aim, I am still ambitious to make contribute my life on science and industrial, and my aim is to universalize and graduate replace the gas-consuming society. That will be my goal!
MIT had been the top engineering school for a long time. Professors and students have been inventing the new technology and create a new world day by day.
Located in Cambridge in Boston in, MIT is next to downtown Boston, Charles River and Harvard University.
In the morning of my first trip to Boston, we went to the MIT on the local subway system T. I had campus tour that day but I almost missed it because the campus was so big that takes me hours to figure out how to get to the other end. In the rush hours with my mom, we took a glance of MIT’s landscape. State Media laboratory center lied on the corner of the Greek style old main buildings with a modern face and impressive shape. The great dome of the Barker’s library was facing the downtown Boston across from the Charles River which is gorges but also harmonious with the trees and sky. Walking through the campus was other kinds of joy.
The campus tour started with hundreds of high school students and their worried parents at noon. In the crowd, most of them were oriental face and the rest of them were local American. They were all looked similar somehow. Maybe they are all nervous but curious about the school they were looking for. I glanced upward the great dome of the right wing of the whole building. The indirect light on the concrete surface reflected tender brightness but also create an awesome atmosphere.
The leading guide led us to the student center across from the busy intersection. Around the corner, there was the modern theater consisted by 3 main frame. It sounded like these 3 frames, which looked like unbelievable, supported the whole construction. The student center was a busy place. Student come for lunch or just grab and go. Beside the dining area, there was a big Olympic standard size swimming pool with bright lighting and great audience seats. As Mr. Pepper in his book Creative Factory: MIT “ Swimming half hour is the best way to relax.” The swimming pool probably will be my favorite place to go when I feel stress.
After the right wing, we went to the opposite side of the campus. We passed the tallest building known as “The Green Building” in MIT. Each year during the Halloween, the student will use the nitrogen liquid freeze the pumpkin and drop them from the top of the building, which are about 30 floors. Sounds cool, doesn’t it.
Suddenly after we passed two layers of glass screen, there lied a great big building. Maybe I should not say “a”, it was actually a pile of buildings known as State Center. In the front of the building, it looked a section of the airplane and the rest of orange building was just lying in random directions without any support. I doubted it would support itself well, but it seemed to be all right. Maybe that was the feature of MIT and MIT beavers, crazy but accurate awesomely.
We came back to the Endless alley, the sunshine came though the every glasses screen of every windows. In the end of the alley, we got out of the building. Facing us, there was the view of the Back Bay area of Boston. The tallest building was Hancock hall and the on prior to it was Prudential Center. Below the city, Charles River brought the spirit and the duck for this city.
In the opposite side of the Charles River, the Great Dome known as Barker’s library dignifiedly raise straight up on the bank. Wow! That is the temple of the industrial science to me. The great building was written “ Massachusetts Institute of Technology”. Although every letters ”U” looked like “V”, I could recognize it right away. After the campus tour, I came back to the Dome, took pictures and admire how import to me to see this spiritual creation. I was touched and briefly talked with the building; I kneel down, touched and felt the concrete ground. The whole building graduate became a part of my heart and my soul. I guest it was one of my homes, the home for me to struggle and to persuade. I kissed the ground with my skinny lips and quickly stood up. Meanwhile I knew that was where I should belong. Yeah! That is where I belong. I think now my aim is clear enough and close enough. It doesn’t matter if it is hard to enter the school. As Master Cheng Yang said,” If you have well, the power to achieve it will come with it.”

The first experience of tractor

Sorry I haven’t shared something recently since I was too busy on swimming tournament and my family’s coming. Those were all raining days. The low pressure had just passed by the east so we got couple week heavy rain. Actually, I love rain and I still remember when I was in Hue-Lien for junior high school, every single day in summer, I was expecting the heavy rain with lightning after the sultry morning. Virginia, in fact is not that humanity than Taiwan though it still close to the Atlantic Ocean.
The rain always washed the earth and the air. I think that is why I love the atmosphere after a heavy rain. The air always emits some grass smell and soil odor. Also, the soil became very soft and full of earthworm. Yeah! That is the sign of life and our young mother nature.
Since last month, we had started germinated many kinds of seeds in Agriscience class. Now, those little babies were all germinated with a little or a big sprout and couple leaves, reflected with the vivid sunshine. Our green house seemed to be too crowded to expend the plantation so our teacher Mr. G decided to move the seedling out and plant them into the ground after the frost season and even some of cold crop can go out first.
Yesterday afternoon, we went to the garage for tractor. I didn’t know how strong the tractor is when I first saw the light-green John Deere trade mark but after Mr. G operated it, the engine started groaning like a water buffalo. My Japanese friend J jumped on the tractor first. Mr. G taught him how to switch gearshift and use and speed the engine. He drove to the school’s backyard and stopped it. We helped Mr. G to install the steel plow on the back hook of the tractor. That thing is obviously heavy. We barely installed it and saw the tractor just gently lifted the whole plow. Amazing!
I drove the tractor back to the school garden. I didn’t know I was able to control that green beast. I push the bar, speeded the engine and then pull my foot back. The tractor then went forward slowly. As I pull my foot back, the tractor suddenly started running.
It was excited to drive the 1 yard-diameter-wheel vehicle in the muddy road. Although I was just a beginning tractor driver, I still tried very hard to control the tractor but sometimes I couldn’t really see what it in the front. Actually, I almost hit the school mailbox in a corner. I thought I would crash it with 1 inch.
When we arrive the field. Mr. G taught us to plow the land. He drove cross the field and put down the steel plow in the end of the field. While the tractor was driving forward, the plow behind started tilling the ground. I meant the plow was really big and can easily flip 1.5 feet deep of soil. Almighty technology.
Mr. G let me try to plow the land. I didn’t feel that nervous than my first driving. Instead of that, I just tried to do things like my teacher. On the right hand side of my seat was the control of the plow. If I push to the end, it will leave the plow, but I just drop the plow into the ground, shift the gearshift to the backward and pull my foot on gas pedal. The tractor smoothly tore the ground behind me without any noise. As the technology developed everyday, it changes our way to live, produce and consume rapidly. How people use the technology properly is an important issue. It is a good experience to get closer to the really applied technology.

PYSA Swimming Champ

Since October in last year, I have been swimming for YMCA Stingrays Swim team. During the spring season, I have joined many swimming meets won couple times. In the end of the season, my coach Ms. P invited Vini and I went to a YMCA Championship of Virginia. That was my pleasure to participate this great experience.
The meet was located in the Bedford where the World War One Memorial was. The day after noon, Ms. P took us to the Bedford. The Bedford YMCA Swimming pool was a 6-lane pool. Hundreds of people crowded in the rest area. I got a booklet of the list of events. Totally, we have 124 events. I had 12 events totally, the meet last 3 days. What a big meets. I couldn’t wait to swim!
My first event was 200-yard freestyle. Maybe I was a little bit nervous when I divided into the water, the water was extremely cold. Despite I couldn’t adjust the water temperature in the first lap, I still swam very hard trying to get abreast with others. Finally, I finished 200 yard. Good thing that I wasn’t the last one but my explosive force of my kicks was still needed enhanced. Later, I had 100 Individual Medley (Free style, Breast stroke, Back stroke, butterfly). I was doing pretty well. Although, I wasn’t very good at butterfly and backstroke but I could catch up by my breaststroke. I ended the first day with so-so performance but I knew the most important session for me was the second day.
The next day, I got up in the early morning, had a great breakfast and ready for the coming events. Afternoon, in my first entire breast stroke event (50 yards breaststroke), I knew according to the each seed times of my competitors, I was the fastest in my age group so everything I did was just helping myself to calm down and relax. I was humming the song “ You are my sunshine “ right before diving into the water. My body smoothly penetrated the surface of the water, made the first stroke and the next. I tried to not to breathe to much in order not to slow down the speed so since couple months ago, I started training myself doing proper strokes without too many times of breathe. Also, the affect of each breath was a critical point. Since my first training, Coach, K taught me to swim 25 yards continually without breath. Although that was really hard, I have done many times. Another critical point was the turning and the first push. Ms. P taught me to count “ Apple Peach Pumpkin Pie” to do the first push and then “ Strawberry Shortcake to do the first kick. In the training, I could slide in the water for almost 10 yards before starting swimming. 41 seconds wasn’t too long. My both hands touched the side of the pool and stop the automatic timer. I wasn’t the first one in my heat but the first one in my age group. Also I broke my record by 3 taking off 3 seconds.
I also swam relay for my team. I was good at breaststroke so each time I always catch up others by breaststroke but if I swam freestyle, I was the one slow down the speed. As Ms. P said, most of the times, swimmers separated into 2 different kinds. One was good at breaststroke and butterfly; the other was freestyle and backstroke. Maybe I should make my breaststroke better and better. The national record for 100 yards breaststroke is 59.09 seconds and that will be my aim.
During the three days, we lived in Day Inn Motel. It was my first time to live I an American motel. Everything was fresh and fun although it was funny that I was too tall, the blanket couldn’t cover my feet. I thought that was the reason I woke up so early! I was satisfied with the motel breakfast. I could get cereal, waffle, bread, biscuit and juice from the breakfast bar. It was very important for athletics to have a great breakfast.
In the end of the meet, I even became a timer for my brother. I had timing experience before but I was still excited. My brother had 500 yards free style so he needs to swim 10 laps. Every time when my brother did a flip turn, the water splashed all over my pants but I didn’t car and still cheered for my brother. After the heat, I pushed the stop button stopping the timer and also ended the whole championship.
I performance very well and got a golden medal and a bronze medal totally. Also, I made many friends of in my team and other team. It was great and substantial weekend.

My Strawberry!

My strawberry!
Since I have taken The Agriscience in the school, I’ve learned the knowledge about the progress of Agriscience and how to plant a plant. I couldn’t wait to cultivate my own plant. Fortunately, my host mom brought me to Lowe’s, a warehouse for every need of a house. I was expecting to plant strawberry because I through USA is a country where strawberry and cherry (which is very expensive in Taiwan) are cheap and easy to grow. Finally, I found out boxes of strawberry runners and picked up two kinds of strawberry: Tristar and Surecrop.
Replanting the strawberry from the box to regular pots wasn’t a difficult work but you need to handle it carefully. I carefully move my strawberry from the box, separate them and replanted into the pots though I caught cold and felt dizzy that day. Because each box has about 10 strawberry plants crowded in a small area, they didn’t seem to be healthy when I planted it. Physically, they pretty weak then. I separated them into 3 boxes watered them and put in my host mom’s garden room. Supposedly, I could have my first harvest during May.
Everyday, I came back from school and walked into the garden room checking my baby strawberries. Since the first day I check them, they grew awfully fast. Couple days later, they seemed to adjust the new environment completely. A week later, some of them seem to be 3 or 4 inches tall. Now, I have to put them under sun in the most time of the day to prevent they to be too leggy. My host mom taught me how to water them as they need. Too much or too little are not good for them. She took my hand and put on one of her plant. I felt the top soil is really dry and definedly need some water so we water them. To water the strawberry, I need to use the same logic too.
My said she will teach me how to strawberry short cake when I harvest. Normally, strawberry is for eating freshly. Some of friends like to eat strawberry with yogurt and cream or eat with cake. I purely just want to top the strawberry on my daily cereal bowl.
Strawberry is a romantic plants. As my host mom said “ it has the most beautiful flower among the fruit plants.” It is also excited to me cultivate and take care of a plants with love and expect. Day by day, the strawberry grows taller and taller. When will I have Ruby-strawberry?

Puppies!

These days have been cold and windy. Actually, it made me a little homesick because of the weather. I remembered during the winter of Taiwan. We have monsoon from the northeast. The cold air carries water vapor from the sea can really make me feeling cold as it enters my body. While the cold weather was driving me crazy, our family had really good news. Our Joonburg, the blue heeler girl had Puppies!
The afternoon of February 6th, Joonburg had the first puppy that is a boy. Couple hours later, she had another one who is a boy too. Unfortunately, one of the puppies died before it was born but in the late evening, we got another boy. The next day, which was Chinese New Year, we had another one, but again, one of them just fell asleep and never woke up. Totally, we had two puppies. One with big spot on the eye called ”Shiner” and the other one called ”Breezier”. Viva!
We were all excited about the new lives coming. Since 2 and half months ago, weeks. At the start, they just stayed away from each other. When they touched each other, they would just bark and still had not right chemical. After the week, we moved them to the neighbor’s pen to see if they would mate in the different place. Neighbor Tart separate them in the different place and couple days later put them together to see if they would miss each other. Anyway, they didn’t seem like they like each other so we had no choice but gave up.
Two weeks later after she came back home, we found out her belly growing bigger and bigger day by day. We were so happy and looked forward to see what will the puppies look like. There came a question, we didn’t know whose puppies father. Actually, Joonburg had three chances to get pregnant. The first guy was the one who is living in the third paragraph in this article now. The second guy was our little boy Ret Butler, the Pomeranian. We freed him in order to chase the deer away from eating our plants and he was a really naughty boy. He likes to urinate on everything to reasonably declare his territory but he had a strange habit. He liked to smell and even licked on Joonburg buttocks. In fact, we saw him being able to make Joonburg lying down so we didn’t underestimate this boy at all. By the way, another guy was Neighbor’s golden retriever. Once a while, Joonburg unusually sneak out of the property and came back couple hours later. Maybe she was dating with her boyfriend.
Finally, everyone wanted to know whose is it badly. Can you imagine how the mixture of a blue heeler and a Pomeranian look like?
During Joonburg childbirth, our host mom had a touching experience. She saved one of those puppies that are alive. When she found out the second puppy was born, she quickly knew the puppy had problem to live, she was calm and tried to help the puppy. She uses her hand and blew air into puppy’s tiny mouth and pushed his teeny-weeny ribs. I am a student of lifeguard but I never knew how to do CPR for doggie. As I said, it was a state-in-arts ”high technology”. I was happy to see a saved life.
Life is always cherished and holy. I am glad I can sit here and tell you a story today because of my mom and my dad. Maybe somewhere in the future, I will have my own ”puppies (babies)”. I must be a good dad!

The Art Reception in Longwood Center of Visual Art

The Art Reception in Longwood Center of Visual Art
My host mom is a professional artist participates in many kinds of local art program and group. Fortunately, our local university, the Longwood University had established an art center for art exhibition or artist meeting. Every seasons, they have regular reception for the new coming art works. I am glad that I have the pleasure to participate this reception for mind and appetite (Actually I cannot wait!).
After swimming training, Vini and I walked to the Art center. On the way, the beauty of this charming little town came to my eyes. Farmville used to be a downtown for farmers shopping and gathering together. Since 1839, the Longwood College in Farmville has trained thousand of teachers for basic education and higher-level -occupational training personnel. Couple years ago, Longwood changed into the 4-year university with more resource and development. It has also brought the town lots of benefits on living quality and educational source. Obviously, the prize of the real estate has come up really quick. Lots of invest gives the town some public construction like the Art Center. It also makes the town classically elegant.
Although I was really hungry after swimming (the human mind is still operated by food), I was really excited and attracted by the art works. The topic of this season is the African Art From Permanent Collection. Though those little black native African masks were pretty cute but a little bit scary, I still loved the rural African wild atmosphere among that masterpiece.
But, actually the most thing catch my eyes was a assembled sculpture ” The Higgins’s Patent Headache Machine” by Richard C. McClintock. It is consist by several fancy gears in a church-like building. Beside the main machine, there is a little house ironically called “ the sitting house” and an old man with a ball head sitting under a big hammer, which is the end of the machine. When you rotate the handle of the base of the machine, it operates the whole machine and finally gives the man a big strike on his smooth head.
I like the idea and the constructional style and skills of the machine. It makes me laugh because I believe every busy people in this industrial and urbanized society is building his or her own patent headache machine. I hope I can stop build mine. Thank Mr. McClintock. He reminder me the fact that my machine is almost finished.
The gears were really fascinating for me. I took about 30 pictures and videos in every angles of the view of the machine and tried to figure out how it operates. My” special” behavior finally became a part of the artwork. People were interested about why this crazy boy stands around the sculpture for half hour with a camera.
Of course, the emphasis of the reception naturally felt on those delicious foods. On the big table, there were salad, fruit mixed, tacos, pastries, cheesecake, cocktails and chocolate-coated strawberry. Several servers shuttled gently among crowd with plates of beautiful pastries. I cough the moment and took the picture of this server with a big smile. I hanged around among people, artworks and food happily with the relaxed mood. Life is art, isn’t it?