Monday, June 28, 2010

There is a right time for everything

I was not born and raised  a Christian but I respect Christianity . When there is a chance I read all as told. I like this Passage from the Bible. I have it in English, Chinese and Danish versions,
It tells me to pause. It encourages me to let go. Don't lives in regret. Learn to forgive but not require to forget. I am looking into if Buddha has similar quote like this . I believe there are
 Below is Source from Bamboos people's blog,  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:
There is a right time for everything:
A time to be ,A time to kill , A time to heal;A time to cry, a time to laugh ;A time to grieve, A time to dance;A time for scattering stones, A time for gathering stones
A time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing;A time to find, a time to lose;
A time for keeping; a time for throwing away;A time to tear, a time to repair;
A time to be silent, a time to speak;A time for loving, a time for hating;
A time for war, a time for peace

I found King James Version
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (King James Version)Ecclesiastes 3
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

I also found it in Chinese 傳 道 書 3 
In my eye it's clearly translation from other languages, but well interpreter
1 凡 事 都 有 定 期 , 天 下 万 务 都 有 定 时 。
2 生 有 时 , 死 有 时 ; 栽 种 有 时 , 拔 出 所 栽 种 的 也 有 时 ;
3 杀 戮 有 时 , 医 治 有 时 ; 拆 毁 有 时 , 建 造 有 时 ;
4 哭 有 时 , 笑 有 时 ; 哀 恸 有 时 , 跳 舞 有 时 ;
5 抛 掷 石 头 有 时 , 堆 聚 石 头 有 时 ; 怀 抱 有 时 , 不 怀 抱 有 时 ;
6 寻 找 有 时 , 失 落 有 时 ; 保 守 有 时 , 舍 弃 有 时 ;
7 撕 裂 有 时 , 缝 补 有 时 ; 静 默 有 时 , 言 语 有 时 ;
8 喜 爱 有 时 , 恨 恶 有 时 ; 争 战 有 时 , 和 好 有 时 。

In Danish
 Prædikeren
1 Alt har sin stund og hver en Ting under Himmelen sin Tid:
2 Tid til at fødes og Tid til at , Tid til at plante og Tid til at rydde,
3 Tid til at dræbe og Tid til at læge, Tid til at nedrive og Tid til at opbygge,
4 Tid til at græde og Tid til at le, Tid til at sørge og Tid til at danse,
5 Tid til at kaste Sten, og Tid til at sanke Sten, Tid til at favne og Tid til ikke at favne,
6 Tid til at søge og Tid til at miste, Tid til at gemme og Tid til at bortkaste,
7 Tid til at flænge og Tid til at sy, Tid til at tie og Tid til at tale,
8 Tid til at elske og Tid til at hade, Tid til Krig og Tid til Fred.

( for me , Danish version is the most poetic writing )

China Vietnam Danmark and US

Xuan Nguyen Version

To Vietnam, My motherland. whose good earth gave me fertile ground to learn and grow.
To America, my homeland,whose good heart gave me a chance to be somebody

He is Lucky only a motherland and a home land with My own version will be .
China is my basic inspiration, Vietnam I am formed,
Denmark fertile me with learning and grow,
US should be a place for challenge and harvest. So I can be somebody.

Compare to other I have 2 Motherlands,
Vietnam is my born mother. Denmark is my foste mother
I also have 2 homes.
Denmark is my 1st home.
Now in US  I am building a 2nd home, that requires lot more effort than my 1st home







i

Sunday, June 27, 2010

沉香 (chénxiāng), what is called in English

While I am Watching my weekly Taiwanese drama "Scent of Love".
It leads me with a wish to known more about a wood call 沉香(chénxiāng) in Chinese.
沉香(chénxiāng) in Chinese  mean "sinking incense".


Because I am from Asian so I  always known this wood has a fragrant that use in mostly incense or perfume industry. Products with contain of this scent always very costly, but reasons why and where is from, I have no clues, why trading with this wood have connection to be illegal.


This answerer I got it from is see link Agarwood - 沉香 (chénxiāng)


沉香 (chénxiāng)  is called Agerwood or Oud  in English. This wood is on the CITES list (the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) also known as Washington Convention.
When species on this list mean product is limited by naturally method, High global demand, over harvesting and habitat loss. When government controls it  with purpose to protect and balance  of environmental and nature. It always leads to illegal trading of the products because of  the high profit  products can give.


Agarwood oil's fragant is complex and pleasing,  almost none other natural similarly. The product can trace back in  history the early 3rd century in China histores' book note. It has been played an important role in Vietnamese history in financial aspect .
Reason most of history notice from Asian, because Agarwood original from Aquilaria trees (a Southeast Asian native Evergreen tree) infected by a type of mod.  Formation of Agarwood occurs in the trunk and roots of trees that have been infected by a parasitc ascomycetous mold, Phaeoacremonium parasitica, a dematiaceous (dark-walled) fungus
In natural forest the amount of infective trees are limited.  As Scientist known about  the reason behind the formation of Agarwood. So an industrialise production can be make by inoculating all the trees with the fungus.
Price for the cheapest A oud oil distilled from Agarwood can cost as little as $20 per kilogram, while the finest Oud oils distilled from Agarwood can cost as much as $7,000 per kilogram.
In the perfume industry Yves Saint Laurent is known for using Agarwood in perfume products line, though Aloeswood/Oud oil is not commonly known in the Western

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Favorite activity , most useful and interesting in Renton ESL for you

From Liz: What was your favorite activity or assignment this quarter? Write in your blog about what was most useful and/or interesting for you

From me : I joint the class in the end of this quarter. I focus on improvement in written English. Thereby the most interesting for me it's to write and get corrected my mistaken, but there are  bonus in this process i.e. I expand my vocabulary in more nuance English . I get more detaile   in reading comprehensive . It also give me chance to go deeper into understanding American  culture, history and more

I find it is very interesting to adopter  idea of using online resource to teach languages. The students get two bird with one stone in the Technology and English. By applying Blogging into writing assignment is the environmental friendly idea. Think all the tree we are able to save.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

3-5 sentences

Assignment June 22-2010
"Write 3-5 sentences about your group discussion of Father's Day AND/OR practice typing 3 interesting paragraphs from the handout.

I'm choosing to write 3 interesting paragraphs from the handout.

1)First of all I find under title"Father's Day"in section one and two. Getting information about the origin of Father's day, because it's part of American history and Culture, hereafter Washington State is playing a role in nation. Important paragraph "Holiday traces back in the early 20th-century in Spokane Washington state", the important names are Sonora Smart-Dodd. President Nixon.

2)Under tittle :"shortchanged on Father's day" . The most interesting paragraph "The Most popular gift for Dad is a father's day Card. All told approximately 93 million cards are exchanged on father's Day" . An explanation in the US consumers' spending habit on Father's day compare to Mother's day. Reason is father tend to be an easy going person.
I believe other countries also have similar pattern too. Thought counts more than gift.

3)Under section "Easy to Please on Father's Day". I find the most interesting in the ending paragraph "Part of the reason seems to be that moms expect to be relieved of stereotypical chores such as cooking and cleaning up on Mother's day, but that doesn't always happen".
I believe many women are more detail , tends to take care the tidiness within home.Many woman not able to let go of the duties. I believe it also traces of the traditional sex roles still exits . Tradition is still well preserved
in today's society event time is changing regarding : sex roles, work force and earning power are undergoing process of changes.

Monday, June 21, 2010

My Father's day weekend 2010

Assignment from Liz "Did you use English over the weekend? When? Where? Why? Write a few sentences in your blog about when you used it. "

This is my 2 days working weekend as a product demonstrator. It requires lot of verbal English usage to promote new launch products, but only limited to the most common every day's sentences.
Professional my script will always emphasis following points (I am memorizing as "VIPC$" (Verbal Important Product cost a dollar)
1) Polite Verbal Invitation..
2) What is the product?
3) New or Improved product in the existence brand or totally new brand?
4) Mention the Advantages of product nutrition or convenient .
5) Saving Cost of product with comparing in regular price and event price.
6) Location of the product within store.

Sometimes on the project training manual there is Demo script, but I don't follow it 100%, because It is not natural and too long. the consumer will loose interest

Both evenings after work I watched my weekly Chinese drama with English Subtitle

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Father's Day Weekend


My written this time is about this special weekend and with combination of what, where, why, when, who and how. My purpose is to get an indsigt in American culture .

This weekend is Father's Day weekend. I want to understand the reason behind it. Why is in June?
June 20, 2010--Father's Day, as other year the day always falls on 3rd Sunday of June every year. Annually honors committed human dads.

What is the purpose of this day? How to celebrate it?
Father's Day is a day honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. This is a modern tradition. I believe which start from America. This observation is not a public holiday. Typically involves gift-giving, special dinners to fathers, and family-oriented activities.

When is started and Who.
To find an answer we need to look at the History of Father's Day.
This modern Father's Day was invented by Sonora Smart Dodd, who born in Creston . It''s a town in Spokane Washington. Sonora Smart Dodd was also the driving force behind its establishment.
She was inspired by Anna Jarvis's efforts to establish Mother's Day. Although she initially suggested June 5, her father's birthday, but her suggestion did not make enough time to the organizers to did the celebration arrangements, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June.
Her idea took years to be official recognized event in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge ,who was the 30th President of the United States, from 1923-1929.He recommended it as a national holiday. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson , who the American often referred to as LBJ, served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969. LBJ made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June. But the holiday was not officially recognized until 1972, during the presidency of Richard Nixon. President Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, from 1969-1974

Why is spelling "Father's Day" not "Fathers' Day"
Under normal English punctuation the name of the event is understood as a plural possessive (i.e. "day belonging to fathers"). It is the guidelines shall be spelled "Fathers' Day". But the most common spelling is "Father's Day", as if it were a singular possessive (i.e. "day belonging to Father"). Because Dodd have used the "Fathers' Day" spelling on her original petition for the holiday, and the spelling "Father's Day" have been already in use in 1913 when a bill was introduced to the U.S. Congress as the first attempt to establish the holiday and it was still spelled the same way when its creator was commended

Where in the World also Celebrate Father's day

Globalization impacts tradition. US have a big influences in globalization process reason why many US modern tradition is adopted by other countries too. Father’s Day is one of the celebration day also participate other country. Dates around the world is same but it also varies from country to country. It depends on religion believe, country's history, and revolution.

Some examples of variation day
China
This tradition I will base on Taiwan because Taiwan official languages is Chinese Mandarin. In Taiwan Father's Day is not an official holiday, but is widely observed on August 8.
Reason the eighth day of the eighth month of the year, because In Chinese, it ‘s the official Chinese languages , the pronunciation of the number 8 is . This pronunciation is very similar to the character "爸" "", which means "Papa" or "father". Therefore Taiwanese usually call August 8 by its nickname, "Bābā Day" (爸爸節).

Denmark
In comparasion to other in Scandinavian Father's day is in November, but Denmark differ from neighbours is official Holiday.

In Denmark Father's Day is 5th of June. It is Danish Constitution Day, the closest day is able to get a Danish national day, which may have contributed to the few families in this country are aware of today's special significance for fathers.

Monday, June 14, 2010

My Working Weekend

Sitting in front of the PC to write how is my weekends. Recall the memory and decide what is worth to write about? At last I focus on my working day. I have a surveying job as a Demontrator

Ut was Sunday on 6/13-2010, While the sun was shinning outside I spend all my Sunday indoor at a Safeway's store to demonstrate and pass out samples of "Pringles Crisps and Stix".

This Safeway is one of the big size. Many customer come and do grocery shopping during the day, and the employee are busy with refill product on the shelve.


It started not as smoothly as usually. one of the two products was not able to be found on the shelves in the store. At last able to get the information from the manage, it was in the back at the storage.
4 boxes of the one products was brought to my demonstration's area but no indication of price. I contacted to the personal and requested for price check and labeling.
It took time get the issue solve, because as many other retail store's policy, not any employee could have authority to make price label, only certain personal have this authority.
I was not even finish with setting up product displaynear my table, but many customer flocked to my demonstration's table want to try samples. I defered the display to later and hurried pass out samples. But all day was busy , because the new product was a hit I continued with display in the downtime. Mostly I sold out the products from boxes.

During the whole day I noticed the comment and reaction from the consumer. At the end of the day I wrote all positive or negative remark and attached on the rapport form.

It was a very busy day. The number of samples was on the target goal. The promoted products was sold out. I was satisfy and tired.

In a way I enjoy to work as a demonstrator. I meet lot of people mostly nice, open mind people. I use my customer service and interprete personal , informe customer with technical data as nutrition value and more. Mostly Conversation are in English, but sometimes I also use my Chinese or Vietnamese to this segment of consumer.

It is not required, I speak other than English but I always get train that if people are talking to you in languages you speak, so it is appopiacte to reply with the same languages because of politness and make good impression too.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Memory of Reading

As recall I began love to read in the 7th grade. Event this activity was not a well acknowledge activity within my family, particular for my grand mother. She mean it was not a productive action. She could not be blaming because she had never gotten any schooling. She was living at time, reading just for the Rich ,"Powerful people"and Authority which had misused their privileges.
She was brought up at a time and at place, which was totally difference from us in America of the 21st century.

Monday, June 7, 2010

A VCD CITIZEN


There is a reason for choosing this title. It is a simplified way to describe about me.
I was born in Vietnam by Chinese parent. I left VN at as a teenager, reason I left Vietnam was political change. The First country in my transit was Malaysia. After 6 months in Malaysian refugee camp, I was selected by Denmark. I arrived in Denmark as 1st generation immigrant. I stayed in DK untill 2000, then immigrated to US 10 years ago. If you ask me, where are you from? I will always answer: "I'm from Denmark".

I like to see the Surprised faces when people hear this reply, because of my Asian's look and Denmark is not a country from Asia.

Blog Introduction

Hello, I'm Victoria Mai. This Blog is for ESL's assigments at Renton Worksource ESL Class.