Reflect On the Past Semester

Happy time is always passed quickly, whatever the life in the States or the semester in ALI. Now I recall that I had visited an exhibition of photographs, which name was Self-reflection; maybe it had already indicated the topic I would write in the end of this semester? Actually, it’s the time to reflect on the life I had in last few months, with my classmates and teachers.

I have never thought that I would study in a classroom, like a student since I got my master degree, but it really happened. God knows why I agreed with Margaret that went to English courses in ALI at that time. Now I’d regard it as the fate’s arrangement. Then I know you, my classmates, which younger than me; and I learn many things from you, different cultures from different countries. I am so respect your study attitude, serious, hard, and the courage that will not be afraid of making mistakes. I don’t want to mention the names of my dear classmates; otherwise it really likes to dress a farewell speech. However, your names are recorded in my heart; when I think about New York, I will think about you.    
   
Absolutely, I will never forget you, my beautiful teachers, for your help, for your patients…, and for your homework alsoJ I cannot remember how many essays I wrote and how many presentations I prepared. It’s painful and let me remind my past overtime experience in someway, but I’m still alive. Till now I can clearly remembered the occasion that I was writing in the placement test; it’s dreadful to think about that. Tell you a secret, I only wrote no more than 100 words. When I talk about it, I will always think about those Chinese teachers, how they will deal with the similar case, maybe just give student a simple “F”. Fortunately, I met the teacher in ALI, I met you. Hah, I digress. Now as you can see, the changes are happening. 

I will back to Shanghai with Margaret in next two months; that means whatever the exam score I get, I will be fixed at Level 5. However, all of things, such as our daily conversations, group discussions and presentations in the class etc., will become the part of my worthwhile memory in my life. Take care, my friends, and do visit me if you have chance to Shanghai! Herein, I'd like to use Churchill's words as close. 

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

--- Winston Churchill

What Would Our Life Have Been, If Artificial Food Ingredients Hadn’t Been Invented?

What do you have everyday? Many people said that they had salad, meat, bread, juice or soda etc., but they usually ignored those artificial food ingredients, such as trans fats, citric acid and artificial coloring! If time could go back, I wish all artificial food ingredients were not invented in the world. In fact, in my view, the technology of artificial food ingredients is meaningless and the most of products are not good for people’s health. 

Usually a technology has its positive and negative side, and the most of technologies can promote our social development; but I can hardly find the positive side of artificial food ingredients technology. Artificial food ingredients include artificial flavor, food coloring, food additive, and preservative. They are invented and developed just in order to satisfy people’s desire of taste, smell etc. unlimited cognitive expectation; therefore, I don’t think they contribute substantially to this society. To some degree, people are addicted to them and forget the natural foods’ tastes and smells. 

If the artificial food ingredients like a cup of coffee become the part of our life, it’s no matter; unfortunately, they more like cigarettes. People indulge in pleasant cognitive feeling but they don’t realize many things are unhealthy, even dangerous if they have them for long times. Take trans fats, for instance. We can find the track of trans fats everywhere; for example, crisp chicken and HBBQ wings in KFC, French fries and scrambled eggs in McDonald’s breakfast, even shortening and margarine in daily baking. While people are enjoying foods’ crumbly, more and more researches report that trans fact may cause heart disease, cancer and major depressive disorder … etc.

Technology is a double-edged sword hanging over us. In English learning, we have a grammar that use unreal conditionals to describe unreal conditions and related results; but in our reality life we cannot have these kinds of “if”. We cannot prevent those meaningless technologies inventing; but we can control ourselves, and choose use, don’t use, or minimize usage. Just for ourselves!

The Story of My Suit

I have never thought of writing something about clothes, to be honest. After all, clothes are simple for a man, especially for a man like me. In my view, clothes have three kinds according to their dress occasion: formal, business casual and casual. Normally I dress formal from Monday to Thursday, business casual on Friday, and the rest time are occupied by casual clothes. Among these clothes, if I have to make a choice, I would like to choose my suits. There are two main reasons. 

First, the suit can represent a man’s taste, style and attitude. I may not be a fashion man, I always like to choose navy blue cloth and two-button, single breasted jacket suit; and it lets me feel comfortable and safety. In fact, I value the suit for a working/life attitude behind of it; that is rigorous and conscientious. Therefore, if I have an important meeting or thing need to do, even if it’s Friday, I will also dress my suit. It indicates that I take it seriously; moreover, it can remind me and help me keep good working state.

Second, I like my suit because the clothier which I bought it and the three old tailors. It is said that the clothier had more than 90 year’s history. It is middle-sized but reflects its professional in some details. Since the first bespoke suits I had, the time has passed more then ten years; I am so appreciated that they keep their style in the age of quickly changed and impetuousness. I have gone the clothier couple times, and I always find that the old tailors takes professional measurement while accesses customers’ posture, slowly but conscientiously. This feeling has touched my heart deeply... ...

The Custom Clothier as stated in the text (Shanghai, photo from website)

“My Way”

“For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things, he truly feels,
And not the words, of one who kneels.
The record shows, I took the blows ---
And did it my way!”                                 

--- Written by Paul Anka (1967)

If you ask me what my favorite song is, I will give you a clear answer, My Way ( full lyrics and related link see atached in the end); because never had a song like My Way can give me so deep impression, whatever the occasion that I heard, or the feeling from the philosophical lyrics.   

I went to many farewell parties in passed years, included held for me. And I will never forget the first time I attended due to it happened in the period that I worked for Gillette, which is my first job; and the leading role of the party, Henry Chen, is the first boss in my life. I heard My Way just at that time. Henry had worked for the company for more than 15 years, and established the business in the Great China. He recruited me and trained me to deal with variety business situations; he was strict with us on professional ethics, on the other side, he allowed us to make “mistakes”. He is the one of few leaders that I appreciate and admire in my career life. Just a person like him would leave from us, so sad we were; and he used the lyrics of My Way to encourage us to persevere when we meet whatever challenges. Meanwhile, he hoped we could overcome all of difficulties while keeping our integrity in the future. 

Although I had worked for different companies and taken different responsibilities after that, but I always remember what Henry said; it had already stamped on my working style. When I meet problems, I’d like to hear My Way; when I feel depress, I also like to listen it. “Did it my way,” as a creed, it supports me experience many tough periods.  

My Way

And now, the end is near, and so I face, the final curtain.
My friend, I'll say it clear,
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain.
I've lived, a life that's full, I've traveled each and every highway.
And more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Regrets, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention.
I did, what I had to do, and saw it through, without exemption.
I planned, each charted course, each careful step, along the byway,
and more, much more than this,
I did it my way.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,
When I bit off, more than I could chew.
But through it all, when there was doubt,
I ate it up, and spit it out.
I faced it all, and I stood tall,
and did it my way.

I've loved, I've laughed and cried,
I've had my fill; my share of losing.
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing.
To think, I did all that, and may I say --- not in a shy way,
"Oh no, oh no not me,
I did it my way".

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things, he truly feels,
And not the words, of one who kneels.
The record shows, I took the blows ---
And did it my way!

Yes, it was my way.