One of the interesting pictures that I saw these days came from TIME magazine—a worrying mommy is swathing her son with bubble wrap to provide protection from his hair to toes. Yes. It is a picture mocking at over-parenting. The cover story on TIME was “The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting”. According to the article, over-parenting is spreading so quickly since recent decades. Debate about good parenting and bad parenting was launched: is overparenting good or bad?
It is true that concerns about children’s safety, grades, success and future motivate parents to overact their roles as parents. According to me, it is understandable that parents don’t want their kids lose the competition at the starting line. Thus, it is justified that parents send their toddlers to schools that offer Mandarin and Spanish lessons. In this case, more investment in education should be appreciated, but it is hard to measure how much is appropriate.
The TIME article also talked about the hurried lifestyle and intense extracurricular activities. I have to say that hurried lifestyle is no good for both mental and physical development of children. When I sit down and think over the most frequent words that I use in conversation with my son, I realize that “hurry up” and “quick” have quite high frequency. As a parent, I hope to save every free minute and let him to draw a picture, trace letters, play puzzles or at least color something. But I also know that free playing plays an extremely important role in childhood. Kids discover the world through playing themselves and with friends.
But what sounds ridiculous for me is that some parents won’t play piggyback ride any more in case of their kids bang heads on the wall. It is even ironic that a Connecticut grandma wrote to the mayor to chop down hickory trees in order to prevent her occasionally-swimming nut-allergic grandson from being hit from the dropping nuts. Kids are like flowers. They do need sunshine, water and care, but it doesn’t mean that they should always stay in conservatory 24/7. Sometimes, a little wind and a bit of rain will help them to learn more about survival. I really appreciate my son’s school give them two one-hour outdoor free playtime each day. Almost everyday, he shows me something he finds at school from his little pocket.
New Vocabulary:
swathe: to wrap or bind with or as if with bandages
Hullabaloo: Great noise or excitement; uproar
Trampoline: A strong, taut sheet, usually of canvas, attached with springs to a metal frame and used for gymnastic springing and tumbling
Saturday, December 12, 2009
from "queer" to "faggot"
When I wrote these English blogs, thesaurus.com helped me a lot with finding new words. Howeve, things are not always so simple. Some words are synonyms, but they are not replaceable. One of the typical examples is the word “weird”. I found “eccentric”, “strange”, and “queer” as its synonyms. Before I picked “queer” as the new vocabulary for my blog, I asked my husband if he knew this word. He answered, “Do you mean gay?” That really surprised me because I didn’t realize that “queer” had been derived as a synonym of “gay”. After I looked it up in dictionary, I knew that “queer” is not a polite way to name a guy with homosexual trend. It mixed some negative attitude while addressing homosexuality. When I googled it for further research, I found out another word with similar meaning to “gay”: “faggot”. Even Wikipedia has an entry for “faggot”—a pejorative term and common homophobic slur against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. It will be so awkward if an English beginner randomly picks “faggot” from dictionary without understanding the real meaning.
New Vocabulary:
Queer: odd or unconventional, as in behavior; eccentric.
Pejorative: tending to make or become worse.
Faggot: American slang, a common homophobic slur against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
New Vocabulary:
Queer: odd or unconventional, as in behavior; eccentric.
Pejorative: tending to make or become worse.
Faggot: American slang, a common homophobic slur against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Does marriage change people?
Does marriage change people? Most people will say that nothing you can do to get your husband or wife change. I think in terms of personality and characteristics, it is true. But recently, I found out that for some husbands, one thing is changeable. They will gradually get away from their old buddies and friends with whom they hang out most often will become their wife’s husbands. Although it sounds like a nightmare for most husbands, it is hard to deny it.
For me, it is a pretty interesting phenomenon. For most wives, it is almost impossible to become intimate friends with their husbands’ friends’ wives, but it is inevitable that husbands of intimate girlfriends will become intimate buddies. I asked my husband if my conclusion is true, he didn’t answer it but he started to name some of his male friends with whom he hung out most often recently, they are all my girl friends’ husbands. I also asked some of my girlfriends who live in different cities and countries whether they see the same phenomenon, they all agreed, which reaffirm my thought that marriage and relationship can really change a man through changing his friends. But later, I doubted myself. Is it wife who changes friends of her husband or their kids who does it?
All my girlfriends around me these years are mommies of my son’s friends.
Although I think that I still keep good contact with girlfriends I made in high school and college, it seems that hanging out with them becomes really difficult, except for those who have got married and had kids like me. In Sex and the City, when Maranda becomes a Mommy, she’s so afraid of getting alienated with the other three girls. Although in the show, she is lucky enough to keep close with her girls eventually, I don’t believe that it will happen to everyone in real life. In reality, our friends will somehow shift, from friends of ours to friends of our families.
Old friends might not go away, but family will bring new folks to coruscate our life. Just like my husband, he is pretty enjoying sipping beer and playing vacuous Wii games with other daddies of Marvin’s friends.
New Vocabulary:
coruscate: to give forth flashes of light; sparkle and glitter
vacuous: lacking intelligence; silly
For me, it is a pretty interesting phenomenon. For most wives, it is almost impossible to become intimate friends with their husbands’ friends’ wives, but it is inevitable that husbands of intimate girlfriends will become intimate buddies. I asked my husband if my conclusion is true, he didn’t answer it but he started to name some of his male friends with whom he hung out most often recently, they are all my girl friends’ husbands. I also asked some of my girlfriends who live in different cities and countries whether they see the same phenomenon, they all agreed, which reaffirm my thought that marriage and relationship can really change a man through changing his friends. But later, I doubted myself. Is it wife who changes friends of her husband or their kids who does it?
All my girlfriends around me these years are mommies of my son’s friends.
Although I think that I still keep good contact with girlfriends I made in high school and college, it seems that hanging out with them becomes really difficult, except for those who have got married and had kids like me. In Sex and the City, when Maranda becomes a Mommy, she’s so afraid of getting alienated with the other three girls. Although in the show, she is lucky enough to keep close with her girls eventually, I don’t believe that it will happen to everyone in real life. In reality, our friends will somehow shift, from friends of ours to friends of our families.
Old friends might not go away, but family will bring new folks to coruscate our life. Just like my husband, he is pretty enjoying sipping beer and playing vacuous Wii games with other daddies of Marvin’s friends.
New Vocabulary:
coruscate: to give forth flashes of light; sparkle and glitter
vacuous: lacking intelligence; silly
Monday, November 16, 2009
Farmers Market vs. Supermarket
Last week, I happened to hear a report about the impact of supermarket invasion in developing countries from NPR news. With the fast development of global retail chains, traditional markets in developing countries are facing tremendous threat, as well as local farmers and agricultural producers. In some developing countries, supermarket is considered as a new shopping and living style. Although same products in supermarket are about twice price as in traditional market in those countries, more and more customers are attracted by the convenience provided by supermarket. According to the report, some new supermarkets offer customers store credit card which is really popular, albeit its high interests. It is a pretty interesting phenomena that when farmers market is again a fashionable life style in developed country like America, traditional local market are rapidly declining in third world countries.
Neophilia could be considered as a latent identity for most of human beings. Once supermarket becomes part of daily life, a weekend-only farmers market turns out to be a fashion. As always said, fashion has and will always repeat itself and come back after being packaged in a different way. Although supermarket is definitely an evolutionary shopping concept, farmers market is exactly a new look of traditional market. The popularity of brand new supermarket chains in some developing countries along with the prevailing farmers market best demonstrates the human nature of neophilia.
Moreover, the phenomenon could also be explained as a cultural transition. Culture evolves through the demands of society. When people in developed countries begin to care more about their life quality and food safety, their needs for fresher products increase. Although global trade, along with supermarket chains brings delicious fruits from the other side of the planet to our table and benefits our guts, we all know that they are neither environmental-friendly nor sustainable for our planet. Sometimes, the freshness of the products in supermarket is artificially created—some fruit and vegetables are coated with chemicals to look good. It is undoubted that our modern life is tightly connected with supermarket or hypermarket like Wal-Mart. It is impossible to get rid of it since it has been part of our life. So, honestly, what we can do is limited—going to a nearby farmers market every other weekend could be an option.
Overall, shopping supermarket and farmers market are both desirable living style for better life. I enjoy both ways of shopping—supermarket is neat and convenient while shopping farmers market is a pretty relax and pleasant experience.
Vocabulary:
neophilia: love of or enthusiasm for what is new or novel
Neophilia could be considered as a latent identity for most of human beings. Once supermarket becomes part of daily life, a weekend-only farmers market turns out to be a fashion. As always said, fashion has and will always repeat itself and come back after being packaged in a different way. Although supermarket is definitely an evolutionary shopping concept, farmers market is exactly a new look of traditional market. The popularity of brand new supermarket chains in some developing countries along with the prevailing farmers market best demonstrates the human nature of neophilia.
Moreover, the phenomenon could also be explained as a cultural transition. Culture evolves through the demands of society. When people in developed countries begin to care more about their life quality and food safety, their needs for fresher products increase. Although global trade, along with supermarket chains brings delicious fruits from the other side of the planet to our table and benefits our guts, we all know that they are neither environmental-friendly nor sustainable for our planet. Sometimes, the freshness of the products in supermarket is artificially created—some fruit and vegetables are coated with chemicals to look good. It is undoubted that our modern life is tightly connected with supermarket or hypermarket like Wal-Mart. It is impossible to get rid of it since it has been part of our life. So, honestly, what we can do is limited—going to a nearby farmers market every other weekend could be an option.
Overall, shopping supermarket and farmers market are both desirable living style for better life. I enjoy both ways of shopping—supermarket is neat and convenient while shopping farmers market is a pretty relax and pleasant experience.
Vocabulary:
neophilia: love of or enthusiasm for what is new or novel
A recent film- "The Proposal"
Recently, I watched two of the year’s most popular comedies: the Proposal and I love You, Man. Although the critics’ review on Yahoo gave higher rate for I Love You, Man, I personally prefer the Proposal much further，not only because it is a romantic comedy but also because the movie is quite related with the research paper I am working on.
The story is about a successful and imperious Canadian woman in Manhattan, who is accused to overstay with an invalid U.S. visa and is about to be deported by USCIS agent. In order to keep her legal visa status in the U.S, she decides to risk violating the law and persuades her assistant to collude with her for a phony marriage. Throughout their plan, they eventually fall in love with each other. The romance is a little bit cliché, just like most of the other romantic comedy, but there are still a lot of sweet and affable moments about family relations.
In addition, although this film is mostly about a love journey, it does uncovers some problems of the current broken and inefficient procedure existing in U.S. immigration bureaucracy—the long queue of immigration applicants in USCIS bureau, inhumane and rigid regulations, and low efficiency in case processing.
One of the most hilarious parts appears when the closing credits are on. The main characters are being interviewed by immigration officers. Interview questions such as “What’s your wife’s favorite color when she’s not home?” and “What’s the flavor of your husband’s Speed Stick? Mask or Alpine?” “Does your wife fart in front of you?” are queerly hilarious. I think most audience cannot stop laughing when they watch this part.
I googled the “marriage interview questions for U.S. immigration” after I watched this film. I found out that weird questions are more than the forementioned. It is understandable that these questions are deliberately designed to prevent phony marriage and defend the law. However, is it necessary to make the whole procedure as a “game show” or a slapstick?
Hope an upcoming immigration reform will change it and make the immigration process a pleasant one instead of a struggle.
Vocabulary:
Imperious - able to deal authoritatively with affairs
Collude - to act in conspire; to act in unison or agreement and in secret towards a deceitful or illegal purpose
The story is about a successful and imperious Canadian woman in Manhattan, who is accused to overstay with an invalid U.S. visa and is about to be deported by USCIS agent. In order to keep her legal visa status in the U.S, she decides to risk violating the law and persuades her assistant to collude with her for a phony marriage. Throughout their plan, they eventually fall in love with each other. The romance is a little bit cliché, just like most of the other romantic comedy, but there are still a lot of sweet and affable moments about family relations.
In addition, although this film is mostly about a love journey, it does uncovers some problems of the current broken and inefficient procedure existing in U.S. immigration bureaucracy—the long queue of immigration applicants in USCIS bureau, inhumane and rigid regulations, and low efficiency in case processing.
One of the most hilarious parts appears when the closing credits are on. The main characters are being interviewed by immigration officers. Interview questions such as “What’s your wife’s favorite color when she’s not home?” and “What’s the flavor of your husband’s Speed Stick? Mask or Alpine?” “Does your wife fart in front of you?” are queerly hilarious. I think most audience cannot stop laughing when they watch this part.
I googled the “marriage interview questions for U.S. immigration” after I watched this film. I found out that weird questions are more than the forementioned. It is understandable that these questions are deliberately designed to prevent phony marriage and defend the law. However, is it necessary to make the whole procedure as a “game show” or a slapstick?
Hope an upcoming immigration reform will change it and make the immigration process a pleasant one instead of a struggle.
Vocabulary:
Imperious - able to deal authoritatively with affairs
Collude - to act in conspire; to act in unison or agreement and in secret towards a deceitful or illegal purpose
Monday, November 9, 2009
Marvin's Birthday
Today is my son’s 4-year-old birthday. We planed a party and invited some of his friends come to the party this noon. When I brought him to Costco this morning to buy food and drink for our reception, I think I “made a mistake”, but an interesting one. I knew that I shouldn’t have taken the way through toy section in the store, but I did. That brought me lots of trouble, as most parents have experienced. Marvin was totally amazed by the toys, especially transformers, dinosaurs and race cars. We are not parents who buy everything asked by their kids. Usually, my son is a reasonable kid when I tell him that we should discuss with daddy before we decide to buy a new toy, but today things were not that simple. He wanted a set of 20 race cars, which I have to admit are really hunky-dory. I told me as usual that we had to talk to daddy when we went home and made the decision together. His response was pretty plausible, “Last time when I came here, Daddy said that I should discuss with you.” I realized that he had seen the same toy when he came to Costco with his daddy two weeks ago. Obviously, daddy had already kicked the ball to mommy. The buck-passing game could not continue any more because daddy and mommy are not supposed to go back to their words, isn’t it? And suddenly, I found out that the boy in front of me started to have his own precise and explicit logic. In terms of buying new toys, setting a principle is important, but disappointing him sometimes may lead to his distrust on parents. So, he got his desirable race car set.
On our way home, I told him that mom and daddy did discussed about buying this toy set and appreciated his understanding and patience, and this toy set was also a reward for his comprehension for principles. Our 4-year-old young man seemed to be quite delighted with his new toy and flattered by mommy’s praise. I was pleased too. Although I made a mistake by going across the toy section, spending twenty dollars reinforcing my son’s attitude towards principles was also a valuable lesson for me. Principles should not only be obeyed by kids but also parents. Trust is a two-way track, which is extremely important for young kids when their philosophy is shaping.
The party was awesome. Kids were all attracted by the colorful race cars. They shared the toys and all really enjoyed Marvin’s birthday party. Marvin, of course, was the most exultant one, who dressed with his new Ralph Lauren shirt, met with his friends, got lots of B-day gifts, blew his candles and blessed by everyone.
New Vocabulary:
hunky-dory: perfectly satisfactory; fine
flattered: being pleased or gratified the vanity of
exultant: marked by great joy or jubilation; triumphant
On our way home, I told him that mom and daddy did discussed about buying this toy set and appreciated his understanding and patience, and this toy set was also a reward for his comprehension for principles. Our 4-year-old young man seemed to be quite delighted with his new toy and flattered by mommy’s praise. I was pleased too. Although I made a mistake by going across the toy section, spending twenty dollars reinforcing my son’s attitude towards principles was also a valuable lesson for me. Principles should not only be obeyed by kids but also parents. Trust is a two-way track, which is extremely important for young kids when their philosophy is shaping.
The party was awesome. Kids were all attracted by the colorful race cars. They shared the toys and all really enjoyed Marvin’s birthday party. Marvin, of course, was the most exultant one, who dressed with his new Ralph Lauren shirt, met with his friends, got lots of B-day gifts, blew his candles and blessed by everyone.
New Vocabulary:
hunky-dory: perfectly satisfactory; fine
flattered: being pleased or gratified the vanity of
exultant: marked by great joy or jubilation; triumphant
Sunday, November 1, 2009
About the recall of Baby Einstein DVDs
One of my friends recently purchased Wii FitPlus for her daughter in order to encourage her do some exercises. Her 4-year-old daughter is quiet and shy. She would rather playing piano for 40 minutes, instead of playing slide in the playground. It is quite understandable that my friend worries about her daughter’s athletic performance. However, among Wii’s hundreds of games, her daughter only likes the very gentle yoga exercise and prefers watching her mom playing game and giggling on the sofa. My friend said that it was one of the regretful purchases she has made.
We are living in a world fulfilled with ubiquitous technologies which all claim to make our life better; however, is our life really made better by things like TV, computer and Wii? The recent recall scandal of Disney Baby Einstein DVDs pulls the debate again under spotlights.
Although I am one of the parents who introduce TV to kids in their early ages, I do not think watching TV and learning from TV can replace the interactions between kids and parents. According to an article on TIME two years ago (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1650352,00.html), some TV learning programs, such as Baby Einstein and Sesame Street are considered by lots of parents as a replacement for parents’ evolvement in early education. That is not a feasible trend. Parents are not just giving birth to kids. More than feeding them up, we are here to nourish them. Even though 24/7 parents are the toughest job in the world, in my opinion, a 30-minute story time everyday is really crucial for not only kids but also parenting course. Interacting with kids is pretty time-consuming, but it worth all the inputs.
It is undoubted that increasing pressure from work and life in modern society keeps parents really busy and overloaded. A one-hour TV program can allow a desperate mommy finish a simple yoga section and free a sweaty daddy to a relaxing shower.
I think that interest groups, like Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) are not only expressing their indignation towards the current intensive and overwhelming commercial market, but also are broaching their concern for the next generation and the future of human beings.
New Vocabularies:
ubiquitous:being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent.
indignation: anger aroused by something unjust, mean, or unworthy.
broach: to bring up (a subject) for discussion or debate.
We are living in a world fulfilled with ubiquitous technologies which all claim to make our life better; however, is our life really made better by things like TV, computer and Wii? The recent recall scandal of Disney Baby Einstein DVDs pulls the debate again under spotlights.
Although I am one of the parents who introduce TV to kids in their early ages, I do not think watching TV and learning from TV can replace the interactions between kids and parents. According to an article on TIME two years ago (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1650352,00.html), some TV learning programs, such as Baby Einstein and Sesame Street are considered by lots of parents as a replacement for parents’ evolvement in early education. That is not a feasible trend. Parents are not just giving birth to kids. More than feeding them up, we are here to nourish them. Even though 24/7 parents are the toughest job in the world, in my opinion, a 30-minute story time everyday is really crucial for not only kids but also parenting course. Interacting with kids is pretty time-consuming, but it worth all the inputs.
It is undoubted that increasing pressure from work and life in modern society keeps parents really busy and overloaded. A one-hour TV program can allow a desperate mommy finish a simple yoga section and free a sweaty daddy to a relaxing shower.
I think that interest groups, like Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) are not only expressing their indignation towards the current intensive and overwhelming commercial market, but also are broaching their concern for the next generation and the future of human beings.
New Vocabularies:
ubiquitous:being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time; omnipresent.
indignation: anger aroused by something unjust, mean, or unworthy.
broach: to bring up (a subject) for discussion or debate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)