Am I A Peach?

There was once I visited an orphan institute. I bought a bag of peanuts candy. When I entered the orphan apartment, I gave each of the kids a present. They were very happy and nuts with my candy. Humm . . . Yummy! They shouted and ate the candy. They whispered in smb's ears to each other that I was a peach. I felt very pleasure and joyous.

I stayed there for a half day. We were in a group to play together. Suddently, there was a boy played pranks to one of the other girl. I went bananas at that time and I yell at him. Then, we continued to play. Accidentally, I had heard the boy whispered by himself "She was not a peach." "It was baloney."

Somtimes, to control myself is not a piece of cake.

The Berkeley Kite Festival

The annual Berkeley Kite Festival held up in the Cesar E Chavez Park yesterday.
My two friends, my wife, my elder son and I went to the park at noon time.
The sky was cloudy, but we could see more children and their parents had been there. Many giant kites floated and swung their tails in the sky. When the show and competitions started, the blue sky appeared gradually. I found that people became more and more. Most of people were all the whole family. And I found that many disabled persons showed up even more. In that time, more variety of colorful kites flied full of sky. ‘Candy Drop’ caused children and people cheering. It made me felt this active event could give all people happiness, no matter child or elder, healthy or disabled.
We enjoyed this event yesterday.

It Looks as If . . .

Ellen is almost as funny as Richard. We have ever hope to have a substitute teacher like Richard Blum.

Everytime Ellen comes into our class to be our substitute teacher. The class is so exciting. We conflict each other. Everybody is very active and in a happy atmosphere.

Ellen is our top banana, so we respect her a lot. Whenever she tells us to stop talking, everyone stop right after that.

Ellen acts as she is very busy with her mouth, he ears and her gestures. She has to control many students in the class.

Ellen is a good and devoted teacher. When she substitutes Richard I feel as if she were real Richard in the class room.

A Subtitute Teacher's First Day

Today is the first day we start to work with a subtitute teacher. Everyone in the class is very happy and excited to the new teacher.

Now everyone in class almost speak English. So, today the subtitute teacher only made one penny in the jar. it's very good because money is newcomer's blood and tear. So that we have to be very careful and control oneself. We have to obey what our teacher requirement.

I thought speaking English in the class is "Rule of thumb." Our teacher has made "The big mouth jar" about several months already. We almost had used to speak English in the class now. I think nobody wants to spend that money anymore.

I left early today so, I asked Peter to give me the grammar sheet. He gave me right away both of the grammar sheets. He is indeed very nice teacher. My hope has come true now.

Have A Good Trip to Mr.Blum

Today is the last day to see our teacher because he is going to take a long vacation to Denmark. Although ocean's apart, but we will be right here waiting......... and waiting for him because he is number 1 teacher.

We are going to be here with another teacher next week. We don't know yet who is going to substitute our teacher. We hope he (or she) will be an interesting teacher like Mr. Blum, but we hope he won't be a tyranny like Richard.

Next week, we are going to be freedom. We can talk our languages when we don't understand each other. I think the substitute teacher will be nice to us and won't tell us put the money in the jar.

We actually don't know what to say is better than the words "Have a good trip" and "Have fun" to our teacher.

Our teacher is going to live it up overseas. For sure, he will enjoy and relax much over there. We hope he won't forget the waiting of all of us right here!

Xiao Qin’s Story by Mei Fang

This story happened in Chen Du, Sri Chuan, China. Xiao Qin was fifteen years old. She completed middle school. After that, she spent three years writing her story.

The story was about her mother’s “tears of blood” life. The story was four hundred thousand words long. The title is “Went ThroughWind and Rain, Haven’t Seen Rainbow”

Xiao Qin wanted to sell the rights to the book. She wanted to use the money to pay for her studies in high school and at the university. Xiao Qin and her mother stood on a crowded street and held up a sign. The sign said, “Hot and bitter story.” She talked to many publishers, but no publisher would buy her story. She went home disappointed.

In her story, Xiao Quin wrote that when she was seven years old she had a happy family. Her father planted lotus root for a living. He had saved a lot of money and they had a happy life, but her father enjoyed gambling. He lost his money and he left the family for another woman.

Xiao Qin’s mother, who also took care of her uncle and his daughter, had to leave the family to go find work.

When Xiao Qin’s mother arrived in Shen Zhen, she was tricked and sold to a song and dancehall for 5,000 yuan.

Eventually, the police rescued her from the dancehall and sent her back to her family in Cheng Du.

For a living, her mother worked as a dance hostess. She made friends with a bad man but he treated her very badly. Xiao Qin didn’t know what to do. She had come to the end of her patience.

Fortunately, she met an unemployed worker. They were married. This ended more than ten years of suffering. From then on, Xiao Qin, her mother and her stepfather lived ordinary happy lives.

submitted by Mei Fang

Humor

I think humor is xxx. It is necessary for everybody. It relaxes our tiredness and relieves our stress. Do you agree?

Life can be ridiculous. I like it when something crazy happens. I like it when people or situations make me laugh and I like to share my laughter with people.

Previously, I didn't think I needed to collect amusing stories, but now, suddenly, I think I should collect them and write them down in my essays because I want to share my humor with all of you. I want you guys to share a smile with me.

I hope you guys collect interesting storiesand spend a little time to share them me on the blog. Make me laugh, because laughter is good medicine for everyone.

I think humor has to a part of everyday life so we don't feel bored while we are working or studying.

Humor is a heath food. It helps us to look younger and have more love of life.

Promotion Ceremony

On June 14^th, there was a “promotion ceremony” at my daughter's school. She had to go there an hour before because she was salutatorian. She had been chosen to give a speech at the ceremony.

After an hour my husband and I attended the ceremony. Outside the school, people were selling many things for the graduates like garland wreaths, bears, and balloons. My husband told me to buy a gift for my daughter.

I bought a bird for her and we went into the ceremony room. As I entered, I saw my daughter sitting on the stage with some teachers and students. The ceremony started. People stood up to sing the national anthem.

First, the principal came up and welcomed all of the parents and guardians. Next, the guest speaker talked about the students' study process. He talked about the students' goals for the future. Then, several students came up to read their essays.

Finally, the students who were being promoted were awarded certificates.

After the promotion ceremony finished, we went out to the stadium. We took some pictures and then we went home.

A few days later, my husband went to Costco. He bought an Ipod for his daughter. She felt very happy and enjoyed the Ipod more than the bird I gave to her. But she never forgets to listen to the bird’s song every night when she goes into her room to sleep.

Problems to Report to Your Landlord

1. There are a lot of ants in the kitchen.
2. The refrigerator doesn’t stay cold.
3. The bathroom ceiling is leaking.
4. The roof is leaking. It needs to be repaired immediately.
5. There is a big crack in the wall near the living room window.
6. The window in my bedroom is broken.
7. There is a big wasp nest the gutter on the south side of the house.
8. The bathroom sink is clogged.
9. The toilet is clogged. It overflows when I flush it.
10. The front door is sticky. I think the hinge is broken.
11. The smoke detector doesn’t work.
12. The dining room light is not working.
13. The water heater doesn’t work. We don’t have hot water.
14. There are termites in my bedroom wall.
15. I don’t have lights in the living room and bedroom. I think there is an electrical problem.
16. The fan in the living room doesn’t work. I smell smoke when I try to turn it on.
17. The carpet in the living room is torn.
18. The hot water faucet in the bathroom is broken. I can’t turn it off.
19. The garage door will not open.
20. I get a shock when I try to plug something into the electrical outlet in the kitchen.
21. The paint in the kitchen is peeling and I am afraid that there may be lead in it.
22. I smell gas when I turn on the stove.
23. I think the tree in the front yard is going to fall.
24. The wind knocked down the side fence.
25. The upstairs neighbors make too much noise.

The Sandals

Yesterday afternoon, I went to a supermarket. As I walked towards the supermarket, I saw a lady who had just gotten out of her car. She walked by me. Suddenly, she stopped walking and squatted down to pull out a bamboo toothpick from the gap of her left sandal and left foot. She was lucky that the toothpick did not stick into her foot.

I find that many people like to wear a pair of sandals when they are driving or walking around. They just think that sandals make them feel cool. Sandals are convenient and comfortable, but in fact, sandals do not protect their feet. Especially, when driving a car, wearing a pair of sandals can be dangerous if a person needs to stop quickly. You can image what could happen.

I hope people who like to wear sandals when driving or walking around outside understand the danger.

Help Me to Say Thank You!

On Thursday our teacher was absent, so, Miss Ellen was our substitute teacher. At the end of the class, I asked Ellen to explain the meaning of this sentence, "I'm too old to know everything." She wasn't quite sure that she understood my question.

The next morning, I drove my car to school. While I was parking my car, (it was across street from the parking lot of our school) Ellen saw me and she crossed the street to greet me. She said, "Oh, now I understand the sentence that you asked me yesterday." Then, she explained the meaning of that sentence to me clearly. There were some words I didn't understand so she tried to explain it to me another way. She is the most enthusiastic teacher that I have ever seen.

Ellen has taught me only two times when my teacher was absent, but I feel as if she is full of enthusiasm for her students.

We both were in a hurry, so I forgot to say "Thank you" to her the help she had given me.

If anyone sees Ellen, please help me to say "Thank you very much!"

Some Virtual Souvenirs

Here are some virtual postcards from last summer's trip in Denmark.

I don't have a photo of Hans Christian Anderson's house, but I hope you enjoy these photos of my family and friends.

It ain't no Eiffel tower, but ...

Angel Island Photos

Here are the photos from the Angel Island Trip we took last spring.

Do you remember that field trip?

A Little Eiffel to Students

I remember when my son was in the third grade. His teacher took a vacation to France. After the vacation, his teacher came back to the class. He gave each of his students a gift. It was a little model of the famous Eiffel Tower. It was made of steel. It looked cute.

When my son came home, he was very happy and took the little Eiffel out from his pocket. He said, "Mom, Mr. Nguyen gave each of his students a little gift."

My son's teacher loved his students very much. While he was on vacation, he always thought of gifts to give to his students. He made the students very happy with the presents which he brought from France. He was a generous teacher.

Our teacher is going to Holland next week. Well....I hope our teacher will have some little gifts for us after his long vacation.

World's Highest Railroad by Mei Fang

On July 1st the Qing Zang railroad began service from Golmud to Lhasa. People in both cities celebrated the opening. They were very excited. This is the highest above sea level railroad in the world.

For years people dreamed of building a transportation link between the two cities. Now it is real. This railroad is 3,500 meters above sea level and 1,124 kilometers long. The scientists, engineers and workers that built this railroad encountered and overcame many problems.

For example, for 550 kilometers the railroad bed is built on frozen earth called permafrost. To protect the permafrost they had to build a special bed that absorbed heat in the winter and radiated heat in the summer.

In another area they built viaduct bridges to allow the antelope to safely cross from one side of the tracks to the other.

On July 1^st , on television, I watched the first train leave Golmud . There was a celebration. People were singing and dancing. They were very happy.

I hope my classmates and teacher have the opportunity to travel across Xi Zang on this train.

Mei Fang

Golden Gate Park

Last Sunday, we went to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. We arrived at Golden Gate Park after about 30 minutes driving.

In San Francisco the weather was a little colder than in Oakland. We saw some people BBQing in Golden Gate Park when we walked around the park. It seemed that they enjoyed their BBQ. People were laughing and cheering. Children were laughing and playing games.

We visited a museum, the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden. There was a big golf course there also. I think the most interesting place was the plant house. In front of this white building there were many kinds of beautiful flowers. It attracted us to go inside. I felt I was in a small forest when we went into the plant house. There were many kinds of tall trees in the room. We walked into another room. There were other kinds of plants there. Some butterflies were flying around the room. I was surprised to see big lotus pond at the center of the room. Beside the lotus pond there was a mini waterfall. That mini waterfall looked like a mirror. It looked like glass. I have never seen such a beautiful place since I move to the United States.

Zidane's Headbutt

Check out this article.


And this animation.

Zidane wins World Cup Golden Ball award.

If I Were Jim Abbott I Would . . .

If I were Jim Abbott I would ask to give a speech to children with disabilities such as: we have to live above public opinions. We have to put away our complex. We have to put ourselves in normal people. We have to look forward to the challenge and chase for our dream. We try our best to realize our goals if we couldn't reach it, it could be fine. We can be American Idol.

Like me, I have been missing one hand, but I nourished one's ambition when I was a child. I hope I going to be a pitcher in the future. So, I tried my best to practice playing catch by myself. That's a great challenge for me.

After beating the best of Roger Clements. People had no doubt about me and they stopped thinking about my missing hand. Finally, people only saw my talent and forgot about my disability.You see!

Could Anybody Help Me?

Hi, teacher and classmates,

Could you tell me which website for listeing the lesson on Friday? I remember . . . what about the modern slave . . .

I tried to find it on the website voanew.com, but I couldn't find it.

Thank you very much for letting me know as soon as posible.

Funny Story

There once was an old man. He went to school everyday. He took two classes. He worked hard and reviewed lessons every night. He had been going to school for ages.

Although he had studied very diligently, he often couldn’t remember even simple words. So, one day, the teacher asked him, “Why do you forget all the easy words, lately?”

Then, old man replied, "Learn more, forget more," and he asked the teacher to let him take a short vacation.

The old man wanted to review the lessons during the break, but he couldn't remember anything at all.

Finally, he whispered, "Learn more , forget more. Don't learn, don't forget . . ." He repeated these words a few times. The old man decided to give up his studies.

July 4th

Every year, my family and I usually go to Jack London Square to see fireworks.

Many people make a rush to go to Jack London Square to see fireworks because it is a beautiful harbor which people ussually concentrate there to see fireworks for years.

Like me, I don't like to wait too long for seeing fireworks. So, my family and I often go there an hour before it starts fireworks. I can't believe that it is crowded year after year. We drive and park our car somewhere. Then, we walk a long distance to there. Oh! There are a lot of people are walking with us. So, we don't feel it take us long. When we go to the point of the harbor. All seats are full and the people are standing there are very crowded. I heard they said, they came there to play for a whole day long and took seats beacause they live far. Some travelers are from other states. They want to stay at the hotels which close to the harbor. They want to enyoy fireworks on July 4th.

At 9 p.m fireworks are starting. People look toward to seeing where it has fireworks. Sometimes, fireworks come up very beautiful. It makes people are excited and scream when they see happy faces or some fantastic of fireworks. It continue on and on. The fireworks are bright with colorful. Before end of the time. People are more excited because fireworks come up quick and are wonderful. People enjoy fireworks until it is end.

Anyway, the fireworks on July 4th are great. People are happy and enjoy fireworks very much.

Coming Back

Yesterday, I received a letter from the school telling that I'm going to room 101 class this summer. I'm very happy to work with all my classmates and the teacher again. They all give me a special relationship as they saw me at Red Wood park. Classmates were very glad and wanted me to stay in group with them. They said: "Everybody misses and asks you." They made me feel touched.

This summer, I try to be an other student. I won't make joke in class. I won't make our teacher angry anymore. Because when he gets angry, his face turns red and his hair loses. Oh, no. His hair has gone! I'm sorry about that.

I try to keep our teacher smiles all the time Because when he is happy, he looks younger and healthier. So, he can bring us go field trip next year.