I was in the mood for (house) cleaning last night, and wished today were Saturday (so that I could continue the "deep" cleaning). When I woke up by my alarm this morning, the newsman said we celebrate Kamehameha Day today. YEAH! I don't have to go to work! (It's not that I don't enjoy what I am doing at work. I want to do "deep" cleaning only once in a blue moon. That's why I was so happy for not having to go to work today.) Kamehameha Day on June 11 is a public holiday of the state of Hawaii in the United States . It honors Kamehameha the Great , the monarch who first established the unified Kingdom of Hawai ʻ i — comprising the Hawaiian Islands of Ni ʻ ihau , Kaua ʻ i , O ʻ ahu , Moloka ʻ i , Lāna ʻ i , Kaho ʻ olawe , Maui and Hawai ʻ i . While he was king, Hawaii was a center of the fur and sandalwood trade. Pineapples were brought to Hawaii from Spain in 1813 and coffee was first planted in 1818, a year before he died. In 1883 a statue of King Kamehameha I was dedicated in Honolulu by King David Kalākaua (this was duplicate, because the original statue was lost at sea). There is another duplicate of this statue in Emancipation Hall at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. From wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamehameha_Day
Tomorrow, May 26th, 2011, will be the last day of high school class for all seniors at Punahou. Four years have gone by, just like that. Gone with the (trade) wind! This Sunday is the Baccalaureate for Punahou seniors. Next Saturday is the graduation, one of the most well-prepared high school graduations one can expect. I am saving a few tickets, in case some close friends will be in town and want to see the performance. Yes, it has a performance that includes singing by all the seniors. It may be the only singing on stage for many of these young men and women, who have practiced for weeks. What about the final exams? One may ask. Well, that's next week, but only for some students. The AP tests were given in early May nation-wide, so they are done. Some courses don't have the final. And, some teachers let students skip the final, if they have done well enough... Now, this is definitely news to me. Note: For Baccalaureate service, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baccalaureate_service
I find this chart below very impressive. The organization, St . Jude Children 's Research Hospital reaches out each year by sending out free mailing labels to people. They are able to track me down year after year. Instead of getting annoyed for being "followed," I decide to make a small donation on this Mother's Day. http://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=5b25e64c5b470110VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRDvgnextchannel=ee58ebc7a7319210VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRD
This is not the first time I spent the New Year's Eve and the New Year's Day in the Bay Area . I usually stay in San Francisco with Wen's family, because it's very close to the airport. This time, I stayed at Yanzi's in San Jose, partly because Wen's family has moved to Singapore two years ago. On the New Year's Day, Yanzi and I went shopping at the Marina Food, a supermarket chain (owned by Chinese?). Gosh, I felt I were in a supermarket in China! I even saw fresh winter bamboo shoots, one of my favorite foods! For someone from Honolulu, the first impression was the low food price, about 30%-50% lower (without really doing any serious calculations). I began to wonder if I should retire in the Bay Area... To learn more about the Bay Area, one can go to the wikipedia: The San Francisco Bay Area , commonly known as the Bay Area , is a metropolitan region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California . San Francisco is surrounded by water on three sides, bordering the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is the cultural and financial center of the Bay Area, and it has the second-highest population density (after New York City ) of any city over 100,000 people in North America . San Jose is the largest city in the Bay Area in terms of both land area and population. Oakland is a major manufacturing and distribution center, rail terminus/hub, and has the fourth largest container shipping port in the United States. The San Francisco Bay Area is renowned for its natural beauty, liberal politics, affluence , diversity , and new age reputation. The Bay Area is home to many well-known cities. San Francisco is famous for its steep hills, cable cars and historic streetcars, the Golden Gate Bridge , and Fisherman's Wharf . Oakland, on the east side of the bay, has the fifth largest container shipping port in the United States . The city is also a major rail terminus. San Jose sits nestled within Silicon Valley , the premier high technology region of the world. Silicon Valley covers several cities in the south Bay Area region, and is home to many of the industry leaders in technology such as Google , Yahoo! , Cisco , Apple , Oracle , and Hewlett-Packard . Major corporations in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and the surrounding cities help make the region second in the nation in concentration of Fortune 500 companies, after New York. The region's northern counties encompass California's famous Wine Country , home to hundreds of vineyards and wineries. The Bay Area is a leader in sustainable agriculture , organic farming , and sustainable energy and for being a leading producer of high quality food, wine, and innovation in the culinary arts . The area is renowned for its natural beauty. It is also known as being one of the most expensive regions to live in the country.
October 16th, 2010 is Sweetest Day . I dont care for sweets, but do want to have some fun. So, join me to have a sweet Saturday! May your Saturday be as sweet as mine
2010年10月14日是第一个世界肺功能日（ World Spirometry Day ），我们按计划进行了WSD主题活动-免费肺功能检测和义诊，100多位市民或呼吸病患者前来检测了肺功能（图1-3）。北京地方媒体参加了这次活动，在肺功能日前后分别进行了报道、宣传，向大众介绍了肺功能检查知识。北京电视台在今天7:00-9:00的《北京您早》节目中进行了详细报道。 视频片断链接 http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjE0ODAyNjI4.html BTV链接 http://space.btv.com.cn/video/VIDE1287113042969212 从今日收到的组织者发来的信函中得知，世界各地的肺功能日活动均取得成功，截止写信时刻，已有2万多人接受了肺功能检测。以下是信函原文：、 Dear Colleague, As World Spirometry Day progresses, we would like to announce that over 20,000 tests have so far been performed from 80 completed events. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication in what already looks to be a successful event and for helping to increase awareness of lung health across the globe. If your event is still running we wish you the best of luck and look forward to receiving your results. When your event is complete, please email WSD@ersnet.org as soon as possible, with the following information: Essential 1. Organisers name/ Organisation 2. Location (hospital/site, city, country) 3. No. of successful tests performed Desirable If you are also able to tell us any values of population identified with abnormal lung function, with reference to the classification found here: http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/ 23/6/932 /T1.expansion.html we would be very grateful. After the event we will be in touch about collecting more detailed data and questionnaire responses if you were able to collect this. We would also appreciate any press clippings or links you are able to collect. We look forward to hearing from you and sharing your successes via the WSD map: www.yearofthelung.org/wsd-events Kind regards, Anne-Marie Wish (ne Audley) ELF Educational Coordinator European Lung Foundation
United States observance (from wikipedia) In April 1934, as a result of lobbying by the Knights of Columbus, Congress and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt October 12 was made a federal holiday under the name Columbus Day . Since 1971, the holiday has been fixed to the second Monday in October, coincidentally the same day as Thanksgiving in neighboring Canada (which was fixed to that date in 1959). It is generally observed today by banks, the bond market, the U.S. Postal Service and other federal agencies, most state government offices, and some school districts. Most businesses and some stock exchanges remain open, however some states and municipalities abstain from observing the holiday. That's right, the State of Hawaii does not observe this federal holiday
None of my teachers in China will read my Blog, I am sure. Still, I wish they would know how much they meant to me. I wish I could phone some of my beloved teachers in China, to let them know that I have become a teacher myself some years ago and that teaching is what I intend to do for the rest of my life.
To the world, you are just one person, but to one person, you may be the whole world! (Inspired by the e-card below.) Happy Mothers Day! Enjoy a Jacquie Lawson electronic greeting. (I think I can post it at my Blog, since it can go on Facebook.) Please click on the following link to enjoy it: http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2320536111810source=jl999 Alternatively, please visit http://www.jacquielawson.com and select the Pick Up Card option in the menu. Then enter your card code, which is: 2320536111810
If you happen to be in Hawaii, don't miss the Lei Day celebration To learn more, go to http://www.honolulu.gov/parks/programs/leiday/photogallery.htm This is the line for lei viewing... ... in the humid afternoon of Lei Day, 2010. I guess I will go people watching this year... There are two chains. People waiting in line will have a close look at the display; people walking by have to stay behind the outer chain, like me (too lazy to wait in line). Lei on a hat (the first three places). Winners of this year's Theme lei. I want this lei! The staff is curious enough to take a picture of this unique lei (purple and white). Thank you for keeping us pretty a little longer in this humid afternoon... Ladies in pretty hats: Dr. Berman in green, and her friend. This three-year-old girl is very camera friendly. The END
澳大利亚有个节日，Harmony Day。用咱们的话说就是和谐日。 第一次知道这个节日，就想我们社会主义和谐社会好像没有类似的节日，或许我们每天都是和谐日了。可是转念一想，也不尽然，因为这些鬼佬们的观念，特别是和谐的观念并没有在我们的生活中完全体现出来。不过不可否认的是，在报告中，在课本里，在新闻时，我们可以看到比鬼佬们所谓的和谐更和谐的理念。 但是我们的和谐没有那么切实的落实到日常生活中，没有成为每个人的实际行动。相反，滑稽的是，和谐某种意义上被人们赋予了一种贬义。我们已经让很多原本美妙的词（小姐，同志等等）变的面目全非了，和谐能逃此劫吗？ 国家每年花人民的血汗钱派很多人出国考察，我多么希望呼吁这些人们少逛奢侈品店，赌场或者娱乐场所，多细心学习鬼佬们值得学习的地方。任何一个国家，一个民族都有自己的长处优点，也有不满意的不可取的缺点，夜郎自大是可笑的，妄自菲薄也不可取。 善于学习是我们的生存之道。和谐是我们的理想。 What's Harmony DayAll About? About Harmony Day Harmony Day is celebrated on 21 March each year. Managed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), Harmony Day celebrates the cohesive and inclusive nature of our nation and promotes the benefits of cultural diversity. DIAC supports a range of community events and activities held to celebrate Harmony Day by providing free promotional products. The continuing message of Harmony Day is Everyone Belongs . It's about community participation, inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. The 2010 theme is Express Yourself. This gives you the opportunity to share with others the importance of diversity in your workplace, school and community through action, performance, fashion and food. Since Harmony Day began in 1999 thousands of schools, community groups and organisations across Australia have hosted Harmony Day events. There is no limit to the range of activities that can be held for Harmony Day and we encourage schools, community groups, local government and businesses to get involved and actively support this day of celebration.
今天早上打开电脑，谷歌主页显示一堆数学图案，点击之后才知道今天3月14日是 PI DAY 。 http://www.google.com/#q=Pi+Dayct=piday10-hpoi=ddlefp=18ec2db39eb50b9d 这种文化不错，应该推广。网上有很多花哨的图案，看着实在让人喜欢。 【from http://erictric.com/2010/03/14/google-commemorates-pi-day/ 】 下面的一些图案来自网络搜索， pi day, pi clock ... http://images.google.com/images?q=Pi%20Dayum=1ie=UTF-8sa=Nhl=entab=wi http://images.google.com/images?q=pi+clockum=1hl=entbs=isch%3A1sa=2start=0
Thanksgiving Day Poems Thanksgiving poems are written by amateurs as well as renowned poets. These poems depict the beauty of thanksgiving. The story, its importance, origin is weaved in the form of a beautiful poem. Convey your heart felt emotions to your near and dear ones through them. Some of the poems are as follows: Poem 1 : T was the night of..... Poem 2 : T is for the trust the..... Poem 3 : A Thanksgiving Poem..... Poem 4 : The Little Pilgrim..... Poem 5 : Thankful..... Poem 6 : The Pilgrims Came..... Poem 7 : It's That Time, Again..... Poem 8 : The Pilgrims..... Poem 9 : Thanksgiving Time..... Poem 10 : Thanksgiving..... Poem 11 : The First Thanksgiving..... Poem 12 : Giving Thanks..... Poem 1 Twas the night of Thanksgiving, But I just couldnt sleep. I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep. The leftovers beckoned, The dark meat and white. But I fought the temptation, With all of my might. Tossing and turning, with anticipation. The thought of a snack became infatuation. So I raced to the kitchen, Flung open the door, And gazed at the fridge, Full of goodies galore. I gobbled up turkey, And buttered potatoes, Pickles and carrots, Beans and tomatoes. I felt myself swelling, So plump and so round. til all of a sudden, I rose off the ground. I crashed through the ceiling, Floating into the sky, With a mouthful of pudding, And a handful of pie. But I managed to yell As I soared past the trees Happy eating to all, Pass the cranberries, please!! May your stuffing be tasty May your turkey be plump. May your potatoes and gravy Have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious, May your pies take the prize And May your Thanksgiving dinner Stay off of your thighs! by Lauren ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 2 T is for the trust the pilgrims had so many years ago H is for the harvest the settlers learnt to grow A is for America, the land in which we live N is for nature and beauty which she gives K is for kindness, gentle words, thoughtful deeds S is for smiles, the sunshine everyone needs G is for gratitude... our blessings big and small I is for ideas, letting wisdom grow tall V is for voices, singing, laughing, always caring I is for Indians, who taught them about sharing N is for neighbors, across the street, over the sea G is for giving of myself to make a better me by Judith.A. Lindberg ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 3 A Thanksgiving Poem. The tear another's tears bring forth, The sigh which answers sigh, The pulse that beats at other's woes, E'en though our own be nigh, A balm to bathe the wounded heart Where sorrow's hand hath lain, The link divine from soul to soul That makes us one in pain, Sweet sympathy, benignant ray, Light of the soul doth shine; In it is human nature givin A touch of the divine. Unknown ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 4 The Little Pilgrim Cranberries dripping down my chin Have stained my pilgrim suit. I ate too much Thanksgiving day But I don't give a hoot. I slurped a pile of dressing, Gobbled down a turkey thigh, Dribbled messy cranberries Devoured some pumpkin pie. Within me on this special day It's a thankful heart that beats. For all the things that I enjoy But mainly for the eats. Unknown ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 5 Thankful Week before Thanksgiving, I limp around real strange. Huddle in the corner, As though I have the mange. All the other turkeys, Just gobble, gobble on. I'm silent, and I act As if my gobbler's gone. Everyone is thankful On Thanksgiving Day. Friday it's forgotten. You all go on your way. I know what thankful is So listen when I say. It's great to be a turkey, After Thanksgiving Day. Unknown ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 6 The Pilgrims Came The Pilgrims came across the sea, And never thought of you and me; And yet it's very strange the way We think of them Thanksgiving Day. We tell their story old and true Of how they sailed across the blue, And found a new land to be free And built their homes quite near the sea. The people think that they were sad, And grave; I'm sure that they were glad - They made Thanksgiving Day - that's fun - We thank the Pilgrims every one! by Annette Wynne ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 7 It's That Time, Again The days are getting shorter now. I feel a snow flake on my brow. The leaves are crackling as I run, The squirrels' searching almost done. The turkey's restless in the pen, Oh! No! I see my breath again! It makes a person take a pause And think about old Santa Claus!!! Unknown ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 8 The Pilgrims In the year of 1620 on a cold Decembre day a hundred and two pilgrims sailed into Plymouth Bay. Still wary from their voyage - still gacing winter's chill - they kept their sights on freedom with courage, work, and will. Pilgrims did not stop to think of riches, fame, or glory while bravely playing starring roles in our new nation's story by Bobbi Katz ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 9 Thanksgiving Time When all the leaves are off the boughs, And nuts and apples gathered in, And cornstalks waiting for the cows, And pumpkins safe in barn and bin, Then Mother says, My children dear, The fields are brown, and autumn flies; Thanksgiving Day is very near, And we must make thanksgiving pies! Author Unknown. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 10 Thanksgiving The year has turned its circle, The seasons come and go. The harvest all is gathered in And chilly north winds blow. Orchards have shared their treasures, The fields, their yellow grain, So open wide the doorway --- Thanksgiving comes again! Old Rhyme. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 11 The First Thanksgiving When the Pilgrims first gathered together to share with their Indian friends in the mild autumn air, they lifted the voices in jubilant praise for the bread on the table, the berries and maize, for field and for forest, for turkey and deer, for the bountiful crops they were blessed with that year. They were thankful for these as they feasted away, and as they were thankful we're thankful today. Unknown ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Poem 12 Giving Thanks For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped, For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped, For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb, For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home -- Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving! For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land, For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand, For the good that our artists and poets have taught, For the friendship that hope and affection have brought -- Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving! For the homes that with purest affection are blest, For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest, For our country extending from sea unto sea; The land that is known as the Land of the Free -- Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving! Author Unknown 转载自 http://www.thanksgiving-day.org/thanksgiving-day-poems.html
(April 22 2009 Earth Day,The picture from metronews.ca) 在加拿大感觉最深的是环境好,这是在今天报纸上的一张图片,每个人对环境都有一种爱护的好感,非常喜欢这张图片,它透明,单纯,就像每日的蓝天一样明快,Martin老师选了一个开天辟地的故事,How the World was Created http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_myth Pan Ku's final breaths became the winds and the cloud, and his voice turned into thunder.His eyes became the sun and the moon. The giant's arms and legs became mountain ranges and his blood the rivers. The hairs on his body became plants, his tears rain and his bones sank into the ground. I wonder what his bones became? Some Chinese thought Pan Ku's life did not really end for his body parts were all around them in different forms and because his eyes were up in the heavens, he still watched over his people below. Albert Einstein famously predicted that if bees were to cease to exist, humans could last only four years after the last bee died. A shocking estimation, but these pollinators truly make our ecosystems work. Whats frightening is that the worlds pollinators, predators, prey, vegetation and oceans that we rely on for food, oxygen and water are at risk. Which is precisely why Metro is dedicating this years annual Green Metro to the topic of biodiversity a term that, quite simply put, means the vast variety of plants, animals and natural resources found on Earth. Like bees. So read on and plant a garden. Ride your bike. Remember the oceans, the bees, the worms they are your neighbours ... and our heroes.(metronews.ca) Happy Earth Day! (Maple syrup)
标签: Day
