Journal 11.4

I don't have any religious belief, even though I think some principles of the Buddhism or Catholicism  are very meaningful. The reason is that I already know  the supernatural beings don't exist. Why do the adherents of Jesus keep telling me that God is always there? Isn't that statement ridiculous? I am a rational man and if I believe what they said then I am totally an idiot. 

The lecture I attended toady definitely changed something in my mind. The topic of this lecture was about the meaning of life. The lecturer was the famous cardinal bishop Shan Kuo-Hsi who got cancer in 2006. Most time of the lecture, he was telling several instructive stories which had affected his life, but what really shocked me was this sentence:God is nothing but love. 

God is love. This explanation suddenly made me feel refreshed. I can't stand an imaginary man calling himself dominating all the creatures but I could accept love being the God, because everyone in the world needs love and love can make the world better. I don't know whether this explanation about God is officially admitted by the Roman Church, but it's more convincible. 

The catholics I saw are all kind and nice. They care about other people and they would like to help those in trouble. However, they dreamed of seeing the Pope. I have seen some crazy followers dying to kiss the feet of Pope. I don't know what other people would think, but I believe this is not right and this could lead to a disaster. 

One friend of mine had experienced this embarrassment a few days ago. She went to a temple and happened to meet a famous religious leader. What surprised her was everyone but her knelt down. My friend knew the Buddhist leader was famous and respectable but the leader didn't deserve to be knelt. Finally she compromised since she didn't want to be considered as alienated by her fellows.

Actually all I want to say is I wish there is more rationality in the religion. Maybe I am too strict but I do believe only by being more rational religion can exist in the future.

政治經濟學

第二章 政治經濟學的本質

前言 政治經濟學的定義；政治經濟學研究范圍和主題的擴展；政治經濟學研究的長遠目標（外生，內生）；使用政治經濟學研究途徑來解釋政治現象；市場失靈與政府失靈；新制度主義；新政治經濟學；經濟學是否價值中立？

你要尋找的就是你會發現的 1.一個經濟體的定義

                         2.經濟行動者的本質

                         3.世界經濟的原動力

經濟體的本質 經濟制度的產生；政治與經濟研究的整合

經濟體的嵌入物 霸權穩定論

結論

English writing assignment 2

topic Facebook
thesis statement  Facebook.com is popular nowadays.
supporting ideas 1.Facebook is a virtual community where people can communicate with each other.
2.Facebook provides many kinds of interesting games.
3.On Facebook.com, people can experience something which is not going to happen in the real world.

It is reported that eight thousand million minutes are spent on Facebook.com each day in the whole world. The tornado of Facebook is sweeping over different countries, different races and different countries. Every one has to admit that Facebook is popular nowadays. Why does this website have such a magic power?

First, Facebook satisfies users' social needs. Nowadays people are too busy at work to make contact with their families or friends. It is quite common that you won't see your siblings until next Spring Festival comes. While, Facebook could help you as a virtual community where you can communicate with each other. You can write a blog or post some photographs to inform you friends what you are doing. Besides, you can make new friends on Facebook, even though you never met each other.

Second, Facebook is a website which provides a lot entertainment. People can find thousands of interesting games here. Of course Facebook is not a professional game website and that is not its advantage. However, the games on Facebook have their unique charms. People do not need to spend much time on it, but by playing them people can have fun and release pressure.

Last but not least, peoople feel excited using Facebook because they can experience something new. For example, a lot of people are attracted by a program called happy farms. You can grow plants on your own farm and harvest gains when they come to macurity. However, the essence of the game is that you can steal crops from the farms of your friends. Stealing is illegal in the real world but it's OK in the virtual world. People like to reap without sowing.

It should not be surprised that so many people love Facebook since it satisfies the needs perfectly. The website provides a virtual place where you can communicate, where you can have fun and where you can feel exciting.

journal 10.19

October 19th, Monday, Cloudy
A few minutes ago, one of my classmates who also came to Taiwan as exchange students was talking to me through MSN. "I have brook up with my girlfriend yesterday. " I was surprised by this message and asked him why the relationship was ended. He just kept silence, sending some suspension points to me.

In the first half year of 2009, I would never imagine they could break up, since they always hooked up with each other. They shared the same interests and they looked so matched. Everyone around them agreed that they were born together. Even a guy who had a little crush on the girl held the same opinion.

I think both of them had thought about what would happen after they guy came to Taiwan. Would the distance affect their relationship? I believe they both had a suspicious of that. At that time, I had joked with the guy, "Chances are that your girlfriend will abandon you if you are not by her side!" I didn't know that the joke would come true.

If the guy didn't come to Taiwan, would they end up together? I doubt that because they have to face the "distance" issue two years later when they are graduated. As I know, they are from different provinces. It will be perfect if they find satisfied jobs in the same city but who knows what will happen in the future? The guy may stay in Xiamen or go back to their hometowns or go to bigger city like Beijing or Shanghai, so may the girl.

I am kind of pessimistic about the college love. Of course there are successful examples around, but there are more failed couples. So many factors could affect the relationship especially when the couple graduate from the college and face the practical problems.

I will take their experience as a lesson, hoping I can find my Miss Right soon.

journal 10.25

October 25th, Sunday, Sunny
"Mayday is going to hold a minor concert today in Kaohsiung to thank their fans that 55555 tickets were sold out in just one weekend." We heard this information through the radio in the train. Even though our schedule was tight, we still decided to go to see their performance.

When we got the central park where this concert would be held, there were already hundreds of people waiting for the show. Most of them were teenagers and college students, crowding in front of the stage, shouting Mayday's name.

Finally, after 30 minutes from the established time, Mayday appeared on the stage. The atmosphere there was extremely hot. I was not one of their fans, but I couldn't help but waving hands with them and singing the sangs.

I did feel the power of Idol, who was able to make all the people excited. Everyone in the scene was crazy and they seemed like using the drugs. I was also involved in the heat.

After the excitement, I want to figure out where did the power come from. Music itself can't explain all parts of the phenomenon.  Everyone has a MP3 or CD player and they don't behave as they were in the concert. Besides, the idol himself must have a charming personality. It doesn't need to be amiable, sometimes the personality of the idol could be cool, like Faye Wong, but it has to be unique and distinct.

I think the most important reason that fans showed unbelievable craziness in the concert is about the time and the place. The concert just provided proper time and proper place. The fans are mostly young and they need a place to release their emotion after listening to the rock style  music. It will be strange if they wave hands or scream in the public places or at home, but it is the right thing in the concert or KTV. If lot of people gather together ,the "improper behaviors " thing isn't a problem any more.

I didn't buy the ticket for the Mayday concert. I am regretting now.

journal 10.17

October 17th, Saturday, Sunny
"Come on! You can do this!" My peers along with me were encouraging me. I was on the ship at that time,wearing a life jacket,while my peers were riding on a long boat made of rubber without any security fence on it. It  was called the "banana boat" which is very popular in Kenting.

I hesitated a lot at that moment. On one side I am scared of water. Every time I traveled to the city at the seaside, I would never enter the sea. When my family or friends were playing in the seawater, I would just walk on the beach and play with the sands.

Actually there was a story. When I was 5 years old, I almost drowned in a pool. Ever since then, I began avoiding any activities concerning the water. I hate the feeling when my body was submerged by the water. I have nothing to hold and I have to try my best to make my head out of water. How could not other people feel dangerous and what is the pleasure?

Back to the scene happening in Kenting, everyone on the boat was looking at me. I was embarrassed. "Behave like a man!""There is nothing to worry about! You are wearing a life vest!"...It seemed that everyone on the boat was judging me. I decided to ignore them until I heard a little boy talking to me,"don't be afraid, I will go with you."  Finally, I decided to have a try.

As I expected, the banana boat was overturned by the waves and all the people were throwed to the sea. I was choked by the salty water and floating on the water until the boat came to pull us on board. I don't like this feeling, but it wasn't as hard as I had imagined. It's just so-so.

Today's experience inspired me. I should never imagine something to be so hard  that I dare not to have a try. Sometimes it is myself who is exaggerating the difficulties and I was not conscious of it. I tried the banana boat and I still didn't like it, but there might be something I do like and I missed. Have a try, and don't make regrets in my life.

English writing assignment 1

Last year, the financial crisis made a lot of people out of employment.  As a result of which, we all found that it was harder to make a living. Some people may concern that the unemployment could cause living problems and propose that the government should provide those people with basic living products. However, I believe the damage to the heart is more importmant. Being unemployed can cause people to lose their self-respect.

People who lost their jobs need to confront with the living problem. They need to feed themselves and their families if they are married. Even though we might have enough savings to survive the unemployed period,  people are still worried. It is hard to remain the self-respect state of mind when a person needs to worry about what to eat tomorrow. Losing the job definitely could change the standard of living which could damage the self-respect. People might think I used to eat out in the restaurant and now I have to cook the dinner myself. The adaption to that is not easy.

Another reason of people losing their self-respect is about the value of life. When people have a good job, they believe they are useful to the society. Once they lost their jobs, their careers were ruined. People may think I am useless now. Everyone wants to be needed and that feeling is horrible when you feel you are discarded by the society.

Thirdly but not the least, the unemployed have to face the judgement from other people. It is never easy to pretend nothing when your neighbors talking gossip about you. Sometimes people have faith in themselves, we believe everything is gonna be OK. We tell ourselves that the economic crisis will come over and we could get a new job. It's those gossips that make people feel bad. They just begin to suspect themselves and definitely this could damage people's self-respect.

All in all, self-respect means a lot to people especially to those who are unemployed. The society should pay more attention to this issue and make preparations to prevent this situation.