the last blog

This is my last blog, I really want to write something about the Leap Program and Calgary.

First of all, there is a really difficult question haunting me,” who is my favorite instructor?” I can not give a satisfing answer because I really love all my instructors, and they have their own outstanding personalities and gave me lots of knowledge about English study. In the writing and grammar class, Ms Pam taught me how to study English through feeling, which greatly changed my opinion on English study. In the reading class, Dr. Sengupta taught me the way of critical thinking in English, which is a challenging skill and a valuable key to open the gate of the academic English. In the listening and speaking class, Scott gave me lots of valuable knowledge of speaking and listening English and corrected greatly my pronunciation. In addition, in his class, I gained skill of managing time, which is very useful in my present life. I overcame a great deal of difficulties in my daily life with this skill recently. In a word, what I want to say is that thank you, all my instructors in the Leap Program, for your kindness and I will benefit from your knowledge in a long term.

In the Leap Program, I have many admirable classmates, including Hussain, Mohammad, Gerard, Loreta, Betsy, EstellaJ, Yulia, Nikolay, Carlos, Amy, Nick, Leslie, Alif, Jennifer, Rachel, Becky, Sang Min, June, Kevin, Ted, Rayna, Edward, Sabrina, Kenneth, Bob, Serenity and Yichen. I really appreciate this opportunity of cooperating with all of you. This experience has become an invincible part of my life. I will miss you guys.

There are still lots of interesting activities, including attending lecture, pizza party, speaking journal, presentation, debate, quiz, mid-term test, and the up coming final test. All these activities are unforgettable for me, a new comer who received a different kind of education in a foreign country. In addition, all these activities are valuable for me to improve my English.

Moreover, I want to write something about my feeling of this city. Before I came here, I had been to other foreign cities, including Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Gannes, Nice and so on. I like the feeling as a traveler in a foreign city, Living in a foreign city for several days, visiting local libraries and museums. Especially, having a delicious seafood dinner with a foreign colleague in the restaurant located on the beautiful coast of Nice. In contrast, I am enjoying a very different life style in Calgary. In the past three months, my life was filled with class, assignments, and part time job. In addition, I have to finish some design projects in China and contact with my Chinese colleagues in night. Actually, I also love this kind of life, which let me get a great improvement in English.

Some amazing information

Recently, I got some very valuable and interesting information, which made me very excited. There are lots of programs and service supported by the government to help newcomer of this country. For example, there are some free English studying classes for newcomer and some programs that help newcomer looking for professional work. On March 23, 2007, I went to the Bow Valley College and attended a mock interview. That was really an amazing experience. My instructor in that mock interview prepared several questions for me such as “What experience have you had in the field of architectural design?”, “From your perspective, what are the benefits of implementing the CAD program in architectural design?” and “What responsibility do you have as an architect?”. After I finished my answer, she gave me some valuable suggestions according to my performance in mock interview. This mock interview is valuable for me because there was a great environment for me to practice my speaking English. In addition, the mock interview is just tiny part of these programs. There are still many other programs, including professional job searching, resume and career moderation. Or my god, local government is generous for newcomer, and all these programs are interesting; I will attend other programs after the Leap program. Moreover, from radio station, I know that the spring is coming now.

What a wonderful party

On March 30, 2007, all the students and staff of the Leap program stayed together and enjoyed a pizza party. There was a great environment in this party, and I met many new friends of other classes there. We sat together and communicated freely while we ate pizza as our lunch. In our conversation, we chose our topic freely, including the social attitude of the same sex marriage; the possibility of finding a professional job in this city; teeth clean; and studying in the Leap program. Occasionally, the classroom was filled with loudly laugh emerged from each group.

It is a wonderful party, and it inspired my memory of other parties I attended in china. Chinese always like to provide luxury service for their guests in the luxury hotels, and there are lots of luxury foods and wine in nearly every party. The reason of this phenomenon is that Chinese want to show their ardor, which is really a drawback of Chinese traditional culture. Especially, there are still many Chinese who are suffering hungry. Moreover, I always felt tired after these parties. Compared with parties in china, this pizza party is my favorite. It was simple and economical, and you can communicate freely in a friendly environment.

the coming spring

Recently, the whether becomes warm. Lying on the lawn, I can even smell odor of the coming spring. It’s wanderful, we can say goodby to the chilly winter and enjoy the great spring.

when I was a child, I lived in Chendu, a very beautiful city in the southwest of China. In my childhood, in this season, I always went out and enjoyed the panaroma view, the fresh air, and sunshine in the countryside. In addition, in every spring, there were some great flower fairs in several public garderns in Chendu, where many citizens showed their beautiful flowers and shared happy together. for the citizens in Chendu, Spring means hope and happy.

In our Chinese traditional culture, all the four seasons have their own special meanings. Spring means hope; summer means prosperity; fall means harvest; and winter means preparing for the coming year. among all the four seasons, my favorite is spring. the reason that I love spring is just because I need hope in my life, otherwise, my life is unimaginable.

By the way, I will go back after leap program and spend spring and summer in Beijing. It's a wonderful news because that I have been here lonely for 9 months and I really miss my friends and relatives in China.

I was lost on campus again

Today, I went to the tri lab individually. Unfortunatly, I was lost on the way to the tri lab. It’s incredible that I was lost again on campus. I have finished 2 projects of campus planning in my homeland and am familiar with the planning of the campus in china. However, I was lost on campus for 3 times. After I got to the tri lab, I began to think through it. Why was I always lost on campus? Finally, I got the answer. The reason is that there is a great difference in the planning ideas between in china and here. In china, architects always emphasize the visual feeling in the space design, which lead to a series of legible spaces which can be easily orientate. Here, the architects focus on creating the comfortable spaces for the students. Students can enjoy the sunshine and the fresh air in these spaces. That is the reason why I was lost for 3 times on campus. I am disappointed for my mistakes, on the other hand, I am very happy that I got some interesting knowledge from my mistakes.

after the Spring Festival

Almost all of my Chinese classmates complained that they are missing the Spring Festival in china, and the colorful activities in the Chinese Spring Festival, including the lion dance, dragon playing, Paohanchuan, firecrackers, cake, Dumplings, sumptuous meals and mutual blessings. Actually, we lost much happiness here forever, because we lost the context and environment in our country. Recently, I have been thinking about this topic. How can we do here to give our life more colourful activities in the Spring Festival? Or, how can we enjoy the life here? Maybe, all of our Chinese here should think through this topic. Although we couldn’t copy the custom in china, we could steal some useful Western wisdom and put them into our life. It’s a good idea to live harmoniously with the local residences and study from them. The life will go ahead and we need moderate the way of life frequently according to the environment. I think that is the essential part of our Chinese traditional culture.

In the next year, I hope I can get a totally new Spring Festival here.

the mid-term test

Or, my god. Finally, the horrible mid-term test is over. The nightmare is end, and I can have a good sleep now. Generally, I hate this test and I hate myself in this test. I made a variety of stupid mistakes in this test. Moreover, I lost the insightful feeling in my former test. Anyway, I have been out of the university for a long time, which makes me forget lots of gifts.

On the other hand, I really love this test. It's really a great test, and it is so challenging that need your hard work and gift to get pass. It inspires my desire for survival. Similar to a gamble, you couldn’t know the result till the end. And the possibility of survival is 50 percent. However, I like gamble and the feeling in the casino. Sometimes, the life is a gamble. Who can know the result of his life.

In addition, this test depicts some drawbacks of my English, which is really a good thing for me. I get some useful knowledge and experience from this test. This test will pilot me to get a better preparation for the final test. I am so lucky that I still have enough time to moderate the way in which I study English till the final test.

I am dying, but I am sure that I could survive with confident smile and successful results.

I begin to love the Leap program now.

the Chinese lantern Festival

Today is a very important date for all the Chinese. It’s Chinese lantern Festival in Chinese lunar calendar, which has been lasting about 2000 years since its beginning in the Han dynasty. It is generally thought that the lantern Festival is Chinese Carnival and Valentine’s Day in the ancient chinese society. On this night, people enjoy the beautiful night with their families and friends, and celebrate the coming of the spring. There are lots of custom and activities on this festival, including eating glutinous rice balls, Guessing lantern riddles, Enjoying floral lights, Fabulous traditional, and lion dance. This festival is so popular that, Recently, people also call it the little Spring Festival, compared with the formal Spring Festival. In china, people always treat it as the end of the Spring Festival, they will begin to work after this day. Unfortunately, my application of the faculty of the Environmental design is delayed by the long the Spring Festival.

the seats

Recently, I noticed the seats in the campus, and found some interesting differences of the seats between here and in Chinese university.

First of all, you can find a comfort seat anywhere in this campus, such as the corridor, the lounge, the cafeteria, the garden, and you can sit or lie on these seats. However, In Chinese university, it’s hard to find an empty seat outside the classrooms. In my former university, a very famous university in china, the dean of university made a decision to get rid of all the seats around a lake in the campus to prevent young lovers siting around the lake, because he thought this phenomenon spoil the university’s prestige. Or, my god. Sounds incredible, however, it’s truth.

In addition, in Chinese campus, you can find lots of words, such as “somebody visited here again”, however, I found few words on the seats.
Moreover, Chinese seats aren’t comfortable to sit, however, there are lots of styles of seats in the campus, some of which are really comfortable for the students to sit, or, even lie.

In a word, the seats represents the different educational opinions in these two countries.

How nice to enjoy a leisure Saturday

In this morning, I gave up all the other things and went to campus for an appointment with a student of the environmental design faculty. When I finished a short conversation with him, I realized that I was free, and I could do all the things I want in the rest time today. At this moment, I was getting a strong pleasant feeling which I never had before. How nice to enjoy a leisure Saturday! Especially, I had been studying and working very hard since the beginning of this year.

I always tried my best to work hard in my life. To be the best student, the best employee, the best leader of team, the best architect, I spent all my time in working and studying. Actually, working and studying took up my so much time that I couldn’t enjoy my life in the past many years. I really wanted to have my own time and own life, which is the main reason that let me immigrant to Canada.

Breathing the fresh air, watching the beautiful view, chatting with friends, taking a rest in the cafeteria, seating down and reading my favorite book, having a snap…………Or, what a wonderful life! I love it. That is what I am pursuing.

There is an old idiom in the Chinese culture “It’s valuable to enjoy half a leisure day in your life.” I knew it. However, I haven’t really understood it till today.

a game about the Spring Festival

Hi, all my friends, Jennifer and Sabrina mentioned the Spring Festival in their blog. Or, my god, this Spring Festival is coming now. The time is running so fast. However, I still feel very happy about this holiday. I looked around the blog of Jennifer and Sabrina, and found that there were lots of funny things in their blog. Including “Money, a lot of money, dinner, wonderful meal, a lion dance, dragon playing, Paohanchuan's, firecrackers, cake, Dumplings, sumptuous meals and mutual blessings” or, there are lots of interesting things in our memory about the Spring Festival. In addition, I also want to add some funny things which belong to this holiday, such as “ custom, gossip, new clothes, fish(implying to the wealth), Chinese New Year's Eve, Fireworks, Red Packets, Shou Sui, Congratulations, ”. There are too many things that our Chinese like to do in this day.

Is there anybody want to publish some comment and add some funny things about the Spring Festival?

a good news and a bad news

Hi, all my friends. today is Saturday, and is an exciting day. Because today I can read away my fine in the public library. In the last several months, I got fine up to 8 dollars. my god! but it's true. this afternoon, when I came here, I got this exciting news. 2$per 15 minutes. very cheap. So that I seat down and have been reading books like a kid for about 1 hour. I will finish my reading in the next 10 minutes. god bless me!
recently, I'm tired. I’m applying for the Fall term of the environment design department, and the preparation work is really a heavy burden for me. you know, its deadline is Feb 1. I had to work hard on it and it took me lots of time. my portfolio is up to 40 pages. Every day, I had only 2 or 3 hours to sleep. this time have been last for about 3 weeks. my god, I’m dying. However. I’m finishing it this weekend. I will be free. thanks to my god.

the porpups of the studying the leap program

As a newcomer, I need more information and knowledge about this society, and I need improve my English greatly. So I come here and attend the Leap program. Here, I can contact the intellience in the campus , try to know their thought, and watch their method to deal with the problem. I think it's valuable for me, a new immigrant.
In the last two weeks, I attend the full day class of listening, speaking, writing, and reading. I got lots of knowledge in the class. and I contacted some interesting information such as Blog. All this things are fantastic for me. I love it.
Studying English is a long term program. I know there is a long way to go, and I think this is a good beginning.