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November 20 Why Metaphor all the timeThere is an ocean in my soul
It is so deep
The image I can give is a blur
It never stays
Sometimes I failed to discern,
nonetheless
It is the pursuit of expression
I have to tell
Merely in metaphor
February 22 Valentine's DayIt’s a day for those happy lovers. So I just pretend it does not exist. With a big backpack on my shoulder, I walked in a drizzle in County Durham, just like a snail creeping with its dream. It was still dark outside on the way to library at eight in the morning. Strange people were passing by, load was heavy and the way ahead was such a blur. I stopped at crossroads, feeling so confused. Cathedral’s bell was ringing, ringing for someone who was leaving. Sunshine came out from heavy clouds, as the flock rose. Vagabonds were leaning against a tree. There’s nothing new under the sun. I was a little depressed and lonely then.
However, the low spirit passed quickly. My friends and housemates held a dinner party in the evening. We were cooking together, sharing recipes, discussing political issues, comparing culture differences, talking and laughing. We enjoyed good Chinese stir-fries and Greek snacks, nice music, beautiful roses and a funny movie after dinner. Last year on this day, friends and I was playing basketball and rock crafting in gymnasium in Salt Lake City. The year before last year on the Valentine's Day, I was spending time with my families. See, there are more things than a boyfriend can make you happy. We want to stand on our own feet and will not rest hopes on others. Be tough and independent! February 05 Phrixus and Helle EncyclopaediaAthamas was the king of Thessaly and he lived in Halus, a city beside the Aegean Sea. However he was not married, because he could not find a woman beautiful enough to be his wife. Early one morning Athamas was walking in the mountains, following a little river when from behind a large rock came the sound of laughing. He quietly climbed up the rock and peering over the top he saw three beautiful maidens swimming and diving in the river. One of the maidens was even more beautiful than the others with golden hair that hung like a cloak, and the king fell in love with her. Just at that moment he accidentally knocked a stone from the rock, it fell in the water with a splash, frightening the girls. They quickly dressed and flew away, although they did not have any wings.The king returned to the spot again and again, but he never saw them. Nothing gave him any pleasure and he began to grow thin and pale. When it seemed that he may die from his grief Aphrodite appeared to him in a dream. She told him that the maidens returned to the place beside the rock at dawn after the new moon. He should hide in the wood and then steal the clothes of the girl he was in love with, so that she was not able to fly away with the others. The king remembered the dream when he awoke and waited for the new moon.On the night of the New moon, the king set off for the rock, and was already hiding when the maidens arrived at dawn. While they were playing in the water Athamas stole the clothes of the most beautiful girl. Then the maidens saw him, two of them grabbed their clothes and fled. The third girl just sat weeping, hiding under the cloak of hair, begging the king to give her clothes back. He would not give them back until she promised to marry him, and he told her about Aphrodite's message. She at last consented and once dressed followed him back to the palace. She told him her name was Nephele (meaning cloud) and that she was anymph. They were married and had a son named Phrixus and a daughter named Helle. Hermes gave the children a ram with a golden fleece which would play with them and allow them to ride on its back. Helle and Phrixus 【This is where my English name is from】 Although King Athamas was very happy with his family except for one thing, every summer when it became hot and cloudless Nephele grew pale and went away, Athamas did not know where. She reappeared when the rain clouds came back. After this happened for several years, one year she did not come back. But shortly after her disappearance a beautiful woman named Ino came to the city. Ino was a witch who drugged the king and made him forget Nephele and fall in love and marry her. They also had two children, a boy and a girl. Ino hated Phrixus and Helle and made them dress in rags and work in the house and fields, while her own children had the best of everything. One day when Phrixus and Helle were out taking care of the sheep they met an old, poor woman, who they took pity on and brought home with them. The woman was taken into the house as a nurse and looked after all four children. But as she was really Nephelle in disguise she paid particular attention to Phrixus and Helle. The children grew and Phrixus and Helle were more beautiful than Ino's own children, so she decided to kill them. Although all the children slept in the same room, Ino's children had crowns on their heads and beautiful covers. One night Phrixus was barely awake and he thought he dreamt the old nurse coming into the room and putting the crowns and covers on him and his sister. But it was not a dream, and when Ino came in with a dagger to kill her step children, she stabbed the two children without the crowns. When Ino's children were found dead the next morning, and the nurse was nowhere to be seen, everybody believed Ino when she said the nurse must have killed her children. Because of Ino's murder of her own children, drought and famine came to the land. Every day the hot sun rose and blazed through the sky without a cloud. Athamas sent messengers to Delphi, but Ino bribed them before they went, paying them gold to bring back the message that Phrixus and Helle must be sacrificed to the gods. The messengers brought back the message, and although the king was devastated he knew he could not disobey the gods. "Dear gods of Olympus," sobbed the forgotten Nephele, "I have no life but for my children. I beg you to save the life of my innocent son. There is evil in the royal household. Please also save my daughter from that evil. I ask for nothing more." Nephele's prayers were answered：when Phrixus and Helle were wreathed in flowers and taken to the temple, followed by the weeping people， the golden ram walked with the children, and as they came within sight of the sea the gods spoke through him. The ram told the children to climb on his back and hold onto his horn. The children did as they were told and the ram flew away over the sea. The ram flew Eastwards for many hours. Meanwhile, Phrixus and Helle, flying high over the sea between Europe and Asia were mesmerized by their view of the sparking waters far below as they reflected the sun and the fleece of their golden ram. "How extraordinary!" exclaimed Helle, loosening her grasp of the ram's golden wool as she gazed at the glittering beauty of the scene below. A sudden gust of wind blew her off balance and although she grabbed for the ram's wool, it slipped from her fingers and she fell into the sea. Phrixus wasn't fast enough to save her and his tears dropped like rain over what would later be called the Hellespont, after the drowned princess. Phrixus and the ram flew on over the Euxine Sea (Black Sea) until they reached a country named Colchis there the ram landed and promptly died as an offering to Zeus. Phrixus had his beautiful golden fleece stripped and hung on an oak tree in a dark wood where it was guarded by a Dragon. Phrixus married the king's daughter and lived a long happy life. January 27 EnticementThere is a Chinese Fable : Once there was a llittle bear who found a cornfield where grew lots of sweet corncob. He was so happy and broke off a big cob, but here he saw a bigger one. He threw the big cob and held the bigger cob in arms. However, a better one was found later, and so he broke off and threw, threw and broke off. However, there was still just one cob in his hand until he walked out of the field. There are always nice things ahead tricking you into giving your former choice up halfway. If you are not able to hold two or more cob at the same time, you'd better eat it up before you pick up another one.
Most of the young people in their late 20s have a comparetively clear long-term goal to achieve. And they could feel peace and happy by walking towards their intention. However, sometime, they stop, feeling puzzled, doubting if they are heading on the right track. Commonly, it happens on account of enticement. And in lots of occasions, enticement appears in the shape of opportunity, and it makes your heart pump harder, your blood run faster, and your pupil dilated . If you make a dicesion on this condition, generally, it won't be a good one. And the craziest part is somtime, you cann't differentiate between enticement and opportunities even if you calm down. In my view, the reason is you are not sensible enough of yourselves: you don't know how much you can manage at the same time, just like the bear. January 20 ConfidenceMany people admire those who are sure of themselves. But the confidence, which is essential for inner peace, is not come from nowhere. Not only things they’ve done, but also plans for the future make them believe in themselves. They know where they go.I traveled around the world and aspired to nothing but trying to find out what's my goal in life. Career? Knowledge? True friends? More experiences? A man then a family? What will make me and my beloved truly happy? Just being me, or following social and culture requirement? I am not sure yet. There were too much happened to China, to me in 2008, so it’s time of introspection. I really want to make a progress and hope things will blossom after this year.The best of course will hang in there and tough it out!December 31 New Year's ResolutionsJapanese: pass JLPT-4
Finance: pass CFA-1
Insurance: apply ANZIIF junior qualification
Learn Jolin's “Dancer”
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