E-Concussion

2009 / 2 / 11 E-concussion gathering

Schedule
1. 19:30 ~ 20:10 : Website sharing
(Please print out homepages of the websites you’d like to share.)
2. 20:10 ~ 20:50 : Reading
3. 20:50 ~ 21:00 : take a break
4. 21:00 ~ 21:30 : free talk
a. Share the layout and decoration of your house/room. (You need to prepare a pen and a paper to draw it down.)
b. Share your most unforgettable Lantern Festival/Valentine’s Day.
c. Share anything you like.

Dear all

Sharon and Leo are hosts this wednesday.
Please see our schedule below:

1. 19:30 ~ 19:50：Small test - 1/7, 1/14 and 1/21
2. 19:50 ~ 20:00：check your answer
3. 20:00 ~ 20:20：lyric translation (separate into 2 groups)
4. 20:20 ~ 20:30：compare results between 2 groups
5. 20:30 ~ 20:35：5 minutes break
6. 20:35 ~ 20:40：small game – Pay a New Year Call
7. 20:40 ~ 21:00：game time – English sentence fan-tan
8. 21:00 ~ 21:30：free talk
    a. How did you spend your Chinese New Year holidays?
    b. How did you spend or how are you going to spend your shopping coupon?
    c. Share anything you like.
9. Draw lots for next round.

Looking forward to seeing you guys.
Please come with ur happy mood ^^.
Leo

Taiwan

Many people in Taiwan celebrate the end of the year with concerts in most of the cities and recently using a big screen on the stage to communicate with cities around the island by shouting Happy New Year to each other. The most crowded city is the capital Taipei where most people gather around Taipei 101 located in the shopping and financial area. People gather around the roads around Taipei 101 and together they shout from 10 to 0. With each number they count, one of the layers of Taipei 101 (eight floors per layer) lights up until 0, the fireworks shoot out from the top of each layer (eight layers excluding a layer under the antenna) in different directions.

Spain

Spanish New Year's Eve (Nochevieja or Fin de Año in Spanish, Cap d'Any in Catalan) celebrations usually begin with a family dinner, traditionally including shrimp and lamb or turkey. Spanish tradition says that wearing red underwear on New Year's Eve brings good luck. The actual countdown is primarily followed from the clock on top of the Casa de Correos building in Puerta del Sol square in Madrid (馬德里太陽門廣場). It is traditional to eat twelve grapes, one on each chime of the clock. This tradition has its origins in 1909, when grape growers in Alicante thought of it as a way to cut down on the large production surplus they had had that year. Nowadays, the tradition is followed by almost every Spaniard, and the twelve grapes have become synonymous with the New Year. After the clock has finished striking twelve, people greet each other and toast with sparkling wine such as cava or champagne, or alternatively with cider.

After the family dinner and the grapes, many young people attend New Year parties at pubs, discotheques and similar places (these parties are called cotillones de nochevieja, after the Spanish word cotillón, which refers to party supplies like confetti, party blowers, party hats, etc.). Parties usually last until the next morning and range from small, personal celebrations at local bars to huge parties with guests numbering the thousands at hotel convention rooms. Early next morning, party attendees usually gather to have the traditional winter breakfast of chocolate con churros (hot chocolate and fried pastry).

United States

In the United States, New Year's Eve is a major social holiday. One of the top destination cities for New Year's Eve from 2003 to 2006 has been New York. Las Vegas is also attracting a large number of New Year's Eve party goers with the famous Las Vegas strip (拉斯維加斯大道) being closed to vehicles and buses.

In the past 100 years the “ball dropping” (降球儀式) on top of One Times Square in New York City, broadcast to all of America (and rebroadcast in many other countries), is a major component of the New Year celebration. The 11,875-pound (5,386 kg), 12-foot (3.7 m) diameter Waterford crystal ball located high above Times Square is lowered, starting at 11:59:00pm and reaching the bottom of its tower 60 seconds later, at the stroke of midnight (12:00:00am). This is repeated for all four time zones in the continental US. It is sometimes referred to as "the big apple" like the city itself; the custom derives from the time signal that used to be given at noon in harbors.

From 1981 to 1988, New York City dropped an enlarged apple in recognition of its nickname.

Germany

Germans call New Year's Eve Silvester. Since 1972, each New Year's Eve, several German television stations broadcast a short English theatrical performance titled Dinner for One. A punch line from the comedy sketch, "same procedure as every year", has become a catch phrase in Germany. Every year Berlin hosts one of the largest New Year's Eve celebrations in all of Europe which is attended by over a million people. The focal point is the Brandenburg Gate and the fireworks at midnight centered around that location. Germans have a reputation of spending large amounts of money on firecrackers and fireworks.

Italy

Italians call New Year's Eve Capodanno or Notte di San Silvestro. Tradition provides a set of rituals for the new year, as dress red underwear or get rid of old or unused items (this one is almost dropped).

Dinner, taken with parents and friend, uses to include zampone or cotechino (kind of spiced Italian sausage) and lentils. At half past eight pm, The President of the Republic reads the television message of greetings to Italians.

At midnight strike, fireworks are displayed across whole Italy.

Japan

The day is a preparation day to welcome toshigami (年神), new year's god. Therefore, traditionally, people clean their home and prepare Kadomatsu (門松, gate pine) and/or Shimenawa (標繩, 注連繩, 七五三繩, Shimenawa, enclosing rope) to welcome the god before New Year's Eve.

Buddhist temples ring their bells 108 times on midnight, during 31 December to 1 January. These bell rings are called as joya no kane (除夜の鐘) in Japanese which means "bell rings on new year eve's night." Each bell rings represent 108 elements of bonnō (煩悩), defilements, or Kilesa in Sanskrit, which is said people have in their mind. The bells are rung to repent 108 of the bonnō.

On TV, the Red and White Year-end Song Festival is an over 50-year-old tradition involving a singing contest between male and female teams of celebrity singers.

India

Most celebrations take place in the larger cities of India like Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Events such as, sporting contests and mules races, live concerts and dances by bollywood stars. Families often get together to celebrate the New Year.

Australia

Each major city around Australia holds New Year’s Eve celebrations, usually accompanied by a fireworks display amongst other events. Gloucester Park, a racecourse in central Perth, is the largest and most recognised display in Perth. In Brisbane 50,000 people annually gather at sites around the Brisbane River in the city to watch a fireworks display while events are held in the city and at Southbank.

The two largest New Year's Eve celebrations in Australia are held in its two largest cities, Melbourne(墨爾本) and Sydney. In Sydney the celebrations are usually accompanied by a theme which is displayed in light shows and a large symbol in the middle of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Over 1.5 million people gathered around Port Jackson. Sydney attendance of 2 million people. The fireworks display last from 15 to 25 minutes and is followed by music shows set on several stages throughout the beach.

As one of the first major New Year's celebrations each year (due to time zones), Sydney's fireworks display is often broadcast throughout the world during the day of December 31.

Canada

In Canada, New Year's traditions and celebrations vary from region to region. Generally, New Year's Eve (also known as New Year's Eve Day) in Canada is a social holiday. In major metropolitan areas such as Toronto and Montreal, major celebrations with music and fireworks are often held at Midnight. Other common New Year's Eve celebrations such as late-night partying are also major events in these cities and other places around Canada. In some areas, such as in rural Quebec, people ice fish and drink with their friends until the early hours of January 1. Celebrations are also similar to neighboring United States. Traditions from other countries are also common due to Canada's cultural makeup.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year’s_Eve

Please check the link for more information of New Year’s Eve celebrations in other countries.

Vocabularies:

chime [n]: the bell ring

Spaniard [n]: people in Spain

Spanish [a]: of Spaniard; of Spain

synonymous [a]: having the same meaning

toast [v]: to drink wine and thank someone, wish someone luck, or celebrate something

cava [n]: a kind of plant

discotheque [n]: a place to dance

in recognition of: public respect and thanks for someone’s work or achievements

punch line: good and interesting sentence, powerful sentence

sketch [n]: a short humorous scene on TV program

catch phrase: a short well-known phrase made popular by an entertainer or politician

focal point: the thing you pay most attention to

lentil [n]: 扁豆

defilement [n]: making something less pure, especially by showing no respect

Sanskrit [n]: 梵文

repent [v]: to regret, to be sorry for something and wish you had not done it

mule [n]: an animal that has a donkey and horse as parents

rural [a]: relating to countryside

ice fish [v]: catch fish through a hole in the ice on a lake of river

makeup [n]: quality, character

Yankees sign Chien-Ming Wang to a one-year contract

The New York Yankees announced today that they have signed right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang to a one-year contract for $5 million, avoiding arbitration.

Wang, 28, was 8-2 with a 4.07 ERA in 15 starts for the Yankees in 2008 before being placed on the disabled list on June 17 for the remainder of the season with a mid-foot sprain of the Lisfranc ligament and a partial tear of the peroneal longus tendon in his right foot. He began the season 6-0, including a 5-0 mark in April, and was the Yankees' Opening Day starter in the final season opener at Yankee Stadium on April 1, defeating Toronto, 3-2.

A disappointed Chien-Ming Wang talked to reporters for the first time since partially tearing the Lisfranc ligament in his right foot Sunday. Wang will be out at least 10 weeks, and possibly the whole season. "I'll try to come back early," Wang said.
Wang will wear a soft cast for at least six weeks. He must use crutches and is not permitted to put weight on his foot.

Despite missing most of the 2008 season, Wang's 46 wins since 2006 are tied for the third-most in the American League and eighth-most in the Majors. His .754 combined winning percentage over the last three seasons (2006-08) is the second-highest in the Majors behind Boston's Jon Lester (.771, 27-8). He recorded back-to-back seasons with 19 wins in 2006 and 2007, becoming the first Yankee to win as many games in each of two consecutive seasons since Tommy John in 1979-80.

On April 22, 2008, in his 85th career start, Wang became the third-fastest Major League pitcher in the last 50 years to reach 50 career wins behind Dwight Gooden (82nd start) and the Yankees' Ron Guidry (82nd start), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on May 5, 2000, Wang has won more games than any Taiwanese-born pitcher and ranks third all-time in wins by Asian-born pitchers behind Japan's Hideo Nomo (123) and South Korea's Chan Ho Park (117).

Lisfranc ligament :「右腳韌帶蹠跗關節拉傷」
peroneal longus tendon :「右腳腓骨長肌腱部分撕裂傷」

R/ Run = 得分
H/ Hit = 安打數
E/ Error = 失誤

P/ Pitcher = 投手
C/ Catcher = 捕手
1B/ First Baseman = 一壘手
2B/ Second Baseman = 二壘手
3B/ Third Baseman = 三壘手
SS/ Short Stop = 游擊手
LF/ Left Fielder = 左外野手
CF/ Center Fielder = 中外野手
RF/ Right Fielder = 右外野手
DH/ Designated Hitter = 指定打者
PH/ Pinch Hitter = 代打
PR/ Pinch Runner = 代跑
RBI/ Runner Batted In = 打點
Hit a Cycle: 完全打擊
Back to Back Homerun = 連續兩棒擊出全壘打
Grand Slam = 滿壘全壘打
Solo Homerun/ Solo Shot (美俚語) = 陽春全壘打


ERA/ Earned Run Average = 投手防禦率
IP/ Inning Pitched = 投球局數
BB/ Base Balled/ Walk/ = 四壞球
R/ Run = 失分
ER/ Earned Run = 自責分
Perfect Game = 完全比賽

I.                  Basic -- Introducing Taiwan -- Translation

      1. At the airport:
  A: 妳是凱莉嗎？ B: 是的。 A: 我是台灣旅行社的保羅。 B: 喔，我知道了。
 （A: Are you Carey? B: Yes, I am. A: I am Paul from Taiwan Travel Agency. B: Oh,

           I see.）

      2. On the way to the Hotel:
        A: 這是妳第一次來台灣觀光嗎？ B: 是的，我好興奮。 A: 看樣子也是。 B: 這

        將是一次美好的旅行！
       （A: Is this your first time to visit Taiwan? B: Yes, I am so excited. C: You look so. B: 
       This will be a good trip【I will have a good time】!）
      3. Getting Information for sightseeing:
        B: 我今晚想去遊覽。你建議哪一項？ A: 恩，我們有三種不同的夜遊。我推薦
        你這項「帝王之旅」。 B: 多少錢呢？ A: 八百元，包括晚餐。 B: 聽起來不
        錯！就這項吧!

（B: I want to take a tour tonight. Which one do you suggest? A: Well, we have three different night tours. I would recommend【advise/suggest】 you to take the “Imperial Tour.” B: How much does it cost? A: $800, including dinner. B: That sounds good. I’ll take it! ）

      4. Going out for Shopping:
        B: 恕我冒昧。最近的百貨公司在哪裡？ A: 走出門後左轉。在第一個轉角處再 
       左轉，並直走過五條街。在你左側就是遠東百貨公司。 B: 謝謝。
       （B: Excuse me. Where is the nearest department store? A: Turn left after going out the

door. Turn left again at the first corner and walk straight five blocks. You can see the Far East Department Store on your left side. A: Thank you.）

II.   Advanced -- Concern, Clarification, Empathy, and Suggestions

      1. Ranking Activity: How Stressful Is It?
        Use the scale from 1 to 4 to show how stressful you personally find the situation. Then

        discuss your list with your partner. 1: not stressful; 4: very stressful.

____ getting caught in traffic or missing the bus

____ money problems, the state of economy
____ overcrowding/noise

____ crime
____ academic pressure: grades, assignments, deadlines

____ environmental dangers

____ break-up of relationship (divorce, separation, etc.)

____ political situations (war, boundary disputes, etc.)
____ lack of privacy
____ pressure of balancing work and family
Discuss: Which item on the list do you find most stressful? Why?

      2. Language you can use:
            Expressing Concern: I’m really worried/concerned because … / I’m  

            concerned/worried about… / Something that concerns/worries me is… / 
Asking for Clarification: So, what you really mean is… / What exactly are you

             getting at?

Giving Clarification: What I’m trying to say is… / What I mean is…
Expressing Empathy: I understand how you can feel that way… / I’m sorry that you…

Making a Suggestion: Have you thought about…? / Why don’t you…? / Maybe you could… / You should（ought to）…   

      3. Using New Lauguage:
        A(expressing Concern): I’m really worried about the final exam.
        B(asking for clarification): What exactly are you getting at?
        A(giving clarification): What I mean is I don’t think I’ve understood a lot of the

        material, and I don’t think I don’t feel prepared.
        B(expressing empathy): I understand how you can feel that way. We’ve covered

        some very difficult concepts. (making a suggestion) Have you thought about getting   

        some help from the professor during her office hours?  

      4. Write down your own conversation using above patterns:

Dear all,

This week's hosts are Paul and Peggy, please see the schedule below:

19:30-20:00 Reading-New Year's Eve Celebration in some countries
20:00-20:05 Break time
20:05-20:35 Game time
20:35-21:30 Sharing & Discussion
*Sharing Topic:share your Chinese New Year holiday's plan or share anything you want

This is the last week before the holiday, so let's be relaxed and have fun!

See you,
Paul & Peggy