E-Concussion

Place: 樂雅樂餐廳
Address:許昌街19號1樓
Time: 6:30pm
Host: Sandy (0952-730-880)
Participants: Yenney, Sandy, Amy, Joyce, Shavia, Carey, Wally, Paul, Hank…

The digest of the gathering time on 6 June、2007

※You can help me to fulfill and modify the contents by using the replying function—say something. Thank you.

The first session—Designation of domestic tour

＊Leo+Shavia+Wally:

The first day:

7am-2pm
rent a car and depart from Taipei and arrive at QiJin（旗津） port to enjoy the seafood for lunch…

4-6pm
arrive at Kenting and check in FuHua（福華） Hotel…go to swimming pool…the time prevent us from sunburned…

6-9pm
go to night market on Kenting street

9-11pm
watched spicy girls』 dancing—pipe dancing

The second day:

7:30-8:30am
breakfast

9-12am
water activities: banana boats、diving and water motorcycle

12-1:30am
eat WonLuan（萬巒） pig feet

1:30-2:30pm
take a nap

2-5pm
paint ball game

5-6pm
E luan Bi（鵝鸞鼻） light tower and the southest grocery store in Taiwan…

8-10pm
check in GinHau（晶華） Hotel and go to Kauhsiung LuiHe（六合） night market…HsinJueGiang（新堀江） shopping district

10:15-11pm
Love boat in Love River

The third day:

6-7am
Breakfast

7-11am
go to Tainan to see historical monuments…YiZaiJinCheng（億載金城）、something like that…take a look on the old street

11-2pm
eat conserves（蜜餞）、frozen chicken legs、noodles…a restaurant 養老乃瀧

2pm
on the way home



＊ James+Joyce+Carey

The first day:

8am
depart to HuaLian…we also rent a car in Taipei

12am
lunch: YiXiang Won Ton（一香餛飩）、Zeng Gi Magi（曾記馬吉）

3-5pm
Seven Star Pool（七星潭）…Dong Hau University（東華大學）

7-9pm
NanBin night market（南濱夜市） there you can let off firecrackers（放鞭炮）

10pm
FuHau Hotel in HuaLian

The second day:

8am
enjoy the bufe in Hotel

10am
GuangFu sugar factory（光復糖廠）…eat ice-lolly（冰棒）

12am Lunch at RuiLi（瑞裡）…eat Chung-tze/rice dumplings（粽子）

2pm
RuiSui Pasture （瑞穗牧場）

5pm
SanXianTai（三仙台）…watch sunset there

7-10pm
we go to Taidong and live in aborigines』 （原住民）house…we have a barbecue…we drink millet wine（小米酒）…dance and sing

The third day:
9am
Breakfast…aborigines prepare some fresh fruits they plant

12am
ChiShang lunch box / bento （池上便當）

2-5pm
Guan Mountain（關山）…there is a beautiful biking lane..

6pm
Ilan（宜蘭）night market… we eat Bu meat（卜肉）、a string of hearts（一串心）

8pm on the way home





The second session: free talk about proposal

I just introduce partial ideas of each friend in my group. You can ask more by 「say something」 function for feedbacks. Or you can discuss with us more by real conversation at Wells、on msn or by emails.


Wally:
Please find a matched person…choose whom you love. And you have to take more time to know each other before getting married.

Carey:
The way to propose is not so important; the person you love is really the point. And if you feel the heart、you don’t need to say too much with proposal.

James:
When it comes to Lantern Festivals or Moon Festival…it’s the time for memories. There are so many special things he made with ex-girlfriend. If he proposes to her、he would say a funny sentence in Taiwanese! (really made us laugh!)

Joyce:
I talked one experience of blinding-date. I think this way cannot work on me.




Administrative Matters

1. E-Concussion Website http://blog.pixnet.net/econcussion

＊ Blog host—James—in charge of our site

＊ Album host—Carey—in charge of album and profile

＊ Divisions of Labor:
I Host A have to post the notice before gathering time on the board 「Take a look.」
II Host B record the gathering in an article on the board "gathering time.」 And find time to put the vocabularies on the
board 「dictionary.」

The classification of our boards:

Dictionary---the host or anyone notes the vocabularies in our gathering time

I'm speaking---share some English learning information!?

Take a look（佈告欄）---every time the host should post a notice in advance
and here is also a board for announcing any activities

Gathering things---every time the host records something of our gathering

Guest book（留言版）---talk、discuss、express anything


2. Having dinner with Yenney on June 10、this coming Sunday.

Place: 樂雅樂餐廳
Address:許昌街19號1樓
Time: 6:30pm
Host: Sandy (0952-730-880)
Participants: Yenney、Sandy、Amy、Joyce、Shavia、Carey、Wally、Paul、Hank…

By Unofficial Guide to San Francisco, 4/e
There are two things everyone raves about San Francisco—the weather and the food. Here’s an agenda for you foodies out there who want to take in the diverse flavor of the city. A word on planning: Definitely make a reservation for dinner. Eating is the main event for most on weekends and even weekdays for top restaurants. It’s just the way—so call ahead.
Day 1
Breakfast: We’re going to start this day’s gastronomic adventures in Berkeley. As the T-shirt boasts, you get “friendly service and good food” at one of the most loved breakfast joints in the bay area, Bette’s Oceanview Diner (1807 Fourth Street, Berkeley; (510) 644-3230). You’ll come for the pancakes, as most people do, and want to endure the never-ending lines for the fat omelettes. Or are you a scrapple fan? They’ve got that too! The lines are extraordinarily long with people coming from all over, so be sure to get there early if you want to be seated in a timely manner. If you get there late, don’t fret. Stroll along Fourth Street shops and you’ll hear your name yelled over the loudspeaker.
Lunch: While you are in Berkeley, after shopping or taking in the hippies on Telegraph near campus, a must-stop is Viks Distributors Inc. (726 Allston Way, Berkeley; (510) 644-4412). International cuisine in San Francisco is fantastic, evidenced by the publicity their sushi and Chinese food get. But Viks is probably one of the best Indian food restaurants anywhere! Don’t expect frills here. It resembles a warehouse with folding chairs and tables and you have to order at the counter and wait for your name to be announced when it is ready. What makes this place stand out from the rest is the freshness and hard-to-find Indian dishes you may never have tried before. Our recommendation is to order from the chaat—the snack bar. Portions are small so you can sample more of the menu (a billboard on the wall).
Dinner: After eating such a heavy Indian meal we’re going to take it down a notch and direct you to Millenium Restaurant (246 McAllister Street; (415) 487-9800) for the most creative and innovative vegetarian meals. You can’t leave San Francisco without trying things their way. It’s probably the one place where vegetarians outnumber the carnivores. You’ll be amazed at the many different uses for tofu. This restaurant is in constant competition with another top vegetarian haunt—Greens. But the atmosphere (and the food) here is heartier. It’s not just salads.
After-dinner café: So you had a long day touring Berkeley, survived the Bay Bridge traffic getting back into the city, settled your insides with some avocado and tomato salad, and now what? Head to North Beach to the popular Beat Generation watering hole, Caffe Trieste (609 Vallejo Street; (415) 392-6739) for the best coffee in town. Its imported Italian coffee is sold by the cup or by the bean. Snacks like pizza and sandwiches are available, and on Saturday afternoons musicians and opera singers take over the existential vibe and perform.
Or you’ll scream for Mitchell’s Ice Cream (688 San Jose Avenue; (415) 648-2300), unarguably the best ice cream in town as evidenced by the lines of people waiting for their number to be called. You’ll be craving this family-owned treasure months after returning from San Francisco. The range of unique flavors—Chicago Cheesecake, Avocado, and Halo-Halo ( a popular East Asian–style mélange) to name a few, are true representations of the diverse cultural population and dining experiences in San Francisco. Unexplainably delicious.
Subdued late-night: Unlike New York, San Francisco isn’t open all night. It’s hard to find a place open at midnight to grab a bite to eat—not just a bite but a big slab of hearty meat if you are up for it! One neighborhood late-night favorite is Brazen Head (3166 Buchanan Street; (415) 921-7600) in Cow Hollow.) It’s open until 2 a.m., and the atmosphere is mellow, pub-like but with a down-home, cozy feeling.
Pump up the volume late night: If you are just coming from a showing of Beach Blanket Babylon, or are heading to the latest top club in town, then Steps of Rome Trattoria in North Beach (362 Columbus Avenue; (415) 986-6480) is in order. The music is loud, waiters look like they stepped right out of the pages of the Italian Vogue, and they dance your food on over to you. If you aren’t up for a bowl of pasta then try their hot chocolate, rumored to be the best in town.
Day 2
Breakfast: For over 90 years, Sears Fine Foods Restaurant in the heart of Union Square (439 Powell Street; (415) 986-1160) has been flipping over 16 varieties of pancakes for locals and tourists alike who have made this a city landmark. Resembling an old style diner from the 1940s, lines can form on weekends so be sure to get an early jump on the day. If flapjacks aren’t your thing then try their hard-to-beat corned beef with hash, or varieties of eggs and omelettes.
Brunch: If you do get a late start to your day, you may want to consider participating in a citywide tradition—brunch. Fresh flowers at each table, thoughtful place settings, and the open kitchen are what attract locals to Ella’s Restaurant (500 Presidio Avenue; (415) 441-5669). Attentive to every detail, right down to the lemon-and-ginger oatmeal pancakes. Her menus change weekly but expect eclectic lunches and creative soups! The restaurant also serves dinner, but it is an obligatory brunch destination on weekends. The pastries are also tops.
Option two: Dim sum! Ton Kiang Restaurant is one of San Francisco’s best Chinese restaurants (5821 Geary Boulevard; (415) 386-8530). It is hectic and seems chaotic but the restaurant is used to it. The dishes get so-so reviews, but people come for the fun of dim sum. Be sure to grab a table by the kitchen doors so you can be the first to take your pick off the dim sum trays as they come out fresh and hot.
Dinner: There are two things you can’t leave the city without trying—sushi and burritos. We’ve got your bases covered. Decide on what you crave first. You can’t go wrong with most of the sushi restaurants in town, but Ebisu Sushi in the Sunset (1283 Ninth Avenue; (415) 566-1770) is voted as one of the best. The sushi chefs at this lively place will become your closest friends after one sitting of their spicy tuna rolls. Don’t be surprised with little freebies that the chefs divvy up among guests. It’s their way of introducing you to new sushi creations. The fish is the freshest, and rolls are very creative. It’s also along the main strip in the sunset, so an after-meal stroll to see other restaurants or stores is possible.
Or if the idea of raw fish isn’t to your liking, La Taqueria (2889 Mission Street; (415) 285-7117) will roll you the best burrito in town. It’s a rather rundown place in the Mission, but looks are deceiving. It’s fresh, cheap, and filling. There are tons of Mexican taco stands in this part of town so keep an eye out for the bright red electric sign.


rave : 激烈誇獎 gastronomic: 美食法 boast: 自誇 scrapple:一種油炸食品
fret : 使煩躁 frill 裝飾 billboard:廣告牌 notch:山谷
outnumber 數量超過 carnivores食肉動物 haunt 經常去/纏住
hearty:營養豐富 existential 存在的 vibe:琴 slab:厚片 mellow:方醕 柔和
flip:翻轉 flapjack:煎餅 corn beef:煎牛肉 hash: 混雜拼湊 attentive:體貼
eclectic 不拘一格 obligatory 必須的 pastry:糕點 hestic:興奮
burritos 墨西哥捲 freebies 免費物 divvy up 瓜分 rundown:概要

Shavia copied from msn travel

Yosemite
Come see nature at its best

American President Theodore Roosevelt called Yosemite National Park the most beautiful place on Earth. “Many others who have seen the park would agree with him. Located in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, Yosemite covers 1200 square miles (1920 square km) of wilderness.
In Yosemite, huge rock domes rise from the earth. Spectacular waterfalls plunge from cliffs. Green forests cover the hills and valleys. All this natural beauty creates a paradise that 4.1 million people enjoy each year. Most come in summer to escape crowded California cities, although the park welcomes visitors year round.
Visitors began traveling to the park in 1855. Back then, it was a bumpy, two-day trip by stagecoach from the nearest railroad station. But that didn’t stop people from coming to admire, photograph and paint Yosemite’s natural wonders. In 1868, famous naturalist John Muir visited Yosemite. He fell in love with the area and encouraged the U.S. government to make it a national park. To his great joy, he succeeded in 1890.
The first car arrived in Yosemite in 1900. By 1920, two-thirds of the park’s visitors were coming by automobile.

Down in the Valley
Yosemite Valley is the heart of the park. As you drive into it, look up, up, up. Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America, plunges 2425 feet (739 meters) from the valley rim.
Get out of your car and go for a hike. The Mist Trail leads to a bridge with a spectacular view of Vernal Falls. The mist from the falls will spray you as you hike. On full-moon nights in spring, take the walk to the base of Lower Yosemite Fall. Watch for “moon bows” in the water.
After taking a hike, continue to explore the valley. Rent a bike and go cycling on eight miles of paved bike trails or go for a horseback ride. Fish in the Merced River. But don’t forget to buy a California fishing license first.


Trails, Rocks and Giant Trees
About 80 percent of Yosemite visitors stay in Yosemite Valley. But there’s much more to see than just the valley. More than 800 miles of hiking trails crisscross the backcountry. Experienced hikers can disappear into the wilderness for days. But they should get a good map before they go!
Yosemite’s huge rocks make the park a paradise for rock climbers. You’ll see climbers clinging to rock faces high above the ground. But don’t try this without some training. You can take climbing lessons from Yosemite Mountaineering School.
Near the south entrance of the park, you’ll find the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Some of these trees stand almost 300 feet (88 meters) tall. Hike into the grove and find The Grizzly Giant. It’s estimated to be 2700 years old. Beyond it stands the California Tunnel Tree. The hole was cut into it in 1895. Go ahead and walk through the tree.
You could spend a day, a week or even a month in Yosemite. There’s so much to see in “the most beautiful place on Earth”.


Vocabularies
1. plunge (v.): to move, fall, or be thrown suddenly forwards or downwards
The man plunged into the water to save his friend who couldn’t swim.
2. year round (adv.): happening or continuing through the whole year
3. bumpy (adj.): a bumpy surface is flat but has a lot of raised parts so it is difficult to walk or drive on it = uneven; ≠ smooth
After riding in the bus over bumpy roads for two hours, Edward felt sick.
4. stagecouch (n.): a vehicle pulled by horses the was used in past times for carrying passengers and letters
5. bow (n.): a weapon used for shooting arrows, made of a long thin piece of wood held in a curve by a tight string
6. crisscross (v.): to travel many times from one side of an area to another
The children crisscrossed their neighborhood, looking for their lost puppy.
7. backcountry (n.): an area, especially in the mountains, away from roads and towns.
8. cling (v.): to hold someone or something tightly, especially because you do not feel safe
Shy children often cling to their parents.
9. grove (n.): a piece of land with trees growing on it
There once was a forest here. But now there’s only a small grove of trees left.
10. sequoia (n.) [ ]: a tree from the western US that can grow to be very tall = redwood
Sequoias are among the tallest trees in the world.

Dear E-concussioners,

Joyce and I will be the hostesses in the coming Wed. Here is our plan for the clubbing:

Time June 6th (Wed.) 19:30

Location Dante across from CKS Memorial Hall.

1ST HOUR - Itinerary(traveling plans) Designing
In this activity, you have to pretend as tour guides or itinerary planners in a travel agency, then work as a group to design your own itinerary (domestic tour) for customers. Each group has to listen carefully to the other, and speak out your thoughts after their presentation. To express which points you like or dislike. Please see the next article for reference.

19:30 ~ 19:32 Rule Explanation (2 mins)
19:32 ~ 19:52 Group Discussion (20 mins)
19:52 ~ 20:22 Group Presentation (30 mins = 15 mins x 2 groups)
20:22 ~ 20:30 Feedbacks (8 mins = 4 mins x 2 groups)

Break Time 20:30 ~ 20:40 (10 mins)

2ND HOUR – Free Talk 20:40 ~ 21:30 (50 mins)
This week’s topic is about “proposal”. If you don’t know what you can share, you can share your parents’ or friends’ proposal experience. And what is your ideal proposal?

Club Affairs Discussion 21:30 ~ 21:40 (10 mins)
After free talk, we will spend 5~10 mins talk about how to manage our website.
As I mentioned in the guestbook, we can have some members taking turns to take care of each section of the website(blog – dictionary, I’m speaking, gathering things; album; guestbook, etc).

Hope to see you all this Wed.

Peggy:)

Dear all,

Thank you for arranging the memorable dinner for my Singapore friends. You all really did a good diplomatic activity for Taiwan! They both enjoyed the food and meeting.
It was so interesting that we were talking in English in that retro enviroment. We should speak Taiwanese instead of English ha.

I was so excited to see you all been so outstanding now, such a progressive and creative club.Lets keep going and improving!

Cheers !

Shavia