Blog 185
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Fl tour chapter 1--Islands of Adventure
每年的圣诞假期通常是我们留美学子- 出旅行的黄金时间，大家都会早早打- 热门的旅游线路和制定各自的行程，- 当然越早买到便宜机票，租到便宜车- 订到低价位宾馆的概率也较大。
由于这方面自己没有太多经验，我就- 赶早考虑，期间也和南部的同学隔三- 五地商量着大致的路线，等到雏形显- 现已接近11月中旬。即先到Florida的Orlan- do和Miami游玩，随后乘cruise到Bahamas，然- 后我会12月28号飞到Washington D.C., 过完New Year后返校。事不宜迟，匆匆找到旅友- ，就迫不及待地订了机票。至于租车- ，由于下手太晚及旅游旺季的缘故我- 放弃了在Orlando订车的计划，改为由南- 方同学当地租车前往的方案，这下省- 不少盘缠。订房我也费了几番周折，- 后订到了每天29块钱的Comfort Inn，它解决了早饭和前往附近热门景- 的出行问题。其中忧虑最多的就是我- 签证都已过期，从Bahamas能否返美是- 大问题，虽然我们从未明论坛及学校- 得到肯定答复，内心还是一直在打鼓- ，为此我们准备了所有的相关材料。
在出发的前天晚上，突降大雪，还好- 未影响第二天大早开到Detroit。虽然班- 机最初延误了大约20分钟，但之后在Cle- veland 转机及抵达Orlando （MCO）一切顺利。等从MCO出来，发现- 里是另外一番天地，不同的气候，不- 的树木，我们也终于有机会在冬日里- 脱去笨重的衣服，享受下难得的热带- 情。
安顿好住处后，听前台说能搞到便宜- 票，我们就不假思索冲向不远的柜台- 推销员一阵胡侃，我们只要参观一个- 度假村，听过一个报告后就能以50多刀- 的价格拿到Islands of Adventure的门票，另外前提是我们其中- 人要扮作夫妻，对于这点我们也没多- ，顺势瞎编了一套，两人谎称年入16- ，这是个致命的漏洞。第二天一早我- 们被拉到所在地后，不久有一老美就- 情地接待我们，和我们共进早餐，期- 向我们推介他们的产品，随后带我们- 参观了附近的度假村，其大致理念是- 们花大约3万多刀买入一套公寓，其后- 可自己转让或出租或到有合作的旅馆- 宿。谈到最后我们被领入一大厅，周- 坐满了游客模样的人，不时传来喜讯- ，某某签下合同大家鼓掌庆祝之类的- 磨到此时，我们不觉发现有种被骗的- 象，可是贼船已上，一时又难以抽身- 。撑到最后，连客户经理都亲自出马- 游说我们。可是我们没钱呀，可想而- ，局面有多尴尬。虽然最后侥幸拿到- 了打折票，我们也白白浪费了一上午- 事后想想还有些后怕，以后不会轻易- 贪小便宜了。
Islands of Adventure和Universal Studio挨着，主题相似，我们就只选了- 者。也许是旺季未到的缘故吧，我们- 用了不到一下午的时间就逛了个遍，- 其中大多数惊险刺激的项目也都玩了- 遍，像过山车，侏罗纪公园，蜘蛛侠3- D电影等等。临近关园（晚间7点）前夕- ，游人渐少，我们又抽出时间过了把- 。另外由于圣诞节临近，整个园内都- 溢着节日的氛围，不少游客顺势躺在- 路边享受着日光浴。如果我们不考虑- 色，这种游客如织场景仿佛把我们带- 了中国。的确在美国能碰到如此多的- 人真不容易吧，当然这种场面在随后- 几天中依然存在，我们只希望自己能- 好，所有的项目都能有机会享受下。-
累了一天后，如果有时间别忘了犒劳- 劳胃，毕竟在International Dr路上能很容易找到餐馆，其中包括几- 家中餐馆，我们都点了buffet，这样下- 更划算也省时间。
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good news for my coursework
Thank god. My final scores of both classes are not so bad. I got 4 points for STT464 and 3 points for PLP882. I was so worried about my grades since last Friday. I tried to reach my instructor of STT464 and did not have any luck. Today I got her reply finally that my final is very bad. Fortunately, I did very well in the previous homework and tests so that I still obtained 4 points for it. How exciting! As for the term paper for PLP882. I quit from two parties last week to get it done in a very short time. Whatever, I don't care about any more since the instructor want to do it again because I don't think i will do an awesome job. 3 points is not so bad. From now on I feel very relaxed.
It began to snow in late evening. I run out of the road when I drove to pick up Ge and her mother. It is no big deal because very few cars were on the road and no accidents followed me. I treated them in the Wild Buffalo Wing. Probably it is my last time to see them in recent several years.
Tomorrow we will leave for DTW to catch our plane to Orlando. Hopefully we will have a safe trip to DTW and no trouble from heavy snow on the ground. Imagine I will visit Disneyland, lands of Adventure and sea world. Isn't it exciting. I will update my blog with my iternary. -
my finals are screwed up
I thought I could get 4 points for both of my classes at this semester without any doubt and difficulty. Right now I can't expect it any more because I screwed them up. What a disappointment. I felt very bad in the afternoon.
I did very well till it is close to the last moment. Unfortunately,my hard work probably will be gone with my stupid mistakes. As for PLP882, I chose the wrong topic for my term paper because the instructor is very familiar with this area. It is very easy for him to find out that I copied other people's articles rather other use my own language to write it. You know what, we need to write a 10-page paper with one space between the lines. What a crazy homework. That's why I risk doing that. I think most of my classmates also did that. However, he just caught me and blamed me for a while. As far as I know, i have to select another topic to get it done and achieve my final score.
As for STT464, I did not check the test time so that I was late for about 1 hour. I was completely lost and counld't remember anything I have prepared. I am not able to get another over 90 just like previous tests. It will also ruin my ultimate goal. Anyway I will talk about this unexpected issue with Sasha to see whether she will give me another chance to save it.
It should be a happy ending for this semester. It has not been any more. It is so difficult for foreigner students to achieve something. Whatever, I will never try quitting it.
Go for it. I can make it. -
One final is done
Although it is not the toughest class I have ever met, I also felt stressed because It has too much homework when getting close to the end. As for the handout material, I even don't have any clue how to review them. Most of them look similar with each other. I can't remember exactly what I have memorized after After spending the whole weekend in studying it. Maybe that is the actual effect if someone indeed learned something.
I still keep dreaming after sleeping since last week. I can't hold myself. I don't know what's wrong with me. I am sure what I dreamed are going to happen. Anyway I will try at this week. Then it will be a great leap. I can't mention it because it is personal and sensitive stuff. Fortunately, I can focus on my test when I get the question sheet. It was a really tight 2-hour time so that I was just keep writing the answers I tried remembering to the end. I made it. I filled out all the questions based on what I learned. Hopefully it is not so bad for me. I need it to be 4 point finally to pay back my effort.
Tonight we were invited by our instructor to his house for a dinner. It is a relax time. Definitely I will go to have some Chinese food. Unluckily it began to snow when i were heading for it with Lina who help me to recognize the road. We had a great time and talking there with other classmates. It seems I felt comfortable to talk with my classmates based on some common topic there. We met a retired professor, Dr Lockwood and introduce ourselves to him. It is amazing that he can speak a little Chinese.
On the way back home, I almost had an accident. I made a sudden brake when getting close to the intersection. I can't control my car all of a sudden because of the icy road. I made a 90 angle turn and stopped there. The car did not turn over. What a surprise to me. Next time I will never driving too fast during the snowing season. I should take responsibility for me and other passengers. -
the story about the logo of 6 movie comapni
I like Hollywood movies. Definitely I know the most popular movie companies and their representative movies. Every time you will see the logo of the companies at the beginning of the movies. Here I disclose why they have these familiar logos.
1.梦工厂：月亮下的男孩
这是梦工厂的经典logo，底部的SKG代表- 是公司的三个共同创始人，S代表斯- 芬・斯皮尔伯格（影片监制及Amblin Entertainment的创始人），K代表Katzenberg- 迪士尼前任首席），而G则是Geffen（Gef- fen Records的创始人）。是2005年12月，三位- 立人决定把它卖给维亚康姆，这样梦- 工厂也就归到维亚康姆的总公司派拉- 电影公司旗下。这个交易于 2006月完成。梦工厂的动画部门2004年剥- 离出去成立了梦工厂动画公司, 现在它不属于维亚康姆/派拉蒙电影公- ，但是它电影的世界发行由派拉蒙负- 责。
那个月亮下的男孩其实来自绘画艺术- Robert Hunt 的作品，是梦工厂专门请他来制作的lo- go，至于那个男孩，很明显就是Robert Hunt 的儿子啦。
2.米高梅公司：狮子
d1922 年创办，於1981年与连美（United Artists）合�，是一�美国媒体公司- 主要包括制作和发行影片和电视节目- 一个电影制作公司拍摄了电影史上最- 出色的影片之一----《乱世佳人》，创- 出历久不衰的银幕经典----００７，- 造了不朽的卡通形象----猫和老鼠，发- 起成立了美国电影艺术与科学学院，- 推出了学院奖（即奥斯卡）……要知- ，上面几个成就中的任何一个，都可- 以让这个公司不朽，何况几个神话集- 一身。这个公司的雄狮标志一度被当- 了美国的象征，它旗下巨星云集，曾- 创造每周推出一部电影的神话。这个- 司的大号叫米高梅。
这个狮子logo是在1924年由当时工作室的- Howard Dietz 设计，当时一共请了5只狮子来扮演logo- 中的角色，最后选定了一个最为威猛- 。
3.二十世纪福克斯
成立于1935年5月，由默片时代的大公司- 福斯电影公司和20世纪影片公司合并而- 成，是30-40年代好莱坞8家大电影公司- 一。
这张logo最初设计是在1933年，从那以后- 几乎没怎么改变，只是对某些字做了- 修改。
4.派拉蒙：雪山
作为电影业的老牌巨头，派拉蒙以- 星环绕雪山的标志为人所熟知，事实- ，用高山来比喻派拉蒙在电影业的地- 位也是非常恰当的，在创立的最初三- 年，这家公司以众多的明星，高质量- 影片和遍布全美的连锁影院，一直坐- 在好莱坞霸主的宝座上。
这座雪山，是他们的logo画师依据犹他- 的一个山峰而画的。
5.华纳兄弟
华纳兄弟影业公司1923年4月由哈里・- 华纳、阿尔伯特・华纳、山姆・华纳- 杰克・华纳四兄弟创建。当时总部设- 美国纽约，制片厂设在好莱坞附近的- 伯班克。华纳兄弟1917年开始在纽约从- 电影的发行放映业务，建立华纳公司- 摄制影片是业务的扩展。1925年接管维- 葛拉夫制片公司，并于1927年摄制、- 行电影史上第一部有声影片《爵士歌- 》，从而使华纳公司于30年代初进入- 好莱坞8大电影公司的行列。而他们- logo也经过了很多代变迁。
6.哥伦比亚电影公司
哥伦比亚电影集团公司是索尼影视娱- 有限公司旗下的影片销售公司，由索- 影视（美国）有限公司和哥伦比亚三- 星国际电影发行公司两个子公司组成- 负责在美国和全球67个国家和地区销- 、发行和推广spe的电影产品。索尼影- 娱乐有限公司在电影业的历史可以追- 溯到哥伦比亚电影公司1924年成立。
logo火炬女人，是1924年由工作室的设计- 师穿做的，当时有点仿造自由女神像- 意思。 -
Thanksgiving celebration
I didn't realize that Justin will invite me to celebrate Thanksgiving with his family and relatives until he called me on Wednesday. I accepted this invitation without any hesitation although I have too many assignments at hand. I want to take this chance to experience American culture and spend a short time with normal American family.
It just took about 50 minutes from our campus to his home on Wednesday. Maybe Justin has told his parents that I will be there. They can exactly call my name when they saw me. However, I have almost forgot their names since I went there on Easter day. At that time we went to his mother's side to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I can tell they are good parents and love their kids and me. I felt comfortable when I was there.
The next day we drove to his aunt's home. Probably I took one hour and twenty minutes to get there. Her family is also hospitable and kind to me, especially his aunt, Pet. We had a nice conversation while she was preparing for Thanksgiving feast. I learned they had a Chinese guest before. You know it is rare to have a Chinese at a little town far away from a college. Later on his another aunt and his two sons' family arrived there for the reunion.
They cooked a lot of food for the lunch including traditional turkey. However, I did not eat too much. We had a funny topic about the luck if someone step on a dog's poop by accident during the lunch. They all felt surprised when heard about that because they did not know that although they all love dogs. In the afternoon we went out to throw snowball. I and Daniel is a team and we fight against three of them. We had a lot of fun although our fingers are almost frozen to death. After that we had apple pie and pumpkin pie and ice cream together. I found that I liked the pumpkin pie very much. Until then the whole lunch is over.
According to the plan, Justin drove me home so that I can go shopping in the early morning of the black Friday. I didn't wake up at about 4 o'clock although I set the aralm. It has been almost 7 when I am awake. I headed for the Meridian Mall after I had the breakfast hastily. The goods seems not cheap any more after I looked around some stores. Maybe it is affected by current economic crisis. Anyway, I still purchased a lot of clothes such as two shirts, a coat, the sports suit and a pair of shoes and so on after shopping at JCPenny, American Eagle, Dick's, and Shoe Department. I was satisfied with these clothes at the price.
The 2008 Thanksgiving is gone and the shopping season is just beginning. I have to control my budget on the clothes to make sure that I have enough extra money for unexpected emergency. -
crazy semester final
With the approaching of the semester finals, a tons of homework and two tests were full of my schedule. Ten-page term paper with one space, presentation, lab notebook and Statistics assignment were all due next week. If i don't take my time to work on them, it is obvious that I will fail to turn them in on time. Subsequently I will not have enough time to prepare for two tests. It is awful. I can't imagine it any more.
Normally I have a break on Saturdays and study on Sundays at this semester. At this weekend, I did not spend it as usual. Instead, I went to lab to write the term paper and work on lab notebook. I concentrated on them so that I have finished the term paper and half done the lab notebook up to now.
Next week, I have to squeeze some time to review the handout of two classes besides finishing the assignments. It will be the craziest week I will have for this semester. Fortunately, I have the confidence to handle the finals and presentation. I believe I can get 4 points for these two classes.
When the semester is over, I will leave for Orlando and Miami for the winter break soon. How exciting! I am expecting it. -
感恩节前夕随笔
过得真快，今年的感恩节就在眼前了- 不象去年早早得就上网查找各种降价- 息，还头脑发热地骑车到Best Buy打算通宵排队，今年就没有那么热- 了，虽然有了车出行不用受天气及假- 的限制了。当然我还是想趁此机会淘- 点好冬冬，这里就先列个清单，到黑- 星期五那天，不管是去店里还是在网- 还是要搞定的。计算器，用于统计作- 业及考试，回回和Jen借我都不好意思- 。GPS，开车出行的必备品，也是时候- 备了，这样以后自己就能单独出去闯- 天下了。数码相机，虽然现在有一个- 但一直闲其档次低而有意再添置一台- 其余的电子电器产品由于没有太大的- 需要，就暂不考虑了。剩下的就是买- 服了，想想从7月底到现在一直都没有- 买衣服了，感恩节是个好时候，到时- 管是夏天的体恤还是冬天的外套，遇- 打折厉害的统统都会考虑一下，毕竟- 自己现在的衣服还不没有达到饱和状- 。对了不能忘记去买明年给父母捎的- 西，一起办好，也就没有后顾之忧了- 。
自己周五大早会不会开车去Meridian Mall，会带谁去？到现在还是未知。走- 瞧吧，今年的Thanksgiving 不会有去年的冲动，而只会有理性的- 费。
对了这周六在浪花家吃了顿饭，期间- 了不少，毕竟我们已有1年多没有好好- 说说话了，对于他做的菜我不敢恭维- 但他的饭量我可是记忆犹新。加油朋- ，属于我们的东西，迟早是我们的，- 我们要努力做的就是让它们不晚到我- 手中。 -
Proceeding of Fl trip
圣诞Fl游玩使我深深体会到计划出行是- 多么的费时，费精力。我们计划Christma- s去Fl已差不多1个月了，期间我一直在- 心整个行程并和其他几个外州同学保- 持联系以便最终我们能走到一起。两- 前决定乘坐Cruise这一计划，打破了几- 人马在Orlando及Miami碰头的约定，但也- 使得我们的行程日趋明朗，我们这一- 人也不用再操心其他人的事情了，一- 也倍感轻松了许多。
由于本着省钱的原则，小到租车，订- ，大到整个行程，我们一直不能确定- 来。原本我们这边计划租车，由于费- 用的问题，改由培培她们从Louisiana租- 到全程结束。至于Cruise订票的情况，- 们也是多方打听，从最初的Carnival，R- oyalcaribbean 到现在的Norwegian，其中的花销去向也- 电话咨询中一一得到解答，还有牵涉- 的签证过期问题，我也兴师动众地跑- 到未名天下旅游版和我们学校搜寻答- 。
一步步走过来，了解了不少信息。就- 今天刚得知的便宜hotel来说，不仅省- 不少钱，也为以后出行找到了好门路- 3天只需115刀，可惜计划临时有变，- 不得不取消了它，保险起见，我打算- 天再次出手，这样我们整个计划就告- 一段落，以后就等着17号的到来了。
The primary route plan
5:17 P.M, Dec 17，2008 Arrive at Orlando
8:00 am –11:00 pm, Dec 18, 2008 visit Universal studio, Orlando
8:30 am—11:00 pm Dec 19, 2008 visit Sea World, Orlando
8:00 am-- 11:00 pm Dec 20, 2008 visit Magic Kingdom
10:00 am—12:30 pm Dec 21, 2008 Drive to Key West
12:30 pm Dec 21, 2008—10:30 am Dec 22, 2008 Stay at Key West
10:30 am Dec 22—1:30 pm Dec 22, 2008 Drive back to Miami and prepare for boarding on the Majesty Of The Seas ($339) Need to park our car around the port of Miami
5:00pm Dec 22, 2008 time to board at the Port of Miami, five minutes from downtown.
8:00 am—6:00 pm Dec 23, 2008 Nassau, Bahamas
8:00 am—5:00 pm Dec 24, 2008 CocoCay, Bahamas
All day long, Dec 25, 2008 cruise at sea
7:00 am, Dec 26, 2008 land at Miami, Florida
6:00 am, Dec 27, 2008 drop people at MCO
To-do list right now:
Book the ticket to the cruise at the highlighted website above to have fun as soon as possible in case all of us have the luck to enter the cruise;
Find a hotel for 3 nights from 17-20, Dec 2008 in Orlando for Michigan people (one room);
Find a motel to stay on Dec 26, 2008;
Everyone has the obligation to search for this important information if you want to save the maximal t money and have the biggest fun.
Contact me if you can find a hotel at those three places at a cheap price. Good luck -
the night of magic show
好久没和Justin联系了，也中断了以往- 周和他学圣经的活动。看到他现在身- 围绕一帮中国本科生，我也懒得再跟- 他了。上周突然就到他的电话，想这- 四约他们好长时间不见的朋友一起吃- 饭，之后驱车前往Mt Pleasant的Central Michigan University看魔术表演。考虑到能再认识- 朋友并到之前未去过的CMU就欣然答应- 了，事后知道这个表演也和教会有联- 。
这次我不象往常Justin等我那样，我提- 离开实验室在楼外等他，大约5分钟后- ，他终于现身，当时车里已载了一个- 科生。由于我准备带的菜放在家里，- 先让他回Spartan Village再回头接其他人。晚上在一起吃- 的多数是本科生，没想到他提到的朋- 友是他们，由于他们大多已熟悉，且- 景相近，就很容易聊得来，我跟他们- 不一样了，不过还好。吃饭期间，他- 们对我带的菜颇有好评，使我多少有- 点成就感。
饭后拼车完毕后，我们启程赶往了CMU- 大约高速行驶了1个半小时我们就到了- 目的地。同样的，你跟本无法看出这- 个学校如果没人告诉你或看周围的路- 。在夜幕中只见图书馆灯火通明，是- 唯一能看得很清楚的建筑物。进入一- 大House就到了表演现场，里面早已摆- 了折叠椅，只到了一半观众，临时搭- 舞台上闪动着Maze，表演队的名字。
稍过片刻，表演正式开始了。之间魔- 师一声不吭，先在现场拉了两个女生- 台，监督他吞下一丝长线并从他腹部- 将线拉出的绝活，很奇妙，似乎无人- 出其中的奥妙。 期间表演者通过抛球搞起了互动活节- ，并根据观众的反馈意见编了一个故- ，大致是一对现场临时夫妻有了个孩- 子，他有超能力，根据幸运观众的意- 去了San Diego State University就读Molecular Biology专业，因为违法进了监狱。令我- 没有想到的是，在表演结束时，从事- 先放入的CD中清清楚楚毫无错误地播出- 了大致故事，现场观众对此刮目相看- 对了我有幸被别人击中，可惜身边的- 科生手快拿到了球上了台，不过这个- 表演搞砸了，两者显示的号码不服，- 好观众对此没有太大的虚声。
回到家已11点半，就抓紧洗洗睡了。