RAIN

If you ask American what the wettest city is, most of them will answer Seattle. Throughout this example, you can see that Seattle is famous city for rain. Now there is rainy season in my homtown. However, there are many differences between Seattle and Ho Chi Minh city. First, it rains all year in Seattle while it rains for a few months in my city. Especially, it also has hail in Seatte, though it is very rare. I saw it one time and it was the first time I saw it, very surprised. Rain in Seattle is slightly while in my hometown, it is heavily or could be called " dogs and cats". The next interesting difference is the way people go in rain. In Seattle, they drive a car or bring an umbrella if they walk, so they are not wet. In contrast, my country is a developing country, so the main transportation is motorbike. This is a reason why they have to wear a raincoat, not an umbrella. However, under the heavy rain, I must give up. I was soaking after a rain. In fact, it is interesting to see people in rain, so colourful. Moreover, roads are flooded after raining and people have to wade. The third difference is casual. In Seattle, rain is unexpected. It may be sunny now, yet rainy one hour later. You can guess a rain based on some clues. For example, wind blow stronger or sky is darker. I don't know why, but if you say today is nice day, many people imagine about sunny, warm day. However, actually rain has its own beauty. Let me see the photographs of rain and feel it!

Welcome to Viet Nam

Ha Long Bay

What is your purpose in travel? If it is going shopping, Singapore is ideal destination. If you would like to see a modern and fashion city with skyscrapers, New York should be a good choice. If you want entertainment, you should visit Las Vegas. And if you love nature with beatiful landscape or discover old profound culture, you must go to my country, Viet Nam. It is only small and a developing country, yet it has many, many landscapes along its length. It has thousands kilometre coast as well as majestic mountain range. It has different climates from temperate in North to tropical in South. It has both lowlander and highlander. There are many lakes, waterfalls, grotteoes, gulf in my country. A third of Vietnam is forest with abudant eco-system. It contain some endangered spieces you only can find in Vietnam. Moreover, many landscapes are considered as world nature heritage by UNESCO. For example, Ha Long Bay( descending dragon bay) with thousands islands and grotto or Nha Trang Gulf which is the 29th gulf to be named as one of the most beautiful gulfs in the world. Besides nature, you are interested in 4000 year various culture which is mixed of 54 different tribes. It is easy to understand why Viet Nam has 5 World cutural hertage in Central. For instance, it is Cham Holysee of My Son or Hoi An ancient town. Vietnamese cuisine is original with the famous dishes "pho". Most of them are good for health. In tropical climate in South as Viet Nam, you can try delicious fruit. With warm invitation, I am glad if you decide to travel in my country, Viet Nam. It is good chance to discover the secrets of Indochina. I am sure you will have a wonderful duration there.

peaceful nature in Viet Nam

Nha Trang beach

Grottoes

The scientist I admired very much

With the passion in science, I have read over thirty and even forty scientifc books, so I know about many great scientist from century 17th to now which is a fast developed period time of science, especially at the end of century 19th to centurt early years 20th with many important invention which changed human history. They have different nationalities from Russian to England, Germany, Italy or French for example John Dalton of chemistry or Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Galileo Galilei, Enrico Fermi of physic. I like and respect them so much, but I have a special sentiment for the scientist. This is not Albert Einstein who is the most famous and greatest scientist all the world. This is the small woman named Marie Curie. The reason I admired her is not because she was the only person to win 2 Nobel Prizes in different science fields: chemistry and physic. This is not also because she was female professor at the Sorbone. I admired her because of not only her achievements but also her fortitude. I was very emotional and even cried when I read her biography. The image appeared in my mind is a small young girl from Poland to France and must overcome many difficulties to study. She studied all night with empty stomach and even faint. She do experiment in poor laboratory with her husband. She had to do with 20 tons of radium ore to get only 1 gram pure radium. She devoted all her life for science, for human civilization. Her invention now is a effective treatment for cancer patients. She also died because of the cancer after many years doing with radioactive substance. She is the good example for me followed. She is also my big encouragement. In studying, especially in the USA, sometimes I feel exhausted and disappointed and want to give up, but the image of small young poor girl studying in nigh to satisfy her studying passion appeares in my head. I think if she can study in worse condition to become a great scientist, why I can not. This gives me power to continue.

My favorite subject

With me, nature has really a strong mystery. I am curious about everything around me from biology, chemistry to physic, especially astronomy. This is a reason why my favorite channels are animal planet and discovery. My bookshelves have full scientific books and reading is my hobby. I often ask many questions by myself and when I found out the answer, it gave me a wonderful feeling. Science contains not only logic but also art. I can find the beauty easily in nature such as imposing moutain as well as the various, colourful life of animal world from sky to sea. I stared at the sun, black hole or galaxy with splendid, miraculous images. Studying science makes me love the life more and it is worth-living. I think science likes philosophy because I get many valuable lesson and different feelings throughout it. It is easy understand why my favourite subject in the highschool was chemistry and I also got a few achievement from it. Sometimes I have a dream to become a scientist, but I realized I do not have talented ability. However, I never stop discovery the world like an amateur. If you also like science, maybe we will be good friends.

Now let me look at beatiful images of universe with galaxy and nature with snowy highland or only the small insect: butterfly and try to feel what I said.

Some thinking of the child about maternal love

This world have many difference in cultures, customs but one thing is same for all nationalities- maternal love.
All course mother's deed come toward us minutely ever stain me while we think about our mother in some flash moment or ponder flitting.
Mother love us without reason or conditon, but we feel love our mother when we think about our mother's sacrifice. Have you ever had your love which is pure and comes with no reason.
Mother's love had exist before we were bornda while many people realized the true love with their mother when she had passed away
How many times you say the word " mother" in overflow with feeling or it seems like to say "I" or " you" insensibly.
Mother's love is extra and not ullage while the distance between us and our mother is longer when we grow up.
When we are young, it is easy to hug our mother and say " I love you" , so why do we feel embrassed when we do this.
Mother is the home you can go back everytime you like and how many time you go there in your life? I hope everynight
Why people like chasing the power or wealth while family is really the happiest place
The child understand the maternal love when she only becomes a mother while her daughter is like her before.Why?
Do you think who can forgive any our mistakes, there are only 3 people , god and our parents
Do you think whom you can rely on when you get failure or disappointed in rough life
Whose face you see the first time in your life and whose face you would like to see in the last moment of your life? - the first answer is mother and the second answer is depend on you
Finally,before reading this entry, with the question" if you have a wish, what would you like?" , what is your answer?

A tragic news

This is a tragic news maybe makes you feel sad when you read it, so first I am sorry about that. My teacher, Tasha Essen, whose husband have just died in crash airplane accident. This is a shock and sudden news with everybody. She is outgoing and optimistic, but it is difficult to overcome it. I had same experience when my grandfather passed away. I cried a lot. I am so sorry for her and hope she feel better.My class made cards and sent to her to support in difficult time. Maybe we will visit the funeral. I have new experience about funeral in USA, and it have some difference from my country. The new teacher tell vocabulary used for funeral. It is very new but I don't like have to speak it. The atmosphere in class is silent. My classmates don't have energetic and no smile in class today. Birth and death are a part of the life. All people know that but it is not easy to accept when it comes. I always hope the time current can stop, not because i Iam afraid of death. The reason is the older I am, more funerals I have in future. My maternal grandfather is 81 years old, so I don't like to imagine on some day, I get a bad news from my country. It is terrible. However, it makes to create in my mind many ideas and the lesson: the people you love can't live with you together forever, so we need respect every moment we have them in our life, so we behave them well so that we don't have to get any regret when they leave

Spider man

After the stressed midterm exam week, on Friday evening I would like to relax, so I decided to to go to a cinema for watching the new sequel of Spiderman. This was a first day the movie was shown. This was also the first time I went to a cineman in USA after 5 weeks I have lived here. Infact, firstly, I was afraid I couldn't understand this movie because my English is not good. However, it was easy and conversation were simple in daily situation. Moreover, you can understand only through scences. I think it is really better than the last part. It is a wonderful mix because it made me have all feelings such as emotion, thriller, a bit horrible as well as humour, romance and happiness. I say that because you can find the romance in the love of Peter and Mary, and the emotion in conversation between Peter and his aunt or the father's love for his daughter. There was thriller and horrible in the fight between the Spiderman and his enemies. I think the movie is better than the last part. It has both entertainment and academy. It also contains deep humanlity lesson. This time, spiderman faced 4 enemies and one of them is himself. Actually, they are not bad, they only are controlled by their evil, hatred, envious. Spiderman is normal person with many mistakes. This makes him become a hero is not only his power but also win himself. The present for winning theirself is invaluable and this is happy and peace in mind. For example, the best friend of Spiderman is Harry Osborn. He was haunted by revenge for the death of his father. Although he died, but he was in his friends' arms in happiness. However, one of them couln't do that and died by his hatred. It is a little about this movie, maye not clear though I tried to tell and I also you feel it by yourself when you watch it. I want to recommend you this movie because it is so great. I love it so much.

I am more healthier

In Vietnam, the main transportation is motorbike,and people's awareness is still bad, so the traffic is complicated. . Almost people don' t like walking because it is not convenient and they are yay walking. In USA my transportation is my feet because my house is near the college and I dont' own a car. Sometimes I take a bus for go shopping or get around the city. There is one different thing between my city and Seattle. My hometown is located in land while Seattle has many slope streets. That was the first period time in there, I'm tired of walking to school, but now I have accutomed it. This is really a good way to train my health. Moreover, the air in Seattle is pure, so my health is improved. In Vietnam, the rate of pollution is high, so everybody wear a mask when they go out. Beside studying, I also hope I try to ski . I never play this sport before because my country has tropical climate. I think it is very exciting. If you have some experience on it, would you give me some advices.

Mother Day

My country, Viet Nam, is located in Asia, so the Mother Day is not popular. However, in exchanging culture process 15 years ago, the Vietnam culture and society have been affected by Western cuture through movies, good and it is more modern. For example, 10 years ago, only a few people know what valentine day is, but now it is popular. However,there are 2 occasions to express your feeling to the women you love in international day on 3/8 and valentine day for lover, not a specific day for mother, I hope it becomes popular in Vietnam several years later. When I went to USA, I knew about it. I think it is a great opportunity to say how the love to my mother. Beside good education,studying abroad also gives me invaluable experience because it helps me to realize how important my family to me. You only know this if you are away from it. My mother has full charater of vietnamese woman. She devoted her life for her family. She has been working hard to give their children comfortable life, especially for studying in USA because Vietnam is developing country, so the average income of Vietnamese people is about 700 dollar. All money she earns is used to raised me and my brothers. She is 45 kg but the love makes her be more strength. She is concerned me so she calls me daily to know about my studying as well as health. I don't know why but when we are older, we feel shy to tell our mother about your love, and me too. However,this mother day I must to tell her that I love her so much and give her e-card. The life in USA is not easy, especially in first moths with many difficulties, but when I am upset or depressed, I remember in hometown there is a person love and believe me, I had more energy to overcome and try more and more.

my favorite channel

Animal planet is a popular and famous channel in the world. There are some reasons why I like to watch it daily. First of all, it is a good way to practise my listening skill because the talkers speak slowly and clearly. It says about nature, vocabulary is simple and common. Moreover, some programs you can understand throughout images. Secondly, almost programs in this channel are interesting, I could watch it anytime I like or when I have a free time. I don’t need to wait for the program I want like other channels. Besides, the mystery of nature and universe has an attraction to me. With this channel, I may be satisfied my curious mind. I have known much knowledge about nature. I have the chance to discovery the interesting and fantastic life of animal, mammals, birds, insect or fish. In my opinion, human is the most intelligent, but not the most wonderful because there are many wars in the world, for example Iraq war or terrorizes. We also need to learn many things from nature which contains a lot of invaluable lessons. Nature life is real, but it also look like the most interesting movie in all time because I could have had all kinds of feelings in watching it from happy, humor, emotional, romantic to sad, thriller and horrible. I have an opportunity to see beautiful sceneries as well as amazing animals in from mountain to forest, forest to desert, sky to ground where you can’t go. In an addition, watching the channel is a effective way to relax when you feel stressed. It helps me to recognize my responsibility to protect nature. We can’t exist without animals and plants because we need oxygen from plants and food from animals and plants. They have the world more lively and colourful. However, human is destroying nature. All over the world, species are disappearing and about 15600 species face extinction. In India, only 2000 tigers are left. Human is the main reason of global warming and natural disaster which influence vice versa.

differences in education between my country and USA

At the end of last Friday, I had been Seattle for one month. This is a period of time which is not long, but not short. I had many experience, good and bad in Seattle. I don’t know how my English was improved , but I hoped. I had more new friends who are not only VietNamese but also different countries with different cultures such as China, Japan, Korea, Kuwait etc. However, they have same thing which is they are friendly and kind. It is very exciting. I have perfect opportunity to know more about many countries.
After 3 week studying, I realize some big difference in education between my country and USA. Firstly, my instructors are ver friendly, they look likes more my friends than my teachers. In Viet Nam, although teachers are kind, but it exists a distance between student and teacher. They need have respect behaviour with their teacher, for example bowing when they meet their teacher. Secondly, each class owns a private classroom. They don’t need move and wait teacher for next class. In Seattle, both students and teachers have to change classroom between 2 subjects. Next, in highschools and lower levels, students have to wear uniforms and follow strict rules for example dye hair or a boy is not allowed to have a long hair. They study in text books and don’t need find out more information on Internet or TV. However, they need many reference books because program is hard. Almost of them must to take extra class after school. They study for some important subject such as math, chemistry, physics, biology, literature and especially english in a centre or at home of teachers who may be their teacher in school or a good teacher in a famous school. The reason is they afraid of studying worse than their classmates and it’s not easy to take a place in university in my country. Every year, new students are 20% quantity of candidates. They need study at least 2 or 3 hours per day in a centre or with a teacher after school. In Seattle, there is a break during 2weeks between 2 quarters. In contrast, students have to study during 9 months continously and have a summer vacation. In Seattle, I have quiz, test everyweek. In Viet Nam, I also had many quiz and test but not everyweek and some of them are no predict. In university, students have one exam per class at the end of semester. How do you think about studying in my country?

My weekend

In Seattle, I have a new habit which is going to the church behind Seattle Central on Friday. I never went to a church in Viet Nam before. The reason is that there is conversation and free dinner ( I like it!) in the church. This is a good chance for me to practise English with native speakers who are residents and teachers in Seattle Central. They also help me in doing homework for example a survey of speaking class. I could make new friends. Almost of them are student in ESL, but not my classmates, I don’t know why. Yesterday morning, I and my friens went to Student Activity Center to do some exercises, though I think walking is also a good way. In my country, people don’t like to walk, so it’s different from Seattle. I tried doing gym for about 1 hour and this is also a first time. After that, I went to downtown to buy new pair of shoes. Next, I was going to take a bus 7 to go to Safeway because I knew that it is on sale to compete with next supermarket. However, I don’t know where the bus stop 7 and I had to walk by smarting foot which is the result of gym. Fortunenately, I could find it ater 15 minute walking with empty stomach. After going to market, I went back home with three heavy bags. It’s terrible! Finally, I had a lunch at 4:30 pm in exhausted.

Tet holiay in my country

One of period of time international Vietnamese student come back their country is christmas or tet holiday. This is also a time when I miss my family so much, so I want to come home but I also continue studying( I like studying in Seattle Central !), I’m very confused. Although VietNam has New Year day like western, it has no special activity. Tet holiday is really an important festival in VietNam. It originates from China and takes place on the three first days of the first lunar month in not only VietName and China but also several countries in Asia such as Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia. However, it has different customs and activities in each country. At midnight on the last day of the year, there are firework and everybody go out to see, but I go up terrace to see because I am afraid of traffic jam at this time. Ten years ago, I can shoot firecracker but now it ban, so somebody sting balloons to make sound like firecracker. New year congratulation is one of traditional in Tet holiday and I think it also exist in China or Japan. The younger family members congratulate the old people with best wishes and ar given lucky money in red envelope. Children not except I like it so much. Maybe four years later I come back my country, I can’t receive money anymore because I am not children. Moreover, I also give money to my brother or nephew. Vietnamese people use peach flower in North and bright golden mai branch of mai flower to decorate their house. Next year in Tet holiday, I will see golden daisy or tulip to replace mai flower!

flower market in Tet

lion dances

Xuan Huong Lake

some waterfalls in Da Lat

beautiful scenery in Da Lat

King Hung Temple in Vinh Phuc, Viet Nam

something about my country.

Yesterday morning is a nice and sunny weather, so it’s wonderful to see tulipsi, but I didn’t because of some reasons. I regret it so much because tulips bloom once a year and it’s difficult to see tulips in my country’s tropical climate. However, there are several festivals of flower in Viet Nam for example the unnual flower fair in Ho Chi Minh city on Lunar new year and especially in Da Lat which is considered as the city of flower in my country. It’s located in a highland, so it has temperate climate with many waterfalls, lakes and springs. It attracts thousands tourists everyear. It doesn’t wonder why people in my city like visiting there for their holidays which one of them is at the end of April with the three holidays: Commemoration of the founding of Viet Nam, Liberation of Saigon and Labour day. My country is small, though it has a long history. It was found by Emperor Hung Vuong nearly 5000 years ago. The Hung dynasty with 18 kings lastesd for about 3000 years. On the lunar tenth of March thousands VietNamese people come to King Hung National Altar to commemorate the ancestor.

The first impression and feeling in Seattle with living away from home

Firstly, I need to say I never made a blog before, even in mother tongue( Vietnamese language) because I don't like writing. Sometime I write in literature subject or assignments in my highschool. I only think everything from my life's problem to my feeling. With me, the life likes a current, so everything which I meet or have will elapse by itself. I don't like to cling them and I also can't. I feel unnecessary to write down them in diary. More I don't like to express my feeling to everybody. Sometimes, my parents don't understand me and must to say:"Coud you please tell me what you are thinking". Actually I have to confess I made this blog reluctantly because of my teacher' s compulsory task. However, I need to thank my teacher because I know she only want all her students to make a progress in English quickly and I also hope this. It's an interesting change to break the daily routine. Maybe, it makes my life better because the life contains many unexpected thing I can't predict. Next, I will say a little about my thinking and feeling in Seattle for first three weeks. Seattle is a very modern city and has many skyscraper, but it also have beautiful natural scene in South and North. I could see flower everywhere such as golden daisy, tulip, especially full peach bloom tree. It's different from my city. It's diry, polluted and I only see houses and houses. However, Seattle is very cold and rains everyday, so waiting for a bus, especcially when I miss a bus, is terrible. People are friendly, kind ,for example my teachers. Like international students, sometimes I miss my family and determine to study well not only in Seattle Central but also an university to active my dream. Another reason why I decided to study oversea is that I' d like to be more confident, active and have independent life. I think I felt this a bit here.