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• How To Write Every Day (and why you should)

  2008-7-08

  
     If you aspire to be a writer, and read tips from well known authors, you’ll have come across the advice that you should write every day.
  
  Sharon suggested this in the best way to start out in freelance writing:
  
      I recommend writing every day, even if it’s only for a little while. It makes writing part of your daily routine and it makes it easy to draw on the skills you have built up even if a particular writing project isn’t very inspiring.
  
  And she’s in good company. Stephen King (in On Writing) tells fiction writers to aim for a target of 1,000 words a day, six days a week. Julia Cameron’s bestselling book The Artist’s Way has popularised the idea of “the morning pages” – writing three pages in your journal when you wake up. And if you have a blog, whether a personal or professional one, you might well be trying to publish something new every day (perhaps you want to emulate the success of blogs like ‘Daily Writing Tips’ … ;-))
  
  Knowing that it’s a good idea to write every day, however, doesn’t make it easy to do so! Often, you’ll be busy and struggle to find a chance to write – and when you do have the time, you may not feel creative. Here’s how to write fiction, journal entries or blog posts every day:
  Fiction
  
  I’ve found it easiest to write daily when I’m working on a longer piece of fiction, such as a novel. End each day in the middle of a scene (or even in the middle of a sentence), and you’ll never be faced with a blank screen at the start of your writing session.
  
  Have a target number of words or pages to aim for each day – perhaps working towards a deadline. I’d strongly recommend taking part in NaNoWriMo this November (or doing your own novel writing month before then); to “win” you have to write 50,000 words in a month – averaging 1,667 per day. It’s challenging, but will definitely help you to establish the daily writing habit!
  
  If you’re working on short stories, and aiming to write every day, I’d urge you to count planning, outlining and editing as part of your writing. You might find you need to allocate a day for coming up with ideas (brainstorming), a day for planning in more detail, then three or four days to write the first draft.
  Journal
  
  You don’t need to write in your journal first thing in the morning. If, like me, you’re a “morning person”, you might well find it’s a good time to think through your plans and hopes for the day in writing … but for many people, finding time to journal before breakfast just isn’t practical.
  
  The important thing with daily journaling is to be consistent with when you do it. Pick a time of day when you’ll always write in your journal (before breakfast, during your lunch hour, last thing at night before you go to bed) and it will quickly become a habit.
  
  Also, try to see your journaling as a treat – a little chunk of time set aside just for you and your thoughts. It might help to buy a really nice notebook to write in (I have a lovely A4 hardback one for my journal), or to have your favourite drink or snack during your journaling time.
  Blogging
  
  Just because you want to publish a post every day doesn’t mean you have to write one each day: many bloggers write several posts ahead of time (perhaps at the weekend, if they have full-time jobs) then publish them throughout the week. Skellie, for example, suggests:
  
      Set aside one morning or afternoon on the quietest day of the week where you will write all non-news posts for the following seven days.
  
  However, if you have a news-orientated blog, you’ll need to cover stories as and when they break – writing and publishing on the same day. Or if your blog is a personal diary, you might be trying to keep it updated daily (especially if you’re posting your achievements towards a goal).
  
  In these situations, a deadline and a sense of responsibility to your readers can work wonders. Promise on your blog that there’ll be a new post each day, then set yourself a private daily deadline (eg. 8pm) and aim to hit “publish” before then. Even when you’re not in the mood to write, the embarrassment of letting your readers down will motivate you to get typing…
  
  (Daily Writing Tips:
  http://www.dailywritingtips.com/)
  

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• friend girl

  2008-7-08

  A woman with whom you are friendly but not in any way romantically linked.

  My girlfriend is always jealous of Sandy, but Sandy's just my friend girl. There's never been anything else going on between us.

  
  

  (http://www.urbandictionary.com)
  

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• English Grammar 101: Verb Tense

  2008-7-08

  Modern English has six tenses, each of which has a corresponding continuous tense.

  The first three tenses, present, past, and future, present few problems. Only third person singular in the present tense differs in form:

  Present tense of regular (weak) verbs:

  Today I walk. Today he walks.

  Yesterday I walked.

  Tomorrow I shall/will walk.

  The dwindling class of irregular (strong) verbs must be learned individually.

  Today I go. Today he goes.

  Yesterday I went.

  Tomorrow I shall/will go.

  The other three tenses, perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect, are formed with the helping verbs have, has, and had.

  perfect: used to express an event that has just finished, and to describe an event which, although in the past, has effects that continue into the present.

  Queen Elizabeth has reigned for 56 years.

  pluperfect (past perfect): used to express an event that took place before another action, also in the past.

  I had driven all the way to Oklahoma when I realized my mistake.

  future perfect: used to express an event that will have taken place at some time in the future.

  As of February 26, I shall have been in this job six years.

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• Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business Emails

  2008-7-08

  When you’re initiating email contact with someone new

  Very formal

  “Might I take a moment of your time…” (to begin the email)

  “Please may I introduce myself…” (to begin the email)

  “Many thanks again for your time.” (to end the email)

  More informal/friendly

  “I’m just emailing to ask…” (to begin the email)

  “I’m a friend of Bob’s…” (to begin the email)

  “Just let me know if you have any questions.” (to end the email)

  “Drop me an email, or give me a ring, if you want any more information.” (to end the email)

  When you’ve answered someone’s question(s)

  Very formal

  “I trust the above resolves your queries. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.”

  More informal/friendly

  “I know that’s a lot to take in, so let me know if anything I’ve said doesn’t make sense.”

  “Hope the above helps, but email again if you’re still having any difficulties.”

  When you’re asking the recipient to take some action

  Very formal

  “I would appreciate your help in this matter.”

  More informal/friendly

  “Could you look into this?”

  “Would you mind checking it out for me?”

  “Thanks in advance.”

  “Can you get back to me once you’ve had a chance to investigate?”

  “I’d love to hear your advice on this one.”

  When you need a response (but not necessarily any action taking)

  Very formal

  “I await a response at your earliest convenience.”

  More informal/friendly

  “Can you drop me a quick word so I know you’ve received this?”

  “Look forward to hearing from you.”

  When you’ve heard nothing back and want to chase up a reply

  Very formal

  “In reference to my email of June 20th …”

  More informal/friendly

  “Just wondered if you got my email (June 20th)?”

  “When you get a moment, could you drop me a line about my last email?”

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• Jackass

  2008-1-23

  
  
  Those guys were crazy...stupidly crazy...but it was a superb amusing movie to watch...lol...
  

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• New Moon

  2008-1-23

  
  
  The first book of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga...
  Reading it these days...
  A love story between a 17 years old human girl and a vampire boy...
  Two days ago read a few pages three o'clock in the morning...ending up having a zombie dream after I got back to my sleep...
  Anyways, will go on reading it...at least finish this one...
  
  
  

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• On Ad.

  2008-1-23

  Five minutes ago when I was checking my last post on this page. I found something under my entry: An advertisement about making friends with (other) Chinese. Out of curiosity, I clicked on it...dah dah dah...a page with a bunch of Chinese girls' photos on the left side.In the back of my head, I saw something like this "friends=dating=match-making with foreigners"...O_O
  Earlier today I visited a Chinese learning website and found an interesting profile of a fifty something. A widowed retired American therapist stated his reason to learn Chinese. He felt lonely and he met someone through a dating website. Unfortunately that lady he contacted doesn't know much English. So he wanted to find a language partner to help him learn Chinese in order to use the language to know that special lady more.
  Apparently learning a language is not just simply learning the language.
  ...
  Still hate the advertisement underneath my post...
  
  You see that?
                   |
                   v
  

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• Quarterlife

  2008-1-23

  
  
  Quite addicted to the internet drama. It is a story of six twenty somethings. A bunch of young people use video blogs to record their life and thought.
  The show has came to its 22 episodes. Am waiting for its 23.
  Can see myself in Dylan, a girl working with a magazine. Found we got a lot in common. Both of us kinda confused about life ahead. We question ourselves about relationship with others. Guess people around the same age got similar problems everywhere.
  
  Came across a term "Quarter Life Crisis" yesterday.
  
  

  "The quarterlife crisis (QLC) is a term applied to the period of life immediately following the major changes of adolescence, usually ranging from the ages of 21 - 29. The term is named by analogy with mid-life crisis. It is now recognised by many therapists and professionals in the mental health field.
  
  Abby Wilner and Alexandra Robbins co-authored the first book to identify this phenomenon: 'Quarterlife Crisis, the Unique Challenges of Life in your '(Tarcher, 2001). Across the Atlantic, Damian Barr wrote the first book offering practical solutions based on extensive peer research: 'Get It Together: A Guide to Surviving Your Quarterlife Crisis' (Hodder, 2004&2005). The phenomenon has been identified in Japan as 'freeter'. A number of other books on the quarterlife phenomenon have since been written in different countries. An early version of the phenomenon was posited by Erik H. Erikson although the current manifestation, as Wilner, Robbins and Barr argue, different.
  
  
  Emotional aspects
  
  Characteristics of quarter-life crisis may include:
  
      * feeling "not good enough" because one can't find a job that is at one's academic/intellectual level
      * frustration with relationships, the working world, and finding a suitable job or career
      * confusion of identity
      * insecurity regarding the near future
      * insecurity regarding present accomplishments
      * re-evaluation of close interpersonal relationships
      * disappointment with one's job
      * nostalgia for university, college, high school or elementary school life
      * tendency to hold stronger opinions
      * boredom with social interactions
      * financially-rooted stress
      * loneliness
      * desire to have children
      * a sense that everyone is, somehow, doing better than you
  
  These emotions and insecurities are not uncommon at this age, nor at any age in adult life. In the context of the quarter-life crisis, however, they occur shortly after a young person – usually an educated professional, in this context – enters the "real world".[1] After entering adult life and coming to terms with its responsibilities, some individuals find themselves experiencing career stagnation or extreme insecurity. The individual often realizes the real world is tougher, more competitive and less forgiving than they imagined. Furthermore, the qualifications they have spent so much time and money earning are not likely to prepare them for this disillusionment.
  
  A related problem is simply that many college graduates do not achieve a desirable standard of living after graduation. They often end up living in low-income apartments with roommates instead of having an income high enough to support themselves. High underemployment for college graduates contributed to this problem[citation needed]; spiraling house prices are exacerbating it. Substandard living conditions, combined with menial or repetitive work at their jobs create a great amount of frustration, anxiety and anger. Nobody wants to admit to feeling like a 'loser'; this secrecy may intensify the problem.
  
  As the emotional ups-and-downs of adolescence and college life subside, many affected by quarter-life crisis experience a "graying" of emotion. While emotional interactions may be intense in a high school or college environment – where everyone is roughly the same age and hormones are highly active – these interactions become subtler and more private in adult life.
  
  Furthermore, a factor contributing to quarter-life crisis may be the difficulty in adapting to a workplace environment. In college, professors' expectations are clearly given and students receive frequent feedback on their performance in their courses. One progresses from year to year in the education system. In contrast, within a workplace environment, one may be, for some time, completely unaware of a boss's displeasure with one's performance, or of one's colleagues' dislike of one's personality. One does not automatically make progress. Office politics require interpersonal skills that are largely unnecessary for success in an educational setting. Emerging adults eventually learn these social skills, but this process – sometimes compared to learning another language – is often highly stressful."
  
  (Taken from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter-life_crisis)
  
  Ironically I has shown all the characteristics of a quarter life crisis. No good...no good...what to do?
  

  
  

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• College Years

  2007-8-19

  
  

  Greek(2007)
  A TV series from ABC, this drama is about a geeky college freshman Rusty deciding to join a *fraternity. During his pursuit for the brotherhood,he learnt to blend in the college life and re-establish his relationship with his elder sister(in a sorority).
  Though this drama was classified as comedy,to me it is more like a documenty of a young kid's life through his early college year. It may not be as funny as I had expected, but it certaily reminded me of my days in college--always trying to readjust and blend in...those good old days...the difference is: I am a nerd or bookworm. Since I was an English major, I did my best to improve my academic performance. I guess my efforts did pay off years later. But I still feel pity that I couldn't get the most of my college life becasue I was obssessed with spending time in library reading book or in a cinema watching some blockbusters. Anyways, I was young in my college once. Those green days...the feeling of being young and fresh took some important spots in my memory.
  
  
  * Fraternities and sororities in Canada and the United States: Social fraternities and sororities, formed specifically for the purpose of developing friendships.
  

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• 虚幻与现实之间

  2007-8-19

  
  

  Started to worry like hell yesterday.
  I thought about my year behind and my year ahead.
  Then I found out I am not living my life at all.
  There is always something uncertain.
  Maybe I am just caught in the gap between dream and reality...the Almighty Worry Zone...
  Yeah, my Almighty Worry Zone, the land between two worlds...虚幻与现实之间
  

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