Statue of Liberty~拜訪自由女神

2009.9.26

今天終於去拜訪美國的七大景點之一: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

從2001.9.11之後關閉的Crown 直到2009.7.4才開放民眾參觀。

The Crown represents the seven seas and seven continents of the world.

本來興沖沖的想暑假人潮過後再去爬王冠，但已經預約到12月了。

因為要通過兩次的安全檢查光排隊就花了一兩個小時
不過還是很值得，從底座那眺望曼哈頓的高樓們，真的很壯觀

且體會了作品真的要大才顯得雄壯，人人仰而望之。

這是美國的立國精神-遠離家園為了追尋自由的夢想國度

其中最有名的是清教徒的追求信仰的自由而建立了這個以神為本的國家

In God We Trust-- on all USD Bills

So help me God-- 美國總統歷年就任之宣誓詞。

Ellis Island: 1892-1954

About 12 million people passed through this gate to America,

目前成為博物館，展示過去來自各國的移民者的生活軌跡和日用品等

看到很多帶著夢想般笑容登陸的移民者，大老遠並風塵僕僕的搭船來到美國

為了追求人生的夢想，也忍不住發出會心的微笑。

註 : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty

The Statue of Liberty dedicated on October 28, 1886, is a monument commemorating the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, given to the United States by the people of France to represent the friendship between the two countries established during the American Revolution. It represents a woman wearing a stola, a radiant crown and sandals, trampling a broken chain, carrying a torch in her raised right hand and a tabula ansata tablet, where the date of the Declaration of Independence JULY IV MDCCLXXVI is inscribed, in her left arm.

Standing on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, it welcomes visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans traveling by ship.^[8] Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the statue^[9] and obtained a U.S. patent for its structure.^[10] Maurice Koechlin—chief engineer of Gustave Eiffel's engineering company and designer of the Eiffel Tower—engineered the internal structure. Eugène Viollet-le-Duc was responsible for the choice of copper in the statue's construction and adoption of the repoussé technique, where a malleable metal is hammered on the reverse side.^[11]

Worldwide, the Statue of Liberty is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States^[12] and was, from 1886 until the jet age, often one of the first glimpses of the United States for millions of immigrants after ocean voyages from Europe.

The statue is the central part of Statue of Liberty National Monument, administered by the National Park Service.

The statue, also known affectionately as "Miss Liberty" (and "Lady Liberty") "the Lady", has become a symbol of freedom and liberty. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi also created another "Lady Liberty" which is displayed in Paris, France.

Writing 7

Writing 7-090923 The Love and Tears of Jesus: Why We Need to Love Jesus.

There are more than 1.6 billion Christians in the world and among these countries, America has the highest Christian population; 76 % of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Though we all know that Jesus is one of the Trinity-the Holy Son, who is the almighty and all-knowing divine being; numerous angels in Heaven worship him, and he is the king of kings who reigns the world. However, there are so many people who either do not know Jesus loves them, nor believe in Jesus.

There was a true story happened on April 20, 1999. In the Columbine High School in Colorado, two teen-age gunmen shot Rachel in her leg and asked her if she still believed in God. She replied, “You know I do!” then the second fatal shot hit her head at point-blank range. At the end, 13 people died in these shootings. The 17 year-old-girl protected her Christian belief even at the live or die point. After her martyrdom, many students went back to church and wore the T-shirt saying I believe in Jesus. Her death inspired a lot of people and changed their lives to the day. The girl showed her love for Jesus and died for him without fear.

The above story reminded me of a book: “A Divine Appeal.” This book was written by Anna Ali in 1987-1988. Sister Anna mentioned in her book that Jesus cried for mankind. Jesus started to visit her and gave her divine appeals in early August 1987 to 1988, around 2:30am to 3:00am after she kept 7 hours in overnight prayer for several years. Jesus told Anna “I pour tears and blood over humanity.” Why does Jesus love us so much even to die for us? Jesus said, "I need every soul as if it was the only one on earth." How could it happen to us? The possibility is as small as a prince who falls in love with the village girl, wants to marry her and takes her to his palace. Because Jesus was born as a human being, he knows the pain and the joy of mankind, so as a divine being in Heaven, Jesus has special connections with us as human beings. He loves us so much and is not willing to let his beloved people go to Hell when they not believe in him. The Bible clearly mentioned that, (John 14:6) Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” On the other hand, Jesus wants us not to be deceived by Satan and enjoy every worldly thing then go to Hell at the end of the day. Jesus told Anna, "I have two measures for every soul. The first is of Mercy and it has overflowed. The second is of Justice, it is approaching." If we do not repent our sins when the Lord gives mercy on us, the judgment will come. Though someone may be afraid to be judged and feels forced to believe in Jesus, the most important is to know Jesus loves us and will forgive our sins if we truly repent. That is great love! "I want to save mankind. This is the time of overwhelming violence. Pray for My Church. Beware! Woe to those who tell only lies. I am very sad and My Heart is filled with pain. Whoever frees his mind from mundane affairs and returns to My Love, will have forgiveness. I will embrace them and forgive their sins." Jesus said.

When we know how much power is the Lord’s love and how his love can bring us to Heaven instead of going to the eternal fire Hell, we will pray and follow Jesus’s example more in our daily lives, no matter how busy we are. Because prayer is the key to open all the doors, prayer is the only way to connect to the Lord. Jesus said, "I feel great pain to be neglected and ridiculed ….. Keep awake for the sake of sinners. Pray and cloister all in your heart.” And Jesus clearly said what is his expectation for us, "Pray a great deal. Do not lose any of your precious times; spend it with me for the salvation of souls. Put yourself in the high spirit of contemplation. Cloister mankind in your heart. I need your complete obedience. Follow and learn. This is what I want of you."

Reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Scott
http://digilander.libero.it/appellodivino/index.htm

Milky Way

部落格文章~第一百篇

十個月來的持續筆耕，今天是破百日!

說實在還蠻有成就感的 古人說的涓滴成流，日起有功，就是如此吧。


十個月一百篇，平均一個禮拜2.5篇，仔細想想也沒有什麼大不了，但持之以恆的成果是大的。

禱告也是，要持續的做，不是當成特別的活動要如日常生活般習慣的去做。
Prayer is not an event; It is daily life.

Pray
1. As the prayers you prayed for yourself, have been fulfilled;
If you pray for your brothers and your nation, they will also come true.
2 Never has there been a time on earth when prayer was needed as now.
So pray every day, night and day, I will answer them all.
3 You must make me the first priority above all in your life.
Know that I bought~ you with my life; you belong to me
4 Even the extended time is now drawing very fast to an end.
Repent urgently of all your sins~, and prepare yourself.
5 The Lord’s return will happen much sooner, much sooner than you think.
Really, spare your time; use it wisely and make yourself clean.
6 I am your God of heaven and Earth, Yahweh I am Jesus Christ. The savior Jehovah King of Kings, the Lord of Lords!

Chorus: Therefore, pray, standing on faith firm and strong! With deep sorrow, pray! With~ true sincerity, pray!

Prayer in the Square Day

(1)Today, we joined one of the biggest Christianity event in time square.
We prayed in the 46 st. and Broadway, which is the center of Manhattan; Manhattan is the center of NY, NY is the ceter of America, and the USA is the center of the whole world now.


I am so shocked to see so many people gather on street to pray and praise to God; because it is so hard to see this kind of ourdoor event in Taiwan. People from different countries, different regions came here only for praying to God together.

We pray to Lord to forgive our sins and pray for the nation and the youth; I feel this country is full of hope and blessing, because from the president, the mayor to the ordinary people, they pray! Most people know God and have the chance to go to church and learn about the Bible, it makes difference!



(2) http://www.everydaychristian.com/features/story/4755/


"By design this will be the third and final year of the rally, which may seem unusual considering its growth. Rhodes said between 8,000 and 10,000 people attended in 2007 and 18,000 came in 2008. Based on pre-event commitments between 30,000 and 50,000 are expected this year."


"264 churches in the tri-state area will be coming to pray, 62 youth groups and an estimated one hundred college ministries will be participating. 87 churches, 26 states and 19 countries, including Burundi, Pakistan, Kenya, United Kingdom, Benin, Singapore, and Israel, will pray via the live webcast at http://www.nycprayer.org/. "

(3)http://www.prweb.com/releases/Prayer/TimesSquare/prweb2863394.htm


The mayor of NYC, Michael Bloomberg proclaimed:

"Hosted by Times Square Church, “Prayer in the Square” provides an opportunity for all Christians – regardless of their age, race, gender, or denomination – to renew and deepen their commitment to our city’s spiritual community. In all our diversity, New Yorkers share an appreciation for the power of faith. After all, our city was built by people who came here in order to worship God freely. “Prayer in the Square” commemorates this legacy and celebrates our city’s rich tradition of cooperative spirituality.


Today, people from across the country of different denominations and backgrounds come together in their shared vision of a better world and their belief in the power of prayer to make a positive impact on us all. Since its establishment, this event has encouraged the faith of all those in attendance, celebrating their beliefs through praise and worship. With choir performances and prayers offered by church leaders and congregants alike, this hour is sure to be once again a powerful symbol of unity."


(4) 2 Chronicles:
7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
7:15
Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

Writing 2

2009.8.14-17 SF
San Francisco, nice to see you again.
After 12 years I came back to San Francisco. During the flight, I tried to remember what happened 12 years ago, and figure out why I came to San Francisco again.
That was in 1997 when I was a freshman in college. My mom and I went to Dallas for a seminar, and on our way back home, we stopped in San Francisco to sightsee. Unfortunately, our airplane tickets were direct flight to Taiwan which meant we could not stop in S.F. Therefore, we were fined a lot of money and were short of cash in San Francisco. It was a hard time, we did not have money to buy food, and we stood in front of the supermarket like beggars to share plain bread. The experience was so bad that Mom and I kept having quarrels and felt upset at the same time. To make matters worse, I had got my baptism in the church right before we went to America, Mom was so angry that I did not tell her before she could stop me. In a word, it was a sad story I had in San Francisco.

This time, I came to San Francisco to join a retreat and to meet some church friends I knew before. At first, I thought I could stay with some Taiwanese friends. But they did not answer me and couldnot pick me up at SFO. Everything was so unsure and weird before I left New York, I felt so alone that I could only count on God. After an eight and half hours’ flight, I took the BART (air train in SF) to the place where my church friend could pick me up, and he arranged a place where I could stay. But this is a Korean family; their English is poor so they talked only in Korean which I cannot understand. But luckily, I went to church and listened to a very good sermon. It was about the love of Jesus.

The last day, one of the pastors took me to several famous tourist spots; we ate sea food in the Fisherman’s Wharf and went to see the famous trolley. He then showed me the curviest street (Lombard) in the world; it was designed for horses to carry heavy goods on the hill. We also went to the biggest Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. San Francisco is famous for its earthquake, Gold Rush, summer fog, seafood and nudist camps. I really enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the fine weather there. Also, we had barbeque in the park, where it was nice to talk and chat with friends.

My flight back to New York was an overnight flight. I took it and got five hours of sleep and went directly back to my job. Though I was a little tired, it saved time. In conclusion, through this trip I found myself and resolved the question I had 12 years ago, I am so appreciative of everything especially the happy ending.

Writing 3

2009.8.26-writing 3 ~Adopt from a speech by P. Sonu

Today is the last day of Holy Spirit assembly; the date was set by Jesus. Jesus will give the whole assembly message.
How much Jesus loves every American. Every single person can receive revelation. SSN sent so many messages to us and wanted to take care of everyone. We have to receive the Holy Spirit right now. Jesus takes care of every single person. This is the last chance at this time.

A church leader I know wants to evangelize, but other members of the church focus too much on their own benefits. Everyone has a desire to do well; she also works hard but now she wants to quit. Suffering for three months she prayed and wrote to SSN. He replied, “The church is run by Jesus and Jesus wants you to love him 100%, and then to love people.” She received energy from the letter and wanted to work even more. “The reason Jesus gave you a mission is to save you, and to receive salvation is the fundamental purpose. We should do a lot of good works, but when we do, it will make our hearts become too worldly.”
Jesus said, “Why are you looking for things you should have done? The first thing is to be humble. Your heart has been occupied by God, not to concentrate on yourself. What I want you to do is to love me 100 % and to believe I love you.”

“People do not have confidence without support from friends and family. For example, a pretty woman is pretty because she has confidence and believes guys love her 100%. Married people with a support spouse will have confidence. It is not that person who does the job, it is Jesus who does.” SSN told the church leader, “You have to have faith in people and wait for them to change. Just believe in them and they will change.”

All we do is not for the physical body but for spiritual. If we do not maintain our position, Satan will attack. One person said, “I will go back to my hometown and work for God there.” SSN said, “If you leave now, you will be in danger. You are here because JESUS calls you here. You have to maintain your position until JESUS gives you your next job.”

And you have to know how valuable we are! We go to church because we can receive salvation. We need to empty our heart, our worldly thoughts first. SSN keeps telling us to make yourself strong and make your spirit clean. We have to develop a repentant mentality. Through the message, you should not just taste it; you have to digest it. Nothing happens without investment of whole self. If you only work for the money, you get money. What kind of person are you? All of your dreams will come true. But you have to know what you wish for. The function of the eyes is not to envy the feet. Each of us has a mission for the Lord. Now is the time to love. God loves us so much. The most important thing is to restore the first love. What is the first love between you and Jesus? God said, “I love you the same way from the beginning to the end. If you do the same you will be able to restore love.”

The reason we go to church is for our salvation. It is not important if we cannot reach our goal, it is important to reach Jesus’s goal for us. Now is the time to prepare for Jesus’s second coming. The love of Jesus gives you confidence. You restore your love. He loves people more than himself. Jesus is our only hope, and let us be Jesus’s only hope.

枴杖與我

第一次拿柺杖的人生體驗:

因為沒有做好準備及布鞋太軟，上禮拜天到中央公園玩足球時，右腳大拇指因為搶攻球門踢到腳趾頭瘀血如塗上藍色的指甲油，冰敷兩天後比較好，但昨天因怕下雨不敢穿涼鞋，穿鞋穿襪後因為束縛和摩擦變得很糟，感覺指甲一直很想脫離因為指頭不斷的腫脹，且小腿肚緊繃到麻痺，走出地鐵火車時，走路踉蹌不小心拍到前面的黑人女人，她不太高興以為我打她，我還得不斷解釋真的是因為腳受傷無法平衡不是故意的。

Connie提到可以向央行的JACK借正骨水和柺杖，(他2月時因為門口積雪成冰沒有掃好害他滑倒摔斷腿至五月都行動不便，現在才好了約95%)，Jack以著過來人的經驗，主動借我柺杖並教我如何走路和下樓梯。
拿柺杖走路比較不會痛了，拄著柺杖頓時變得很嚴重似的，雖然走路一樣慢，旁人都會多看我一眼，也特別會禮讓，如:司機先生用西班牙語向我問候、chase plaza的地鐵管理員很好心的幫我開緊急出口且說直到我百分百康復都可以不用刷卡進出地鐵，真是太感動。

沒想到美國人這麼好，很多人這麼有同情心同理心，很有愛心，不禁落淚，希望更多幫他們禱告不要被神審判到，更多傳道是基本解決之道。
也體會到受傷的人、生病的人、殘障者的痛苦和不便，對自己的健康和健全更加的感恩!
因為受傷所以更小心不要讓人二度傷害，體會不要讓主再臨時，二度受傷！

Writing 6

Recently, I took a class of writing, and had to write some homework. After revising by Helen, I put it on the net to share with you.

2009/9/15 writing 6 --Spirit and the body (summary and translation)

Many people in the world do not know they have a spirit body which will be kept alive after their physical body dies. They live lives with their own minds and do whatever they want in the world without knowing the spirit will suffer forever in the future. According to the Bible, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “may the God of peace himself make you holy in every way; and may your spirit and soul and body be free from all sin at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We know that as a human being, we have spirit, soul and body. God hopes we can learn how to live a righteous life and keep away from all sinful deeds in order to meet the second coming of our Lord Jesus.

Next, let’s talk about the body and the spirit. Our physical body is like a car and the spirit is like the person who is the owner. It means that the owner of the body is the spirit and the spirit is like the inner man. The Lord said, “Only those who are spiritual will receive me now and receive me at the time of the second coming. It is the spirit that receives me. People who receive me now will receive me at the second coming too.” It’s the spirit that goes to Heaven.

If we put apples, peaches, and various fruits in a bowl and leave them in a room, they will eventually rot. But if we eat them, then they will not rot. Instead, when they enter the body and are digested and absorbed then the key nutrients turn into flesh and bones. Once they become flesh and bones, they no longer rot. They are maintained for your lifetime. In this way our bodies are like the visible apples, peaches, and various fruits and foods. Once food is eaten it gets absorbed into our bodies and becomes flesh and bones. In the same way, when the body does acts of righteousness, the spirit absorbs that righteousness and transforms it into the spiritual body. The body changes every day like fruits left in a room becoming dry and rotten. The spirit must digest the body for the benefit of the spirit. Then the spirit will shine, become fat with grace, and become healthy. Therefore, the body must live for the spirit.

This world is a world where the body is valuable because we can't live without a physical body; while in the Kingdom of Heaven, it is the spirit that has value because that is a place we can't live without a spirit. Matthew 7:16-20 mentioned, “The Lord said that good fruits are produced by good trees and bad fruits are produced by bad trees. The body is like the tree and the spirit is like the fruits. The tree must be good, kind, and righteous, then the spirit becomes good and beautiful as well. The tree and the fruits are not separate from each other. They are one body. When a person dies, the mind and actions of their body are absorbed completely by the spirit's mind and body. And the spirit carries it away intact. It means all the nutrients absorbed by the tree go to the fruit. Therefore, the spirit absorbs the body's hard work, labor, actions, accomplishments, love and character, grows and matures through it, and takes them to heaven with it, but the body cannot go into Heaven. The Apostle Paul said, “Only the spiritual body can go into the Kingdom of Heaven. (1 Corinthians 15:31-53).”

In conclusion, both the body and the spirit are important; without the body, we can not learn the words from God and put them into practice and receive His grace. On the other hand, without the spirit, human beings are no different than animals; we can just eat, sleep and with no desire to upgrade or improve, because there is no hope, as the body perishes, everything ends. In a word, we need to pay more attention and make our physical body and spirit grow up to the point of God’s level and become a perfect being in order to go to the kingdom of Heaven.

另類生活體驗

US OPEN網球決賽進入倒數第三天~

感謝神，氣象報告說今天會有百分之六十的機率會下雨，還好是有風的陰天到了晚上才下雨。

看了三場決賽，女雙爭前二，混雙奪冠及男單爭前四。因為白天人不多，自己換到價格較貴的那一區，外國人人格也很好，也沒有趕我，逕自找其他的位置坐下。


Arthur Ashe Stadium:

一、 Women's Doubles - Semifinals
Serena Williams(USA)[4] / Venus Williams(USA)[4]
defeat
Alisa Kleybanova(RUS)[13] / Ekaterina Makarova(RUS)[13]
7-6(4); 3-6; 6-2



Rules:

For each match/tournament:

女生(單打雙打混雙)三盤兩勝制；男生五盤三勝。

每盤(Set)看誰先贏六局，每個局(game)看誰先得四分(points) (0-15-30-40-game) o is L'oeuf, 30:30 is 30 all.



如果一局中先出現各得3分時稱為「平分」，必須再淨勝2分才能算勝一局。

deuce is 40:40, then is advantage.

勝六局則算勝一盤。如果雙方各勝五局，同樣必須再淨勝2局才能算勝一盤。可採五盤三勝或三盤兩勝制。一盤六局制先勝六者為領先一盤，而一盤中如為五局平要連勝二局，打到六局平時要打搶七分制(Tie Break)。

雙打時，適用單打的方法。發球之順序是選手作第1分發球時要在右側，然後對方的發球者在左側和右側2分的發球。接下來由作第1分發球隊伍的另一選手作發球者，由左、右側作2分的發球。接下來在這局或盤結束之前，四位選手依單打的方法輪流，各作2分的發球，當然第6分結束時要換場

tie break結束。該局的比數就是7--6，先得到七分者為此局之勝者。

Ace: 發球直接得分 對方沒碰到球

二
Mixed Doubles - Finals
Carly Gullickson(USA) / Travis Parrott(USA)
def.
Cara Black(ZIM)[2] / Leander Paes(IND)[2]
6-2 6-4

三
Men's Singles - Quarterfinals
Juan Martin Del Potro(ARG)[6]
def.
Marin Cilic(CRO)[16]
4-6 6-3 6-2 6-1

看完球賽後去嘗試泰式洗髮，一種躺著洗頭的方式，約洗三十分鐘按摩三十分鐘，本以為25元算是合理，但結帳時因為還蠻滿意的所以給小費5元(20%)，不料卻聽到:我們的小費至少十元，因此付了11元(44%)才走出大門，當場有被坑的感覺。

Love is...

Sharing the beautiful poem which is written by my friend.

Title: Love is...

Love is the principle for the creation of universe.
Love is the strength of God’s existence.
Love is the power that can enliven all the creatures of God.
Love is the energy that can move the hearts of people.
Love is the author of salvation.
Love is the forgiveness that covers all the faults.

There is love like a flame.
There is love like a lake that is filled with serenity.
Love is the cause of pain that equals with the suffering of death when you are not together.
Love is what burns away all the sins.
Love is the string of fate that you and I are destined to meet.
Love is the power of repentance that you need to exist in this world.

For I loved, you have met the Lord of salvation.
For I loved, you could talk to the Lord.
For I loved, God turned His Will around.
For I will love, I have endured and waited.
For I have longed for your love, I could endure the years of suffering.
For I love, I promised to come again.
For I love, I have prepared your place.
For I love, I raised you .
For I love, I looked into your hearts.
For I love, when you called out to me I answered to you.
For I love, I came to find you.
For I love, I recorded your prayers and remembered.
For I love, I wiped your tears.
For I love, I spoke to you.

For I love, I rejoice in your praises.
For I love, I heart-ache when I hear your sighs.
For I love, I turn all your circumstances in joy.
For I love, I will take you to my Kingdom.
For I love, I am telling you to be with me forever.
For I love, I have endured until today with longing and thirst.

Who are those who answer to my love?
Those who open to my love will be the ones who will open the gate of Heaven and receive my love.
Love me with all your heart, life and will.
Love never changes forever.
Love makes you moderate.
Love makes you realize and see through His Shimjung.

For I love, I will be with you eternally.
For I love, I am making the history through all these nights.
Love is my freedom.
Love makes my heart stay wherever my heart is flowing into.
Love is the rest place in my heart.
Love gives strength which you can gain from a good rest.
Love heals wounds.
Love is like a thread and needle that can sew your wounds.
Love is like a doctor.
Love can make you realize the essence of salvation.

Turn my heart towards you.
Sell all your possessions to gain my love.
If you lose that love, even if you acquired everything in the world it will only end up in vain.
With love will you enter the palace of Jehovah.
With love will you defeat satans, devils and evil sprits.
With love will you stop the hands of destruction.

Pray in love.
Sin praises of love.
Love exists in the indefinite space.
Who will ever stop that love?
Love among mankind is the shadow of love of Heaven.
The essence of true love rests in Heaven.

Who are those who will dwell in the well of love and quench my thirst with that water of love?
Only with Holy Spirit can you open the gate of love.
Love is the refreshing spring water that you find in the endless desert.
Love makes you love to be happy.
Love is giving and receiving.
Unrequited love melts the bones of your body..

For we love, let’s take the path of salvation.
For we love, let’s meet at predawn.
For we love, let’s be together always.

For you love, read the Bible.
For you love, evangelize.
For you love, take care of your brothers.
For you love, do your offering.
For you love, adorn your natural temple.
For you love, put the gospel of the times high.
For you love, I will not forsake you ever.

To you I love.

Sep 5-7~ Let's go Outing- HW 5

Journey
Every year, our company holds an outing for employees and their families on Labor Day weekend. Though many companies cut thisoff budgets due to the recession, we still have it as usual. This year we went south to Pennsylvania and Baltimore. There were two coaches to bring us there.

The first day, our first stop was Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. Longwood Gardens is one of the premier botanical gardens in America and it was started in 1906 by Pierre S. Du Pont. There are 20 outdoor gardens and 20 indoor gardens in the four-acre Conservatories. It contains more than 11,000 different types of plants and trees. It hosts 800 horticultural and performing arts events each year, including flower shows, fountain shows and musical recitals. We enjoyed our outdoor buffet lunch in the tent of the Terrace restaurant. Next stop was Baltimore, MD. We joined the tour and visited 4 historic ships in the Inner Harbor. Among them, I was impressed by USS Torsk, a small submarine but able to contain with 188 people inside; they got the best food, such as lobster, because if the submarine is in danger, none of them can survive in the deep sea.
The second day, in the morning, we went to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I liked the new exhibit, Jellies Invasion. The name is so cool and makes me think about the aliens from space. The Jellies were so beautiful, some of them were transparent and some were colorful. The Dolphins show was interesting as well; I sat in the first row which is the splash zone to get the best view of the cute and tame mammal. Dolphins have the second biggest brain among the animals, just smaller than human beings and that is why they are so smart. After eating the famous crab cake in McCormick and Schmicks seafood restaurant in the Inner Harbor, we went to Hershey's Chocolate World; it is the biggest chocolate factory in the world. We ate a lot of chocolates and enjoyed the history tour of the chocolate town by trolley. Milton S. Hershey built the Hershey kingdom after two big failures, but he tried again undaunted and it worked on the third time. He also built public schools and helped orphaned boy to get a better education and job opportunities in his town.

The third day, we spent at Woodloch resort in Hawley, PA and participated in the activities in the resort. It was a very relaxing day. I biked in the forest and could not stop on the downhill; I bumped the cart in front of me while racing the car; I got really wet when I played bumper boat and shooting game; I walked on the sand with my naked feet; I got lost and could not catch up with the ferry. There are so many things that can be done in the resort, but the time is short to finish them all.

In conclusion, I am so thankful to have had this chance to go out with my colleagues, and know their families better. Also I give thanks to my boss Jeff Cheng, who was willing to offer this trip while other companies cut their budgets. Above all, I really want to thank God for giving us such great weather during the three days; people said it usually rains at least one day during the Labor Day weekend. I am so happy and will remember this memorable outing while I was working in New York.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.longwoodgardens.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longwood_Gardens

http://baltimore.about.com/od/artsentertaiment/tp/Historicships.htm

http://www.aqua.org/

http://www.hersheys.com/discover/milton/milton.asp

http://www.woodloch.com/home/

.

搏蚊記

8.30 晚上近十一點時，為了打在天花板的一隻蚊子，我從椅子上摔了下來。
看到蚊子被我打中並"摔死了"，對自己的肉體說:爬起來!
但肉體很痛，整個右半身重擊於地板，剛開始只能痛苦呻吟很沉重的慢慢調整呼吸，
之後爬起來檢查傷口，右半身很多地方都瘀血了。

其實自己的運動細胞不錯，常常爬上爬下也在公司、家裡換燈管燈泡的都沒事，這次會掉下來，
直覺是屬靈上的原因。
第二天聽同事的建議去看醫生，醫生讓我轉診去照X光。還用緊急的Star Case，不用掛號但也等了一個半小時，外國的檢查師很仔細的照了很多X光片，今天去看片子，還好沒有骨折，只是皮肉及筋骨損傷。但胸口還是會痛，呼吸或是笑的時候都會痛，醫生讓我擦活絡油並熱敷，覺得有能講中文可以通的醫生和熟悉的治療方法真的很感謝神，相信休養一下就好了。

一些我去看過的醫生 in Flushing, NY

眼科
吳嘉德
吳嘉德父子
718-762-2113

復健
蕭永紅
曾/ 孫/ 王醫生
718-961-8881

照X 光
Main street Radiology
718-428-1500

內科
丁原弘
718-961-7968

Water's Edge

他鄉遇故知 (二)~同學篇
兩人電話相認的五個月後才排出時間見面。
剛好遇到restaurant's week 延期的最後一周，決定去吃一家Susan介紹的餐廳Water Edge。
很酷的是這餐廳在東河的另外一岸 long island city，與上次協理請的Water Club很像都是沿岸景觀餐廳，餐廳提供免費的Ferry from 23 st + ave D
沿著東河由14st走到23st, Stuyvesant Town 的景觀又是另一種紐約，比較像是住在英國宿舍的感覺，四層樓的公寓被群樹包圍著，小朋友們在playground 玩著，白人黃人混血小孩等玩在一起，這就是紐約!
坐上免費的接駁渡輪還有免費的香檳送上，今天的天氣真的舒適，航行在東河上真的是人生很大的享受。美國每年的國慶都在East river放煙火，但今年特別在Hudson river。沿著東河走的感覺有點像淡水河畔，但更多的是慢跑和釣魚的人們。
十分鐘後抵達餐廳，坐在戶外享受著曼哈頓的晚霞，Queensborough bridge的壯麗及夜晚的燈光秀，搭配好吃的Tuna Tenpura ~真的很美很有情調。
餐廳二樓是水晶燈宴會廳，透明的窗戶可看到戶外的美景和曼哈頓夜景，感謝神賜下這樣美好的天氣和豐富的一餐!