天问

每当我遥望夜空，繁星闪亮，想象着一个个巨大的火球可着劲地裂变啊爆炸啊，没完没了地燃烧啊发热啊，就很沮丧：怎么在我们这颗行星上却出现了能源危机这档子事呢？反过来想，我可不可以看到一线希望：终有一天，一根电缆从太阳接到了地球？

A story of the shark and the tow rainbow fish.

A shark was killing tow rainbow fish but he was sad

圣诞礼物

前两天，我哭着闹着跟daddy要了一个Kindle 作圣诞礼物，—— 早就放弃了优雅而幽怨地去等待。哎，The Gift of the Magi 美丽心酸的故事已经不可能再上演了，因为我们现在超有钱咧。

当一辆UPS快递的车子停到门口时，函函叫我赶紧出去，“肯定是Kindle 到了！” 果然一英俊的UPS小伙看到我早早迎出门来，很愉快的微笑着把一四方包裹递给了我，都不带让签字的。

进了门，我颠来倒去地看着这完美无缺的包裹，不知从何下手，搞不明白现在的包装技术日新月异所为何来（有发奖金吗？），是不是要捉弄一下群众的智慧呢？我恶狠狠的伸出我的九阴白骨爪，撕啊扯啊，扯得手指生疼，终于把平整的包装修理得眦牙咧嘴，把物件捞出来，又花了几分钟时间捉摸怎么把封皮给套上去，然后打开Kindle，它倒是什么都装好注册好了，五秒钟后我就知道怎么上Kindle Store 买书玩了。

我在Amazon的帐号有一个超级VIP 的 1-Click 功能，你只要在相中的物件上轻轻那么 click 一下，遥远的某个仓库就已经开始下单打包給我往家运了，以前用“食指大动”来形容好吃，现如今也可用来描述这种败家的行为。

我于是花了99分钱买了份现刊的Fortune，下载了几本图书的样本，函函捧着它，一屁股坐在暖气出口上，看了起来，虽然是中间的100到120页，伊竟也看得津津有味。后来我找到免费的 ebook 网站，一气装了十几本书。

我觉得Kindle 有个security bug, 如果一个有文化爱文化的贼偷了我的Kindle, 他可以随意下单买书而不需要任何密码，既然可以买书，那也挡不住他买航母啊，那岂不是一步到位就把我搞破产了？

晚饭后我缩在床上拿着Kindle 看，函函走过来，欣慰地赞道，“我好久没见过你这么看书了”，拨弄了一下Kindle 的封皮，又说，“这看上去像本真正的书，只不过上面写着Amazon Kindle.”  “是哦，应该印上化学物理什么的哈。”

现代生活，优雅必备：

谁下的套？

今天知道了一个叫 George Carlin 的人，可惜他去年已经死了，在youtube 上没找到比较好的视频，倒是在优酷上有一段长达一个小时清晰的视频。

George Carlin 是一个耻笑一切成规旧俗的社会叛逆分子，不投票，不纳税，此人一直为老不尊地活到了71岁，搞笑的是他骂 Tiger Woods时，人家还好端端的（我对老虎本人没什么意见，只是商界和媒体却硬要打造一个英雄，当自己是好莱坞啊）。

George Carlin 玩世不恭地嘲笑所有约定俗成的礼仪，这让我想起在我还看读者文摘的年岁读到的一则逸事，大概讲的是英国某一幢建筑物前有站立着一位全副打扮的皇家卫士，每天朝九晚五的立着那儿就是他的全部工作，这样寒暑数十载，终有好奇人士前来打听，当值的士兵只知这衣钵是从他父辈传下来的，后来七查八查，查出来似乎百年前这幢建筑搞维修，需要有人一旁提醒过往行人，维修当然早已结束，但是当时设置这么一个临时职位的人，忘了撤除这个岗位，于是就这么着一直沿袭下来了。这里且不论故事真假，因为这一点不重要  — 有谁又去考证伊索寓言里的故事真假呢。故事中的寓意在我慢慢长大的漫长岁月中不断得到印证，等到今天看 George Carlin 的节目时，自然又想起了这个小故事。

我没有 Carlin 那样偾世（他可真是个愤怒的老家伙，不仅仅是在台上），也不那么反对规矩仪式，它们仅仅是仪式嘛，仪式不就是用来过过场子敷衍面子的么，可是若有人因此拿来四处说事，俨然 TA 如何之正确，那就踩到我的神经了，你奉行你的一套，我完全没问题，而我只想诚实对待自己，不愿不明不白的俯就一套仪式规矩，因为那让我觉得别扭，甚至还有欺诈的感觉。当你稍微站高点俯瞰整个人类的过去和现在，你不由得怀疑，一切以上帝为名的仪式，是不是多年前宗教领袖定下来的各自门前的行规呢？否则教派之间的规矩怎么如此阴差阳错，A 教说要脱帽方显尊敬，B 教则说要戴上，你可千万不要说唯有你信仰的教派才是正宗流派。如果本来就是人自己定下的规矩，却非搞得神秘高尚不可，这就让我不得不怀疑当时上层知道真相而故意隐瞒真相的那一小撮的用心了，等到后来历史终于成了一团子糨糊，后来人怕就只能像那位皇家卫士那样原地杵在那里，直到永远 — 如果没有一些质疑的声音的话。

关于孩子，child worship, over-parenting, George Carlin 可没少嘲笑那些“职业”父母，他们在孩子身上有着不切实际的幻想，为了幻想又无情地剥夺了孩子的天然乐趣（是啊，为什么不能给孩子一根棍子，让他在地上挖个洞，然后傻乐呢；为什么不能让孩子就呆在那儿无所事事的发呆呢？），大家忙啊忙，边忙边迷茫，忙着忙着，我们就给自己下了一个叫 rat-race 的套索 。

明白了这么一个道理，那就是要承认和允许自己的孩子一般般，做家长的做好份内的事，衣食住行外就是以身作则和多陪陪孩子（奇怪的是家长们可以不辞劳苦地把孩子送出去学这干那，却不愿在晚饭后的时间放下电脑陪陪他们，这是本末倒置嘛）。一直以来，我不过是想要按照生活原本的模样愉快地生活，按照作母亲的本能把孩子拉扯大，这原本是一道多么简单直观的命题啊。

给家长出的命题作文

1. What personal characteristics and qualities of mind in your student most delight you?

Hannah may not be a perfect student, but if she makes mistake, when either figured out later by herself or pointed out by an adult, she is more than willing to correct it. As she grows up, Hannah shows more and more self-discipline and self-motivated characteristics. She really makes me enjoy parenting.

To give an example, during the first year of the MERLIN program, piles of projects were handed out in a short period of time. In the first couple of months Hannah was not yet adjusted to the fast pace and still followed her previous habits trying to make “perfect” projects. When overdue projects piled up, she realized that she must change the “old” habit. During the following winter break, she made her mind not to take one single day off. She worked on her projects with no complaints at all and finally finished all of them. When she turned in her works on the first school day after break, Mrs. Mark, her teacher, was amazed and touched. After that “accident”, she never ever let herself behind the schedule. From that mistake, she learned to set up a system that has been working great ever since (which I will describe with more detail below). With this system, Hannah keeps herself staying ahead of schedule and at the same time enjoys her hobbies, like sewing and knitting in the winter, hiking and birding in the summer, and reading, her all-time favorite.

I should also mention that, since both my husband and I work, Hannah has to stay in after-school care(Jaguar Club) until we pick her up around 6 o’clock. In the club, she works on her homework and projects with no adult supervision necessary. Not only once did other parents tell me that since their kids hung out with Hannah, they no longer work late on their homework at home because they finish all of them during club time. Not only once did the club teacher praise Hannah how self-disciplined she was. I appreciate the fact that I don’t have to remind her of this and that and pleased at her setting a positive example for other kids as well.

2. What has posed the biggest academic, extracurricular, or social-emotional challenge for your student during the last two years?

Since the “project accident” which I mentioned above, Hannah has been working on how to balance “perfection” and “finishing-tasks-on-schedule” and I’m pleased to see she has been making great progress on it.

Hannah understands that we have to face the imperfection every day and live with it, especially in today’s society that is growing more and more fast-paced, but she also has a strong desire to complete her work perfectly which sometimes makes her focus on too many details. To solve this dilemma, Hannah figured out such a system: first, make a careful and sustainable plan, second, stick with the plan, even the workload on each day, and third, work hard to achieve “perfection” as much as possible. This system has been working pretty well for her.

3. What do you feel your student will add to the Lakeside community? What do you think your student will gain from being a Lakeside School community member?

Hannah loves reading. She has broad reading interests. Beside fiction, she also enjoys science books and magazines, like Time and National Geographic. Since she was 9 years old, she has been regularly reading these magazines and started worrying about our living environments, and she keeps educating us about new ideas how to save and recycle energy and other precious resources.

Hannah is always eager to seek the truth, discuss any hot issues, and absorb other people’s opinions. At the dinner table, we are open to talk about all sorts of subjects, from a piece of news to a science phenomenon, from problems I have at work to any confusion she has in mind. Hannah always bring up her own considerable opions. In a conference meeting, her current teacher, Mrs. Ralph, also praised her on actively participating in class discussions.

Hannah is a girl full of love, faith and caring. She loves everything around her, from a crawling insect on the ground to a regular visitor raccoon in our back yard. She reads to her little sister every night, makes her presents for birthdays and holidays, and took care of her in summer camp.

Hannah has always been a role model, not only to her sister and friends, but also to us grown-ups, showing them positive values and creating an impact on them.

I’ve heard that Lakeside is such a school in which the peer pressure is intense and academic tasks are heavy, yet its students enjoy the school life very much! I must say I value this feedback very much. I hope Hannah has a happy and fulfilled school life in her youth and I’m pretty confident that my wish will come true if Hannah has the honor to enter Lakeside to study.

4. Is there other helpful background information about your student that we should know? Please include any insights that you feel are relevant.

I would like to share one more little story here. It happened at her 2nd grade walkathon. She was walking the last couple of laps when the bell rang for 5 minutes left. She started to run with all her might. Given that she already had walked for 4 hours nonstop, in the last dash she tripped twice and her knees started bleeding. But she seemed didn’t feel any pain at all and continuing running without slowing down. At last, she finished the maximum number of laps, but missed the time limit to receive a golden medal. She felt like crying, but she held it back at last. On the way home, I didn’t hear her complaining about how the crowd blocked her way or anything like that.

That is Hannah -she always works for the best, but never complains if she fails.

The cat and the dog. by melody

One,s upon time a cat got chase by a dog the dog want the cat for dinner but the cat is to fast so for dinner he want a bunny he look for one but
he could not see one.

那天傍晚 我打开门

那天傍晚 我打开门
你走了进来 仿佛早已等候在门外

你走了进来 小小的正好坐下两人的
房子 霎那间蓬荜生辉

你似乎并没有开口说话
我的心已然化开 柔情如流水

我推开如影随行的诱惑 懒惰
还有怨恨 因为我只想和你在一起

意念从未有的强大 欢乐如海浪拍打着心房
都因为你的莅临

我轻轻摩挲着妹妹的小脚丫
微笑着感受着你

总有一款适合你

虽然是个大俗的广告语，却碰巧道出了一个实实在在的真理。

你看，姑娘们挑小物件，比如衣服鞋子包包，那是挑了鼻子又挑眼，逛街一整天都有可能空手而归；等到挑大件时，比如男朋友，却来了个非机智脑筋大转弯，对那些初一眼看上去根本就与自己不搭的男孩子却情有独钟，他有这样那样的毛病？没问题，我会一一改造他，改造不了还可以感化吧？跃跃试之，结果呢，言情小说中的结局谁曾见上演过？现实往往是没有悬念的纠结结局。  

再看姑娘长大熬成了娘，年轻时的毛病又开犯了，一心望着孩子的出息，上这课上那课，唯恐自家的孩子落下一丁半点，也不管孩子是否适合棋琴书画球，统统地熏一遍，却不愿花点时间耐心仔细想想孩子的个性特长在哪里，适合做什么，不适合做什么，帮助她发挥一己之长，lead her to a happy and fulfilled life.  

再看那些爬藤的推妈，有些光藤还不够，还得大藤粗藤，却忘了一点，美国的大学多姿多彩，一所学校就像一个人，有他自己的 characteristics，做父母的应该去充分了解每一类学校的特点，哪一类最适合自己的孩子，把他送到一所合适的学校，让他在那里开花结果，岂不是省心又省力的事？何苦一窝蜂地爬藤呢？累了孩子也苦了自己。  

找工找老公，找房找学校，都是一个理，这世界哦，看透了说穿了就是一堆大大小小的 matching games， 找到了合适的，日子很容易就可以过得轻松愉快；没得到的呢，也不用往心里去，因为那是不适合你的，留着让有金刚钻的人去揽吧。

当然，即便是真理也有前提条件，这一枚真理的前提是你得有充分的自信，自信的人挑选与自己 match 的，没自信心的人削尖脑袋努力去 fit into.   

A Story About Sylvie

One Morning, Sylvie Looked At Her Family. Then She Looked Around At Everything Else. “ Mama,” She Asked, “Why Are We Pink?”  ”Well Dear Were Pink Because The Little Shrimp We Eat Are Pink; Said Mama. Hmmm That Gave Sylvie An Idea She Tried Nibbling On Some Palm Leaves Sure Enough She Started To Turn Green Next She Spotted Some Delicious Looking Grapes The Grapes Turned Sylvie Positively Purple But Sylvie Didnt Stop There She Thought Shed Look yummy In Chocolate She Was Right What A Beautiful Sky Said Sylvie Its The Perfect Shade Of     Blue Sylvie Just  Happened To Be Flying  By A Kite And Became  Scarlet Sylvie With Just One Bite What Fun She Was Having She Wondered What Stripes Might Taste Like Hmmm     Rather Stripy Why Wear Flowers On Just Your Head When You Can Be A Whole Bouquet  Sylvie Had To Tiptoe Across The Sand For A Taste Of Swimsuit It Was Worth It, To Paisley! But After Stuffing Her Tummy All Day Sylvie Didn’t Feel So Well. In Facc, Sylvie Didn’t Feel Like Sylvie At All She Looked At Herself  Then She Looked At Her Family.   Sylvie     Decided To Go Back To Eating  Little Pink  Shrimp With A Little Dessert

Playing Wii

(By Melody)
– Hannah Could You Play Dogfight?
– No, Because You Always Scream When I Pop Your Balloons
– Why?! If I Win First I Will Let You Win Please PLLLEASE !!!