Everyone likes to succeed at what he does, and it is more likely that we will succeed at things we already know how to do well. However, to limit ourselves to doing only those things which we are good at will cause us to miss many opportunities to develop other interests and skills. For this reason, I believe that it is to our advantage to try new things and take risks.
When we try something new we may fail. That is the risk that we take. But we can still learn something from our failure, even if it is only how to cope with failing. We may also succeed at a new activity and this will bring us a feeling of accomplishment and greater self-confidence. We may also discover a new interest that will bring pleasure to our lives or lead to a new line of work. Futhermore, it is not always possible to play it safe and do only those things that we know. We cannot control every situation and no doubt we will someday meet with challenges. If we already have the experience of testing ourselves in an unfamiliar situation, we will be better able to handle any situation which arises. Trying new things and taking risks allow us to develop both our skills and our personal interests, but if we try our best we are certain to gain something positive from the experience whether we win or lose.

Movies are popular in almost every country in the world. They offer entertainment, escape and even information to millions of people. Some themes, such as love, family relationships and war, are universal. However, the movies of different countries have some unique characteristics that can tell us something about the culture that inspires them. After seeing movies from the United States and from India, I know more about the societies of these two countries. American movies often feature futuristic high technology as part of the story. This tells me that Americans are interested in creating a future that is more progressive and convenient. The movies are also often filled with violence, and violence is often seen as a means of solving problems. This may reflect a belief in the importance of power and that "might is right." Lastly, many American movies show a clear differentiation between good and evil. From this I believe that Americans prefer clear answers to problems. Perhaps this is a reflection of the directness of society.
Movies are not only an important form of entertainment, but can tell us a great deal about the cultures that they reflect.

All students must spend a great deal of time studying, and each has a method that works best for him. Some prefer to study very hard without interruption, while others like to take frequent breaks. Some students would rather study by themselves, while others do better in a group. As for me, I prefer to study with a group of students rather than study alone. When I study with others, I can benefit from their knowledge. When I come across something I don't understand, the others can help me right away. In this way, we save time and also expand our knowledge. In addition, when students study in a group they can encourage one another. I, for one, always study longer and with more enthusiasm when I have friends to cheer me on. Last but not least, studying with others makes this work more fun for me. I am not only complete homework, but also spend time with my friends.My study partners always give me new ideas and new ways of looking at problems. Therefore, studying with others broadens my mind.It is a more efficient and effective method for me.

Most people can remember at least one special gift that they once received. It may have been expensive, or it may have had very little monetary value. It may have been something that they had longed for or something unexpected. It may have come from a beloved person or a complete stranger. whatever kind of gift it was, it was remembered long after the occasion and perhaps even after the gift itself had disappeared. Why do we remember such special gifts? I believe it is because the meaning of the gift was greater than the gift itself.
Many kind of gifts are unforgettable. Such as birthday gifts that my friends gave of me. One type of memorable gift is one that somehow changes our lives. We might receive something we greatly need or something that introduces us to a new interest. Other gifts have great meaning because of the person who gives them to us. A gift from a loved one has great sentimental value that exceeds the value of the gift itself. The value of special gifts is usually emotional rather than monetary.

Everyone has certain likes and dislike, and there is no denying that we all prefer to do things that we like. However, sometimes doing things we don't enjoy can be beneficial for us, and sometimes it is necessary. Therefore, I agree that people should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy. One reason is that some of the things that we don't enjoy are good for us. For example, not everyone likes to exercise, but exercise is good for our health and so we should all do it anyway. Likewise, not many people enjoying going to see a dentist or a doctor, but is is good for us to take care of ourselves, so we should all visit dentists and doctors regularly for a checkup. Another reason is that,at times, the things we dislike are necessary. Students must take tests in order to complete their studies, and everyone must work in order to make a living. And finally, doing things we dislike can also open up new possibilities for us. Most people can probably remember hating a certain food when they were children even though they enjoy that same food now. So, when we do things we dislike, we may discover something we do like along the way, or simply find a better way to deal with the things we must do.

Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede is a large festival. During the first three days ,Calgary is full of tourists who dress in western attire. The pancake breakfasts, held every day at various locations throughout the 10-day festival, are as integral to the Stampede as the parade, cowboy hats and calf roping. Stampede is fun. I went to Stampede Park with Susan yesterday morning. The ticket cost 14 dollars. We could stay the whole day in the park. It is worth to pay little money and enjoy the large festival. But...We spent more than 100 dollars to play games only because we wanted to win dolls( bears, piggy).Finally,we got what we want. That's enough.
Happy Stampede.

Choosing friends

Some people prefer to make friends with people who are very much like them while others prefer friends who are very different. There are advantages to both types of friendship.First, if a man chooses a friend similar to himself, there is no doubt that they will share many common interests. They may also have similar goals in life. This means that they will be able to help and encourage one another in the pursuit of their goal. Finally, two people who are very similar will feel comfortable with each other and may understand each other's feelings better. So their friendship may be deeper and last longer. A dissimilar friend is challenging, but a similar friend is familiar and friend for life.

Staying Healthy

There is no denying the importance of health. Without it, it is difficult to live a happy life no matter how much money of success one has. However, many people neglect their health. They develop unhealthy habits such as smoking or overeating. As a result, they develop serious but preventable diseases. In order to maintain our good health and lead lives that are as fulfilling as possible, it is important to take some steps. My suggestion is to keep regular hours and stick to a healthy, balanced diet. The second recommendation is to get regular exercise.Third, I suggest seeing a doctor for an annual check up.Most of us do not think too much about our health until we feel that something is wrong.
There are many things that we can do to stay healthy. The above steps are onlt a few suggestions.The important thing is to value our health and not neglect it.

The best way to reduce stress!

Inevitably,we must all face a certain amount of stress in our lives. While modern life offers us many conveniences, it also requires us to deal with pressure and frustration in daily life. It is important for all of us to find a way to relieve this stress in order to live happy and healthy lives.Some people prefer to engage in physical exercise by running or playing a sports, and some feel more relaxed after watching TV( movie) or even sleeping. As for me, I find that the best way to reduce stress is to spend time with friends.
When under stress, If I spend time alone, I may continue to dwell on my problems. To share a good times with friends helps me to forget my worries.
No matter what method we choose, it is important to find an appropriate way to relieve pressure.

About music...

I am happy to say that my tastes of music are quite broad. I can listen to anything (except
country music...argh...can't stand country) As long as it's not too slow moving. If the song doesn't pick up in the first two minutes, I get bored. Generally though, I think I like soft rock, some popular music and some classical. However, some genres like rap and r & b music all have very...er...unpleasant lyrics, so I stay away from those. There's a singer called Avril Lavigne that's pretty good and Eminem's okay, as long as he isn't swearing every two words. Also, sometimes,Broadway songs are cool to listen to. Classical is nice too, especially piano. :)

Nothing really exciting happens this week. School here it generally easy-going. There isn't a lot of homework probably because there's much more emphasis on group work and discussions.Another possible reason is because this is the first week of new term. Luckily,my teachers are very nice. I learned something new from them which are very helpful.School here also focuses a lot of sports. of course, I'm not a big sports freak, except for martial arts, but there are a lot of teams here (basketball, football, soccer,tennis, etc.) I am planning go to swimming pool with my roommate sometimes.Because we always stay at home,never do exercises.That's not good for our health.

I just arrived in Calgary yesterday afternoon. Nothing changed for me. I still have a special feeling about this city. The weather is awesome,people is friendly. Everything is wonderful. To think deeply, I have already lived in Calgary one year and a half. I have good and bad memories about my life. So many things happened during this year. I become stronger day by day. But this time when I left from my parents I cried. And I really couldn't stop. It is hard to express this kind of feeling that I had. I have to wait one year or more to see them again. Ok...Now, the only important thing is study. If I pass Leap 4 at this semester, my mother will be very very happy. I want to see her smile.

The cherry blossoms

I suddenly want to eat cherry. This is my favourite fruit. Then, I decide to write somehing about the cherry blossoms .
In Japan the flowering cherry tree or "Sakura" ,the name called by the Japanese people, is one of the most exalted flowering plants. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a symbol of human life and epitomizes the transformations Japanese Culture has undergone through the ages. The Blooming Period is starts when 20% of the blossoms are open and ends when the petals fall and the leaves appear. The Blooming period starts several days before the Peak Bloom Date and can last as long as 14 days. Have you ever heard about the 2006 Cherry Blossom Festival will be March 25-April 9? I think Pat lived in Japan for a long time, he will know much more information about the cherry blossoms. If I have chance, I would like go to Japan for travel. My Japanese friends will be my translator.

I just have been reading some of the same romance books recently that I decided to read this one—Can You Keep a Secret? This was the first book I read from the author Sophie Kinsella. I really want to say this book is great and it is so funny. There are several interesting characters in this book, including Emma Corrigan and her perfect boyfriend, Connor. Connor is the kind of guy who you love. Then there is Emma’s flatmate Lissy. She is spoilt but provide the book with a bit more humor. If you let me choose only one character that I like, I definitely choose Emma and make a good friend with her. Emma Corrigan, a heroine who seems about 21 years old, has some little secrets. She is a very likeable young woman and it is easy to identify with her. I admire her strong personality. She had a series of jobs but she was not satisfied. And she has a low level position in her present job. However, she still try to prove herself that she has ability to do all kind of things. Emma handles herself a lot better than I could and along the way has some amusing adventures in life – and learns a little a bit about what it takes to be in love.

Yesterday was a good day with sunshine, but this moring is snowing again..Same as my personality,changeable as the weather. I am not happy again...The reason is hard to say...
I don't really know what I want to write. I just keep thinking something. Something happened before. Something will happen in the future.
------------------------------------------------------------------Not finish yet..to be continued.
I attended one lecture about math this afternoon... This is one of my CC homework. I found it was difficult to understand the professor. My friend told me this is common. When he first attended lecture, he didn't know how to take notes. But after long time, he is ok with that. Maybe we just need a process to understand something. Even though the math is so difficult, review the notes will help you to figure out something that make you feel confused. That's what I learned from my friends and the lecture.
See you next time!

I went to Holt Renerew with Susan. (Maybe some of people dosen't know her. She is my best friend and we live together now.) There were crowded people. Seems like they all rich. Except me.^^Women wore fansy clothes, men wore suits. It was like a big party.Maybe there was a promotion. If people spent 750$ can get 50$ gift cards. Holt Renerew severd wine and appetizer for customer. I looked around at this store. Finally, I decided to buy a Gucci sunglasses. It was nice. But I am not sure it is fit on me or not. Because my friend told me my face is a little bit small. The funny thing is the sunglasses almost cover my 1/3 face. Anyway, I bought it.
I forgot to menthion one thing. Pei-chen went to this store very often. That's why people who work in the Holt Renerew can recognize her easily. Sometimes I can't make my own decision to buy something. She is an expert and she will give me some suggetions.
Ok. I am going to take a break.. So tired. I will fall asleep will fast...

It's time to write my blog.
In my daily life, I feel there is nothing can make me feel excited. Except when I got the high mark on my test. Cause Study is the most important thing for me. Pat gave us the schedule for the last theme. I quickly go over the schedule today. I found I only have seven days no test.And I will have chance to attend the lecture. I am choosing one lecture now. But it's hard to decide. Anyway. Don't worry to much..
Ok, I am going to talk about any other things which not relate to this topic.
Let me summarize what did I do today. It is an ordinary day like previous days. After class I went to SAFEWAY with my friends. Everytime, we went there, we must spent more than 100$ to buy food which include fruits, vegetable, icecream and meat. And we could eat all of them in three days. It's a common things for us. Stay at home and enjoy the food is one of my favourite thing to do. Even I watch the movie at home, I don't want to keep quite. I must find something that I can eat during the movie time.
I am going to review one article from the book QUEST. The reading test is coming soon....

I didn't go shoping for a long time. Seems like I changed some of my old habbits. But...I still want to have all of beautiful stuff .Like clothes , fansy cosmetics and something cute. Who can give to me everything that I want? I cannot always depend on my parents. They don't have responsibilities to support me in my whole life. Of course, If they do, I will not accept the money from them. Ok,maybe only myself can do that. Make a plan and try to achieve the goal. Probably I will take about 4 years or more time to finish my study in the university. Then try to find a best job with a very good salary. Save the money that I earn day by day, put in my bank account. And I can get interest from the bank. After a long period,I may become rich. I will first consider to buy a car-BMW. Cause I can't bear the cold weather in Calgary. A nice a nice apartment will be my next choice. But this is only my imagination. ：）I have simple dream as other people. Because I am a realistic person.

At first, I should say thank you to my teache-Pat. He helped me a lot during this semester. I am not sure wether I can pass or not. But I think I am safe now. I should keep going. No pressure ,no diamond. It is true. No one can be successful without hard-working. There is no exception. Look at most of my blog, I always talked about how many difficulties I faced . And keep complain my life. I 'd better look at bright side and make my life easier.
I booked the ticket already, I will go back to China at the end of semester. Because I think if I can pass leap 4. I will be very busy on September to choose my course. Something I need to do is extend my entry Visa when I arrive Beijing. It may take about one day. But I can't way to go back to my hometown, I really want to see my relatives and my friends. I just can not stop to image that .
Oh,God.. Still have some test in this week. I hope I can pass all of them. Hope everyone get high marks. Best wishes!

I guess next week will be busy again. The topic of essay is so difficult for me. May be only because I don't have enough knowledge about native people. I decided to go to library tomorrow. But I am worry about that some books have very difficult vocabulary. Seems like I am facing a lot of problems. OK, I think I should stop now. Say something can make me happy.
Today, oh..Not today, because it is already over mid-night. Last night,Pei-chen came to our house cooked a wonderful dinner for us. It was very tasty and I hope can eat that everyday. My roomate and I usually eat hot pot at home. Because it is save time and easy to cook. But it's not very good for our health. We noticed that, but we still eat hot pot. Our life style are not easy to change. It is already became our habits. We all like spicy food. Sometimes I think eat and sleep are most important things for me. Just kidding. I still need to care about my study, my parents and my friends. These people have important position in my heart. I can never ever forget them.
I am tired now. It is time to relax. So, hope everyone have a good weekend.

The first theme have already finished. I think I should find something to do can help me relieve my stress. Listen to the music is the best way for me. Of course , not only chinese song but also english song and korean song. I really like Canadian singer Avril. The voice of Avril is wonderful. Her song is just like a brook, which is tender and contains deep meaning. Thus, I love it. I also have second choice-watch movie. My friend Pei-chen told me the movie Final destination 3 is a very good movie. And that is a disaster film. Actually I am afraid watch this kind of movie. This is a big challenge for me. I think I will cover my eyes when I watch it. Anyway, I still want to watch this movie. Long weekend break have already passed. For University students, they have one week holiday. But for us only have one day. And today is Family Day. I feel it is not enough for me. I really want to go outside during the cold winter time..Unfortunately, I am a student. My main job is study. During these threes day. I think a lot of things about my future. I still need about 4 years to graduate from university. It is a such long time for me. I may spend a lot of money. I think every people know it is not easy for our parents to earn money then support our study. Ok..Stop think about that. Just study hard. This is the only thing we can do now.

I don't know why I suddenly want to talk about my apartment. I live inDowntown near the Bow river,o I can see very nice of view from our buidling. Everyday after class I just want to go home. My apartment is very comfortable. Plus, I live with my best friend. We can study together , play online games together. I feel very happy about that. I still remember last time , a lot of our friends came here and we celebrate Spring Festival together.
We went to T&T supermarket first, bought some sea food and meat. Because we wanted to eat Hot pot. And we made dumpling. That's a wonderful dinner.I am going to show this pictures to everyone. You may love it.
I want to say somgthing not related to this topic. I feel sick today and I don't have any energy right now. I am going to sleep. Be prepared for tomorrow. Because I still have one final presentation to do. The most important thing is I can not be late. I don't want to make my teacher unhappy. ^^;;

So tired.

I found I am a bad-tempered person. I don't know why I always get angry easily. Sometimes, my parents called me and keep ask me some questions. But I don't have any patience to answer. Even I didn't see my parents for almost half a year. This is a very bad habit. I am curious why I have this kind of behavior. Maybe I should change a little bit. I don't want to do something that will make me feel compunctious. Anyway, I will try my best to change my bad mood.
Next week will be very busy, I have two presentation. One is about outside reading project, other one is about the lost world. I feel I don't have enough time to prepare. Maybe I spent too much time sleep on the weekend. I don't want to do that , but I cannot control myself. I felt so tired. But my friend told me, if I study major course. It must be much more difficult than english course. I believed what my friend said to me. If I cannot pass Leap, how can I start my major. I really worry about that. I should overcome all kinds of difficulties.
I feel sleepy again, but I still have some work to do. Caucse I have vocabulary quiz on tomorrow. I cannot give up. God bless me.

New start.

I am getting ready to write my first blog of this semester. Although it is a little bit late, but I still have a lot of things want to say. Since this semeter have begun, I felt my life changed a lot. I became very busy almost everyday. I don't have any free time to play online games. Even I don't have enough sleep. However, I think it is a good thing for me. If I keep busy like that, I will forget something unhappy. Because I pay much more attention on my study. During the theme one, we have learnt something about dinosaurs. We did presentation about theories of dinosaurs extinction. That was quite interesting for me. These days we are learning how to write an academic essay. The topic is about our lost world. I spent a lot of time to brainstrom and write the outline. Finally, I hand it out the second draft to teacher in this morning. I am worry about that I cannot get the good mark. Because this is the very first time to write chronological essay. I don't have any experience. And I may make some mistakes about how to write the reference. At this time,I feel the book "Quick Access"is very helpful for me. I can find all of requirement of the essay. It's very convenience. I will prepare my art project project later, we need to find a painting and your my image to describe it. It is not an esay job. I and my group memebers should present at least 10 minutes. And ask something questions to students. It sounds interesting. I may feel nervous tomorrow. But I will tell myself be confidence anywhere and anytime. Ok, that's all for today. I need to continue my study and finish my homework as soon as possible. Cause I really don't like been late for school or fall asleep at the classroom.

something from my heart...

Our classes almost done, and now we are preparing one commercial for the final test. This is a kind of challenge for us. Because we have to think about what did we learn in Leap 2. Everything should be connect. That's not easy. And we should video tape it. The deadline is Friday. So we really have to work hard on it. Today after class,our team stayed at the classroom come up some ideas about the ads.We all like the ideas that we think. The most important thing is we must be a good actress.Try our best to get a good mark.That is our short-term goal.
Last thing I want to say, I really like my teacher Scott and Vicky.

I feel the final test coming soon...I got a lot of stress.Because I was so busy recently. After I finished my class, I have to go to work. I don't have any spare time to do something that I like.This weekend I went out with Crystal.Actually we planed to watch movie--Harry Potter.But we were totally late about one hour.So we changed our plan and then we went to chinese restraunt. We go to that place very often.Not only because that place have decilious food, but the environment is also good.Anyway, this is the nice weekend,nice weather. I really enjoy it.

Poppy

A person first made the connection between the poppy and battlefield deaths during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century, remarking that fields that were barren before battle exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended. The seeds of the red poppy grew everywhere like red carpets.A Canadian doctor serving in Flanders noticed them and wrote a poem about those red poppies carpetting the fields of Flanders.
The red poppy chosen as the symbol for Rememberance Day.People in Canada buy these flower , and wear them to work. The money raised by the Poppy Appeal is used to help the surviving wounded veteran soldiers of more recent wars and their families.

Oh! That's cool. We almost done our powerpoint... At first, I would like to say :Roy and Gogo work very hard. That's why we can finish so fast. Group work is very important for us. We come up some ideas and mix it together. I believe we will do the best job.
On the way to home, I felt a little bit uncomfortable. Maybe because I didn't eat anything the whole day. I should change my life style.Make myself keep healthy. At this moment ,I missing my mother so much....cause she always take care of me...But now she is in China..Very long distance from here.
I must be strong!

Well... I really really really don’t feel like writing anything today .But there are a lot of things in life you don’t want to do but the reality is you have to do them.
I feel I wasted a lot of time during this weekend. I always told myself--Be positive. Sometimes, I feel I don't really know about myself and what am I thinking. In the before, I don't really like to post sth on the blog. I just want to keep my secret in my mind..But now I think blog provide me a good opportunity to say something happend around me and make me feel better.
Maybe I think too much. I have to clear my mind and be prepared to go to school.
Tomorrow's plan --Go to TD SQUARE with our classmates. Actually, we planed to go hiking....But the weather is too cold. That's fine. I like that garden on the top of the TD SQUARE.

Reading Day

Tomorrow is "Reading Day"....So we don't have to go to school.
But I still have some homework need to do.
That's good for me to prepare our next week's presentation.
My topic is about the Tundra ecosystem.I have already made an appointment with my group member Gogo and Roy.And we will meet in the library at Sunday afternoon.
Time passed quickly, we almost finished Theme two.I feel I learned a lot of things about ecology and the environment.I feel excited that i could learn so many things in the short period.
By the way, tomorrow is my friend's birthday. I will join her party tomorrow night.

Likes

I want to introduce a book to you. It is "gone with the wind". Generally,I like two kinds of book,beautiful story and instructive book.Camparing the two kinds of book,I prefer the latter.
The first time for me to read the book is 2 years ago.I learnt a lot from the book.The book tells us a story about the process of a naive rich girl developing into a sucessful employer in the war.Despite all kinds of difficulty she encountered,she kept on good feelings.Her character,always full of hope,moved me. Anyway,I like the book.So i strongly recommend for you.

I want to move out~

I am really expecting to move into the downtown with my good friend -Susan...
Even though ,we cannot find any apartment right now.We still have some good plans to decorate our now home.I cannot wait....to enjoy our new life.
Living at school have a lot of benefits, but the only thing is that too much noisy.Sometimes ,the person who live beside you talk very loudly. They listen to the music use stereo...They do not care about you are study or not. If we do not have quite environment, how can we concentrate to study?
But if we move out ,we will face some new problem...We should get up earlier than before to get school.In addtion,we may need to cook something by ourselves. We don't have any experience to live without family and do housework by ourselves. But I strongly believe that we can do it...

Music is my world.

I don't know how to use words to express my feeling right now~ I feel blue...upset...Anyway,I don't want to metion about that anymore.So I am trying to find something to do.Maybe listen to the music is the best way to make me feel better.Music is sometimes called a universal language.A composer who cannot speak single word of our language can still make me feel joy and pride,peace and mystery,through his music.Good music even has a wonderful effect upon the feeling of ignorant people.Soft and sweet music soothes the wearied,the sad,the restless;grand music will fill strong men with great ambitions..Indeed, as the poet Dryden once said,"What passion cannot music raise and quell?"
SO ,what is your favorite kind of music?Do you like Jazz,classical music,pop music,or blues?

My birthday party...

I will never forget Oct 14th,2005...My dear friends celebrate my 19s birthday with me.We had wonderful dinner. SO so so ...HAPPY......
I just wanna say:
I love all my friends!

¨*i miss home¨*

Thanksgiving coming...everybody came back to home....wuwuwuwwu.....hey...no turkey.. no family..i never thought that the residence as quite as that............oh...god.....anyway i dont like turkey....that's fine.!!! I hope u guys all have fun...!!! i am gonna study this weekend..cz really quite...and i dont want to celebrate........And I will have test on Tuesday,I 'd better prepare right now.

This poem was written by my friend and it was nice enough to let me post it here .I think its beautiful so please leave feedback and remember this...
Don't Give Up:
No matter what happens you have to know
There are people out there who love you.
Your not the only one with a hard lifeI have one too.
Your not alone if you have me
You can always talk and complain.
I don't mind because I can seeThere's more to you than blood and tears.
And there's more fear than anyone knows.
So come to me if your scaredcome if your notCome to me if you need a shoulder to cry on
There's more to you than you ever thought.
I like it. It's nice when people write you poems. Especially ones that help through hard times.

My First Blog

Hey,everyone!
Welcome to my blog. :')
My name is Cecilia ,now i am studying in the university of calgary.Life here is also rich and colorful.I made some good friends here,and I hope I can get along with them very well.