Listen to Your Heart

The alchemist repeatedly tells Santiago to listen to his heart. Why is it so important to understand one's heart?

Meeting with the Alchemist

What important message does the alchemist convey to Santiago? Why does the alchemist suggest Santiago go to the desert? What does Santiago learn from the alchemist in the desert?

Learning from reading or from experiences?

Which way of learning do you prefer—learning from books or learning from experiences? Why? Please explain.

The Englishman

The Englishman, whom Santiago meets when he joins the caravan to the Egyptian pyramids, is searching for “a universal language, understood by everybody.” What is that language? According to the Englishman, what are the parallels between reading and alchemy? How does the Englishman’s search for the alchemist compare to Santiago’s search for a treasure? How did the Englishman and Santiago feel about each other?

Your Attitudes toward Dreams?

When he talked about the pilgrimage to Mecca, the crystal merchant argued that having a dream is more important than fulfilling it, which is what Santiago was trying to do. Do you agree with Santiago’s rationale or the crystal merchant’s?

The Most Crucial Lesson

One of the first major diversions from Santiago’s journey was the theft of his money in Tangier, which forced him into taking a menial job with the crystal merchant. There, Santiago learned many lessons on everything from the art of business to the art of patience. Of all these, which lessons were the most crucial to the pursuit of his Personal Legend?

What has Santiago done in Tangier?

Santiago stays in Tangier for almost a year because he loses all his money. Summarize what he has done over the year.

Would You Take the Test?

Assume that one of your parents suffered from Huntington's disease. Would you want to take the DNA test for the disease? Give reasons to support your decision.

The "StroMotion Man"

If a human being were born with a mutation that caused him to see everything in StroMotion, what kind of advantage might it provide? What kind of disadvantage might result? How could this "StroMotion Man" help or harm society?
Write your opinions by responding to the post.

Photography

Photography has expanded human perception in various new ways. What new views of the universe, our planet, or the human body have become available to us through photography? How have these views influenced the way we think about things?
Write your opinions by responding to this post.

Euphemisms

Can you think of more examples of euphemism in English and Chinese? Share your exmaples with us.

"Animal Locomotion"

I found this website about Muybridge's "Animal Locomotion." This site contains many interesting photographic works done by Muybridge. Check it out.

Take a Look!

"Milkdrop"



"Pour Some Wine in SSSSlow Motion"


"Apple Shoot"


"High Speed Camera Car Crash Shot Bullet Explosion"

Three extra articles for midterm exam

I chose three articles from previous presentations for your self-study. These articles will be included in the coming midterm next week. Check them out.
1. "Van Gogh and the Colors of the Night"
2. "Lessons from the Front Lines"
3. "Tea Up"

About Sogdian people and their language

I found a webpage in Chinese about the Sogdian people and their language. Check out the site to learn more about the people and their culture.

Reaction Article (Sample)

Attention, all:
I provide a sample below for your reaction article. If you haven't written your article yet, please finish writing it and post it on your weblog by next Wednesday. And don't forget to turn in a hard copy of your article to Eiger, our class leader.

Sample
According to Diane Smith in "Prince William Lands RAF Helicopter in Girlfriend’s Backyard," Prince William got his pilot certificate one week ago. After that, he drove the helicopter all the way to his girlfriend’s house.

In my opinion, landing the helicopter in one’s girlfriend’s backyard is showing off instead of military training. According to the British government, Prince William landed in the backyard for only 20 seconds. They said it was a good way to get oneself familiar with different geographical terrains. However, for this landing, it cost about one million NT dollars. We all know that the British army’s shortage in Afghanistan is getting more and more serious. What if the money can be used to replenish the equipment in Afghanistan? The truth is that Prince William is a member of the privileged few who receive special treatment. This incident has caused great controversy in the UK.

This is a common phenomenon in every country all over the world. People who have higher social status are entitled to more privileges. This reminds me of a shocking news in Taiwan two weeks ago. A person reported to police that they received at least 20 creepy text messages that threatened to kill his family. After hearing that, the police said, “you are not dying yet, and there is no evidence showing that the sender will murder you.” Then, one day, the receiver’s mom was murdered by the sender. How cruel it is. If the police are willing to crack down on the crime, this tragedy would not happen. But they just fawn on anyone in an influential position. It’s time for the Taiwanese government to think about this issue again. (266 words)