over the rainbow

Leaving Richmond and two days in New York, we are now in Washington D.C. I still feel it is not real, because I come to the most prosper city and the capital of the United States.

New York is like a concrete city and the towers and mansions are almost tied together. New York is very similar as Shanghai which is also the economy, fashion center of world. Maybe New York is more flourishing than Shanghai, however, as a new city in the world, Shanghai is younger and more delicate. What impressed me the most is the subway of NYC. The network of subway in NY is the most developed and the earliest, also the oldest. In Shanghai, people think taking subway to work and to anywhere is not only convenient, also is like a kind of enjoyment. Because all the station and the train are equiped the air condition and decorated well. When I take the subway in NY, I sometimes feel no so good and uncomfortable. In addition, I am always confused in the subway station. The symbols in the station are not very clearly and causes the customers to make some mistake and take the wrong train or to the wrong direction. Every time I feel I waste a lot of time in the subway station, just waiting for the wrong train.

Washington D.C is a city which is very similar as the Richmond I think. Perhaps, it is because Richmond have been the capital of the United Stated and Washington D.C is the capital now. Washington D.C is full of the ancient architectures. I went to the White House and the Memorial of Lincoln. Then we spent another home stay in the Brian's house and enjoyed it very much.

A shining day again. In Richmond, day time is so long and I always mistake mistake that the time is still early.

Today, we went to James River and enjoy the day canoe. About 40 minutes drive later, we arrived at the upper James River. After taking our boat, then our trip began. This trip covered approximately 5 miles of the Upper James River, which is famous of its slow moving section of the river and very scenic.

This was also my first time to row the boat myself, which was a kind of challenge for me. Jackie acted as my coach, because she had some experience of boating. She told and taught me how to control our boat and to make our boat run normally. We enjoyed it very much, because we don't have any chance to canoe in Shanghai.

This is our last second day in VCU. On the way to VCU, though I was so tired, I still couldn't fall asleep. I just looked out of the window and sightseeing the last time, every tree, every building and recalled every time in this beautiful city and campus.

The history of America, maybe, is not very long. However, the literature writings are outstanding and distinguished. The famous writers in America are popular with people of all of the world.

American literature begins with the orally transmitted myths, legends, tales, and lyrics (always songs) of Indian cultures. Had history taken a different turn, the United States easily could have been a part of the great Spanish or French overseas empires. Its present inhabitants might speak Spanish and form one nation with Mexico, or speak French and be joined with Canadian Francophone Quebec and Montreal.

Yet the earliest explorers of America were not English, Spanish, or French. The first European record of exploration in America is in a Scandinavian language. The Old Norse Vinland Saga recounts how the adventurous Leif Eriksson and a band of wandering Norsemen settled briefly somewhere on the northeast coast of America -- probably Nova Scotia, in Canada -- in the first decade of the 11th century, almost 400 years before the next recorded European discovery of the New World.

Indian oral tradition and its relation to American literature as a whole is one of the richest and least explored topics in American studies. The Indian contribution to America is greater than is often believed. The hundreds of Indian words in everyday American English include "canoe," "tobacco," "potato," "moccasin," "moose," "persimmon," "raccoon," "tomahawk," and "totem." Contemporary Native American writing, discussed in chapter 8, also contains works of great beauty.

The special history of America influent the literature a lot and we can find a lot of writings or books describe the real situation of the society then, such as Uncle Tom's Cabin, Gone With the Wind, etc. This famouse novels are not only excellent writings, but also the significant epopee.

In China, we know about the literature of America from some translated books or movies. I appricated the American wirters like Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain. Though we can touch a lot of American books in China, I still feel there may be some language gap between the Chinese and English. The Chinese version,sometimes, are not exactly right and it's not easy for us to understand what the authors want to express.

So after this program in US, I will prefer to read these books of English edition.

Before I took this class today, I just have listened to the jazz music in some radio program and CDs in China. Thought I like the rhythm of the jazz, I'm not sure whether I really understand how to appreciate it. This time, I think, I have further knowledge of jazz during this lecture.

I like the form of this kind of lecture, presentation with performance, really interesting.

What impressed me deeply is professor's theory about jazz and culture. Jazz is a symbol of multiculturalism. Without African tradition brought over to the United States, jazz would not exist--nor would the blues. Nowadays, jazz is spread to all over the world. A lot of kinds of language can be used to play jazz. But only to know about the culture, especially the language of this country, you can play jazz well in this language.

Professor compared some different tones for us. when the musician is playing a solo, he can express himself through the changing of the tone. Sometimes, jazz music, itself, is a kind of language, which can be used to communicate with each other, between audience and the musicians.

It's useful. Perhaps, after I 'm back to China I will listen to jazz more.

The image in the American five cents coins. Thomas Jefferson was not only a successful president of USA, but also a talent architect I think.

In the cellar of Jefferson, it's interesting, but I scared...hehe~

We gave some souvenir to the Charlottesville, a charming town.

The home stay in the Glass's is another quite deeply impressed experience for me during the time in Richmond. Mr and Mrs Glass are so kind and friendly. They picked up us in front of the GRC on time at 3 p.m this afternoon. We took 40 minutes drive to their house in Chesterfield which is on the west to Richmond.

Their house is located on a hill which is in a big neighbourhood. The natural environment attracted me a lot and we walked in the forest in the neighbourhood, breathing the fresh air.

This kind of neighbourhood is not common in Shanghai. We just can own the apartment, but not house, because it is so expensive and far away from the downtown area, which is too unconvenient for us to work and go to school. In addition, the parks in Shanghai are artificial and we are rare to see the hill in Shanghai. So today we get a special chance to touch the nature to which we have looked forwards for a long time.

I like the decoration inside the house, the colour, the ornaments and the furnishings. We were told that the house is designed by the hostess, Mrs Glass and decorated by the Mr Glass. So they can make the house as their dream house and complement something they want anytime. I hope that maybe oneday I can also have my dream house in a natural surburb with a beautiful garden.

Mrs Glass prepared a ample dinner for us and their family considered us as the important guests to treat. We ate a lot and the food was so delicious that we thought maybe this was the biggest meal we have eaten since we went to US.

During the dinner, which impressed me deepest is what Mrs Glass talked to us. We chated topics of something different between China an America which is related to the culture and society. She also shared the experience of herself about deal with the relationship between the husband and wife, which is very useful for us to make the true attitude to our future life.

Moreover, because their family are the loyal Christian, she think the church in their community is the hugh family for them, though they are far away from their relative. She believe that people living in the world should put their family as the most important thing and also we should take the society to our heart. When we are successful in our career, making a lot of money, we should donate some to the society to help the people who need the help.

I am quite agree with her. Their family in our eye are blessed and happy. We played card games with them. Then I have learned about 4 American cards game, hehe~

I like all the Glass's family!