Flying without wings

I had my first two classes in VCU today - “Colonial America to the Revolution” by Ryan Smith and “From Revolution to Civil war” by Dr.Ted Tunnell. Since I am not so familiar with the American history, these two lectures both seems interesting to me.
The diaries of Christopher Columbus was the most attractive part from it, which illustrated the understanding and misunderstanding as Europeans and native Americans “discovered” one another. It makes me to think about the ethnographic techniques, just like participant observation. But as we can see from Columbus’s diaries, he is not a full participant in the activities of the people and used the values, ideals, and mores from his own culture to judge the behavior of someone from another culture. It means he was not objective and comprehensive to the people he studied. But as a man lived several hundred years ago, he was supposed to be a brave ethnographer.

I get my VCU card today!
---- The picture on it scared me.
I had a tour of Cabell Library and Research Instruction with Dan Ream.
---- What a pity that most libraries of the universities in Shanghai aren't open to the public.
The dinner I had in the Cheesecake Factory was delicious.
---- I spent too much time for the foods and didn't have enough time to do shopping in Short Pump Shopping Mall.
Finally and fortunately, I bought what I want in Walmart.
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Thanks all the interns who helped us today!~~~~~~~

Individual freedom cann’t exists without economic security and independence.
------ Franklin Roosevelt
Dr.Tim Thurber gave us the lecture on “America during the 20th century” today. When he shows us the chart of the changes of income after tax, a question occurred to me: “How is the social redistribution in America now?”
If we look into the history of US, we can see the prosperity and wealth are not equally divided among Americans, nor have they been. During the history of America, great wealth can influence, and has influenced, the course of politics in America.
In my point of view, as a society in which capitalism is the dominant force in the economy, economic inequalities are likely to arise. In the early years of modern industrial capitalism in America, the inequalities were sharp and deep. For just as corporate wealth has become concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer large corporations, so, too, there the very rich and the very poor.
Today virtually all sociologists take for granted that the dominant players in the modern economy are not people, but the large corporations, and among them those corporations that control the greatest amount of assets.For example, the largest corporations in America today not only control a vast amount of wealth and resources, but they also calls a “corporate community”. It has taken form because of the social networks that bind one large corporation to another large corporation. Sometimes such networks happen as a result of friendships, or clubs. But most often the networks occur at the highest decision-making level of the corporation—the board of directors.

Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth. ... ...

Guess what? I have just watched the “Harry Potter and the order of the phoenix” and did have a good time in the Science Museum of Virginia- - IMAX. Ha-ha! ~~~~~

In this film, Harry Potter is in his fifth year at Hogwarts,and is shunned by the wizarding community for claim that Lord Voldemort has, after 14 years, regained a body and been restored to full power. Because Umbridge, who take over Hogwarts through the support of the Ministry teaches them inadequate, textbook lessons devoid of actual magic. Thus, "Dumbledore's Army" is founded. Which is attractive in the film and even in the novel for me:Harry prepare twenty-seven of his schoolmates in case of a battle with Voldemort.

The duel erupted between Voldemort and Dumbledore is supposed to the most amazing part of the whole film. And because of the IMAX, it seems much spectacular than it can be imagined when I read the novel several years ago.

Harry Potter is one of my favorite films. Because it makes me think about the reality and the fantasy, which suggests that sometimes there might be miracles happen around us and we should believe in ourselves and never surrender our faith.Just like the end of the film, Dumbledore discusses with Harry the contents of the prophecy , that "either must die by the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives." But, Harry is happy that he and his friends have something Voldemort doesn't have, something to fight for - love. Just like after the agonising internal battle, Harry says that it is Voldemort, not he, who is weak and that he will never know love or friendship, and for that Harry feels sorry for him.

Sadness is easier, 'cos it's surrender.
I say, just make time to dance alone, with one hand waving free... ...

On today’s lecture “multi-media and reporting in America” by Dr.June Nicholson & Dr.Debora Wenger, we had been given an abstract image of the different climate of China and the U.S press. Because of the different system of these two countries, the press goes in quite different ways. And my question is “Does the press provides a balanced and fair coverage to events within and about China today?”

China is hot – it is very hot, which we can see in the internet news and the American ones. And I am not talking about the weather. Economists and historians claim that China’s economic development is unprecedented in modern history. The United States and Great Britain, both major world powers during the 20th century, took many decades to reach the level of development that China has reached in the span of only two decades.
Yet along with this rapid growth and development come many problems as well. While China has effectively become the manufacturing hub for much of the world, it has done so at the expense of industrial and manufacturing job growth in other countries. The new phenomenon of “outsourcing,” or the location of service and manufacturing jobs from the home country of a business to another country, is seen by many as threat to the health and well-being of workers in industrial nations, like the United States. These concerns appear almost daily in the press.

Now stories like these about China are not just the stuff of the daily stream of news accounts. They also represent the very foundations for the ways people think about China. The media, in other words, don’t simply report the news – they make it. For example, if the media take a particular view on an event, like the War in Iraq, such a position may become the basis for how individual citizens think about the matter.

Then, does the press provides a balanced and fair coverage to events within and about China today?
In my point of view, there may be no single image – neither a positive nor a negative one. There are variations from one paper, and one city, to another. American newspapers in different cities and different sections of the country treat China differently. As we can see on the news paper and even in the lecture given today, most American Press treats Chinese issues objectively.

In the end, of course, I believe images in the press matter, and they matter very much. People vary as do American institutions from one part of the country to the other. The best one can do is to be alert and sensitive to the images in the press and the way they help to construct our view of social realities. If we acknowledge these as facts of life in the modern world, then surely we will have gained greater insight, and, as a result I would hope, people will be motivated to dig ever more deeply into the facts of life in and about China today.

Bush Garden

This is not the first time I've been to a theme park,but it is truly one of the most amazing ones.

The Busch Garden Europe (Williamsburg's premier theme park) merges the authenticity of a global journey with the thrill of defying gravity in five languages. It's an unexpected combination that takes me to countries I know and places I never imagined.

And morewisely, I like the Roller coasters sooo much. In the garden, which is said to the European-themed adventure park combines 17th-century charm with 21st-century technology,there are some of the world's top-rated roller coasters such as :Alpengeist,Griffon, Loch Ness Monster.These three roller coasters make me scared and can't help screameing. Among them, the griffon is supposed to be the highest one in the world. Set amid a French village, Griffon carries riders up 205 feet, then hurtles me 90 degrees straight down at 70 mph. And that’s just the beginning. Griffon eis said to vokes the power and speed of a mythical bird that is part eagle and part lion. It plunges, twists and turns – giving riders an adrenaline-pumping adventure that’s unlike any coaster experience in the world.
I have never imagined that I can scream so loudly and with so many people. But honestly, I like it!~~~~~~~

The Virginia Beach
Since I can't swim, the beach was used to be something far away from me.
Is there just sand? How about the ocean?
I guess I have found my answer during the time I spent on the Virginia Beach.

I like sea food!~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Williamsburg

I had an American patriotic lesson today!
The Williamsburg, with the scenes of 18th century, made me find myself on a movie set:" gone with the wind".

" Williamsburg was the thriving capital of Virginia when the dream of American freedom and independecne was taking shape and the colony was a rich and powerful land stretching west to the Mississippi River and north to the Great Lakes." ---- Said "the history of colonial williamsbrug"

As the political, cultrual, and educational center from 1699 to 1780, Williamsburg was the largest, most populous, and most influential of the American colonies. When I was walking along the street, hearing the folk music, I was so attracted by the local people with special clothes and the historical shows they played. It was here that the fundamental concepts of American republic were nurtured under the leadership of patriots.I guess all the local people are proud of this and did enjoy sharing this patriotic lessons with all the tourists.

Guess what! I met my schoolmate in VCU today!
In china, people think there are four perfect moments in one's life. They are when the rain comes in drought, when lovers get married, when you win the frist prise of the imperial examination, and the last one is when you meet an old friend oversea.
Dr.Zhang Weiyong,who is the guaduate of Fudan University gave us an interesting lessons this morning. He taught us the theory of Process Management though his "soccer game",which makes the business lecture more funny. We talked with him about his family and his career after class. What an coincidence that his wife is Shanghainess, too.

POE Museum, which I visited this evening, boasts the world's finest collectio of Edgar Allan Peo's editions, memorabilia and personal belongings.
Eventhough I know nothing about Poe, I did have fun there. I like the party, the music!~~~
When chated with the people in the party and played with the kids, I knew more about the daily life of the local people in Richmond and enjoyed the happy ambience there.

---------------- With little Peter I met at the party, who is three now.
He is so beautiful and cute. Cos he is still learning how to speak, when I asked his name, he just say "ah!~~~~" He is there with his parents, his aunts, his baby brother and his cousin. This is his first party and I guess he like it.

I met a nice family today!~~~
Carman Glass, who is the teacher of Spanish of VCU, take us to her home this afternoon. Her place is on the west of Richmond, called Chester Field and we spent 6 hours with her family, her husband Ken, daughter Anna,Dania,Christina.

We had a big meal in her place.
I like apple pie!~~~

I love the decoration in her house so much which is made by themselves. Her hunband made the woodwork, and Carmen is now working in her beautiful garden.

We talked lot about family with them. How to make a good relationships? Who made the major decision? How to take care of the kids? There was onething very impressive to me. Carmen thinks that: in the relationship between the couples, there is no 50% and 50%, it should be 100% and 100%, which means that you should do your best to please your partner and donated to your family. I guess that's why she has such an nice family.