Friends got married

While I was in Australia, so many friends got married in 2008. I didn't come to attend their wedding parties, sorry.

fruta guitar man, labmate in graduate school. Album


gamma, senior labmate in graduate school. Album


cardy, senior labmate in graduate school

hobob, roommate and classmate in university. Album


ddcat, classmate in university

wit, roommate and classmate in university. Album


Inez, previous colleague in Quanta. Album


Anson, previous colleague in Quanta. Album



Jason, previous colleague in Quanta

June, previous colleague in Ares. Album



I suppose there are many others I don't know. In this modern society, attending a marriage ceremony means a lot to the couple, I really think so. Email is spam, instant messaging is blah-blah-blah, mobile calling is trash, only "physically" showing up does something significant. Besides, a wedding party is a good place where everybody exchanges information and updates statuses. I have a not-proven-yet idea which I'm gonna prove it unintentionally. That is, after missing several big gathering meetings, your friends will forget you. Sad, isn't it. Hope it won't happen. :P

(update 2009.02.16)
ajen, a senior labmate in graduate school. Album.

Chinese Zodiac Sign

Bernessa是個澳洲人，有一陣子因為搬家但新居尚未整修完畢，所以住在旅舍。那陣子番茄不多所以我很閒，早上就會找她聊天。



有次她說她不懂為什麼電視上說今年是鼠年，我告訴她說雖然我不知道今年是什麼年，但我知道我屬馬以及出生年，所以可以推算出今年是什麼年。

推算很容易，不過我不知道十二生肖的英文是什麼。


Left Bernessa, right Madoca.

我想應該有普遍通用的英文翻譯，不過當時我不知道，只好瞎掰。
鼠mouse -> rat
牛bull -> ox
虎tiger
兔rabbit
龍dragon
蛇snake
馬horse
羊sheep -> goat
猴monkey
雞chicken -> rooster
狗dog
豬pig

英文的動物很麻煩咧，牛ox、公牛bull、母牛cow、小牛calf、水牛buffalo、牛群cattle、牛肉beef；山羊goat、綿羊sheep、羊肉lamb；貓cat、小貓kitty；雞chicken、雄雞rooster、母雞hen，等等。

其中rat還滿好用的，可以解釋成『卑鄙小人、叛徒、告密者』，所以當你看到聽到某人很卑鄙下流時，你就可以說『rat』或『rats』。


參考資料
英語旅遊達人--李傑聖的部落格 英文十二生肖趣語
十二生肖世界


題外話
1. 搞不定在blogger加表格。

mail and nail

在澳洲上網貴，通常只有在大城市圖書館會有免費的無線讓你帶電腦去上網，不過在小鎮上，圖書館也是會有幾台電腦讓你瀏覽網站。


有次去某個圖書館，要先預約電腦使用的時間，如果單純逛網站不用錢，但收發email與列印要錢，所以館員會問我『browsing only or will you use email?』，發現她把mail發音成mile，第一次熊熊聽到時差點不懂，還好我處變不驚中正自強地根據當時的情景判斷出她的意思，從容不迫很優雅地解決了危機，不用pardon來pardon去。

後來有次跟背包客棧主人講話，發現她把nail釘子念成nile；不過我沒多作詢問，不知道是不是澳洲人都這樣念。

May I Borrow Your Expertise?

跟一堆講英文的人混在一起的好處就是，well，顯而易見的，就是學英文。在澳洲Echuca時，不知道從什麼時候開始，大家都開始作一些鉤針編織；小弟不才，請Laura教我鉤了一條圍巾scarf。



有一天，因為Laura已經離開Echuca回老家幫父親過生日，所以我請教Dawn問說我這樣織ok不ok。這時候Dawn也不確定地向Zoe請問：『May I borrow your expertise?』


From left: me, Sally, Dawn, Zoe, Sandra.

borrow是『借、借入』的意思，可以這麼用『May I borrow some money from you?』 或是『Can I borrow your pen?』。

嗯，真好，又學了一句。

To m-what a c-what?

在Hannah過生日前，Laura跟我說了一句話，我pardon了好幾次還是聽不懂。

From 20080226 Echuca Hannah's birthday from Laura and Jennie

大家可以聽聽看，雖然這是我的聲音而不是北愛爾蘭腔。

聽得出來嗎？答案是to make a cake。請反白看答案。

另外像lady她也發音成lidi，ㄟ，很難懂咿。在澳洲時，在聽力方面遇到的問題，除了對方講話速度太快以及我的辭彙量太少外，常常有時候就算都聽懂了，可還是一臉茫然，除了有各國的腔調，還有就是此例子中發音上的完全不同，真難啊。

還有，spade、Asia、jade、mate、rate、rain，當我們說raining，可是她說ringing。不過並非所有發ㄟ的音都變成咿，例如shake、mayor、say、age、paint，呼，很難ㄟ咿。


題外話：
1. 這是我第一次在部落格內嵌一個線上mp3播放器，找了好久但還是不滿意，有人可以建議一下嗎？

此porch非彼porsche

在澳洲的時候常常看一些免費的背包客雜誌，雖然大部分內容都看不太懂，不過至少可以看看笑話，經常有取笑blonde金髮美女的笑話，不過我們都知道，這是一種偏見與刻板印象，大家笑笑就好。

譬如這裡有個flash動畫，嘲笑blonde分不清porch跟porsche。


porsche，保時捷‧


porch，陽台、門廊。


在學Bryan Adams的Summer of '69時，學到了porch這個單字，歌詞中有一句是：『Standin' on your mama's porch』，那時心理的OS是：站在你媽媽的保時捷上？什麼跟什麼啊？Orz



這網站有一篇笨金髮女孩的笑話，注意：此網站為十八禁！

Smelly Cat

Smelly Cat

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat. What are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat. It's not your fault.

They won't take you to the vet.
You're obviously not their favorite pet.
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat. It's not your fault.

It may not be a bed of roses.
You're not friend to those with noses.
I promise you, before we're done
all the world will smell as one.

Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat. What are they feeding you?
Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat. It's not your fault.

Smelly Cat from Phoebe Buffay, Friends.

Phoebe sang in the coffee shop in Season 2 Episode 17. (Link to YouTube)

Phoebe in the music video. (Link to YouTube)


After came home from Australia, I've worried about the degeneration of my English. At least I wanna keep my listening ability as good as possible. So I'm going to try many ways. One of them is to watch soap opera or sitcom. So, Friends!




Pheebs portrayed by Lisa Kudrow is my most favorite character in Friends. Phoebe was known during the series as the eccentric but street-smart friend.


Hey, there's t-shirt of Smelly Cat! I wanna one.




Besides, I'm listening to the Stack Overflow's podcast by Joel and Jeff. And some English-learning magazines. I think only using one magazine is not enough because we have to get used to different accents and speaking tones.

If you have any idea to improve English, please tell me.