Crazy Kayaking Experience

 

Trying Kayaking was the most exciting adventure I have ever taken so far. In my country, kayaking isn't common but in America it is one of the hobbies or activities that people do usually. I couldn't forget the images of what happened on that day. Since I don't know how to swim and I have no idea about kayaking, I was so panic to go alone. In the route, I kept clashing my boat into the shrubs and couldn't get rid out of that so people had to come and pull my boat. But it was truly an thrilling experience for me. I was so glad after my boat ride because I didn't end up myself killing in the middle of nowhere. Finally, I made it! So, going for Kayaking was really a memory that mixed with excitement and terror!! I love the kayaking though and I am looking forward to trying again and hoping that I won't be so panic like first time.

                                                                                                                                                

Community Service at a Public school

         On 24th August 2012, we had a community service arranged by our college, Nazareth College and most of the students participated voluntarily. There were total of 12 groups going to different areas of community services around Rochester.

 

We, international students group went to "Clara Barton School" in Rochester, NY for our community service. It was some minutes' drive from my college.

  

 It is a private Elementary school with a nice building and well-arranged classrooms for the kids. We helped moving the textbooks to the classrooms and cleaning up the classes and arranging the desks and chairs in order so that when the children come to class, everything will be ready. It was a tiring work because the textbooks are super heavy and I am glad that the children don't need to carry those books back to their homes because they are just meant for classroom use. We could manage to get everything done by 4 p.m. Everybody was exhausted after that but they enjoyed the trip.

It was a tiring service but personally it was so truly rewarding. The staff there really appreciated our work. I was happy because I could somehow contribute my labor to the school. Even our little work means a lot to them. We did bring a big smile on their faces and I am sure that the kids will be very joyous ,too when they see their books ready in their classrooms. I could even imagine their smiling faces. It's worth it for being tired. I am grateful that I could be part of the community service!

Baseball Game

On July 27, 2012, I had a chance to go to the American baseball game by Rochester Red Wings Vs Syracuse Chiefs.

 I have never watched a baseball game in my life because it is not common in my country, but soccer.                                    Personally, I have never even watched the soccer game in the real field because only guys are in the stadium and it is considered very much unsafe for a girl to watch a soccer game in the stadium in my country.  But what surprising to me was I saw different age group of people, families and even children came to watch baseball game. I found it very lovely and family oriented place, not a dangerous place at all even for the girls. It is really a nice place to learn about American culture. I learn that American people like sports and they are crazy about that indeed.








I like the part that everybody stands up and sings the National song together before the game starts and in the break time. It was just a beautiful picture to see everybody has patriotism and it is honorable remark,too.



In my opinion, baseball is a sport which is very difficult to play because it takes a long time to win a point. Players must be really good! They must play in unison, too. So, it really is a teamwork game!

Learning Styles

Everybody has different learning styles and techniques. People learn things in the way that they may good at. Everyone prefers their way of learning. Some may good at learning through visuals, so does the other through mathematical concepts, etc.

There are seven learning styles.
1 . Visual (Spatial)
2. Aural (Auditory- Musical)
3. Verbal (Linguistics)
4. Physical (kinesthetic)
5. Logical (Mathematical)
6. Social (Interpersonal)
7. Solitary (Intrapersonal)

Some people like to learn with visual stuff: pictures and images.
Some like to learn using sound and rhythms together with music.
Some like to learn by verbal; actually the saying out loud or writing it down.
Some like to learn by physical; using their body and they want to touch the real things to support their learning skill.
Some like to learn by mathematical stuff. Everything they learn, they try to insert the image in the mathematical thoughts and imagine how it works by the logic.
For social learning person, they want to learn in groups and discussions by the groups.
For solitary learning person, they prefer working alone and self-studying.

Genesee Country Village and Museum Field Trip

         It was an awesome opportunity to visit to Genesee Country Museum at Mumford, NY. It is a very interesting place because we can experience by ourselves how people in that area lived during 18th and 19th centuries. People in Genesse Country Museum are presenting the real living style of 18th & 19th Centuries. Seeing how they lived, worked, cooked and ate could be the a nice picture to express how people had lived actually in the past.


As soon as we arrived there, we got a map of Genesee Country Museum. As I walked along in the country museum, I really felt like I was genuinely experience the real life style of 19th century because of the historic buildings, works, cooking and their dresses.






First of all, I liked the way they make lantern. It was so impressive. You can just turn it around, knock it down, but the light in the lantern was not put out and the light remained.

  Secondly, I liked how they created the oven. I remarked them as smart people.  The oven was used to make pancakes. When you make pancakes, you don't need to turn the pancakes to protect to be burned out while you are making this on the oven. They invented to just simply flip the cooking pans over so that you don't have to worry about the pancakes to be burned out by the fire. I found that the oven very fascinating and I liked their work very much!



       
 Thirdly, I liked the way they made beer. I found out that it was a tiring work. They have to do step by step and they have to store the beer for 3 days in order to become a real taste beer. Even though I don't drink beer, I liked the fragrance of the beer they made and it was so sweet and refreshing. I don't know how the taste would be but I really like the fragrance.

Last not the least, I liked the "Carriage Museum" so much. I really enjoyed walking around to examine the amazing work of the carriages. I wish I could try them on. I was so excited to see the different kinds of carriages they made. I found them very unique and creative.



So, I really enjoyed visiting to Genesse Country Museum because I found it very helpful to learn the American cultures and life as an international student. Personally, I like to learn the cultures of different countries. So, it was a joy to visit to Genesse Country Museum!

Genesse Country Museum

1. It is located just outside of Rochester, NY, in Mumford.

2. The village is specifically represented for 19th century Country village.

3. There are more than 40 historic buildings.

4. (1) farmer boys, (2) quilting (3) farm kids

5. Baseball game was played in the 1800s that is still played today.

6. A cooper makes casks and barrels.

7.  The pioneers eat seasonal foods cooked over an open health.

8. It is a schoolhouse.

9. Iivery barns are a place for animals especially for horses and mules.

10. It is white.

 

My Opinion on Olympics!

Olympics is something that all the athletes have been long to participate for days. They invest all of their time, effort, energy, strength, perseverance and passion in their practice time in order to go for the great Olympics! In other words, it is the dream and hope that they live for. And it is as important as their lives. The greatest and the most distinctive point is that all the athletes have the same destination and aim that is to become a champion in the games that he or she participates. I am so impressed by all of their effort, endurance and how they practiced everyday. 

Not only for the athletes but also for the Olympics' fun, it is something that they long to watch for and to recognize the hard work of the athletes. There are many volunteers in Olympics to make sure the athletes have water, food or anything they may need. Many Olympics lovers fly from very far away to come for just the purpose to cheer the athletes.

Olympics only happens once in a four year and there will be a country who hosts the event. But the country who got the chance to host the Olympics games considered to be very proud and remarkable for the country. This year 2012, London hosts the Olympics and in the last Olympics 2008, China hosted the Olympic which it put a lot of effort to make the event unique, special, impressive and even memorable. I am so proud for China for being able to host for Olympics 2008  because I take pride myself for being a Chinese (even though I was not born in China) but I am so happy for my original country. The most honorable thing, China is now on top of every country with the total of 73 medals, in Olympics 2012. How impressive! 

In my opinion, Olympics somehow stimulates the athletes' perseverance and it even brings their dreams and wishes. It keeps the exciting atmosphere and never tends to be swaying. I am sure whenever the Olympics comes, people will never ever lose their great enthusiasms for these will never fade away from their minds.