Happppppppy Birthday to Denise...!

Happy Birthday Denise!!! Miss you, BEA and all my friends in United States~~!

Happy birthday Denise...

Although I can't wish you a happy birthday in person; I will spend the whole day with happy thoughts of you.
Happy birthday....

Exploring Napa Valley

James Laube who has lived in Napa Valley for 31 years says Napa wasn't evolved when he moved there in 1978. He also mentions that Napa had been known as a healing place and had just 30 wineries.

It has been evolving gradually. Nowadays there are three times more wineries there. But some things haven't changed such as the way of making wines, the geography of the area and so on. And then he suggests some highlights of Napa such as the museum, a driving course, the view and the historical wineries.

Laube explains at the end of the article that exploring Napa Valley requires a lot of time. He says that though the traditional way of making wine has remained the same and the natural landscape pristine, the increase day by day of many new wineries and restaurants in the valley requires constant exploration.

Berkeley's Solar Plan Goes Dark

According to the East Bay Express, the city has decided to review their home solar financing program. The program was supposed to help thousands of city residents to install solar panels on their roofs without paying any money at the beginning. The city residents would repay the city over twenty years as part of their taxes.A small number of residents applied to the program. After applying to the program many participants withdrew their names from the list because of the high interest rate which is 7,75 percent. One of the participant says ' They just loan you money higher than you could get elsewhere. ' Such as the bank which holds her mortgage loans at 5 percent. The chief manager of the city's office of Energy and Sustainability reported that the reason the city's interest rate was so high was because only a small number of residents signed up. The more number of residents apply the lower the interest rate.

Global Gobblers

This article is drawn from " Culture Global Gobblers" in the Nor 2007 issue of National Geograpic.

The biggest turkey consuming country is Israel. The country doesn't even celebrate thanksgiving. In the 1950's Israel bought turkeys form the U.S for the first time. Turkeys have been very useful to eat in many different ways in Israel. Also they think turkey is a very stupid animal.

In America, They consume turkeys for thanksgiving or making deli meats. Also they think turkey is as smart as any bird.

TOP TURKEY EATERS

- Pounds per capita, 2005-

1. Israel 34.6

2. Slovakia 31.3

3. United States 16.1

4. France 13.7

5. Hungary 12.8

6. Grenada 12.1

7. Dominica 11.2

7. Ireland 11.2

7. Samoa 11.2

The Sherpas

The article The Sherpas by T.R. Reid in the May 2003 issue of the National Geographic magazine describes Sherpas and how they have gotten rich from high-altitude tourism.

Sherpa become a generic name for assistant, guide or porter but Sherpa is an ethnic identification for a group of people of Nepal's Khumbu region.

Because of the treacherous conditions of the terrain in the region, Sherpas go everywhere on foot and walking has also been their business. Also they are adapted to low oxigen conditions.

They are guides, porters and owners of hotels and trek companies and they have become very rich and their villages have become more modern.

When they lived isolated it was easy for them to ignore what was happening in the world but now the Sherpa economy is tied to tourism and the world economic situation.

Norway 's Ark

In his article, Norway's Ark, in the June 2007 issue of National Graphic, Neil Shea explains how the Norwegians realize they must protect their national seeds before they are gone. The focus is on the Norwegian island of Spitsberger where three million seeds will be preserved in a seed bank.

Muir Woods

I went to Muir Woods. There were so many tall trees. Some of the tall trees hid my vision so i could not see the sky.The inside of the forest was so dark and little bit cold, because there were lots of branches that made shade.I saw one cut tree which had a lot of rings in the tree’s body that shows ıts age but I couldn’t count the lines, because there were so many.That was such a good time.I would recommend to my friends they to go there.

Our fun guide!

Hi everyone,

So far here is what we have for our recommendations.  This is the first draft of our class project.  Our next step is to sort out our recommendations in terms of indoor/oudoor activities, as we had on the board today, please see how Mursel organized his entries.   Also, I would like for each person to write something brief about your recommendation, so that the recommendation is more personal, please see Vivian’s recommendation to get an idea of how I think you could personalize your message.

 Let’s work on this tomorrow! Denise

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Irene recommends:

Bike riding from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge.

To get to Fisherman’s Wharf take the MUNI bus F from Market Street, downtown.

At the Fisherman’s Wharf you can rent bicycles.

The cost is $25.00 for the whole day.

This trip is tiring, but so much fun!  Click Bike rentals in SF for information about where you can rent bicycles for this fun adventure:

R & G Lounge near Chinatown in San Francisco, the address is:

631 Kearny Street, SF, phone is (415) 982-7877.  This restaurant is always crowded, so make a reservation.  They serve Chinese sea-food and the crab dish is one of their most famous delicacies.

http://www.rnglounge.com/

Vivan recommends:

Café’ Leila on San Pablo Avenue.  They have great lunches or brunches.  They have delicious sandwiches and salads.  There is a gorgeous back yard with a fountain, this is so delightful, especially on a sunny day – go there to enjoy a lazy afternoon, feel the breezes and enjoy the food which is also very reasonably priced.

I also recommend the Chicken Club sandwich and the Berkeley  sandwich as well as the wraps, however, I don’t really recommend breakfast here because it was not that great and a bit expensive.

http://cafeleila.com/

Sea Salt is a  high-end restaurant on San Pablo Avenue, and I recommend going there during happy hour.  You can order very fresh oysters here and they are very reasonably priced.  Cocktails are great here, if you don’t know about cocktails, don’t worry about it, because the waiters will fill you in.  Customer service is fabulous, leave a good tip, I did! 

http://www.seasaltrestaurant.com/

Denise recommends food shopping at the Berkeley Bowl Market.  The food there is very well priced, fresh and delicious, the displays are beautiful and the customer service is good.  They also have a good line of body care products that are free of laurel sulfites and parabens.

http://www.berkeleybowl.com/

Aki recommends a tour of Alcatraz Island.

You can get there from pier 39 by ferry. You can make a reservation through the website.

http://www.alcatrazcruises.com

Hye won recommends the Legion of Honor.

You can go there by the bus.

http://www.famsf.org/

Raquel recommends a vısıt to Sausalıto http://www.sausalito.org/

And also to Napa Valley ın case you lıke wıne http://www.napavalley.com/

Gulizar recommends the Shattuck Down Low:

2284 Shattuck (at Bancroft)

Berkeley, CA 94704

510-548-1159 

 Shattuck Down Low features an eclectic mix of live music and djs including Funk, Soul, Hip Hop, Reggae, Salsa, International, Rock and Dance. You will find two full bars, couches & booths to lounge, tables to chat, a large 20x40 hardwood dance floor, the best sound system this side of the bay, designated VIP private party areas, an elegant setting and a pool table too!

If you like salsa dance you can go there every Wednesday evening.

Aki recommends a tour of Alcatraz Island.

You can get  there from pier 39 by ferry. You can make a reservation through the website.

http://www.alcatrazcruises.com

Hye won recommends the Legion of Honor.

You can go there by the bus.

http://www.famsf.org/

Raquel recommends a vısıt to Sausalıto http://www.sausalito.org/

And also to Napa Valley ın case you lıke wıne http://www.napavalley.com/

Mursel recommends:

-         Restaurant

o       Julie’s Healthy cafe 2562 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94704-1713

o       Cheese cake factory
251 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/#lobby

-         Clubs

o       Ruby Skye 420 Mason St
San Francisco, CA 94102

o       Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center 
1317 San Pablo Avenue 
Berkeley, CA 94702

o       La Pena La Peña Cultural Center
3105 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94705

-         ICe Cafe

o       ICi
Neighborhoods: Elmwood, Claremont
2948 College Ave
(between Ashby Ave & Russell St) 
Berkeley, CA 94705

Happy Valentine's Guys

I wrote something about me and Valentines' day and I deleted it. My Valentines' is going to be good this time. I'll say something I never said before to my boyfriend. Although it wouldn't be necessary because he already knows. I'm gonna tell him I love him. Hopefull he'll say the same thing back to me. You guys, can you tell me how your Valentine's went?

I'm sorry if these pictures are not good enough to be posted. I really have to keep my best ones until I know how to put copyright on them. Having attended photograhpy classes, I learned that my pictures are valuable even though I don't know how good they are, others might want them. I'll post those later.

The Jasmine Tea House

Click  on the link to  review The Jasmine Tea House restaurant in SF!  I really recommend this place!

Study or Experinence ?!

I agree with the law, because students need to study. I know experience is important too, but most students are supported by their parents. And the parents pay their tuition. So the children should thank and reward them. Even if they are not honor students, at least they have to graduate from schools.
On the other hand, some students might work to help their parents, and some students might work for going to a college by themselves. I don't blame the students. I believe they have right thoughts even though they are young.
I totally understand that they want to buy cars, clothes and money to hang out with friends. So this is my suggestion; high school students should work only vacation time.


I can say the above because I'm no longer a student. In fact, when I was a student, the things my parents did for me was my natural privilege. But I know now I was wrong, to take that privilege for granted.

teenagers who work in fast food restaurants

Do you know?
Teenagers who work in fast food restaurants have dissatisfaction about thier jobs.
Most workers in fast food restaurants are teenagers.
The managers in fast food restaurants employ many teenagers because they are less expensive to employ than adults.
They actually give teenagers minimum wage.
And many customers look down on fast food workers.
Actually, it happened that an old woman threw a hamburger at a fast food worker.
The reason for this was simple.
Just there was too much mustard on the hamburger.
Of course, fast food jobs have advantages.
If your kids work in fast food restaurants, they get experience and some job skills.
Also, they earn some money.
But, you must rememver disadvantages are more than advantages.
Be careful! If you have teenage boys who work in fast food restaurants long time, they have some possibility of becoming substance abusers.

Letter to parents of a teenager giving them advice about whether or not they should let their child work in a fast food restaurant

Dear Mr. and Ms. Zamot,

I am the headmistress of your daughter's highschool and I am writing to you to advise you about the low scores she has had the last semester.
You should know that during the last three months, your daughter has been very exhausted, she falls asleep in class, she doesn't do the homework and sometimes she cuts classes. We have realized she is working in a fast food restaurant and we think you should consider not letting her work there.

We don't know the reason why she is working, probably because the family's economic situation but if the reason is only for buying some shoes, you should think about it. Education is more important than earning some money. We know this is not a permanent job, perhaps it is a job to begin in the working world and to take some responsabilities, only if the teenager is able to continue with school.
Probably she should try to work less hours if you consider allowing her to continue with her job without risking her future education.

I would like to request an interview at your convenience and we can talk more with you about this situation.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Ms. Burke

"U.S. law says that children under the age of 16

should not work more than three hours a day on a school day, nor should they work after 7:00 P.M. What is your opinion of this law?"
I think that this law should be even stricter because a child who is supposed to take his/her studies seriously shouldn't work more than two hours a day on a school day, nor should he/she work after 5:00 P.M. and not more than nine hours a week either.
Paying attention to classes and studying is a demanding job already and children also need time off to play or even to learn other skills.

etymology of the word CONSONANT

consonant (n.) 

c.1300, from L. consonantem (nom. consonans), prp. of consonare "to sound together," from com- "with" + sonare, from sonus "sound" (see sound (n.1)). Consonants thought of as sounds that are only produced together with vowels.

So, hmmm, the book I brought to class that said that consonant meant not sound was out of whack and Raquel was right! consonant means with sound - that is consonants work with sound! 

Broke my sewing machine!

I'm trying to "let go."  I somehow managed to damage my sewing machine... now I have to save up for a new one!

A sense of art

I visited the S.F. MOMA yesterday. The visiting was a second time for me.
To be honest, I'm not interested in modern arts because Ican not understand that kind of art.
First of all, Denise explained us about huge paintings which were in the entrance. The paintings mean even people who are told great such as George Washington had many black slaves.
I realized every piece of art has a meaning, so I tried to understand the meaning of other piece of art.
As a result, I knew I'm not suited to enjoying modern arts. Oh, that's pity.
I didn't understand a black painting which there are not any other colors, and I didn't understand an odd object which I can't even explain.
But some of them were very beautiful and interesting, so I felt it was better than my first visiting.
I like the beautiful garden and the space of the museum, so I really enjoyed the atmosphere.
It was a good chance to visit the museum.

Questions on motivation and discipline

What motivates someone to do something? What exactly is motivation? Where does it come from?
Neuroscientists would say that it all comes down to substances produced and secreted by the cells of the nervous system.
Psychologists would say that motivations are related to a mechanism of both seeking pleasure and the attempt to avoid pain/suffering.
But what about doing things that one doesn't feel like doing when there's neither a know or immediate punishment for not doing them? Some say it is just a matter of discipline. But then again, what is that? Where does it come from? It has to be some kind of strength and if that is the case, how does one develop it? How to be(come) disciplined enough to practice what it takes to develop this trait when one doesn't have it to begin with?

Field trip

I went on a field trip.
I visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
The Museum was interesting.
There were many pictures and photographs that are avant-garde.
I also saw pictures of Picasso, so I was surprised.
The things that impressed me were many pictures of the sun.
I was happy there, because they gave photographs for free.
The top of the museum was very good.
The view was fantastic.
I wanted to take a picture of the view, but I didn't have a camera with me at that time.
But I was happy, because I could see the view.
After I saw many pictures and photographs, I came back home.
I think the museum in U.S.A. are diffrent from my country's museums.
Museums in Korea are boring, but museuns in U.S.A. are interesting and fun.
Anyway, yesterday was a nice day for me.

SOLAR ENERGY

Most of the energy we consume comes directly or indirectly from the sun.In 1972, man consumed 90 trillion horsepower hours of energy.During the same year,the sun emitted 1.5 million trillion horsepower hours of sunlight on the planet.Only a small franction of this natural force is converted by green plants into all the food and wood that grows on the earth.Over hundreds of thousands of years this vegetation is eventually converted into fossil fuels like coal and oil.Because of the length of time which is required to produce fossil fuels,it woould be more feasible to employ solar energy can be used to stretch our limited supplies of fosil fuels.Experiments have already shown that we can heat a house,heat water,air condition buldings,cook food, and produce electricity with solar energy.Scientists have even converted an automobile to run on batteries which are charged by solar cells.In future, solar energy may be one of our main sources of energy.