Binchuan CountyAs usual, when spring breeze brings warmth into the Yunnan Province each year, everything there breaks through obstructions to approach growth stage. Without a formal declaration of coming, warmth has raised vitality and surprise among all things of creation. Especially in spring, Chinese people have a keen sense of smell and taste. Yunnanese think that flavor ingredients in spring taste delicious and they have a pleasant sensation from everything that is bursting with vitality. Right now, we will come to Yunnan and try to find delicious foods on their dining table during spring days.Shazhi town stands back against Jizushan Mountain with luxuriant vegetation and plentiful products. Spring comes here just at the right time. When you pour Chinese toon buds into the boiling water, its appetizing smell comes out from the kitchen immediately. Li Cunfen twists scalded buds into strips and dries them out in order to store up while the sun shines. With the highest terrain Li Jimei’s house is on the hillside and opposite to Li Cunfang’s. From the Li Jimei’s courtyard, White Tower can be seen sitting on the top of Jizushan Mountain.The buds are representative among Yunnan ingredients. When Chinese first month of the lunar year has gone, the toon begins to sprout and their buds are like the messengers dispatched by spring to Yunnan. If the buds from jade-green-and-bright-reds spring and the cured meat from just past winter are being fried together, the dish tastes of everything to you, and seemingly, it is a final chance before winter is split with spring. On the basis of color, the buds can be divided into two types: purple buds and green ones. When buds are under the sunshine for quite a long time, they will take on dark red; conversely, green. In addition, the tender buds’ color are purplish red while the buds have the color of green after them putting forth stalk and growing older gradually.Li Zhenxing selects a right branch and hangs up the long-handle knife. The Chinese toons, all of which are more than 100 years, are thick, strong and high in Shazhi village. Therefore, no one can get those from tall trees except the skillful person like Mr. Li. (Mrs. Li: be careful! This toon is so strong! Climbing slowly! It’s too hard to pick its buds. It’s too big! Now, let us collect!) When people cut them with sharp edge, the bud flakes down in the breeze just like a small shuttlecock. (Mrs. Li: his climbing skill is extraordinary. My kids and I are gathering toons under the tree while my husband climbs.) Making buds without bitter and astringent with boiling water, it is widely use in making dishes, principle ingredients or ingredients. The buds can be eaten cold with sauce so as to give nutrients to liver and lungs, which is the first cool dish in spring for households in Jizushan. ( Mrs. Li: it’s too dry this year; therefore, the bud is so tiny.) It takes no less than half an hour, for the couple and children who have left for here to liven things up, they have possessed a bamboo screen being full of buds. (Mrs. Li: My family eating them all up quickly in my childhood, it was quite delicious whether buds were fried with meat or we salted buds.) At that time, still, picking buds is difficult. At last, Mr. Li needs to remove parasitic plants from the toon. The rest ones will grow and develop the new branches and leaves to continue prolonging old toon’s life. Even though, all of them feels quite exhausted and their faces are streaming with sweat, children are immensely pleased at the harvest and ignorant of their weariness. The buds are unique in fragrance and that is why local people call them scented buds. The dish of frying eggs with buds represents a harmonious blend of their appetizing smells, common but homely.

Here is a story recorded in Wandering in Absolute Freedom written by Zhuangze. Speaking of the use of a huge gourd, Zhuangze and Huize, they discussed the issue and exchanged their views as we could see in the video. Huize found no use of a huge gourd and so broke it up, for Zhuangze, however, he believed that the five -bushed gourd could be made a float rather than considering it as worthless materials. When I watched the video several times, it reminded me a question why we human being had different ideas facing the same problems. As far as I’m concerned, the main reason is that different people have different perspectives while they have been tried to solve those problems. Out of distinct considerations and purposes, then the next step people decide is to take different actions. Let me give you two examples to prove my conclusion! First, as we all known, Edison is credited with the invention of the electric light. In order to find the material used as filament, he tried to use many things even including his friend’s beard. Edison failed 8,000 times before he succeeded, but learned from his failures and bounced back with greater determination to succeed. “If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” This is quoted from Edison. You see? When we think failures in a positive perspective, more courage will visit us and help us to be a success. Second, Nick Vujicic, an Australian orator, has touched the hearts and lives of many people around the world nowadays. You know why? Not only has his extraordinary speech been influenced a great many people, but his personal story gives us an opportunity to think deeply. He is a man without limbs but can do things like a normal man. You have no idea how hard it is when he strives to live in this world! But he makes it! There is no reason for him to give up himself, because he thinks life in a different way. He once said: “if the world thinks you are not good enough, it is a lie, you know. Get a second opinion. ”and “In life you have a choice: bitter or better? Choose better, forget bitter.” Those words show us the special perspectives give his self-confidence and hope. And then, the actions taken by him are delivering his speech over all the world to encourage people to escape from suffering. Rather, there are lots of news reported that disabled people are trying to kill themselves simply because of their negative thoughts——life is worthless and useless. Ladies and gentlemen, it is crucial for us to think positively especially when we meet troubles. Life is not just a bed of rose. It is true. But still we cannot lose faith when facing them. Taking a different attitude and perspective, we will be on to the new step of our lives.

I love you, Jack.I love the way you gaze affectionately at me every time.I love you, Jack.Your smile makes my heart pound.I keep missing you all day long,When you are not around.Being busy with hunting job are you.To broad my horizon, I am in the ivory tower for my further education.Distance, I hate you!It is time to face the truth,I will never be with you.You cannot give me a warm home.So, WE DEPARTED TODAY.How shall I refrain from tears when you turn around?I know I need you so much.Our love, every little bit gradually,disappear.I'd be losing youAnd in another lifeI would be your girl.We keep all our promisesBe us against the worldand in another lifeI would make you stay.You loved me, Jack.You loved me, Jack.That's a fact.It's a thing we can't deny.I can never forget,YOU ARE MY FIRST LOVE.

The spirit of these figures in the busy lives,A leaf in a vast, bright universe.

When I was a little girl, like most Chinese children, I was longing for festival as it brings joyfulness and happiness. Several days before the eve of lunar New Year, my mother would always make a table of delicious dishes with the help of a bunch of kind-hearted neighbors. Talking and laughing, they just like family members. I was completely moved by those warm-hearted people. However, when we take a look at current situation across the whole country, I feel really sad; sad about the relationship between people is getting more and more indifferent. Those warm memories I have reminisced at young age seldom exist anymore. The situation needs to be changed!First, let me give you examples.On October 13, 2011, Yueyue, a 2-year-old girl, was run over twice and ignored by 18 witnesses within 7 minutes in Foshan, Guangdong province.Also, another in point example is on May 5, 2012, several scroungers about 50 were considered as thieves in clearance area of Wuhan. And they were made to kneel down and hanged a sign before their chests saying “ I am a thief ”for nearly one hour before policemen coming. What do you think when you hear about two pieces of news? As a Chinese, I was very shocked and very disappointed the first time when I read the news stories. And then a question comes into my mind, why Chinese people have become more and more indifferent? People blame the social system. I agree with this standpoint. People tend to be passerby only, and ignore those who are in need of help, because they are afraid of being taken advantages of by those strangers. If we only pay more attention to develop our economy and neglect the healthy growth on social morality, the society as a whole would be more cold and indifferent. So my dear friends please show you enthusiasm and kindness to people who are disadvantaged. At least, we can avoid the generation of tragedy and warm the heart of each other.

To see a world in a grain of sand,And a heaven in a wild flower,Hold infinity in the palm of your handAnd eternity in an hour. By William Blake Where is the meaning of life? From ancient to modern times, some scholars and literary giants in all over the world left us a large amount of famous aphorism about life that is beneficial to cultivate our minds and characters, one of among them is a poem from Auguries of Innocence by William Blake.Coincidently, in the Buddhism, Zen ingeniously tells the similar meaning as to life from a lection called the Heart is when the Lotus Opens.Personally, both them are attaching importance to the timelessness of life. The reason why I consider this question is that gradually I believe vitality is a symbol of living and when it is vanished by death the process is equal to zero. Later, for fear of losing me,Imagination is my soul mate showing me several pictures so as to give me a hint where is the meaning of life.Just a ChildIn the corner of eye,Smiling is he as a young childThat emits strength and hope;Catching butterflies,The boy is cheerfully running in sunshineAnd cast his shadow over the broad and blue-green field.In the youthIn the blood,Ambition and impulse is swelling.Yearned to be admitted,Also afraid of disapproval is he.Ignorance of the adolescenceHelps him strongly believe His omnipotence can heal the world.Therefore, been rebuffed has he by life, always.Mature periodThe trace of timeSo deeply stamps into his face everywhere.Even so, with smiling and wrinkled faceHe is answering all that he saw, heard and thought.Still strove hard for a better life,Though he used to live calmly. Grey hairsBefore the winter,Agedness is like a withered tree.A bent-over old manInsists onAccompanying a gust to the door tremulously.And reluctant to leave.No sooner has the person gone awayThan the tea cools down,Which is the demonstration of dreariness?At midnight,Blizzard gets over that low grave.Where is the meaning of life?Does it lie in the process of beginning and ending of birth?Perhaps not, The life consists in its innocence, cheer, maturity, eternity and miracle.

When Socrates Meets ConfuciusI guess all of us have already noticed Confucius sculpture stand tall and upright in school campus as a result of the influence of significant Confucianism. Confucius, one of achievements he made was about practical and advanced teaching and learning ideas two thousand years ago. And Chinese teachers and students even for today benefit quite a lot from them. Also in the west, people praise Socrates highly for he made great contribution to education, especially including the way of critical thinking by question-answer format that is exactly what Chinese people lack nowadays.I have obtained an outdated news from Internet which still could illustrate this problem. It is reported that in 2012, senior high school students in China, for further studies in overseas, they took SAT and unsatisfactory result showed that less than 7% students got the passing grade, 1800 points. Besides, for those who want to study at top-tier universities, only 2% among them got the offer finally. Why? Cause SAT emphasizes critical thinking instead memory ability unlike most of domestic examinations.Therefor, here is a fact we can not deny.Wait, what is going wrong? China has brilliant and long-lasting education culture since two thousand years ago, Confucius could be an excellent teacher to tell us how to treat learning. But, now are we indeed lacking in critical thinking? Yes. Generally speaking, I think there are 2 reasons. Firstly, the traditional education concept really influenced students too much. Usually students consider that teacher, as transmitter of public knowledge and dedicator of intellectual value, plays an irreplaceable role in education and everything teachers told in class is 100 percent accurate. So they receive information and knowledge in a blind-obedience way without deeper thought in most cases from generation to generation. Secondly, the majority of teachers just concern about admission rates because of all sorts of pressures but ignore critical thinking. Even for most parents, they have always attached great importance to high grades and imitate how eagle dad or tiger mother educate children. Gradually, the adults will not take critical thinking into consideration.So, how could we change the current situation so that our students will not be memory robots? Personally, firstly in school, courses and curricula related to critical thinking should be offered. In class, teachers should appreciate what students think independently and encourage them to view the authority in a way of question and criticism. Meanwhile, to create conditions by some materials and suggestions could help students realize how important the critical thinking is. And then, there is possibility for students to practice by their own ways. Meanwhile, in home education, parents should care more about the growth of children in family education, stress on the cultivation of morality and creativity, and enlighten them think by themself in order to govern the country when they become adults and at least be a qualified citizens, which may be the purpose of education like what Socrates and Confucius hoped. What is more, as for every educational experts or reformers, even for every Chinese people, everyone should transform our self-conscious from “ critical thinking is not a big deal” to “critical thinking is really important”.Without critical thinking, school is not educational organization any more yet becomes manufactures producing the same “diploma” and “intellectual”. If students, as social individuals, could not have their fantastic, unique and independent thoughts, where is the hope to make social civilization progress? So, it is high time we did something to return the energy to kids!