VIP Class Notes (Nick) [W]

Bring in some emails or write about something interesting that has happened this week.

Vocabulary

Adolescence – from 11/13 – 17/19
e.g. During my adolescence, I lived in the Chicago suburbs.

Youth – the whole time from when you were born to when you became an adult (perhaps excluding infancy)
e.g. In my youth, I was adventurous.

Grime – a sticky, slimy, dirty substance that builds up over time (adj: grimy)
e.g. We need to clean the grime out of the drain in the kitchen sink.

Calligraphy

Allowance vs. Spending Money / Pocket Money
— An allowance is an amount of money you receive regularly for some reason (it is the money you are allowed)
e.g. Usually this is money from parents to their kids for doing their housework.
— Spending money or pocket money is something that you earn that you don’t really need, but which you will use to enjoy yourself.

Reunion – usually bringing people together who are not in regular contact, to bring more distant relations together, or to reunite some group (like a graduating class, a military unit, etc.)

Dictate – to order, declare that something is necessary; to say something while someone else writes it down for you
e.g. The law dictates that we must file tax forms using this form E every year.
e.g. Would you take dictation while I brainstorm about this speech?

Grammar

Not quite vs. not very – “not quite” means that something has not reached a limit that makes it something else; “not very” means that something does qualify to be  called a certain way, but is not extreme
e.g. Is he tall? Not quite (maybe he’s on the upper-end of average, but he’s not really tall)
e.g.  Is he tall? Not very (he IS tall, but not extremely so)

Experienced – an experience is something that happens to you, not really something you do; or, it’s the whole event and its circumstances
e.g. Going to the show was a great experience (I didn’t do anything in the show, but it was good for me to watch it)
e.g. Going to China was a great experience for me (here I did something, but it’s not just the traveling, but the things I saw, did, learned, ate, etc. related to the whole experience of the trip; everything surrounding the trip)

Chinese New Year also known as Spring Festival is the grandest festival in Mainland China and Taiwan, with a 8-day long holiday. As a tradition, the CNY celebration lasts up two weeks, and the peak arrives around the Lunar New Year’s Eve. Traveling in China during Spring Festival, the travel rush is so tough, since millions of people go back home for celebrations and family reunion. It’s very hard to book a flight and train tickets. In general, it costs 2000- 2500 RMB to buy a round trip flight ticket from Shanghai to Taipei but I spent 5000 RMB to buy tickets for CNY holidays. ( The flight schedule is not quite good). When I was in the childhood, we experienced lots of traditional activities such as cleaning house throughly, worshiping ancestors, writing Spring Festival Couplets, setting of firecrackers and delivering best wishes and receiving red envelopes from my grandparents, my parents, my sister and my aunt. This new year is huge different for me. In the past, we had family reunion dinner on New Year’s eve and my mom prepared lots of fantastic dishes. Last year, I got married so it’s the first year I have a gathering dinner with my “new” family on New Year’s Eve and prepare red envelopes for my parents in law.

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is the grandest festival in Mainland China and Taiwan, with a 8-day long holiday. As a tradition, the CNY celebration lasts up two weeks, and the peak arrives on the Lunar New Year’s Eve. If you are traveling in China during the Spring Festival holiday, the travel rush is so tough, since millions of people go back home for celebrations and family reunions. It’s very hard to book a flight and train tickets. In general, it costs 2000- 2500 RMB to buy a round trip flight ticket from Shanghai to Taipei, but I spent 5000 RMB to buy tickets for the CNY holidays. ( The flight schedule is not very good). When I was in the childhood,** we did lots of traditional activities such as cleaning the house thoroughly, worshiping our ancestors, writing Spring Festival Couplets, setting off firecrackers, delivering best wishes, and receiving red envelopes from my grandparents, my parents, my sister and my aunt. This new year is huge different for me. In the past, we had a family reunion dinner on New Year’s eve and my mom prepared lots of fantastic dishes. Last year, I got married so it’s the first year I have a (gathering) dinner with my “new” family on New Year’s Eve and prepare red envelopes for my parents in law.

** When I was a child . . .
In/During my childhood . . .
When I was young(er) . . .

As a tradition, on the second date of the new year, I got married, so I go back to see my parents, according to the tradition – I suggest: On January 2nd of this year, according to tradition, I have to go back to see my parents since I was just married / Since I was just married this last year, tradition dictates that I have to go back to see my parents on January 2nd.