Take a leave of absence next Friday (3/5)

Dear all

Sorry for leaving earlier yesterday.
Thank you for Kevin’s pleasant topic last night.
However, I have to take a leave of absence next Friday due to my family.
So, see you the week after next week.

2/26 Article

Host: Kevin

Topic: Geopolitics: Facing up to China

Link: http://0rz.tw/arJDk


Discussion questions:

1. How do you think about this article?

2. China, Taiwan, or the U.S.?
Which one you think should be blamed for the turmoil across Taiwan Strait?

3. National sovereignty or economic growth?
If you were a country leader, let's say, Taiwan's President, which one would you care about more?

4. Do you think authoritarianism is able to supplant democracy?


Please feel free to post it if you have any related question. :)

2/19 minutes

Host: Ariel

Topic: Shall we dance

Questions:

1. Do you like this movie, why or why not??

2. If you were John, would you go to the dance school? or just forget it?

3. why doesn't John tell her wife about dancing?

4. Do you think John has an crush on Paulina?(even a little)

5. If one day you were in the same situation like John, (feel life is tedious or something like that),what would you do?

6. How do you strike a balance between your job and life?

7. If one day your marriage is in crisis, what would you do to save it?

8. In your view, what is happiness of life?

Related resource:

the comparisons between the Japanese version and the American one

Shall We Dansu, 1996	Shall We Dance, 2004	Comments
Shohei Sugiyama (Kōji Yakusho), an accountant	John Clark (Richard Gere), a lawyer	In the original, Sugiyama's secrecy is partly due to cultural ideas about dancing. In the remake, John's secrecy is because he doesn't want to hurt his wife. He loves her, but feels a need to dance.
Mai Kishikawa (Tamiyo Kusakari)	Paulina (Jennifer Lopez)	In the original, Mai's father is a dance instructor who owns the Kishikawa school. In the remake, Paulina's father is a dry-cleaner.
Tomio Aoki (Naoto Takenaka)	Link Peterson (Stanley Tucci)	In the original, Aoki's shame was based upon cultural fears related to ballroom dancing. In the remake, Link's shame was based upon cultural fears which connect dancing with homosexuality.
Toyoko Takahashi (Eriko Watanabe)	Bobbie (Lisa Ann Walter)	There is not much of a difference between the original and the remake. Bobbie is actually very much the American version of the loud dance addict Toyoko.
Tokichi Hattori (Yū Tokui)	Chic (Bobby Cannavale)	In the original, Hattori is a proud and self-proclaimed dance enthusiast who wanted to please his wife, who herself is into ballroom dancing. In the remake, Chic wanted to dance to pick up women but later found out otherwise.
Masahiro Tanaka (Hiromasa Taguchi)	Vern (Omar Benson Miller)	In the original, Tanaka did not begin with a girlfriend. In the remake, Vern states that he wants to learn to dance to impress his fiance.
Tamako Tamura (Reiko Kusamura)	Miss Mitzi (Anita Gillette)	In the original Tamako was a senior instructor. In the remake, Miss Mitzi is the owner of the school.
Masako Sugiyama (Hideko Hara)	Beverly Clark (Susan Sarandon)	In the original, Masako is the typical devoted and soft-spoken wife of a Japanese salary man. The remake made sure that Beverly Clark would be the typical working mom that American audiences would relate to and with much sympathy for her romanticism.

Happy Lunar New Year!!

Wish you guys happy holidays!!

Do you want to hold the meeting this Friday?

Maybe I should tell you what I am going to discuss to help you make your decisions.

There is no article for you this week.

Just hope you can relax in the lovely holidays,

I choose the film " Shall We Dance" for discussion.

Please try to get access to the video. (if you have difficulties please let me know)

You may check the TV program timetable to see if the film is broadcast on some movie channel.

Waiting to hear from you guys!

2/11 minutes

HOST: Vickie

ARTICLE: Being gay in China: Your stories http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8478911.stm

Here ar three guys sharing their comments about the gay issue in China. You will see the differences between them.
To know better about homosexuality issue, you may also read this webpage: http://www.utopia-asia.com/tipschin.htm Don't stop your eyespot at the begining of this web, girls, or boys. Please look down to "general information UTOPIA", which starts with "Homosexuality is not an aberrant blip on...." You can also take a look at TAIWAN to see the difference between here and China.

Ps. There are many webpage about homosexuality. I just randomly choose one. Feel free to read more related article. Then we'll have many to discuss in the following Thursday:)

Good luck!

Address list update

Dear all

I have sent newest address list to your mailbox, including our cell phone in it. ^^

2/5 minutes

Host: Amy

Topic: A world of connections

Text: http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15351002

Questions:

1. What type of connection did you use often/ or prefer?

2. How did you get in touch with your classmates, friends, relatives, siblings and parents or how to keep good relationship with them under your limited time or busy work?

3.Do you like to share your daily life through internet (blog, pictures…)?

4. Do you prefer to meet your friends in person or through the Internet?

5.Do you think it is appropriate to use your real name on the Internet? Do you like it?

1/29 minutes

Host: Milly

Topic: Are face-detection cameras racists?

Text: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1954643,00.html

Relevant Video: http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/12/19/hp-webcams-are-racist/

Questions:

1. Did you have any experience about racial discrimination?

2. Do you want to buy iPad when it is on sale?

3. Do you want to buy an e-Book machine or do you prefer paper-book?

1/22 minutes

Host: Kevin

Topic: Bubble warning

Text: http://0rz.tw/WiCvf

Questions:

1. What do you think about the viewpoints the author mentions in the article?

2. Have you put your money in stocks last year(2009)? Why or why not?

3. Do you believe what the so-called financial experts say on TV programs? When you want to make an investment, will you follow their instructions?

1/8 minutes

Host: Ariel

Topic: PGD-Would you choose your child's gender?

Text: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/08/video.wall.gender.baby/index.html

http://www.jtsma.org.uk/info_pgd.html

Questions:

1. Do you think PGD is legal?

2. would you choose your child's gender? why?

3. If you are pregnant already and know you are going to have a baby with disability in the future, will you abort your child? why?

4. If you get married one day, do you think having a child can make your family more complete?

Memo:

Vickie recommended a good movie related to this topic for us: Gattaca (千鈞一髮)

for more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca

12/27 minutes

Host: Vickie

Topic: Avatar

Text:http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/movies/18avatar.html

Questions:

1. Have you watched this movie yet? What do you think about it?

2. Do you like such kind of movie? If not, what kind of movie are you interested in? (drama, comedy, science fiction, romance..)

3. Do you like 3-D movie? What do you expect from this technology?

12/18 minutes

Host: Amy

Topic: Why Rich Consumers Matter More

Text: http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/flowchart/2009/12/3/why-rich-consumers-matter-more.html

Questions:

1. What would you do to increase your assets?

2. If you have a large amount of money, how would you spend to make the most of it?

3.Have you ever made an investment in your fortune? (stock markets, mutual funds, foreign currencies, insurance )

About this study group

Purpose of the meeting: express your points of view fluently in English

Time: 10:00-11:20 pm on Friday

Media: Skype

Procedure:

1. Warm-up: each prepares a short presentation for 3-5 minutes (everything you want to share with us)

2. Topic discussion: The material is chosen by the host and no restriction on the topic

3. Question time: Actually, it is free. But we wish everyone can ask follow-up questions to improve our discussion.

Hi, I'm Vickie

Hello everyone!! I'm the first posting person :)

Sorry for I didn't attend our meeting yesterday. I was busy outside and couldn't make it home on time. I've tried to send Kevin a message, but I don't know whether it works or not.

I'll be the host next Thursday so I'll post my article asap on this blog. See ya.

Vickie