Locky's English Playground

Learning Method & Vocabulary: Post-Valentine's Sugar & Sweet

2012-02-17T12:06:00.000+08:00

Article 3 on Singtao Student Page:

Valentine's Day has ended but learning has just begun. This week, I will share with you a memorisation method and some new words.

Sugar is all sugar and spice to Gingy
Image from vkontakte.ru

Dear lovely readers, hope you and your parents had an excellent Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is a day of "sugar and sweets" and thus everyone deserves to have their share of loving moments, if you still have not had the time to celebrate this marvellous day, you had better make it up to your love ones this weekend or Sunday.

As for me, Valentine's Day has not only offered me a reason to love, but a cue to learn. This time, I am interested in words to do with "sugar" and "sweet" in love and relationships.

One of the memory techniques I love to use after looking up new words in a dictionary is to create examples which I find easy to remember, funny or ridiculous ones work best for me -- I call this Memorisation By Examples (MBE). Its effectiveness, like all memory techniques, depends on individuals. However, it is worth a try. If MBE works for you, at the end of the day you will be able to recall the words and meanings easily for writing and speaking.

Here are some scenarios I have created:

Sugar-coated gum drops
Image fromallpostersimages.com

Jane: Why this promise you've just made sounds sugar-coated?
John: Coz it IS a trap and I want you to fall for it.

John: Jane, I'm sorry, I've made a tiny little scratch on your favourite painting.
Jane: Don't sugar the pill! What's the damage?
John: Well, actually, I cut it into 2 halves ...

Jane: I can be sugar and spice to my boyfriend.
John: You? Sugar and spice? I would be vomiting hard if I were him.

Jane: I cooked you your favourite Carbonara for dinner tonight?
John: Sweet!!!

Jane: Have you ever told a sweet lie?
John: No, but here's one, "I love you!"
Jane: I hate you!

Jane: Don't you ever think you can sweet-talk me into trusting you!
John: Well, how about the fact that you let me marry you 10 years ago!

Jane: I bet those two over there are saying sweet-nothings to each other.
John: No, they can never talk romantic, they are brother and sister, says on their Tee-shirts.

Sweet Tooth
Image from deviantart

John: Why do all women have sweet-tooth?
Jane: Coz men aren't sweet enough and so we need to help ourselves with sugary food to stay happy.

John: I'm so sorry! How can I make you happy again?
Jane: If you want to keep me sweet, start by flushing the toilet after use!!!

John: Jane is sweet on all Disney products and her room is packed with them.

John: My childhood was full of bittersweet memories... I was naughty, dad punished me, and then mum punished dad, and I laughed at him every time!

Fun Tasks For You:

Try think of a funny or ridiculous example for "silver tongue" or "silver-tongued".
From now on, whenever you see a word which you think is worth memorising but is very difficult to memorise, try this MBE technique.
Pick any word such as "tongue" or "heart" and see how many related words or idioms there are.

Suggested answer for last week's Fun Tasks: Which words have the same pronunciation as "Q"?

cue and queue

Discussion Questions:

With your classmates, share some useful memorisation techniques and discuss their effectiveness.
How many students in your class will need to memorise anything these days? What are they?
The advancement of technology is helping us memorise lesser and lesser. Is that good or bad? Discuss with examples.
Discuss the benefits of practising memorisation, give examples.

Usage:
had better
Had better actually refers to the immediate future and does not involve the past in any sense. It is a strong advice for someone and it is stronger than should and ought.
eg.

You had better stop playing smartphone games!
You had better not whistle at that dog! (note the position of not)
You'd better get out of your bed and get dressed for school now!!!! (note the 'd)

Pronunciation:
Compound verbs and nouns such as sweet-talk and sweet tooth are stressed on the first part of the word whereas adjectives such as sugar-coated and bittersweet are stressed on the second part of the word. However, there are always many exceptions in any languages and learners should take special attention to the pronunciation of each word while looking up words in a dictionary.

Vocabulary:
make it up to sb -- to do something good for someone you have upset, in order to become friends with them again
cue -- (n) [C] a signal for someone to do something
sugar-coated -- (adj) disapproving An announcement or promise that is sugar-coated is intended to seem positive or pleasant, although in fact it will result in something unpleasant or unacceptable.
sugar and spice -- If you describe someone, especially a woman or a girl, as being sugar and spice, you mean that they are behaving in a kind and friendly way
sugar the pill -- UK (US sweeten the pill) to make something bad seem less unpleasant
sweet -- (adj) (informal) Very good; pleasant; agreeable.
sweet lie -- (n) [C] When someone who doesn't truthly have interest in you makes you fall hard for them and you end up with a broken heart.
sweet-talk -- (vb) [T] informal to talk to someone in a pleasing or clever way in order to persuade them to do or believe something
sweet-nothings -- (plural n) humorous romantic and loving talk
sweet-tooth -- (n)[S] If you have a sweet tooth, you like eating sweet foods, especially sweets and chocolate.
keep sb sweet -- to try to keep someone satisfied and pleased with you
be sweet on sb/sth -- old-fashioned informal to like someone / something very much in a romantic way
bittersweet -- (adj) containing a mixture of sadness and happiness
silver-tongued -- (adj) literary If you are silver-tongued, you speak in a way that charms or persuades people.

Resources:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/make-it-up-to-sb#make-it-up-to-sb__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/search/british/?q=sugar
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sugar-coated_2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sugar-and-spice#sugar-and-spice__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sugar-the-pill#sugar-the-pill__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/search/british/?q=sweet
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sweet
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sweet%20lie
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sweet-talk
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sweet-tooth
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sweet-nothings
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sweet-tooth?q=sweet-tooth
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/keep-sb-sweet#keep-sb-sweet__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/be-sweet-on-sb#be-sweet-on-sb__1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bittersweet_1?q=bittersweet

Adam Sandler Sweet on 'Candy Land' for Sony @ Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/31/idUS39840534320120131

Practical English Usage by Michael Swan, Oxford

Song: How Deep Is Your Love -- Bee Gees

2012-02-15T16:39:00.000+08:00

A song for your Valentine's!

I love the sunny atmosphere in the first verse, then the dreamy electronic keyboard. Of course, the signature falsetto and the lyrics, miraculously merged! There won't be another band like the Bee Gees, ever! They are irreplaceable.

I shall not speak more, good wine needs no bush.

How Deep Is Your Love lyrics
Songwriters: Gibb, Maurice Ernest; Gibb, Robin Hugh; Gibb, Barry;

I know your eyes in the morning sun
I feel you touch me in the pouring rain
And the moment that you wander far from me
I wanna feel you in my arms again

And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love, then you softly leave
And it's me you need to show
How deep is your love

How deep is your love, how deep is your love
I really mean to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down when they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

I believe in you
You know the door to my very soul
You're the light in my deepest, darkest hour
You're my savior when I fall

And you may not think, I care for you
When you know down inside that I really do
And it's me you need to show
How deep is your love

How deep is your love, how deep is your love
I really mean to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down when they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

And you come to me on a summer breeze
Keep me warm in your love, then you softly leave
And it's me you need to show
How deep is your love

How deep is your love, how deep is your love
I really mean to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down when they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

How deep is your love, how deep is your love
I really mean to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down when they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

How deep is your love, how deep is your love
I really mean to learn
'Cause we're living in a world of fools
Breaking us down when they all should let us be
We belong to you and me

Vocabulary:
saviour -- (n) [C] (US savior) UK a person who saves someone from danger or harm
falsetto -- (n) [C] (plural falsettos) a form of singing or speaking by men using an extremely high voice
miraculously -- (adv) from miraculous (adj) very effective or surprising or difficult to believe
irreplaceable -- (adj) too special, unusual or valuable to replace with something or someone else
good wine needs no bush -- (proverb) it is not necessary to advertise well-made goods

Resources:
People: Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2011/03/people-steve-jobs-2005-stanford.html

How Deep Is Your Love @ elyrics.net
http://www.elyrics.net/read/b/bee-gees-lyrics/how-deep-is-your-love-lyrics.html

bee gees how deep is your loveBee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love ( Original ) HQ [ NO CONCERT / NO KARAOKE ] @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/BBMriOspUvA

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/saviour?q=saviour+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/falsetto_1?q=falsetto
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/miraculous?q=miraculously
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/irreplaceable?q=irreplaceable+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festive_ecology

Animals: Theories of Stranded Dolphins & Whales

2012-02-14T15:05:00.001+08:00

In the last science news digest entry, I have mentioned that I have some theories on the "suicidal attempts" of the dolphins. I'm sure some marine biologists have already covered these possibilities, but since none of them has made that well-known to the public, I will give it a whirl to offer my views.

First, we must realise that many animals behave in similar ways as human do (if you can recall, Seamore the leopard shark also behaves like a puppy). For a creature as smart as the monkeys, dolphins and whales, I reckon they also do what human beings will do. We play, we chase each other, we socialise, we sing, we chat, we dance, we war, we feel upset, we feel despair and we help each other out.

The Orcas (or killer whales), are the largest of dolphins, are supreme strategic killers which work as a team when hunting. They will not only hunt for food, but they will also go in war with other whale kinds. The following video shows a group of killer whales hunting a young grey whale in the presence of its mother grey whale. Actually, I say it is a war rather than a hunt, because in a war, warriors are cruel and cold-hearted, they share no mercy or sympathy, and their reward is simply death; consuming their kill is not an agenda, humiliating the corpse / carcass and the living is the key.

My theory 1 is FEAR: Since dolphins are related to the killer whales, they should somehow behave like them, or like humans. A group of dolphins is at war with another group, and the weaker group is desperate to retreat to the shallow or even to the beach hoping to escape from the murder. If Lady Luck in on the side of the weaker group, not all of them will die on the beach, some will live, and the stronger group might be stranded and die. The LA Times reported a grey-whales rescue case today, the article states that a young grey whale fled in fright when someone mistakenly played recordings of killer whales, which proves that fear could be a possibility.

In the next video, you will see how skilfully an orca hunt for stingrays in the shallow waters, and like the host said, the orcas are putting their life at risk in the hunting as they could be stung by the stingray, or get themselves stranded in the shallow waters.

Thus my theory 2 is FOOD, the dolphins are hunting for a creature such as shrimps or crabs very special which reside in the shallow waters, and because dolphins are highly-bonded animals, when one is stranded, others will approach the stranded as a group for the rescue, and ends up also being stranded as well.

Theory 3 is SCRATCH, similar to theory 2, the difference is this time it is not for food, but for a nice scrub with the sand to have their parasites removed.

My last theory is SUICIDE, even some people in despair commit suicide, then why won't dolphins and whales do it? But when one decides to end its life for whatever reasons, others will try to save it, just like human doctors, firemen or policemen. The difference is, there are a lot more rescuers than suicidees and the rescuers end up being the victims too.

All the above theories somehow explains why some rescued dolphins will be restranded.

Two extra news on the dolphins, the first report says that because on the day of 9/11 there were no boats at sea, it offered an opportunity for a group of scientists to record data. The data from the right whales shows a link between noise level of the ocean and whale stress, a truly remarkable finding proving that we are making the ocean noisier and more stressful for the whales to live (let's not forget, sounds travel further and faster in liquid). The second report mentions that ocean dolphins are not used to tides and tide turns could get the dolphins stranded, offering yet another reason for the deaths of many beached dolphins.

All in all, not a very good topic on Valentine's Day, but this is meant to be for Monday actually. On this marvellous day, don't just love your lovers, love our oceans and sea animals too!

Vocabulary:
stranded -- (adj)
suicidal -- (adj) People who are suicidal want to kill themselves or are in a mental state in which it is likely that they will try to do so
marine biologist -- (n) the scholar of scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water.
supreme -- (adj) having the highest rank, level or importance
strategic -- (adj) helping to achieve a plan, for example in business or politics
cold-hearted -- (adj) disapproving showing no understanding for or not feeling sorry about another person's suffering
mercy -- (n) [U] kindness and forgiveness shown towards someone you have authority over
sympathy -- (n) [U] (an expression of) understanding and care for someone else's suffering
humiliate -- (n) [T] to make someone feel ashamed or lose their respect for themselves
corpse -- (n) [C] a dead body, usually of a person
carcass -- (n) [C] the body of a dead animal, especially a large one that is soon to be cut up as meat or eaten by wild animals
stingray -- (n) a group of rays, which are cartilaginous fishes related to sharks.
rescue -- (vb)[T] to help someone or something out of a dangerous, harmful or unpleasant situation
scrub -- (vb) [I or T] to rub something hard in order to clean it, especially using a stiff brush, soap and water
despair -- (n) [U] the feeling that there is no hope and that you can do nothing to improve a difficult or worrying situation

Resources:
News, Science & Animals: Science News Digest (6th-9th Feb) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2012/02/news-science-animals-science-news.html

Animals and Environment: Do Sharks Deserve to Die for Their Fins? @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/05/animals-and-environment-do-sharks.html

Killer Whales @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orcas

Orcas on the hunt @ BBC Nature
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Killer_whale#p00k08q8

Killer whale hunt @ BBC Nature
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Killer_whale#p004t03t

Chimps killing and eating a monkey @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTPkmH4hWCs

Stranded Orca rescued in NZ @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/665s4AvHUVU

Dolphins at Bluff Point (Red Sea) 2009 @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJdTLXvQzw8

Unplanned 9/11 analysis links ocean noise to whale stress @ Twincities.com
http://www.twincities.com/ci_19924178

Common dolphin makes uncommon splash in Ocean City @ Press of Atlantic City
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/upper_capemay/common-dolphin-makes-uncommon-splash-in-ocean-city/article_675fdf2e-542b-11e1-bd4b-0019bb2963f4.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/suicidal_1?q=suicidal+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_biology
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/supreme_1?q=supreme
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/strategic?q=strategic+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/cold-hearted?q=cold-hearted
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mercy_1?q=mercy
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/sympathy_1?q=sympathy+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/humiliate?q=humiliate
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/corpse?q=corpse
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/carcass?q=carcass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/rescue_1?q=rescue
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/scrub_1?q=scrub
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/despair_1?q=despair+

Message: Happy Valentine's Day 2012

2012-02-14T00:31:00.001+08:00

Haven't got time to finish my Monday entry, so I hope that I can post it later today. As for now,

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Slang & Speaking: Speaking Valentine's

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000+08:00

Article 2 on Singtao Student Page:

Walking on the streets ofHong Kong as Valentine’s Day draws near, I have some observations to make and advice to offer.

Image from shoppingblog.com

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! A time for the lovers' creativity to materialise and have your wallets emptied! Before you can even notice it, shops and malls are fully decorated to draw customers in the mood of mega-spending. Love is all around! Young couples hug and kiss every step of the way, presents wielded firmly. Pink hearts, white bears and red roses appear at every angle of eyesight even when your eyes are closed, not having any of these in a girlfriend's hands seemingly indicates a stingy or incapable boyfriend... or otherwise.

To some, maybe gifts do not matter at all!

"Having calm and staying a logical mind is what makes a man a man!" (Notice the wrong use of words!)

Image from sakura-hostel.co.jp

Inside that logical mind of this man, he thinks, "Gifts don't matter! Since a real heart is in fact not pink in colour nor is it the shape of two lobeless ears adhered together, polar bears are not cuddly nor naturally friendly to human and their fur is not exactly white, and red roses symbolise nothing but thoughtless, uncaring, and unoriginal as anyone would purchase the same flower for their beloved mother. Gifts are just for showing off! How practical can they be?"

Red Roses
Image from Flowers Photoblog

"It is the thought that counts!" is a cliché some keep in their armoury since their first empty-handed Valentine's Day.

And there is more than just one cliché.

Take Hong Kong for example, according to my survey through years of observation, boys in Hong Kong overuse the word "baby", and abuse the word "cute". The former confuses me whenever I am near 11th floor of Langham Place in Mongkok, the latter irritates my ears because of the absence of the consonant "t" in its pronunciation.

"Baby! You are so Q!" is what I often heard in English, if any.

Why would any girls still buy this kind of compliment? He's saying you are a stick!!

What about "sweetie", "honey", "darling", "my angel", "my love", "cutie"and "cutiepie"? I understand the goosebumps issue and I am hearing some readers are shouting "Do you mind?" but let's put that aside for now. Where is the variety in the choice of vocabulary?

This might sound nothing related to English speaking or oral examinations but I must say, it is related. Consonant "t" at the end of words is a sound often omitted by students, often unaware of the error. Although arguably perfectly acceptable in some occasions, the absence of consonant "t" such as "cute" transforms the word entirely into a different one. It is crucial to pay special attention to such words when practising your speaking.

Another point is the lack of variety in the vocabulary. The most popular words students conveniently use in the secondary school level are "fine", "okay", "do", "see", "play", "nice", "good", "happy", "sad", "hot", "cold", "painful", "easy" and "not easy".

Basic vocabulary is for survival English. If you are aiming for better grades in speaking and listening, you will need to start working on the variety.

This is no sweet little lie.

Image fromsomekindofawesome.com

By the way, if you are the recipient of the compliment, "Baby! You are so Q! I Lub U!" Tell the boy, "Practice your pronunciation at home before ever speaking to me again!" Because how hard he tries to correct his pronunciations is a measurement of how much he means the words he says.

Fun Tasks For You:

Which words have the same pronunciation as "Q"?
Find a total of 10 different terms which have the word "sweet" and "sugar" in it.
Try pronounce "sea" and "seat", "her" and "hurt" and note the difference.
Pick any selected adjectives in the vocabulary section and find words with similar meanings.
Search online for a list of sweet quotes and then ask the boys and girls in your class how sweet these quotes are to them.
Carry out a survey in your class for the list of presents your classmates hope to receive on Valentine's Day.

Discussion Questions:

What are some of the Valentine's Day marketing strategies you have come across?
What does Valentine's Day mean to you / to the society / to other cultures?
What did the past generations do on Valentine's Day?
Are we over-materialistic?
Is materialism gender-specific? Discuss.
How to enjoy a low-budget Valentine's Day?

Vocabulary:

materialize -- (vb) [I] (UK usually materialise) If an idea or hope materializes, it becomes real

stingy -- (adj) informal disapproving unwilling to spend money

incapable -- (adj) unable to do something

or otherwise -- used to refer to the opposite of the word which comes before it

lobeless ear -- (n) [C] a ear with no lobe

Image from bbc.co.uk

adhere -- (vb) [I] formal to stick firmly

cuddly -- (adj) approving liking to cuddle, or making you want to cuddle

symbolize (UK usually symbolise) to represent something

thoughtless -- (adj) not considering how your actions or words may upset someone

uncaring -- (adj) disapproving not worrying about other people's troubles or doing anything to help them

unoriginal -- (adj) the same as a lot of other things and therefore not interesting or special

cliché -- (n)[C or U] a comment that is very often made and is therefore not original and not interesting

armoury -- (n) (US armory) [C] a place where weapons and other military equipment are stored

abuse -- (vb) [T] to use or treat someone or something wrongly or badly, especially in a way that is to your own advantage

the former -- (n)[S] the first of two people, things or groups previously mentioned

the latter -- (n)[S] the second of two people, things or groups previously mentioned

irritate -- (vb)[T] to make angry or annoyed

cutie -- (n) [C] (also cutiepie) mainly US informal a woman or girl who you consider attractive or like a lot

goosebumps -- (n) plural noun (UK also goose pimples) small raised areas that appear on the skin because of cold, fear or excitement

Do you mind? said to someone when you feel annoyed with them for what they have just done or said

put sth aside phrasal verb to save something, usually time or money, for a special purpose

unaware -- (adj) [after verb] not understanding or realising something

conveniently -- (adv) humorous suitable for your purposes and needs and causing the least difficulty

survival -- (adj) continuing to exist or wanting to continue to exist

recipient --(vb) [C] formal a person who receives something

Pronunciation:

cliché /ˈkliː.ʃeɪ/ /-ˈ-/

The stress for the UK pronunciation is on the 1st syllable while the stress for the US pronunciation is on the 2nd syllable.

Do you mind?

When pronouncing "Do you mind?", the word "mind" carries the strongest sentence stress, thus it should be the loudest, also, "mind" should take a high-low-high (up-down-up) tone to enhance the level of annoyance.

Structures:

not... nor

When nor is used as an adverb, it mean "also not", which is why it should be preceded by a negative not.

eg.

Jason isn't online, nor is John.
Janet didn't speak, nor did Florence.
I am not clever, nor am I stupid.
A real heart is in fact not pink in colour nor is it the shape of two lobeless ears adhered together.

Notice the position of the auxiliary verbs "is", "did", "am" and "is" in the above examples. They are immediately after "nor".

News, Science & Animals: Science News Digest (6th-9th Feb)

2012-02-09T14:22:00.003+08:00

It is science week!!!! I have quite a number of news articles on science which I want to share because there are many amazing things happening in this field this week.

First, not a very happy news, more dolphins are stranded, this time in Cape Cod Bay, USA.

View Larger Map

So far the scientists can only say that the dolphins are very bonded and will help each other when any one of them are in distress, but why will any one dolphin be in distress? I have a theory to it, but I will wait to reveal that in another entry.

In the second article, scientists have recreated the chirping sounds of an extinct Jurassic "cricket" with the help of the computers by analysing the fossils of this Tettigoniidae specie's wings, which is the part which makes such wonderful music. Imagine thousands of them singing at the same time!

Bush Cricket
Image from Wikipedia

Talking about extinctions, the Western Black Rhino was declared extinct by the IUCN on the 10th Nov, 2011 (yet those who got married the next day were happily cheering their 2011-11-11 marriage). I guess no one cares about these poor animals, but in case you do, please read this article published on the Business Insider.

The third article's title is clear and gross enough, Puerto Rico Plans To Slaughter Millions Of Iguanas And Sell Their Meat In The US,

Iguanas
Image from businessinsider

What kind of human wants to eat such creature? The article says "Latino and Asian immigrants in the U.S. have shown high demand for the meat, which allegedly tastes like stronger, tougher chicken."

View Larger Map

Asians? Seriously? Unless you are in a survival situation like Cody and Dave who were trapped on an isolated island, otherwise, why would anyone want to eat that?

Talking about Puerto Rico, after watching Gordan Ramsay: Shark Bait on TVB Pearl last week, which I have recommended watching on my Facebook update, I've learnt that the island is famous for wiping out beautiful sharks from the ocean. No surprise here with the iguanas.

The fourth article talks about the discovery of 100,000 year old seagrass on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea.

Meadows of Posidonia oceanica
Image from VOA

Spectacular, aren't they? The seagrass, Posidonia oceanica, is named after Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology, whom should be non strangers to comic fans of Saint Seiya,

Poseidon holding a trident. Corinthian plaque,
550-525 BC. From Penteskouphia. From Penteskouphia.
Image from Wikipedi

Poseidon of Saint Seiya anime
Image from wikia

Details can be found in this journal, but even if you don't read it, I guess we will know what will happen to the future of these seagrass -- illegal harvest causing total destructions. Let's hope I am completely wrong about it and may the Posidonia oceanica continue to thrive without disturbance.

View Larger Map

The fifth article reports the success of the Russian scientists in drilling deep into the Lake Vostok at South Pole,

Image from en.ian.ru

At 12,366 feet of depth, scientists are able to gather vital information which dates back some 20 million years before the most recent Ice Age occurred (there are many Ice Ages, the current one is called the Pliocene-Quaternary glaciation).

Image from nydailynews

The scientists are hoping to find information which could give clues "that may hold life from the distant past and clues to the search for life on other planets", but I suppose they will definitely not miss out reporting any possible forms of fossil fuel or energy resources should any be found.

Drilling so deep into the unknown is of course very exciting but also very dangerous because you don't know what you will find. It could be Captain America or highly contagious unknown virus from Contagion with no cure.

Captain America buried in thick ice
Image from comicbookmovie.com

Image from bangordailynews

I prefer Captain America then.

Last but not least, "A computer model developed by a Yale research team traces one scenario for the shifts in Earth's continents, starting with a rewind from the present, then going forward through the latest Pangaea supercontinent cycle. The animation reflects the "orthoversion" model for the rise and fall of supercontinents."

And here's the animation,

So we were really once a big family! And so were the whales, the dolphins, the sharks, the iguanas, and the dinosaurs.

I learn through reading and watching, what about you?

Vocabulary:
stranded -- (adj) unable to leave somewhere because of a problem such as not having any transport or money
(in) distress -- (n) [U] when you are suffering or are in great danger and therefore in urgent need of help
chirp -- (vb) [I] (also chirrup) (especially of a bird) to make a short high sound or sounds
extinct -- (adj) not now existing
iguana -- (n) [C] Iguana is a herbivorous genus of lizard native to tropical areas of Central America and the Caribbean
Puerto Rico -- (n)[U] is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands
isolated -- (adj) happening or existing only once, separate
Mediterranean Sea -- (n) [U] is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant.
Posidonia oceanica -- (n)[U] is a seagrass species that is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea.
Poseidon -- (n)[U] was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker,"[1] of the earthquakes in Greek mythology.
mythology -- (n) [U] myths in general
thrive -- (vb) [I] (thrived or US ALSO throve, thrived or USALSO thriven) to grow, develop or be successful
vital -- (adj) necessary for the success or continued existence of something; extremely important
fossil fuel -- (n) [C or U] fuels such as gas, coal and oil, which were formed underground from plant and animal remains millions of years ago
contagious -- (adj) describes a disease that can be caught by touching someone with the disease or a piece of infected clothing

Resources:

Massachusetts stranded-dolphin death toll up to 92 @ CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/06/us/massachusetts-stranded-dolphins/?hpt=hp_t3

Night Songs of the Jurassic @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=I9bl-5QFmZs

Scientists Reveal the Sound of a 165 Million Year Old Insect @ ecorazzi
http://www.ecorazzi.com/2012/02/08/scientists-reveal-the-sound-of-a-165-million-year-old-insect/

Black Rhino @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_rhino

The Black Rhino Was Declared Extinct Yesterday — Here Are 10 Other Species That Have Been Wiped Out By Man @ Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com/extinct-animals-2011-11

The 45 Most Endangered Species In America @ Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com/most-endangered-species-2011-7#

Puerto Rico Plans To Slaughter Millions Of Iguanas And Sell Their Meat In The US @ Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com/puerto-rico-plans-to-slaughter-millions-of-iguanas-and-sell-their-meat-in-the-us-2012-2

Dual Survival Season1 Ep3 Out Of Air(5) @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx3j4gYgwYE

Gordon Ramsay : Shark Bait @ Channel 4
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/gordon-ramsay-shark-bait/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1

Self-Cloning Seagrass May Be World's Oldest Living Thing @ VOA News
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Self-Cloning-Seagrass-May-Be-Worlds-Oldest-Living-Thing-138896854.html

Implications of Extreme Life Span in Clonal Organisms: Millenary Clones in Meadows of the Threatened Seagrass Posidonia oceanica @ PLoS ONE
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0030454

Poseidon @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poseidon

Saint Seiya @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_seiya

Russian scientists, using drill for 20 years, finally reach deep Antarctic lake buried under ice for 20 million years @ NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/russian-scientists-drill-20-years-finally-reach-deep-antarctic-lake-buried-ice-20-million-years-article-1.1019365?localLinksEnabled=false

Major Ice Ages @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_age#Major_ice_ages

Quaternary glaciation @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaternary_glaciation

Next supercontinent will amaze you @ MSNBC
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/08/10352397-next-supercontinent-will-amaze-you

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/stranded?q=stranded
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/distress_1?q=distress
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/chirp?q=chirping+#chirp__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/extinct?q=extinct+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/isolated?q=isolated+
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Sea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posidonia_oceanica
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poseidon
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/mythology_1?q=mythology+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/thrive?q=thrive+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/vital_1?q=vital+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/fossil-fuel?q=fossil+fuel
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/contagious?q=contagious+

Travelling & Living: Best Airport In The World

2012-02-08T12:00:00.000+08:00

Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1
Image from CNNGo

I have lived in Singapore for years, I've studied there, I've got my tan there, I've travelled in and out of the airport many times, but I have definitely not tried spending 24 hours in the airport coz I'm not Viktor Navorski nor Tom Hanks.

Who has? It's unlikely that anyone will be stranded in Singapore Changi Airport as it was voted as the World's Best Airport 2010 by SKYTRAX, (although Hong Kong International Airport took its throne in 2011).

But the author of this CNNGo article really spent a whole day at the Changi airport intentionally back in December 2010!!! With the photos, it was really fun reading it and I was surprised to see what I have never realised or known about this airport.

Xbox-ers, PS3s and a Guitar Hero set (Terminal 2, third Floor)
Image from CNNGo

I do not intend to rewrite what he has already written, but I highly recommend you go and read it and compare it to the airport you know best. Here are the items I am most impressed with.

Free charging stations all around
Image from CNNGo

See which one you prefer?

Four-storey high The Slide @ Terminal 3
Image from CNNGo

Short article for today, long one on Friday.

Vocabulary:
stranded -- (adj) unable to leave somewhere because of a problem such as not having any transport or money
throne -- (n) [C] the special chair used by a ruler, especially a king or queen

Resources:

The Terminal @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/

I was trapped (voluntarily) in Changi Airport ... and I loved it! @ CNNGo
http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/visit/24-hours-changi-airport-039443

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/stranded?q=stranded
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/throne?q=throne

Fashion, Science & Technology: World’s Lightest Material

2012-02-06T15:38:00.001+08:00

Kind of clearing some of the older possible entries these days, hope you don't mind.

At Christmas, I was walking in UNIQLO and saw this amazingly light down jacket, whether the design is nice or not really depends on your personal taste but inarguably it has got to be the lightest down jacket by far!

Image from Uniqlo

Not sure if they still have stocks after the recent cold weather in Hong Kong (in fact, the cold weather sweeps across the entire Northern Hemisphere, with 63 associated deaths in Japan and coldest morning ever recorded of minus 32.6 degrees Celsius in Esashi, Hokkaido).

Having seen this down jacket, I was reminded of a slightly outdated news which dates back to 21st November, 2011, which talks about the successful invention of the lightest man-made material.

Image from laughingsquid.com

Quoting from the news article from New Technology News,

"It’s about one hundred times lighter than Styrofoam, with a density of 0.9 mg/cc (Milligram per Cubic Centimeter) and has extraordinarily high energy absorption properties. This is a new type of metal which is 99.9 percent air, as show in the image it can sit on top of a dandelion fluff without crushing it. This pioneering research was carried out by a research engineering team at the University of California, Irvine, HRL Laboratories and the California Institute of Technology."

Exactly what this material is made from has not been disclosed, and the suggested uses of "this metal in thermal insulation, battery electrodes and products that need to dampen sound, vibration and shock energy" does not sound exciting enough to me in any ways, but I'm continuously impressed by the release of amazing achievements in science and technology in recent days. Who knows? Maybe one day we really can wear Zero-weight clothes and shoes!!!

Vocabulary:
Northern Hemisphere -- (n) [U]

Northern Hemisphere is highlighted in yellow
Image from Wikipedia

Dandelion -- (n)

Dandelion
Image from Wikipedia

fluff -- (n) [U] small loose bits of wool or other soft material, or the down (= soft new hairs) on a young animal

Resources:
Uniqlo Page 4-5
http://www.uniqlo.com/en/essay/

Northern Hemisphere @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Hemisphere

63 dead as lowest-ever temperatures hit Japan @ CNTV
http://english.cntv.cn/program/newshour/20120205/111852.shtml

World’s Lightest Material @ New Technology News
http://www.newtechnologynews.com/technology/worlds-lightest-material/

The 'Eiffel Tower of micro-architecture' @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/GlGvL1CMl5E

Dandelion @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/fluff_1?q=fluff

Message: Locky's English Playground on Singtao Student Page!!

2012-02-03T13:05:00.001+08:00

Dear all,

Locky's English Playground is expanding!!! After the establishment of this Blogger blog, followed by Facebook page, YouTube Channel and Sina Weibo, it is taking one more step to the newspapers!!!

As of today, Locky's English Playground will appear on Singtao Student Page as a column and I have officially become a newspaper columnist (till the end of school year)!!! I would like to thank my student Agnes Hui for offering this opportunity to me to benefit more secondary school students / readers. As a teacher, more help to others means making more than a difference. Isn't that the mission of all educators?

From this Friday onwards, our Friday entry will also be the entry on the column, maybe with slight differences. I'll see what I want to add or delete.

Hope you will like our Friday special entries.

Cheers,

Locky
Founder of the Locky's English Playground

Academic Research (Literature Review): Smartphones for Teaching and Learning, Angels or Demons?

2012-02-02T11:11:00.000+08:00

School kids using Smartphones to learn in Singapore
Image from flickr

Title:

Author:

Descriptors:

Publication Date:
Pages:
Last Updated:

Literature Review -- Smartphones for Teaching and Learning, Angels or Demons?

Law, Locky

English, ESL, EFL, Multimodality, Internet Culture, Popular Culture, Smartphones, Internet, Learning, Teaching,

2012-02-01

2011-12-07

Introduction:

Therehave been debates as to whether or not wireless devices such as smartphones orlaptops should be allowed in the classrooms or even integrated them into teaching (Murray, 2011; Fang, 2009; DeVille, 2011; Rapp, 2011). As educators, understandingthe benefits and the drawbacks of such mobile devices would be critical to thefuture of education. This article covers some of the latest literatures regardingsmartphones which includes its development and application in education, looksinto the importance, popularity, versatility, wireless mobility, interfacepersonalisability, successful implementation of smartphones and dilemmas, offerseducational apps for evaluations and case studies for further readings. Thearticle concludes with an indication of the future of smartphones in educationas part of mobile learning or M-learning (Sharma & Barrett, 2010).

Opinions:
For those of you who would like to read academic papers written by me. Hope this will be useful for those of you researching in related areas as well.

Resources:
Literature Review -- Smartphones for Teaching and Learning, Angels or Demons? @ Locky's English Playground

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B9emHQBd5COmY2MzY2UyY2UtM2RkNi00MjE4LWIwM2UtODNjOWM3YjI5NTI1&hl=en_US

News & Technology: Samsung Galaxy SII with ICS

2012-02-01T16:20:00.005+08:00

Samsung Galaxy Note
Image from cbsistatic.com

A quick entry on a piece of news from Samsung, and that is after Galaxy Nexus has been rolled out with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), Galaxy SII and Galaxy Note will soon as proven by a post on Samsung's Norway Facebook. I wonder why a Korea-based company will allow the news to "leak" on a Norway Facebook.

Image from cbsistatic.com

This news surely sparks off some heat for the long-waited, ice-frozen "anticipants".

Some of you might be asking, what's so special about this Ice Cream Sandwich, well, thanks to my student and friend Angus, here's the video he found,

To sum up, basically I would say, Ice Cream Sandwich is an operating system which trashes iOS 5 so badly, if the Gingerbread 2.3.5 isn't already trashing it.

I've been an anticipant since the day I first got my SII. You too?

However, as mentioned in this article, we might have to wait till April to get the update, and for Hong Kong, it could be even later... fingers crossed! Let's hope it will come sooner, like end of February!

Vocabulary:
spark (off sth) -- (vb) [T] to cause the start of something, especially an argument or fighting
anticipant -- (n) [C] a word created by Locky, from anticipate + participants, refers to someone who has been anticipating to participate in an event or an activity.
trash -- (vb) [T] informal to destroy or severely damage something
fingers crossed / cross your fingers(also keep your fingers crossed) -- to hope that things will happen in the way that you want them to

Resources:

Samsung's Galaxy Note and S II getting Ice Cream Sandwich soon @ CNet.com
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57368795-1/samsungs-galaxy-note-and-s-ii-getting-ice-cream-sandwich-soon/

Samsung Galaxy S II and Note to get Android 4.0 by March @ The Mobile Indian
http://www.themobileindian.com/news/5025_Samsung-Galaxy-S-II-and-Note-to-get-Android-4.0-by-March

Samsung Norway Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/SamsungNorge/posts/354558884556535

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Introduction video @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrYZDWuBptI

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/trash_4
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/cross-your-fingers_2?q=fingers+crossed#cross-your-fingers_2__1

Message: New Logo for 2012!!!

2012-02-01T15:41:00.004+08:00

Locky's English Playground is changing to a new logo, leave me a message and tell me how you think about it!

Thank you!

Locky

People & Photography: Tom Ang, Books & App

2012-01-30T13:45:00.003+08:00

Image from Tom Ang

An Asian who definitely loves Hong Kong (and many other countries in fact), Tom Ang is a highly-experienced photographer with over 42 years of photo-shooting who taught in the University of Westminster for over 12 years, a best-selling author who has written 21 books and more, a true passionate educator!

Here are just some of his best.

I came across this book while loitering in a Joint Publishing flagship bookstore and I found this book Digital Photography Masterclass and I loved it! It only costs $150 after special discount, it was fully written in English and there are numerous descriptive words and photography terms to learn, wonderful photos beautifully colour-printed on every page, wonderfully suits the taste of any English and/or photography lovers.

Image from Tom Ang

I really wanted to get it, but because it was really thick and I didn't have hands to carry, so I haven't bought it. I have yet to return to the bookstore but I will definitely get it next time!! If you have even a bit of interest in photography, I highly recommend you go to your nearby bookstore and pick up any one of these books and give it a go!!!

Image from Tom Ang

Before I sign off, iPhone users will be happy to get this little gift from me (actually Tom Ang), and that is Tom's Photography Tutorial App with 85 tutorials of the book How to Photograph Absolutely Everything. It is NOT free but it is not expensive either.

Here's the link: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/dk-tom-angs-digital-photography/id483102633?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4%2522%2520target%253D%2522itunes_store%2522%253EDK%2520Tom%2520Ang%2527s%2520Digital%2520Photography%2520-%2520Dorling%2520Kindersley

More about his books after I have get my hands on them.

Vocabulary:
loiter -- (vb) [I] to move slowly around or stand especially in a public place without an obvious reason
give it a go -- (idiomatic) to try or to attempt
get my hands on sth -- to succeed in obtaining something

Resources:

Tom Ang Official Website
www.tomang.com

Tom Ang @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ang

Tom Ang Photography app for iPhone @ Tom Ang
http://www.tomang.com/?page_id=112&bookId=13

DK Tom Ang's Digital Photography @ App Store
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/dk-tom-angs-digital-photography/id483102633?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4%2522%2520target%253D%2522itunes_store%2522%253EDK%2520Tom%2520Ang%2527s%2520Digital%2520Photography%2520-%2520Dorling%2520Kindersley

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/loiter?q=loiter
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/give_it_a_go
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/get+hands+on

Sport & People: Bobsleigh & Steven Holcomb

2012-01-27T15:47:00.004+08:00

Bobsleigh or bobsled, I dare to say is a sport rarely heard of in Asia, but it is an thrilling competition in the Winter Olympics. I bet there are many things to learn from this sport on another freezing cold day in Hong Kong.

On text, it is pretty difficult to describe what the sport is, according to Wikipedia,

"Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sled. The timed runs are combined to calculate the final score."

So, there is no one better than Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion Bobsledder Steven Holcomb to teach us about his beloved sport,

And how does it look like from Steve's perspective?

Truly exciting isn't it? It may look easy but the training and the danger that one has to go through is anything but simple. Once loses control and fatal accidents are almost guaranteed.

Those of us who live in Asia won't be able to enjoy the fun of this sport unless you visit the countries up North (and be professionally trained), but watching experts like Steve in front of the monitor is still very cool and most importantly safe, unless your friend pranks you with some edited horror videos just as you get into the mood of watching.

Success really doesn't come easy, especially for Steve, and he tells you why.

Keratoconus, from Wikipedia, "is a degenerative disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a more conical shape than its normal gradual curve."

Image from Wikipedia

Even though Steve suffered from Keratoconus, he fully recovered and he did win the gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics 4-man bobsled for The United States! Congratulations to you Steve, (Hope you don't mind the late words) and thanks for following us!!!

Types of Bobsleigh races:

Four Man,
Two Man,
Two Woman

Do "Like" this entry and the English Playground, and catch more Steve on YouTube!!!

Vocabulary:
banked -- (adj) from bank (n)[C] sloping raised land, especially along the sides of a river
gravity -- (n) the force which attracts objects towards one another, especially the force that makes things fall to the ground
beloved -- (adj) slightly formal loved very much
fatal -- (adj) A fatal illness or accident, etc. causes death
prank -- (vb) from prank (n) [C] a trick that is intended to be funny but not to cause harm or damage
keratoconus -- (n) [U] a degenerative disorder of the eye in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a more conical shape than its normal gradual curve."

Resources:
People: Welcome Steven Holcomb To Our Playground!!!
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2012/01/people-welcome-steven-holcomb-to-our.html

Bobsled @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobsled

Steven Holcomb @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_holcomb

Steven Holcomb @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTZ53gpo2wU

Go Pro Bobsledding with driver Steven Holcomb @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPb637T7UEQ

Scary Maze Game® Reaction[Monitor Punch] @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeDd61n0Kqs

2010 Winter Olympics: Steve Holcomb - Bobsled @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzzWUdbQzxU

Keratoconus @ U.S. National Library of Medicine - The World's Largest Medical Library
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002008/

Keratoconus @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratoconus

List of Olympic medalists in bobsleigh @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Olympic_medalists_in_bobsleigh#Four_man

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/bank_2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/gravity_1?q=gravity+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/beloved_1?q=beloved+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/fatal?q=fatal+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/prank?q=prank+

People: Welcome Steven Holcomb To Our Playground!!!

2012-01-27T11:57:00.001+08:00

Must have been the last entry that I wrote which draws the attention from Steven Holcomb, Olympic Gold Medalist and World Champion Bobsledder and probably our first Star English Player, into subscribing to The English Playground's Twitter page.

Image from Locky's English Playground

Since we have already started the topic on skeleton sleigh and we are in the ice field, I'm going to dedicate the next entry to his favourite sport for our English Players to learn a bit more.

Once again, Welcome Steven!!!! Thanks for subscribing!!

Do "Like" this entry and our English Playground!!

Resources:
Listening & TV: Skeleton VS Mini-Cooper @ TopGear @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2012/01/listening-tv-bobsleigh-vs-mini-cooper.html

Listening & TV: Skeleton VS Mini-Cooper @ TopGear

2012-01-24T14:44:00.002+08:00

Image from kentfilmoffice.co.uk

Nothing to do in the holidays? Too cold to go out for fun? Want something informative yet fun and even exciting to watch? Here it is!!!! From TopGear Season 17 Episode 1!!!

Top Gear Season 17 episode 1

After watching the show, you should have learnt the following words:

The Marauder
Image from ridelust

moan its passing, Johannesburg, dashboard, nip off, torque, astonishing, get carried away.

Jeremy with BMW 1M
Image from richardsf1

hatchback, subsequently, capture the magic of the original,

3...2...1... Mini cooper Lancer VS Amy Williams
Image from richardsf1

Stomping ground, gold medalist, skeleton bob(sleigh), scraping the ice,

Jeremy E-Type Jaguar
Image from entertainmentalley

Jaguar Growler
Image from0-60mag

convertible E-Type, humiliated, understated tribute

Enjoy the excitement!!!!!

Do "Like" this entry and the English Playground!!

Vocabulary:

moan -- (vb)[I] to make a long low sound of pain, suffering or another strong emotion
nip off -- (phrasal verb) sever or remove by pinching or snipping; "nip off the flowers"
astonishing -- (adj) very surprising
be/ get carried away -- (phrasal verb) to become so excited about something that you do not control what you say or do
hatchback -- (n) [C] a car which has an extra door at the back which can be lifted up to allow things to be put in
stomp -- (vb) [I usually + adverb or preposition] to walk with intentionally heavy steps, especially as a way of showing that you are annoyed
scrape -- (vb) [T] to remove an unwanted covering or a top layer from something, especially using a sharp edge or something rough
convertible -- (n) [C] (also soft top) a car with a soft roof which can be folded back
understated -- (adj) not trying to attract attention or impress people
tribute -- (n) [C or U] something that you say, write or give which shows your respect and admiration for someone, especially on a formal occasion

Resources:

TopGear Season 17 Episode 1 @ StreetFire.net
http://www.streetfire.net/video/top-gear-season-17-episode-1_2278681.htm

Bobsleigh @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobsleigh

Amy Williams @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Williams

Skeleton Race @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton_(sport)

Top Gear S17E01 Review @ Richard’s F1
http://richardsf1.com/2011/06/27/top-gear-s17e01-review/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/moan_1?q=moan+
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nip+off
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/astonishing?q=astonishing+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/carry-sb-away?q=carry+away#carry-sb-away__2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/stomp?q=stomping+#stomp__3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/scrape_1?q=scrape+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/convertible_2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/understated?q=understated+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/tribute_1?q=tribute+

Message: Happy Chinese New Year 2012!

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000+08:00

The English Playground wishes all English players a highly energised and healthy Chinese New Year and be as strong as the Chinese dragon!!!

Image from cellphonesphere.com

Image from WWF

Do go to the resources below and revise the Chinese New Year vocabulary!!!!

Don't forget to "Like" this entry and the English Playground!!!

Resources:
Food: Chinese Delicacy @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/02/food-chinese-delicacy.html

Food: Festive Puddings @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/02/food-festive-puddings.html

Vocabulary: Chinese New Year Flowers and Plants @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/02/vocabulary-chinese-new-year-flowers-and.html

Animals: A Market Proposal for Saving Whales?

2012-01-20T18:45:00.000+08:00

A minke whale is processed in Hvalfjörður, Iceland. Photo: Dagur Brynjólfsson/Flickr
Image from Wired Science

Is putting a price tag on all animals right to do? If whales have a price tag, can they be saved?

I was reading this news article titled A Market Proposal for Saving Whales the other day and was quite disturbed by the photo above, a murdered minke whale, which got me to think, why are people so cruel?

The article suggested putting a price on the right of killing whales and allow the price to float according to the market demands, similar to the carbon emission trading, thus transforming the genocide into a battle of cash. Ideally speaking, it should work, but the question is, what if the whalers buy the rights and decide to execute their rights -- to kill the whales?

A cute free minke whale should look like the one below, and not the one above. The sight of killing such a majestic warm-hearted animal is disheartening and simply a disgrace to mankind.

Minke whale. Photo: Martin Cathrae/Flickr
Image from Wired Science

But am I wrong?

Many others believe that killing anything on this planet is a right as long as it is legally right to do so, as such the law is the guide book to their actions, a definite line drawing what's right and wrong, a boundary which decides the life and death of all other living things.

Moral values? It Is an abstract subjective concept.

We humans, all 7 billions of us [1], cannot stop killing the remaining 103,000 minke whales and classified them as Least Concerned of the conservation status on the IUCN Red List [2], and there are still the sperm whales, dolphins and others.

Unlike fish, these animals have very slow reproduction rate, usually one calf in one pregnancy, and some reach sexual maturity slower than us, meaning that it takes some of them at least 13 years before they have the ability to reproduce [2], let alone the rare chances of finding the right partner in the huge oceans.

Poor whales, can we just look at how few there are and stop the killing without thinking about law?

Why can't all whale-slaughters become whale watching (tourism)?

Whale watching off the coast of Bar Harbor, Maine
Image from Wikipedia

Vocabulary:
genocide -- (n) [U] the murder of a whole group of people, especially a whole nation, race or religious group
majestic -- (adj) beautiful, powerful or causing great admiration and respect
disheartening -- (adj) to make a person lose confidence, hope and energy; to discourage
be a disgrace to sb/sth -- to be so bad or unacceptable that you make people lose respect for the group or activity you are connected to
calf -- (n) [C] (plural calves) a young cow, or the young of various other large mammals such as elephants and whales
slaughter -- (n) [U] the killing of animals for meat
whale watching -- (n) is the practice of observing whales and other cetaceans in their natural habitat.

Resources:
A Market Proposal for Saving Whales @ Wired Science
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/01/whale-market/

Carbon Emission Trading @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_emission_trading

[1] World Population @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population

[2] Minke Whale @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minke_whale

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/genocide?q=genocide
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/majestic?q=majestic+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/dishearten?q=disheartening+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/disgrace_1?q=disgrace+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/calf_1?q=calf
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/slaughter_1?q=slaughter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_watching

News & Message: Wikipedia Blackout

2012-01-18T14:35:00.005+08:00

I Love Knowledge

Image from Wikipedia

Movie: We Bought A Zoo Review

2012-01-17T14:10:00.003+08:00

Image from Teaser-Trailer.com

I can't wait till Wednesday to publish this! I must do it today, while it is still available on cinemas!

How can any movie be so simple yet so touching??? I really can't believe it! I still can't imagine how the scriptwriters and directors did it! Absolutely unbelievable movie!

I'm talking about a movie which might not have caught the attention of many because it is not an action movie, but if you ask me which movie is better than Mission Impossible 4, I would say, this one, We Bought A Zoo! This is the movie with scenes I wouldn't imagine myself sobbing and crying in.

Those loves: a rescuer's love towards animals, the painfully ever-lasting love towards a deceased wife, a widower's love towards his children, they are all remarkably portrayed in this 124-minute movie!

Image from collider

The "Borne" star has finally taken a giant leap in his acting skills in this movie. Previously I don't even like Matt Damon, but this brave father character of Benjamin Mee completely changed my view of him. He actually did a great job in this family drama which is based on a true story set in Southern California.

Image from collider

The daughter, Rosie, was the cutest of the movie, she's smart, caring, sweet, and she knows her head tilts! Definitely going to make a great star when she grows up. Similarly, from a 10-year-old child star to a glamorous woman, Danish descendant Scarlett Johansson doesn't dress in any sexy dresses but her sexiness comes from her speeches and her eyes, but I wasn't even interested in her sexiness anyway, just the relationship of her with Benjamin Mee.

Image from collider

After watching this movie, I must agree with the fact that people were really beautiful in this movie, not of their faces, but of their hearts. People all sacrificing themselves for the sake of the animals, friends and public.

But what I really like about this movie, are those flashbacks which everyone would expect to be a simple video-editing skill of cut-rearrange-and-paste, but it wasn't!!! They merged the memories with the reality (in the movie)! Real-time flashbacks!!! That was excellent! I love this technique!! The part in which Benjamin sat on the kitchen floor looking at the old photos of his deceased wife, and the last part when she appeared in the cafe sitting on a chair she and Benjamin Mee first met, they were simply tear-drainingly warm!!! And the dialogues in this movie, so well-written, so good!!!!!

MUST WATCH!!!!

When I wrote, Movie: Must-watch & Can-Watch Movies 2011/12, I have never expected it to be so good! I must admit, I was wrong!!! Very wrong indeed!!!!!

If you really decide to watch this movie, do not miss the part near the end when Benjamin climbs over the fallen tree overlooking a line of visitors to the zoo, because the real Benjamin Mee, Milo (Dylan in the movie) Mee and Ella (Rosie in the movie) Mee can be seen as the first family in line to enter the zoo!

Have you watched this movie? What are your views? Do leave your comments!

Don't forget to "LIKE" this article and the English Playground

Vocabulary:
deceased -- (adj) formal dead
widower -- (n)[C] a man whose wife has died and who has not married again
descendant -- (n)[C] a person who is related to someone and who lives after them, such as their child or grandchild

Resources:
We Bought A Zoo @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1389137/

We Bought A Zoo Trailer @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krh1koDU2uE

We Bought A Zoo Trivia @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1389137/trivia

Movie: Must-watch & Can-Watch Movies 2011/12 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2011/12/movie-must-watch-can-watch-movies.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/deceased_1?q=deceased+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/widower?q=widower
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/descendant?q=descendant+

Travelling & Living: Day 3 in Taipei

2012-01-16T20:51:00.003+08:00

Cable car of Maokong
Image from Locky's English Playground

Day 3 in Taipei, cold, windy and cloudy at MaoKong station, the temperature fit the mood of Christmas Eve but the lighting is not quite as good for photography, nor for waking up from a cosy warm bed.

Eyes of Maokong Gondola
Image from Locky's English Playground

Anyway, it was quite a bit of waiting till any form of human beings were allowed to enter from the freezing cold wind blowing entrance to the non-wind blowing indoor, then some more waiting till the crystal cable car was ready (about one in every six cable cars), then finally my legs were hanging a hundred meters or more above the tree tops.

The view from inside the cable car looking down
Image from Locky's English Playground

It was quite scary and the cold wind was still directed at my butt, but it was worth it, in a sense that the same facilities will cost me HK$300+ but in Taipei, it was the same price as the non-crystal cable cars!

Taipei 101 from the cable car
Image from Locky's English Playground

After thousands of metres of cable car ride, I survived and came to this food centre! Tourists had only one thing to think in this situation and it is a 3-letter word.

Signs listing restaurants and tea houses
Image from Locky's English Playground

Since I was a tourist too, I was definitely not going to lose out. "Food food! Here I come!!!"

Image from Locky's English Playground

To my surprise, the types of food available was stunning!

Some kind of oiling deep dried food
Image from Locky's English Playground

There were deep-fried food, tofu, noodles, hot dogs,

Chicken legs and desserts in front of the lady
Image from Locky's English Playground

more deep-fried food, hot and cold desserts, traditional Taiwanese drinks,

Best pork sausages I had!!!
Image from Locky's English Playground

and the best pork sausages I had in Taipei so far!!! I had 3 of those!! Amazing stuff!

Image from Locky's English Playground

After the stomach was kind of filled and the core body temperature was raised, it was time for some walking around and getting those fatty pork transformed into heat. Basically, there was not much to see in Maokong; the signs were not lying a single bit, all you really get are restaurants and tea houses. Maybe someone will come for the scenery and food, but can't you find that somewhere else?

A romantic tea house
Image from Locky's English Playground

But on the other hand, maybe it is worth it, depends on who you go with. The scenery was not really stunning, but it was very green and laid-back. Having cakes and tea inside the warm nicely decorated tea houses is pretty nice!

Miyazaki style cafe
Image from Locky's English Playground

And after some city sightseeing, I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to have a cup of hot tea / coffee at this Miyazaki-style truck cafe?

I was at the zoo!!!!
Image from Locky's English Playground

Sun was halfway down and on the return journey, it was a visit to the zoo!!!

First encounter with a panda, EVER!!!!
Image from Locky's English Playground

And I had many very first encounters with many animals! Especially with a panda! It is my first time to see a real panda and it is the most energetic panda I have ever met!!! He was like on drugs, hugging a piece of wood, throwing and fetching it, rethrowing and refetching it, up and down the trees and ponds, then more wood games! All in 5 minutes! He really was so cute!!!

Outside the zoo exit
Image from Locky's English Playground

Time to leave and dine, the next stop was Shilin Night Market,

Shilin Night Market
Image from Locky's English Playground

People overcrowded the place, making it near impossible to walk slowly or turn around once you are in the sea of man.

Old couples doing business in their push carts
Image from Locky's English Playground

Not to mention that it was also very difficult to take photos, lucky that my 7D performed really well allowing me to study the photos in details when I got back to the hotel.

Some candies made from peanuts
Image from Locky's English Playground

The lighting from the shops enhanced the photo quality by a lot, and I didn't even have to use a flashlight to shoot pleasant colour photos!

Good-looking deep fried something
Image from Locky's English Playground

I was surprised to see that Oden, a type of Japanese food, everywhere! It must be one of Taiwanese's favourites in Winter.

Oden
Image from Locky's English Playground

As for ubiquitous beverage / dessert, is the blacker than black grass jelly drink! I bought one and it tasted fine!

Grass jelly drink
Image from Locky's English Playground

Another one is Aiyu, literally "Love Jade", never had the chance to try,

"Aiyu", love jade?
Image from Locky's English Playground

but definitely the next time, as it looks really cute, like big blocks of jelly!!

Image from Locky's English Playground

Actually, after the first round, I wasn't able to find space or time to get anything to eat, so before the second round of walking, getting some huge chicken pieces at the new Shilin Market site.

Image from Locky's English Playground

And here's the famous huge deep fried chicken chops!

Huge Chicken chop
Image from Locky's English Playground

The chicken chop tasted great the first few bites, but the crumb was really thick on both sides, so almost 20% through the eating, I decided not to eat one of the sides of the crumb.

Lamb skewers
Image from Locky's English Playground

The huge chicken piece was almost the only food I could pick from the new market, and eventually, going back to the old street seemed more attractive, and the lamb stick was another snack I had.

Deep-fried Milk
Image from Locky's English Playground

This deep fried milk is nice too! But it would taste even better if it was before the main course.

But in fact, there was no main course that night.

Kebabs
Image from Locky's English Playground

The curry beef kebab was the most filling of the night, and it tasted great!

Vocabulary:
laid-back -- (adj) informal relaxed in manner and character; not usually worried about other people's behaviour or things that need to be done
ubiquitous -- (adj) formal or humorous seeming to be in all places
kebab -- (n) [C] (also shish kebab) a dish consisting of small pieces of meat and vegetables that have been put on a long thin stick or metal rod and cooked together

Resources:

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/laid-back?q=laid+back
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/ubiquitous?q=ubiquitous+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/kebab?q=kebab

Technology: New Solar Tech 2011-12

2012-01-13T15:38:00.001+08:00

Solar Power Plant
Image from smithheggumreport

Yesterday's solar energy stocks around the world soared and trading volume was one of the highest since last October. News reports have it that this reaction in the markets was a reflection of "higher-than-expected demand at the end of 2011" and this year [1][2], that the Asia-Pacific solar market is "to grow 130% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of this year."[3], and Claymore/MAC Global Solar Index (ETF), "a global sector benchmark, is up 27.2 percent since Dec. 28, when it closed at a historical low" [4].

So much support from the recent news articles, I doubt that optimism would suddenly surge in a single day causing global markets to react violently. It was just one big excuse for the big cheese to earn quick money.

That doesn't mean I don't agree with whatever reasons they have listed. In fact, I agree with them totally! Just don't agree that it is anything new. For years, I have always stayed positive in the solar industry and have more than once mentioned the saviour role of solar energy in the life and death of the human race [5][6][7][8]. My money invested in the industry has gone up and down with the markets like a roller coaster, but the industry has been improving in terms of technology all along and it has never stopped improving.

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon has already been held for five years [9] and new ideas for more energy-saving comfy homes are still popping up like wild flowers!

Several new ideas have sprung up just last year!

A scanning electron microscopy image of carbon nanotubes bundles
Image from Wikipedia

Carbon Nanotube Structure
Image from Wikipedia

Copper nanowires and carbon nanotubes are potential candidates for the future generations of solar cells [10][11] with carbon nanotubes standing out due to its bendability [12] and strong UV/Nis-NIR absorption characteristics [13].

The most exciting, I reckon, goes to quantum dot as its production cost is considered to be one of the lowest. [14][15] So far, the technology is far from mature to be commercially produced, but the advancement of such technology seems to be improving exponentially as the number of news article increases daily.

"Life finds a way."
Sunflower's design a hint to efficient harvest of sunlight
Image from msnbcmedia.msn.com

Yesterday, a news article which talks about how sunflower actually hints the design of solar power plant. [16] The engineers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), were quoted

"It is very scary that we did all the [numerical optimization] work and then we go back to nature," he noted. "We could have started there.""

Well of course!!!! Do you think that thousands of years of evolution of the sunflowers means nothing??? The sunflowers date back to 2600BC and each floret is at a Golden Angle of 137.5° adjacent to another [17] [18] allowing maximum efficiency of sunlight harvest. This is no accident!!!

Head displaying florets in spirals of 34 and 55 around the outside
Image from Wikipedia

Haven't they watched Jurassic Park?

"Life finds a way." -- Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park

In terms of investment, even Google and non-tech investor Warren Buffett have begun to invest in the solar industry [19][20] !

Are they too slow? Or have they just got on the train at the right time?

Vocabulary:
saviour -- (n) UK a person who saves someone from danger or harm (US savior)
decathlon -- (n) [C] a competition in which a male athlete competes in ten sports events
copper nanowire
carbon nanotube
quantum dot
floret -- (n) [C] a small part of a vegetable that is shaped like a flower
Golden Angle -- (n) 137.5° see Golden_angle

Resources:
[1] Solar Stocks Rise on Surging German Installs, China Growth @ Bloomberg Businessweek
http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LXNNK66S972B01-62ALRPJ02TU1TNHUK6Q6UIFOOO

[2] Solar Stocks Rally on Surging German Installs, China Doubling Capacity @ Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-11/solar-stocks-rise-on-china-growth-plans.html

[3] Asia Pacific solar market to grow 130% @ My Sinchew
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/68969

[4] Vestas Trouble for Wind Energy Co. not Clouding Solar Energy Prospects - Analysis @ International Business Times
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/280979/20120112/vestas-wind-layoffs-solar-energy-stock-upgrade.htm

Claymore/MAC Global Solar Index (ETF) @ Google Finance
http://www.google.com/finance?cid=723029

[5] Economics & Environment: The Green Energy Debate Amid Japan's Nuclear Crisis @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2011/03/economics-environment-green-energy.html

[6] Investment: What's after Solar? Wind Power @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/12/investment-whats-after-solar-wind-power.html

[7] Investment: Electric Cars vs Future -- Part 2 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/10/investment-electric-cars-vs-future-part_28.html
[8] Investment: Electric Cars vs Future -- Part 3 @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/10/investment-electric-cars-vs-future-part_30.html

[9] Student Architects Shine in Solar Energy Contest @ VOA
http://www.voanews.com/english/news/environment/Students-Architects-Shine-in-Solar-Energy-Contest-130677728.html

[10] The next best thing for solar cells: carbon nanotubes @ bits of science
http://www.bitsofscience.org/solar-cell-carbon-nano-energy-3418/

[11] Improved solar cells and electronics thanks to copper nanowires @ bits of science
http://www.bitsofscience.org/solar-energy-electronics-nano-3411/

[12] New material for 'bendable' solar cells @ UPI
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/09/27/New-material-for-bendable-solar-cells/UPI-44371317167647/

[13] Carbon Nanotubes @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_nanotube#Solar_cells

[14] Quantum dot @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_dot#Photovoltaic_devices

[15] Colloidal Quantum Dot Solar Cells Improve Energy Conversion Efficiency @ IEEE Spectrum
http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semiconductors/nanotechnology/colloidal-quantum-dot-solar-cells-improve-energy-conversion-efficiency

[16] Sunflowers inspire improved solar power plant @ Future of Technology
http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/11/10118661-sunflowers-inspire-improved-solar-power-plant

[17] Sunflower @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower

[18] Golden Angle @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_angle

Jurassic Park @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107290/quotes

[19] Buffett investment in California solar farm could boost industry @ Los Angeles Times
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/08/business/la-fi-buffett-solar-20111208

[20] Google Invests $75 Million in Solar Panel Firm @ Mashable Business
http://mashable.com/2011/09/28/google-solar-panel-firm/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/saviour?q=saviour
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/decathlon?q=decathlon+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/floret?q=floret+

Event: No Pants Subway Ride 2012

2012-01-11T12:00:00.000+08:00

Image by Gerry Kahrmann/Postmedia News

One event after another, on 8th January, 2012, there was a D&G Photo-taking Day in Hong Kong, on the other side of the planet, same day but 13 hours apart, there was a No Pants Subway Ride in New York!

A platform full of people in New York
Image fromhttp://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/newyork.jpg

What is the No Pants Subway Ride all about?

Here's the origin.

From a prank to a city's annual event to a event celebrated in 49 cities across the globe. A celebration of humanity which is outside the scope of the Olympic Game; a celebration of silliness as their website puts it; a celebration of freedom 10 years in a row!!

And actually, it is not restricted to a single city or country. Try San Francisco for instance.

San Francisco — No Pants Subway Ride 2012 on 8th Jan
Image from The MADgazine

See Taiwan is not just about the election.

Taiwan's No Pants Subway Ride
Image from electru.de/wp-content

And Guangzhou too!

Guangzhou
Image from thebeijinger.com

Like this video? There are more on Improv Everywhere.

Image from hellovancity.com

When will Hong Kong gets its turn?

Wait a second, will we see a merge in D&G Photo-taking Day with the No Pants Subway Ride next year?

Interesting!!

A protester holds a placard outside a chain store of Dolce & Gabbana
in Hong Kong, Sunday, Jan 8, 2012. -- PHOTO: AP

And why not? Since the D&G Photo-taking Day is a move to regain freedom of photography and the No Pants Subway Ride is about freedom to not wear pants in the Subway. The former definitely will make a bigger scene while no wearing pants and the latter definitely enjoy being shot by thousands of cameras.

This might actually come true one day! Another idea I can claim credit from!

Vocabulary:
prank -- (n)[C] a trick that is intended to be funny but not to cause harm or damage
humanity -- (n) [U] people in general
placard -- (n) [C] a large piece of card, paper, etc. with a message written or printed on it, often carried in public places by people who are complaining about something

Resources:
News: Disliking Dolce & Gabbana @ Hong Kong! @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2012/01/news-disliking-dolce-gabbana-hong-kong.html

The First No Pants Subway Ride @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/ofYSrHMYGEM

No Pants Subway Ride 2011 @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/yoajdUEYBIE

Celebrate Humanity @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrate_Humanity

No Pants Subway Ride 2012 @ The MADgazine
http://themadgazine.com/post/13872624873/no-pants-subway-ride-2012-on-8th-jan

The No Pants Subway Ride @ Improv Everywhere
http://improveverywhere.com/missions/the-no-pants-subway-ride/

No Pants Day @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Pants_Day

http://www.google.com.hk/search?aq=2&oq=no+pants+&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=no+pants+subway+ride+2012

No Pants Subway Ride 2012: Pantless riders hit NYC subways @ NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/pants-subway-ride-2012-pantless-riders-hit-nyc-subways-gallery-1.1003256

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/prank?q=prank
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/humanity_1?q=humanity+

News: Disliking Dolce & Gabbana @ Hong Kong!

2012-01-09T15:41:00.005+08:00

Article 1 on Singtao Student Page:

Image from The Standard

Definitely the news of the day and a new week, Dolce & Gabbana's "Hong-Kongers Photograph-me-not" triggered off a more-than-15,000-"like" protest / demonstration last Sunday in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

Image from The Telegraph UK

It all began with a news report in which the local Hong Kong shoppers received a No-Photographing ban and the local Hong Kong reporters threatened to have their cameras destroyed by the security guards of the renowned luxury brand D&G while mainland and overseas shoppers are free to do so. Anger flared up on Facebook over the discrimination evolving into a mass D&G photo-taking day for the right-stripped Hong-Konger at the flagship branch in Tsim Sha Tsui, the origin of rage.

Detailed transcriptions of the protesters' voices appeared on multiple media sources across the globe including Reuters, Straits Times, The Telegraph (UK), The Wall Street Journal, SCMP and The Standards, with negative comments for D&G no less than "shameful", "shame on you", "regrettable", "go home".

Passing vehicles sounded their horns and protesters chanted "Open up!" and offered their boos and thumbs down.

On moving pictures, it looked like this.

From this incidence comes numerous questions on human rights, poverty and values of this city. Worth our thinking.

But instead of making some really formal logical thinking procedures, I like to sound cunning!

No matter how tight the margin of the window display market is, it is never right for segregation of any kinds or any forms. Following D&G's thread of logic, if barring the local Hong-Kongers from photographing protects the brand's Intellectual Property (IP), then their IP needs no protection against non-Hong-Kongers.

Are Hong-Kongers in a much harmful position to the brand than all other human beings on Earth? Will Wall-E be harmful if Wall-E has a camera installed on his head? Will dogs be harmful if they have cameras on their necks? What if Hong-Kongers no longer use smartphones or DSLRs to take photos of the shop but use secret cameras such as the contact lens optical scanner in Mission Impossible 4? Can D&G actually stop any of these?

Contact lens optical scanner @ MI4
Image from the Moshers go to the Movies: December 2011

They might need Tom Cruise to be their security guard in the future.

What if I have the disguising skills of Tom Cruise in MI4 or Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes 2 that I disguise as a Russian or a foreign woman?

Tom Cruise as Russian General
Image from cdn.screenrant.com

Robert Downey Jr. disguising as a woman in Sherlock Holmes 2
Image from Jessica Who?

Haha! That should be real fun!!! I'm no master of disguise, but I am a bit of hacker.

Man! I really enjoy referencing my previous movie review entry (Movies: Sherlock Holmes 2 & MI4 Reviews ) in this article!

Don't forget to "Like" this entry and the English Playground!

Vocabulary:
trigger (off) -- (vb) [T] to cause something bad to start
flare (up) -- (vb) [I] (also flare up) When something bad such as violence, pain or anger flares (up), it suddenly starts or gets much worse
right-stripped -- (adj) from strip (vb) [T] to remove, pull or tear the covering or outer layer from something
flagship -- (n) [C] the best or most important product, idea, building, etc. that an organization owns or produces
rage -- (n) [C or U] (a period of) extreme or violent anger
globe -- (n) [S] the world
boos -- (n) [C] (boos) when someone boos
thumbs down -- informal used to show disapproval of something
segregation -- (n) [U] to keep one group of people apart from another and treat them differently, especially because of race or sex
bar -- (vb) [T] to prevent something or someone from doing something or going somewhere, or to forbid (= refuse to allow) something
disguise -- (vb) to give a new appearance to a person or thing, especially in order to hide its true form
hacker -- (n) [C] someone who hacks into other people's computer systems

Resources:

Dolce & Gabbana @ Canton Road @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HN2REtolUM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH6Ju00Kdgk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZHxBTWXfIs

Hundreds protest D&G photo 'ban' in Hong Kong @ Straits Times
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_753234.html

Photography & Websites: Chase Javis With Lego Camera & Fujifilm X100

2012-01-06T15:14:00.000+08:00

Watching DigitalRev TV's last video of the year, I got to know Chase Jarvis (while maintaining that he doesn't know me) and learnt something very precious about taking photographs with the models.

See if you know what I mean after watching this video.

So, you know what I mean now?

Chase is indeed a great photographer not only because he can take excellent photos but he is able to comfort and understands his models. He is inspirational! He's fun-loving! He has no camera shy and he's a bit of an actor in front of it too! He has the ability to make people like him in his photo journey, and I guess, this is something I have to learn. Then again, I'm not a pro, so, baby steps.

Also, I definitely need to learn the importance of a flashlight. I'm still not getting it. Need to read more books on it.

"The best camera is the one that is with you." -- Chase Jarvis

His website has some great photos too! I particularly find the "unfocused" album interesting, at least from today, I shouldn't delete all my out-of-focus, wrong-focused photos.

You may want to check it out!

And I have another awesome website to recommend to you. Pixel-peeper.

Photos taken with Canon 7D and 24-105mm f/4 L lens

I have always wanted to test out the cameras and the lenses before buying them, but I often had trouble finding sample photographs for me to do pixel studies -- that is comparing pixel by pixel for noise and quality.

Then I found this website, which allows me to filter out the photos taken with the cameras and the lenses I want. Surely some photos have been Photoshopped but you can still get a good number of original photos. You can even set your criteria for the sizes of the photos, saving your precious time on finding the right photos you want.

With the help of this website, I have decided which wide angle lens I'm getting this Sunday!!! NICE!!!

Don't forget to "Like" this entry and the English Playground

Vocabulary:
inspirational -- (adj) making you feel hopeful or encouraged
fun-loving -- (adj) that enjoys the pleasures of life
baby step -- (n)[C] (idiomatic) Small, tentative steps towards a goal.

Resources:
Chase Jarvis, Lego Camera - DigitalRev TV @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/wX76k-chflo

Chase Jarvis Photography
http://www.chasejarvis.com

Pixel Peeper
http://www.pixel-peeper.com

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/inspirational?q=inspirational+
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fun-loving
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/baby_steps

Technology: Meizu MX VS iPhone & Android Phones?

2012-01-06T12:29:00.004+08:00

Mexizu MX
Image from mydailygadget.mdg.netdna-cdn.com

I'm going to post a couple of entries today as they don't really belong to the same category and they are quite short.

First, it is the Meizu MX up for sale made US news.

Does it look more like an iPhone or an Android phone?

Cheers for a proper phone brand for China, but I'm going to look forward to the Samsung Galaxy SIII !!! With Samsung Galaxy S2 running on 1.2 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 SoC processor and Galaxy Note on 1.4 GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 SoC processor, the SIII is expected to be at least 1.6GHz if not quad-core!

Vocabulary:

quad -- (n) [C] informal any of four children who are born to the same mother at the same time

Resources:

iPhone look-alike flies off shelves in China (2:36) @ Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/video/2012/01/04/iphone-look-alike-flies-off-shelves-in-c?videoId=227942100&videoChannel=2602

Samsung Galaxy SII @ Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_s2

Samsung Galaxy Note @ Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Note