Locky's English Playground

Wednesday, 2 June 2010

Vocabulary: It's raining cats and dogs!

Rain, rain, rain...... It's raining cats and dogs!!! Downpour!!! Cloud-burst!! Rainstorm!!

Most people are sick of rainy days. For me, I don't quite agree. Well, yes, I won't get to practise my football, but without rain, plants can't grow, and we almost had to go into water ration last Winter if you recall, so without rain, we have no water to drink.

Anyway, back to our main topic for today.

Have you heard about a new British survey which reported how much British people talk about weather? Here's one of the many (from Digital Journal). In short, it was a survey carried out by Lloyds TSB Insurance and British People Discuss Weather 49 Hours a Year. Is it such a great topic to have a chinwag over? In my opinions, "no", because like what the Digital Journal wrote,

"It's often been said that if people can't think of anything else to say then they'll happily discuss the weather."

So if I have lots of other topics queuing up on my list, weather will show up in my conversations almost only when either the weather or my conversation has gone incredibly wrong. But after reading the news article, you should know that it is always safe to chit-chat with a British lady about weather. Then again, you need to know the words first......

British People Say Hello and Talk about Weather

Ever since I have recommended the Hong Kong Observatory website in the article Website: Hong Kong Observatory, have you learnt anything useful from there? The website has changed the layout such that the satellite and radar images are now shown on the front page. Yet, the most useful of all in terms of learning English weather vocabulary, is the Local Weather Forecast section, on which you can find blue links to weather terms we need.

For instance, rain, can be classified into the following:

Drizzle	Precipitation of water drops of very small size.
Isolated showers	Showers occur only in small parts of the territory at a time
Occasional showers	Showers occur only in most parts of the territory occasionally
Scattered showers	The rain-bearing clouds do not stay together and are distributed spatially, resulting in showers occurring in parts of the territory. It may be rain-free in other parts of the territory.
Showers	Brief precipitation usually from convective clouds. It is characterized by the sudden start and end of the precipitation as well as the fine weather before and after its occurrence.
Rain	Precipitation of water drops from deep and thick cloud layers. It is more persistent than showers but the rainfall amount is less.
Squally showers	Showers accompanied by brief but sudden strong or gale force winds.
Thundery showers	Precipitation of water drops from cumulonimbus clouds. It is characterized by its sudden start and end with rapid changes in the intensity of rain, accompanied by thunders.

There are many other terms to learn from the website, so do spend some time to study the rest as well. You don't need to go too specialised though, in my opinions, I think I will just need to know the difference between drizzle, showers, rain, squally and thundery showers.

I'm really fond of weather, so maybe next round, I can talk about typhoon, since the season is coming.

By the way, British people like to talk about weather is not really a new discovery. See Nov 2008 Talking about weather is top British trait. I'm sure there are many more surveys done earlier.

Don't forget to check the radar / satellite images from the HKO website before leaving home!

Vocabulary:
It's raining cats and dogs! -- (old-fashioned) something that you say when it is raining heavily
downpour -- (n) [C usually singular] a lot of rain in a short time
cloud-burst -- (n) [C] a sudden heavy fall of rain
rainstorm -- (n) [C] a weather condition with strong wind and heavy rain
chinwag -- (n) [C] informal a long and pleasant conversation between friends
precipitation -- (n) [U] specialized water which falls from the clouds towards the ground, especially as rain or snow
spatially -- (adv) relating to the position, area and size of things
convective --(adj) from the word convection -- (n) [U] specialized the flow of heat through a gas or a liquid
squally -- (adj) a sudden strong wind or short storm
cumulonimbus --(n) [U] specialized a large, tall type of cumulus cloud that is often dark and brings heavy rain or a thunderstorm

Cumulonimbus Clouds

Image from Bill Adams

Tuesday, 1 June 2010

Website: Forbes

Forbes.com, a website that has been waiting in my blog entry list for awhile, and I think at this time of turbulence market, those of you who are interested in knowing and learning more about money should take a quick look at this website.

Most people know that Forbes is famous for their lists of world's top people: the richest, the largest listed public companies, the world's most powerful celebrities, Buffett's Top 10 stocks, the highest earning soccer players in the world, etc., but in fact, on Forbes.com, there is a lot more to offer.

Apart from these intriguing lists, another good thing about Forbes.com is that it does not only have the page for the U.S., but also a page for Europe and Asia, which means that it has news covering all there major regions on this planet. Most importantly, they are pretty updated!

There are many good sections you can explore, such as Markets, Personal Finance, Entrepreneurs, and Leadership. Still pretty much covering mainly the American side, but you might find something that you would like to know.

Forbes.com also has a Video Network with very short video clips. Great for those of you who are fresh into money markets or finance matters.

This is an extra time entry, so you will still hear from me tomorrow.

All images from Forbes.com.

Resources:
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/10/worlds-richest-people-slim-gates-buffett-billionaires-2010_land.html
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/21/global-2000-leading-world-business-global-2000-10_land.html
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/03/forbes-100-celebrity-09-main_slide_2.html
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/22/coke-walmart-kraft-intelligent-investing-warren-buffett.html?boxes=marketschannelnews
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/22/coke-walmart-kraft-intelligent-investing-warren-buffett_slide.html?partner=contextstory
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/21/soccer-highest-earners-business-sports-soccer-10-top-paid.html?partner=popstories

Monday, 31 May 2010

Food and Restaurant: Tai Hing

Tai Hing from a taiwanese blog

Siu Mei, you "either love it or love it". Yes, there isn't any typo in the last sentence, "either love it or love it". It is very hard to find meat lovers on this planet that can resist the temptation of roasted meat and Cantonese Siu Mei plays a very important part of Hong Kong people's eating lifestyle.

Crispy suckling pig rice

Even tourists know the greatness of this type of Cantonese cuisine. Have you ever heard friends from other Asian countries coming to Hong Kong to buy whole roasted geese back to their own countries? I have, my friends. It sounds insane indeed. I have always thought, "how can the siu mei keep their crispiness and tenderness after hours of flight?" I suppose they can't, but something as soggy as that, something that we never wish to try in local restaurants, is nothing when it comes to our siu mei tourist friends.

Roast goose rice

And so I am sure you know which restaurant I want to recommend, and that is my canteen -- Tai Hing.

Whenever I have time for dinner (because I mostly have little), I will allow myself to indulge in the taste of the gorgeous Tai Hing Siu Mei.

It may be expensive compared to other local restaurants, but the quality definitely proves its worth. At $45 to $50, you get fabulously fresh, roasted goose (leg) / pork / suckling pig / chicken / soya chicken (leg) with rice...

Juicy and tender meat, crispy skin goose

Original Chinese soup with no MSG...

Water squash with beans and dry octopus soup

... and an extra plate of choi sum or lettuce (not shown in the pictures). If you don't like the soup, you can also add $3 for the chilled original milk tea.

Chilled Original Milk Tea from Tai Hing
Image from talesfromthetummy

Expensive? You won't know until you try. In my opinions, Tai Hing's Siu Mei is the best Siu Mei I have ever tried!!!

Some of you may not agree with me, but if honesty, accessibility and comfort are also under considerations, then Tai Hing definitely earns higher points than those who cheats their customers with extra bones or heavily scales, than those who have only one branch in the entire region, than those soaking wet floors with tissue balls on the floor. Tai Hing is convenient and comfortable enough for me. There is one in Mongkok, one in Causeway Bay and there is one near where I live.

Suckling Pig rice (semi fat)

Another thing I like about Tai Hing is that they serve their customers very very well. Their (usually) bilingual staff have (generally) polite in manner, and their chefs entertains special requests made by the customers, such as more / less rice, lean /fat meat, more sauce, etc. You see, I am not too fond of fatty meat, so I always ask for lean ones. The meat is incredibly tender and succulent, only fresh meat can have such textures and taste so good!

5-star roast pork (requested lean meat)

Close up of the lean pork

Their breakfast, tea-time and evening dishes are quite nice too, some weekends I even visit Tai Hing 3 times a day (not just "Tai Hing Everyday", but every meal) but not every shop offers evening dishes, so you better check by calling up the restaurant you would like to visit.

And beware, the restaurant in Causeway Bay is small, and so is the chilled original milk tea, but pricier.

Vocabulary:

soggy -- (adj) (of things which can absorb water, especially food) unpleasantly wet and soft

pricier -- (adj) more expensive, from "pricey".

Resources:

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

http://www.taihingroast.com/eng/index.php

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/soggy

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pricey#pricey__3

Friday, 28 May 2010

Business Vocabulary: The Cogs -- The Law Group

And so I hope you enjoyed learning the business vocabulary I posted in the Business Vocabulary: The Cogs -- The Boss Group entry. This time is the Law Group, words to do with lawyers. I have added better explanations to the original meanings given by Toontask to make the words easier for you to learn.

If you are reading, here we go!

Bottom Feeder - A person who profits on the misfortune of others.

Image from cartoonstock

Bloodsucker - A person who preys on others.

Image from cartoonstock

Double Talker - A person who speaks in a deliberate, evasive way, whose speech appears to be earnest and meaningful but in fact is a mixture of sense and nonsense.

Leon Lai (not a lawyer but represent the meaning best. No offense!)

Image from Xinhuanet

Ambulance Chaser - A person who persuades accident victims to sue.

from cartoonstock.com

Back Stabber - A person who unfairly attacks someone in a deceitful manner.

Image from lawstudentcode

Spin Doctor - Someone who takes situation of a bad event and disguises it as something good.

Image from waterworksthatwork

Legal Eagle - Simply put, a lawyer.

Image from stus

Big Wig - The most important person in a group or undertaking.

Image from cardozo

Chief Justice - A public official who hears and decides cases brought before a court of law. In other words, a Judge.

Image from Mathpol

Have a happy Friday!!!

Vocabulary:
deliberate -- (adj) (often of something bad) intentional or planned
evasive -- (adj) answering questions in a way that is not direct or clear, especially because you do not want to give an honest answer

Resources:
http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2010/05/business-vocabulary-cogs-boss-group.html
http://east.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double-talker
http://east.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloodsucker%20
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/deliberate_1
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/evasive
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/double-talker

Wednesday, 26 May 2010

Song: Mockingbird -- Eminem

A Grammy award nominated rap song sung by arguably one of the best rappers in the world, Mockingbird tells Eminem's very personal story of this early relationships with his wife and daughters. This song dates back to April 2005 at a time when Eminem was already very famous/ infamous. The lyrics of the song are in the form of a one-sided conversation with his beloved daughters, Hailie and Lainnie, explaining his absence in their lives, the difficulties he faced throughout their childhood years, as well as his love and missing for his daughters. It is one of the most touching song that I have ever heard but also one of the saddest. While listening to his song, I am always reminded that famous singers do not always walk the smooth path, some might even have walked tremendously tragic ones and have sacrificed a lot themselves or their families.

There are lots of words to learn from this song, so please spend some time to comprehend. At native listening level, you should be able to catch 90% of the words in this song.

Let's enjoy the song first... Level of difficult for listening: Crazy.

Mockingbird -- Eminem (Original MTV Version)

Mockingbird -- Eminem (Better Sound Quality Version)

Mockingbird -- Eminem (Lyrics Version)

Lyrics:

Yeah
I know sometimes things may not always make sense to you right now
But hey, what daddy always tell you?
Straighten up little soldier
Stiffen up that upper lip
What you crying about?
You got me...

Hailie, I know you miss your mom and I know you miss your dad
When I'm gone, but I'm trying to give you the life that I never had
I can see you're sad, even when you smile, even when you laugh
I can see it in your eyes, deep inside you want to cry
Cuz you're scared, I ain't there?
Daddy's with you in your prayers
No more crying, wipe them tears
Daddy's here, no more nightmares
We gonna pull together through it, we gonna do it
Lainnie, uncle's crazy, aint he?
Yeah but he loves you girl and you better know it
We're all we got in this world
When it spins, when it swirls
When it whirls, when it twirls
Two little beautiful girls
Lookin' puzzled, in a daze
I know it's confusing you
Daddy's always on the move, mamma's always on the news
I try to keep you sheltered from it but somehow it seems
The harder that I try to do that, the more it backfires on me
All the things growing up as daddy that he had to see
Daddy don't want you to see but you see just as much as he did
We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me
But things have got so bad between us
I don't see us ever being together ever again
Like we used to be when we was teenagers
But then of course everything always happens for a reason
I guess it was never meant to be
But it's just something we have no control over and that's what destiny is,
But no more worries, rest your head and go to sleep
Maybe one day we'll wake up and this will all just be a dream

[Chorus]
Now hush little baby, don't you cry
Everything's gonna be alright
Stiffen that upperlip up little lady, i told ya
Daddy's here to hold ya through the night
I know mommy's not here right now and we don't know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby,
But i promise momma's gon' be alright

It's funny
I remember back when you and daddy had no money
Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up
And stuck 'em under the tree and said some of 'em were from me
Cuz daddy couldn't buy 'em
I'll never forget that Christmas I sat up the whole night crying
Cuz daddy felt like a bum, see daddy had a job
But his job was to keep the food on the table for you and mom
And at the time every house that we lived in
Either kept getting broken into and robbed
Or shot up on the block and your mom was saving money for you in a jar
Trying to start a piggy bank for you so you could go to college
Almost had a thousand dollars till someone broke in and stole it
And I know it hurt so bad it broke your momma's heart
And it seemed like everything was just startin' to fall apart
Mom and dad was arguin' a lot so momma moved back
Onto Chalmers in a flat one bedroom apartment
And dad moved back to the other side of 8 Mile on Novara
And that's when daddy went to California with his CD and met Dr. Dre
And flew you and momma out to see me
But daddy had to work, you and momma had to leave me
Then you started seeing daddy on the T.V. and momma didn't like it
And you and Lainnie were to young to understand it
Papa was a rollin' stone, momma developed a habit
And it all happened too fast for either one of us to grab it
I'm just sorry you were there and had to witness it first hand
Cuz all I ever wanted to do was just make you proud
Now I'm sittin in this empty house, just reminiscing
Lookin' at your baby pictures, it just trips me out
To see how much you both have grown, it's almost like you're sisters now
Wow, I guess you pretty much are and daddy's still here
Lainnie, I'm talkin' to you too, daddy's still here
I like the sound of that, yeah,
It's got a ring to it don't it?
Shh, momma's only gone for the moment

[Chorus]

And if you ask me too
Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird
I'mma give you the world
I'mma buy a diamond ring for you
I'mma sing for you
I'll do anything for you to see you smile
And if that mockingbird don't sing and that ring don't shine
I'mma break that birdies neck
I'll go back to the jeweler who sold it to ya
and he'd gimme every carat don't fuck with dad (haha)

Vocabulary:
tremendously -- (adv) very great in amount or level, or extremely good
sacrifice -- (vb)[T] to give up something that is valuable to you in order to help another person
pull through sth --(phrasal verb) to become well again after a serious illness, especially when you might have died

swirl -- (vb) [I or T usually + adverb or preposition] (n)[C] to (cause to) move quickly with a twisting circular movement

whirl -- (vb) [I or T] to (cause something to) turn around in circles

twirl -- (vb) [I or T usually + adverb or preposition] (n)[C] to (cause to) give a sudden quick turn or set of turns in a circle

in a daze --(n) unable to think clearly

backfire -- (vb) [I] (of a plan) to have the opposite result from the one you intended

bum -- (n) [C] US informal someone who has no home or job and lives by asking other people for money

piggy bank --(n) [C] a small container, sometimes in the shape of a pig, which is used by children for saving money

reminisce -- (vb) [I] formal to talk or write about past experiences which you remember with pleasure

trip sb out -- (slang) to be under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug, esp. LSD, hereby as a metaphorical meaning, possibly referring to the lost track of time, as if the singer has taken drugs and forgotten that time flies.

Resources:

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mockingbird_(Eminem_song)

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9bCLPwzSC0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsy0MmqlLd0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLxc53RcHJw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCcykNUusi4&feature=related
http://artists.letssingit.com/EMINEM-lyrics-mockingbird-4p78x3t

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/tremendous

Monday, 24 May 2010

Sports & People: Inter Milan wins UEFA Champions League!!

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Champions League Final Poster

from Wikipedia

Yes, it is yet another entry on football, again. But it was the biggest event in the football world and in Europe over the weekend, and I just can't help but to share with you my incredible joy that my favourite football team Inter Milan, has finally won the most prestigious UEFA Champions League after 45 years of waiting!!! And I just can't believe how lucky I was to have watched this happening!!!

If I am not wrong, it was 1997 when I first come across this team. At first, I thought watching football was a tedious thing to do, because it was as if a group of people are chasing the ball for nothing. I would prefer playing the game myself to watching it. But when I saw my fellow hostel friends watching the game passionately together, I thought there must be something to it. And then I saw the colours of the Inter Milan jersey, I immediately felt that this was the team that I would support.

Then I got to know the team better, and I realised that this is a team with lots of captains from their national teams, such as Roberto Baggio of Italy, Ronaldo of Brazil, Recoba of Uruguay, Cordoba of Colombia, Javier Zanetti of Argentina, they were all heroes of their own nation and yet they served at the same club. I simply found that intriguingly remarkable.

Roberto Baggio's Fighting Spirit

The club was already rather rich at that time and they could afford to spend lots of cash on purchasing big names, and they did, but for the next 8 years, the team hadn't played well at all, winning almost nothing. During that time, I watched Inter fighting and losing, more fighting and more losing, and one day I asked myself, "Why am I such a poor thing? Why do I love a football club that never wins? Wouldn't it be easier to like a club that always wins and so I could feel happy easily?"

But after asking those questions, I still stuck to Inter Milan, maybe I have found a club that resembles my character, that I see myself in this club.

Every success requires hard work, and nothing is smooth on the way. Inter battled and lost, they fell but they never gave up. Year after year, they improve a little by little. While others outran them in terms of improvement, they continue to fight. While some other Italian clubs are involved in match-fixing, Inter stayed iron-willed and clean from the corruptions. And with the help of coach Roberto Mancini, Inter finally recaptured their Italian League Serie A champion trophies 3 years in a row (2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08).

But the UEFA Champions League was then what the president of the club Massimo Moratti wanted and that was the reason José Mourinho replaced Mancini. Mourinho has done very well as a manager of Inter, winning two consecutive Serie A champions (2008/09, 2009/10), but the most impressive of all, was that he has brought the entire club, players and fans together, everyone supports everyone else, on and off the pitch. A player knows that his teammates will always be behind him, and the teammates behind him knows that the fans will always be behind him. This bond is something I have never seen before Mourinho's arrival, and I just love the feeling of being part of the team and to be involved in every match they play.

I won't spend too much time talking about the Final against Bayern Munich, as there are many good ones written (here is one of them). What I will say is, maybe you don't like football, maybe you don't like the team I like, but in the world of sports, there are many stories to be listened and many lessons to be learnt. When you hear one that find inspiring and enlightening, you should remember it, because one day, it might be just that one which would benefit you for the rest of your life.

Inter captain Javier Zanetti in action during his landmark 700th appearance for Inter