Well, nothing special really planned for Halloween, but I did have a rather unusual experience a couple days ago. I was taking a walk along the famous Cannery Row by the Monterey Bay beach and I discovered this Spirit of Monterey Wax Museum and I was curious enough to check it out. The guy who worked there told me he self taught Esperanto, and at that point I couldn't recall what language it was, but now I remember it was one of those "artificial" languages meant to be a world language which never got caught on. Anyways, it was around 7pm but there's NObody inside the museum and it's really dark and seemed like a haunted house. It was designed to be educational but turned out to be just a plain creepy place. The old recording of Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck's voice just made it even more peculiar. One of the wax figures even breathed! Good thing I wasn't scared and thought I should have paid to go to a real haunted house. So I think I have already had my Halloween moment this year.

Just finished a little booklet called 港式翻譯疑難解說 by 李劍雄, and he gives a lot of great tips on Chinese/English translation. I think people who are involved in C/E translation or interpretation should read it. I especially like these quotes:

• "It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech." -Mark Twain (If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear...)
• "Translationese is an artificial formof a receptor language, in violation of normal grammatical and semotactic patterns, caused by an excessive effort toward formal correspondence... Translationese has arisen in many parts of the world... is often accepted, especially by educated nationals, as the only possible medium for communicating materials which have first been expressed in a foreign language... (scholars) not realizing that this banal and artificial form of language fails utterly to do justice to the rich sources of the receptor language." -Nider and Taber (Grammar translation is not THE way to learn a language, that's why I don't like the approach at work a lot of the times...)

Then here come some more random fun, cute, and even cheesy and corny quotes I found, I think my former boss Dr. Oaks would love these as he has been working on (or has finished?) a book on language ambiguities:

• A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two-tired.
• Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
• With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
• When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
• He broke into a song because he couldn't find the key.
• The short fortune teller who escaped from prison; a small medium at large.
• When you've seen a shopping center you've seen a mall. (so true in america!)
• When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
• Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
• Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
• Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. (I love this one! it's true vice versa as well. I probably am the opposite kind...)

Saw United 93 over the weekend. No stars. No fluff. No gimmick. Sometimes real life events are a lot more dramatic than fictitious drama.

I've been here in Monterey exactly 1 month and over 4 weeks working at the DLI. I started the day with a "bang" that I got picked on vehicle security inspection again on my way to work and I was late to class. It's the same group of students who were affected and they said "poor thing, you always get picked when we are your first class of the day." Then the call from the apartment management came that my apartment will not be ready for another 10 days. I'm so mad that I'm just gonna take my deposit back and move on to find a new place. I will buy the contract from one of the cotenants at the place I'm staying at which will save me lots of effort, headaches, money, and time.

And my log-in and computer at work are finally arriving within this week! Great!

I watched Crash over the weekend and at first I didn't like it and I questioned its being best picture last year. It's too "heavy". Heavy with drama, heavy with "F-bombs", heavy with sensationalisms. The more I thought about it, the more I like it though. I like the allegory between car crash and culture crash. How traffic runs into each other and how lives cross each other. I like movies that make me think. The music is beautiful and the acting is impeccable.

I like my job more each day as it's not really hard work and I'm so glad these days after work I have a lot more time to read, think, and watch movies that I've wanted to for a long time. I've been reading several books concurrently (I do think I have ADDs): including a book of everything about Monterey, 1421 (China's sea voyage before Columbus), a book on translation HK style, as well as the Idiot's Guide to American History which is fascinating to read. I just read about the connections between Asians and the Native Americans (they likely crossed the "land bridge" linking the 2 continents close to Alaska many thousand years ago) and the origin of the name America (from the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci). There's so much to learn and so much I don't know!

Just a couple random "discoveries" that I found on the internet. I was so "busy" at work that I decided to do a google search of myself. Has anyone ever done that? I found an article by Sean Luke who was one of the first missionaries who taught me the discussions and later got me baptized into the church. He talks about his short trip in Hong Kong and mentioned me quite a bit as we did hang out while he's in town. It's interesting to see yourself in someone else's stories.It happened right before I went on my mission in Hong Kong. It's been a long while.

I also found this YA picture on the Church's Hong Kong web site.

Slept a lot over the holiday weekend and still want to rest more because I think my body has been overworked. Yesterday after church I was going to have a walk with a couple friends along the beach at Point Lobos but instead I slept in for a nap and ended up wandering in Carmel-by-the-Sea by myself trying to catch up with them. However the beach and scene in Carmel were stunningly beautiful and heavenly. With the perfect weather and nice art galleries around, this place is just lovely. What I like about the towns here in Monterey County is that it has the real small town USA vibe without the typical chain stores like MckieDs, Walmart, GAP, etc. Ok, there IS a Golden Arches in downtown Monterey, but all fast food chains are not as popular here as in anywhere else. How can one escape from running into the big Ms anywhere in the world? Maybe Antartica? The other night I even saw the Taco Bell in downtown completely... empty during prime time!!! That's incredible.
Last night I saw a wonderful documentary on China on the Discovery Channel. I think it should be a required viewing for all students of Chinese or anyone interested in the current situations in China. I am going to buy a copy from their store.

It's been rather miraculous how I got my housing settled. I was planning to stay at the school lodge for a few more days but I was informed I had to move out because of their overbooking during the holiday weekend. Good thing I was able to get in touch with a Wang Laoshi whom I've never met and she was willing to let me stay at hers for 3 weeks before I move into my new apartment. She's been extremely hospitable and friendly and offered whatever I need. It's just like a mortal guardian angel appearing at the time of need. I wonder if I am doing the same for others when needed and we all need that as well.

She asked me where I graduated from and as I mentioned BYU she just beamed and said "I love your song and dance group!" She was referring to the Young Ambassador's performance she saw in Beijing (where she's from) during the early 80's. I told her I was part of the group last year and traveled to China as well. What a conincidence.

I took a bunch of pictures with my cell phone but haven't got to load them to my computer yet. Stay tuned... and happy Moon Festival! I want moon cakes!

Thanks to Amy's notice, I was able to watch the Young Ambassador's TV special "Journey Through China" on the internet at the MIIS library. I thought that program was not going to make it on TV at all and it's surprising it's being broadcast rather frequently on BYUTV. As I watched it, those bittersweet experience of the 30-day tour all came back along with some of my fondest memories. Good times.

Right before I got to the library, I was curious to see one of the main streets in downtown was completely blocked off and a huge crowd was all over. It was a weekly farmer's market right at the center of the city and I loved the atmosphere and the fun stuff that they have. Fresh produce, food stalls with items from all over the world, handicrafts, live music, etc. This town is not as boring as I once thought. I even ran into Sara and Sophia there.

As I get acquainted with the 30 army students and the fellow teachers more, teaching is not as nerve-wrecking any more. Some of them are amazingly good, especially the ones who are pro-active and have a positive learning attitude. It does seem to show that there is a correlation between attitude and outcome in learning. And I finally got my housing issue resolved. Yay! I'm excited!