雖敗猶榮 – 燃燒吧!Fighting Illini !!

百年來學校最光榮的一刻在今晚. 那種氣氛和驕傲,尤甚於學校歷年諾貝爾獎得主的光彩.

從沒有想像過自己可以身處在一個城市,爲了百年來首次的希望和驕傲而熱絡起來.不只是學校,不只是香檳城,全國的目光今晚都在這裡,這是NCAA2005年總決賽.

其實我享受那種氣氛更勝於在乎比賽的輸贏. 可以為了自己的學校驕傲而光彩的穿上代表學校顏色的亮橘T-shirt,看著全校一整天閃耀著燃燒火焰般的光芒,充滿創意的人們用各種橘色裝飾自己和這城市,活力就像春天怒放的粉紅花朵一樣生機燦爛. 我走在路上試著捕捉這歷史性的一刻,而那耀眼的處處亮橘,在湛藍的天空映襯下,閃著無限的勇氣和希望.

從下午三點開始,學校的Assembly Hall 就排滿了長長的人龍,準備入場看晚上八點21分起的實況轉播.沒有一場演唱會或是大型表演可以召喚這麼多的人,可以讓人帶著那麼深的期望和加油吶喊.所有的酒吧也都充滿了熱情的人們,激昂的情緒在我進入Illini Union時達到了高潮. 這個百年歷史的建築,怕也是等了一百年才盼到這一天,可以擁抱這樣的狂熱情緒吧?! 寬敞的咖啡中庭和所有大宴會廳都裝設了大型投影幕,滿滿坐著倚牆站著的,都是穿著各式橘色T-shirt的人們.彷彿是規定的制服一樣,所有人有志一同的把入夜的城照的好亮好閃耀.

比賽當然是精采的,也當然是相當殘酷的.人們在乎的是結果的輸贏,是誰抱走了獎盃,而不是誰努力的打了一場認真的好比賽. 人們也是殘酷的,健忘的速度飛快,今晚大家還不甘心的在綠街上聚集遊街,明天就沒有人記得2005年NCAA是誰拿了亞軍,是誰平了全國的不敗紀錄. 有的只是朝前看,永不磨滅的希冀和勇氣.

我真的很幸運,真的. 我見證了這個學校建校以來最光榮.最熱烈的一刻. 我參與了百年來最激情的一晚. 我會帶著這份燃燒的熱情,把那橘色閃耀的鋒芒,深深的印在腦海裡.

Alma Mater 守護著我們和球隊

橙式效應 – Orange Crush

彷彿被染色了一般,這個遠在中西部玉米田中央的小鎮,一瞬間迸發出閃耀的橙色光芒,直達天廳的唱出勇氣和希望的詩句.

今 天,學校的代表女神 Alma Mater 穿上了Illinois的球衣,捧著籃球,爲學校首度打入NCAA決賽加油祈福著. 人們穿上亮橘色的衣服,霸佔著每條街道大樓,像是用盡力氣吶喊似的把祝福凝聚成橘色的光芒,送給在St Louis比賽球場的英雄們. 湧泉般閃耀著的是藍天下的希望,鼓舞著.跳躍著.

四點街上就沒人了,像唱空城計一般的冷清.人們都開始就定位準備看比賽了. 而餐廳商家們更是早早的就關起了門,只有酒吧熱絡著喧嘩著. 生意最好的應該是賣T-shirt和賣pizza的. 像中國人過年一樣,運動比賽的氣氛是關起門來才熱鬧的.

籃 球隊教練 Bruce Weber 成了最新的全民偶像. 他薄薄的嘴唇似笑非笑的表情,和溫和堅毅的態度,成了最有說服力的學校代言人. 爲了怕暴動,他特地親自錄了一短宣導影片,呼籲大家理性和平看比賽, 比賽過後要記得去上課,要拿出運動家精神. 今天他的橙色西裝最終還是無法閃耀在獎盃之下,但他帶給我們這一生一次的美好機會,可以感受期盼和激情,相信多數人的心中,充滿的情緒肯定是感激居多吧?

Weber the coach




long line outside asembly hall


crowds outside the bars

綠街上的橘海 - We won the Final Four!!

帶著全城的期盼,我們學校籃球隊果然爭氣的很,打進了NCAA的總冠軍賽!!

這是歷史性的一刻,因為這是我們學校百年來第一次打進總決 賽,而且是在我們在校的時候,意義當然更加重大.全城大概有一半的人都穿上了代表學校橘色的衣 服,不分男女老少的,一起爲籃球隊加油吶喊. 而我們,則是煮了一桌的菜:鹽酥雞,辣雞翅,烤牛小排,泡菜炒飯, 辣子雞丁烙餅, cornbread, dirty rice, 還有各式點心啤酒飲料,一起看球賽一邊吃東西, 熱鬧的像是大節慶一樣.

勝利了,當然要開香檳慶祝囉!看著學校 campus內 Green St上瘋狂慶祝的人潮,滿滿橘色的人海包圍了整條街,連警察們都開心的說,只要安全就好...看來,星期一晚上的冠軍賽,會讓這個城,陷入建校以來,最瘋狂熱鬧的局面吧?!


we won! And we want the No. 1!!


Final four food festival

Angels & Demons

The Pope died today. The western world has been impacted by the pontiff for the past 26 years in his papacy, and now the whole Catholic faithfuls are mourning for the death of the Holy Father.

My interest is more on the novel written by Dan Brown names "Angels and Demons" than the news itself. This intriguing novel describes the election of new Pope after pontiff dies and the mysterious murders in Vatican during the election. I almost finish the novel and found it so interesting when the news spreads out, and couldn't help to connect the plots of the novel to the real world.

Dan Brown is good at telling this kind of religion related stories. Not long time ago, the Roman Catholic Church officially condemned the book, "The Da Vinci Code", Dan Brown's best selling novel, as "a pack of lies", and asked the followed rejecting to read it . How coincidently this time the current event is connected to his another book again? Really, I doubt whether he has some super power over the Church?! (Just kidding~)

Hopefully the book will have Chinese edition soon so that more people can read the story and find it how terrifyingly related to the news today.

Shame on me...scored 78!

I bowled 78 tonight in the second game. It was ok for my first game, 128, somewhat higher than my average. But for some unknown reason, I suddenly lost the consistency and got several gutters in the 2nd game tonight. My team lost the 2nd game, of course, all because of my fault...

I was so mad at myself that I showed a poker face all over the 2nd game. Fortunately I have considerate teammates to give me encouragement. And it turned out we ate a lot after the game... 大腸麵線!!

First Swing in 2005 新春第一桿

It was so windy today, but still full of Spring breeze and sunshine. I took out my #7 club and went to driving range just 45 minutes before sunset (about 1 hour before the strong storm warning, too).

It's been about 4 months since my last golf swing and therefore I was wondering if my entry level skill becomes rusty but it turned out to be quite ok. It's an exercise that I want to continuously practice since it's a self challenge, just like YOGA. You are the only competitor to yourself (of course to some others, not quite), and hearing the "ping" sound along with a beautiful long trajectory makes people feel so wonderful.

I, Feel, Great!!

Happy Birthday, Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh is my favorite artist, his passion and saturated colorful paintings deeply touched me, especially I am kind of person who favors color so much (from my pen bag everybody can no doubt tell that). My favorite painting of his is the "Starry Night")



Though I don't have an opportunity to visit France and places where he drew the paintings yet, I can image his passion came out not only from those pretty towns but also his inner impulsive energy driven by the nature of sign of Aries (I am an Aries, too). Aries should be always look into the bright side; however, his spiritual focus on thoughts and broad imagination were probably what made him suffered from the mysticism problem (also what made him a master beyond others).

Anyways, I don't have the problem (at least, yet). Today is his birthday, so I share this great song with all my blog readers.

VINCENT
By Don Mclean

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul...
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land.

Now I understand
What you tried to say, to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free:
They would not listen; they did not know how -
Perhaps they'll listen now.

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

Now I understand
What you tried to say, to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free:
They would not listen; they did not know how --
Perhaps they'll listen now.

For they could not love you
But still, your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do --
But I could've told you, Vincent:
This world was never meant
For one as beautiful as you.

Starry, Starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frameless heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget
Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn, a bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know
What you tried to say, to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free:
They would not listen; they're not listening still --
Perhaps they never will.

Terrible B2B Class

Not until I have to take midterm exam do I realize how merely I understand this class. The professor gave out too many materials and the verbose technical terms and acronyms are way beyond my head. Plus, there's no point about this IT class to me. I was easily distracted in the class, and I struggled to understand the slides in his lectures. Moreover, I found few connections between this class and real B2B world.

I am not saying this class is not good, I am saying that I am not a IT person. There were some parts in the class intrigued me, and it's once a week class, pretty relaxing. What I don't agree was just the professor gave an exam right after spring break, and my brain cannot stuff anything heavy like this...

餓得很快

不知道是不是船上吃太多的關係,我們回來後一下子居然不能習慣,沒幾個小時就會餓,真的是恐怖喔~~

早 上吃完豐盛的養生餐後,過兩個小時 就餓了要吃午餐,然後四點又餓了開始吃晚餐,沒想到九點Tania說有咖哩,我就又吃了一大碗,外加辣雞翅數隻和一顆橘子一塊千層糖衣蛋糕...這樣的吃 法雖然和船上比起來有如小巫見大巫,但一想到減肥不但前功盡棄,還復胖好幾公斤,就有罪惡感哩!

而且不是只有我這樣喔,Tania 和 Frank都是一樣的,所以我們就一起吃個不停,昨晚吃完一碗飯後三個人都還各解決兩大碗泡菜豆腐湯和橘子,我還又吃了一碗草莓冰淇淋.如果把食物堆起來,恐怕很多人看到食慾都沒了吧??

問我值不值得??當然值得, 值得喔!

Beautiful Beautiful Spring is Coming to Town!

Great weather today!!

I enjoyed the sunshine and warm moist air in the afternoon, counting days I can begin to play golf. When passing by the swim pool in our apartment complex, I saw people were cleaning it...soon I can have BBQ by the outdoor pool and enjoy the pleasant days!!

If it were not because of the chill cold weather, I wouldn't have appreciated the Spring so much in this small town. Even seeing the trees burst to green sprouts made me so grateful. Really can't wait to see the whole town blossoming of pink flowers!!

Mandy's Logbook in Carribean

Now I posted some pictures in my new website for the cruising trip, and please take time to visit it:

加勒比海的奇蹟與冒險

I had so many new stories and special experience in this trip, so many to tell you that I have to create a new website to put all my memories in it.

Check it out very often as I will post the stories day by day

Enjoy it!

The Floating City - Carribean Princess docked in St. Maarten, Dutch Side (Left ship)

海上的移動城市 - 公主郵輪加勒比海號, 維京群島.聖馬汀, 荷蘭屬地

聖馬汀分屬法國和荷蘭轄管,我們的船停泊在荷蘭屬地

Adventure in Carribean

I had never imagined my spring break turned out to be the most exciting adventure in my lifetime, and it was so incredible that I could never forget it...

The plan of spring break started more than 3 months ago when I decided to go for a 7-day cruise in beautiful Carribean and Virgin Islands, and ended up with a series of unfortune events followed by the most wonderful cruise experience and a tired but content body.

All of my dietary and workout programs started from this semester was for this trip because I wanted to look good on board, and to be able to eat more without worrying too much about my weight. But how dareful I was to forget bringing my I-20 with me, the most important document to prove my identity of a student in the States. From the moment I was rejected on board the ship and left alone in the pier looking helplessly the ship setting out, my spring break had been completed changed, from the exciting expectation of luxurious enjoyemnt to the hopeless grief in addition to endless money spent to make up my mistake.

Sounds nothing more than another story of careless person destroying a planned trip, and it happens all the time, huh? Then you are refused to read my story...cuz you have no sympathy at all!!!!

OK, I just came back from the airport and you might have known that finally I still made the trip and was on board, spending 4 days happily on the cruise. But I am too tired to write my story now....please wait and then you can laugh at me by the time reading my navigator's logbook ~

Urbana Free Library

我在香檳最喜歡去的地方,除了超級市場以外就是圖書館了 (Law library排名第一, Urbana Free Library排第二).

法圖是用來唸書的地方,市立圖書館就是純娛樂了. 免費的DVD和CD任我借,親切的服務和友善的網站讓我一再留連.雖然每每我在圖書館待的時間都不會超過15分鐘,可是我喜歡極了這裡.

之 所以不會在圖書館待很久的原因,是因為我可以先在網站上預約想要看的電影DVD,如果Urbana圖書館的存貨已經外借,他們會想辦法幫我和其他圖書館調 貨,然後用email通知我去取貨.方便的程度讓我感動不已 (免費的耶!!) 所以一年來我看了不下一百部電影,多半都是這裡來的.

今天去了一趟圖書館才發現整個大樓剛剛整修完畢,又多了很多新的設施,偌大的空間也很舒適,重點是以前從不知道雜誌也可以外借.今天我就借到了二月份剛下架的時尚雜誌 Glamour還有兩本暢銷書,真是開心哪!!

看看自己身邊吧!很多免費的寶藏很美好的 (Ex.每周三下午2~4點去Sam's Club,有好多試吃品喔!!)

排行程

我最開心的事情終於成真了!!

在好說歹說半騙半哄外加裝可憐,搞了半年之後,爸媽終於忍痛放下家中的兩隻狗,要來參加我的畢業典禮了...看來我一定要親自打電話去奶奶家道謝,順帶請他們好好照顧寶貝狗,不然我可真的會變成"人不如狗"了...

於 是我開始了自己一套非常精密的排行程活動. 說到排行程,我是把它當作一個大project來做的.去年暑假規劃的一個月大火車行程,就讓很多人嘖嘖稱奇,簡直是把Excel的功能發揮到極至. 本來嘛!! Excel是我吃飯的工具,當然要努力運用啊! 我把所有的班機時刻,轉機資訊,開車路程,觀光網站以及所有景點安排和預算全都規劃在我的檔案裡面. 需要的時候開一個檔案就包含了所有的資訊, 修改起來也非常方便. (不過這一招是來自於Tania的idea,去年要不是有她,我們的東岸行程不可能那麼順利的)

而且我對於跟Excel相關的事物都非常投入,總可以花個好多時間一做再做,什麼其他的事情都會丟著不管 (除了肚子餓以外), 研究精神看來只有做菜的時候才能相比.

還有一個多月,希望一切順利囉!!