ELISA ENGLISH's Blog 英語園地

It is all about me

It seems like that I can never avoid this topic.  Humans are a curious animal.  They want all kinds of scoops from people they know or people they have absolutely no idea of.  That is why we have paparazzi, populating everywhere, like weeds that never die.  I am glad that I am not a famous person to invite paparazzi, and that I still have the privacy I value so much.  I am very much like an American in this aspect when it comes to private life.

Since I cannot escape this subject, I might as well talk about it.  I will try peeling off every layer of myself to the extent that I can still feel comfortable, yet retain some privacy without feeling totally naked in front of you.

About my personal background:

I think that what you are most curious about is my background in learning English.  I started learning English at the age of 11 in an English speaking country.  Don’t ask me which country it is.  It is a country where British English was taught as a first language to me when I was first introduced to the language.  Let's see which countries speak British English.  Australia, England, Ireland, New Zeland, South Africa, etc.  Use your imagination and elimination rule of natural deduction.  I think it is best to keep some mystery.  Oh, by the way,  I have won several speech contests at Toastmaster International, and I am better at translating from Chinese to English translation, rather than the other way around.  This is all my English learning experience.   

About my family:

I am married to a race car enthusiast who has a PhD in transportation engineering.  Formula One is his numero uno, and Michael Schumacher, his “inamorato”.  Oh, don’t tell him that I said that.  I am just joking.  There is nothing between him and Mike.  Though not against homosexuality, my husband does have a strong preference to stay heterosexual.  Alright, I should stop talking about him as this topic is all about me.

I have two adorable kids.  I do believe that all parents consider their kids the cutest above all.  We speak Chinese at home.  Don’t blame me that their Chinese sounds like English.  It does not come from me though I do constantly use wrong Chinese words and phrases and continue to be corrected by my husband everyday.  I like Chinese idioms but for the few I know, I still use them incorrectly.  I would say something like “張三李冠, “蓋定棺論”.  I can’t think of any at this moment.  You probably won’t hear those from me because I only use them when talking to my husband to spare my embarrassment in front of others.  Oh, by the way, is it “難登大雅之堂” or “難登大堂之雅”?

About my social life:

During my spare time, I do volunteer work.  Listed below were some of my volunteering:

1.   Tutoring English.

2.   End Hunger - 2nd Harvest

3.   Build, rehab and preserve homes - Habitat for Humanity

4.   PTA at school

In the past, I would invite my friends and colleagues and husband’s over for dinner to celebrate Chinese New Year.  However, It has become too much work to prepare a feast for a crowd and to keep the tradition.   

About the places I have lived:

United States is where I have lived my majority of life, so it is most of what I can talk about.  I have lived in Long Island, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Minneapolis.  I like this Chinese proverb: “A sly rabbit will have three openings to its den.”  Guess how many hide-outs I have! 

I have frequently visited cities in California .  Don’t blame me!  I itch for Taiwanese food.  The only place I know to satisfy my taste bud is Irvine .  Cities that I have visited in California are San Francisco , Pasadena , Irvine , and San Diego .  We would go to Legoland whenever we are in Orange County .  Other cities that I have been to are: Palm Spring, Phoenix , Denver, Chicago, Dallas , San Antonio , Fort Lauderdale, Miami , Orlando , Des Moines , Boston , New York City, New Jersey , Washington DC. , and cities within New England . 

These are all I can think of for now to satisfy your curiosity.  I hope that you enjoy reading about me.