I was always wondering how to spend my weekends in London.
Tired of tourist attractions, I am looking for an unique, inspiring and captivating experience.
Then I found this place and never need worry how to kill the weekends.
I am not joking. I am saying the Hunterian Museum.
I asked a person who had been living in London for more than 20 years. He failed to recognise what the Hunterian Museum was about.
As a foreigner getting in London for five months only, I felt so sorry for him. But do you know this museum? Obviously it is not that well-known. I can tell from your look.
The Hunterian collections contain over a million objects. Some are world-famous such as Charles Babbage's brilliant brain.
Don't let me down you have no idea about this guy. He is the one who originated the modern analytic computer. By 1834 he invented the principle of the analytical engine, the forerunner of the modern electronic computer. Wow, a great person. I am afraid none of us are "lucky" enough to meet Charles Babbage, But we can study his brain in the museum. Probably it could be a better way to make a comparison with your brain and his.
Also there is a two-tailed lizard. There are two preparations of the stomach of an East Indian tortoise. Not only those, Charles Byrne's skeleton is something that you can not miss. I am afraid if he were still alive, he could have interfered Yao Ming. Our tallest player in the NBA at 2.29m (7 ft 6 in) can not beat this Irish Giant Charles Byrne at 2.31m (7 ft 7in). This guy had words in his willing not wanting to be bought by Hunt. Ironically his body was purchased for 130 pounds and displayed after his death for three days.
Skull of 25-year-old man shows at least three times as large as a normal head, the bones of a Chinese woman's binding feet, cockerel's heads with transplanted human teeth embedded in the combs...quirky scenes can raise your horizons.
Shell-producing segment of the oviduct of a duck, cuckoo egg towards the end of its incubation, pregnant mouse, sheep, cow, pig, ovary, bat, hedgehog, kangaroo, goose etc etc. They are there telling fascinating stories, showing historically significant, either leaving puzzling or being bizarre.
I came across many visitors. None of them have anything to do with medicine. They are bank managers, artists, or even elementary pupils.
You can donate three pounds or just pretend not noticing the reminder in front of the door. By the way, what i did was showing them my journalistic card and enjoyed a great welcome by a volunteer from Taiwan who can speak Mandarin to me!
Monday, 22 February 2010
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
About Dalai Lama
The other day I joint a radio programme and was asked, “Why are Chinese people upset for the news that ’ Barack Obama is to meet Dalai Lama’?”
The live radio did not allow me to have more than one second to delay my response.
I answered instinctively, “ Dalai Lama’s demand is to free Tibet. It is like in your family, one of your children is trying to get rid of you. How do you feel?”
Pretty sad, I do not have a strong political standing for any side.
When I was in China, the information I got was Tibet was one part of our territory.
When I asked the westerners, they told me that our government took over this country.
That is where our main problem lies.
Our information about this story is totally different. So what is the point talking about this?
Where is the truth?
Truth lives nowhere.
Both Chinese and western worlds have their media for their own purpose. It does not necessarily mean they are telling a lie. They just dig one part of the truth and show part of the truth as a fact to play their citizens.
One of my lecturers told me to read more information in London because she believed too much censorship in mainland. She was so eager to teach me that Dalai Lama was a spiritual leader in Tibet. Our government should not have taken over this land.
But I asked her, “How do you know your media tell the truth?”
Then I asked her, “ How do you think about the conflicts between the North Ireland and England? Are you going to free it?”
She became silent.
And I said, “ We are not making decisions. Just express ourselves because we do not have the truth.”
Back to my programme, I said there was no problem to meet Dalai Lama in Whitehouse, but not treat Tibet as an independent country.
It hurts our relatives feeling if we lose any child.
I would like to find a best way to develop Tibet. So far, nobody has got the answer.
The programme presenter asked, “Dalai Lama did not allow the Tibetans to celebrate Chinese Spring Festival. Will Tibetans listen to him?”
I did not know this piece of news.
My answer was “ his religious followers may not celebrate. But why does he have the power to decide for Han people, another ethic people in Mainland. ”
My words fail me.
My feeling is just overwhelmed.
I will wait until Barack Obama finally meets or does not meet Dalai Lama and say something.
If I still have words to say.
The live radio did not allow me to have more than one second to delay my response.
I answered instinctively, “ Dalai Lama’s demand is to free Tibet. It is like in your family, one of your children is trying to get rid of you. How do you feel?”
Pretty sad, I do not have a strong political standing for any side.
When I was in China, the information I got was Tibet was one part of our territory.
When I asked the westerners, they told me that our government took over this country.
That is where our main problem lies.
Our information about this story is totally different. So what is the point talking about this?
Where is the truth?
Truth lives nowhere.
Both Chinese and western worlds have their media for their own purpose. It does not necessarily mean they are telling a lie. They just dig one part of the truth and show part of the truth as a fact to play their citizens.
One of my lecturers told me to read more information in London because she believed too much censorship in mainland. She was so eager to teach me that Dalai Lama was a spiritual leader in Tibet. Our government should not have taken over this land.
But I asked her, “How do you know your media tell the truth?”
Then I asked her, “ How do you think about the conflicts between the North Ireland and England? Are you going to free it?”
She became silent.
And I said, “ We are not making decisions. Just express ourselves because we do not have the truth.”
Back to my programme, I said there was no problem to meet Dalai Lama in Whitehouse, but not treat Tibet as an independent country.
It hurts our relatives feeling if we lose any child.
I would like to find a best way to develop Tibet. So far, nobody has got the answer.
The programme presenter asked, “Dalai Lama did not allow the Tibetans to celebrate Chinese Spring Festival. Will Tibetans listen to him?”
I did not know this piece of news.
My answer was “ his religious followers may not celebrate. But why does he have the power to decide for Han people, another ethic people in Mainland. ”
My words fail me.
My feeling is just overwhelmed.
I will wait until Barack Obama finally meets or does not meet Dalai Lama and say something.
If I still have words to say.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
How to Teach Chinese Speaking And Listening
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
How to Teach Chinese Speaking And Listening
View more presentations from Joanne Chen.
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