Class review: C.I. class 9/12


Hi everyone in C.I. class!  

Last class on 9/12 was amazing; I was very glad to hear everyone's voices.  

In the beginning of the class, we all had the chance to introduce ourselves to each other.  It was nice to learn more about each of you during our introductions. 
Jeff introduced us to an excellent poem, "The Raven," written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1845.  I was so pleased to hear that C.I.class has inspired Jeff to study such a cool poem, and I think he inspired all of us!  

Jeff kindly shared two links with me that I think you all will enjoy; in the first you can hear the poem "The Raven" read by Christopher Walken, and in the second you can see John Astin (dressed like Edgar Allan Poe!) reciting the poem.  Both are excellent performances, and even if you don't understand every word of the poem, you can get a taste for the exciting rhythm of the poem by listening to it. 

If you want to read along with the poem as it's being recited, go to the Poetry Foundation here:http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178713
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C.I. class 9/26: Oceania (including Australia)

Hi C.I. classmates!  

I hope you've all had a lovely Moon Festival!
Thanks for a wonderful class last time!  Please see my other email for a class review!
This week on 9/26, we'll still be concentrating on Oceania (including Australia)!  

I hope for more exciting presentations from all of you!  I loved last week's presentations, and I was so happy to hear from all of you!  

As a class on 9/26, we'll discuss the plight of Oceania's "disappearing islands," and if anyone wants to tell us more about what you know about this situation, please feel free to share!    

See:
Endangered Islands

and/or:
Rising sea level puts island nations like Nauru at risk

More soon! 
Take care everyone, and try to stay dry!!

Sincerely, Abbie 

C.I. class 9/12: Australia and Oceania



Hi Everyone in C.I. class!

I was so happy to see everyone on our first class night last Thursday!  

Last Thursday we practiced "brainstorming," so you'll be able to think up lots of exciting directions and ideas for your presentations.  Starting from any broad theme, you can use brainstorming to find specific ideas for topics you might want to talk about.  

I enjoyed the small groups' introductions of 8 regions of the world: Australia & Oceania, Europe, Antarctica, South America, North America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.  :)  

This semester, we'll take a tour of the earth, concentrating on the various regions in turn.  
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Greetings from Abbie!


Dear everyone who's ever been in C.I. class!  

We start a new semester of C.I. class tomorrow, and I'm thinking of all of you: current C.I. students, recent C.I. students, and C.I. students who came to classes a long time ago!

I know that many of you will join us again this semester, and I know that some of you won't be able to make it to C.I. class this semester. 

If you're coming back to class tomorrow, 9/5, I can't wait to see you again!    

If you can't come return to our class this time around, please do send me a note and let me know what you're up to and how your summer was!  And please keep in touch!

No matter whether or not you're taking class this semester, I hope you can join us for a reunion hike this month; details coming soon!!  

Especially for those of you who were in C.I. class last semester:  Thanks for a great semester, and a lovely end-of-class potluck!!  Normally at the end of a semester, I send out a class survey, but last semester I left for Norway in a big flurry of activity, and never sent you the survey!  So sorry!!  I still really want to know everyone's thoughts about our class last semester!!  

So if you're returning to C.I. class this semester, I'll ask you to share your thoughts with me in class tomorrow night!  

And if you won't be able to take C.I. class this semester, please do write me with your thoughts and news!!    

Last semester ended earlier than usual when I took off for Norway in late June, so we've had a really long break!   

My trip to Norway was amazing, and even though the daytime summer temperatures sometimes only reached 8 or 10 degrees C, we all had fun in the 24 hour sun!  I hiked on mountains, boated over fjords, and swam in icy waters!  And I ate lots of delicious Norwegian brown cheese and many kinds of wild berries.  

Here are a few photos from Norway for you.  The first is of the delicious blueberries which were growing wild everywhere.  The second shows the mysterious Norwegian mountains and sea, as seen from a ship.  And the last is of the sun at midnight.  All of these photos were taken north of the arctic circle in Norway during July 2013.  North Norway is certainly a long way from Taiwan!  

Now I'm happy to be back enjoying the beauty of Yilan County, and happy to have the chance to see many of you soon!

Take care everyone, and please let me know how you are.  

Sincerely, Abbie 

Not good-bye. SEE YOU in September!


No matter how hard we try to slow down the time and squeeze every minute in our hands, we still have to accept the fact. It's the end of this semester of CI class. However, we're looking forward to seeing you again really soon after this long hot summer vacation.

It's become one of our traditions in CI class Yilan. Every time we look back, we would realize how far we've gone! As for me, I've been in this wonderful class for 3 years since 2010. Our first teacher, Mr. Logan, pioneered in creating this class and that was also when I met some of the old classmates such as Barrett, Jerry, Donald and Ammar. We all believe that forming a forum for those who are in Yilan and interested in learning English is the motivation that keeps us moving forward. Moreover, we've been so lucky to have Abbie as the leader of CI Class who teaches and guides us in the path of studying English. We've had 3 wonderful semesters and of course, we're looking forward to more coming ones!

During the potluck, as usual, we feasted on those delicious dishes brought by each of the classmates. Special thanks to Hans who has cooked fantastic fish-ball soup for 3 semesters already even if he's always extremely busy with his business. We really appreciate what you have done for me, Hans! We all LOVE your soup!

It's not time to say good-bye but for us to take a break. All of you matter to this class and without all of your participation, we wouldn't have come this far. As part of this class, I want to give big hugs to all of you and hope to see you all in September!

2013-06-14 Literature!


Tonight was our last second class in this semester and we were so lucky that Abbie brought one of her favorite children's books and read it to us. We were sitting on the chairs in a big circle as kids who were eager to know the new story and tonight, Abbie was the best librarian who volunteered to read it to all of us! It's an interesting book and I believe that our imagination creates lively pictures and the words guide us to the possible directions where the writers would like us to explore. It was fun to listen to a story like that!

Luckily, four of us prepared something to share with us. Julie was the first to share a story about Joseph who was his father's favorite son. She thoughtfully read the story to us and showed two videos about this story. One is an animation and the other one is performed in traditional Chinese drama way. That was quite interesting!

Marian then took out a reader that she's kept for a long time. It was "Pride and Prejudice." Her book not only is written in English but also provides the Chinese translation. It's one of Marian's favorite books! Then she showed a special Arches' ranger vest to us that she bought at the souvenir shop in Arches National Park when she visited there. It's the vest for junior rangers and the size doesn't really fit any adults. However, the vest carries lots of good memories of Marian's trip to the USA.

Barrett was the third to step on the stage and shared some collections of his books. He brought a medium-sized paper bag full of English books, novels and readers. He introduced each of his books and each of them contains some of Barrett's memories. He also told us why he chose Barrett as his English name. He also mentioned that he kind of struggled to understand some of his books but he pointed out that one of the tips of improving English is to think and write in English rather than in Chinese. He definitely has quite many books to read and no doubt, he has already finished most of them and his English is getting better and better!

I, Jonas, was the last to give the presentation. I used some quotes from the famous movies to remind myself that we all need to slow down and think what really matters in our lives! It is always a privilege to share something with the class and we are our own main characters in our own movies. We have the power to live our lives the way we want and create some unforgettable stories! Just like the quote from the book "The last lecture," We cannot change the card we are dealt, just how we play the hand." We're lucky and blessed to be in this great class. Thanks to those who help and join this big family and special thanks to our lovely teacher, Abbie, who has always been the most passionate to inspire us!

Last but not the least, Abbie led us to read two of her favorite poems. They are touching and it's true that words are so powerful that we get influenced and then take action to change ourselves.

There is no Frigate like a Book

BY EMILY DICKINSON
There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry –
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll –
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human Soul –

 The Peace of Wild Things
BY WENDELL BERRY

 When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
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