Bliss English Club

<Bliss Meeting Notice> “Story about Lantern Festival and Sky Lantern in DIY @平溪”by Ellen Huang

My Dear Blissers,

Are you ready to greet new challenges in English learning?

Are you willing to make self-improvement in expressing your ideas in English?

Yes, your voice is clearly heard!

We add new session into our regular meeing as follows:

*****However: Since the meeting activity of 2/11 will be extended from 8:30 am, the agenda will be revised accordingly.******

1.     Introduction on 2/11:

This Sat. is our Lantern Festival and also the day of sky Lantern festival @ Ping Xi (平溪) , take this chance , I would like to invite you all join with me to go to Ping Xi for a hiking in the morning , and our regular meeting in the afternoon @十分

2.     Agenda on 2/11:

08:30  Taipei Zoo MRT exit 1 木柵動物園MRT 一號出口會合 (逾時不候)

09:00   Take shuttle bus from Taipei Zoo to 十分 ( NT$50 )

10:00  Arrival @十分南山橋 and sign in to Sky Lantern festival 

       (NT$199 for 4  people get a sky Lantern ) 排晚上集體放天燈場次

10:30~12:00 Hiking @十分 Waterfall

12:00~13:00 Lunch

13:30~16:30 meeting & Sky Lantern DIY

Theme Talk Session:

Do you know how serious the Surplus Food problem is in Taiwan and around the world? And as a citizen of the earth , what we can do to save the Surplus Food problem from ourselves ?

17:00  Fly the Sky Lanterns made by ourselves 放我們自己做的天燈(三個)

18:00  Fly the Sky Lanterns prepared by festival 集體放天燈

http://skylantern.ntpc.gov.tw/%E5%A4%A9%E7%87%88%E7%AF%80%E6%B4%BB%E5%8B%95.html

18:30 Take shuttle bus back to Taipei Zoo 搭shuttle bus回木柵動物園 (晚餐自理)

3.     Sign-up Survey

We will have dinner @貓空 after we are back to Taipei zoo ; restaurant info will be provided aftersign-up survey.

Please sign up to following link before this Wednesday off , so that I can reserve the lunch and afternoon tea café accordingly .

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5_iFmgjO3HXqQizqz2ru14U157jxgPC-3updOHpP9X-Gt1A/viewform

“Happy Chinese New Year” & No meetings on 1/28, 2/4

My Dear Blissers,

Happy Chinese New Year!

Wish you a prosperous and invigorating year in 2017!!!

Surely enjoy your reunion with your family and relatives from our best regards during Chinese New Year, when we won’t have meetings on 1/28 or 2/4.

Until 2/11, we shall meet each other with full-charged spirits!! 

Recap of <Bliss Meeting> “Before I fall in love with…> by Ting Ting on 1/14

Hostess: Ting Ting

Participants: Ellen, Kevin Cheng, Daniel Yang, Annie, Joanna, Camille, Stanley, Nania

　
Meeting photos:

https://goo.gl/Pn4hmY 

New Blissers：

https://goo.gl/1o0ePP Camille

https://goo.gl/vhzBsA Joanna

At her very first meeting, the intelligent hostess, Ting Ting, held up our attention successfully from the beginning to the end to our surprise!!

Personal Straits Known

1.     What can’t you live without?

2.     What’s the most surprising thing you carry?

Ting Ting led us to understand a person via the life-related details such as things in one’s bag; she asked us to draw the staff in our bags and then shared the answers to the above two questions.

Through the activity, Ting demonstrated her technical pen in her bag and unmasked herself as a curious observant, art & culture lover and practitioner. One brought a lunchbox & mask indicatingshe is  health-carer; one took along with her earphone showing her love of music; one carried gym wear exposing his muscle-enthusiastic feature; three had notebooks for note taking habits.  

Then she amazed us by showing how to use a technical pen and do the color or oil painting with another “magical” pen.

Clues Hidden in the Details

1.     Guess the purpose of an animated commercial: It turned out to be the one promoting “Correspondence Course”!

2.     Guess what happened at the end of the microfilm,“L’accordeur”: Please refer to the link in the Bliss Post (line).

Before fall in love with “Art”

Her room shows many significant things as an artist, such as a small Eiffel Tower, comic books, drawing books, painting poster of her favorite artist, Niki, who used plaster as bullets and painted huge women because of the defensive need for her child abuse memory, or two signposts she did for two couples.

Which event had the strong impact on your personality and how did you change?

Ting introduced her backpacking trip; one said studying in Canada changed his life; another said Bible studying class; another said working holiday in America opened he eye; another said the teacher in his high school; another shared living in Taipei made her independent!

Animation & Game

Having worked as Executive Producer, Ting Ting also laid her eyes on some famous art works like “Taiwan Bar” and the game of “Detention.”

Reflection:

We thank Ting Ting for sharing self-exploration and displaying how art appreciation can be nourished by careful observation!!! Besides, of course, all the other participants’ contribution made the meeting more fruitful and enjoyable!! We look forward to her next meeting soon.

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<Bliss Meeting Notice> “Before I fall in love with ….” By Ting Ting on 1/21

My Dear Blissers,

My dear Blissers,

Curious to how to interpret your life and answer your puzzles?

You are going to see it through neither the Tarot nor astrocode from our New Bliss fortunetelling expert, Nania this Saturday!!

Welcome to grasp this chance to explore yourself better on 1/13!!!

Agenda:

14:30-14:50               self-introduction & brief Introduction about cards

14:50-16:20               draw a card

16:20-16:40               Break

16:40-17:30               Q&A

Recap of Bliss Meeting <The Hidden Secret of English Communication> by Michael Wu on 1/7/2017

Host: Michael Wu

Participants: Ryna, Christine, Daniel Yang, Ellen Huang, Annie, Michael Wu, Barkley, Daniel Chen, Naihsin, Angela, Angel, Ting, Sophie Su

Name: Ryna

Photo link: https://goo.gl/photos/fyoJiexy7Mmy6Syz6

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Name: Christine Chen

Photo Link: https://goo.gl/photos/nDmQJ374KtuvMnE19

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Meeting's Photos link: https://goo.gl/photos/jEoNgRepdCsLYaKa7

The well-informed New Blisser Michael Wu, together with his friend, the intellectual beauty, Ryna proceeded the meeting causally and fulfilling as expected.

They successfully demonstrated some distinct examples and brought our awareness of the hurdles in communication as follows:

1.     The different tone on each word in the interrogative sentence of “What would you like? “carries different meaning of the speaker.

2.     The accents in sentences can be regarded as a regional indicator like “Where are you from?”

3.     Punctuation which means “pauses” sometimes brings misunderstanding like “Cappuccino”.

4.     Sentence Intonation, rise or fall in the sentence, can focus on the contrast, emphasis, reconfirmation, repetition, in which produce different effects either sarcastic, reassurance or the others!! 

5.     Racial, gender, political cultural prejudice in each country usually hinder the communication as reflected in JOKES. “Political Correct” wording should be carefully applied in daily communication. For example “Valley-girl tone” “”Asian Glow” should be avoided. 

Lingual Games

1.     Guessing the “action word” in a sentence “I xxx every day “using “Who-Q” or “Y/N-Q” in turn.

2.     Make a sentence of “I’ve never xxxx in my life”, in which all the other attendees bend one of their fingers if they have ever engaged in xxxx in the life. The earliest one having bent all five fingers is the winner.

Myths unveiled:

l  No legitimate accent at all; does feel free to say what you mean!!!

l  Communication barriers can occur because of the speaker’s regional accents, bias, and unconscious errors, or his or her intentional use of punctuation, phrasing, intonation, tones, or even the nonlingual contexts and scenarios.  Therefore be confident to figure out what the other(s) really mean without self-accusation first!!!

“Better Communication” Learning Tips:

1.     Preview the text before the occasions if possible.

2.     Watch the local sitcom to be easily immersed in the culture such as “TheBigbang Theory”.

3.     As an adult, we can learn language better through higher-order cognitive functions and be internalized.

Reflections:

Michael and Ryna are such role models that encourage us to copy their success in English learning and aspiringly develop the mode in academic field. We appreciate their precious experience sharing and demonstration. Look forward to their dreams realized and meeting in the near future!!!

Bliss English Club since 1997

< 1/7 Bliss Meeting Notice> "The Hidden Secret of English Communication" by Michael Wu on 1/7

My dear Blissers,

Bright New Start for all Blissers on Jan.7!

For the first meeting of 2017, we are honored to invite New Blisser, knowledgeable Michael Wu to explore” the hidden secret of English communication” and possibly enlighten us why we understand every single word in text but not in listening during communication!!

So, are you ready to leap in English this Saturday with us?  

Note: Bliss Meeting Place: 新場地VIS Café窩是咖啡，台北市大同區酒泉街34‐3 號B1,近圓山捷運店，步行約1 分鐘，低銷NT$100 以上的飲品/輕食

My dear Blissers,
 
No meeting on 12/31, this Saturday!!!
 
Do you agree the saying, “Work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”?
 
So, why not take a short trip or do nothing but rest to greet the 2017 New Year?
 
Bliss 2017 staff here wish you and your family A Happy New Year!!!

My dear Blissers,

 Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!!!

Bliss 2017 meetings are ready to turn a new leaf for you. We can’t wait to see you on the following dates !

Please find the info of coming soon poster in Jan., 2017 as the attachment!

Meeting date: 1/7

Host: Michael Wu

TOPIC: The hidden secret of English communication

Meeting date: 1/14

Host: Nania

TOPIC: What does your angel say to you?

Meeting date: 1/21

Host: Ting Ting

TOPIC: Before I fall in love with ……

My dear Blissers,
No meeting this week!
 
Let’s say “thank you very much” to 2016 staff who are activity managers, Vicky and Daniel, education managers, Serina, Annie, Joe and PR, Kevin Cheng and those supportive “think tank”, our previous staff since 1997 for their contribution and efforts unconditionally!!!
 
Let’s also warmly welcome our 2017 newly “elect” staff, who are President, Ellen Huang, activity managers, J.C., Alisa, Education managers, Daniel Chen, Annie, Johnson and PR, BK for their voluntary dedication to Bliss in the coming year!!!
 
Please kindly note: No meeting 12/17, 12/24, 12/31 in 2016