Happy moments to share

[Catherineli]

I open my wallet, find no money

I open my pocket, find no coin

I open CFL, I find replies from Mr. So and So

I know how rich I am!

 

Now I have the gift of sliver and thorn from Doug

Decent Kang English from Professor Randy

Carl’s diving story,

Danb’s waterbed knowledge

Mick’s Duck Dynasty

Dennis and Larry’s encouraging words

Thomas Promise’ patience

Oh, Tsap Seui, Steve, and Ameriken

How rich I am!!

 

Always the money will come and go

The coins will tarnish with age

Yet words of friendship may often show

An eternal warmth to the Chinese Nobody

Hugs to everyone!!

 

 

 

 

Helloooo you guys!! After a few days hesitating, I decided not to go away from the website because I have peace with all of you who are polite and respectful. Now I give thanks to everyone who shares here to make our life more beautiful. Today I feel relaxed so I like to share two happy moments with you guys. One is from my real life, another from my virtual world. I love to see the moment of my students rushing into my classroom to occupy the first few rows of the seats;I love to read the replies from you guys the minute I log in the CFL. What is your happy moment please?

Edited May 28, 2014 by Catherineli (see edit history)

[tsap seui]

Ah the power of words. Good to see you write your stories, Catherinelli. Your writing is a spark and a flame of happiness.

 

A happy moment for me, out of the many daily happy moments each day brings....

 

In the mornings I get up before my wife. I go to my office with its open window and I hear the birds starting their busy day. Often woodpeckers are hammering on the dead wood in trees as they look for bugs. Some of them are soft pecks in the bark, the larger woodpeckers hammer the wood like some electric powered hammer drill and I imagine how large those birds are. The robins are always fussy and hopping around in the grass looking for their morning worms and grubs. Sometimes in the early morning mists I will see a young deer or two, slowly walking back towards the trees of the forest covering the mountainside across from our frontyard. As well, the rabbits are out in the coolness of the morning, nibbling busily away at blades of grass, and an occasional squirrel or 3 is running around gathering, or hiding nuts. Often mornings doves coo from the mist shrouded trees in our yard...such a pleasant relaxing sound they make as they call to each other.

 

The happiest event of the morning is when my wife comes sleepily out of the bedroom and sticks her head in my office, looking at me with those beautiful sleep black eyes of hers that I adore so much. We look longley into each others eyes and then one or the other of us will say something funny as we so often kid each other (funny trouble we call what we give each other). As she walks away with a laugh, I say a silent prayer of thanks. Thanks that it was she who went to Beijing to meet me on my first trip to China. Thanks for the extreme happiness I have been given by this precious little woman in my life. I realize I am a very lucky man.

 

tsap seui

[Mick]

Ronny spoke of the power of words and no truer words can be spoken. Whether it is written narrative, poetry, song lyrics, or impassioned speech, words are our medium of exhange. For many years I was fortunate enough to make a living using words arranged in varying order, for multiple purposes. Like anything you use to make a living, after awhile, you enjoy your time away from it as well. That's why, in the search for happy moments, I learned some forty-five years ago the incredible power of silence. Just as it is the spaces between the musical notes that creates the beauty in a song, it is often the space - the pregnant pause - between the words that makes writing so captivating. And it is that silent space between our thoughts, that gives life a sense of wonder and awe. Some of my happiest times are spent in silent meditation - savoring the Zen of the present moment - where the real treasures live. One of my favorite sayings, written by the Zen master Dogen many centuries ago captures what wonders can be seen in that time beyond time, where we catch a glimpse of:

 

Moon light in a dew drop,

Dripping from a duck's beak.

 

Hmmmm....perhaps I am speaking of ducks too much these days.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Mick (see edit history)

[Catherineli]

Well, Tsap Seui and Mick, I always have inspirations from your replies! Thanks. Tsap SeuiI draws a picture in my mind----Garden of Eden----- where modern Adam and Eve are happily playing under the blue sky with woodpeckers, robins, rabbits, squirrls and doves. Happy for Tsap!! You should also get some ducks to your garden from Mick

Mick, a great philosopher, I like your "Silence" idea, as it gives us freedom to meditate our value on the earth. I totally agree with you that the pregnant pause is beautifully like the spaces between the musical notes. I live by a large park where I often go and enjoy my "silence." Now that you mentioned dew drops, I like to offer a poem that I wrote based on my quiet time with the dew in the park.

 

Tiny drops of morning dew

Crystal clear and charmingly beautiful

With morning dew, life and hope is brought to the world

Another day,another hope

 

Drops of morning dew cling to every blade of grass, every cobweb

working at night they moisten the green grass, purify the air

Leaves shimmer in the shining drops of morning dew

Giving off to the world, amazingly diligent they are

 

The sun blushes with his royal face beyond the horizon

The morning dew, still serving heart and soul

People stride on and litter on

Never grumbles morning dew but offering and offering

 

Who gives without the need of credit?

Who retires quietly?

Only monring dew

The self-sacrifice, the spirit worthy of learning, you and me

 

Desire such spirit of love?

There goes Jesus who is in the mirror of morning dew

Receive and repent with prayer

You'll be covered with the morning dew

 

Congratulations to you and you!!

[tsap seui]

Ah the four seasons. I love them all. For the past four weeks, when spring began with it's magic spreading so slowly, at first with the miracle of billions of tiny buds popping their heads out, now the valleys and majestic mountainsides are carpeted in glorious and vivid green colors as the leaves have firmly taken their yearly turn on the trees. Everywhere we go now, the mountain views are spectacular. The old bones of the mountains are once again hidden by Mother Nature's soft green cover. Life and new birth is everywhere. Baby birds crying in their nests, mother and father birds busy digging grubs and worms for them. Tending to their young as they learn to fly for the first time.

 

We have had an incredible past four months. Daytime highs in the lower to mid 60's, evening lows in the 40's to low 50's. Oh that the temperature never rose above 70 degrees here in the mountains. Spring's many clouds give us unbelievable sunrises and sunsets that are postcard worthy.

 

Yesterday, Wenyan and I walked down into the park, with the Juniata River flowing through it. Ducks and geese abound. One could sit for hours watching them take off and land, forage in the water for their meals, fuss at each other over broken bits of bread the tourists throw them. Mother ducks on the water's edge, sitting on their eggs. We saw one mother, followed by her seven waddling chicks. Mother with her serious look, the chicks peeping and constantly falling out of line as they inspected this and that.

 

The geese float out in the middle, out where the large carp jump out of the water in a regular fashion. The honks of the geese remind me of my youth...standing with my father and brother on the banks of a small lake in North Carolina as the huge V of the geese formations came in to land in front of us. I love the sound of geese in flight...their calls to each other, their constantly changing positions in the V formations.

 

Really nice poem you wrote Catherineli. You've done a nice job. I never was much of a "wordsmith"...okay with things I've seen in my life's experiences but you and Mick have much more depth and deeper meaning with your wording arrangements. Mick's many experiences gives him a wealth of material.

 

Keep up your happy view of life...this is indeed a gift we are given each day. Mother Nature is working her magic in this special season.

 

tsap seui

[amberjack1234]

Thank you Catherlineli for you lovely poem and the time that you spent writing it means a lot to me. I am not a gifted as Tsap Seui (Ronny) nor Mick at writing but I appreciate what you write here and to me in the PM"s that we share. I just got back from East Carolina University for a dental appointment for the wife and I so I am kind of tired now so I won't say much this time but I'll see you later and I hope that you have a wonderful day.

 

Larry

[NUWORLD]

Catherlineli:

 

Your English and your writing is very good.

Good job!!!

 

Though as others here, My posts are more to the point.

My happy moment started back in 2006 when i married my wife in Chongqing.

 

That was 8 years ago.

To this day and each day to come my happy moment is when i wake up each and every morning next to my wife.

Our marriage is a bit different than some.

 

Why? Only for the fact that we are together 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 365 days a year.

You may ask why.

 

We both work at the same company together and with the same hours of work.

We do everything together always.

 

Call it love, But this is my happy moment everyday.

There is nothing in the world i would give up for what i have to see my wife every morning/day/night.

 

There is no price for love but to see it and feel it each and everyday.

 

 

On a side note: Welcome to CFL. You have joined a very good family.

I'm well known around here.

 

Mike

[Catherineli]

Wow, I got to know another Mike! Nice to meet you Mike! Larry, Ronny nice to see you again! Glad to know Tsap seui is also Ronny. Usually I don't write anything or post anything on the weekend because it's everyone's family time. Thank you, my new friends, your welcome and your friendship do warm my heart. Larry, I hope you're alright with your teeth. Please say hi to Liren for me. Ronny's farm sounds like a heaven on the earth. I'm happy for Mike's wonderful happiness too. Larry's life is also a beautiful testimony.

My vocabulary is not enough and I'm practicing English so I can step into American life without difficulties. Here I have two questions for you guys considering English langauge.

(1) Which is more appropriate with the following?

A: It's I who am learning English.

B: It's I who is learning English.

(2) In normal writing, how to spell out the square meter and feet. Which is correct pls?

A: He lives in a room of 96 Sq ft with his wife.

B: He lives in a room of ninety-six square feet with his wife.

 

Have a good weekend everyone!! Catherine

[Randy W]

Wow, I got to know another Mike! Nice to meet you Mike! Larry, Ronny nice to see you again! Glad to know Tsap seui is also Ronny. Usually I don't write anything or post anything on the weekend because it's everyone's family time. Thank you, my new friends, your welcome and your friendship do warm my heart. Larry, I hope you're alright with your teeth. Please say hi to Liren for me. Ronny's farm sounds like a heaven on the earth. I'm happy for Mike's wonderful happiness too. Larry's life is also a beautiful testimony.

My vocabulary is not enough and I'm practicing English so I can step into American life without difficulties. Here I have two questions for you guys considering English langauge.

(1) Which is more appropriate with the following?

A: It's I who am learning English.

B: It's I who is learning English.

(2) In normal writing, how to spell out the square meter and feet. Which is correct pls?

A: He lives in a room of 96 Sq ft with his wife.

B: He lives in a room of ninety-six square feet with his wife.

 

Have a good weekend everyone!! Catherine

 

 

1) I think A) sounds more correct to MOST of us, but there are plenty who would disagree. The sentence discussed here is similar - http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=494242

 

2) I think 96 would usually be written numerically (as in A) and sq. ft. would usually be abbreviated (also as in A).

 

You will often just find yourself with a choice.

[Catherineli]

I'm sooooo happy that I got "A" from Professor Randy!!! xiexie ni! Wo hen gao xing! Dajia zhou mo yu kuai!

 

Catherineli

[Thomas Promise]

Notable Idioms In English

"A bitter pill" [1] A situation or information that is unpleasant but must be accepted.
"A dime a dozen" [2] Anything that is common, inexpensive, and easy to get or available any where.
"Ace in the hole" [3] A hidden or secret strength, or unrevealed advantage.
"Achilles' heel" [4] A metaphor for a fatal weakness in spite of overall strength.
"Add insult to injury" [5] To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an unfavorable situation.
"All ears" [6] Listening intently; fully focused or awaiting an explanation.
"All thumbs" [7] Clumsy, awkward.
"Apple of discord" [8] Anything causing trouble, discord, or jealousy.
"At the drop of a hat" Without any hesitation; instantly.
"Barking up the wrong tree" [9] Looking in the wrong place. [note 1]
"Basket case" One made powerless or ineffective, as by nerves, panic, or stress. [note 2]
"Beat around the bush" To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally or to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant.
"Bite off more than one can chew" To take on more responsibility than one can manage.
"Bite the bullet" To endure a painful or unpleasant situation that is unavoidable.
"Bite the dust" Euphemism for dying or death.
"Break a leg" [10] A saying from the theatre that means "good luck".
"Burn the midnight oil" [11] To work late into the night, alluding to the time before electric lighting. [note 3]
"Bust one's chops" [12] To say things intended to harass. [note 4]
"By the seat of one's pants" [13] To achieve through instinct or do something without advance preparation.
"By the skin of one's teeth" [14] Narrowly; barely. Usually used in regard to a narrow escape from a disaster. [note 5]
"Call it a day" [15] To declare the end of a task. [note 6]
Cat nap A nap.
"Champ at the bit" or "Chomp at the bit" [16] To show impatience or frustration when delayed.
"Chew the fat" To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
"Chink in one's armor" [17] An area of vulnerability [note 7]
"Clam up" To become silent; to stop talking.
"Cold shoulder" [18] To display aloofness and disdain.
"Couch potato" [19] A lazy person.
"Cut a rug" To dance
"Cut the cheese" To pass gas, fart, break wind
"Cut the mustard" [20] To perform well; to meet expectations.
"Don't have a cow " [21] Don't overreact.
"Drop a dime " Make a telephone call; to be an informant.
"Fit as a fiddle" [22] In good physical health.
"For a song" Almost free. Very cheap.
"From A to Z" Covering a complete range; comprehensively.
"From scratch / to make from scratch" Make from original ingredients; start from the beginning with no prior preparation
"Get bent out of shape" To take offense; to get worked up, aggravated, or annoyed
"Have a blast" [23] To have a good time or to enjoy oneself.
"Have eyes in the back of one's head " Someone can perceive things and events that are outside of their field of vision.
"Hit the road " To leave.
"Hit the sack "/sheets/hay [24] To go to bed to sleep.
"Let the cat out of the bag " To reveal a secret.
"Kick the bucket" [25] Euphemism for dying or death.
"Off one's trolley" or
"Off one's rocker" [26] Crazy, demented, out of one's mind, in a confused or befuddled state of mind, senile. [note 8]
"Off the hook" [27] To escape a situation of responsibility, obligation, or (less frequently) danger.
"Pop one's clogs" (UK) Euphemism for dying or death.
"Piece of cake " A job, task or other activity that is pleasant – or, by extension, easy or simple.
"Pull somebody's leg" To tease or to joke by telling a lie.
"Pushing up daisies" Euphemism for dying or death.
"Put the cat among the pigeons" [28] To create a disturbance and cause trouble.
"Right as rain" [29] Needed, appropriate, essential, or hoped-for and has come to mean perfect, well, absolutely right. [note 9]
"Screw the pooch" To screw up; to fail in dramatic and ignominious fashion.
"Shoot the breeze" To chat idly or generally waste time talking.
"Sleep with the fishes" Euphemism for dying or death. [note 10]
"Spill the beans" Reveal someone's secret.
"Split the whistle" To arrive just on time.
"Take the biscuit (UK)" To be particularly bad, objectionable, or egregious.
"Take the cake (US)" To be especially good or outstanding.
"Through thick and thin" In both good and bad times.
"Thumb one's nose" To express scorn or to disregard.
"Tie one on" To get drunk.
"Trip the light fantastic" To dance
"Under the weather" [30] Feel sick or poorly
"You can say that again" That is very true; expression of wholehearted agreement

[Catherineli]

Holytiledo!! I got a great gift of idioms today!!!! Fei chang gan xie Great Thomas! Hey, Thomas I wonder if your profile picture is your wife dancing in the sea?

Thank you very much for these idioms. I do need this!!

Catherine

[amberjack1234]

Holytiledo!! I got a great gift of idioms today!!!! Fei chang gan xie Great Thomas! Hey, Thomas I wonder if your profile picture is your wife dancing in the sea?

Thank you very much for these idioms. I do need this!!

Catherine

I was thinking about sending you something like that but that ole slick Thomas beat me to it. You ole Dog. Thomas and I are old friend from waaaayyy back.

 

Larry

[amberjack1234]

Randy and Dan are pretty much the heart of this visa forum. I guess that Randy won't mind if I tell you, as everyone else knows it already. He actually lives in Yulin with his sweet wife. Been there for quite a while, have a lovely home there too and the cutest grandson you have ever seen.

 

Larry

[amberjack1234]

Ronny and Mick are the writers that can put you right in their story. From the stories that you have written to me in PM's you are a gifted writer too. Me, I actually don't know why they let me stay around.

 

Larry