Car accident in 26 Nov 2010

I had a car crash 26 November, 2011 when I drove from Highland Park to home at 5.00pm.Actually, I was hit by a Ford Courier on that day.

I lost my conscious at that moment. On that day, Tommy needed the church van, so we swapped it and I drove his one, Mr and Mrs Yuen's car. The car should be written off, and I am waiting the report from assessor. Fortunately, I am alright.
Thank God, I don't have any serious hurt, I was reported from the X ray that I was only injured my cervical vertebra and wear a collar now.

alice in the super-wonderland again!

A difficult time, a difficult week!!!

When I came back from HK this week, I had different appointments for different type of doctors: Monday: GP Tue: Chiropractor Wed: specialist for Gastro.... Thur: Morning: Mercy Hospital for Endoscopy of my stomach. But The blood pressure was quite low that the nurse took two times of that. Thanks God, the report is normal. The doctor said that the blood which I lost it still need a few weeks to recover. : [ afternoon: Auckland Concussion Service Before that, I thought I was alright from the car accident only lost that part of memory. Unfortunately, it was not. When the nurse and OT ask me to fill in the chart about my physical problem which I felt that I was peeling to see through and deep inside. While they asked me about anybody help when I got back my conscious, I answer 'NO' in rudely, I collapsed and cried nearly to use half box of tissue paper. Finally, they will arrange a team, 20 people, to have another 2 appointments next week to look after at me. I don't know it's a good news or not??? It let me face the real problem that I always think that I am strong and tough enough to handle everything. In fact, I am not and I need slow now to recover for my brain damage ... Anyway, It's time to learn a lesson how to slow down and relax . . . It's long long long . .. ... time Thanks God, I still can survive in the wonderland!!! alice

What is the meaning of holiday?

During the holiday, I still haven't any holiday mood or I can simply say that everyday is my holiday.
In the school time, I was busy for the assignment and organized the church's things at the same time. I was too much pressure to handle them together and sometimes felt moody. too
Now I am in the school holiday, but my brain still work to prepare and to arrange the things in this year. It seems busy but it were fleshed out in everyday.
I have family and friends and many of my friends are come from church. Therefore, it's difficult to divide where and when it's my personal time or church/working time.
For example, I watched a 3D movie with some Sunday School students. I enjoyed the movie and also enjoyed to lead them to there and let them know that some body are care of them, especially our Lord Father cares them too.
: )

New Year - New Plan -New Challeging

In 2011, I must improve my English, especially the written English to prepare for the paper in this challenging year.
Try to flow idea first same as teacher taught in last semester, no matter any grammar or structure mistake or error. Try to let me have confidence to start!

Hope it's a good start, good practice no matter what will the result is?
Basically, I try first rather than to stay at the same pace!!! : (
or

: ) always in the wonderland!!!

Speaking Portfolio_4_ ADS

Date: 14 May, 2010

Time: 2.00pm approx. 2 hours

Place: Auckland Deaf Society
164 Balmoral Road, Balmoral

Main topic:
- Sound system: for hearing aids people
Learn how to operate after new installation

The conversation was focus on how to operate the new sound system in Auckland Deaf Society.
Since my church has hired the hall to use it as a Sunday service for over 2 years. However, the sound system always has different problems on every week, no matter our (normal) or the hearing aid people system. Since one of our congregation he is wearing the hearing aid, he needs the 'loop' system. Unfortunately, the 'loop' system is always not worked that he was quite worried and felt bored during the sermon.
Thank God, they installed a so 'perfect' and friendly user one on Thursday that I went to learn how to 'operate' it on Friday after my class.

I still found out some culture aspects and differences during this conversion.
Firstly, some 'kiwi's' characters are - finish one thing/job at one time. It's seemed the 1 speaking port. which I had mentioned. As the technician, Ian, still had a job in Albany following, but he tried to finish one by one and should achieve his requirement- over 90% good. He is not the young guy who I met before. Since some young people have 'easy come easy go' attitude.
In addition, they quite encourage people to keep the character of different culture, not 100% copy of them. It is including the accent and speaking style. Since I was introduced by the secretary, Trisha Shanaghan, of ADS, we had a good conversation.
Trisha: That's why I brought Alice to be here. Alice is a 'buss'!" I checked with her that 'is it a idiom or something else. At the first moment, she was quite reluctant answered this. She explained that she could speak this quite common. However, if I spoke this, it would be quite awful. Asian should have Asian speaking style no matter in English. But I let her know that I want to learn some more 'kiwi' style things when I listen and knew what its mean. Finally, ... is a 'buss' is described 'lot' of happen like a bee and 'humming'.

During the conversation with the technician, Ian, I learned some phase and ask repetition from him, such as volume 'up or down' on the panel, not high or low. When he taught me how to operate, he said if I have 'intuitive' sense something's wrong, just let him know. I grasped the time and ask him how to spell of that word.
Ian: it's bad
Alice: Why? mm but it's a good word, isn't it? I want to learn a new word!
Ian: it's a good word, it's bad because I don't know how to spell it.
A: I'll check out form dict.

When nearly finish our conversation, I introduced my name again and ask him
A: What's your name?
I: In
A: mm? How to spell it?
I: I a n
And he let me know that it can spell as 'I a i n' in Scottish too.
So, in common conversation, people generally use schwa and lexical features. During this time, I use 'stress' of meaning and also use lot of contractions to make the conversation smoothly.

Although it is the last speaking portfolio, I feel that it's quite useful and remind me all the things which I have learned from class and using in my daily life!

Speaking Portfolio_3_ Lynfield Veterinary Care

The conversation was focus on illness and information of my cat. It took place at Lynfield Veterinary Care on 10 May, 2010 for approximately 3o minutes. The native speaker is a doctor of pet and I was the client. Since my cat was sick for a few days.

I had made the booking at 11.00amon Monday, but when I went to there, the clinic was moved. So I made a phone call to check the new address. Thank God, it's quite close but I was still a little bit late. When I jumped to the clinic and felt appolized for the late, the receptionist were quite friendly to say that "It's alright! The doctor is still in the last appointment, please take a seat." It's the culture differences in my home town that I would be treated and said "p-l-e-a-s-e t-a-k-e a s-e-a-t!" in long & rude.

And during the conversation with the doctor, Beverley, I let her know that I gave some milk for my cat.

Beverley: Cow's milk?

Alice: No, human milk! Beverley smiled and laugh in gentle

Beverley: human drinking milk!

She corrected my mistake in soft.

If this case happen in my culture, Iwill be corrected in rude and loud.

And nearly end of my consulation, I found out that the pronunication through Beverley's was quite difference which I heard before. When I asked her that where did she come from?

She replied with simle that she born and came from England, but stayed in South Africa and Cambodia for a while.

This kind of conversation was not familiar with me. According the strategies from the 'Spoken English in Practice' class, I tried to search some vocab. to understand the background and what kind of sentences will the doctor ask? And also take note and if I do not understand the meaning, I will ask for repetition. (vomit; spit, spitting, spat; swallow; not able to eat)

During the conversation with the doctor, she was very friendly and treated my cat as a human being to let me feel comfortable. She said," What's things happen for Ribina?"Ribina is my cat's name. When I described his illness that he wantedto vomit but it was not; want to eat, but he can't; gagging like something stick inside . . .She replied and felt sorry ," Oooh! what a poor things!"
Let me feel that she was quite care of my naughty but lovely cat. It's a difference of my culture that many doctors are felt 'cold' and treated a 'pet' as a 'animal'. I also learned some phases and vocab. from her. For example, some pawing at mouth-want to pull out something; neck has been very long- gagging/ vomit; mild lung changes and lung worms - something wrong in lung not exactly has worms inside; moulting-losing hair for cat . . . When I told her that my cat spit yesterday. My grammar was wrong, it should be 'spat'. She used the right grammar- spat. If I didn't check this word, I would not know what she said. And she asked any 'foamy fluid" in the spat? I didn't understand the meaning of that and asked to repeat and write down the word. She was very patience to explain that again. We finished this conversation with her detail explanation that to leave my cat to take some checking: gas isofluorane, morphine, x-ray to check any foreign body in his throat.

In the conversation, I felt difficult and nervous for me. Since my cat was quite sick, but the doctor let me to calm down and lead me to explain step by step; she made me feel comfortable no matter my barrier English. Therefore, I didn't use much discourse markers but some minimal encourages- mm, yeah while I was thinking to choose any words which I prepared in my note book. And I learned many new words and new things through this conversation, such as moulting is caused from stress, like human being sickness too.

During this and last 2 speaking portfolio, this conversation is the hardest but quite challenging, reality and emergency. Focusing on coming conversation, I should concentrate the grammar- which kind of tense I should use. I am not able to get use past tense in my conversation.

Speaking Portfolio_2_ ASB Bank

Date: 22 April, 2010

Time: 10am 15 - 20 minutes

Place: ASB Bank
1484D Dominion Road Extn., Mt. Roskill

Main topic:
- credit card: late payment
- tertiary account: extended the expiry date


Systematic, right/authority and initiative

When I went to the Bank, I did some normal transactions with the cashier first and told her that I would do a few extra things on last Thursday. Firstly, I showed her that I received a friendly reminder from ASB Bank on my cell phone to say, "You may have forgotten to pay your credit card. An overdue fee of $25 will apply in two days. Thank you!" Because it was the first time I received from bank and I didn't go to the bank on that day, so I was quite worried about that I would be punished. Then I swiped my card immediately, she said, "Don't swipe the card when I'm doing on the computer!" I realized that I am impatient again that I forgot what had happened in my last blogger before- impatient. After she finished all transaction step by step, she smiled and said, "Would you want me to staple the receipt on your statement!" "Yes, please!"I said. "The credit card payment is settled, don't worry!"
After that, I showed . I showed some document from study-link. The procedure was taking a long time that she checked all my document. I said that I was very sorry that to let other people who were waiting for a long time. She replied, "It's your right, don't feel sorry or worry for them!"
When nearly finishing all transactions, she admired my hat too.
I felt warm, comfortable and her initiative helps.
The people on queue were alright and patience since the cashier let the manageress to arrange another two more cashiers to work with them. In my country, I will be very embarrassed that they would be look angry with me. There are difference culture aspects between European and Asian. I am quite enjoy for these impressive culture here.


When the cashier finished all my transaction and she had a badge on her uniform and printed : Sri. I said, "Thank you for your help! May I know that how to pronounce your name?"
S:"Sri. . . same as three!"
A: Oh 'three'. It's quite interesting. Where are you come from?
I thought she was not quite clear what I was asking, I changed it to ask
"Where is your hometown?"
S: My home country is India!
A: Thanks a lot! Bye.
I used a wrong word that it should be home country not home town. No matter she told me the name of her hometown, I supposed still didn't know where it was unless it was a big city.


When she admired my hat, I told her that I was easily to have headache when it was windy. So I wore hat during autumn and summer. She told me that she had the same problem and she had 'dark circle'. I was quite wonder why she explained like that. She showed me that she was allergy of windy and got 'dark circle' around her eyes. I learned a new meaning of 'dark circle', it's not only to describe people who haven't enough sleep.


When I received the letter regarding for the tertiary account, I went to the bank before and I showed them my student ID. But it's not enough evidence to proof because there didn't show the expiry date. So, this time I prepared some letters from study-link to proof it. It means that I try to well prepare as I can. Let me to have some more details for my conversation. And this time, I try to speak a little bit slower than before, she also spoke slow to me and let me to understand easily too.
Sri gave me a brochure for the other kind bank account service, let me to consider later.


Generally, I try to use some more lexical and interactive features.
When I was thinking to receive the brochure from Sre, I used some chunks like "you know . . ." "I agree...".when I was thinking to receive to not because I am still a full time student at the moment. And try to use some minimal encourages eg. nah, Um, Ah, Yeah and Well to make the conversation smooth.

I hope I will do it better in next time!