Art of listening

Hmmm? What's that? Pardon? Can you say that again? If you like such questions, you listen with one ear...the other is reserved for your cell phone, conversation at adjacent tables or the mention of your own name by someone else in the room. Other reasons include you are trying to generate your what u want to say rather than listening, or your thoughts are occupied with other things. It's not too late to know that you might hurt the talking person in a way that her words are not being taken seriously and plain ignored. Put it this way, you don't value what they have to say. Unless you are good at pretending, they could feel it. It is even more unacceptable to be pretending to listen while you are looking away at something else. If you are not interested in the conversation, you should try to change the topic or frankly set the time limit like "I have a couple more minutes then i got to go. Tell me more when you have a chance. I definately want to hear it." or something nice you can think of.

I had a friend in high school whom i believe to be an excellent listener. Every time i said something he always opened both his eyes the size of a fried egg(just exxagerating) looking straight at mine, and his ears seemed to be ready to absorb anything, and his mouth opened up accordingly to a big or a little surprise. He made it like every word he heard is his oxygen. He didn't talk about his part a lot but asked and listened attentively. He started his sentence with "You .... or We....." not "I....., My......, Myself...." He rarely interrupted unless it was important enough to get to the point. By the way he was not an alien, though he looked like (sometimes) lolz.

Having someone around to listen is a gift. You can have a great conversation with someone even with your mouth less open, but your heart more open. Like any skills, you can practice listening everyday until it becomes second nature. You can learn a lot more from people by focusing on listening and asking than by talking about your own storyline. I don't mean that you should not talk about yourself at all but at least you should make sure listening is also a part of your conversation. And of course, even though i couldn't hear what you want to say, i am listening to what you have to comment. P-)

Thanksgiving

In just 30 minutes, the day of Thanksgiving arrives. This year Thanksgiving falls on the 24th of November, the same day that my Uncle and Aunt leaving for a delightful trip to Mexico. Speaking of that, the fear of being at home alone strikes my heart. I am really fearful of loneliness, quietness and darkness. Sigh, i inevitably have to live my life by myself one day.
Thanksgiving also reminds me of a comedy part where Mr. Bean's head got trapped inside a huge turkey. It was too funny. Just thinking about makes me giggle. To me, Thanksgiving marks a family reunion having a feast where turkey is probably the main menu and a start of the holiday shopping season. I have a little plan tomorrow:
- Drive my Uncle and Aunt to the airport
- Vacuum my room and have my clothes washed
- Go to the gym
- Go to a relative's house for Thanksgiving celebration (That's a good part of tomorrow)
After tomorrow, i am heading for my weekend work again. Guess what, I am not going to enjoy the Black Friday. I don't understand why people go shopping at 4 o'clock in the morning till midnight. The mall merchandise is going to be wiped away by shoppers.

A Street in Redmond, WA

Fact: Seattle

Introduction

The largest city in the pacific northwest, Seattle is located about 96 miles from the U.S Canadian border and sits between Lake Washington and the Puget Sound. Seattle is known for being the birthplace of 90's grunge music, the home for many high-tech companies and a large population of coffee addicts.

Highlights

The Seattle Space Needle was built for the 1962 World's Fair, it hosts a 520 ft observation deck, the SkyCity restaurant at 500 ft and a gift shop. It sits in the center of Seattle Center, near downtown, and invites tourists to ascend to the top and take in the view.

Pike Place Market in downtown is the oldest continually operated pulic farmer's market in the country. People come from all over to find everything from antiques to flying fish to the original Starbucks.

The Seattle Central Library was opened in 2004, houses 1.45 millions books and 400 publicly accessible computers.

Getting Here

By plane: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA-TAC) connects Seattle to all regions of the world. It is the Alaska Airlines hub, so Alaska often has direct flights to and from Seattle somewhat cheaper fares. The airport is approximately 25 minutes from downtown. Sveral options exist to get to and from the airport:

- King Country Metro (public bus) can get you downtown for $2 on the 194 or 174 routes. The trip can take between 45 and 60 minutes.

- Taxi will go downtown for $28. This takes about 20 minutes depending on traffic.

-Rental car: rentals can be less than $12/day (plus 18% tax, hotel parketking fees, etc). Beware that taking an airport rental will add an additional 11% airport tax surcharge. Renting from a downtown location will save a considerable amount of money.

- Commercial Shuttle Buses run between $5 and $30 depending on how far you want to go. They tend to be cheaper than a taxi and faster than the public bus.

By train

Amtrack provides services to Seattle from Portland, Vancouver, and other locations to the south and to the east. The King Street Station is located south of downtown near Safeco Field.

By car

Interstate 5 (I5) runs all along the western coast, cutting right through Seattle, and the Interstate 9 (I9) runs from Seattle to Boston. Seattle has poor streets that can cause bad congestion at rush hour.

Getting Around

Most North-South streets are labeled "Avenues" and East-West streets are labeled "Streets." Also, the city is roughly split into a 3x3 grid with specific directional centers (E, SW, W, S, N, NE, & NW.) Street addresses have the center before the address (Ex. NE 45st St) while Avenue addresses write the center after the address (45th Ave NE)

By Mass Transit

King Country Metro has electric, hybrid and diesel buses that run to all parts of the city. Bus fare is usually $1.25, but during rush hours (Mon-Fri 6am-9am & 3pm-6pm) it is $1.50. Also note that when getting on in downtown you pay when you get off, and bus travel within downtown is totally free. The Trip Planner Website has accurate information to help you find out what bus to take and when.

Weather and Climate

Despite having a reputation for rain, Seattle rarely has extreme downpours. This reputation derives from an average of 226 cloudy days every year (vs. 132 for New York City.) The majority of precipitation is classified as drizzle or light rain, with only 34.3 inches of precipitation per year. The average low temperature in the winter is between 35-40F (2-4 C) and in the summer months has highs of 75-80 F (24-27 C)

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One Line Jokes ...

1. He who laughs last thinks slowest.

2. Campers: Nature's way of feeding mosquitoes.

3. Always remember that you are unique; just like everyone else.

4. If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

5. I used to think i was indecisive, but now i'm not too sure.

6. If you say 'plz' because it's shorter than 'please', I'll say 'no' because it's shorter than 'yes'.

7. What part of the car is the laziest?
"The wheel, because they are always tired."

8. What's the difference between a TV and a newspaper?
Ever tried  swatting a fly with a TV?

9. What makes the calendar seem so popular?
Because it has a lot of dates.

10. What is it that even the most careful person overlooks?
Their nose.

11. Why do you go to bed every night?
Because the bed won't come to you.

Flirty Phrases...

1. If i can re-arrange the alphabet, I will put U&I together.

2. Do you have a library card? Because i am checking you out.

3. I am new in this city. Can you give me the direction to your apartment please?

4. If you were a tear in my eye i would not cry for fear of losing you.

Inspirational Quotes...

1. Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. William Arthur Ward
2. What we play is life. Louis Armstrong
3. If you can't be funny, be interesting. Harold Ross
4. The most important thing is to be whatever you are without shame. Rod Steiger.
5. To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. J.K Rowling
6. A strong positive mental attitude will create more miracles than any wonder drug. Patricia Neal
7. To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. Chinese Proverb
8. Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age. Jeanne Moreau
9. I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings. Wolfgang Mozart.
10. Nobody sees a flower - really- like to have a friend, it takes time. Georgia O'Keefe

S.E.X HEALTH: Quick-4 minute Guide

SLEEP
GO TO SLEEP, CLOSE YOUR EYES....zZz
Why: Growth hormones kick into high gear when your peepers (eyes) are sleeping. Close them when people (like your teachers) don't mind seeing your eyelids. You'll be in a better mood with more shut-eye too.
What: Sleep makes your more alert. Your body just plain needs a recharge every day. Maybe that's why it gets darks so often...
When: You need your beauty sleep even if you are sitting for an exam tomorrow. It makes sense to say that because you are sitting for an exam tomorrow, you need your beauty sleep. The more hours you sleep before midnight, the better your body recharges.
Where: Bed and blanket is best. TV and music can be disturbing at night. Turn them off and let your brain create nighttime images.

EAT
YOU EAT IT; YOU NEED IT.
Why: Energy. Food in = movement and brain power out. It's a simple formula that every creature on the planet is designed to follow.
What: Get "grained." Kick your bad eating habits by replacing them with smarter choices: Grains, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk, Meat & Beans.
When: Start right. Skipping breakfast is like running a race without your track shoes. Eat smaller portions more often, rather than eating larger meals less frequently.
Where: When you follow "What" you'll hit the fast food places less and rediscover the vegetable crisper in your and your friend's refrigerator. (Carrots are really good for your eyesight!)
How: No lessons needed here. Save starving for a day that won't come and just chew with your mouth closed!

EXERCISE
JUST MOVE IT
Why: Bodies were made to move. (If they weren't you probably couldn't make a clean get away from that loud neighbor dog.)
What: Swim, stretch, lift weights, skip, jog, walk, row, you name it.
When: Whenever, as long as "now" is part of it. Why wait?
Where: Wherever. Start a routine or join a team. Whatever gets your heart pumping and body moving is going to be good for your body, heart, soul, and mind. Even if you just increase your pace on things you do every day... or take the stairs instead of the elevator...
How: However you can. Start big or start small, just don't let yourself NOT start at all. Just move it.

LWTC Student Handbook: Premier.