周二(7/2) 1. 麥當勞道歉 2.幫助他人可延壽

 6/28聚會照片


周二聚會 7/2
(sos 哪位好朋友 能早點到咖啡店 幫Billy佔位子
Thank you, and I love you)

時間: 每周二晚上7:00~9:30
 

地點: 怡客咖啡 Ikari Coffee
 

新北市板橋區文化路2段311號
 

板南線江子翠捷運站2號出口旁
 

各位會員朋友們:

2013年7月2日將討論兩主題---

 1. 麥當勞道歉2.幫助他人可延壽

 
1. 麥當勞道歉
McDonald's VP sorry for Down syndrome blow-up (The China Post)
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Fast food chain McDonald's yesterday apologized again after a patron with Down syndrome was ejected from one of its restaurants in Kaohsiung last week.

Susan Lu (盧小慧), operation vice president of McDonald's Taiwan, said at a press conference in Kaohsiung yesterday that it was “inappropriate” for the Kaohsiung branch manager to ask a patron, surnamed Wang, who has Down syndrome, to leave the restaurant.

We are deeply sorry to Wang for offering her such unsatisfactory service,” Lu said.

To extend an official apology, Lu said she and several senior managers of McDonald's visited Wang's home Tuesday night. The apology was accepted by Wang and her family members, Lu said.

Her company also wanted to apologize to the public over failing to meet expectations about the fast-food chain, Lu said.

She pledged that McDonald's will step up its staff training to offer satisfactory service to all of its patrons.
 

According to local media reports earlier this week, Wang was kicked out of the restaurant on June 21 when the branch's manager claimed that she was a homeless person who was disturbing other guests. Wang was asked to leave the restaurant.
 

But police who were later called to the scene by the manager were told that Wang had not bothered anyone.
 

The incident drew protests by disability rights groups who staged a sit-in protest at McDonald's headquarters in Taipei to urge the fast-food chain to officially apologize to Wang and the public for discriminating against people with disabilities.

Questions:

1. Do you think that Mcdonalds provides a good customer service ?

2. If you were a manager of Mcdonald's how would you handle this case?

3. How to offer good service to customers

How to handle customer complaints?

4. How to apologize to customers?

5. Why do people look down on those who are disabled? Do you look down on people with disabilities?

6. What do you think about Mcdonalds fast-food?

幫助他人可延壽
Why helping others is good for your health (By Lisa Bendall)

 

Not only is doing good deeds sure to spike your happy meter, but more and more research proves there are physical benefits, too. Studies have found that people who make a habit of helping others report better health than those who don’t, and seniors who do volunteer work may actually live longer.

 

1. Lend a hand. When you see someone struggling with a baby stroller on a set of stairs, or trying to figure out a street map on the sidewalk, take a moment to help out.

2. Give compliments. Who doesn’t love them?

3. Be gracious to strangers. Let someone go ahead of you in the grocery line if they’re only buying a single box of Wheaties compared to your cartload.

4. Go online. E-mail someone a few words of support, make a donation to a worthy cause, or answer a question for someone on your listserv.

5. Say thank you. It makes a difference, and the opportunities are endless: Thank your bus driver, your babysitter, your basketball coach and your barista.

6. Clean up your corner. Pick up a piece of litter, recycle your bottles and set your neighbour’s garbage bin upright.

Like any New Year’s resolution, doing easy good deeds means developing a habit.

Once your routine is established, you’ll also experience a stronger sense of purpose, according to the York University research. And that’s another reason you’ll feel great. As Dr. Wiser points out: "People need to have meaning, to feel appreciated." When you know you’ve made a difference, it’s yet another boost to your mood.  

  Questions:

1. Are you willing to help others?

How to help those in need?

2. Do you believe the conception that “do good, feel good” and

helping others is good for your health and may live longer.?

3. Have you ever done any volunteer work?

What are the benefits of volunteer work?

4. Have you ever donated your time or money for a worthy cause?

5. Doing good deeds, feel happier?

說吧!英文讀書會

每周一句 7/2 跟…相符

跟…相符，與…有關 If something such as an idea or fact ties in with or ties up with something else, it is consistent with it or connected with it.

Examples:

Billy’s wife found the lips mark on the shirt that might tie in with his business trip.

比利老婆發現襯衫上唇印可能與出差有關。

His account of what happened does not tie in with what the other witness has said.  他所叙述的事情和另外的證人所說的不相吻合。

My birthday cerebration had to tie in with Billy arrival.

我的慶生會要和比利到達的時間符合。

說吧!英文讀書會名人名句 2013/7/2


1.“a compliment is verbal sunshine”

2.” Don't think of it as failure. Think of it as time-released success.”

--- Robert Orben   
 

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周六聚會 6月29日 將新開張

Good News
號外! 號外! 新消息!

各位會員好朋友們:

周六聚會 將新開張

歡迎好朋友們 隨時加入 給予支持

長久以來Billy 想著讀書會 應該發揮更大的功能

周六 讀書會 流程將有些改變  要有新鮮感

Session1. 英文時事討論一篇.(有時增加英文情境對話一篇)

Session2. 書籍  雜誌 有趣及有益文章分享探討

 6月29日 周六英文主題: Unhappy people watch TV, happy people read

(文章請參閱下方)

6月29日 周六中文主題: 好習慣決定好命運

(各位好朋友 您覺得習慣會影響學習 生活 工作嗎?)

每個人的知識有限，任何人都不可能親自去體驗所有的生活。因此，我們必須利用各種管道去吸取別人的經驗來開拓我們的視野，豐富我們的心靈，累積我們的知識，增長我們的智慧。

(所以Billy想透過交流分享讀書心得 可以讓我們學習更多)

閱讀將帶給人們許多益處，所以社會生活水準愈高的國家，人民閱讀的風氣就愈盛，在歐洲和日本的地鐵上，我們隨時可以發現許多人都安詳的在讀書，即使在等候公車，也充分把握時間閱讀。實在很可惜，台灣目前已經是一個富有的國家，但是我們的國人卻還沒有養成閱讀的習慣，所以各位好朋友讓我們一起來培養閱讀的好習慣，深信我們的生活將會因此更加豐碩，知識視野更增進。

 

本周六6/29聚會 時間: 6:30pm~9:00pm

地點: 快提café  新北市板橋區文化路一段387巷10號 (02) 22518972

(沿著新埔捷運站1號出口左方向走約100公尺 看到信義房屋旁的巷子進入)

電話詢問 Billy

Tel: 0976217450 (02) 22540821 (02) 22556076

 

Unhappy People Watch TV, Happy People Read

 (Contacts: Neil Tickner  ntickner@umd.edu)

A new study by sociologists at the University of Maryland concludes that unhappy people watch more TV, while people who describe themselves as "very happy" spend more time reading and socializing. The study appears in the December issue of the journal Social Indicators Research.

Analyzing 30-years worth of national data from time use studies and a continuing series of social attitude surveys, the Maryland researchers report that spending time watching television may contribute to viewers' happiness in the moment, with less positive effects in the long run.

"TV doesn't really seem to satisfy people over the long haul the way that social involvement or reading a newspaper does," says University of Maryland sociologist John P. Robinson, the study co-author and a pioneer in time use studies. "It's more passive and may provide escape - especially when the news is as depressing as the economy itself. The data suggest to us that the TV habit may offer short-run pleasure at the expense of long-term malaise."

TV VIEWING DURING A FINANCIAL CRISIS

Based on data from time use surveys, Robinson projects that TV viewing might increase significantly as the economy worsens in the next few months and years.

"Through good and bad economic times, our diary studies, have consistently found that work is the major activity correlate of higher TV viewing hours," Robinson says. "As people have progressively more time on their hands, viewing hours increase."

But Robinson cautions that some of that extra time also might be spent sleeping. "As working and viewing hours increase, so do sleep hours," he says. "Sleep could be the second major beneficiary of job loss or reduced working hours."

STUDY FINDINGS AND DATA

In their new study, Robinson and his co-author, University of Maryland sociologist Steven Martin, set out to learn more about the activities that contributed to happiness in people's lives. They analyzed two sets of data spanning nearly 30 years (1975-2006) gathered from nearly 30,000 adults:

•A series of time use studies that asked people to fill out diaries for a 24-hour period and to indicate how pleasurable they found each activity;

•General Social Survey attitude studies, which Robinson calls the premier national source for monitoring changes in public attitudes - in-depth surveys that over the years consistently asked subjects how happy they feel, how they spend their time, among a number of other questions.

NHAPPY PEOPLE VIEW SIGNIFICANTLY MORE

Robinson and Martin found that the two sets of data largely coincided for most activities - with the exception of television.

From the General Social Survey, the researchers found that self-described very happy people were more socially active, attended more religious services, voted more and read more newspapers. By contrast, unhappy people watched significantly more television in their spare time.

According to the study's findings, unhappy people watch an estimated 20 percent more television than very happy people, after taking into account their education, income, age and marital status - as well as other demographic predictors of both viewing and happiness.

UNHAPPY PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WITH TV

Data from time diaries told a somewhat different story. Responding in "real time," much closer to daily events, survey respondents tended to rate television viewing more highly as a daily activity.

"What viewers seem to be saying is that while TV in general is a waste of time and not particularly enjoyable, 'the shows I saw tonight were pretty good,' " Robinson says.

The data also suggested to Robinson and Martin that TV viewing is "easy." Viewers don't have to go anywhere, dress up, find company, plan ahead, expend energy, do any work or spend money in order to view. Combine these advantages with the immediate gratification offered by television, and you can understand why Americans spend more than half their free time as TV viewers, the researchers say.

Unhappy people were also more likely to feel that they have unwanted extra time on their hands (51 percent) compared to very happy people (19 percent) and to feel rushed for time (35 percent vs. 23 percent). Having too much time and no clear way to fill it was the bigger burden of the two.

AN ADDICT'S FIX

Martin likens the short, temporary pleasure of television to addiction: "Addictive activities produce momentary pleasure and long-term misery and regret," he says. "People most vulnerable to addiction tend to be socially or personally disadvantaged. For this kind of person, TV can become a kind of opiate in a way. It's habitual, and tuning in can be an easy way of tuning out."

Questions:

1. Is too much television an unhappy habit?

  Effects of television addiction?

2. How to overcome television addiction?

3. What makes people happy and what makes people unhappy?

4. Is facebook making us lonely?

5. Why do people get depressed?

6. Pros and cons of the internet in today's society?

7. Ways to make yourself happier?

 

 

 

 

 

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周五6/28 1.心靈導師2.服貿協定衝擊

 (sos 考期暑期 咖啡店人多
哪位好朋友 能早點到咖啡店 幫Billy佔位子 Thank you )
通知 周五原地點: 麥當勞
請注意! 改到怡客咖啡 Ikari Coffee
新北市板橋區文化路2段311號
板南線江子翠捷運站2號出口旁
每周五晚上7:00~9:30
0976-217-450   22540821   25556076各位
周五6月28日將討論兩主題---
1.心靈導師2.服貿協定衝擊
6/25聚會照片

   

心靈導師

 

前幾日當讀書會結束後 與Michael散步到停車處 Michael的一些想法，啟發我想探討的這個題目的idea

生活不會是永遠一帆風順，不如意事，總是出現在我們的生活中或工作中，尤其當在遭受挫折與生命考驗時，有時會對目前的生活，會感到徬徨迷惘，忽然感到生命中若有所失，有點空虛。

生理方面的不適，需要找醫生，心理方面的結及生活、生命進行問題，找誰呢?

人生總是需有一些心靈導師，來適時的給我們方向與答案，有時候是師長們，有時候是親朋好友，有時候可能是一個貴人，有時候可能是一本書，一個想法，有時候可能是自己！

時時不忘心靈的探索，對自己的生命進行反思。紛擾時，仍不忘提醒自己的心靈審視，對人生積極的前進，是有所幫助。

各位好朋友們: 讓我們來探討心靈導師的重要性!

分享您的想法，如何幫助舒緩心靈、指引人生方向--- Billy

(各位好友: 參加，說吧! 英文讀書會，也是舒緩心靈，分享快樂的方法---- Billy

祝福您健康順心)
 

    

心靈導師

A spiritual teacher with spiritual advice (spiritualawakeningprocess.com)

The spiritual teacher understands that this whole process of awakening is an discovery--a pulling away of external ego, identity, issue, pain, joy, and so on. It's a recovery of the you buried beneath all the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical contrivances. It's the recovery of you. The path a spiritual teacher points you towards is the one leading you back to you.

Encouragement, Advice, and Hugs...Lots of Hugs

A spiritual teacher will have plenty of spiritual advice. It's never enforced on you, although it can be emphatically and forcefully said. A spiritual teacher may also incredibly upset you--he or she will know how to ignite issues in you so that you can see them...eventually. You may not understand the process or why you're so pissed at the teacher. But in time as you work with a teacher, you will understand that the teacher is helping you to heal. That said, the spiritual teacher is not controlling you or making you do stuff out of fear, guilt, or shame. Any so-called teacher who does that is not a teacher at all.

Levels of Spiritual Teachers

Intellectual teachers: The intellectual teacher is like a lot of Buddhist teachers. They really give you a lot for your mind to work with in developing a framework around spirituality.

Psychic teachers: They can help you get in touch with past lives, the astral plane, and all sorts of energy forms.

Heart teachers: These teachers really teach from their hearts. They can show up in just about any spiritual or religious tradition. You may notice that when you're around them that your heart just opens up on its own.

Body teachers: Hatha yoga and Western Tantra teachers are great examples of body teachers. They really understand the body and spirit connection. Sometimes, getting just a hug from a body teacher can be a powerful thing because how they teach best is through their bodies and touch.

Obviously, there is plenty of overlap. Boundaries are illusory, but you'll start to see where people are strongest and what type of teacher will help you most. You may also move through different teachers.  One teacher will help you with your heart, the next may help you to understand with your mind.

Questions:

1. Do you think people need spiritual help/spiritual guidance?

2. How to ask for help: getting rid of life obstacles?

Who or what inspire you most in your life?

3. How to get help if you're depressed?

Who do you ask for help? ( family , friends or---)

4. How to cope with emotional pain?

Tips to overcome negative emotions?

5. How to help a friend with depression

6. Why do we need friends?

服貿協定衝擊

China agrees to open more categories under service trade deal (By Lilian Wu)

Under the terms of the service trade agreement, China agrees to open 80 service categories to Taiwanese investment compared with 64 that Taiwan is opening to Chinese investors. "The number of sectors opened and the scope of the access allowed (in this deal) has never been seen before in any similar agreement Beijing has signed. China agrees to open up its e-commerce, printing, hospitals, construction, transportation, tourism, entertainment, funeral services and securities businesses to Chinese operators. Taiwan, meanwhile, agrees to allow China to run printing, car rental, cargo transportation, gondolas, beauty parlors and salons, online gaming and funeral services operations. Taiwan agrees to allow China to open nursing homes in Taiwan and social welfare organizations for the physically and mentally challenged people under a joint venture model. Taiwan also agrees to open the operation of theme parks and sports facilities to Chinese investors, with the exception of golf courses, while China agrees to open music halls, theaters and sports venues to Taiwanese investors, again with the exception of golf courses. Taiwan allows Chinese investors to set up branches to provide travel agency and tourism services under the model of wholly owned business or joint venture, but the number of companies involved in each deal should not exceed three. Also, travel agencies set up by Chinese capital in Taiwan can cater to tour activities by Taiwanese, but not to Chinese or foreign tourists.

Questions:

1. Do you support the service trade deal? Why? Why not?

2. Do you think that service trade deal to have impact on Taiwanese?(advantages or disadvantages)

3. What are benefits Taiwanese will gain by this service trade deal?

(For example: Job opportunities)

4. If you have a chance doing business in china, what business you want to do?

5. Pros and cons of doing business with china?

6. Do you trust Chinese businessmen/ Chinese products?

服貿協議 衝擊生活 (Apple Daily)

「海峽兩岸服務貿易協議」簽署後，未來台灣人生活的每一天，從早到晚，食、衣、住、行、育、樂，都有機會到陸資開設的場所消費，如此重大的改變，將衝擊台灣人日常生活。以家住台北的小陳為例，一家三口到中部兩天一夜旅遊，將發現處處都有陸資的影子。綜合報導

★11:00

→小陳帶著老婆、小孩搭高鐵到烏日站 ，小陳到租車公司租車，店員的微笑讓小陳心情大好，簽租車文件時，小陳發現，連鎖車行原來是中國人來台開的，因店員還送小陳中國城巿租車優惠券。

★13:30

→上了車，小陳心想很久沒到日月潭走走，二話不說馬上開車上路。到了日月潭，陳小弟吵著要到附近新開的遊樂園玩，付費後小陳才知道這也是中國投資的。

★14:00

→小陳的太太不想去遊樂園，決定找家SPA館享受一下。小陳無奈替老婆付了SPA費，小陳太太隨手看了手上SPA收據，印的也是中國某某開發公司的名字。

★18:00

→玩了一下午，小陳帶著家人到餐廳用餐。小陳點菜時，發現菜單上還印有中國北京總店字樣，原來這家餐廳也是來台開店的中國名店。

說吧!英文讀書會

每周一句 6/27 得到教訓

  
 
find (something) out the hard way得到教訓----
to learn something by experience, especially by an unpleasant experience.

Examples:

You "find out the hard way" when you learn by doing the wrong thing and having a bad result.

"I told him not to run in the kitchen, but he wouldn't listen, so he found out the hard way."

"I found out the hard way not to ask questions when She is busy.

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周二6/25 1.身體語言 2. 和尚與名牌

  6/18     聚會照片                                                             6/21 聚會照片

 

 

  周二聚會 6/25

(sos 哪位好朋友 能早點到咖啡店 幫Billy佔位子
Thank you, and I love you)

時間: 每周二晚上7:00~9:30

地點: 怡客咖啡 Ikari Coffee

新北市板橋區文化路2段311號

板南線江子翠捷運站2號出口旁

各位會員朋友們:

2013年6月25日將討論兩主題---

1.身體語言2.和尚與名牌

   
1.身體語言
How to Read Body Language (Rob S, Krystle)

1. Watch their head position.

Overly tilted heads are either a potential sign of sympathy, or if a person smiles while tilting their head, they are being playful and maybe even flirting.

Lowered heads indicate a reason to hide something. Take note if someone lowers their head. If it is when he is complimented, he may be shy, ashamed, timid, keeping distance from the other person, in disbelief, or thinking to himself or herself.

2.  Look into their eyes.

People who look to the sides a lot are nervous, lying, or distracted. However, if a person looks away from the speaker, it very well could be a comfort display or indicate submissiveness. Looking askance generally means the person is distrustful or unconvinced.

If someone looks down at the floor a lot, they are probably shy or timid. People also tend to look down when they are upset, or trying to hide something emotional. People are often thinking and feeling unpleasant emotions when they are in the process of staring at the ground.

3.  Check their arms.

People with crossed arms are closing themselves to social influence. Though some people just cross their arms as a habit, it may indicate that the person is (slightly) reserved, uncomfortable with their appearance (self conscious and trying to cover it), or just trying to hide something on their shirt. If their arms are crossed while their feet are shoulder width or wider apart, this is a position of toughness or authority.

If they are rubbing their hands together or somehow touching their own body, they might be comforting themselves (which means they aren't enjoying the current situation).

If their hands are on their hips, they might be waiting, impatient or just tired.

If their hands are closed or clenched, they may be irritated, angry, or nervous.

4.  Watch their feet:

If the person is sitting, feet crossed at the ankles means they're generally at ease.
If while standing, a person seems to always keep their feet very close together, it probably means they are trying to be "proper" in some way. Sometimes feet together means that they are feeling more submissive or passive.
If they purposely touch their feet to yours, they are flirting!
 

Questions:

1. Do you think body language is a very useful social skill? Why?

2. In your opinions, how to read people by body language?

3. Can you read eyes - body language eye cues?

4. Do you care about the first impression?

How to make a good impression through body language?

5. How to improve your social skills?

6. Are you a good communicator?

How to make a good communication effective?

2. 和尚與名牌

Thai Buddhist monks criticised over private jet

( Telegraph.co.uk by Barney Henderson)

Thailand's national Buddhism body said on Monday it was monitoring monks nationwide for any inappropriate behaviour following complaints ignited by a video showing Buddhist monks on a private jet.

The YouTube video emerging recently showed one of the monks was wearing stylish aviator sunglasses, carrying a brand name travel bag and sporting a pair of modern-looking wireless headphones. It attracted criticism from Buddhists nationwide.

Office of National Buddhism director-general Nopparat Benjawatananun said on Monday that the agency saw the video early this year and had warned the monks from a monastery in Thailand's northeast not to repeat the lavish behaviour.

 

Last year, about 300 out of 61,416 Buddhist monks and novices in Thailand were reprimanded – in several cases removed from the monkhood – because of their misconduct, ranging from alcohol consumption, having sex with women, to extortion. The Office also received complaints about monks driving cars, and scams and false claims of black magic uses by monks.

Questions:

 

1. Should monks must followed strict rules?

   Tell us what you think about these monks?

2. Should Buddhist monks avoid materialistic lifestyle?

Is materialism is bad for monks? Why is materialism bad for them?

3. Is it a sin to be wealthy, and live a lavish lifestyle?

4. What do you think about brand name products?

What are the pros and cons of buying brands name products?

5. Does advertising really make people more likely to purchase brand name products?

The reasons why do people like purchasing brand products?

泰國和尚提LV包搭專機，引起爭議(國際中心／綜合報導)

 最近有段影片在網路上瘋傳，有3名泰國和尚戴耳機、墨鏡，搭乘私人專機，座位旁還放了大大的LV名牌包，原本應該清心寡慾的出家人，竟如此豪奢，引起佛教界反彈。

這段影片在YouTube吸引44萬人點閱。影片中，3名穿著黃色袈裟的和尚，戴著帥氣的墨鏡入鏡，搭乘私人專機，位置寬敞舒適，座位上的LV手提包和主張從簡生活的出家人實在不太搭。

泰國國家佛教辦公室總幹事諾帕拉表示，3名和尚是來自泰國東北部四色菊府的一間寺廟，去年11月受邀到曼谷作法會，事後一名信徒以私人飛機載送他們回家。

諾帕拉說，這樣的行為是炫富的表現，會招來佛教徒的批評，直言「有違佛陀簡樸、自制的教誨」，也勸信徒不要再送出家人貴重物品，「這些根本沒有必要」。

泰國約有95%的民眾信佛教，全國有6萬多名出家人，是全球最大的佛教國，但去年約有300名和尚，因吃喝嫖賭，甚至勒索，遭到申誡。

 

 

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