Animal Communication

How do animals communicate? What do they "say"? when I think of these questions,sometimes I feel confusing;When I read the article"If We Could Talk with Animals",I got it.I have known that there were several ways the animals can communicate with the same species. They can use "smell-messages",and the odors they produce have different meanings. One odor attracts a mate.Another sends a warning. Just as humans do, animals communicate with body language and sometimes gestures. Now I know that if a dog wagging his tail, it means happiness. The most interesting point is, when a chimp"smile", it is not a smile of happiness.In stead, it is an expression similar to the nervous. In addition,like humans, many animals vocalize with their sounds.Some whales make use of echolocation to show the dangers or prays. On the same way, prairie dogs vocalize with chatter. They often alert each other when they spot danger from such creatures as human, dog, or coyote.Also, there are most of evidences proved that some animals can understand some symbols.Dolphins can even understand the grammatical difference between subjects and objects. The most exciting thing is researchers have successfully teaching primates using some human languages such as ASL. One chimp named Kanzi has picked up this language naturally, in other words, he watched as people tried to teach this language to his mother.It is clear,then, that animals certainly communicate in various ways.However, the question"Is it language?"is still open.

Although I have known a lot ways about animals' communication, I still surprised by how do wild geese can highly social as human do.Do they communicate with each other by body language?or by vocalizing? or by "smell-message"? I don't sure about it. There are a small lake nearby my home. In summer, I see the wild geese in flocks very day. In autumn, I see them fly to the south form large V'S or diagonally straight lines. How do they tell each other prepair for migration? Also, when they are flying on their way to the south, how do they show each other to come down from the sky for taking a rest? To me excited, I have find the answers about how do wild geese communicate. The great answer is geese often use body movements to communicate with each other. These geese also have the ability to make at least 10 different voices.It is a interesting thing to find the answer about how animals communicat.

Photos by Wendy

Be Veg. Go Green

Nowadays, be a vegetarian is becoming a trend. It is not only for health, but also for prevents the globe warming.

Based on the latest satellite date cited in a December 2007 article, the national Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) climate scientist predicts that nearly all the ice could be gone from the Arctic Ocean by the end of summer 2012! So terrible news it is.
Scientists said change our diet can do helpful to roll things back. Animal agriculture is a large source of greenhouse gases and is responsible for 18 percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalents. Because animals fed on grain, those need far more water than grain crops. In addition, animal farming produces 65 percent of human-related nitrous oxide and 37 percent of all human-induced methane. Methane has about 21 times more Global Warming Potential (GWP) than carbon dioxide. The other expression is the resource consumption of a meat eater per meal can supply 20 vegetarian per meal. Therefore, to be a vegetarian can contributes our globe environment greatly.

photo from://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/

Comparing the Chinese and Canadian Education System

The Chinese system of public education is very different from the Canadian system.First,there are no kindergarten before the primary school grade one.Children start their primary school at age six.Second, the free, compulsory and universal basic education only for 9 years. So, in most of rural counties, when students finish their middle school education, they try to find jobs or help their parents cultivating. In cities, the situations are good. Most of students can go on their high school education and go to colleges or universities later.Third, all students in public school are considered equal and learn to same material.They should buy textbooks for every lesson, and most of textbooks are edited by national education experts.Finally,there are difficult exams in Chinese education system for entrance to all universities, to many of the better secondary schools.The exam for entrance to universities is a nation wide exam which taken place on every year June 6Th to 7Th.

Different from China, in Canadian education system, the children should go to kindergarten at their 5 age before the primary school.In contrast,in Canadian education system, twelve years compulsory, free, universal education is available in public schools to every citizen or permanent resident. On the other hand, students in middle schools or secondary schools can choose the lessons they interested in. The shouldn't buy textbooks, most of their home works are investigating. Unlike China, there are no difficult exams during the education. Students themselves decide if they want college-preparatory or vocational classes in high school; no national exam determines this. Even though the education system of China and Canada are so different, I think they are all reasonable for their own country situation and culture.

Banff: A Beautiful Place

"If you never been to Banff, you will never know the beauty and splendor of the Rocky Moutain." A friend of mine once told me. So I decided to go to Banff to view its real landscape.
Last winter, during the Christmas holidays, I went to Banff. It was about 1000 kilometers away from Vacourver,and it deep in the Rocky Mountain. There have a large park named Banff national Park which spans about 66oo square kilometers of valleys, mountains,glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers. When I arrived there, the park covered with snow and ice. The famous Lake Louise locates in the corner of the Banff National Park, and it also covered with snow and ice. Standing under the blue sky, the lake looked especially splendid. At night, I lived in the town of Banff. It was a small charming town, along its main street, there were all kinds of shops. I bought a very delicious icecream which was made by a Dutch man, and I never forget its good taste. I like Banff, and I wish to travel to there again.
Photos from Wendy

A Crazy Fad

Do you see the caps on the left pictures some where different from the other army caps? Actually it has no special differences from the other army caps. Now, I can tell you wearing it was a fad lasted two or three years in China thirty years ago. Was it crazy?

At that time, China haven't open its door to the world. People who lived there lack of fashionable clothes. To be a army were almost of boys and girls 's dreams. They copied the army caps and clothes like that girl in the photo, and that time, if you wondered on the Urban streets or rural countries in China, you would see all boys or girls wearing this kind of caps!They felt cool. No matter they were university students or peasants. This fad also caused some crimes. Some twenties robbed others army caps were posted into jars.Was it crazy? Of course it was.Fads are strange things.People who follow them are not irrational; they simply want to be part of an "in group".When a fad passed, sometimes you will think those people who ever followed this fad are no reason and crazy.

That is fad: it doesn't last long, but it do influence of our life.

Photos from www.news.cn and www.leiting.cn

How to Make Lasagna

Lasagna is one of the children’s favorite foods. It is often sold in Italian restaurants and is well loved. My daughter likes to eat Lasagna, so I have learned to make it. Here, I am sharing the recipe with all my friends.

Before you make it, you should prepare the ingredients including a big onion, two cups of cottage cheese, some Italian sausage or grand beef, some cheese powder, some mozzarella cheese, 200g Lasagna noodles, a can of tomato sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, some garlic cloves, some chopped carrots, some mushrooms, 5ml oregano, and one egg. Then, you can begin. First, you boil the lasagna noodles until they are soft. Second, make pasta. Fry oil with onions, carrots and peppers. Once the onion is transparent, add the sausages. Once the meat is almost cooked (still some juice), add the garlic. Later add mushrooms, then add tomatoes and add oregano, salt, and pepper. Let it cook for 15 minutes, meanwhile, do not overcook! Third, make the sauce. Add the egg into cottage cheese, stir it. Fourth, put sauce at the bottom of pan, then cover a layer of pasta, then put sauce on it, and add mozzarella cheese, cheese powder, then begin the next layer of pasta in the same way. You can add three or four layers on it. Finally, cover the lasagna with foil paper and cook it in oven with 400ºF for approximately 30 minutes. Then take it out from the oven and let the appetizing smell fill your entire kitchen!

I think this recipe is very healthy, because it is low in oil, and you do not need to add any butter at all. Also, the ingredients, such as the onions and tomato sauce, are all good sources of vitamins. Enjoy the tasty healthy food with your family!

Photos from Wendy

The Impressions of Ottawa

One year passed by so quickly. At the same time last year, I was in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. At that time, I have just landed on Canada for a few days. My friend invited my husband, my daughter and I to visit her home, which is in Ottawa.
It was a cold city, a white world, Ottawa. During our trip, most of days were snowing. When the snow stopped, the sky was blue, cloudless. The flag of Canada was flying above the Parliament Buildings, so beautiful. Staring at the flag, I realized, I have really came to my new country. It was a complex feeling. I miss my home country--China, because there lived my parents and my friends; meanwhile, I was very exited, since I would begin my new life. Walking in that filled with ice and snow world, I thought of a lot of things. Whatever, I like Ottawa. I like the Parliament Buildings, also I like the Rideau Canal.I heard someone who likes skating usually skates on that great canal to Ottawa downtown.
I wish someday, I could go to Ottawa again, not in the winter though. I want to see the flowers, see people boating in the Rideau Canal.

Photos from Wendy

Wendy's horizon

We see, we think, we live

Photos from www.amblecote.dudley.gov.uk