Belief in Santa Claus

When I first went to Chang Gung's library, I saw a book named The Polar Express. The book talks about a boy who believe in Santa Claus. It's just a child's picture book. But its plog and beautiful cover attracted me. And most of all, the author write "for Karen" at the first page! ^^
Although it was just a coincidence, I was still be attracted by these words. So I started to read it.

The book wasn't thick, and there were exquisite pictures in every pages.

Author and Illustrator:Chris Van Allsburg

The book talks about a boy who believe in Santa. In one Christmas Eve, he stayed in bed and expected that he would heard the ringing from the Santa Claus' sled bell. After a few minutes, he didn't heard the ringing but a train's hoo-hoo sound went across his home. He got up, looked out of the window, then he saw a great, fabulous, and splendid train. The guard went off the train and asked the boy,
" Would you like to get up the train?"

The boy asked, "Go where?"

Then, the guard smiled and said," Go to the North Pole! It's the Polar Express!"

Then the boy went on the train with a beating heart. On the train, there are already plenty of children on the seat. Several minutes later, they arrived a place which is called the North Pole. There are many workers making Christmas presents. Suddenly, Santa Claus appeared with his sled which had sliver ring and the reindeers.



He stand up on the sled and ask the boy,

"Which Christmas present would you want?"

The boy answer without second thought,

"I just want the silver bell hanging on your sled."

Santa Claus surprised, but soon he smiled, then laughed, and got one bell from the sled,

"Okay! The first present in this Christmas! A silver bell!"

The boy was so excited and delight. He hold the silver bell tightly in his hand. But when the train arrived at his home, he found that the bell is gone! He was extremly sad. He want on bed with disappointment.

But, in the next morinig, he found that he got a Christmas present which was a silver bell that he got from Santa last night! He and his younger sister happily listening to the enchanted and lovely ringing from the bell.

"What a lovely sound!"

Strangely, their parents said,

"Oh. It's a pity. The bell is broken."

First, the boy felt strange and didn't know why their parents can't heard the ringing. After a few years, he found that his sister, friends, even himself also couldn't heard the sound gradually. Then, he understand that there are only one who believed in Santa Claus and had a unsophisticated mind can heard the lovely sound.

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The story has been adapted for the movie, The Polar Express, in 2004, which was directed by Tom Hanks.

Would you be touched by the story? I do! In fact, I have belived in Santa Claus since my childhood. But I always filled shamed to tell others that I believe in Santa Claus. One day I saw an address and phone number to Santa Claus. I was so exicited then. But I haven't send any mail to Santa. In fact, I just keep the address in my mind.

Joulupukin Pajakylä

Napapiiri SF-96930

Rovaniemi

TEL: 960-62096

Rovaniemi is in Finland, and every called it is the "Santa Claus Village." Near the Santa Claus' Post Office, there setted a wood guidepost. Surprisingly, Taipei is on there! And there are really many Santa Claus' assitants who wears red clothes. They help Santa recieve letters from all the children evrerywhere. Also, they help Santa prepare and deliver Christmas presents.

Hope evreyone keep believing in Santa Claus and have wide imagination in mind!

The picture's oringin:

http://www.cathvoice.org.tw/x-mas/txt/xmaxtxt03.htm

http://www.visitfinland.com.hk/home/region_05_0401.shtml

http://blog.readingtimes.com.tw/charlie/archive/2007/05/11/1574.html

http://yblog.org/archive/index.php/1939

http://polarexpressmovie.warnerbros.com/

http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/booksfile.php?item=0010049102

The Person I Admire the Most

The news website:http://www.ttv.com.tw/096/05/0960515/09605154676001I.htm

One day I noticed a news which talked about the survivors in the event of Health Kindergarten's firing tourist coach. One of the survivor which was a colledge student emotively expressed his appreciate to the teacher who rescue him from the fire 14 years ago, Jin Juen Lin.

The view touched me a lot. Because Miss Lin is also the person I admire the most.

Jing Juen Lin was a teacher of Health Kindergarten. Since she devoted herself to education, she have been earnest in her work. She was always patient with children. Because of her love for and patience with children, many parents always wanted their children to be in Miss Lin's class.

On May 15th, 1992, Health Kindergarten's faculty and children had a trip tp Leofoo Village Theme Park. On the way to the park, the tourist coach was suddenly on fire. In the begining, the fire just broke out near the driver's seat, but later, the fire quickly spreaded throughout the whole coach.The accident happened in a desolate place, so there were not so many people to help extinguishing the fire. After a few minutes, there were just nine children rescued from the coach, but the whole coach was in the sheet of fire. At that time, Miss Lin had escaped from the fire already. But when she saw the children crying in the coach, she immediately ran into the coach to rescue the children from the fire without second thoughts. Unfortunately, her effort was in vain. The blaze claimed twenty-three people, including twenty children, two parents, and a teacher. The most touching thing was that Miss Lin was found in the coach, hugging four children tightly. I am touched by her sacrificed for children, and her bravery. Although she was in such a dangerous and urgent situation, she was still selfless and sacrificed herself for the children instead of running for her own life. After almost 14 years, she is still the person I admire the most.

Picture's oringin: http://www.ttv.com.tw/096/05/0960515/09605154676001I.htm

Why I Love Reading

I love books.

In today's soceity, most people like to use computer or other electronic products to do plenty of things, such as shopping, looking up words in dictionary, seeing movies, and, even reading books! But, in my opinion, there must be a book when reading, I mean, a "real" book. A book have paper and staple. When I read, I enjoy the sound when thumb going across the pages and book's unique scent. I consider a book a fantastic and fabulous art. Because of the deeply love to books, I never read elertronic books. And unless there is no enough time, I don't use a electronic dictionary.

This is the book which deeply convey my love to books.

Author: Alfred Edward Newton

Press: Mai Tian

I love reading.

I love detective novels like Sherlock Holmes, fantastic novels like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, and other novels like Da Vinci Code. The following is a book which I love most and it touched me a lot.

Author: Michael Ende

The Never Ending Story is the book which is impressive in my mind. It talks about a boy, named Pestian, who stole a book named The Never Ending Story from an old bookstore. When reading the book, he always felt that he himself could experience the atmosphere in the books plog. Sometimes he thought he almost could hear the character's talking. Until he read Chapter 8, he was taken into the book's fantasy world, where there was a kingdom called the Kingdom of Imagination. There he met the queen and the citizens. And after a few month, he become the king of the kingdom. Since he got the authority, he started become selfish, coldhearted, and avaricious. Few days later, he undertook a terrible task, which put him in danger that he could barely go home. Eventually, his friends in the kingdom of imagination helped him get back real and initial Pestian "himself." And find the way going back to his world.

The story told me that we shouldn't lose our talent of imagination and pure soul. In the story, the kingdom of imagination was going to be destroyed because gradually children was not imaginative. All they knew was TVs and computers. The chaos and evil in soceity nowdays deceive our minds to a great extent. The most important thing we have to do is be imaginative and keep good contact with the kingdom of imagination. But how?-----The best way is reading.

That's why I love reading.

The picture's origins: http://www.cite.com.tw/product_info.php?cPath=15&products_id=9088

http://booker.tw/isbn/9789576511424