關於 old english example ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

翻轉視界 18 Changing Perspective

There's not just one road to the destination, but many roads. You just need to take the little step that’s right in front of you, and then the next one, and a few years down the track, they will seem like massive achievements.

通往目的地的路不止一條，有很多路可走。你只需要邁出眼前這一小步，然後再邁出下一步，幾年下來，將會成為巨大成就。

文章來自於New Humans of Australia (有取得授權)

★★★★★★★★★★★★

I didn’t meet my father until I was 6 years old. My parents had a comfortable, middle-class life in Shanghai, or as close as you could get under communism. But they always wanted to live overseas, and just before I was born, my dad came to Sydney to set things up. I don’t know why, but in the end, my mother and I didn’t join him until I was 6.

•a middle-class life 中產階級生活
•set things up 打點一切
•live overseas 往海外生活
•in the end 最後 (表達在經過一段時間或一連串事件之後的結果)

直到六歲前我都未曾見過父親。我的雙親在上海過著舒適的中產階級生活，或著說，在共產階級下所能得到的最接近的生活。他們一直響往海外生活，就在我出生前，我父親來到雪梨打點一切。但不知何故，直到六歲那年我與母親才終於與父親團聚。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Unfortunately, half a year after we arrived, he left us. That was a huge shock. Our transition had already been quite difficult, as we both didn't speak English. Also, as Shanghai was such a big bustling city, Sydney felt a bit like the countryside, especially on the weekends, as no shops were open back then!

•shock 令人震驚的事件（或經歷）；驚愕，震驚 (come as a great shock 讓人倍感震驚)
•transition 轉變；過渡
•a bustling city 繁華都會

不幸的是，就在我跟母親抵達半年後，父親離開了我們。這是個巨大的打擊，因爲我們不會說英文，在適應過渡期本就已過得相當艱辛。此外，不同於上海的繁華都會，雪梨更像鄉下，尤其在週末，那時連商店都不開門。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

We were very much reliant on my dad, not only financially, but also as a conduit into the wider community. So to have that broken was quite distressing. I remember Mum crying a lot. As we had become socially isolated, we didn’t find out anything about Centrelink, so we survived on her savings for a while, and then got some help from her family back in China.

•be reliant on… 依賴...
•a conduit into 進入...的渠道
•distressing (adj.) 令人苦惱的,令人擔憂的
•become socially isolated 變得孤立於社會
•survive on her savings 僅靠的她積蓄過日子

我們相當依賴我父親，不僅是經濟，他也是我們進入更廣泛社區的渠道。因此，當局面被打破時令人相當痛苦，我還記得母親時常哭泣。由於我們孤立於社會，所以我們並不知道澳洲社會福利聯絡中心 （Centrelink）的任何資訊，僅靠母親的積蓄支撐了一段時間，然後從母親在中國的娘家得到一些幫助。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Eventually, Mum moved us down to Melbourne, where we were able to make some new networks and family friendships. But I was bullied a bit at school about things like my food and clothing! Whenever someone bullied me, I would defend myself, but because I didn’t have the language skills to explain to the teacher why, I got in trouble quite a bit. I ended up having to move school 3 times before I came to Balwyn Primary School, which was relatively multicultural.

•be able to 能夠
•make new networks 建立新的人脈，關係網
•be bullied 被霸凌
•language skills 語言能力
•get in trouble 惹上麻煩
•end up 最後處於；最後成爲；以…告終
•relatively 相對地
•multicultural 多元文化的

最後，母親帶著我搬遷到墨爾本，在那我們能夠建立起新的網絡與家庭情誼。然而。我在學校飽受霸凌，例如我的食物及衣物。每當有人霸凌我，我會自我防衛，但我的語言技巧不足以向老師解釋事發原因，因此常常陷入麻煩。後來我不得不再三轉學，直到就讀相對多元文化的博文小學（Balwyn Primary School）。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

After that, I did alright. Music featured very prominently in my life. I had started learning the violin from the age of 2.5 years old and even with all the troubles that were going on in my life, had somehow still kept up with it. As a result, I got a music scholarship to Trinity Grammar School. But even there I used to get into quite a lot of mischief, and would often skip school to go to the movies.

•do alight 過得不錯，做的不錯
•feature (v.) 以…為特色；給…以顯著的地位
•prominently 重要地；著名地；突出地，顯眼地

之後，我便過得不錯。音樂在我生活中佔有重要的一席之地，我從兩歲半開始學習小提琴，儘管生活中事事不如意，我依然堅持不輟。因此，我獲得三一文法學校（ Trinity Grammar School）的音樂獎學金。但即使在那，我也常惡作劇、逃學看電影。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

By the end of year 11, I was told I would have to either repeat the year, or consider going to another school, which was quite humiliating for my mum. I decided to move school and surprisingly, I ended up doing quite well in year 12! As a result, I ended up getting into a double degree in Law and Music at Monash.

•repeat the year 留級 ; 重唸一年
•humiliating 令人感到恥辱的，丟臉的

11年級結束時，我被告知要麽被留級，要麼考慮轉學，這對我母親來說相當丟人。我決定轉學，而令人驚訝的是，我在12年級的時候表現優異，最後錄取蒙納士大學法律與音樂雙學位。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

When I started, my first thought was that I didn’t belong because I had done so badly in school up to year 11 and everyone else seemed so smart. But I put my head down, got through it, and ended up getting a job in the legal department of a major manufacturing company, which was a different approach to what most law students do.

•do not belong 不屬於這
•put my head down 埋頭苦幹
•the legal department of ...的法律部門
•a different approach 不同途徑
•approach （思考問題的）方式，方法，態度

當我開始進入大學，最初的想法是我不屬於這，因為我在11年級前都表現不佳，而這裡的人似乎都聰明絕頂。但我埋頭苦幹，咬牙撐過，最後在一家大型製造公司的法律部門找到工作，這與多數法律系學生的途徑不同。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

I really enjoyed it. It was hard work, but I learned a lot of foundational business, legal and corporate communication skills. After that I worked in corporate governance in RMIT, then started to moonlight as a lecturer in the Law Faculty. Eventually, they asked me if I wanted to do a PhD and I blindly said yes! I next worked at Swinburne University, and then was head-hunted to lead the corporate legal team at the Commercial Passenger Vehicles Commission.

•foundational 基礎的
•communication skills 溝通技巧
•corporate governance
•moonlight (v.) （尤指瞞著僱主）從事第二職業，兼職
•headhunt (v.) 物色（人才）； 挖角
•legal team 法律團隊

我非常喜歡這份工作，這是份辛苦的工作，但我學習了很多基礎商業、法律以及公司溝通技巧。之後我在皇家墨爾本理工大學（ RMIT）從事公司治理工作，並開始兼職擔任法律系講師。後來他們問我是否想要讀博士，我便盲目地答應了。接下來，我在斯威本大學（Swinburne University）工作，再被挖角到商用小客車委員會領導法律團隊。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

I had a good life, but after a while, I realised I wanted a different kind of job. I could see my seniors were making a lot of money but that their family life was not that good. And looking at my own upbringing, I wanted to be the kind of father who could be present in my own kids’ lives. So I decided on dentistry. It would not only allow me to use the hand skills that I had developed from playing the violin, but also the analytical and reasoning skills that I'd developed in law. Plus it would be flexible, and offer me a stable income and the chance to meet different people every day!

•upbringing 教養
•decide on sth 決定某事或東西
•analytical and reasoning skills 分析和推理能力
•offer a stable income 提供穩定收入

我的生活很不錯，但一段時間後，我意識到自己想要一份不同的工作。我知道前輩們賺了很多錢，但他們的家庭生活並不美滿。看著自己的成長經歷，我想要成為可以在孩子生活中出席的父親，所以我決定改行當牙醫。這項職業能讓我使用從拉小提琴中發展出的手部技巧，也能運用我在法律中發展出的分析與推理技能。此外，這個職業相當靈活，能為我提供穩定收入，並有機會每天與不同的人見面。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

My now fiancée, who was my girlfriend at the time, was also applying for further study, and coincidentally we both got into university in South Australia, so we moved to Adelaide together a few years ago.

•fiancée 未婚妻
•at the time 當時
•apply for 申請
•further study 繼續教育，進修；進一步研究；深造
•coincidentally 碰巧地；巧合地

我的未婚妻，當時的女友，也申請繼續深造，巧的是我們都考上南澳大學（University of South Australia)，所以幾年前一起搬到阿得雷德（ Adelaide）。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

I was lucky to get a university job at Flinders University. Initially, I started out as a casual lecturer in the law school, but I’ve since transitioned into teaching health law and research, and I’m currently writing a few books on the intersection between law and medicine. And also, obviously, trying to finish my dentistry degree!

•start out as… 起初擔任...
•transition into… 轉變到...

我很幸運的在福林德斯大學（Flinders University）找到工作，起初我在法學院擔任臨時講師，但我後來轉換到醫事法教學及研究。目前我正撰寫幾本關於法律與醫學相接的書籍，並努力完成我的牙醫學位。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Mum eventually retrained as a Chinese high school teacher, and she’s still teaching to this day. Like most first generation migrants, she struggled quite a lot, and invested heavily in my success. After we’re married, my fiancée and I are planning to have children, and I’m sure they will have it much easier than I did.

•retrain 重新培養；再培訓；再訓練
•to this day 至今
•first generation migrants 第一代移民
•struggle a lot 掙扎奮鬥許久
•have it much easier 過的比較輕鬆

我的母親最終重新接受培訓，成為一名中文高中老師並執教至今。如同大多數第一代移民，她掙扎奮鬥許久，並為我的成功投資甚多。我與未婚妻打算婚後生孩子，我確信孩子會過的比我輕鬆得多。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Still, a lot of the failures that I’ve had in my life have really informed a lot of my successes. Looking back, I wouldn't really want to change that to have a smoother life.

•inform [正式] 影響某人的態度或意見
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/inform

•have a smoother life 有一個更順遂的人生

我的生活中的種種失敗確實為我的成功提供借鑑。回首過去，我不會想要改變那些坎坷經歷去擁有一個更順遂的人生。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Over the years, I've learned that perseverance is very important. I hope that through telling my story, I can be an example to others who might be in a similar position as I was: to show that there's not just one road to the destination, but many roads. You just need to take the little step that’s right in front of you, and then the next one, and a few years down the track, they will seem like massive achievements.

•over the years 多年來
•perseverance 不屈不撓，堅持不懈
•be an example 成為榜樣
•be in a similar position 處於相似的處境
•down the road/line/track 將來(的路)

多年來，我學到堅持不懈是至關重要的。我希望透過講述自己的故事，能成為其他可能與我有相似處境的人的榜樣：向他們展示通往目的地的路不止一條，有很多路可走。你只需要邁出眼前這一小步，然後再邁出下一步，幾年下來，將會成為巨大成就。

有興趣的同學可以支持New Humans of Australia

www.patreon.com/newhumansofaustralia

Photographer: Paul Heinrich instagram.com/paulfheinrich

文章與圖片出處: https://bit.ly/2XJsciq

★★★★★★★★★★★★

翻轉視界: http://bit.ly/3fPvKUs

批判性思考問題大全: http://bit.ly/34rdtJ7

這是阿培曾經在我巴褲的書裡面寫的，這文章是阿培本身養狗的經驗，對每個養狗的人都有很大的幫助，希望大家有時間可以把它看完，我翻譯成英文讓大家看：
Apei wrote many things into my Baku book. Mainly how to raise dogs, his life experience with dogs and about dog breeds. Its very useful information so please take a look. I translated it into English for everyone to read.

想要養全世界最大的狗，所有的大狗養過一輪，最後情定獒犬。
I wanted to raise all the big dogs available around the world. I wanted to takes turns raising all the big dogs, but I fell for Mastiff.

我從小就有個心願，要養全世界最大的狗。十幾歲開始工作，慢慢把大狗養了一輪：紐波利頓獒犬、大丹、高加索——最後才把重心放在西藏獒犬上。
Ever since when I was very young, I had a dream to raise all the big dogs available throughout the world. I started working at a very young age. Over the years, I had owned a Neapolitan Mastiff, Great Dane, Caucasian Shepherd, and finally now I am totally focused on taking care of my Tibetan Mastiff.

其實每種狗都可愛，只是養著養著，慢慢摸索出自己最喜歡的樣子——
To be honest, no matter what the breed, each dog is cute & lovable in its own way. Having own so many dogs, I slowly figured out what I like the most.

比方紐波利頓，嘴巴皮垂皺加上毛短，吃完東西不馬上擦乾淨，很容易過敏有皮膚病，照養上很費功夫。
Neapolitan Mastiff, for example, has saggy faces and very short hair. If you don’t clean him up after a meal, the dog can very easily have allergic reactions or skin diseases. It’s quite a chore taking care of this breed of dogs.

大丹漂亮修長，但我更喜歡粗勇的體型。
Great Danes are beautiful and usually possesses a lengthy body, but I like ones with a thicker and wider body.

高加索犬算是最貼近我期待的，但是，高加索犬野性比較強，對其他小狗比較不友善。
Caucasian Shepherd is perhaps a breed that is closest to my ideal type. However, shepherds are more primitive, they are not that friendly to small dogs.

至於西藏獒犬，牠忠實、對小孩、女人和小型動物又溫和——尤其是冬天，西藏獒犬換上一身長披毛，站出來威風凜凜、霸氣十足。
As far as Tibetan Mastiff goes, they are loyal, and gentle around kids, women, and other small animals. Especially during winter, a Tibetan Mastiff would change into a long fur coat, appearing so confident and proud, as if everything else is beneath them.
養到西藏獒犬，我心中就有「中」的感覺——所以一路養到現在。
When I got to owning a Tibetan Mastiff, that’s when my heart and mind went: “This is the one!” And so… I have been raising one ever since.

之前養的每隻狗，我都是養到牠們老死——大型狗的平均壽命比中小型犬還要短的許多，大概10年到15年。
All the dogs I had previously, I have always had them until they passed away peacefully in my arms due to old age. The average lifespan of large-sized dogs are usually a lot shorter than small-sized dogs. 10 -15 years, I would say, is probably the max.

要駕馭大型狗，教法是重點。我常跟人說，「狗的主人要有霸氣，要比狗兇」。從小規矩就要訂下——如果主人希望能帶大狗去散步，一定要從小帶牠出門，讓牠習慣走在你腿旁邊，讓牠早早社會化。
To manage a large-sized dog, the key is on teaching. I often tell my friends: “As a dog owner you have to be dominant, you have to be more dominant than your dog.” Show ‘em who’s the boss in the house, so to speak lol. As a dog owner if you wish to take your large dog out for a walk, you have to start taking them for a walk when they are still very small, let them get used to walking alongside you, this is basically to socialize them.

你帶領狗去散步，不是牠帶你去散步——讓牠們見多視廣，狗就不會有初見陌生事物激動暴衝的時候。
Remember tho, you are taking them for a walk, not the other way around. You have to let them see more, let them become familiarize with what’s happening on the outside. This way, it will lessen the occurrence of your dog having violent reactions to unfamiliar or unknown objects.

基本上，除非是生病，要不然狗咬人，都是基於「恐懼」。牠怕主人被攻擊，所以擺出戰鬥姿態——當然，社會化不足或主人威嚴感比較差的狗，就比較容易出在驚慌狀態下而暴衝咬人。
Basically, unless your dog is sick, a dog only starts biting people out of “fear.” They fear that his owner will be attacked, that’s why he goes into “combat mode.” Of course, a dog that is less socialized or a dog with a less dominant owner will more likely become violent (including biting) when they feel threatened or panicking.

這部分是主人的問題，比較不是狗狗本身的問題。改善了狗主人的牽法與教育狗的方式，狗的暴衝、易怒問題就可以得到改善。
This is the owner’s fault, and not on the dog. Once you improve upon the way you walk the dog and educate the dog the right away, the dog’s violent behavior and violent tendencies will show an improvement.

獒犬還有一個別稱，「栓犬」。讓獒犬待在同個地方大概30分鐘，牠就會覺得那是牠地盤，開始會對經過的路人兇，這點要特別注意。
Mastiff also goes by another name, “guardian dogs.” If you let a Mastiff stay in one place for over 30 minutes, he’ll think that this place is his place, his territory, and will starting defending it by being aggressive to passerby, this is something to be aware of.

我最常被問到的，獒犬吃很多三餐費用很高吧？
The question that I was asked the most is… “Mastiffs eat a lot, don’t they? So you must’ve spend a lot of dog food, right?”

我自己對狗比較捨得，讓牠吃好——牛肉全雞羊肉，但是也不一定要跟我一樣餵法。讓牠們吃飽，有時間去跑跑步，偶爾洗一下澡，牠們就很開心了。
I am more catering to my dog, that’s for sure. I’ll let him eat the good stuff --- beef, full chicken, lamb… But you don’t have to do it like me, tho, just feed him regularly so your dog is not hungry. If you have the time, take him for a walk or a jog, or bathe him, he is going to be really really happy if you do so.

最後要提醒的是，大型犬因為身體重腳的負擔大，狗主人最好是把牠們養在不滑的地板上，跟，6個月以前的小狗，髖關節還沒發育完全，不要讓牠們大量跑跳。這兩點注意一下，加上每天帶花時間帶牠們去散步運動，這樣就能保持牠們四隻腳的健康，減少很多腿部問題。
Lastly, I want remind everyone, as far as large dogs go, because of their huge physique they have tons of pressure on their feet, so it’s best for a dog owner to raise a large-sized dog on a non-slippery floor. Also, for a dog that is not yet 6 months old, don’t let the dog do too much jumping and running because his hip joint isn’t fully developed yet. That’s two things you should keep in mind. So as long as you take the time to walk your dog and do a bit of exercise, you’ll be able to keep their legs healthy, which will reduce a lot of the dog’s leg problems.

不管大狗小狗，牠們都是我們的家人，養了，就好好照顧牠一輩子。最後還是那句話.如何對待如何回報.
No matter big or small, a dog is family. If you got one, please take care of him/her for the rest of its life. Lastly, just want to say, You reap what you sow.

I studied in Sydney, Australia for 7 years from 1990. Below is received from a old Aussie friend by WhatsApp. I did some FCs, and seems this was written in May 2020. Not sure if he has any new/updated views.

*OPINION*
*Australian ABC Radio Peter Goers:
With China, many Aussies are absolute hypocrites.*

‘Revolution is just a T-shirt away,” sings Billy Bragg.

*The T-shirts are made in China like everything else. We wear and consume the proof of the success of the Chinese Revolution and they drink our wine, use our iron ore, eat our tucker and enrich our entire tourism and education sectors.*

It is almost impossible for almost anyone in the world to go a single day without buying or using something from China.

*China is the engine of the world and now rules the world economically. * We once ludicrously feared Reds under the beds. Now they’ve made the beds we lie in. One in five people in the world is Chinese.

*The People’s Republic of China (as even ardent conservatives attest) achieved the greatest social, political and economic miracle in world history by raising 1.5 billion people out of feudal poverty into a middle class in 50 years*

China has wisely followed the American and British examples of economic colonisation of the world but avoided the appalling errors of fighting useless and expensive wars. *China has not caused a war for hundreds of years.*

The economy of the world is predicated on China. *We ignore China’s communism when we make money from it, but because of the COVID-19 virus we are suddenly sabre-rattling and loathing China’s political system. Hypocrisy rules.*

Britain lied about COVID-19 mortality rates, and Trump’s US continues to exacerbate the virus. Has Australia demanded an inquiry into those countries? No. Japan has been building islands for decades with no international criticism. China builds islands and we send gunboats.

Australia rails against China’s human rights violations yet we continue to imprison refugees in concentration camps and continue to treat Aboriginal people appallingly. Australia is the nation which persecuted and demeaned the Chinese and others through the iniquitous White Australia policy.

Australia continues to treat the Chinese with racism and suspicion through an apparent genetic disposition to distrust them. We despair of Chinese surveillance of its citizens yet increase surveillance on our own. We despair of the Chinese persecution of minority races yet we are eternally trying to weaken our own Racial Discrimination Act.

Our Government is trying to suppress the press. We welcomed the English lords Vestey and McAlpine owning half of northern Australia, we allow American surveillance and military bases and yet we resent any Chinese investment in Australia.

China is a developing nation and is far from perfect – but we have much to learn from it. The cold war against China is damaging and dangerous. The British tried twice to poison and weaken the Chinese through opium addiction, invaded China and stole Hong Kong. There are Australians and Americans who’d gladly try to repeat that.

Sadly, Sinophobia is back officially and publicly as Australians are spitting on Chinese-Australians. Shame.

We are encouraged to criticise China but we rail against Chinese criticism of us. Isn’t Professor Kam Louie, of Hong Kong University, right when he says Australian leadership is “male, pale and stale”, and aren’t the Chinese right when they say Australia is America’s dog?

The Chinese came to Australia before the British, traded peacefully with Aboriginal people and had the good manners not to invade, claim the country and dispossess and massacre them.

The US and Britain are dying. China is flourishing. Napoleon was right when he said 200 years ago: “China is a sleeping giant. When she wakes, she will move the world.”

Australia must move with and not against China with respect and showing good example. Then we grow together in the great leap forward. Put that on a T-shirt made in China.

*Peter Goers can be heard weeknights and Sundays on ABC Radio Adelaide”*

These are seven unmissable experiences you need to try in Japan. Marvel at amezaiku (the art of candy crafting) in Tokyo, un-wine-d in a giant pool of vino at the Yunessun Spa Resort in Hakone or check out the Kakunodate Fire and Snow Festival in Akita prefecture.

Home to both futuristic robots and centuries-old shrines, Japan seamlessly blends the old with the new. Here are four experiences you need to cross off your list when visiting.

Around Lunar New Year, in January or February, a snowy corner of Akita prefecture hosts the Hiburi Kamakura Festival, the Fire and Snow Festival. The event, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, involves the welcoming of good spirits, or kami. During the first part of the Hiburi Kamakura Festival, a shrine is constructed in the spirits’ honour, and is decorated with offerings and good luck charms. As the night goes on, a bonfire is lit, and bales of hay and charcoal are tied up with lengths of straw rope. Those participating in the Hiburi dance prepare by wrapping their hair in headscarves and slipping their hands into protective gloves, to stop them from getting singed. Read the full history here: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/hiburi-kamakura-the-festival-of-fire-and-snow/.


Visiting stuffy old temples may not seem like the most exciting activity for kids to do, but there are thousands of fascinating temples and shrines in Japan. Gotokuji, for example, is one of the luckiest temples in Tokyo as it is the birthplace of maneki-neko. Gotokji is home to over 10,000 of these cat figurines, which are believed to bring good luck. A classic maneki-neko looks like a Japanese bobtail cat with a calico coat, but the friendly feline now comes in all types and colours. Typically, one or both paws are raised. They are often called ‘waving cats’ in English because of the position of the paw, but in Japan, this gesture, with the palm facing down, is used to beckon someone towards you. Others see a cat raising a paw to wash itself. For more about cats in Tokyo, read: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/this-is-why-you-need-to-visit-tokyos-cat-town/.

Japan has a reputation for innovation, and that extends to its food and desserts. The traditional candy craft of amezaiku blurs the line between food and art. Using hot, malleable taffy, candy artisans, known as ame shokunin, bring these sugar sculptures to life with colour, shape and texture. To get acquainted with this art form, visit: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/amezaiku-traditional-japanese-sugar-sculpture/.

How about unwinding in a giant pool of wine at Yunessun Spa Resort in Hakone? Yes, you read that right. Merlot lovers have a new way of enjoying their favourite tipple. But if wine isn't your thing, don’t worry. You can take a dip in coffee, green tea or sake instead!

Discover more about Japan and start your wishlist here: https://culturetrip.travel/Japan.

To get more Culture Trip visit:
https://www.culturetrip.com
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https://www.instagram.com/culturetrip
https://www.twitter.com/culturetrip
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/theculturetrip

- - -
? Credits:

Yunessun Spa Resort, Hakone
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC323XYFBzAKaiF5mbxLcC3A
https://www.youtube.com/user/starletshay
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTs8QxH3qupshvspxUXYfeQ/

Pug Cafe, Kyoto
https://www.youtube.com/user/brosharinternational

Nakizumo, Tokyo
https://www.youtube.com/user/RoninDave

Hi. My name is themblan, and I am a boy-gamer.

Today, we are deviating away from Nintendo-games and featuring one of my favorite games from my teenage years, and that is Final Fantasy Tactics for Sony PlayStation.

It was developed by Squaresoft before they merged with Enix, released in Japan in 1997, and published in North America in 1998 by Sony Computer Entertainment America, which also published Final Fantasy VII in the same region.

I was looking for a handy-dandy video on YouTube that featured all the attract-mode videos of this game, but to no avail. Attract-mode, for anyone that might not know, is essentially the stuff that happens when you leave a game on the title-screen and don't do anything. These days, most games don't do anything even if you leave the game on the title-screen, but back in the day, games might play special videos or play through some of the game by itself, to "attract" you to come pick up the controller and play the game. This was very useful if, for example, a retail store had the game running on a TV in the store. Potential customers would be "attracted" to buy the game by what they saw during the "attract-mode."

This video of mine features the opening cinematic, as well as the backstory-cinematic, a trailer advertising the game and featuring some credits, and the Job/Monster cinematic which goes through a bevy of Jobs and Monsters you will encounter in the game.

Back in the day, I really enjoyed watching these videos. Full-motion video clips, in general, was something that I enjoyed watching during the era of the first PlayStation, especially if they were designed and edited well, as they were in this game.

I still feel this original PlayStation-version of the game is the best, because the PSP-port called War of the Lions has issues with sound and slowdown. I had hoped its translation would make the game easier to understand, but instead, they chose to use a weird, old-English-like dialect that is even more difficult to understand than the original script.

This original version of the game is certainly a game I would love to see on the Switch. There have been many games in the same genre that have come out after Final Fantasy Tactics, like Disgaea, but Final Fantasy Tactics is still my favorite, and if I try games like Disgaea, I just end up feeling disappointed, and end up just replaying Final Fantasy Tactics instead.

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Thank you for watching, and have a great day.

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The song in my intro and outro was done by Hyper Potions, and it is called Time Trials. You can check out the full song here: https://youtu.be/mnfNWe-HHsI.

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My Socials:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/themblan1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themblan1

KẾT NỐI VỚI MÌNH TRÊN INSTAGRAM: @TTDUC95
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ttduc95
Instagram: @ttduc95
Business Inquiry: david@mywallie.com

SUBSCRIBE YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDGTEX6ewfr9KitX4qPCRjA?sub_confirmation=1

PODCAST: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-trong-duc-podcast/id1304201102?mt=2
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/duc-tran-22

## TRANSCRIPT E:
Alright this’s going to be a fun episode. It’s the first video that I speak English to my Vietnamese people - and heck, I’m not that ready to do this.

How can I talk to native English speakers with an accent. Will they judge?
By now you know that I’m not a native English speaker. I was born in Vietnam and only seriously learnt English in tenth grade or so. That’s why it’s naturally that I have an accent. It means that the way we talk is not as natural as native speakers do.

That’s why many of you DMed me and asked if people judge when you talk like this - or how I can talk confidently with an accent - I guess.

The answer is you - talk. Passionately. And don’t hold back.

But think about it. A lot of people say that they are not confident in speaking because they are afraid that people will judge them. They use it as an excuse to not learn English and speak in the first place.

Most people don’t even try. They keep thinking in their head that people will judge them. And they would never get better so they stop and they never learn.

So my friends, just talk. Talk passionately. Talk with all you have. There’s no how-to-talk tips or tricks. You just have to try. You just have to put yourself in the situation that you must talk. A lot. I guess that’s the secret. You must put yourself in situations that you must talk, a lot!

Let me give you a few examples.
Back in high school, I enrolled in this TOEFL class and every other day, the teacher would ask us to listen to tapes of conversations in English. I listened to them then write them down word, by word, by word. We literally use the cassette player because the teacher was kind of old-school cool that way. I had this big-ass SONY cassette player and every day I would tick … tick przz. Then in class, he would make round. Each of us will speak out loud, in front of the class each sentence.
But I knew that each session, I could only speak probably five or six times. That’s not enough. So I asked the teacher, if he could spent a few minutes each session to review a tape in which I pre-record all the conversations of that class.
That’s one way I did it. I put myself in the situation that I was held accountable by the teacher, that every session, I would submit my speaking cassette to him. And he was so kind to expect that and spend the time to help me. But here’s the thing, most people don’t ask. Most people don’t put in the work.

Another example,
All the years I was in college, each semester I would have a Math class with this specific professor that I like so much. But in the first period of my entire college life, he talked so fast with a lot of terminologies that I had no clues what they mean.
I was confused and overwhelmed so at the end of the period, I stayed and wanted to approach him to ask how I could do better. Would I be able to catch up with this class. And it took me seriously nearly five minutes just to go and talk to him because heck I was afraid that he would judge me, right?
But I forced myself to go talk to him and ask for his help. And he said I would be just fine. Go get this book and do some readings and he would help me as well.
The way he taught was so cool. He made each Math problem as an opportunity for students to present the solution in front the class. And guess what I did?
I knew that I would be shied. I knew that I was scared. I knew that I spoke terribly and I had an accent. I knew that I’m afraid that the whole class would judge because of my accent.
this. I’m still trying to get better. That’s why till this day, I record myself teaching something, speaking if not every day then every week.

You just have to talk. A lot. Every day.

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