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and in English...

Hello everyone, I am very happy to participate in the speech competition.  The name of my speech is “Our Future, Technology and the Environment”

“In the year 2525” is a popular US pop-culture song. The lyrics has dark foreshadowing for the next 10,000 years:

“…if man is still alive
if woman can survive
they may find...

everything you think do and say
is in the pill you took today

your arms are hanging limp at your sides
your legs got nothing to do
some machines doing that for you

in the year 9595
I`m kinda wondering if man`s gonna be alive
he`s taken everything this old earth can give
and he ain`t put back nothing...”

The song points to man’s obsession with technology at the expense of the environment.  It may seem far-fetched but we should listen.  Take water consumption for example. Did you know that only 1% of the world’s water supply is drinkable! 

As Americans we waste too much water.  According to United Nations data, in 2006, the US consumed the most, nearly 600 litres per person per day.  By contrast China came in 17^th using

about 80 litres per day.

So what should we do?  We must change our way of thinking – we cannot ignore the problem.,we need to lead by example and conserve in our daily lives. We must teach our children there are more important things than cell phones, texting and Wii.

here is the speech in Mandarin:

大家好！非常高兴能参加今天的比赛。我的演讲题目是“我们的未来, 高科技和环境”

2525年曾经是一首非常流行的美国歌曲。歌词是对未来一万年后地球环境问题的悲观预测；

歌词大意是：

“...如果人类还在延续 

某天他们可能会发现... 

人类在自食其果

人类的四肢已经退化
因为机械取代了一切 

到9595年 
我很怀疑人类是否还存在于这个地球上
因为我们只知道向地球索取，而不记得回报...“ 

这首歌曲提醒我们：人类对技术的痴迷是以牺牲自然环境来作代价的。大家是否知道，地球上只有百分之一的水是可以饮用的淡水呢！ 

作为美国人，我们浪费了太多的水。根据联合国2006年的数据，美国人每天的用水量是全球最高的， 大约600升 淡水； 而中国只有80多升。

那么，我们要怎么做呢？，我们应该以身作则，从日常生活着手，从点滴做起。我们必须从现在就开始教育我们的孩子，告诉他们，有比手机，短信和电子游戏机更重要的事情， 那就是-保护自然环境，保护我们的地球。

我说完了。谢谢大家!

Hi Lily, I have a proposed change for our class this week.  I have been preparing for an upcoming Chinese speech competition on 4/17.  Was hoping you could listen to my speech and give me feedback on it instead of the planned lesson material. 

hao ba?

Hi Brian,

谢谢你！

Monday is fine for me, let's switch our weekly class on Mondays.

Talk to you then.

Regards

Lily

你很有名！我很幸运你是我的老师。

My boss has called a meeting for tomorrow morning so I cannot chat.  Monday 's might even be better for me.  Is that 6:45am (7:45pm your time) open on a regular basis?  If yes, could I switch to Monday's?

regards,
Brian

Hi Brian,

Sorry for the late reply of your previous message, the current time is fine for me. Let's keep the class time.

Btw. I tried calling you on the phone this morning, unfornately you were unreachable. Monday works well for me, can we make up the lesson on Monday morning at our usual class time?

Best regards,

Lily

nin hao Lily, I forgot I have Jury Duty on Thursday.  I cannot meet on Skype but I have about an hour drive during our time.  Would you be able to call me on my cell phone?  713-851-8533     If it would cost you money, we can skip this week or maybe reschedule to Monday.  Thanks for your flexibility.  Regards, Brian

zao gao, bu hao yi si....for my late response.  Thank you so much for offering to do a make-up this past Monday.  I am looking forward to chatting with you on Thursday.

Also, it seems another time change is upon us again for next week.  If at all possible, I would like to maintain our current time slot US time so that would be an hour earlier your time.  Are you available?  If not, no worries, I am sure we can find a new regular time.

cheers,
Brian

ni hao hansibai, 

xie xie ni de liu yan. zhou yi ni you kong ma? women ke yi bu ke ma ?

Thanks for your message. Are you available on Monday? Can we make up for the missed class then?

Best regards

Lily

ni hao Lily laoshi.  wo yao zhun bei hao shangke zhou yi he zhou er.

buhaoyisi, wo gang gang qi chuan.  wo cuoguo wode alarm clock.  xianzai wo chidao shangban.  xingqi jian mian. zai fei chang duibuqi.

Ni hao Brian, xie xie ni! 

恭喜发财，虎年快乐！

nin hao Lilly laoshi, xia xia ge xingqi, women jixu tianqi he meiguo de zaofan.

xia ge xingqi...

恭喜发财!

Hi Brian, 

Don't worry, talk to you next week.

 I noticed that we haven't had class for about 3 weeks, Did you keep on learning in these 3 weeks? Do you need some new lessons? If so, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Best regards

Lily

zao gao!  I will have to miss again!  My wife is out of town on travel and I will be Mr. Mom getting the kids off to school and then off to work.  I appreciate your flexibility and hope you can keep reserving this time for me.  I look forward to a little normalcy before the Chinese New Year break.

regards,
Brian

Hi Brian, 

Good sentence, the only problem is 倍, it should be "被 bei4" , the mark of passive voice. 

See you next week. 

Best regards

Lily

Hi Lily, sorry to have to miss again but I did learn a new saying in Chinese...
我倍工作淹没了。

I hope I translated the pinyin to the correct characters.  See you next week 2/4.

regards,
Brian

Hi Brian, 

Thanks for your notice, talk to you next Thursday!

Regards

Lily

Hi Lily, sorry for a last minute change but I need to go into work early tomorrow so have no time for a chat.  "see you" next week.

cheers,
Brian

dui bu qi, wo gan mao le.  wo hongzi hen teng.  wo bu lai women de lao tun.   wo xuyao zai cai shui jiao.  xia xingxi jian mian. 

I'm sorry, I don't feel well.  I have a bad sore throat.  I cannot come to our chat.  I have to go back to bed.  See you next week.

(I'm not sure how to say I have to go back to bed) 

Dear Brian,

No problem. Thank you.

Wish you merry Christmas and Happy new year!

Lily

Hi Lily, when we spoke last week, I forgot that I would be out of town on a business trip this coming week and then again the following week visiting family.  So that means that I need to cancel our chat for 12/17 and 12/24.  We can resume again 12/31.  I will prepare for the new material you sent with the timely "Christmas Presents" and "Buying a Bouquet of Flowers."  Thanks for your schedule flexibility.

Regards,
Brian

没问题!

:)

Hi Brian,

I am sorry. It's my fault, I saw your message, but I forgot yesterday. Updating here is fine, I will check this page everyday.

Really sorry again!

Regards

Lily

Hi Lily, I hear you had a chance to meet my wife so to speak!  It looks like you did not receive my note below, sorry I should have confirmed you saw it.  Please let me know if you prefer updates here or via email.

Am looking foward to our chat next week Thursday.

regards,
Brian

Hi Lily, thanks for your flexibility and well-wishes.  I just remembered I will be traveling on business next week with no time for a reschedule.  Looks like our next chat will be on Thursday 12/10.

Best regards,
Brian

好的，下星期四聊。

祝你感恩节快乐！

Lily

麻烦你星期四是美国的感恩节所以我想要睡懒觉。下星期面好吧？

这是真漂亮。非常感谢。

Hi Hansibai,

A Chinese singer Denglijun (邓丽君) have singed the song "明月几时有", her voice is very beautiful. You may have interest in this song. 

Best regards

Lily

Hi Hansibai,

Thanks so much to sharing with me. I am so glad that you like Chinese culture so much. I think this one is easier and better. Look forward to your recite this evening!

Regards

Lily

Nin hao Lily, I had a chance to practice in front of some Chinese colleagues at work today and it seemed they also agree with your comments about the speech being a little difficult.  They helped me to further simplify the closing.  Am looking forward to sharing with you, hear it is:

大家好！我很高兴能够参加今天的比赛。我的题目是“我的中国感受。”

说到中国感受，大家可能会联想到中国的各种美味，比如说北京的烤鸭，火锅，饺子或上海的小笼包。

其实，我对中国最深刻的感受绝不仅仅是食物，而是在学习经典的中华文学作品的时候所体验到的传世佳作， 让我来跟大家分享一下吧：

这个作品的标题是：水调歌头

作者：苏轼

明月几时有？把酒问青天。

不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。

我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。

起舞弄清影，何似在人间！

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。

不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？

人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。

但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。

真是太美太美了！

所以你看，我的中国感受是对中华文化的情有独钟。正是这种感受带给了我无穷的动力去学习更多的中华文化精髓。

我讲完了！

谢谢大家！

Thank you.  Yes, I have found this to be difficult to learn.  I intended to have a simpler intro and close but sharing the true sentiment was more important so I am pushing myself to learn it.  I look forward to your feedback and appreciate the extra focus.

cheers,
Brian

Hi hansibai,

Congraduations! Your recite of 《水调歌头》was wonderful. I would very much like to listen to your speech in Thursday's class. This speech is a little bit difficult, I think. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to ask me. I am willing to talk all your questions.

Best regards

Lily

Nin hao Lily Laoshi, if it would not be too much trouble, before we practice the lesson dialogue, I would like to recite for you another speech I have created for an upcoming Greater Houston Chinese Speech competition that will be this coming Sunday. By the way, I did earn 1st place in the poem receital. 

Since I did not have much time to prepare since the last poem receital competition, I came up with a way to use what I had learned in a speech that still speaks the truth about me and fits under the theme of "China and you."  Here it is:

大家好！我很高兴能够参加今天的比赛。我的题目是“我的中国感受。”

说到中国感受，大家可能会联想到中国的各种美味，比如说北京的烤鸭，火锅，饺子或上海的小笼包。

其实，我对中国最深刻的感受绝不仅仅是食物，而是在学习背诵经典的中华文学作品的时候所体验到的传世佳作， 让我来跟大家分享一下吧：

这个作品的标题是：水调歌头

作者：苏轼

明月几时有？把酒问青天。

不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。

我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒。

起舞弄清影，何似在人间！

转朱阁，低绮户，照无眠。

不应有恨，何事长向别时圆？

人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。

但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。

真是太美太美了！

所以你看，我的中国感受其实正是一种珍爱独特的中华文化意蕴的感觉。正是这种感受带给了我无穷的动力去进一步学习更多的中华文化精髓。

我说完毕！谢谢大家！

Now, this speech is still above my conversation capability but I use the speeches to learn more vocab, get exposure to more grammar, help reinforce proper tone pronunciation and to push me outside my comfort zone speaking Chinese in front of judges and a large group of native Chinese speakers.

regards,
Brian

Ni hao hansibai,

mei guan xi!  Look forward to our class next Thursday!

Best regards

Lily

ni hao Lily laoshi, fei chang dui bu qi, I still managed to confuse the time on my work  calendar.  Let's just meet next week at 6:45am Houston time.  Sorry again for the trouble.

regards,
Brian

Ni hao Han si bai,

Hao de. Next Thursday we will review the first week of month 2 lesson plan.

Best regards

Lily

Ni hao Lily Lao shi, we are all set for Thursdays, 6:45am starting next week.  As for the month three lesson plan, I would like to repeat my month two plan because I feel I have not achieved a good enough level of proficiency on that material.  Is that okay with you?

regards,
Brian

Ni hao Brian,

Thanks for telling me your available time, I am really sorry, I already have classes at both 9:45pm and 8:15pm Beijing time. I could have class at 6:00 am , 6:30 am  6:45 am or 7:15 am Houston time. Could you tell me whether there is a time work for you?

Thanks very much

Best regards

Lily

Nin hao Lily Laoshi, about the time zone change starting November 1st...if it is possible for you, and not too inconvenient, I would like to maintain our weekly guided study time at 7:45am Houston time which would then be 9:45pm your time in China.  If the later time is not possible, I could do 6:15am my time or 8:15pm your time.  Please let me know what can work for you and thank you for the reminder about the coming change.

regards,
Brian

Hi Brian: 

 I am very glad to listen to your reading of the poem. I also love this poem.

Best regards

Lily

nin hao Lily, I am looking forward to our chat.  If you don't mind, could we squeeze in a quick reading of a poem?  I would like to get your feedback on my pronunciation. I am learning to memorize it for a Chinese speech competition in two weeks?

Here it is:

标题 ：水调歌头 

作者 ：苏轼

明月几时有？
把酒问青天。

不知天上宫阙，
今夕是何年。

我欲乘风归去，
又恐琼楼玉宇，
高处不胜寒。

起舞弄清影，
何似在人间！

转朱阁，
低绮户，
照无眠。

不应有恨，
何事长向别时圆？

人有悲欢离合，
月有阴晴圆缺，
此事古难全。

但愿人长久，
千里共婵娟。