Picture Description — 第四冊

🔊I must admit, corn is my favorite vegetable, especially when it is still on the cob. Cooking corn is very simple. First, it is removed from the husk and any hair is pulled off. Then it is placed into a pot of boiling water and left to simmer until the kernels are tender. It can also be barbequed with the husk still on. The husk holds juices inside and keeps the corn from drying out on the barbeque.

🔊In the picture, a man uses tongs to turn the hot cobs of corn in the pot. A lady places each cooked cob into a plastic bag.

🔊Here is a half-eaten cob of corn. A hand holds the corn by the bag that it came in. This is probably a good idea as corn on the cob can be messy to eat. It usually gets all over your face, so make sure you have a napkin to wipe off your face. It also gets stuck between your teeth, so you might want to have a toothpick handy. Don’t forget to throw the leftover cob in the trashcan when you are finished.

🔊Chinese medicines have been studied for hundreds of years. Most of the medicines are derived from herbs, fungi, plants, animals and many other things found in nature. The first step in making a particular medicine is to grind the ingredients into a powder. A pharmacist then mixes and matches various powders together depending on what you need. The powdery medicine is then put into envelopes of individual doses or into a larger plastic container for multiple doses.

🔊So how do you take Chinese medicine? First you take a spoonful of the powder out of the container. How much you take depends on the prescription, so read the directions first or ask your doctor. If your medicine came in a small paper pouch, then that means that each pouch is one dose, so you don’t have to worry about measuring it.

🔊Next, tilt your head back and put the powder in your mouth. The first time you do it, it might feel weird. It might not taste very good either, but try not to think about it. It may make your throat tickle and make you feel like you need to cough, but DON”T do this. Trust me. One time, I tried to sneak out a little cough, which was fine, but when the cough was finished I inhaled some of the dry powder. Then it turned into a coughing/choking frenzy and medicine flew everywhere. For this reason, I might also recommend putting a little water in your mouth prior to putting in the very dry powder. This should prevent you from inhaling dry powder and creating a big mess like I did.

🔊Once the medicine is in your mouth, quickly wash it down with water. After you have swallowed it, drink a little more to try and get the taste out of your mouth. Chinese medicine may not taste very good, but if you are sick, it can help you get better.

🔊Grandma is getting old. She is starting to forget things, finds it difficult to get around and is getting deaf. But, even though her health is failing, she always seems to be in good spirits. That is unless she can’t read something!

🔊For some reason she gets very annoyed when she can’t read something. She tolerates not being able to hear very well and forgetting things fine, but not being able to read really sets her off. Even with her glasses that are about as thick as you can imagine, small print is a blur to her.

🔊Recently I bought her a magnifying glass to help her read. By holding it close to fine print, it magnifies the words enough for her to read. It has made her life a lot better. Now, she can read the tiny words on her prescriptions and in the newspaper.

🔊It is amazing how much that little piece of glass has made her happy. I think the biggest reason is that she no longer feels dependent on other people just to read. It might be one of the best gifts that someone has ever given to her.

🔊Cara is very thirsty, so she got a 2 liter bottle of Sprite out of the fridge. Now she is taking the lid off the bottle. The lid is screwed on tight. Cara twists as hard as she can before it finally moves. When she breaks the seal, the soda makes a loud “psht” sound.

🔊Cara is pouring the lemon-lime soda into her cup. She carefully pours it with both hands so that she doesn’t spill any. She fills the cup right to the brim. The pop fizzes in the cup and tiny little bubbles float into the air.

🔊The thirsty girl puts the lid back on the bottle and sets it aside. She then takes the mug by the handle and begins quickly chugging it down. The little bubbles tickle her nose as she tips the glass back further and further.

🔊Once she is finished, she makes sure the cap is screwed on tight and then puts the bottle back in the fridge to keep it cold and fresh. Then she washes her cup and puts it back in the cupboard.

🔊One of the light bulbs in Travis’ kitchen is burnt out, so he has to change it. First he switches off the light so that he doesn’t accidentally get a shock and so that the bulb isn’t too hot to touch. Then he climbs up on a chair so that he can reach the light fixture.

🔊There are two kinds of lights on the fixture. There is a long fluorescent tube and there is also a small bulb. Only the small bulb is burnt out and needs to be changed.

🔊He reaches up and quickly touches the bulb to see if it is hot. It is cool and safe to touch so he unscrews the old bulb. Then he puts it in his jacket pocket. Next he takes a new bulb out of his other pocket and screws it into the socket.

🔊Travis carefully steps down off the chair. He puts the burnt-out bulb in the trash and then turns the lights on to see if the new bulb works. The new bulb immediately lights up and brightens up the room. Travis has successfully changed the bulb. Good job!

🔊Julie’s shirt is full of wrinkles. She needs to iron them (the wrinkles) out before going to work.

🔊First she fills the iron with water and plugs it into the outlet. While it is heating up, she places a cloth on the table (she doesn’t have an ironing board) for ironing on. When the iron is nice and hot, she can begin ironing her shirt.

🔊An iron uses hot steam to soften wrinkled material. Then, as the smooth metal surface on the bottom of the iron presses down and glides across the material, the wrinkles are flattened out. And when the moisture from the steam dries, the material sets.

🔊Now Julie is ironing her shirt. Her free hand holds it in place as she runs the iron across the edge of the shirt. You can tell that she has already finished the collar because it looks wrinkle-free and very flat. She has to work fairly quickly because if she holds the iron in one place too long, the material might burn.

🔊When she is finished, she will let the shirt cool off for a few minutes because it will be too hot to wear. That will give her time to unplug, drain and put the iron away. Then she can put it on and go to work.

🔊Hot springs are natural springs like any other spring. The difference is that the water from a hot spring is geothermally heated. That is, the water is heated underground by hot rocks near the Earth’s mantle or by coming into contact with magma in volcanic zones. Some of them are so hot that you can’t even put your hand in the water. You may notice that hot spring water sometimes smells like rotten eggs, but don’t worry. It smells this way because it contains sulfur.

🔊Hot springs are very popular tourist attractions wherever they are found. In some countries, there are even certain protocols or traditions to follow when using one. In most places, it is considered common sense—or courteous—to wash yourself off before getting in. A quick shower will do the trick. Using a basin and some clean water to rinse the sweat and dirt off your body will work as well. You should also have a quick shower when you get out, too. Most public and private hot spring resorts have an area just for this.

🔊Before you get into a hot spring tub, be sure to check the temperature. Sometimes the water is very hot so you should get in slowly; just diving in is definitely not a good idea.

🔊Once inside, just sit back and let the natural water work its magic. Many people believe that hot spring water has regenerative powers. It’s not going to make you any younger, but the elements in the water are known to help many ailments such as arthritis and skin conditions, so it may make you look and feel younger.

🔊You may consider getting out from time to time to cool off and have a drink of water. Even though you are soaking in water, you can still become dehydrated from sweating. Plus, soaking too long in a hot spring can make your body temperature dangerously high.

🔊Once you’ve finished and have dried yourself off, you may feel a little tired. Now is the perfect time to find a lawn chair to lie back and take a nap on. When you wake up, you will feel like a new man—or woman.

🔊A great way to get out and get some fresh air is on a bicycle. That’s what bike paths are for and the one in Ershuei is a perfect example. It offers a smooth riding surface in an environment free of cars, scooters and pollution. It is definitely one of the better paths in Taiwan.

🔊Ershuei is situated in the southeastern part of Changhua County at the foot of Baiguo Mountain. This small town has beautiful scenery and different terrains for bike riding. You can ride through the open rice and flower fields, along flowing canals or, for those who are in shape, you can also ride up the mountain. Riding a bike here can be as easy or as challenging as you want, but, regardless of the path you choose to take, it will certainly help you relax and forget about your worries.

🔊While biking there, you will notice a narrow line in the middle of the path. This line is much like the yellow lines on a street; it separates, or divides, the traffic flowing in opposite directions. On a bike path, though, the line is more of a suggestion to stay on your own side of the path rather than the law. Only on very busy days, when there are a lot of bikes out should you take it really seriously.

🔊In some areas, the bike path runs parallel to the train tracks. Occasionally, a train might rumble by while you are riding. Sometimes the passengers on the train like to wave as they pass the cyclists. The path crosses the tracks in one or two places, as well. So make sure you look both ways before you go over a railway crossing or you may end up taking an impromptu ride on the front of the train like a mosquito on a car’s windshield;22 I don’t recommendit.

🔊As you ride your bike down the path in Ershuei you will see a lot of rice fields. Sporadically you may even see farmers tending their crops or picking vegetables in a garden. These same fields, when not growing rice, are planted with flowers. This looks quite beautiful when the flowers are in full bloom. The flowers form a sea of color blanketing the bare earth below and filling the air with their wonderful aroma. The scene is a welcomed break from the concrete and steel of the city.

🔊The next time you want to go for a bike ride, think about heading out to Ershuei. You can see for yourself how beautiful the countryside is. And you’ll get a little exercise while you’re at it.

🔊The boy, pictured here, is standing on his hands. This is called a “handstand.” Here he uses the wall for support so that he doesn’t fall over. It is easier to learn how to do a handstand against a wall if you have never done it. This is because it requires a lot of strength and, more importantly, excellent balance to do one. As you get better at it, you can move further and further away from the wall. Eventually you won’t need the wall at all.

🔊Hopefully, this boy doesn’t stay upside down too long or his arms will tire out and he will fall on his head.

🔊Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil and.... Wait a minute! I thought there were only 3 monkeys in that old saying. Hey, those aren’t even monkeys! They are children! Are they trying to make funny faces? Maybe they are trying to scare someone. They definitely must be bored. Whatever the case, they are certainly amusing themselves by contorting their faces into all sorts of weird positions.
　　When I was a child, my parents told me that if I made a stupid face and someone hit me on the back while I was doing it, my face would stay that way. Imagine having a permanent funny face. That would be horrible.But don’t worry, it’s just a myth. Sometimes parents just like to tell their kids things to make them stop doing annoying things.