I have so many things I want to do during the upcoming spring break. After a busy semester, I am looking forward to spending my time meaningfully and creating wonderful memories. First and foremost, I am planning a trip with my siblings. I have an older brother, an older sister, and a younger sister. It is quite a large family, and the last time we all traveled together was when I was still in elementary school. Now that we are all older, it has become easier for everyone to coordinate their schedules and take time off. We realized that this spring is the perfect chance for a family reunion trip, so we are currently in the middle of planning our destination and itinerary. I am truly excited to bond with them again. My second goal is to visit a farm. I have always been a nature lover, and I find the countryside very relaxing. One of my main motivations is the food; I really want to try fresh ice cream or soft-serve made from locally produced milk. There is nothing like the taste of dairy products straight from the source! I also look forward to interacting with various animals and enjoying the fresh air away from the city. Lastly, I plan to catch up on some TV dramas. I have a passion for storytelling, and lately, I have been hooked on watching older shows that were broadcast when I was a child or even before I was born. It is fascinating to see how the world and fashion have changed over time. By balancing travel, nature, and relaxation, I hope to have a truly fulfilling and wonderful spring break.

THE ART THIEF

THE ART THIEF

A piano teacher asked me which song I was working on. I showed her the notation. She asked what language it was, and I said it was Mandarin Chinese, but written in the Wade–Giles romanization system. She then asked the name of the song. I answered, “Secret Fragrance.” “Sha Baoliang’s?” she asked. “Jiang Kui’s.” “Such an old song,” she said. “From the Southern Song dynasty.” Indeed. Every single winter, I can’t help myself from reciting Jiang Kui’s “Secret Fragrance.” “I sigh that the road is too long to send a blossom, and the evening snow begins to pile up.” She asked what instrument he had originally composed it for. I said, “The xiao flute.” “Jiang Kui was truly talented,” she said. “But it’s rare for someone as young as you to admire him so much.” “You can’t fully understand his lyrics,” I said, “unless you’ve experienced the life of an unemployed wanderer.” “He Xun now is gradually aging, And entirely forgets the lyric brush inspired by the spring wind.” Then she played another score that Jiang Kui had rediscovered (Nishang Zhongxu Diyi). I especially love the lyrics to this one, which he wrote when he was nearing his end. However, this classical music had seriously declined.

I came across an interesting paper online about "Future Chocolate" . Actually, I have a huge sweet tooth and chocolate is one of my favorite food. So, I would like to summarize and share some of the interesting points here. It said that future chocolates don't need cacao. Cacao trees are grown within about 20 kilometer south north of the equator, but they are well-known that it's very hard to grow them. Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire account for over 50% of the supply of cacao beans. However, the weather in the plantation for cacao beans is unstable due to climate change and it threatens the supply of chocolate across the world. Scorching heat is also hitting growing environment of cacao beans hard. That's why the food development as a substitute for chocolates has been attracting a lot of attention lately. Some companies have been finding more sustainable solutions. One of them finally reached two materials. They are sunflower seeds and oats. Unlike cacaos only grown around the equator, sunflower seeds and oats are possible to grow everywhere. On top of that, they need less wafer than cacao beans plantation. It feels like we eat authentic chocolates because the company was particular about flavors and components . The paper said the chocolate has already been commercialized. I really try it in the future.

Have you heard of the idiom, "to hit the hay"? Check your understanding with this quiz question.

Almost everyone has a credit card for shopping or paying for their bills. Credit is related to personal character. It means that you should pay back the credit cards bills every month. At the very beginning of credit crads becane popular, people definitely paid back credit crads on time. However, as the online shopping rapidly developed, people were attacted by a variety of items online. Their salary was too little to satisfy their desires of shopping. In that case, credit cards was the only solution to figure out the problem. Slowly, people found that they couldn't pay back caedit crad bills on time. They lost their credit. More and more people were in debt, but the companies that you have applied for the credit cards agreed you to pay for bills by installments with interests. You just need to pay a little money for the credit cards every month, all the rest of the debt can be deferred. Of course, your cedit card has a limit, but it's enough to satisfy your disire.

a piano teacher asked me which song I was working on. I showed her the notation. she asked me what language it was, I said it was Mandarin Chinese but written in Wade–Giles Pinyin system.she asked what the name the song was, I answered "secret fragrance". "Sha Baoliang's?". She asked. "Jiang Kui's." she said "such an old song. from the Nan (Southern) Song dynasty." indeed. every single winter, I can't help myself from reciting Jiang Kui's "secret fragrance". "I sigh that the road is too long to send a blossom, and the evening snows begins to pile up." she asked me what the musical instrument he played originally for this song. I said "Xiao (flute)". she said "Jiang Kui was really talented. but it's rare for such a young person like you like him so much," I said "you wouldn't understand his song lyrics, if you haven't experienced in unemployed wandering." and she played another score which was rediscovered by Jiang Kui (nishang zhongxu diyi). I especially like the lyrics for this song, which was written when he was almost at his end.

During my spring vacation, I am planning to take a two-night trip to Tochigi. I will stay at a hotel that offers a buffet, so I can enjoy eating a variety of dishes. I am really looking forward to eating a lot of delicious food there. In addition to the hotel meals, I plan to go sightseeing and enjoy food tours. Tochigi is famous for local specialties such as yuba and yokan. I want to try these dishes and also buy some as souvenirs for my grandmother. She loves traditional Japanese food and sweets, so I am sure she will be happy to receive them. Another thing I am excited about is seeing the beautiful night sky in Nikko. My dream has always been to visit a place where I can see a clear, star-filled sky. For this reason, I want to go to Senjogahara, which is about an hour away from the hotel by bus. I want to see a shooting star there . It's deep in the mountains, so be careful as there is a possibility of encountering bears and other dangerous animals. I believe the view will be amazing. I also plan to visit Nikko Toshogu Shrine. I went there on a school trip before, but this time I want to explore freely and enjoy both the sights and the local food.

Yesterday , I went to Tokyo Disneyland with my close friends, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. From the moment we entered the park, I felt like I had stepped into a different world full of magic and excitement. We enjoyed many attractions together, took countless photos, and laughed all day long. Even though I still had reports and assignments waiting for me at university, I decided to forget about them for a while and fully enjoy the moment. That short break helped me refresh both my mind and my heart.I am especially grateful that I was able to meet these wonderful friends at university. They are all very kind, cheerful, and cute, and being with them always makes me feel comfortable and happy. We support each other, share our worries, and celebrate small achievements together. Spending time with them reminds me how important friendships are in my life.Traveling with friends has become one of my favorite hobbies. Through traveling, I can see new places, experience different atmospheres, and create precious memories that will stay with me forever. Each trip teaches me something new, not only about the world but also about myself. In the future, I hope to travel with many different people and see many beautiful landscapes around the world. I want to continue making memories, meeting new people, and enjoying every moment of my life to the fullest.