Race thought: Red, White & Boom! 5 K 2017 with Twin Cities In Motion

I signed up this Red, White & Boom! 5 K race right before my first trained 5 K race at Hot Chocolate Run Minneapolis for the purpose of training my run part for my sprint triathlon race in August. Here are my race thoughts!

Kind of...ready for the race!

全家福/寶寶攝影師 [新竹 柯如] (Family portrait session in Hsinchu, Taiwan)

今年初我們一家六口，加上姊姊家兩個小寶寶和姐夫一共9人一起拍了全家福。多虧熱情，細心，又很會抓moment的攝影師柯如～我們全家在2016年初留下了美好的共同回憶。
拖了快一年才寫的心得，現在翻看這片，仍會嘴角上揚呢！！

My swim journey in 2016!!

Typical eyes after a swim

I finished my last swim training in 2016 today! It was a solid workout and I didn't disappoint myself even though I was swimming in my less favorite swimming pool, and had to share a lane with another swimmer during my timed training. 🙌🙌🙌

Madeleine recipe! (No BAKING POWDER)

Madeleine is one of our favorite desserts! The cake-like texture of madeleines with the heavenly comforting smell of butter + egg + sugar would very easily make your DAY!

Here, I'd like to share with you my recipe, using only REAL ingredients! And hopefully my tips would help your dessert-making process much easier and fun!
This recipe is based on a recipe from a famous blogger in Taiwan: Carol

健身：游泳4 & 1-2 (Where to learn to swim in Minneapolis)

健身：游泳1-4系列是在YWCA-Minneapolis上的。YWCA-Minneapolis有三個地點：Downtown, uptown, and midtown. 會選Uptown地點主要是因為離我家交通方便，uptown也相對midtown安全些。YWCA-Uptown 是一個運動中心，有健身課程可以上，有大游泳池。因為我已經是University of Minnesota gym的會員，所以我使用非會員價格購買四堂一組的一對一游泳課。在Y上完四堂後，剛好學校的一對一游泳教練也排到了，我就無縫接軌的開始在學校上游泳課。(學校學游泳的網頁Learn to swim at the U；價格是在Y的一半；教練是在學的大學生，但游泳技能基本上都很好，感覺過去是游泳隊的，不確定現在是不是）

健身：游泳課-2 & 3

今天連上兩堂半小時的課。傍晚時段，同時有中小學生在練泳，然後換大人的大師班。教練得以讓我觀察（學習）別人游泳的樣子。
今天有練習自由式，蛙式，仰式，把新學到的東西記錄下來

關於講話的書 (Books for conversation)

來美國後，每次Professional Development seminar的講者都會或多或少提到Networking（打關係？）的重要性。在美國，找工作，生活上的大小難題，很難不圍繞Networking打轉。在學校裡，social event（社交活動）不少，例如，我們系上定期一個月至少會有一個主題式的社交活動，但如何和陌生人談話，加入一群熟人的對話，主動和長輩攀談等等，都不是我擅長的。即便有前輩給的一些建議，想要學習各種對話之訣竅，並應用在社交場合，我覺得仍需更系統性的脈絡學習。有四本書我覺得相輔相成能夠幫助我回答這方面的問題，進而更懂得溝通對話上的“眉角”。
0. The like switch by Jack Schafer and Marvin Karlins 中文版
1. How to talk to anyone by Leil Lowndes 中文版
2. Crucial conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Granny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler 中文版
3. Straight to yes by Haider Imam 沒有中文版ＱＱ
重點：書讀了是給自己有點底子，到底是不是很能“講話“還是需要時間的。是一輩子的課題。