Summary of Romeo and Juliet

Once upon a time in Verona, Italy, there were two families, the Capulets and the Montagues, that hated each other. The families fought with each other because of the smallest thing. At last, the Prince could not stand the feuding, so he forbade the families to fight. Romeo, the son of old Montague, was the one that was anxious to make peace because he was in love with old Capulet’s niece, Rosaline. When he heard there was to be a feast in the Capulet’s house, he wanted to attend, too, wearing a mask, so he could see Rosaline without his enemies seeing him. His friends, Benvolio and Mercutio, donned masks, too, to escort Romeo.

When they arrived at Capulet’s house, the dance began. When Romeo looked around the room to catch sight of Rosaline, he saw a girl so beautiful that he forgot about Rosaline, and fell in love with the new damsel. He murmured about looking for a chance to talk with the girl when Capulet’s nephew, Tybalt, overheard him and, recognizing his voice, he decided to take revenge later. He then asked for a dance, and kissed the girl. When the girl’s nurse asked the young damsel to talk with her mother, Romeo learned that she was Juliet, the daughter of Capulet. He was stunned by the shocking news. He was the only son of Montague, and he fell in love with his hated family’s daughter! So he went away confused.

Juliet saw the handsome young man leaved and asked her nurse to find out his name. When the nurse came back to tell her that it was Romeo, Juliet could not believe it. She helplessly fell in love with Romeo, of the family her father hated!

As Romeo walked back to his house he stopped, as he passed the Capulet’s orchard. Hoping to see Juliet, Romeo decided to climb up the orchard wall. Suddenly he saw her talking out loud about how disappointed she was that Romeo’s father was Montague, and how she loved him. Romeo was so please he told Juliet that he’ll give up his family name, and they planned to get married.

The next day, Romeo and Juliet slipped away to Friar Laurence’s room for their marriage. The priest was surprised at their request, but he was glad, because thought that this love would bring an end to the long years of hate between their families. So Romeo and Juliet were married in secret.

When Romeo returned, he saw Tybalt arguing with Mercutio and Benvolio. Romeo asked to Tybalt to not fight because he had a new reason to love his opponent. Mercutio, not understanding Romeo’s strange behavior, challenged Tybalt and fought until Mercutio was killed. Then Romeo became so upset he challenged Tybalt, struck him dead, and fled. Upon knowing the fight, the prince came and Benvolio told him what happened. Instead of the usual death sentence of Romeo, the prince decided to banish him from Verona, because the both families shared some guilt.

Juliet’s nurse, knowing of the secret marriage, told Juliet that Romeo killed Tybalt and had been banished from Verona. The nurse suggested that she go to Friar Laurence’s place, where Romeo was hiding, so they could have one last night together. On the next day, before the rest of the household woke up, Romeo left and Juliet returned to her chamber. Just then, Juliet’s parents came in, and brought news to cheer her up after the death of Tybalt. Her parents had arranged for Juliet to marry Count Paris. She immediately refused. Her father insisted that she marry the Count, so she went to Friar Laurence's for advice. The priest told her to drink a kind of sleeping drug, so she would appear dead, and the priest inform Romeo of the truth. So the next day, instead of preparing a wedding, the Capulets had to prepare for a funeral. Benvolio heard about Juliet’s death, and quickly told Romeo about it. Romeo, who didn’t know about the drug, went to Juliet’s tomb and drank some poison to kill himself. Soon after he died, Juliet woke up. She realized what Romeo thought, so she killed herself with a dagger, because she did not want to live without her true love. When the families found out the truth of Romeo and Juliet’s love and death, they were stunned. Capulet and Montague reconciled; Capulet promised to make a statue of Romeo, while Montague promised to make a statue of Juliet, to remind everyone of the terrible price they paid for the long years of feuding.

Summary of Cupid and Psyche

Long ago there lived a king with three daughters. The youngest, Psyche, was the most beautiful of all. In fact, she was so lovely that people said she was prettier than Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. The goddess became so angry she made her son, Cupid, shoot Psyche to make her fall in love with the worst man on earth. Obediently, Cupid, who was the god of love, flew down to earth. Clumsily, his finger slipped and he pricked himself with the tip of his arrow, and he fell in love with Psyche!

The god of love sent a message to Psyche’s family and notified them that she must not marry a mortal, and told them that she must go to a mountaintop to meet the immortal, who was a terrible monster. The maiden went courageously to meet her fate. As she arrived at the summit, she felt a warm wind surround her and found herself in a palace. Cupid visited her every night in the dark, and left before she woke up.

Psyche loved her unseen husband, and for a while she did not ask him to show his face or state his name. However, she became curious, and was afraid that he was really a monster. To clarify, one night she lit a lamp and went to her husband to see his face. When she saw that he was Cupid, she trembled with delight, and a drop of hot oil fell from the lamp onto the god’s shoulder, which made him wake up. When he saw what the maiden had done, he left her and went back to his mother, Venus. The goddess locked him in her palace because he deceived her.

As soon as Cupid departed, the palace vanished and Psyche was alone on the cold mountaintop. She began to wander around in search of her lost love, but could not find him. At last, the poor maiden went to the temple of Venus. The goddess did not greet her kindly; instead she ordered Psyche to separate a pile of various grains into their respective piles. Fortunately, an army of ants had come to her aid, and helped her complete the difficult task.

Venus became angry and ordered Psyche to take a box and ask Proserpina, the queen of the underworld, to put a little of her beauty in it. The damsel set off, full of fear. Suddenly, she heard a voice telling her to take a coin to give the ferryman, who would carry her across a river, then take a cake to the three-headed watchdog of the underworld, and after the queen of the underworld placed some of her beauty in the box, to not open it. Psyche agreed, but after she got the box filled, she began to wonder what was inside. She thought that she might be able to win back Cupid if she acquired the beauty for herself. As she opened the box, a deep and heavy slumber drifted out, and the maiden fell senseless to sleep.

In the meantime, Cupid’s love for Psyche had returned, and he managed to escape Venus’ palace, and saw his love lying on the ground. He took the heavy sleep from her body and put it back into the box, then told her to take the box to the goddess of beauty and love. Happily, the beautiful maiden went to do her task while Cupid begged Jupiter, the king of the gods, to bless his marriage with Psyche. Jupiter obliged, and even made Psyche an immortal, so Venus could not object to Cupid marrying the girl. So, they were married, and lived happily forever.

Summary of Pygmalion

Some time ago, there lived a sculptor named Pygmalion. He did not have a wife or children because he was perfectly happy to live alone, carving every day. His friends often asked him to get married and raise a family, but he would reply that he did not need since his art was his great love.

One day, the man began to make a sculpture of a beautiful woman. Pygmalion worked on and on without resting until the embodiment of his vision stood before him. The sculptor loved this statue very much; she seemed so real to him. He told her how beautiful she was and bought her presents, hoping she would talk. She remained silent, nevertheless he kept hoping.

One night, Pygmalion fell asleep at the foot of the statue, exhausted by the hopeless wish. Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, took pity. She brought the statue alive, and named her Galatea. Something disturbed the sculptor from his sleep, and he learned that his wish had come true.
Venus blessed the marriage of Pygmalion and Galatea, and they lived happily ever after. When Pygmalion died and his spirit left this world, his wife’s spirit went with his, while her body returned to the figure her husband had shaped.

From Elizabeth Lake to Lake Louise

7/10/2009

This morning, we had yesterday’s spaghetti for breakfast, and strolled along the trail around Elizabeth Lodge. We saw many Canada geese. Then we checked out, and departed for Lake Louise. On the way, we stopped at Sinclair Canyon. We also stopped at Radium Hot Springs for ice cream. We had pistachio and almond ice cream and mint and chocolate chip ice cream. They were delicious. After eating, we stopped at the rest area in Columbia Lake, which was very beautiful. Then we went to Olive Lake to see the green, clear, shallow lake. Later on, we drove to Kootenay Valley Viewpoint for the dramatic view, and then hiked at Paint Pots. We went there three years ago, too, and we saw iron-rich mineral springs bubble up through small pools, staining the earth a deep ochre. We also hiked at Marble Canyon, which was not especially pretty. I did not think it was worth the long, dreadful hike. After we arrived at Lake Louise, we checked into Paradise Bungalow, our next hotel. Then we drove to Lake Louise. It was very famous, but I think Olive Lake was every bit as beautiful as it is.

Waterton Lake Park 2

7/9
It is cold today in Waterton Lake Park, too. This morning we went to First Oil Well in Western Canada. The plague there was stolen. However, I think the thing worth seeing there is not the oil well; instead, I think Akamina Lake is very pretty because of the clear water and the multicolored rocks and pebbles. Then we drove to Cameron Lake. On the way, we saw a lot of interestingly-shaped flowers in the green, serene forest. The whole national park was peaceful; the lake was very beautiful, and the coolness was comfortable after I got used to it, and it was quiet except for our quiet chatter. We took the 3-kilometer trail, and despite the fact that I was a terrible hiker, I loved it. I saw blossoms that look like up-side-down bells, small lovely purple flowers that looked like daisies, and also the interestingly-shaped flowers. The introduction in the Parks Canada Mountain Guide said: Discover life in the “Snow Forest” at lakeside exhibits and trails, but I think beauty would be better than life; I did not see many animals.

After hiking, we were all ravenous, so we went to look for lunch. We discussed about whether we should eat pizza or Chinese food, but the time was wasted; the pizza store was not open and the Chinese restaurant had moved away. We bought sandwiches from Subways and ate it beside the river. The food was pretty good, and the view was excellent. After eating, we left the national park and drove to Cranbrook to our next hotel, Elizabeth Lake Lodge. It was not as large as yesterday’s, but it was every bit was wonderful. There are two beds that are much bigger than yesterday’s, and the view was superb; we stayed in a riverside room. The kitchen was pretty good, too, so we cooked spaghetti for dinner. It was very tasty.

Waterton Lakes Park1

7/8
We went to Sobeys and bought a roasted chicken for lunch. It was delicious. Then we drove a long time to Waterton Lakes Park. Then we walked around a sparkling stream in Red Rock Canyon, and went to the Visitors' Center. Then we drove to our hotel, Crandell Mountain Lodge. It was a suite with two bedrooms, a kitchenette. I think the lodge was very wonderful; it was furnished a way that it makes you feel like home, and there were many old books that make the room look like a fairy tale. However, when I looked past the beauty, I saw that the beds are a little bit too small. After looking around our suite, we went to the lake nearby and walked around it. The weather was very cold, and we saw many deer nibbling the grass. We hiked along the lake in Waterton Townsite and went to International Peace Park Pavilion. It was a small town.

After dinner, we went to Cameron Falls, and then to Falls Theater and saw a movie about bears because this national park was in Bear Country. We saw the movie in Yellowstone before.

Royal Tyrrell Museum

7/7
This morning, we drove for a long time to a dinosaur museum in Drumheller called Royal Tyrrell Museum. Because of the long route, we arrived at 11:30, and bought the tickets for 30 dollars, and then signed up for a program called Secrets of the Lost Quarry for 14 dollars. We wandered around the museum, which was mostly about dinosaurs, but there was a Darwin temporary exhibit that was about Charles Robert Darwin’s journey on the Beagle. There were many detailed explanations about the dinosaurs’ lives, habitats, et cetera, and there were many difficult words. The museum also provided information about the Earth’s distant past. Then, we attended the program we signed up, and then realized our mistake; this program is for kids. It’s quite boring, and I read the introduction again: In the early 20th century, fossil hunters didn’t always document their excavation sites and key information was lost. Learn how we locate missing quarries in this interactive program. I think the others knew that this was a kids’ program because of the word interactive. The program taught a little about the rocks and even less about quarries. We hiked a little in the hills outside of the museum, and then went into the building again. I did not learn much, but somehow it consumed much of my energy.

We went to Horseshoe Canyon after leaving the museum. We saw a helicopter. Then we drove to Strathmore to our hotel called Best Western Strathmore Inn.

Calgary Stampede aka Cowboys

7/6
We went to McDonald’s for breakfast. The meals were more expensive and bigger than that of Taiwan, and the hash brown was delicious. Then, we took the C Train to Stampede. The train tickets were 2.50 dollars for adults and 1.75 dollars for children. In Stampede, the tickets were 14 dollars for adults and 7 dollars for children, so we spent 42 dollars. It looked like an amusement park when we entered, but we had to pay for everything. Thus, we walked around, looking for anything that was free. Finally, we saw an agriculture building, and went in. It was kind of boring. As we went out of the building, it started to rain. Thus, we ran into Big Top for shelter and saw the end of International Youth Livestock Heavy Horse. It looked like horses’ beauty contest, and we didn’t understand anything. At one p.m., we were about to leave, but the next program, Miniature Chuckwagon Races, began. It was very exciting to see the person on the miniature chuckwagon and the four miniature horses in front racing, and it was very funny to see a person falling from his wagon, and it was frightening to see one of the horses in one of the groups jump out of control. At two p.m., the rain ceased, so we left the building and went to Pengrowth Saddledome, which was also free. We entered the dome just before Halliburton World Champion Stock Dog Championship began. This competition challenges handlers and their stock dogs to move three sheep through a defined course, and after succeeding, into a pen all in 4 minutes. The handlers can save valuable seconds by keeping the sheep under control and on course. The indoor arena trials for the Stampede Stock Dogs originated in 1997 when the first competition took place in the Outdoor Show Ring. This year, there are 80 dogs. The dogs are very smart, while the sheep are very stupid and stubborn. The latter stamped their feet, and even attacking the dogs. However, the dogs are not allowed to bite the sheep. At four p.m., the contest ended, and Arizona Mini Mystique started. It was a little bit boring comparing to the previous program because it was only a show, and it did not activate our adrenaline. So we left the dome, and saw the army showing off their weapons, tanks, and even helicopters. Then, we went to the barn to see horses. The animals were beautiful, and I learned quite a few things about horses. At five p.m. there was another competition in Pengrowth Saddledome called Team Cattle Penning. This fast-paced event gives a team of three riders on horseback 60 seconds to separate three specifically identified cattle from a heard of 30, and guide them into a 16-foot-by-24-foot pen at the opposite end of the arena. It was extremely exhilarating and exciting. At 7 o’clock, when the competition ended, we left the dome for BMO Center. On our way, we saw a band with trumpets, trombones, et cetera. Then, we saw another band of percussions and saxophones. When we entered the BMO Center, we saw that the first floor was full of people trying to sell things. It was interesting. On the second floor, we went to an agriculture museum called Grain Academy. It was kind of interesting. Then, we took the train back to our hotel, and bought Domino Pizza for dinner. It was delicious.

Yoho National Park

7/5

We went to Yoho National Park this morning, and went to a town in the park called Field. Then, we went to Takakkaw Falls, which is the third highest waterfall in Canada. We had to drive through a switchback, but it was worth it. I understand why the Native Americans named it Takakkaw, meaning magnificent in Cree. After that, we went to Spiral Tunnels Viewpoint, but we weren’t as lucky as we were three years ago; we didn’t see a train. The weather was chilly, so we quickly left to stop to look at Castle Mountain. Then we went to Johnston Canyon, where we walked on a catwalk to see the blue-green waterfall. It was cold, too, because of the water that splashed up to us. After we left, we drove to Banff, where we first went to Vermilion Lake. It was a little bit disappointing; the water was not red. Second, we went to Cascades of Time Gardens, which was pleasantly beautiful. There were many flowers, but it would be even better if there was some water in where water was intended to be. Later on, we drove to Bow Falls. We saw a waterfall and an old but charming hotel. It started raining suddenly, so we fled into our car and drove in town, where there was a gigantic traffic jam. Finally, we arrived at Cascade Ponds. It reminded me of the first scene in The Sound of Music. We walked around, and saw three horses accidentally frightening a dog. One of the horses was white, another was brown, and the other was black. It started raining again, and we drove to Lake Minnewanka, where there was a dam. Finally, we drove to our next hotel, Best Western Village Park.

Glacier National Park and Yoho National Park

7/4

We left the hotel, and continued driving to Golden. On our way, we intended to go to Meadows in the Sky. Even though we have been there two times, this was the third time we got lost. We drove along the road three times to look for it, but we failed. Then we went to Glacier National Park. We hiked on Hemlock Grove Broadwalk. It was green, and both lively and tranquil. As we drove in the national park, we saw something surprising: most of the ice has melted. Later on, we drove to Yoho National Park to Natural Bridge and Emerald Lake, where we have been to, too. They were stunning. In Emerald Lake, we saw an Indian family rowing a boat, but they seemed unable to row back to the shore. Then we went to Kicking Horse Canyon. Then we drove to our next hotel, Ramada Inn. It was smaller than our first two ones.

Stanley Park 2

7/2/2009
This morning we hiked in Stanley Park along the trails lingering through Stanley Statue, artist circle, and Totem pole. We walked about 5 kilometers all the way to Lion Gates Bridge, but I wasn’t extremely tired or exhausted. I guess the green peaceful woods had something to do with that. Then, we took the bus which cost us CD$7 in total for on day unlimited ride to Third Beach. Dad and Judy went directly down to beach, while mom and I sat on bench enjoying the view and the sun. It was quite cold and beautiful. Later we went to Second Beach, which was surrounded by a pool and playground. We saw a sea gull dropping a shell to the ground in order to break it. Later, we went to a big pond called Lost Lagoon of the park, and saw a beautiful poem by Pauline Johnson which named this pond. It was once a lagoon, but the road construction caused it be isolated from the seawater, so it is a pond now. To keep the fish in the pond alive, they had to set up an artificial spring to pump the water in the air to get oxygen into it. The water is murky and dirty, but there are interesting ducklings and ducks inside. It was fun to watch them fighting over their food and struggling to eat the tiny fish they found.
Later on, we walked around the city, but couldn't find anything we wanted to eat for lunch. Thus, we went to Safeway and ate exactly what we ate yesterday, except that we had canned sardine plus canned tuna today. After lunch, we slept the whole afternoon like yesterday, and then woke up at 7:30 p.m. We went to Vietnamese Pho Number One in the West End to eat Vietnamese noodles and rice for dinner. It was delicious but expensive. Then we went to English Bay to watch the sun set. It was exquisite.

Stanley Park 1 and Canada Day

7/1

Happy Canada Day!!
This morning, we went to the top floor of our hotel, Cloud 9, for breakfast. The watermelons and cantaloupes there was sweet and delicious. After breakfast, we walked to Coal Harbor and saw a lot of sea stars. Most of them were reddish orange, but I saw a purple and a white one. The sky was filled with so many shades of blue; one part was gray-blue, and another was the most serene azure I've ever seen. Later on, we went to Stanley Park and went to Rose Garden. There were many different kinds of roses, and their sweet fragrance and colors were different. There was one that smelled like tea. The scenery was picturesque. Then, as we searched around for a restroom, we went across an aquarium. Later, we stumbled across Beaver Lake, where we had never been before. It, too, was charming. We saw a beautiful black bird called red wing black bird with a streak of red on each side of its wings. There were many ravens, too, and their feathers were such a glossy black that I finally understood why Anne Shirley wanted to have raven hair.

Later, we went to Safeway and bought instant noodles and canned tuna for lunch. Then we slept for the whole afternoon, and woke up when Mom said that there was a parade outside because today is Canada Day. We didn’t see much of it. Then we went out for dinner, and ate some Japanese food at a food court near Safeway. It was not tasty. Then we came back to our hotel and watched the fireworks at 10:30. There were so many different patterns and colors, but it was not as good as the fireworks I saw five years ago at MIT on Fourth of July.

Departing For Canada

6/30/2009
This morning in Taiwan, my family and I packed for our trip to Canada. We took the high speed railway. We boarded the plane at 11:15 p.m., and arrived at Vancouver at about 7:20 p.m.(Canadian time). We’re staying in Empire Landmark Hotel. Judy and I share a room while my parents share another. We went to 漢記 for dinner, like we did when we came here three years ago.