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Keeping a Journal
简体
Keeping a Journal
写日记

Using Used to Do vs. Be Used to

Date: Oct 24 2012

Themes: Hobbies

Grammar: Used to Do vs Be Used to

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Keeping a journal, or diary, can be a great way to document your life. Many people use a journal as a place to write down their feelings, adventures, or just their daily lives.

It can be especially rewarding to come across a journal that you kept when you were younger. Suddenly, all these memories that you might have otherwise forgotten are there for you on the page. In a way, with a journal, you can have the opportunity to live through those experiences again. Hear Marni and Devan discuss what it’s like to keep a journal.

写日志或日记可能是记录自己生活的最好方法。很多人用日记记录自己的感受、冒险或平凡的日常生活。

无意中发现年轻时候写的日记说不定是一个特别的回报。忽然之间,所有这些你可能早已遗忘的记忆,却意外地出现在纸上。在某种程度上,通过日记,你可以有机会再次体验这些经历。听听玛尼和德凡谈论写日记对他们来说是什么样子的。

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Devan

Devan

Marni:  I was recently packing up my parents’ house, and I came across all my old journals from high school.

Devan:  Did you used to write in one every day?

Marni:  I did! It was so amazing going back and reading it. It made me so nostalgic. It was just this written record of my life.

Devan:  That’s such an amazing thing to have, to be able to look back and reflect on your old self and who you were at that time. I never kept a journal, so I can only go from memory. But you have it all documented. That’s so cool.

Marni:  I think so, too. And there’s something about having it written down. It’s just this record of your life, and this progression from who you were and where you are now. I still like to journal. I don’t do it every day like I did in high school, but I still like to keep a record of my life and reflect on things I’ve done and things I’d like to change.

Devan:  Were there things in there that you’d completely forgotten about?

Marni:  Oh, yes. And some things that I’d like to forget about.

Devan:  I keep a blog now. It’s kind of nice to have an online journal.

Marni:  Absolutely!

Devan:  Because then you can choose to share it with your family and friends if you want to as well, which makes it a little different from a diary. But it’s a good way to keep everyone informed on what’s going on in my life on a daily basis.

Marni:  That’s true. I guess blogging’s sort of the new journaling.

 

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Discussion

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Marni was packing up some items at her parents’ house, and found some amazing documents: the journals that she kept in high school. She used to record everything that she did and thought about. Finding the journals now allowed her to reflect on who she was when she was younger, and who she is now. She still keeps a journal today, too, though she doesn’t write in it as often.

Devan thinks that keeping a journal is a great resource. She never kept a journal, so she must rely on her memory of what happened when she was younger. She does, however, keep a blog. The blog has some similarities to a journal, like the fact that it’s a record of her daily life, but it’s something she can easily share with her friends and family.

Marni agrees that blogs might be the journals of today.

Do you keep a journal, or did you when you were younger? What do you write in your journal? How about a blog? Do you think journals or blogs are better for recording your memories and experiences?

 

Comments

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sara1998

sara1998

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

well,it’s been about three years that i got used to keep a journal and i think many years later when i read these things it can be great experience for me and funny!

08:58 AM Aug 20 2014 |

kimnga

kimnga

Viet Nam

I used to write journal when I was at high school and the first few years in college.

07:13 AM Aug 20 2014 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

 I want to have my own journal, but once I just prepare my paper and hold my pen, I feel like all my thoughts flow away… And I’m not a good writer by the way :( .. I know I have so many thoughts and feeling buried in myself, but I don’t have the ability to express myself, even words can’t…


And yeah, sometimes writing down your thoughts is better than talking.. Anyway it’s a good way to relieve anxiety and suspense when you don’t find who to talk to about them… And also to be able to recover them in times when you need them…

09:12 PM Nov 01 2012 |

1 person likes this

Jay chen

Jay chen

Malaysia

I used to write in the journal because it can help me to release stress i have face that day but now im not write in the journal any more, im more blogging than journal because its kind of easy to write down and share my experiences with others..

12:27 PM Oct 28 2012 |

asala

asala

Israel

i kept a journal but i didn’t write down all my daily , i just kept to write the special things that happend in my life like the hardest moment i passed through years ago , but i hate look at my jounaral because i feel like i dont want to remmeber my past i jush wanna live my life and not to looking back! it doesn’t make me nostalgic! 

04:57 PM Oct 26 2012 |

jianms008

jianms008

China

I kept a dairy for a  long time .i will take 30 minutes to wrritte dowm what happend and thought in everyday .

08:16 AM Oct 26 2012 |

Jujanka

Jujanka

Bulgaria

I keep journal about my food and trainings . This is very good way to know what is my progress and if I make some mistakes in my practise. I read it afther that and I have much information about my body and how it works. It’s very helpful  Laughing

07:54 AM Oct 26 2012 |

IMMAD AASIM

Pakistan

I LIKE KEEPING A JOURNAL.

06:02 PM Oct 25 2012 |

1aqsw2Super Member!

United States

Nice to use conversation

01:51 PM Oct 25 2012 |

一叶扁舟

China

啊。。。。。。。。。。。。

01:28 PM Oct 25 2012 |

Carol Effy

Carol Effy

Spain

i actually really like the idea, but im not exactly a good writer. So i reather not to do it, but i have to say that it could be fun to look it on a future.

10:44 PM Oct 24 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Julito, I’m pretty sure there’ll be people who your blog will speak to.;)

09:32 PM Oct 24 2012 |

Wfernando

Wfernando

Colombia

I’ve never kept a journal but I do not dislike the idea of keeping a journal, but there are so many things I wouldn’t like to take down. But I personally consider this a good exercise, so, when I’m old I’ll recall on those memories and weep with joy. It’s a good thing to can remember good things you enjoyed alike bad things which made you to grow personally, and helped you to learn from mistakes, you’ll face your past and look back on it and to see what would you like to change if you ever got the chance to.

08:54 PM Oct 24 2012 |

S01142923Super Member!

Malaysia

I don’t really like the idea of keeping a journal because I am very paranoid about other people getting hold of it. I remembered when I was around 18 year-old, my father went through my journal and read it. I was devastated and never got over that.

08:31 PM Oct 24 2012 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

OLA,  or could it be that  if somebody happens  to read my diary  after a few pages would feel very bored.Cry

08:16 PM Oct 24 2012 |

1 person likes this

kaczorek

Poland

O yeah , I writte dairy ;D This’s great! I like it write my crazy adventures :). My brother believes that it’s childish…

08:00 PM Oct 24 2012 |

1 person likes this

 julito

julito

Argentina

Hi Dilek,  if it were my case, I woulnd´t care less what  my next of keen  might think about my  ”secret  diary”,  of course,  only after I had passed to  a better life …. jejejejeWink

07:12 PM Oct 24 2012 |

dilek23

dilek23

Turkey

Yeah, I used to keep a dairy when I was a secondary school girl. It was quite fun to write down your memories as they are just like records or achieves or remnants. The only bad aspect of keeping a journal is that people can possibly take a look at it and find out your secrets after you breathe your last, am I right?

07:01 PM Oct 24 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

I keep a diary, but I don’t write there consistantly and never read my scribbles of the past. I don’t describe the events of the day there, just pop up a question and write without stop, enldlessly – it generates good ideas, works for creativity and gives some answers.


Since I’m mostly into visual learning skills, I like drawing in a diary as well; that sometimes makes me get back to the past days. I also fit in some paper clips, cut-outs, cartoons and some inspiring thoughts.


P.S. Leonardo Da Vinci’s diary have been bought by Bill Gates at a whopping $30 million. So, folks, let’s keep on filling the diaries up. Who knows maybe they’ll bring fortune ;))


 

06:49 PM Oct 24 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

    Although I felt the urge to when I younger I never physically kept a journal I judged I would have died out of embarrassment should anyone stumble over my writings. Furthermore, the faint thought of revealing that I kept a journal at home would have tarnished my reputation at school, and my adoptive sister would have ransacked the house to get her hands on it. On some occasions I would begin etching a few lines on paper and reading them afterwards  really pleased me, it was like seeing my thoughts coming to life, but once I was fully satisfied with what I had written , I would either burn, shred or ball these pieces of paper in trash ;)


   Then I began to develop a habit of drawing and painting, most of which were caricatures and sceneries. Drawing was figment of my imagination that was easier than keeping a journal and I had no problem showing them off at school or in my house. But as I grew older, my artistic creations were channels which I had chosen to dissimulate some of my most personal secrets; my portfolios became the journal I craved to carry years ago and for that purpose they weren’t displayed to those who were too intrusive about knowing the meanings they carried, or the inspirations behind them. I don’t draw as much as I used to therefore most of my cherished thoughts are safely kept in my hippocampus, others are stored in my newly-found electronic dairy English baby!, which I purposely  left unlocked ;))


From a more general perspective, I think keeping a journal is like keeping written assessment of a series of past, current or prospective  happenings in our lives. Some diaries are like agendas to their authors, where future events and wishful thoughts are written and supported by some strictly personal expectations. Others are accounts that stimulate vivid recollections of some meaningful and private moments ;). Others people use journals as means to keep a record of their personal outlooks in order to maintain consistency or to facilitate self-development. Other forms of journals are blogs which are relatively contemporary not very secretive.


So if you are the introverted type of person and restrictive when it comes to personal matters I’d suggest keeping a journal, but if you’re more of a living billboard regarding what’s happening in your life, maybe blogging is right for you ;). Personally, I’d keep a journal if I felt comfortable having one, but for now my hippocampus works just perfectly in hosting my private memories and thoughts, anything else is scattered all over English, baby.


 


Here’s what 99.99% of Ebaby members think:


”Blogging is sharing one’s memories and expressing one’s opinion but one can also attract a lot of advice from others through a blog : Oh! and a way of improving one’s English “ 


Wink

06:30 PM Oct 24 2012 |

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