Han, Another Name for Chinese

Just like we often use Gaulish to describe people of French ethnicity, there’s also another word for the Chinese: Han.
Originally, Han referred to the Han River in central China, after which the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) itself was named.
The Han Dynasty, lasting 400 years, was one of the most glorious periods in China’s history. It consisted of two periods: the Western Han (206 BC-24 AD), with its capital in Chang’an, now known as Xi’an, and the Eastern Han (25-220 AD).
The Western Han conquered many surrounding ethnic groups and expanded its territory. The unified people began calling themselves “Han Ren,” and the nationality “Han Zu,” presently accounts for more than 90 percent of the total population in China.
It was then the word Han rose in popularity and gradually secured the connotation of “Chinese.”
There’s more to “Han” than a people. Its meaning was further extended to mean Chinese culture because the Han Dynasty thoroughly established the social culture which has been passed down to this day, over the course of 2,000 years. Thus came Han Yu and Han Zi, which mean Chinese language and Chinese characters respectively.

Designer sunglasses have become the must have fashion accessory for celebrities from all walks of life. Have you dreamed about dressing like your favorite celebrity ? Here you may get inspiration from the hottest celebrities. Which style do you favorite?

Lindsay Lohan out and about in LA March 13th 2009 leaves after having lunch at a restaurant.

Jennifer Aniston looks happy on the set of 'The Baster' in Brooklyn .

Jessica Alba was out for a playdate at Coldwater Park in Beverly Hills on Wednesday with her daughter.

Colombian singer Shakira watches a match between Rafael Nadal of Spain and Frederico Gil of Portugal at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida March 30, 2009.

Hilary Duff reviews her lines as she makes her way to a casting call March 19 in Hollywood, Calif.

U.S. pop star Madonna walks while holding her adopted Malawian son David Banda at a school she financed, some 50 km south of Malawi's capital Lilongwe, March 30, 2009.

U.S. pop singer Madonna leaves the high court in Lilongwe March 30, 2009. Madonna appeared in a Malawi court on Monday seeking to adopt a second child, a girl called Mercy James, from the southern African country.

Tiger Woods' wife, Elin Nordegren, follows her husband during final round play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA golf tournament at the Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida March 29, 2009.

Jade Love — Time Slip to the Qing Imperial Court

As the old Chinese saying goes “Gold has a value while jade is invaluable.” This jewel is very special in Chinese culture, whose development is closely linked to that of China’s etiquette system and civilization from the cultural and historical perspectives.
Among the major kinds of Chinese jade, Hetian nephrite is known as the national jade. It is an important carrier of Confucius morality and traditional culture used to make sacrificial vessels in ritual or military ceremonies. So-called Chinese jade culture nowadays is actually the culture of Hetian nephrite.
For thousands of years, jade had been the physical manifestation of spiritual virtue, the embodiment of all that is most desirable: beauty, grace, purity, perfection, power and immortality, reflecting many Chinese beliefs and values in ancient China.
In ancient times, as today, jade was also used for furnishing articles, ornaments and personal adornments: jade rings, bracelets, pendants, combs. Watery, translucent, often exquisitely carved and with gentle greenish or a white sheen, items made of this kind of beautiful stone were quite popular at the imperial court. From collections used in the Qing (1644 – 1911 AD) court, we can see the purity and nobility of Chinese jade culture.

Jade Lion

Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 AD)
Height: 1.5 cm, length: 6 cm, width: 4.5 cm

The recumbent beast is carved in the round, with his massive head finely detailed with bulbous eyes below prominent spiral eyebrows and curled fur swept, the stone of a well-polished creamy white tone with minor russet inclusions. A similar shaped tri-colour glazed pottery excavated from underway palace of FaMeng Temple of the Tang Dynasty in Xi’an can prove that these two handcrafts were of the same period.

Jade Comb Enchased with Flowers and Birds Tang dynasty (618 – 907 AD)
Length: 10.5 cm, width: 3.5 cm, thickness: 0.4 cm

Hemicycle jade comb was made of white jade with a slight cyan in it, enchased with three flowers in the middle of the outer arc and a bird on each side. Below the arc is the fine comb teeth set close together. In the Tang Dynasty, apart from being used to comb one’s hair, combs were often used on the head as ornamentation. This short-teeth comb is very thin with slim teeth, conjectured to be ornamentation.

Jade Censer Sculptured with Cloud and Dragon

Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD)
Height: 7.9 cm, mouth diameter: 12.8 cm

The round censer made of steel-gray sapphire has a bulging body with a pair of animal-head handles on it. On the exterior wall, there incised with patterns of flying dragon, lucky clouds and seawater waves. Its interior bottom is incised with a poem by the Qianlong Emperor.
It was very popular to enjoy and appreciate antiquities in the Song Dynasty, and the research on bronzes yielded a rich harvest. Thus a new shape category of jade ware gradually derived from the former ones, imitated jade ware of ancient bronze style. This one was modeled after a bronze Gui (a kind of food vessel), yet much changed on forms and ornament patterns, and the material used was no longer yellow colored.

Grey Jade Pei in the form of a Pair of Cranes

Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD)
Length: 6.8 cm, width: 4.3 cm

White with cyan sheen, the jade ornamentation was smooth textured with grease-like luster. Two connecting cranes formed a circle in general shape, face to face, claws to claws, and they were spreading their wings as if to soar away. On the top there was a little hole for thread to be fastened to clothes. Cranes are seen as an auspicious sign in Taoism, to which Emperor Huizong of the Song was an adherent.

Jade Bi with Nine Chi Design

Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD)
Diameter: 20.4 cm, aperture: 5.8 cm, thickness: 2 cm

The bi is a form of circle jade disc with a round hole in the center, which testifies to the concentration of power and resources in the hands of a small group of elite in ancient China. This bi was dark grey with yellow spots, one side decorated with vortex design, another side carved nine chi designs in relieve. The chi in the middle hole was dragon faced, playing a fire ball with one of its claws, five other small-head chi circling it. Another three were on the edge of the disc, facing one side while hind limbs and tail on the other side. Chi was believed in ancient China a kind of dragon, and the decorative pattern was widely used on jade bi after the Song and Yuan (1271 – 1368 AD) Dynasties.

Twin-barrel Jade Brushpot in the Form of Bamboo and Peach Stalks

Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD)
Height: 21.9 cm, large diameter: 5.5 – 6 cm, small diameter: 4.5 – 4.7 cm

This fine Chinese twin-barrel jade brushpot is made of celadon jade in the form of bamboo and peach stalks, connected by a peach branch. The taller “bamboo pot” was attached by two ganoderma lucidums at the root, while the shorter “peach pot” was decorated by peach fruits, branches and leaves, with an orchid at the bottom.
Brushpot is a basic piece of article for ancient Chinese scholars to hold brush or other things, and some magnificently carved ones made of rare materials are also perfect decorations and treasured items. The design of bamboo, peach, orchid and ganoderma lucidum represented morality and virtue of the scholar.

Jade Gui with Stria and Animal-head Handles

Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD)
Height: 8.8 cm, Mouth diameter: 13.2 cm, Foot diameter: 9.4 cm

The round jade gui differs in design and text engraved on the surface from those of the Shang and Zhou that were widely used as food vessels. Beginning in the Ming Dynasty, such gui was a common decoration among upper classes and also could hold incense for burning. Sculpted with patterns of clouds and delicately grooved curling grass, the rosewood cover was matched to this gui during the Qing, together with an excellently engraved jade piece made in the Yuan as button on the top, the whole is circulating a thick noble and luxurious atmosphere.

Chinese Shadow Play--Precursor of Modern Cinema

Shadow play, a traditional Chinese folk art with a history of more than 2,000 years, has embarked on a revival path after a period of marked decline, thanks to conservation efforts and lasting interest in rural area.

Known as a precursor of modern cinema, shadow play is a kind of drama in which silhouettes made of hard paper, buffalo and donkey hide are projected onto a white screen. The performer manipulates the characters behind the screen while singing the libretto to tell the story.
The artistic effect of the play is produced through light, screen, music, singing, and puppetry. The shadow play is widely referred to as “a magic, lightning-like art" that can win people's high praise internationally.

The puppets in the shadow play are made of transparent leather and Chinese shadow artists first carve out the lines of the design and then dye them in bright colors. These transparent leather puppets become very lively and beautiful under the lantern light. With strong local characteristics, the shadow puppets are folk handiworks and a wisdom crystallization of Chinese shadow play artists through the ages.

Known as a precursor of modern cinema, shadow play is a kind of drama in which silhouettes made of hard paper, buffalo and donkey hide are projected onto a white screen. The performer manipulates the characters behind the screen while singing the libretto to tell the story.
The artistic effect of the play is produced through light, screen, music, singing, and puppetry. The shadow play is widely referred to as “a magic, lightning-like art" that can win people's high praise internationally.

The puppets in the shadow play are made of transparent leather and Chinese shadow artists first carve out the lines of the design and then dye them in bright colors. These transparent leather puppets become very lively and beautiful under the lantern light. With strong local characteristics, the shadow puppets are folk handiworks and a wisdom crystallization of Chinese shadow play artists through the ages.

Chinese shadow play, which came into being during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) in northwest Shanxi Province, spread to South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and North Africa in the 13th century. The ancient Chinese art spread to Europe in the 17th century with the famous German poet Goethe staging a European opera in the form of Chinese shadow play, and modern movies derived, in part, from the ancient art.
Shadow play, with distinctive folklore styles, had long been one of the only entertainment forms in Chinese villages till two decades ago.

But the ancient art gradually fell from the limelight due to the impact of modern audio-visual media such as television and movies. Many shadow play groups have been disbanded, and many of the most talented artists have died. In many areas, certain types of plays and the art of performance are actually nearing extinction.
Fortunately, shadow play is still alive and warmly welcomed among people in some rural areas in China.

Both Chinese artists and the Government are making great efforts to conserve and propagate the ancient art form. China is applying to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) for a certification as an intangible cultural heritage.

The Legend of Shadow Play
Concerning its origin there is a beautiful love story that has Liu Zhe, the Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, who liked all kinds of entertainment and kept many artists in his palace. Among the musicians Li Yannian was the best. Not only was he good at playing all kinds of musical instruments, but also at improvising songs. One year the King of Qiuzi, a tribe in the northwest, came to present a tribute and at the reception banquet Li Yannian was ordered to give a performance where he sang about an exceeding beauty. All the people were fascinated and lost in the graceful scene he created. Later when someone reported to the Emperor Wu that Li's sister was such a beauty, the emperor was so pleased as to call her in. Finding she was pretty beyond description, he fell in love with her at first sight wherein she received great favor and gave birth to a son the next year.

But good times did not last long for she fell seriously ill afterwards. When the emperor visited her, she covered her face with a quilt and said, 'I hope your majesty can take good care of my brother and son for the sake of our past.' But she refused his request of taking a last look at her, 'A woman makes up to please her lover but I am not as good-looking as before and not dressed up. Please leave me as I am.' So finally the emperor went away disappointed. As explained to her maid she said, 'His majesty favors me because of my appearance. I'm no longer pretty with illness and he will forget all my goodness at my sight. But otherwise he'll remember me forever.'

After her death the emperor missed her so much that a necromancer was summoned to call back her spirit. Though his mind racked, the necromancer found no way to meet this expectation. In the evening when pacing up and down in his room, he saw his shadow reflected on the wall. Thus an idea was hit upon. He copied the concubine's picture onto a piece of leather and after coloring and cutting a lifelike silhouette was made. With all the details well prepared, Emperor Wu was invited to the room. From far away, he saw his concubine's silhouette came up slowly and gracefully, knelt down respectfully and remained there. Just as he was approaching, the necromancer stopped him and said the spirit needed a respectful distance. And hundreds of years later Pi Ying Xi was passed down from the descendants of the necromancer.

Authorities deny thwarting auction

Chinese cultural relics authorities have denied involvement in the sabotage of the 30-million-euro ($40 million) sale of two bronzes in Paris last week, while reiterating its stance that the items belonged to China.
They also said they did not know who was behind the bid for the relics until Monday, when Chinese antiques collector Cai Mingchao revealed he was the mystery bidder, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said yesterday.
Cai later refused to pay for the bronzes as an act of patriotism.
While pointing out Cai's action was "not official", Qin said his ministry and the Ministry of Culture had repeatedly made clear China's stance against buying back the looted relics.

The bronze heads of a rabbit and a rat were sold to an anonymous telephone bidder during late French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's art collection's auction.
The heads were once part of a fountain featuring the Chinese zodiac's 12 animals at the Old Summer Palace. They were looted by invading Anglo-French troops when they razed the Old Summer Palace during the Second Opium War in 1860. Five of the bronzes had been returned to China while the other five's whereabouts are unknown.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman yesterday called for "attention to the core of the matter" when asked about the 44-year-old Cai's refusal to pay.
"The relics belong to China. They were looted by Western invaders and smuggled abroad," he said.
China had repeatedly demanded Christie's halt the auction and return the relics to their rightful owner. But a French court ruled the auction could proceed.
Cai yesterday referred to an order issued by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) the day after the auction as further reason for not paying.
SACH requires documentation proving all artifacts Christie's shipped into and out of China are from legal sources. Because the two items had been officially deemed to have been illegally looted, Christie's would not be able to deliver them to Cai even if he paid, Cai said.

"As a Chinese, I must comply with the Chinese government's regulations. If the two auction items cannot enter China, of course, I won't pay," Cai said.
Auction laws state Cai could be required to pay commissions incurred by Christie's and compensate the firm for the price difference if the items are again put up for auction. The loss could easily add up to 10 million euros.
The National Treasure Fund, a non-governmental organization that retrieves looted treasures, supported Cai.
It said if he had not placed his bid, the two stolen bronzes would be lost forever, and the auction would have created a bad precedent for treasures scattered around the world.
Cai's justification of his move as a patriotic action had polarized the public.

Some view him as a national hero; others believe he was merely a renegade.
"It is the biggest default in auction history," Beijing Huachen Auctions general manager Gan Xuejun said.
He said the move might damage Cai's viability at art auctions.
Cai had passed Christie's financial screening because he had paid Sotheby's a record HK$116.6 million for a Ming Dynasty Buddha sculpture two years ago. He also owns an auction house in Xiamen, Fujian province.
"But Cai's political protest will put his name on the blacklists of auctioneers worldwide," Gan told China Daily.
"That means he will not be invited to future auctions, and his company would have difficulty financing overseas."
China Association of Auctioneers' chief lawyer Wang Fenghai criticized Cai for damaging Chinese people's global image and sabotaging their collective credibility, which had been built up over decades of reform and opening up.
But 74 percent of more than 260,000 netizens who participated in a sina.com survey supported Cai.
Some praised Cai for cleverly bringing the issues to a wider international audience, allowing Chinese people's discontent to be heard.
Many also said the high personal risks he accepted made him heroic.
Wang told China Daily Christie's still holds Cai's guarantee money and may claim it as a penalty.
In theory, Christie's could also organize another auction and require Cai to compensate for any price difference. But that would prove difficult in practice.
"A long legal and diplomatic wrangle is possible," he said.

Eggs Can "Stand Up" During The Spring Equinox!

Eggs can "stand up" during the spring equinox!

March 20th is the first day of spring, or vernal equinox.During this day,you can balance eggs on end.It's the time when day and night are of roughly equal duration,and the gravity is balanced.In China,it's a custom to stand a raw egg on end during the equinox.It's very interesting!

The Story of Dong Yong and the Seventh Immortal Maiden

Dong Yong legend is a well-known love story between a goddess and a mortal. TheJade Emperorof Heaven has seven daughters, the youngest of whom is the ravishingly beautiful Seventh Fairy Maiden, who daringly flees down to the human world to help a poor farmer-Dong Yong, an honest and kind-hearted serf. Then, they fall in love with each other, so they get married, in defiance of theJadeEmperor. She makes the cruel landlord shorten Dong Yong's three years' indenture to 100 days, but gods are forbidden to love mortals, so the Jade Emperor has her snatched back to heaven, breaking up the happy couple.

The Dong Yong legend is very popular in the rural areas of China. Since the 20th century, the story has always been a theme of popular literature and film.

In its 2,000 years of being passed down from generation to generation, the story has mixed with the life of the local people and has formed the basis of some local legends. There are also things named after Dong Yong, such as a stele, village and other areas. Wangrong County in Shanxi Province，Dongtai City in Jiangsu Province，Wuzhi County in Henan Province，Xiaogan City in Hubei Province all have records claiming that Dong Yong was a resident.

Jesse McCartney-Another one of my favourate singers

Jesse Abraham Arthur McCartney (born April 9, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. McCartney rose to fame in the early 2000s as member of the boy band Dream Street. He subsequently branched out into a solo career, having appeared in the television series Summerland.

HIS EARLY LIFE

Jesse McCartney was born in Ardsley, New York, to Scott and Ginger McCartney began performing in local community musicals at the age of seven, before joining the national tour of The King and I at age ten along with Phil of the Future star Ricky Ullman. McCartney moved to Los Angeles to become an actor and singer when he was 11.

HIS ACTING CAREER

McCartney appeared with The Who's Roger Daltrey in A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden. From 1998–2001, McCartney played Adam Chandler, Jr. in the ABC soap opera All My Children, a role for which he earned a Daytime Emmy nomination. He also later starred in the short-lived series Summerland, which aired on the now-defunct WB network for two seasons.
In 2005, McCartney appeared as himself in the Disney Channel show, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. In 2006, McCartney was also featured as the voice of Roxas in the Disney/Square Enix video game Kingdom Hearts II. In 2007, McCartney appeared as himself in the Disney Channel television show Hannah Montana. In 2008, McCartney was also featured as the voice of Horton Hears A Who!'s Jojo McDodd. McCartney also voiced Theodore in 2007's Alvin and the Chipmunks and as Terrence in 2008's Tinker Bell.
In 2008, McCartney co-starred along with Elisabeth Harnois in an independent teenage drama feature film, Keith, directed by Todd A. Kessler. It is his movie debut, and features McCartney in the title role. Keith was released on September 19, 2008.
According to Entertainment Weekly in December 2008, McCartney was negotiating to play against type in the role of the Fire Nation's prince Zuko in M. Night Shyamalan's feature film adaptation of The Last Airbender.In February 2009, British actor Dev Patel replaced McCartney, whose tour dates conflicted with a boot camp scheduled for the cast to train in martial arts. McCartney has expressed of his interest in directing and producing films that he enrolled in a film school.

HIS MUSIC CAREER

Beginnings

In 1999, McCartney joined the American pop boy band Dream Street, and was a member until 2002. Jesse McCartney has described the experience as a good "stepping stone" for his solo career.[4] The group earned a gold record with their debut CD, and broke up while touring with Aaron Carter. At fifteen, he began work on a solo career with a local band, featuring musicians Dillon Kondor (guitar), Peter Chema (bass), Katie Spencer (keyboards), Alex Russeku (drums), Karina LaGravinese (background vocals), Sharisse Francisco (background vocals), and under the management of Ginger McCartney and Sherry Goffin Kondor, who co-produced his first album, Beautiful Soul.
McCartney released his first solo EP in July 2004. The album featured three songs: "Beautiful Soul", "Don't You", and "Why Don't You Kiss Her". In 2004, he performed a duet with Anne Hathaway, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", which is featured on the Ella Enchanted soundtrack.

Beautiful Soul (2004–2006)

McCartney's debut solo album, Beautiful Soul, which was two years in the making, was released on September 28, 2004 in the United States and over a year later in Europe.He categorized it as a "pop record" with twists of urban.The album featured four songs that he co-wrote.Beautiful Soul reached number 15 on the Billboard 200.The album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting over one million units of shipment to US retailers; it is his highest-certified album as of early 2009. As of mid-2006, the album has sold more than 1.5 million copies.The album's lead single of the same name reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.McCartney was one of the artist with multiple awards at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, winning Choice Crossover Artist, Choice Male Artist and Choice Breakout, Male.The following year, he won Favorite Male Singer at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
His first headlining tour, also named Beautiful Soul, began on May 2, 2005 at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento, California. The United States portion of the tour spanned 56 stops, ending on September 10, 2005 at the Madera District County Fair in Madera, California. In the fall of 2005, McCartney toured Australia, and opened for the Backstreet Boys in Europe in the summer of 2005. His July 9 performance at California's Great America in Santa Clara, California was recorded, released as Live: The Beautiful Soul Tour in November 2005.

Right Where You Want Me and Departure (2006–present)

After the filming of Keith wrapped, McCartney had been working on his second album, Right Where You Want Me, co-writing all of the songs featured in it.Right Where You Want Me is more mature than his debut, reflecting his musical and personal growth since he recorded his debut album at age 15. Released by Hollywood Records on September 19, 2006, the album reached number 14 on the Billboard 200. The lead single off the album, "Right Where You Want Me", began receiving airplay on July 11, 2006. Although as stated by his management that he will not be launching a new tour because of lack of support from his record company, McCartney has done various shows in Italy and also in the United States.
McCartney released his third album, Departure, on May 20, 2008 in the United States and Canada. Musically, it is a departure from his early works, showing mature themes.The album has reached number 14 on the Billboard 200.
The album's lead single "Leavin'" was released in March 2008, and has reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving McCartney his highest-charting single to date.The single has been certified platinum by the RIAA, becoming McCartney's highest-certified single as of early 2009.The second single is called "It's Over". The third single is called "How Do You Sleep?". McCartney promoted Departure on a co-headlining tour with Jordin Sparks, which began in August 2008 and ended in September. He also did solo shows at theaters and small venues to support the album while on tour with Sparks.
McCartney announced that he is planning to re-release "Departure" on April 7, 2009. The album "Departure: Recharged" will have 4 new tracks. "Body Language", "Oxygen", "Crash & Burn", and "In My Veins". The album will also have a remix of "How Do You Sleep?" with rapper/actor Ludacris.

Songwriting

In the fall of 2007, McCartney co-wrote the hit song "Bleeding Love" with Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, produced by McCartney and Tedder for English singer Leona Lewis's debut album, Spirit. The song was nominated for Record of the Year at the 2009 Grammy Awards.McCartney recorded his own version, which was released on some editions of his Departure album. He had also written the track, "Don't Leave" for Vanessa Hudgens' second album, Identified.
The song's worldwide success gave McCartney added credentials as a songwriter. This also gave McCartney more offers from interested managers and singers. American Idol's Simon Cowell asked him to go back to the studio with Tedder to write songs for the Idols. McCartney's 2008 summer tourmate, American Idol season six winner, Jordin Sparks approached him to write her something.

HIS PHILANTHROPY
In 2004, Jesse McCartney participated in "Come Together Now", a charity single to benefit the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, McCartney signed on as an official supporter of Little Kids Rock, a nonprofit organization that provides free musical instruments and free lessons to children in public schools throughout the U.S.A. He sits on its board of directors as an honorary member. He has donated proceeds of his 2005 tour for disaster relief, recorded radio spots promoting the "Kids For A Drug-Free America" campaign, is a spokesperson for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and is involved in the charity SPACE, which was co-founded by a childhood friend of his mother's. McCartney performed at the Hope Rocks concert in 2005 to benefit City of Hope Cancer Center.

HIS DISCOGRAPHY

2004: Beautiful Soul

2006: Right Where You Want Me

2008: Departure

Some of my experiences in stores

Once I had a bad experience in a store which is called "LaoTu" in ShiQuan Street near our school.The store sells candied fruits and many other foods in bulk.At that time I was shopping on the street and I saw it and went in,I found the dried apricots looked good so I decided to buy some.But then I found I had difficulty in getting the dried apricots into the bag with the shovel ,so I did it very slowly.Then a saleswoman came to me and said,"How can you stand here slowly picking all the good ones into you bag!If all our customers do the same thing like you,then to whom the less good ones can we sell?"Then she took the shovel from my hand and shoveled a lot from the bottom of the box which was not very good and put them to my bag.I stopped her from shoveling more to my bag as I didn't want that much.I told her that I was not trying to pick the good ones only,but the shovel was difficult for me to use.From how she looked I knew she didn't believe what I said,so I didn't want to say any more.I just paid the money ,took the dried apricots and left.I was very angry about that.

I hate it when I go into a clothes store the salesperson come and follow me all the way round .When I look at a coat or others for some seconds longer, he or she will try to persuade me to try it on.It bothers me a lot.But unfortunately almost all the clothes store do that.So when I go shopping for clothes,I always choose those having a lot of customers in them so that the saleperson there won't have time to follow me all the way.

I like KFC very much.Not only because the food tastes good to me but also because the service there is very perfect.People in KFC always have warm smile on their faces and they treat customers very friendly.I never worry about that I can't get a seat in busy time,people there will always be willing to help me to find a seat.I have had many experiences like that.That's why I like KFC so much.

Vienna Teng-One of my favourate singer

Vienna Teng is one of my favourate singer.She's an America-born Chinese now working as an pianist and singer-songwriter based in New-York city. Teng has released three studio albums, Waking Hour (2002),Warm strangers (2004), and Dreaming Through The Noise(2006). Her next album, Inland Territory, is slated for release in April this year.

Teng's musical style incorporates folk,pop,classical piano, and a cappella influences.She uses piano as her primary instrument and charges her lyrics with emotion, narrative, and personal history. Teng is a baseline alto but sings over a wide range.

Although nearly all of Teng's recordings are in English, the hidden track "Green Island Serenade" on Warm Strangers is performed in Mandarin Chinese. The song is a 1950's Taiwanese classic famously performed by Teresa Teng.

Teng took her stage name "Vienna" from the capital city of Austria. A native of Saratoga, California, she began playing classical piano at age 5. While pursuing a degree in computer science at Stanford University, Teng joined the Stanford Harmonics, a student-run a cappella group. She began recording her compositions at the studios in Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), intending to distribute her music on campus. Many of these recordings were eventually released in her debut album Waking Hour. After graduating in 2000, Teng worked as a software engineer for Cisco Systems, but she continued to write music and perform in her free time. In 2002, Teng signed with Virt Records and quit Cisco Systems to focus on her musical career.

Teng's first major national exposure was on the David Letterman show in January 2003; she has since made appearances on the CBS Saturday Early Show, National Public Radio's Weekend Edition, CNN's NewsNight with Aaron Brown, and The Wayne Brady Show, and opened in concert for Joan Baez, Shawn Colvin, Joan Osborne, Sarah Harmer, and Marc Cohn. Her first album, Waking Hour, peaked at #5 on the Amazon.com bestseller list; her second album, Warm Strangers, reached as high as #2. In 2006, Teng signed with Zoë/Rounder.

From December 2006 to early 2007, she toured extensively in the United States to promote the release of her third album, Dreaming Through the Noise. Teng co-headlined with Duncan Sheik and opened for Madeleine Peyroux. She began the Green Caravan Tour in April 2007, accompanied by cellist Marika Hughes, violinist Dina Maccabee, and percussionist Alex Wong, along with opening acts such as David Berkeley and Jenny Owen Youngs. In 2008, she relocated from California to New York City, and performed in Central Park on Earth Day at the Green Apple Festival.

Winter in Changshu

The Shanghu Lake in Changshu

My hometown-Changshu

My hometown-Changshu

Lying in the Yangtze Delta, which is the most economically developed area of China, Changshu enjoys the advantage of being adjacent to Shanghai, the economic center of China, and other big cities such as Suzhou, Wuxi and Nantong. With a mild climate and fertile land, it has a good harvest every year, thus got its name as Changshu (good harvest all the time). It has been all along reputed as a land flowing with milk and honey south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

Changshu is a national historical and cultural city with a history of more than 5,000 years. It has advanced culture and lots of celebrities. The representatives are Yan Yan, the founder of the Wuwenism in Xingdong and one of the top ten students of Confucius; Weng Tonghe, the imperial teacher and the prime minister of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). From the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the Qing Dynasty, Changchu turned out altogether 9 prime ministers, 8 top scholars and 483 successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations. Changshu owns a lot of places of historical interest and scenic beauties, such as the Yushan National Forest Park in the Taihu Lake Scenic Area, the Shanghu Lake and Shajiabang Scenic Spot, gaining Changchu the international fame as a tourist city. The unique natural beauty also forms the unique culture of Changshu.
Lying in the temperate and subtropical zone, Changshu enjoys a mild climate and plenty of water. In winter, with wind from the north, it is cold and dry; in summer, with wind from the southeast of the sea, it is hot and rainy. In spring and autumn, it has a changeable climate between hot and cold, dry and wet. Being in the region of rivers and lakes, the scenery in Changshu has a unique charm in every season. It is pleasant to go to Changshu at anytime of the year.

All the World's a Stage (By William Shakespeare)

All the World’s a Stage
By William Shakespeare

All the world’s a stage,
All all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
And then the whining school-boy,with his satchel,
And shining morning face,creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school.And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace,with a woful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow.Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths,and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour,sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth.And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,
With eyes severe,and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part.The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
Hi youthful hose well sav’d,a world too wide
For his shrunk shank;and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble,pipes
And whistles in his sound.Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second chiidishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth,sans eyes,sans taste,sans everything.

My first English blog!

This is my first English blog and I'm very excited about it!I hope I can do well and many people will come to visit my blog!