Chinese Class - Tips before wearing a bikini

? ?



CITYLIFE / Odds & Ends






Tips before wearing a bikini


(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-08-13 09:25





With the opening of China's economy, women are also becoming more open
about showing their bodies, and they can do it with bikinis in the summer.

?

This swimwear is becoming popular among Chinese girls. But before wearing
a bikini, there are a few things women need to know before donning a
bikini.

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Many women will try to lose weight before wearing a bikini. Yet fashion
experts say that in order to look attractive in a bikini, the following
eight things are more important than weight.

?

Tip 1: The color of your skin means much more than the color of the
bikini you wear.

?

According to a survey conducted by an international fashion magazine,
tanned looking skin is more attractive to men than perfect body curves on
beaches. So when going to the beach, apply foundation darker than the one
you use in office.

?

Or you can apply self-tanning products which are water-proof and can give
the appearance of darker the skin. The 鈥渢an鈥� will fade in three to
seven days. Sisley鈥檚 herbal sun tanning jelly (77g, 590 yuan) and
Biotherm magic sun tanning body spray (150ml, 300 yuan) are both good
choices.

?

And for a glittering touch, add shimmering powder to your collarbone,
shoulders and cleavage to make you look sexier.

?

Tip 2: Pay attention to little corners of your body.

?

Women don鈥檛 pay enough attention to their backs, elbows and knees when
in the office, but you need to make up for it before setting out for a
beach.

?

Before you go, have a hot bath. It will help soften the hard skin on your
back. If you can have someone scrub your back, it works even better.

?

For knees and elbows, apply a polishing cream with big grains in it to
exfoliate the dead skin. Biotherm Body Polishing Scrub (20ml, 30 yuan)
works rather well.

?

Bruises can also diminish the looks of a charming lady. The way to get
rid of them is to use a tube of yellowish correcting cream, apply it to
the bruised area, and then cover it with some dark foundation powder.

?




?? ?? 1?? 2?? ??

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Feature ?




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks ?




* Master storyteller has something to say
* Lookng after your skin naturally
* Evocative scents in a glass of wine
* Go on a shopping spree to discount stores
* Teatime!





Beijing Guide ?


Eating out: Mouth-watering magic
Bars&Cafes: Catch underground bands
Weekend&Holiday: An Oasis at Shichahai
Shopping: Ice up your world
What's on: Smoke society





Shanghai Guide ?


Eating out: An institution in the making
Bars&Cafes: The new money
Weekend&Holiday: Band of gypsies
Shopping: Chinese made delicacy
What's on: Teenage wasteland





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Learning Chinese - Potter author worried about translation networks

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Potter author worried about translation networks


(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-08-10 09:11





?

Bookstore staff stack copies of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' as
fans line up
outside the store in Singapore, July 21, 2007.[Reuters]

?

J.K. Rowling and her French publisher said on Thursday they were worried
about organized groups of translators, not individuals, after a boy was
arrested for posting a translation of the last Harry Potter book online.

Gallimard, whose official French translation of "Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows" is due out on October 26, said on Wednesday police had
arrested a teenager suspected of posting his own translation of the new
Potter novel on the Internet.

The 16-year-old schoolboy, from the Aix-en-Provence area in southern
France, was taken into custody by a police anti-counterfeiting unit but
later released.

Britain's Rowling and Gallimard Jeunesse filed an official complaint, but
on Thursday Gallimard spokeswoman Marie Leroy-Lena stressed that their
concern was organized networks of translators seeking to profit from the
huge interest generated by the books.

"This complaint in no way concerns isolated translations published on the
Internet ... by disinterested fans not fully aware of the illegal nature
of their action," she said in a statement.

Leroy-Lena said neither Gallimard nor Rowling were involved in the case
and had not filed for damages.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was published in English last
month, selling millions of copies in a matter of hours to become the
fastest-selling book on record. But as in France, authorized translations
can take months to appear.

Many French stores are selling the English-language version.

More than 335 million copies of the seven Potter books have been sold
worldwide.

?























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Learn mandarin - Prime-time TV not gay enough: study

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Television






Prime-time TV not gay enough: study


(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-08-08 17:40



LOS ANGELES - Are U.S. television networks gay enough? Not yet, but ABC
is getting close, according to a gay-rights group.



Michael Urie speaks during the Outfest Ugly Betty Panel at Directors
Guild of America in Los Angeles, California, July 15, 2007. [Reuters]

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has given the
Walt Disney Co.-owned network the highest marks of any of the five major
broadcast networks in the group's first-ever report rating depictions of
gay, lesbian and transgender characters and issues on prime-time TV.

The study assigned grades of "excellent," "good," "fair" or "failing"
based on the number of "impressions," or occurrences, of gay characters,
discussions or themes counted during 4,693 hours of programming examined
from June 2006 through May 2007.

No network was rated as excellent. But ABC received a grade of "good"
with 171 hours of gay-inclusive TV last season, accounting for 15 percent
of its prime-time programming.

ABC shows also featured more regular characters who are gay, lesbian or
transgender than any of its rival broadcasters, led by the first-season
series, "Ugly Betty" and "Brothers & Sisters," according to the study,
released on Monday.

The character of Betty's office cohort, Marc, played by Michael Urie, was
depicted as coming out to his intolerant mother, while Alexis, played by
Rebecca Romijn, was revealed to have once been Alex -- making her the
first series regular transgender on a network comedy, GLAAD said.

"Overall, the approach that ABC takes ... can serve as a best-practice
model," the study found.

GLAAD said networks and their advertisers stood to gain from more
gay-friendly programming, as the gay community is generally more
affluent, highly educated and brand-conscious than the population at
large.

GLAAD noted that ABC, long known for its family-oriented,
middle-of-the-road sitcom hits like "Happy Days," also has a history of
landmark TV portraits of gay characters, dating back to 1977 and the
debut of "Soap," which featured Billy Crystal as Jodie Dallas.

ABC also made broadcast history when Ellen DeGeneres' TV alter ego came
out of the closet in 1997 on her sitcom "Ellen," becoming the first
openly gay lead character on prime-time network television.

More recently, producers of the ABC hit medical drama "Grey's Anatomy"
fired actor Isaiah Washington from the show in June after he reportedly
made an anti-gay slur during a heated argument on the set with other cast
members.

But GLAAD spokesman Damon Romine said ABC received no extra points for
Washington's dismissal.

"This is all about representations on the screen," he said. "Our overall
concern is increasing the inclusivity of the networks and having our
lives be more visible."

The fledgling, youth-oriented CW network, formed from the merger of the
now-defunct WB and UPN networks, scored the second-highest marks from
GLAAD, rated as "fair" with 12 percent of its programming hours found to
be gay-inclusive.

The CW reality contest show "America's Next Top Model" accounted for
nearly all of that, the report said.

CBS, the nation's most watched network overall, and NBC also received
grades of "fair," with 9 percent and 7 percent of their programming
deemed gay-inclusive, respectively.

The study faulted CBS for casting gay and lesbian characters mostly as
victims and villains in its procedural police dramas without including
gays on any of the crime-solving teams.

"Since 'Will & Grace' left the air in May 2006, LGBT (lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender) impressions on NBC have been few and far between,"
the report said.

News Corp.-owned Fox, the most watched network among young adult viewers
most prized by advertisers, received GLAAD's lowest score, "failing," for
including gay and lesbian impressions in just 6 percent of its
programming.























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Learning Mandarin - Pitt and Jolie to feature on Aussie Post stamp

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Pitt and Jolie to feature on Aussie Post stamp


(ANI)
Updated: 2007-08-07 15:24




?


Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are all set to feature on an Australia Post
stamp.

The Hollywood A-List couple will join the likes of the Queen, the Pope
and the nation's sporting heroes by being immortalised in a fifty-cent
stamp, issued by Australia Post.

Pitt and Jolie featured on the cover of a recent edition of New Idea, the
magazine, which received top awards at the 10th Annual Magazine of the
Year Awards this week.

Australia Post, which is a major sponsor of the awards, has decided to
replicate the New Idea cover onto a 50c stamp.

The picture to be placed on the stamp includes Pitt and Jolie along with
their daughter Shiloh.

A spokesperson from New Idea said that Australia would become the first
country to feature Brad and Angelina on a stamp.

"I dont know of any other country in the world that has ever had Brad and
Angelina on a stamp," the AAP quoted the New Idea spokesman, as saying.

"Whatever the case, these stamps are sure to become instantly collectable
and be sought after by philatelists around the country," the spokesman
added.








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Chinese Online Class - Retreat to the mountainside this summer

? ?



CITYLIFE / Odds & Ends






Retreat to the mountainside this summer


(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-08-06 11:44



While summers are hot in the city, you can find some respite in the
mountains. They offer rivers and trees that create cool retreat away from
the unbearable heat. Here are some getaways to mountains near Beijing,
Shanghai and elsewhere.

Beijing

Miaofengshan Mountain



A famous Buddhist resort, temperature at Miaofengshan Mountain is usually
8 degrees Celsius lower than the city.

Near the parking lot, there is a teahouse, called Jitianle, which offers
tourists a place to take a short rest before starting their pilgrimage.
This teahouse boasts a traditional Chinese courtyard, the center of which
stands a wisteria tree, creating a typical scenario in old Chinese
farmhouses. There are seats along its winding hallways where visitors can
sample fresh rose flowers skullcap tea, which is a specialty of
Miaofengshan Mountain. The tea is free of charge and tourists just need
to pay for the seat.

The temple that sits on Miaofengshan Mountain is called Niangniangmiao
Temple, which is said helps couples who wish for a son. But if you are
not there to ask for a bundle of joy, you can pray for good fortune by
buying some incense for 10 yuan.

On weekends, Miaofengshan Mountain also holds ceremonies to distribute
free green bean rice porridge, which is soft and tastes good.

Ticket: 30 yuan

How to get there: Take Fushilu and head west until you reach Shimenlu. Go
along the road and take a left turn at Sanjiadian. Continue on and
thentake 109 National Way to Longquan Hotel. It will lead you to the
entrance of Danlicun Village, then take a right turn and go ahead to
reach Miaofengshan Mountain Scenic Resort.

Lingshan Mountain



Crowned as the highest mountain in outskirts of Beijing, Lingshan
Mountain has an average temperature of 12 degrees Celsius lower than
downtown Beijing. And the top of the mountain is covered with snow all
year round.

Despite the extreme heat in downtown Beijing, Lingshan Mountain is having
its springtime now. Meadows thrive with green grass, languid white sheep
wander across the meadow, and you can see outlines of distant mountains
in the clear sky.

At night tourists may camp on the soft meadow enjoying a sweet sleep
rarely seen in the hot summer. A dark blue sky studded with shining stars
may come as a bonus. Just remember to take some thick clothes to keep
warm in the cool air and some mosquito-repellent to avoid bites.

A Tibetan folklore festival is currently going on at Lingshan Mountain
featuring Tibetan style singing, dancing as well as bonfire parties.

Ticket: 35 yuan How to get there: Take Fushilu and head west until you
reach Sanjiadian, Mentougou District. Then take 109 National Way and
continue west, passing Yanchizhen, Qijiazhuang and Hongshuikoucun village
to reach the entrance of Lingshan Mountain Scenic Resort.

Baihuashan Mountain



Boasting the third highest peak outside of Beijing, Baihuashan Mountain
is a nice cool retreat with winding creeks and dense vegetation, which
make the temperature here on average 10 degrees Celsius lower than
downtown Beijing.

Baihuashan has also won acclaim as the 鈥渂est forest bath鈥� in a
Beijing suburb. The Forest here is dominated by various pine trees, like
larch and Chinese pine, an the ground is dotted with wild flowers. In
fact, the mountain鈥檚 name Baihuashan in Chinese literally means a
mountain boasting hundreds of flowers.

Apart from the numerous creeks, Baihuashan also has a famous waterfall
that鈥檚 150 meters tall. The water crashing down below creates a huge
roar and the sound reverberates among the trees making it sound even
bigger. The waterfall viewing spot is built so close to the waterfall
that when tourists stand there, they can even feel the cool mist.

Currently an outdoor concert featuring Chinese ethnic songs is on at
Baihuashan on weekends and it will last until August 13.

Ticket: 30yuan How to get there: Take Fushilu and head west until you
reach Shuangyuhuandao, Mentougou District. Then take 109 National Way and
go west for about 100 kilometers until you arrive at Baihuashan Mountain
Scenic Resort.




?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? ??

?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? ??
























Feature ?




Pilgrimage to Tibet If you want to get a detailed Travel Handbook to
Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

Yunnan New Film Project Ten female directors from China! Ten unique
sights from mysterious Yunnan Province!Yunnan New Film Project,Travel
with the film.Wanna know more? Please click here!




Editors' Picks ?




* Master storyteller has something to say
* Lookng after your skin naturally
* Evocative scents in a glass of wine
* Go on a shopping spree to discount stores
* Teatime!





Beijing Guide ?


Eating out: Mouth-watering magic
Bars&Cafes: Catch underground bands
Weekend&Holiday: An Oasis at Shichahai
Shopping: Ice up your world
What's on: Smoke society





Shanghai Guide ?


Eating out: An institution in the making
Bars&Cafes: The new money
Weekend&Holiday: Band of gypsies
Shopping: Chinese made delicacy
What's on: Teenage wasteland





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Pnyin - Sex file returns to haunt Madonna as she battles to keep baby David

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Sex file returns to haunt Madonna as she battles to keep baby David


(Daily Mail)
Updated: 2007-08-03 19:22



Madonna's lawyers are fighting to stop a collection of love letters and
intimate photographs being made public at the same time as she tries to
make her adoption of a Malawian baby permanent.

The 17 notes and seven Polaroid snaps she sent in the early 1990s to then
boyfriend James Albright were recently sold to an investment company
specialising in Madonna memorabilia.





One of Madonna's poses from the early 1990s

The firm is now touting them around to the highest bidder and hoping to
make more than 拢100,000.

Some of the pictures, which the singer took of herself, show her naked in
explicit poses.

The collection also includes personal items such as underwear which
Madonna apparently sent to Albright during their two-year relationship.

Although she repeatedly posed nude at the time for her controversial
coffee-table book, Sex, she is understood to be devastated about the
arrival of such items on the market - particularly at such a sensitive
time.

The head of Malawi's child welfare service is about to spend a week with
Madonna and her family in London to assess whether they are fit to adopt
baby David Banda permanently.




?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? ??

?? ?? 1?? 2?? 3?? ??
























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Study Chinese - 'Housewives' actress takes babies to work

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Television






'Housewives' actress takes babies to work


(Digital Spy)
Updated: 2007-08-02 18:14





Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross has started taking her
five-month-old twins to work with her.

The 45-year-old actress - who plays up-tight red-head Bree Van De Kamp
Hodge in the Wisteria Lane drama - said: "I had them come with me last
week. I think if I have one full day [without them], then the next day
they have to come with me because I can't not see them for that long."

Cross gave birth to daughters Savannah and Eden in February and filmed
some of her season three scenes from her home while heavily pregnant with
the pair.























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Study Chinese - Queer Lion to roar at Venice Film Festival

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Queer Lion to roar at Venice Film Festival


(AP)
Updated: 2007-08-01 09:53



The Queer Lion award is finally coming to the Venice Film Festival after
four years of negotiations.

The prize will be awarded to the best full-length film in competition or
in any of the festival's sidebars that features a gay theme or character,
even if the character does not play a central role. The name Queer Lion
is a take on Venice's main prize, the Golden Lion.

"We aren't looking for the next 'Brokeback Mountain,"' the competition's
director, Daniel Casagrande, said in an interview. "We are just looking
for films that accurately portray gay characters or themes."

With 22 films in competition at the 64th annual event -- which runs
August 29 to September 8 -- and about three dozen others screening in
sidebars, Casagrande said he expects "around 10 or 12" films to be
candidates for the prize.

The plaudit is a gold plaque with the Venice Lion winged logo in black
with the rainbow colors of the gay pride flag on the wings. A small
international jury will select the winner.

The award comes after Casagrande approached the festival with the idea in
2003. The Berlin International Film Festival has been handing out a
similar prize -- the Teddy Awards, a play on Berlin's Golden Bear -- for
the past 21 years.








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Chinese Speaking - Schwarzenegger's birthday is celebrated

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Schwarzenegger's birthday is celebrated


(AP)
Updated: 2007-07-31 08:49





?

Officials in Arnold Schwarzenegger's former hometown of Thal Bei Graz,
Austria, celebrate Schwarzenegger's 60th birthday by unveiling a plaque
Sunday, July 29, 2007.[AP]

Austrians threw a party for one of their most famous sons, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, celebrating his 60th birthday Monday with strudels,
schnitzels and a gift 鈥� the original street number from the house where
he was born.

"A Day for Arnold," proclaimed officials in the southern village of Thal
Bei Graz, the California governor's birthplace. A brass band played, a
priest celebrated a special birthday Mass and 59 people joined Mayor
Peter Urdl onstage in a ceremony to wish Schwarzenegger well.

Urdl said he sent a birthday present 鈥� Thal 145, the enameled number of
the house where Schwarzenegger was born July 30, 1947. "This belongs to
him. No one here will ever be assigned that number again," he said.

In an interview with Vienna newspaper Kronen Zeitung, Schwarzenegger said
he had a simple birthday wish: that the United States, his adopted
country, recovers its international prestige.

"My wish is that this great country once again gets the reputation it
once had around the world," the daily, which interviewed Schwarzenegger
in Sacramento, quoted him as saying.

Schwarzenegger emigrated to the U.S. in 1968 and became a naturalized
citizen in 1984. Although he remains fairly popular in Austria, he lost a
bit of luster in 2005 after he refused to block the execution of a
convicted gang founder.

Most Austrians are opposed to capital punishment. Schwarzenegger's
decision triggered a wave of protests that culminated with the renaming
of Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium, a soccer arena in Graz.

Schwarzenegger responded by severing ties with the city. He returned last
month for the first time since the dispute for a low-key holiday.

Kronen Zeitung asked Schwarzenegger what he'd desire if a "good fairy"
appeared and offered him five wishes.

Besides a resurgent U.S., Schwarzenegger said he hoped for continued
married bliss with his wife, Maria Shriver; that they would be good role
models for their children; for political success in the rest of his term
as governor; and for continued health and vitality.

"When my father turned 60, I was just 20, and at the time he seemed
terribly old. Now I'm 60, too, but I don't feel old at all," he said.








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Learning Mandarin - Britney seeks control, bounces assistant

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Britney seeks control, bounces assistant


(E! Online)
Updated: 2007-07-29 17:27



Los Angeles - Oops, she did it again...

Yes, the joke is old, but the sentiment isn't: Just days after her OK!
magazine debacle, Britney Spears has fired her personal assistant, the
latest in a string of firings within the Spears entourage.

"Britney is adamant these days that no one around her tries to control
her in anyway," a source close to the pop princess reveals. "The moment
she feels someone is trying to tell her what to do, she responds by
firing them. And she thought her new assistant was trying to be too 'in
charge,' as she put it."

Spears gave Shannon Funk her walking papers just three weeks after hiring
her, our source said. The termination follows the recent axings of
manager Larry Rudolph and the powerhouse public relations firm BWR.
Spears' previous assistant, Alli Sims鈥攚ho also happened to be her
cousin鈥攑arted ways with the performer last month. And Spears has even
sought to distance herself and her kids from her mother, Lynne.

There was no immediate comment from Spears. Attempts to reach Funk were
unsuccessful.

Sources close to Spears say she partly blames the recent fallout from the
disastrous OK! photo shoot on Funk.

According to OK!, Spears was uncooperative during the session, refusing
to use the magazine's hair and makeup team, ruining a designer dress
after using it as a napkin and then storming off before the photographer
could finish the shoot. Spears left wearing nearly $9,000 in designer
duds, per the magazine's account. Funk, meanwhile, was caught trying to
walk off with another designer dress but was stopped by the wardrobe
coordinator, according to the magazine (though she did score a tank top
and pair of shorts, the article said).

"Britney didn't blame the day directly on her assistant," the source
said, "but just said in general that a lot of her problems recently were
caused by Shannon's unprofessional behavior. Britney thought Shannon was
rude and tried to run her affairs without listening to her."




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Chinese School - 75th anniversary Venice film fest promises 'surprises'

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






75th anniversary Venice film fest promises 'surprises'


(AFP)
Updated: 2007-07-27 09:15





?

The official poster of the 64th Venice International Film Festival(VFF)
that will run at Venice Lido from August 29 to September 8.[AFP]

Organisers of Venice's 75th anniversary film festival Thursday unveiled
an intriguing line-up, with George Clooney, Susan Sarandon and Brad Pitt
among the featured stars and top-flight directors such as Woody Allen and
past Golden Lion winner Ang Lee.

"Our criteria were to select surprising and original films," the Mostra's
director, Marco Mueller, told a news conference in Rome, adding that he
viewed more than 3,000 candidates for the prestigious event.

Kicking off the competition on August 29 will be "Atonement" by young
British director Joe Wright, based on the bestselling psychological drama
by Ian McEwan and starring Keira Knightley, whom Wright also directed in
"Pride and Prejudice".

Vanessa Redgrave, 70, plays Knightley's character in later years.

Other headliners at the festival, which will run until September 8,
include Kenneth Branagh's mystery thriller "Sleuth" with Michael Caine
and Jude Law, and "It's a Free World" by Ken Loach.

Lee of Taiwan, whose "Brokeback Mountain" took the top prize in Venice in
2005, will be back this year with a spy thriller, "Se, Jie" (Lust,
Caution).

Welsh director Peter Greenaway will offer "Nightwatching," which revolves
around Rembrandt's most famous work, while Quentin Tarantino stars in
Takashi Miike's Japanese-style western "Sukiyaki Western Django."

Tarantino will also host a retrospective of spaghetti westerns featuring
30 examples of the genre.

All 22 of the films in competition will be world premieres, a feat
achieved only once before -- in 2006 -- organisers noted.

Another 22 films will vie for prizes in the avant-garde Horizons and
Horizons Documentaries categories, while 13 will be screened out of
competition.

All but six of the 57 films will be world premieres, including an
unusually large number -- 15 -- of the 19 American selections.

Adding to the English-speaking line-up will be 10 British films.

"American and English cinema offers truly original works that risk
everything, incredibly innovative and what's more they are made with the
stars of cinema," Mueller said.

Clooney stars in "Michael Clayton" by Tony Gilroy, while Pitt plays Jesse
James in Andrew Dominik's "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward
Robert Ford."

Contemporary life and war are common threads to many of this year's
selections.

The war in Iraq inspired Brian De Palma's "Redacted," which portrays the
rape and murder of an Iraqi teenager by US soldiers, as well as Paul
Haggis' "In the Valley of Elah," in which a career military man played by
Tommy Lee Jones investigates the disappearance of his son, a soldier in
Iraq.

Co-starring with Jones are Sarandon and Charlize Theron.

The out-of-competition menu will offer Allen's latest film "Cassandra's
Dream," a drama set in south London, "La Fille Coupee en Deux" by French
veteran Claude Chabrol and a new comedy by Japanese director Takeshi
Kitano, "Kantoku Banzai!" (Glory to the Filmmaker!).

Chinese director Zhang Yimou, who won Golden Lions for "The Story of Qiu
Ju" (1992) and "Not One Less" (1999), will head the jury of this year's
edition of the Mostra.

All the jurors in this 64th Biennale di Venezia are directors, as was the
case for the festival's 50th anniversary edition.

The world's oldest moviefest, launched in 1932, was not staged during
World War II and several festivals were held without films in competition.

Jurors will include Catherine Breillat of France, Italy's Emanuele
Crialese (who won the Silver Lion in 2006 with "Nuovomondo), Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu of Mexico and Paul Verhoeven of The Netherlands.

Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci will receive an honorary Golden
Lion to mark the 75th anniversary year of the festival.

Bertolucci, who directed Marlon Brando in the 1972 film "Last Tango in
Paris", made about 15 films during his 40 years in the business.

US director Tim Burton will receive a lifetime achievement award.























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Pnyin - Feeling hot and cold about beating back the heat in Beijing

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Hot Pot Column






Feeling hot and cold about beating back the heat in Beijing


By Usha Sankar (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-07-25 14:45



It's been three years in Beijing now, but one thing that I am yet to get
used to is the winter. While all my friends can't help gushing excitedly
at the first sleet of every season, I plunge into deep depression. What's
so beautiful about a striking landscaped being clothed in sepulchral
white and sunrays struggling to break through gloomy skies, and dark,
dark mornings and even darker evenings, I wonder.

Now, it's summer; ah! That is a different thing altogether. Just look at
Beijing now - at 5 am, life-affirming sunshine blazes nice and bright,
putting a springy step in my stride as I draw back the curtains.
Everywhere I look, there is life - workers are up early and laboring at
the construction site near my villa compound, early morning joggers are
running and cleaners are toiling on the streets. Doors and windows are
thrown open, neighbors become visible and children are everywhere. The
energy in the air is infectious.

But I suspect my partiality for Beijing summers is rooted in another,
deeper memory.

Beijing's summers take me back to the idyllic days of my childhood in
hot, dry New Delhi. The city had its own "dog days" in the month of May
when temperatures routinely hit 40 C. To walk the streets of Delhi in May
or June in midday was to walk through a ghost town. Not a soul could be
found on the streets. The city's dispossessed would take over the roads
to catch 40 winks under the leafy shade of a neem, banyan or mango tree.
Those were times of roadside "ice-cold" water and sugarcane-juice vendors.

At home, we would spend the afternoons wetting the thick bamboo curtains
of our colonial-era government bungalow to cool the rooms as they flapped
in the gentle breeze. Cool water came not from refrigerators, but from
short- or long-necked earthen pots.

Every morning, mom would prepare a big vessel of thinned, home-made
yoghurt garnished with a dash of coriander leaves, lime and crushed cumin
seeds - a sure thirst-buster. Throughout the day, we would dip into this
or gorge on platefuls of delicious, succulent mangoes - the undisputed
king of fruits.

As the temperatures soared and heat radiated off the concrete walls of
the house, my sisters and I would grab a pillow each and lie down on the
cool, polished stone floors, listening to old Hindi film songs or the
cricket commentary on my parents' cackling old radio, lopping off sticks
of tender cucumber, plucked fresh from our garden and stuffed with a
paste of salt and spices.

But as the sun went down, Delhi came alive. People cooped in all day
would spill out into the streets, taking walks along the broad avenues in
front of India Gate and Parliament House or strolling through the many
gardens that dot Lutyens' Delhi. In my railway colony house, charpoys -
made of hemp and woven on to a wooden frame - would get dragged out onto
washed-down open terraces for a chat in the cool air with our neighbors.
We children would play cricket and badminton, water the gardens and chase
the house lizards.

And then it would be time to head indoors, lie down under a creaking
ceiling fan and fall into a deep sleep.

(China Daily 07/25/2007 page20)























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Chinese Studies - Hollywood luminaries welcome Beckhams

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Hollywood luminaries welcome Beckhams



Updated: 2007-07-23 16:54




?


?

Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham waves beside his wife Victoria at a
party at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles July 22, 2007.
Actor Tom Cruise and his wife Katie Holmes hosted a party for the
Beckhams on Sunday.[Reuters]


?




David Beckham attracted Hollywood stars Sunday the same way he draws
defenders on the soccer field.

In large numbers.

A glittery array of Oscar winners and entertainment world luminaries
turned out for what was billed as an official welcome-to-Los Angeles
party for the international soccer icon and his wife, pop singer Victoria.

With Tom Cruise and Will Smith playing co-hosts for the invitation-only
bash at the Museum of Contemporary Art's Geffen Contemporary gallery, the
guest list was long and deep.

Director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer were among the first to
arrive. Brooke Shields was there. "Desperate Housewives" star Eva
Longoria popped in, followed by "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller, who
managed the Spice Girls pop group that made Victoria Beckham famous.

Wesley Snipes and Quincy Jones came to welcome the soccer star, as did
Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. Vivica Fox showed up too.

The Beckhams arrived with Cruise, accompanied by wife Katie Holmes, and
Smith, with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Cruise flew in for the bash from Germany, where he is shooting his newest
film.

For the British Beckhams, it was a taste of classic Hollywood. A red
carpet was rolled out at the entrance. A small army of police patrolled
streets for blocks. There were limousines and TV cameras by the dozen.
Helicopters thumped overhead.

Inside, the warehouse-like venue was transformed with couches, elaborate
lighting and floral arrangements into a glittery nightclub. Music blared.

If Beckham was embarrassed by deafening cheers from fans at his sold-out
debut Saturday as a Los Angeles Galaxy player, he must have been
dumbfounded by the profusion of celebrity sparkle at the party.

But he said nothing on his way in, only waving at TV cameras and
reporters.























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Chinese Mandarin - China to have its first seeing-eye-dog

CITYLIFE / Hip & New








China to have its first seeing-eye-dog
(CRI)
Updated: 2006-05-18 09:27


After seeing the Japanese movie "Quill", you may have been touched by the
cute seeing-eye-dog. The good news is that the seeing impaired in China
may have their own "Quill" in the near future.



Photo: sina.com

A seeing-eye-dog training center was recently established in the coastal
city of Dalian.

A Labrador dog named "Shitou", which mean stone, will graduate from the
center next month to become China's first seeing-eye-dog.

Shitou and another five dogs, who have been in training for over six
months, are the center's first batch of graduates. 12 puppies have now
also been selected and will enter the training program shortly.

The recent graduates will now be put up for adoption. People with
impaired eyesight can fill out an application and wait for approval from
the China Disabled Persons' Federation. The only requirement is that
candidates are productive and truly in need of a seeing-eye-dog. They
must also be able to afford to raise their new pet, which costs about 300
yuan per month.

Besides working for ordinary disabled people, the dogs will also serve at
the 2008 Paralympic Games.

















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Learn Chinese online - Hot actresses aged 20,30,40

ENTERTAINMENT / Slideshows








Hot actresses aged 20,30,40

Updated: 2006-04-07 12:00







Halle Berry

BIRTH PLACE: Cleveland, OH
BIRTHDATE: 8/14/1966
EDUCATION: Cuyahoga Community College
MARRIAGES: David Justice (divorced, 1996); Eric Benet, R&B singer, 2001
(divorced)
FACT: Learned she was a diabetic when she collapsed in a coma while
filming the TV series Living Dolls.

Born Her swimsuit look is unforgettable. Her red-carpet looks are also
appreciated. You can see both sexy and elegance in the same woman.



Page: 1 2 3 4 5
















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Learning Mandarin - Gore and Diaz team up for climate contest

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Gore and Diaz team up for climate contest


(WENN)
Updated: 2007-07-22 10:47





Cameron Diaz

Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz is teaming up with former U.S. Vice
President Al Gore to host a TV contest about saving the planet.
The unlikely duo will work with Current TV and in association with the
Alliance for Climate Protection on the project, called 60 Seconds to Save
the Earth.

The contest challenges viewers across the U.S., U.K. and the Republic of
Ireland to create brief public service announcements offering tips to
battle global warming.

Gore, who recently organised the Live Earth concerts, says of his latest
green initiative, "We are asking young adults to take a stance and use
their creative voices to encourage change and help fight the climate
crisis."

Diaz adds, "It is an exciting opportunity for young adults from around
the world to inspire change because the planet needs a good publicist."

The actress will be joined by Orlando Bloom, George Clooney, singer
Rihanna, director Sam Mendes to select 20 finalists.























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Chinese Studies - 'The Sopranos' gets 15 Emmy nominations

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Television






'The Sopranos' gets 15 Emmy nominations


(AP)
Updated: 2007-07-20 08:32





This photo, supplied by HBO, shows actors Tony Sirico,left, James
Gandolfini,center, and Steven Van Zandt, in a 2000 season episode of the
HBO cable television series, 'The Sopranos.' [AP]

LOS ANGELES - "The Sopranos," which towered over television with its
visceral, violent depiction of a modern mob boss' world and an
unparalleled finale, could dominate its last Emmy Awards. Or could it be
foiled by the fresh-faced kids of "Heroes"?

The nominations announced Thursday for the 59th annual awards ceremony in
September give the edge to HBO's landmark drama, whose 15 nominations
were the most for any series. But the sci-fi sensation "Heroes" earned an
impressive eight bids for its first season, including best drama.

Cutting-edge shows dominated the comedy series category, with "Ugly
Betty" leading the charge with 11 nominations. America Ferrera, who stars
in the show based on a Colombian telenovela, heard the nominations with
cast mates at the home of one of the writers.

"We popped a bottle of champagne and lots of screaming and hugging. It
was fun," said Ferrera, who passed on the champagne because she had to be
on the set later in the morning. She's the first Hispanic woman to be
nominated as best actress in a comedy since Rita Moreno received a bid in
1983 for "9 to 5," the TV academy said.

"We've been really lucky to come out at a time when there was an audience
ready to receive it," Ferrera said of the series' success. "We've got a
lot of attention, I think, just based on the fact the show is pretty
different than anything that is out there right now. I think just the
title alone from the get-go captivated people to get interested and see
what it's about."

Other contenders for the best comedy trophy include freshman "30 Rock,"
"Entourage" and last year's winner, "The Office." The only traditional
three-camera sitcom to make the cut was "Two and a Half Men."

"Entourage," about the adventures of a young movie star and his loyal rat
pack, was embraced despite its mockery of industry stereotypes.

"It may seem sometimes like we're making fun of Hollywood," said creator
Doug Ellin, "but really we're just trying to take a comedic look at how
things are done here, because this is how it really is for people
sometimes."

Medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," after a rocky year that saw the firing of
Isaiah Washington over his use of an anti-gay slur, scored 10
nominations, including a best-drama bid and supporting nominations for
four cast members. Among them was co-star T.R. Knight, who had clashed
with Washington.

Other best-drama series nominees were "Boston Legal" and "House."

"The Sopranos," which premiered in January 1999 and aired in fits and
starts, capped its final episode this year with an ambiguous ending that
left fans in the dark about the fate of lead character Tony Soprano, last
seen sitting in a diner with his wife and children. A suddenly black
screen suggested he might have been whacked 鈥� or not.

James Gandolfini, who played the beefy but emotionally fragile mob boss,
and Edie Falco, who co-starred as his usually stalwart wife, Carmela,
both received top acting nominations.

The series' other nominees included Michael Imperioli, who received a bid
for best supporting dramatic actor for his role as the ill-fated
Christopher. Aida Turturro, who played Tony's tough sister Janice, and
Lorraine Bracco, who co-starred as his uneasy psychiatrist Dr. Melfi,
were nominated for supporting actress.

Joining Gandolfini among lead drama series actor nominees were Hugh
Laurie of "House," Denis Leary of "Rescue Me," James Spader of "Boston
Legal" and last year's winner Kiefer Sutherland of "24" 鈥� which was
last year's drama series winner but was snubbed this time.

Falco will compete with Patricia Arquette of "Medium," Minnie Driver of
"The Riches," Sally Field of "Brothers & Sisters," Kyra Sedgwick of "The
Closer" and last year's winner, Mariska Hargitay of "Law & Order: Special
Victims Unit."

Sedgwick got the news immediately. She and Jon Cryer, a nominee himself
for "Two And a Half Men," helped announce the bids in a brief ceremony at
the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre.

"She's all ruffled. She didn't know that was coming!" Cryer said of
Sedgwick, who flubbed her lines after announcing her own nomination.

Along with Ferrera in the lead comedy actress category were Felicity
Huffman of "Desperate Housewives," Tina Fey of "30 Rock," Mary-Louise
Parker of "Weeds" and last year's winner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus of "The New
Adventures of Old Christine."

Their actor counterparts included last year's winner, Tony Shalhoub of
"Monk," Ricky Gervais of "Extras," Steve Carell of "The Office," Charlie
Sheen of "Two and a Half Men" and Alec Baldwin of "30 Rock."

Like "Grey's" Washington, Baldwin drew unflattering attention this year,
in his case because of a leaked recording of an angry telephone call to
his daughter, who is caught in Baldwin's legal dispute with ex-wife Kim
Basinger.

The made-for-TV movie "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" led all nominees
with 17 bids, while the miniseries "The Starter Wife" also was a top
nominee with 10 bids.

"Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," adapted from Dee Brown's nonfiction
best-seller, received nominations for best made-for-TV movie, writing and
for supporting acting. The film chronicles the Sioux victory over Custer
at Little Big Horn and events leading up to the assassination of Sitting
Bull and the Sioux massacre at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890.

In the reality-competition categories, the leading nominee with eight
bids was "Dancing With the Stars," followed by "American Idol" with seven.

Altogether, 463 nominations were announced. HBO was the most recognized
with 86 bids, followed by ABC with 70, NBC with 69, CBS with 44, Fox with
28, and PBS with 24.

The three-hour Emmy Awards ceremony will be broadcast Sept. 16 by Fox
from the Shrine Auditorium.























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Study Chinese - From Rio into Shanghai

CITYLIFE / what's on










From Rio into Shanghai

By Peggy Weng (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-07-18 09:55



All the excitement of Brazilian music will be heard this week in a
concert by the trio Choro Chic China who will display their musical
skills with Portuguese melodies set to a throbbing African heartbeat.

Shanghai is a blend of different ethnic groups and cultures. And one
great thing about this open and curious city is that it keeps absorbing
new elements and welcoming new people from all over the world to breathe
fresh air into the cultural scene.

This Friday, three musicians from Brazil will grace the stage in the
Shanghai Time Square with their unique "Choro" music-also known as
"Brazil Jazz" and the progenitor of the Bossa Nova.

Choro Chic China established itself as a band in Shanghai last year and
is the only Choro band in China. It consists of three young Brazilian
musicians-multi-instrumentalist Raquele Magalhaes on flute and piccolo,
passionate drummer Leonardo Susi and Juba Ferreiro on guitar and
Cavaquinho.

The three accomplished and dynamic young musician have played in a lot of
jazz venues throughout the city over the past few months.

The Choro music style first appeared during the 1870s in Rio de Janeiro
and featured large leaps of melodies at dizzying speeds with surprising
changes of harmony and improvised sounds. The musical style of Choro is
similar to the samba or Bossa Nova rhythms and played on a guitar or
other fretted stringed instrument, plus flute or clarinet and percussion.

In Brazil, Choro was a combination of African tradition mixed with the
Portuguese; the beautiful singing lines of the melody combined with the
life-giving heartbeat of Africa.

"It is so exciting that we were able to meet and establish the only Choro
group in China," said Magalhaes, the flute player, who is the leader of
the band. "After our band members met in the city, we became very close
through having the same passion for music."

Before they came to play in Shanghai, very few people knew about Choro
and there was no venue where people could hear an authentic Choro
performance. "There were no bands playing Brazilian jazz music in the
city and people in China knew nothing about Choro,' said Cedric
Thiollett, the producer of the band's first CD.


1 2
















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Study Chinese - U.S. man sues foundation controlling Warhol works

ENTERTAINMENT / Theater & Arts






U.S. man sues foundation controlling Warhol works

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-17 10:01









An unidentified woman reads the identification tag on the artwork
'Marylin Diptych' by U.S. pop artist Andy Warhol in Berlin, October 5,
2001. [Reuters]



NEW YORK (Reuters) - An American man who says he owns an Andy Warhol
self-portrait sued the artist's foundation, estate and authentication
board on Monday for refusing to validate his silk-screen piece and
defrauding art buyers.

Joe Simon-Whelan, a film producer who lives in London, filed the class
action lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan seeking $20 million on
behalf of himself and others he claims have been duped by the foundation,
which was set up after the pop artist's death 20 years ago.

The suit said the foundation controlled the Warhol art market by branding
real Warhol paintings fakes to raise the value of Warhol works the
foundation holds. It estimated the foundation had sold more than $150
million of Warhol's artwork at artificially inflated prices.

Simon-Whelan claims the foundation formed and controls the authentication
board, which was set up in 1995.

K.C. Maurer, the foundation's chief financial officer, said she could not
comment on the lawsuit as they had not been served, but she said the
foundation made grants to contemporary visual arts organizations and had
no role in authenticating works.

The suit claims that before Simon-Whelan acquired the painting, the
Warhol foundation and estate authenticated it on multiple occasions in
the late 1980s and early 1990s -- before the authentication board was
created. The work passed through several major dealers, including
Christie's auction house, which vetted the painting's authenticity.

Simon-Whelan's painting, a 1964 Warhol self-portrait called "Double
Denied" in the lawsuit, was twice denied authentication by The Andy
Warhol Art Authentication Board in 2001 and 2003, according to the suit.

He planned to sell it for $2 million after purchasing it for $195,000 in
1989.

"The authentication board is utilized to remove competing Warhol artwork
from the marketplace by falsely declaring it to be inauthentic, thereby
raising the value of the foundation's own holdings," the lawsuit said.

Both the foundation and the authentication board "provide a facade of
corporate credibility obscuring a deeply corrupt enterprise that enables
defendants to benefit from Warhol's art and reputation," the suit said.

It was impossible to sell a Warhol painting without getting a stamp of
authenticity, and the board often reversed previous stamps of approval,
the lawsuit said.

Calls to the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board were not returned.
























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Pnyin - Craig: 'New Bond will be funnier'

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Craig: 'New Bond will be funnier'

(Digital spy)
Updated: 2007-07-14 15:19


Daniel Craig has insisted that the next Bond movie will be a lot funnier
and more joke-heavy than his debut as the secret agent in last year's
Casino Royale.

The next film, which will be the 22nd James Bond movie, will make 007
look less like a serious action picture.

Craig told the Daily Express: "They [the producers] just want more gags.
The next one's going to be a lot funnier. Octopussy and Pussy
Galore-style gags. They're all great names - but that's the thing, the
Bond jokes will be flipped on their heads."






















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Chinese Tutor - Rome enters "Golden Age" with Blanchett

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Rome enters "Golden Age" with Blanchett

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-13 08:52





Cate Blanchett arrives to attend the '100 Most Influential People In The
World' gala hosted
by Time Magazine in New York in this file photo dated May 8,
2007.[Reuters]

Oscar winner Cate Blanchett will preside over the official opening of
this year's RomaCinemaFest, and her new film, Shekar Kapur's "The Golden
Age," will receive its world premiere there, organizers said Thursday.

The RomaCinemaFest will take place October 18-27.

It will be the second time in as many years that the Rome event will be
opened by an Australian actress. Last year, Nicole Kidman opened the
festival's debut edition before the screening of her film "Fur."

In "The Golden Age," Blanchett reprises the role of Queen Elizabeth I,
which she played in Kapur's 1998 "Elizabeth." The new film explores the
relationship between the queen and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, played by
Clive Owen. The film also stars Geoffrey Rush as Sir Francis Walsingham
and Samantha Morton as Mary Queen of Scots.










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HSK Exam - Katherine Heigl's photo album

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies/TV






Katherine Heigl's photo album


Updated: 2007-07-11 15:35








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Learn Chinese - Songwriter retracts comments against Lavigne

ENTERTAINMENT / Music






Songwriter retracts comments against Lavigne

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-07-11 08:53





Chantal Kreviazuk performs at the opening ceremony for AIDS 2006, the
16th International AIDS conference in Toronto, August 13, 2006 file
photo.[Reuters]

Chantal Kreviazuk, the fellow Canadian singer-songwriter who dismissed
collaborator Avril Lavigne's writing skills in an interview in the June
issue of Performing Songwriter magazine, has retracted her comments.

Kreviazuk's comments have been in the media of late in the wake of a
copyright infringement suit filed against Lavigne by the 1970s band the
Rubinoos. That group claims Lavigne's hit "Girlfriend" infringes on their
earlier song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend."

"I would like to apologize for any misconceptions concerning Avril
Lavigne, which may have resulted from statements I made in my interview
with Performing Songwriter Magazine," said Kreviazuk in a statement
released Tuesday (July 10). "It was not my intention to call Avril's
songwriting ability or ethics into question.

"My statements and any inference from my statements, which call into
question Avril's ethics or ability as a respected and acclaimed
songwriter, should be disregarded and are retracted. Avril is an
accomplished songwriter and it has been my privilege to work with her."

In a July 6 post on her Web site, Lavigne had hit back, "Chantal's
comments are damaging to my reputation and a clear defamation of my
character and I am considering taking legal action."










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Learn Chinese - Underwater city? Don't hold your breath

ENTERTAINMENT / Hot Pot Column






Underwater city? Don't hold your breath

By Patrick Whitely (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-07-10 08:50



China's four great inventions (si da fa ming) are the compass, gunpowder,
moveable type printing press and paper. But I believe the committee who
voted on this list got it all wrong.

Why didn't anybody consider goldfish? In terms of all things good, gold
fish blow gunpowder out of the water. Imagine if the world's military
forces were armed with gold fish. End of argument!

Carassius auratus (gold fish) are marvelous, and I'm now enjoying
watching fish in my new tank. These little guys were developed during the
Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) as the result of a freakish act of nature.

A silver carp, which had been decorating some rich guy's pond, hatched a
golden-orange colored nipper. The scientifically minded groundkeeper
separated it from the rest of the school and started a breeding program.
He's the guy that really found Nemo.

The Chinese are still hooked on pets, and I've jumped on the bandwagon.
Demanding dogs and fussy cats are not for me. I'm a Piscean and fish are
my forte.

I look at them, drift off into their watery world, forget about my recent
Chinese misunderstanding (No 342 at present) and really relax. Gold fish
gazing is a therapeutic way to unwind.

In return, I only have to feed the little blighters every second day,
make sure the air pump is working and turn off the tank light at night.

Owning a big fish tank has been one of my many life goals.

Before I die, I also want to speak understandable Chinese, make a musical
comedy featuring a banjo-playing samurai and learn how to a pull a rabbit
out of a hat (Where does the rabbit come from? I really need to know).

But my biggest desire has always been to build an underwater city.

China is a can-do place, and now I have achieved my goal. I wanted a real
one at first and consulted my engineering friend Da Chui (Big Hammer),
who designs off shore oilrigs. Taking into account the special rustproof
materials, labor costs, whiz-bang technology and finding available land
under the ocean, they all reckoned I'd get change from $40 billion. I
asked them what I could get for $400.

The advice was sound, and now I have an underwater city, filled with
fish, taking pride and place in my Beijing apartment. But as Jules Verne
discovered, an underwater city can have its social problems.

One of my gold fish (aka Da Chui) is not behaving and is picking on the
other fish. He is not following my underwater city's policy of a
harmonious society. He's also gone on a crazy building spree and is
digging a big crevice under this stone statue I erected, which clearly
says: "No unauthorized construction without a permit."

All the other fish - the silver dragons, the orange guppies and a really
cool blue one - tow the line, but Da Chui doesn't care about my rules. He
sucks up a mouthful of pebbles, swims away, then spews them out and has
created a neat little nook. It's obvious he's building a karaoke bar.
Watching all this activity is stressing me out again.

Maybe gunpowder was the more peaceful choice.


(China Daily 07/10/2007 page20)






















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