Pnyin - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? -

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imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
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rose~ -

Sorry, I wasn't sure where to put this but I found a forum which seemed very similar content-wise
to :
http://chinaonline.cn.com/ASK/forums/11/ShowForum.aspx



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gato -

Funny how these two threads on flirting have the same posts.

http://chinaonline.cn.com/ASK/forums/thread/2162.aspx

http://www. /showth...light=flirting










gato -

Roddy "uses" the alias "napkin" on this thread:
http://chinaonline.cn.com/ASK/forums/thread/1807.aspx
Using a PDA to learn Chinese










roddy -

http://chinaonline.cn.com/ASK/forums...read.aspx#2894

And they allow guest posting . . .










rose~ -

napkin? I thought rose~ was bad enough

btw, the main page it comes from reasonably quite well known for jobs in Shanghai.










roddy -

Now that's just annoying. When it's some daft little school kid doing it you can kind of ignore
them, but when it's someone who should know better . . .

Not sure there's a great deal to be done though.










WoAiJolinTsai -

LOL...

The oldest scam in the book.

http://chinaonline.cn.com/ASK/forums/11/ShowForum.aspx is too lazy to make their own content, so
they steal content from and post it on their forum to make it look like their
own members posted.

They do this because they want search engines to spider their content and send them visitors, but
they do not want to spend the time promoting their forums, getting new members and getting content
/ posts the natural way.

I've seen this before many times










roddy -

Yeah, me too, all too often. I mean, they've left my name at the bottom of 'my' posts. How stupid
do you have to be to do that? If you're going to do that kind of thing, at least use a bit of
sense - they could at least automate it with an RSS aggregator and save themselves some copying
and pasting










Shadowdh -

Holy dogmess batman... they have even pilfered some of my stuff...

"I have heard that the shoalin temples are perhpas not the best places if you are serious about
learning Gong Fu... also some Taiji places have the same rep as they cater to "ignorant" (my word
here meaning unknowing) westerners who are after some holy grail of learning... often you can find
just as good if not better training in your home country (depending on where you are... also you
may find that by going to some local parks you might find someone to help you... what style/s do
you do in paricular in Taiji...?? also do you have some experience with any of the arts you wish
to learn...?? If so this might help you spot the "tourist teacher"..."

Is what I posted in response to a thread on MA...










roddy -

Little bit of research, and I have a phone number and address for their boss, who I will call just
as soon as I manage to buy some credit for my phone












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Chinese Studies - can't post hyperlinks -

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can't post hyperlinks
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student -

I can't seem to post a hyperlink I wanted to include in my recent post in the book on poems thread,
http://www. /showthread.php?t=10612


The error message I get is

Precondition Failed
The precondition on the request for the URL /newthread.php evaluated to false.

Apache/1.3.33 Server at www. Port 80

****
the link I wanted to include, suitably deconstructed so that I can post it, is

baruchim dot narod dot ru slash LuZhiwei dot html

(delete the spaces, change dot to . and change slash to /)



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roddy -

That's very odd, and I think it's something to do with the server settings - will email my
webhosts to ask.

Roddy










roddy -

Security issue, apparently that domain has been associated with comment spam or similar, and so
any submissions to the server that contain it are blocked. There's nothing I can do about it and
as this is the first time I've found out about it in three years I don't think it's a major
problem. Can you just add the url as
baruchim dot narod dot ru slash LuZhiwei dot html
and anyone who wants to will be able to figure it out.

Sorry for the hassle.

Roddy










student -

Roddy,

Thanks very much.












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Learn mandarin - “Super Girls” can coin money overnight, so who is willing to be a common worker. - Page 2 -

> Chinese Culture > Art and Literature
“Super Girls” can coin money overnight, so who is willing to be a common worker.
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skylee -

studentyoung, 我看到你的 PS
了。你沒有冒犯我，我們各抒己見而已。我是不同意 (老實說也不能理解)
你的觀點，但是我們都懂得“和而不同”這句話。

可能由於背景不同，我們的價值觀也不同。但是不打緊。



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studentyoung -



Quote:

studentyoung, 我看到你的 PS
了。你沒有冒犯我，我們各抒己見而已。我是不同意 (老實說也不能理解)
你的觀點，

没关系！



Quote:

但是我們都懂得“和而不同”這句話。

啊，要是人人都像你这么知书达理，这世界就没那么多动手动脚，动刀动枪�
��杀风景的事儿。



Quote:

可能由於背景不同，我們的價值觀也不同。但是不打緊。

完全同意！

谢！










Quest -

一夜暴富没什么，反正不是你想富就富得来，又不是随便一个人都可以赢。�
��气、命运决定一切。再加上社会应该是多元化的，行行出状元国家才兴旺��
�人生在世，难道就仅仅为了成为一个普通劳动人民吗？










Ian_Lee -

If everyone is satisfied to be just a common worker, then there is no dream and no social mobility.

If Bill Gates were just satisfied to continue his study in Harvards, then there might be no
Microsoft.

If Li Ka Shing were just satisfied to own a small plastic flower factory, then there would be no
CK/Hutchison conglomerate.

If Andy Lau were just satisfied to be an office messenger, then there would be no Andy Lau as of
today.

IMO Everybody should have a dream -- nobody should just be satisfied to be a common worker.










studentyoung -



Quote:

人生在世，难道就仅仅为了成为一个普通劳动人民吗？

普通劳动人民说的是人家的工作岗位普通，不像“超女”那般“轰轰列列”�
��了。齐白石当年还干木工的时候，也没啥人认为他的工作岗位有啥特别的��
�但他在干木工的时候，他的手艺已得乡亲认可，精于案、梁、柱的雕花。胜
得过齐白石的手艺的木工，你找得出几个？木工不是普通劳动人民？大官不�
��？

台湾还有人能在垃圾里寻宝的，不少收藏家还托他帮忙寻找他们想要的收藏�
��的呢。拣垃圾这活够普通了吧？但就有人能干得出色，干得与众不同!

普通的岗位，平凡的人，就不能干出不平凡的成就？

要不，你再看看纪晓岚的这副对联：虽然毫末技艺，却是顶上工夫。意思够�
��的了，我不用再解释了吧？（难道只看到人家的“毫末技艺”，就把人家��
�“顶上工夫”给忘了？ ）

对了，你自己还说->


Quote:

再加上社会应该是多元化的，行行出状元国家才兴旺。

既然你都这么说了，我也就没啥可说的了。

谢！










studentyoung -



Quote:

If everyone is satisfied to be just a common worker, then there is no dream and no social mobility.

Rightly so!



Quote:

IMO Everybody should have a dream -- nobody should just be satisfied to be a common worker.

I think a coin has two sides. No doubt, Bill Gates, Li Ka Shing and Andy Lau have made great
achievements, and it is just one side on a coin.
The other side? Please just think of what Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini did in their life!
These two surely weren’t satisfied to be a common worker in their life and they had a
“dream” (a nightmare if I can say) too. I remember the famous official in Tang Dynasty,
Weizheng 巍征once said “Water can bear a boat, while it can also turn it
over.水能载舟，亦能覆舟” Now we can say, “A dream can make our world better, or it
can make it worse.”
I think the point here is how to guide people to think more calmly in an uproarious social
environment.

Thanks!










gato -



Quote:

Please just think of what Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini did in their life! These two surely
weren’t satisfied to be a common worker in their life and they had a “dream”

I think you're letting your imagination run too wild on this topic, studentyoung. A more apt
parallel might be the millions of inner city kids in America who neglect their school work for the
dream of one day becoming the next Michael Jordan.










studentyoung -



Quote:

I think you're letting your imagination run too wild on this topic, studentyoung.

Please check my word below again.


Quote:

I think the point here is how to guide people to think more calmly in an uproarious social
environment.



Quote:

A more apt parallel might be the millions of inner city kids in America who neglect their school
work for the dream of one day becoming the next Michael Jordan.

Ala, it sounds quite like students neglected their school work to join the revolutionary movements
and got crazy about being “the Red Guards红卫兵”. A man needs all kinds of nutrition to
make all his organs work well. A society needs all kinds of talents to make it develop steadily
and in the round. One kind of nutrition can't support a man and one kind of talents can't sustain
a society.
I remember some one says, “A hero is a big man, and a celebrity is a big name.” The problem in
this world is too many children or even adults take someone with a big name as a big man.

Thanks!










Ian_Lee -

Studentyoung:

Though I didn't mention it, I have implied that all those who have the dreams and made it like
Bill Gates, Li Ka Shing and Andy Lau all strived their ways within the legal and moral cofines of
the society.

But the examples that you cited like Hilter and Mussolinni apparently did not.

And I don't see the Super Girls have trespassed the legal and moral confines either (of course
some may find their performances morally decaying -- but they didn't break the moral codes).

From what I see, a society must not be static. And a certain segment of the population must be
willing to take risk. Only through social mobility can a society achieve progress.










HashiriKata -

If I understand it correctly, I think what studentyoung was saying was that it is not dreams
themselves but it is the kinds of dreams we are fed with that is the problems. In this
interpretation, I'm with studentyoung.

To me, there seems no lack of people who are in the business of exploiting those who dream wrongly
and on the other hand, we're no longer able to tell anybody - or even ourselves - how to dream
well.












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Chinese Class - Cantonese e-books -

> Learning Chinese > Non-Mandarin Chinese
Cantonese e-books
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wai ming -

Cantonese e-books

There seems to be a lot of useful material here, including expressions, short stories, sentence
patterns and grammar, as well as some sound files; however I seem to be having trouble downloading
from it (not sure if it's a problem with the files, or a problem with my Acrobat Reader).

I have all the pdf's (but not the sound files) for the General Expressions Books, Specific
Expressions books, Sentence Patterns and Grammar, so if people are unable to download from the
website I can upload those somewhere, but would someone mind trying to get the Difficult
Abbreviated Grammar words, the Short Stories and the Long Stories?

EDIT: seems like it was just a problem with my browser; using a download manager seems to work
That said, if anyone is having trouble downloading the files, I'm happy to upload them.



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skylee -

Here is the Difficult Abbreviated Grammar Words. Can't see where the short/long stories are,
though. (Since it is free of charge I guess it is all right posting the file here.)










wai ming -

Thanks for that, skylee.
The short stories and long story are just underneath the specific expressions books section.

Ling's stories 1
Ling's stories 2
My Secret Book
The Freshman
Humorous Jokes
A Busy Day
The Heart Curse










rose~ -

I can't seem to open them directly, either. But it does look like useful information.










MiniLucky -

looks very useful~

but i cant seem to download off the site

wai ming, would u please upload them for me?










Southernjohn -

Hi- I have tried downloading from this site, but still no luck. I usually use the Firefox web
browser and I thought that might be the problem, so I tried with Internet Explorer... that didn't
seem to work either.
Anybody know anything about this site? It seems like the material would be useful. I haven't come
across anything else like it. Does anyone know of any material out there like this....beginner and
intermediate-level recorded stories in Cantonese with accompanying text?










wai ming -

To those who've asked me to upload the files, I'll try to do that next week. Far too busy with
exams at the moment so remind me if I forget.

Southernjohn, I think what happens is the connection to the website tends to time out. If you use
some kind of download manager and configure it to automatically reconnect, you should be able to
get the files.

I personally haven't seen any other material on the Internet that matches the quality of the
e-books here: written for learners, with characters and romanization, and audio. The site's run by
the Cantonese Learning Centre in HK, can't remember what their homepage is at the moment but you
should be able to Google it.










wai ming -

Disclaimer:


Quote:


Originally Posted by http://www.clc.scicube.info/book/book_payment.html

Do Do Payment in PayPal
(pay to the account: info@clc.com.hk)
After you download the material, if you find you will use it or keep it , please do payment.
If you find you won't use it or keep it, neither a software copy or a hardware copy, you don't
need to pay.


OK, here we go, these are the files for everything except the stories and the audio files (which I
haven't downloaded). As per the notice above, please pay for those materials which you find
useful. Enjoy!










MiniLucky -

thanks!!










Southernjohn -

Yes... thanks Waiming.
I am still trying to download the stories, but no luck so far. My Firefox download manager should
continue a download without timing out; I'm not sure what the problem could be. I will try and
contact the Cantonese Learning Center.












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Learn Chinese online - Shanghainese vs Cantonese -

> Learning Chinese > Non-Mandarin Chinese
Shanghainese vs Cantonese
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ameliasj -

Shanghainese as I am, I am always seeking for threads on Shanghainese.
While, it seems that most threads here are about Cantonese.
I wonder why Cantonese so popular?

Is that means there're more foreingers in Canton than in Shanghai?

And is that because Cantonese is easier than Shanghainese?

Or is that has something to do with Cantonese song?

BTW, my mom is Cantonese, but I can only catch up a little when she speaks to my grandma. Actually
she never speaks Cantonese to me. It seems that Shanghainese is more native to her.



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geraldc -

Cantonese is used by a large number of overseas Chinese and Hong Kong. It also has it's own
entertainment industry, films, televsion, songs etc.

You generally only get Chinese entertainment in Mandarin or Cantonese, I don't think I've ever
seen a Shanghainese movie.










L-F-J -

I've only seen one movie with Shanghainese, and that was just a short part of it. Even being in
Shanghai, the movie was in Mandarin.

Besides all the advertisement for Mandarin and Cantonese (songs, tv shows, movies, etc.) Cantonese
is the second most widely spoken of the Chinese dialects, second to Mandarin. Cantonese is also
spoken in many different places, and as geraldc said, many overseas Chinese we meet are Cantonese.
Otherwise, no matter where they are from, they'll use Mandarin. I don't think Shanghainese is very
widely spoken, overseas or elsewhere. At least not as much as Cantonese.

Also, I tried to learn Shanghainese once. I was able to find nong hao va, xia xia nong, and zai
wei... It's extremely hard to find any study material for it. Since Mandarin and Cantonese are the
most widely spoken that's what they have in the bookstores and online mostly.










ameliasj -

I don't know it is a good thing or bad, the government always require us to speak Mandarin, in
school, in shops, and almost everywhere outside home. (Teachers must use Madarin in class. ) For
foreingers and people from other city, that maybe more easy for conmunication. While for the
language itself, it may oneday vanished as a result of fewer and fewer use. I saw a lot of
children who never say Shanghainese even at home.

There are some books on Shanghainese, but not so popular and easy-to-find. Same as the
Shanghainese course.

When I learned Japanese, I find it sound quite similar to Shanghainese. So it maybe easy for
Japanese to learn Shanghainese. Just kidding.










rose~ -

In the UK, if I told someone I am learning Chinese, about half of the time they will ask if I mean
Cantonese. For many people in the UK, "Chinese" is synonmous with "Cantonese", which may sound odd
to someone from the Mainland. I suppose that that is related to the former colonialisation of Hong
Kong. But Cantonese is actually now a part of UK culture.

And like others said, Cantonese really has the status of a language (I'm not saying it is a
language). It has dictionaries, films, songs, it is listed on menus on a website as a language. In
Europe, it is the sound of Cantonese that people associate with Chinese.And most Mainland European
(not UK) Chinese University courses have Cantonese as a required component. And here I am working
in Shanghai, yet I don't speak Shanghainese. It would not be acceptable in Hong Kong for the
equivalent job.

Compare it with Shanghainese, which has no dictionaries, no films, no songs...It has no status
officially. It is not heard in official announcements like Cantonese. It is not the working
language of multinantional companies here. In fact, there are even signs in some places saying
"請講普通話". I know a lot of people mention shanghaining.com as an example of Shanghainese
culture, but that is just ONE website.

Until Deng Xiaoping's "opening up and reform" policy, there were not many Shanghainese speakers
overseas either.

It's kind of sensitive issue to me as I have a few Mainland freinds in the UK who used to
basically ridicule Cantonese.










Ncao -

I think if HK was never a British colony and if there wasn't a large oversea Cantonese speaking
community, the status of Cantonese would probably be the same as Shanghainese.










carlo -

Learning a language without exposure to native speakers and a vibrant subculture is virtually
impossible (even students of hieroglyphics spend years wandering museums). There are dozens of
Cantonese films and songs that I like, hundreds of books on Cantonese vocabulary and grammar, and
plenty of HK people I know who don't speak enough Mandarin. The appeal of Shanghainese is much
less obvious.










dalaowai -

Please don't take offense to my view on it, however to simply put it, Shanghainese isn't easy on
the ears.

I lived in Zhejiang and Shanghai during the past 3 years and I have to say that from the point of
view of people not familiar with the dialects, (i.e. foreigners or waidiren) Shanghaihua is really
painful to hear.

Every morning, I'm woken up around 5:30AM by my neighbours standing outside my apartment door
having a "normal" conversation. However, to me it feels like they're having a heated argument. As
for my Chinese friends who aren't Shanghainese, they often complain about this as well. I sure
enjoy the bus rides where two middle-aged Shanghainese women are yelling at each other in
Shanghainese and that every 3rd word is ngagoning (外国人). haha

Another reason is that a large percentage of Shanghainese aren't very supportive of others trying
to speak the dialect. If I try speaking Shanghainese to locals, they reply in Mandarin or English.










Ian_Lee -

Actually not too long ago Cantonese was shunned in HK too.

Until early '70s, Mandarin and English were the king. The hundreds of movies that were produced by
Shaw Brother Studio were all in Mandarin. Mandarin pop songs from Taiwan were heard everywhere.

Even you went to the theater, Hollywood movies charged the highest, Mandarin movies the second
highest while Cantonese movies the cheapest.

The phenomenon only reversed when free TV broadcast started to broadcast in late '60s which
principally used Cantonese.










ameliasj -



Quote:

If I try speaking Shanghainese to locals, they reply in Mandarin or English.

well, if you speak Shanghainese to me, I will reply you Shanghainese. I always use Shanghainese
when I realized that the listener could fully understand what I say.

The reason they reply in Madarin may because they are not sure whether you could catch up their
meanings fully or not. And if they reply in English, that may because they want to improve their
English( Well, we won't have chance to speak to native speakers everyday, so why not take
advantage of it.)

I never heard anyone saying that Shanghainese are painful to ears. It maybe painful when people
are quarrelling or arguing but never in opera. (I mean 沪剧，Shanghainese opera.) Have you ever
heard 沪剧?












All times are GMT +8. The time now is 04:50 PM.














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Chinese Studies - Like Living in a Communist/Fascist Country? - Page 7 -

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Lu -



Quote:


Originally Posted by Ian_Lee

Actually nowadays with a few token countries, almost every country in the world is a democracy.


That completely depends on how you define 'democracy'. If you say 'Democracy=country in which
elections are held regurlarly with a certain degree of fairness' then even the PRC is a democracy,
and Belorussia, Libya, and South Africa before the apartheid was abolished, and North Korea. That
indeed makes quite a number of democracies.



Quote:


Originally Posted by gougou

Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected deputies (representatives),
not the people themselves, vote on legislation.


This would make the Netherlands a republic.



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gougou -



Quote:

This would make the Netherlands a republic.

Yeah, the definitions are not very exclusive. Here's the one for democracy:

Democracy - a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but which
is usually exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority
periodically renewed.

Now if I understand it correctly, this means that a democracy usually is a republic?










mr.stinky -

a democracy is where decisions are made relatively directly by the general population
(or at least the registered voters) through referendums and plebescites.

a republic is where the decisions are delegated to representatives elected by the
electorate.

a democratic republic is usually a dictatorship or authoritarian regime.










Shadowdh -



Quote:

a democratic republic is usually a dictatorship or authoritarian regime.

As I go off to vote today I will keep this in mind when thinking of tony smear... uh I mean
blair... also does this mean that the UK is a republic...??










Lu -



Quote:

a democracy is where decisions are made relatively directly by the general population (or at least
the registered voters) through referendums and plebescites.

a republic is where the decisions are delegated to representatives elected by the
electorate.

a democratic republic is usually a dictatorship or authoritarian regime.

The confusion is only getting bigger.
So according to these definitions, there are no democracies in this world (that I can think of)
except for maybe Switzerland; both the UK and Holland are republics, not democracies; and North
Korea is a dictatorship. Well, at least that one is correct.












All times are GMT +8. The time now is 05:19 PM.














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Learning Chinese - An institution in the making

? ?



CITYLIFE / Eating Out






An institution in the making


(That's Shanghai)
Updated: 2007-07-06 09:16



While many new restaurants appear to have more investor money than they
know what to do with, Frankie's is a rare case of funds well spent.

The staff, for instance, is refreshingly adept-management has clearly
taught them genuine hospitality by example. And though the luxurious
interior is sober enough for even the driest business dinner, inviting
details, such as the immaculate open kitchen and live pianist lend an
intimate, even romantic, ambience. But with celebrity chef Marco
Pierre-White's name on display, the cuisine is rightfully the center of
attention here. Our freshly-made ravioli with goat cheese and turnips
(RMB 68) was inspired. And another house recommendation, a tiramisu trio
(RMB 78), was equally well-advised.

In short, Frankie's has all of the hallmarks of an
institution-in-the-making; indeed, we expect the expansive dining room to
be fully booked in the near future.

Frankie's?
Location: 592-596 Fengyang Lu, by Datian Lu
Tel: 021-52287731
Open: 11:30am-3pm; 5:30-10:30pm.
Cost for two excluding drinks: RMB 395. All Cards.























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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Learn Chinese - By spiritrace 2007-6-28 13:16

CITYLIFE / Discussion






By spiritrace 2007-6-28 13:16


Updated: 2007-07-04 16:48



All Asian tourists who come to my town have always acted with the best
manners and have always been proper and well mannered.
I always offer to help them if they need anything and welcome them to our
little town. (In my very bad Chinese) On some occasions they have needed
a little help.

















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

� Looking after your skin naturally

� Evocative scents in a glass of wine

� Go on a shopping spree to discount stores

� Teatime!





Beijing Guide




Eating out: Read all about it
Bars&Cafes: Catch underground bands
Weekend&Holiday: Precious Peony
Shopping: Ice up your world
What's on: Hong Kong modern dance







Shanghai Guide


Eating out: Hotel game to promote wine culture
Bars&Cafes: Prevalent redness
Weekend&Holiday: Doraemon lures kids
Shopping: H&M: from the inside
What's on: Shot in the dark





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Learn mandarin - Paris Hilton: Don't drink and drive

ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Paris Hilton: Don't drink and drive

(AP)
Updated: 2007-07-04 15:43





In this photo released by CNN, Paris Hilton is seen during a taping of
'Larry King Live,' Wednesday, June 27, 2007, in Los Angeles.[AP]

LOS ANGELES - Paris Hilton is back from vacation and has a message for
her fans: don't drink and drive.

"Happy 4th of July everyone, and remember to be responsible and have a
designated driver!" the heiress writes in a blog entry on her MySpace Web
page Tuesday.


Hilton, 26, was released from jail last week after spending about 23 days
behind bars for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless
driving case. The notorious party girl has since touted a new beginning
�� one that she says won't include going out as much.

"The past month has inspired me to move forward with some exciting new
projects, so I will keep you all posted," she writes.

After getting out of jail, Hilton did a series of interviews, including
one on CNN's "Larry King Live," then skipped town for some rest and
relaxation in Maui.









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Chinese Speaking - Smoke society

CITYLIFE / what's on










Smoke society

(Beijing weekend)
Updated: 2007-07-02 10:19



The images in Yan Yu's Smoker Series are always with long neck, small
eyes, obscure expression, and erogenous lips with a cigarette curl
smoking upwards.

Some smokers have apathetic, proud and aloof expression, showing a
distance from the viewers; while others with expression of inebriety and
enjoyment, totally indulging in blowing a cloud and showing a free and
easy feeling and elegance. Yan Yu expresses the spirit of rebelling to
rule, seeking a freedom, personality and voice away from the mainstream.

Price:15 yuan.
Time: 9am-midnight, until Jun 30.
Address:Artist Village Gallery, 1 North of Rencun, Songzhuang, Tongzhou
District.
Tel: 010-6959-8343.
















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Learn mandarin - Germany now would welcome Tom Cruise production

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Germany now would welcome Tom Cruise production

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-29 09:53





Actor Tom Cruise waves during a photo session following a news conference
in Tokyo June 20, 2006. [Reuters]

The German Defense Ministry is scrambling to qualify its stance on the
Tom Cruise World War Two thriller "Valkyrie," saying Thursday that,
despite reports to the contrary, it has no opposition to the film
shooting in Germany.

News reports earlier this week had started officials would ban "Valkyrie"
from shooting at German military sites because of star Cruise's belief in
Scientology.

The ministry now says that, while it hasn't received an official request
from "Valkyrie" producers United Artists to shoot in the country, it
would "look agreeably" upon any such application.

The film, slated for a 2008 release, tells the true story of Colonel
Claus von Stauffenberg (Cruise), the leader of a failed German military
plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. The film's title comes from
Operation Valkyrie, the plot's code name.

The producers have expressed interest in shooting at the Bendlerblock
memorial in Berlin. It is the actual location where Stauffenberg and his
fellow conspirators hatched the plot to assassinate Hitler with a bomb
hidden in a briefcase. It also is where Stauffenberg and the other
plotters were executed after the attempt failed.

Now a memorial site, the Bendlerblock also houses part of the Defense
Ministry.

The Defense Ministry said Thursday that it wasn't even responsible for
approving film shoots at Bendlerblock because they are only tenants on
the land. The location is under the authority of Germany's Finance
Ministry, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.

The source of the "Valkyrie" controversy seems to have stemmed from a
posting on the Web site of conservative German member of parliament Antje
Blumenthal. Blumenthal posted a statement Friday claiming that Defense
Minister Franz-Josef Jung had pledged to her that Cruise would not get
permission to shoot because of the purported danger posed by his
Scientology.

Blumenthal is a cult expert for the conservative CDU/CSU party and a
longtime opponent of Scientology.

The German government does not recognize Scientology as a religion and
sees it instead as a dangerous cult, which brainwashes and exploits its
members. Scientology is under official observation by Germany authorities
as a potentially threat to German democracy, putting the organization on
par with neo-Nazi groups.

Germany's film industry, however, has embraced the "Valkyrie" project.

The heads of Studio Babelsberg, Christoph Fisser and Carl Woebcken, on
Thursday praised "Valkyrie" as one of the "too few examples of military
opposition to Hitler's regime."

Fisser and Woebcken are in negotiations with United Artists to join the
project as co-producers. If UA executives reach a deal, "Valkyrie" could
begin shooting at Babelsberg next month.

"The assassination attempt against Hitler is hardly known outside
Germany," Fisser said. "We should therefore be delighted and welcome this
wonderful opportunity to improve the image of our country."










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Pnyin - Matt Damon much happier without Brad Pitt's fame

ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Matt Damon much happier without Brad Pitt's fame

(ANI)
Updated: 2007-06-27 14:45





Matt Damon

Matt Damon is a bit in awe of the way Brad Pitt handles his life in the
public eye, for he personally couldn't live the same way.

Pitt has always been a huge movie star, but his private life came under
intense media scrutiny due to relationships with some of Hollywood's
leading ladies such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Juliette Lewis.

The public interest in his life interested after his marriage to former
'Friends' star Jennifer Aniston, and his relationship to Angelina Jolie
that led to the collapse of his marriage.

Damon admits that he often wonders how his Ocean's Thirteen co-star
manages to cope will all the fame, and is glad that he can lead a
relatively normal life compared to Pitt's."I honestly don't know how he
does it. He can't walk down the street anywhere, literally anywhere,"
Contactmusic quoted him, as saying.

"They're in Prague right now because Angelina's working, and he can't
walk down the street. I went to Prague and I didn't sign an autograph for
six months, and it was great!" he added.

Jolie is currently in Prague shooting for new flick 'Wanted' in which she
plays an assassin.








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Chinese School - De Niro takes percentage of pal's movie

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






De Niro takes percentage of pal's movie

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-25 16:55



Robert De Niro is executive producing a dramatic comedy that will be
directed by a longtime friend.

"20% Fiction," from writer-director Barry Primus, centers on a respected
acting coach dissatisfied with his superficial life in Los Angeles. He
finds love and self-fulfillment after moving to a small town and working
with its quirky residents.

Principal photography is slated to begin in late September in Los
Angeles. Casting details were not available.

De Niro produced and co-starred in Primus' 1992 film, "Mistress." Primus
has served as De Niro's acting coach, and they have acted together in
such films as "New York, New York," "Night and the City" and "Guilty by
Suspicion."










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Study Chinese - Lion King roars at last in South Africa

ENTERTAINMENT / Theater & Arts






Lion King roars at last in South Africa

(AFP)
Updated: 2007-06-22 08:36



JOHANNESBURG - "The Lion King," the award-winning Disney musical set in
the African bush, is marking its 10th anniversary with a first-ever run
on the continent that inspired its storyline.


Buyisile Zama, 29, performs 05 June 2007 as Rafiki, the sangoma
(traditional healer) monkey in The Lion King, the award-winning rites of
passage musical based in the heart of the African bush. [AFP]

The rites of passage tale of Simba the Lion, already seen by 35 million
spectators worldwide since its Broadway debut in 1997, has been playing
to packed houses since it opened in Johannesburg on June 6 -- for the
first time with an all South African cast.

"I am so excited. My people and family are going to see me on stage
finally," said Buyisile Zama, a 29-year-old Zulu who has played the role
of the wise old baboon Rafiki on stages from Sydney to Shanghai.

"People loved the show everywhere but here they can understand everything
-- each and every word. It is our culture," said the Durban native during
rehearsals at the city's new state-of-the-art 1,900-seat Teatro de
Montecasino.

Prohibitive costs had long hampered efforts to bring the quintessentially
South African show to South Africa, but it was finally made possible with
large sponsorship deals and the willingness of old hands to get involved.

One is South African-born composer Lebo M, who wrote the theme music to
the 1994 Oscar-winning movie from which the play was adapted and who runs
a charity to train singers in his homeland.

"It has been my dream for 10 years to bring the show to South Africa,"
said the composer who hails from Soweto township on the outskirts of
Johannesburg.

"We are not here to just do a show like in London or Paris" but to
showcase local talent, he said, adding he hoped "The Lion King" will act
as "a stepping stone in our theatre business. We must build on its
success to create new productions."

Though about half of the score was written by Elton John and Tim Rice,
the production also marks a special homecoming for the celebrated,
haunting ballad, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," whose South African composer
Solomon Linda died destitute in 1962 without ever earning royalties.

For the first time, the song will be staged with help from an all-Zulu
choir -- one of many touches along with traditional masks, costumes made
with local beadwork and fabrics and 18-feet (5.4-metre) giraffes that
tower over the audience to drive home the play's African roots.

"The difference is that in other productions we have four or five South
Africans, but here the entire cast is South African," said show's
creative director Aubrey Linch, who said it was magical, "as an
African-American, born in Michigan," to bring the show here after playing
to audiences around the world.

"We adapted each character to the South African reality. It had to be
authentic," she said.

Reviews have been largely positive and the Variety trade magazine said on
its website this week advance sales were so good the season has been
extended from mid August to early October.

With tickets ranging from 150 to 450 rand (21 to 63 dollars, 16 to 47
euros), the price will be out of range for many South Africans but the
phone company Telkom has bought 40,000 tickets to dole out to students
and residents in the townships around Johannesburg.

For Zama, performing in her homeland carries its own pressure, notably
coping with the different dialects featured in the songs.

"The challenge here is that I don't know the 11 languages of this
country, so I am nervous about pronouncing the words properly. The people
know the culture, so we must be sure that everything is spot on."

The play -- winner of six Tony awards on Broadway where it is still
running -- is arguably one of the most lavish to be staged on the
continent, and the star-studded premiere included such big names as chat
show queen Oprah Winfrey, accompanied by students from a talent school
she funds near Johannesburg.

The family of Solomon Linda has also been invited, and his children plan
to take up the offer at some stage during the run after striking a
financial deal with Disney only last year for an undisclosed sum.

"They are very, very happy about the show to be acted in South Africa and
they are ecstatic about the fact that recognition had been given to their
father, at last," their lawyer Hanro Fiedrich.







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Chinese Studies - "Da Vinci Code" under investigation in Italy

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






"Da Vinci Code" under investigation in Italy

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-19 09:41









The cryptex from the movie 'The Da Vinci Code' is displayed at Chicago's
Museum of Science and Industry May 18, 2006. More than a year after its
premiere, 'The Da Vinci Code' is being investigated by Italian state
attorneys on the grounds that it is 'obscene' from a religious
perspective. [Reuters]



TAORMINA, Italy (Hollywood Reporter) - More than a year after its
premiere, "The Da Vinci Code" is being investigated by Italian state
attorneys on the grounds that it is "obscene" from a religious
perspective.

Earlier this year, a complaint against the film was filed by a group of
clergy near the Italian village of Civitavecchia, where the state
prosecutor's office said it would open a criminal investigation into the
film. The complaint says the film violates Article 528 of Italy's Penal
Code.

The complaint names 10 people, including director Ron Howard and author
Dan Brown.

The investigation means the case will have its day in court in the
seaside port village about 40 miles north of Rome, though a judge could
elect to throw out the charges. But it is significant that the state
prosecutor agreed to investigate it.

It is unclear what the unnamed complainants -- reported by the state
prosecutor to be Catholic clergy from the area -- are seeking.

Under the terms of Article 528 of the Penal Code, if found guilty the
defendants will have a criminal record in Italy and would each face jail
time of at least three months and fines of at least 103 euros ($139).
Jail time is capped at three years, but there is no upward limit on the
fines, legal experts said. The defendants cannot be extradited for the
charges, but they can be apprehended if they are already on Italian soil.

The development comes as Howard is beginning preproduction work here on
"Angels and Demons," the highly awaited sequel to "Da Vinci," also
authored by Brown.

Asked why the case is being opened now, some 13 months after the film
debuted at least year's Cannes Film Festival, an official at the
Civitavecchia state prosecutor said he wasn't sure.

"I don't know," the official said in a telephone interview. "Maybe they
(the clergy who filed the complaint) have just seen the film."

Both the book and film version of "Da Vinci" attracted widespread
criticism from religious groups, but this appears to be the first time
parties have taken legal action against the work.








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Learn Chinese - McConaughey is People's hottest bachelor

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






McConaughey is People's hottest bachelor

(AP)
Updated: 2007-06-15 07:55









This image, provided by People magazine, show the cover of People
magazine's 'Hottest Bachelors' issue, featuring Matthew McConaughey who
was named 'bachelor of the year.' The magazine also names 'sexy and
sizzling' bachelors such as Adrian Grenier, Zach Braff, Justin
Timberlake, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lewis, Ludacris and Apolo Ohno. [AP]




NEW YORK - Matthew McConaughey �� frequently photographed shirtless and
exercising on the beach �� is People magazine's "bachelor of the year."

"I love warm weather and summertime," the 37-year-old actor says in the
magazine's "Hottest Bachelors" issue, on newsstands Friday. "What better
way to enjoy it than at the beach, where few people wear shirts?"

When asked how he maintains his muscular build, McConaughey says: "I
don't really have a workout regimen I follow. I just live my life. My
goal is to break a sweat each day."

McConaughey, whose screen credits include "We Are Marshall," "Failure to
Launch" and "Sahara," has high standards when it comes to the ladies.

"What I look for in a woman is what I love to call the `two Hs' ��
hotness and humor," he says. "But to be honest, a woman with a good sense
of humor is always hot."

The magazine also names "sexy and sizzling" bachelors such as Adrian
Grenier, Zach Braff, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Reynolds, Ludacris and Apolo
Ohno.

David Spade, who starred on the "Just Shoot Me!" television series, also
makes the cut.

"Luckily we live in a world where women can overlook the physical and
focus on things more important, like having a good personality ... or
being on a TV show," the 42-year-old actor-comedian says.









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Learn Chinese online - O.J. Simpson's daughter must testify

ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






O.J. Simpson's daughter must testify

(AP)
Updated: 2007-06-13 08:03


MIAMI - A federal bankruptcy judge ordered O.J. Simpson's daughter
Tuesday to give a deposition by week's end in a lawsuit about the former
football star's canceled book, "If I Did It."

A judge already ordered the bankrupt company owned by Simpson's children
to turn over any copies of the book in which the former NFL star explains
how he might have committed the killings of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson
and Ron Goldman.

Simpson, who has maintained his innocence, was acquitted in 1995 of
criminal charges in the deaths.

Goldman's family wants to rename the book "Confessions of a Double
Murderer" and sell it to collect part of the $33.5 million they won
nearly a decade after a civil jury found Simpson liable for Goldman's
death.

But the Goldmans' case has been snarled with canceled depositions and
other hurdles.

Goldman attorneys have given up trying to depose O.J. Simpson after he
canceled at the last minute two weeks ago. Goldman attorney Paul Battista
said the Simpsons have failed to comply with court orders, including
turning over copies of the book.

"They simply don't want to play by the rules," Battista said. "I've never
seen as much contempt of court as I've seen in this case with the debtor."

Simpson's oldest daughter, Arnelle, is named as the head of Lorraine
Brooke Associates, which owns the book's rights.

Arnelle Simpson's attorney, Kendrick Whittle, said his client does not
have copies of the book. He said Goldman family attorneys were present
when a trustee took her deposition and she should not be forced to "sit
there and explain her life story in front of a camera," again.

But U.S. Bankruptcy Judge A. Jay Cristol ordered Arnelle Simpson and an
attorney for her father to give depositions by Friday, when a hearing is
supposed to start.

The attorney, Leonardo Starke, is believed to be holding about $3,500 for
Simpson in a client trust account in Florida, where the former NFL star
lives.

HarperCollins planned to publish the book but canceled the deal following
public outrage.

Lorraine Brooke, which struck a deal with HarperCollins to be included in
an auction for the book's rights, then filed for bankruptcy, putting the
sale on hold. Arnelle Simpson sought to reorganize Lorraine Brook, which
would have allowed her to maintain temporary control over it, but Cristol
ruled the company should be liquidated. He decided an independent trustee
would control it.












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Learn mandarin - Paris Hilton not eating or sleeping: report

ENTERTAINMENT / Gossip






Paris Hilton not eating or sleeping: report

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-10 08:57



LOS ANGELES - Paris Hilton has not eaten or slept since arriving at the
medical ward of a Los Angeles jail and is being given psychoactive drugs,
celebrity Web site TMZ.com reported on Saturday, citing law enforcement
sources.

The socialite and hotel heiress was ordered back to jail on Friday after
a judge overruled a sheriff's decision to place her under house arrest
for psychological problems after she had spent three days of an expected
three-week term behind bars.



A tourist poses with a wax figure of Paris Hilton dressed in prison wear
at Madame Tussauds in New York in this June 4, 2007 file photo. [Reuters]

The 26-year-old "has been crying a lot, praying" and is "extremely
withdrawn," TMZ reported.

Hilton was visited by her psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Sophy, for more than
two hours on Saturday morning. She was being held in a room by herself
with a glass door that is guarded at all times, the report said.

Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County sheriff, declined
to comment on the report. "Anything to do with her medical stuff I can't
confirm or deny," he said.

A spokesman for Hilton could not immediately be reached for comment.

Hilton's early release by Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca sparked
national outrage and accusations of preferential treatment because of her
celebrity status.

On Saturday, however, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Sauer's
order to return her to custody was sparking controversy, with television
pundits and others debating whether he had overstepped his bounds in
overruling Baca.

Baca has defended his decision, saying that Hilton was under an
early-release program established to ease jail overcrowding and that she
was serving more time than other inmates in the same low-level category.

Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail last month for violating
probation in a drunken-driving case by driving on a suspended license.

On Friday she trembled and cried quietly throughout the hearing, then
broke into loud sobs when the judge ordered her back into custody.

"Mom, Mom. It's not right," she wailed as she was led out of the
courtroom. Her mother, Kathy Hilton, also sobbed.








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