Chinese School - imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? - Page 2 -

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imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?
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芳芳 -

"used tampon".....isn't that you? I'm big fan.



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zhwj -

Interesting. The Language forums seem to have been taken down, and the whole thing is now behind a
registration wall.

Yet... http://chinaonline.cn.com/ASK/forums/thread/1282.aspx is quite familiar. I'm not sure how I
feel about having my alter-ego be named cross-eyed boy...










chinesetools -

I've had this happen before with several of my websites. I've done what I can to lock them out but
sometimes they just copy the page, change some colors and repost it.

I think it's hilarious that on their "China Business" forum, one of the topics listed is:
"How to protect IP?". They're not the best people to ask.










roddy -

I gave them a call yesterday afternoon and got a fairly positive response, with a follow-up email
saying

Quote:

After we spoke I contacted our administrator, instructing him to turn off our Ask China language
forums. Our administrator is now going through every post on Ask China (not only the language
forum, but every single entry) to immediately delete suspect posts.

Apparently they were employing freelancers to generate content for the site, and the freelancers
weren't so much generating it as borrowing it.

Very quick and correct response from their head guy once he was made aware of the issue, which to
be honest I wasn't expecting - so credit to them for that.










roddy -

And have also emailed them with a few more copied topics, but I'm damned if I'm going through the
whole thing telling them what to delete. If anyone spots anything though post it in here and I'll
pass it on. I think they thought it was only their language forum that was the problem, but
there's copied stuff all over the place - and that's just what's been copied from here.

Quote:

I've had this happen before with several of my websites. I've done what I can to lock them out but
sometimes they just copy the page, change some colors and repost it.

It can be a real problem. This is the first time anyone's tried to pass forums content off as
their own though. There are a couple of aggregator sites archiving damn near anything I haven't
been able to do anything about, but at least they provide links back.










Quest -

So what was my name?










roddy -

Actually, someone copied and pasted in some of your posts, and then they banned you.










kudra -

For those not up on what the heck is going on here, see
http://tinyurl.com/kdgda
as a WSJ reporter moonlights as an "original content" writer.










liuzhou -

The whole forum seems down now.










roddy -

And now it's up again, with copied content again. They really are taking the piss.

Example One
Example Two

Can anyone spot the deliberate mistake? Guess they thought making the English worse would let them
get away with it. . .












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Speak Chinese - japanese verbs/particles -

> Extras > Other cultures and language
japanese verbs/particles
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tanhql -

1) is there a website with a list of all the verbs and all the conjugation listed?

2) what is the simplest way of remembering if a verb is in group 1 or group 2, including
exceptions, other than refering to the list?

3) under what circumstances can に replace で,へ,を etc? (especially に and を, direct(を)
and indirect(に) objects is very confusing for me)



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novemberfog -

1) Not sure, and if there was I doubt it would be inclusive of all verbs. I do know that there the
"500 Verbs" series has an edition for Japanese.

2) If the verb ends in 〜る, then you know it is class 2. If it is not する or 来る then it
cannot be class 3, thus the verb would be class 1. Exceptions will be exceptions and you just have
to memorize them as you come across them.

3) The particle に is very hard to figure out. You just have to keep reading example sentences
until you come to an understanding. Every time someone tries to make a simple definition, one
could find exceptions.










nipponman -

[quote]3) under what circumstances can に replace で,へ,を etc? (especially に and を,
direct(を) and indirect(に) objects is very confusing for me)[quote]

に and を

This is actually an easier issue than most students make it especially when talking about に and
を (Unless you're refering to their locational attributes which is different). に is an indirect
object marker, and ,を is the direct object marker. "I threw the ball to Jim"
ジムに玉を投げた.

に and へ
There is not much difference here, I don't know of any at least, they are interchangeable.

に and で
This is also a simpler issue than most make it to be. に always refers to static contexts, while
で refers to dynamic ones. 公園で遊ぶ vs. 公園に住む "To play in a park" (dynamic,
changing action) vs "To live in a park" (static, non-changing action). Be careful with this
explanation however, it doesn't extend very far. V-でいる, in one of its three uses., can be a
more static context than V+う／る, however, even though this is still the case, で is used.
子供が公園で遊んでる。に here would be incorrect. It is instructive to note that all
particle-noun phrases (e.g. 子供が,公園で ,etc) can be eliminated from conversation
(provided context is provided) except the indirect object marker に, this cannot be eliminated.










tanhql -

"If the verb ends in 〜る, then you know it is class 2. If it is not する or 来る then it
cannot be class 3, thus the verb would be class 1. Exceptions will be exceptions and you just have
to memorize them as you come across them."

not necessary. 入る,始まる,座る etc have a 〜る, but they are all in group 1.










novemberfog -

tanhql:



Quote:

If the verb ends in 〜る, then you know it is class 2. If it is not する or 来る then it
cannot be class 3, thus the verb would be class 1. Exceptions will be exceptions and you just have
to memorize them as you come across them."

not necessary. 入る,始まる,座る etc have a 〜る, but they are all in group 1.

Naturally there are exceptions, and there is nothing you can do about it but remember the verbs
that are exceptions. The only rule regarding class 2 verbs is that ~る endings designate class
two verbs.










yingguoguy -



Quote:

2) what is the simplest way of remembering if a verb is in group 1 or group 2, including
exceptions, other than refering to the list?

I find it helps to always try and learn the dictionary る form, the た/て form, and the ます
form of a verb together and try and memorize a few sentances with all the various forms. Once you
have those, most other conjegations become obvious. If I don't know the た/て form seperately I
find it hard to hear them properly in speech.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to call group 1 -iru/-eru verbs exceptions. I don't know what the
ratio of these to group 2 verbs is, but I don't think you should make any assumptions about what a
verb is, you just need to know it's group.










nipponman -



Quote:

Naturally there are exceptions, and there is nothing you can do about it but remember the verbs
that are exceptions. The only rule regarding class 2 verbs is that ~る endings designate class
two verbs.

Another thing to remember, る endings only designate class two verbs if they come after いorえ.
It cannot be a class two verb otherwise. Now, there can be class one verbs that come after い or
え　e.g帰る is 帰った but 変える is 変えた. You must memorize the cases where group
one verbs have a る that comes after い or え, you cannot memorize any other exceptions as
there is none. Remember, you can only have a group-II verb if the る ending follows an い or
え, otherwise it is group-I.　入る,始まる,座る except the first verb, all these verbs do
not follow an いorえ (the second one follows a ま the third a わ) so automatically I know that
they are group-I



Quote:


Originally Posted by yingguoguy

I think it's a bit of a stretch to call group 1 -iru/-eru verbs exceptions. I don't know what the
ratio of these to group 2 verbs is, but I don't think you should make any assumptions about what a
verb is, you just need to know it's group.


Its not a stretch, that's the rule. There are no group-II verbs that come after any other vowel
sound other than い or え, none. So, by default, all group-I verbs that follow い or えand end
in る must be exceptions.



　










yingguoguy -



Quote:

Its not a stretch, that's the rule.

The rules I was taught:

1) Any group 1 verb ends with -u,-ku,-gu,-su,-tsu,-nu,-mu,-bu, and -ru.
2) Any group 2 verb ends with -iru, -eru
3) The group 3 verbs are kuru and suru and have irregular conjugations.

-ru verbs with a preceeding i or e are not exceptional in the sense that they don't break any of
the above rules. Given any verb ending in -iru or -eru it is impossible to infer from the rules
wether it is in group 1 or group 2.

The only verb generally considered to be exceptional is iku, as it's past form is itta, not iita
as you would expect from the rules given for group 1 verbs.



Quote:

There are no group-II verbs that come after any other vowel sound other than い or え, none. So,
by default, all group-I verbs that follow い or えand end in る must be exceptions.

This is a logical fallacy. Contrast with:

There are no Japanese people with anything other than natually black hair, none.
(okay maybe a dubious statement, but play along for the moment )
So, by default, all Americans with black hair must be exceptions.










nipponman -



Quote:


Originally Posted by yingguoguy

The only verb generally considered to be exceptional is iku, as it's past form is itta, not iita
as you would expect from the rules given for group 1 verbs.


This is not true, だ is considered the most exceptional verb, as it doesn't end with a う
sound.



Quote:


Originally Posted by yingguoguy

This is a logical fallacy.


You're missing the point. I'm not calling group-I verbs that end in -る and follow an い or anえ
exceptions because they violate group-I rules, I call them exceptions to the rule that group-II
verbs only end in that way. Hopefully you agree that you can never find a group-II verb that
doesn't end in -いる or -える, that sounds like a rule to me.but so that people don't go and
take every verb that ends in いる or -える to be group-II, we present exceptions to this rule.
Your arguing from the point that these aren't exceptions to the group-I rules, and your right.
Only problem is, nobody is talking about that (that didn't ask the question at least). These are
exceptions to the group-II rules.










yingguoguy -



Quote:

This is not true, だ is considered the most exceptional verb, as it doesn't end with a うsound.

But da isn't generally considered to be a verb but the copula. It shows the tense and politeness
level of sentences when these are not indicated by the verb or (for tense only) the i-adjective.
Although it's usually translated into English at 'to be', it's not actually a verb and the English
rule that all sentences must have a verb isn't true in Japanese.



Quote:

Hopefully you agree that you can never find a group-II verb that doesn't end in -いる or
-える, that sounds like a rule to me.

Agreed, see my rule 2 above.



Quote:

but so that people don't go and take every verb that ends in いる or -える to be group-II, we
present exceptions to this rule.

Your right that learners definately need their attention drawn to the fact that not everything
that ends in -i/eru is a group 2 verb, and a text should provide examples of group 1 -i/eru
endings to drive this point home. I also accept, which I missed originally, that tanhql refered to
exceptions to the rules in his first post, and people were just following his usage.

My point was that it's bad practice to think of group 1 -i/eru verbs as being exceptional in the
sense of assuming that any -i/eru verb is in group 2 unless it appears on a list of a exceptions
that you've specially memorized, as it'll probably end up being quite a long list, and whenever
you hit a verb, you'll waste time trying to remember if it's on the list or not.

It's also, I think, a bad idea to memorize in the form (帰る is group 1),(食べる is group 2)
but rather (帰る、帰った,帰ります),(食べる,食べた,食べます), partly for the
same reasons it's bad to try and remember Chinese tones by their numbers, but mainly because it
speeds up most conjugating most forms. You shouldn't have to think about groups in conversation.












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Learning Chinese - Pronunciation of "w" and "r" -

> Learning Chinese > Speaking and Listening
Pronunciation of "w" and "r"
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Shui -

I am a bit confuzed about the pronunciation of these two. When I hear my chinese teacher pronounce
"w", it sounds morelike "v". So, "zhong wen" sounds like "zhong ven".

And for "r", nor as in 二，but in 日. It sounds more like a jjjh sort of sound. I am not sure
how it should be written in english. It sounds to me like the "j" of the french "je", or like the
"s" of "measure".

谢谢你。

ありがとうございます。



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MCDULL -

the pronunciation of "w" in chinese is roughly the same as "w" in "when" or "want",different from
"v" as "very" or "vote".

"r" in"日”is particular,"日”spells“ri”in chinese, but the "i" is not pronounced,only "r"
works （第四声），so “日”sounds like "j" in French. But "r" in "人（ren）" or
"如（ru）" is pronounced as in "red" or "root".










semantic nuance -

As a native Chinese speaker, I feel confused too. Why is it 'zhong van' instead of 'zhong wen'
spoken in mainland china? Here in Taiwan, we say "zhong wen'. But I do remember one tv anchor here
who likes to use 'ven' instead of 'wen'. Perhaps she tries to act authentic or something. I have
no idea.

As for the pronunciation of 二, it's like [ar] sound as in 'are'. You can pronounce it as 'er' as
in 'bird' or 'ar' as in 'are'.

Hope it helps!










anonymoose -

The w sounding like v thing is probably because of your teacher's regional accent. I'm guessing
he/she's from the northeast of China. Some people in Dalian speak like that.

As for r sounding like jjjh, I think that's fairly normal (at least from what you've described,
without actually being able to hear it).










skylee -

I think that w/v thing is fairly common. When some actors pronounce it like this, sometimes I
think I see they bite their lips. ha ha. But I think it is quite nice on the ear.










atitarev -

Interesting that Chinese R is transliterated as either Ж (initial) or Р (final) in Russian. The
first is pronounced in Russian as "zh" (French "j" or English "s" in measure) and the second is
"r". Initial and final R are quite different in Chinese but the initial R is not quite as French
"J", it's something between French "J" and English "R"










Quest -

I started to notice Cantonese "w" is half way between "v" and "w" as well, and realized my
Cantonese "w" has been "corrupted" by my English "w", sigh...










Shui -

Ah, thank you.
So then, the "v" sounding "w" is a regional thing? I know that my teacher is a native beijing-ite,
so it probably is just the northeastern accent.

谢谢。










jukebox -



Quote:

So then, the "v" sounding "w" is a regional thing?

Yes, it happens amolst only in Beijing, but this doesn't apply to 我/wo 五/wu.










jbiesnecker -

The 'w' -> 'v' thing is definitely a regional variation. My wife is from Changchun and does it too
(so it's not only happening in Beijing ).












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HSK Exam - Shanghainese vs Cantonese - Page 2 -

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

Well you're a minority, because I've seldomly had a Shanghainese tolerate me trying to speak
Shanghaihua. To the exception of convenient store cashiers who don't want to be bothered to tell
the price in Mandarin. haha

Don't talk to me about any form of Chinese opera, they're all painful. I have tried to enjoy it to
no avail.

Ask your non-Shanghainese friends if they think about how Shanghaihua sounds. Stress that they
don't need to be polite about what they think, to be truthful with you. You'll see.



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wai ming -

I think whether or not a language sounds pleasing to the ear really depends on your individual
preferences. Plenty of people tell me Cantonese sounds really harsh and ugly, but I actually like
the way it sounds That said, I think it also depends on how much exposure you've had to the
language. At the beginning, a lot of the Cantonese I did hear sounded quite harsh on the ears, but
as I met more Cantonese speakers and heard Cantonese spoken in more contexts, I met more people
who spoke Cantonese quite gently.

As for Shanghainese, the only time I've heard it spoken was when my friend was on the phone to her
mother, and the way she spoke sounded quite gently, but maybe it's just her

As for learning materials, I have a feeling that most of the materials available for Shanghainese
are either aimed at native Mandarin speakers (and are thus less accessible for those of us who are
still struggling with Mandarin) or are descriptions of it written by linguists... It's hard enough
to find good quality learning materials or courses for Cantonese beyond the tourist
phrasebook/beginner level, so I can't imagine how hard it must be for anyone interested in
learning Shanghainese.










L-F-J -

It sounds kind of nasal doesn't it?

Are there any places online to hear the Shanghai dialect?










rose~ -

I am learning Shanghainese now, L-F-J, and I haven't found materials apart from some books for
beginners that have cds. It seems to be a problem.

I must admit that I also thought my neighbours were arguing a lot, but then realised it was just
the dialect. I find Cantonese softer...(sorry...)










L-F-J -

Yup, I started looking for a second dialect to study after Mandarin. I liked Shanghainese and had
friends there but it was impossible to find anything on it in the US, or even online. I think to
learn it I'll have to live in Shanghai. But even then, how can I study enough on my own? So, I had
to switch to Cantonese, which I really like anyway.










gato -

Here's a site on Shanghainese that our old member "ala" used to mention from time to time. It may
be his site.
http://www.zanhe.com/l1.html










md1101 -

another problem is shanghainese is only really useful in shanghai. outside of shanghai it is quite
unlikely you would have a chance to use it. cantonese is used in southern china, hong kong, as
well as all over the world by the overseas chinese and thus is very useful for business and making
money. mandarin is an obvious choice but shanghainese is really a bit of a minority dialect.

that said i wish i could speak shanghainese as im sure itd help with business in shanghai. i would
assume the locals would respect you for wanting to learn it but i do hear a lot that the
shanghainese are very proud and probably wouldn't take too well to a foreigner trying to speak
their language. feel free to refute me on that!

i think it sounds very similiar to cantonese.. niether sound as good as mandarin in my opinion.










L-F-J -

but i do hear a lot that the shanghainese are very proud and probably wouldn't take too well to a
foreigner trying to speak their language.

Is that pride or selfishness?










Yuchi -



Quote:

Here's a site on Shanghainese that our old member "ala" used to mention from time to time. It may
be his site.
http://www.zanhe.com/l1.html

What ever happened to ala? I don't see his posts anymore and the site's bbs has been down for
quite some time.



Quote:

another problem is shanghainese is only really useful in shanghai. outside of shanghai it is quite
unlikely you would have a chance to use it.

There are other cities (Ningbo) with wu dialects, but Shanghai has the most popular. I'm not sure
of intelligibility, but my uncle said it's a bit different there [Ningbo], but not to the point
where he couldn't understand them.










wushijiao -



Quote:

There are other cities (Ningbo) with wu dialects, but Shanghai has the most popular. I'm not sure
of intelligibility, but my uncle said it's a bit different there [Ningbo], but not to the point
where he couldn't understand them.

I teach in Shanghai, and about 90% of my students are from Shanghai while about 10% are from other
areas close by. I've asked my students who are from Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu if they use
Shanghaihua to communicate with their Shanghaiese friends. It seems they mainly use Putonghua.
From what I've read, it seems that both parties could take a few days, or weeks, and become
familiar with the other's vocab and pronunciation, and then use their native hua's to communicate,
but, why would one do that if they can both easily use Putonghua? (Of course, this wasn't posible
for the older generations who don't speak good Putonghua.)

I think this points to the obvious fact that if Shanghaiese, or Wu, ever wants to flourish, a
standardized version of Wu needs to be popularized in the mass media. But, for better or for
worse, the government doesn't allow the widespread use of dialects in the mass media.

I think most Wu speakers seem to be unaware that they speak a “dialect/ regionalect/
language/话”(take your pick)- Wu. Instead, they simply think they speak “X city-话”. So,
as the younger generations speak better and better Putonghua, the solidarity in uniting to form a
solid block to prevent the total destruction of the Wu dialects likewise decreases. In other
words, Putonghua, that brutish northern warrior, is practicing a sly form of 反间计: divide and
conquer!












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Chinese Tutor - What is this Japanese character? -

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What is this Japanese character?
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anonymoose -

I'm just learning hiragana for fun, but I don't understand some things. In がっこう what is
the function of the っ character? It looks like 'tu' but since がっこう is 'gakkou', I guess
it has something to do with the double k. Anyone? How is kk pronounced?



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novemberfog -

It means that you should double the consonant that comes after it. I am sorry I don't know the
linguistic term, but without it, the word changes completely. Basically, it causes your voice to
stress that syllable, and it feels like your voice is stopping for a moment.

がっこう　gakkou "gah-kkou"
がこう　 gakou "gahkou"










skylee -

Take a look -> 促音 sokuon










atitarev -

学校【がっこう】 school

Double consonant kk is pronounced as kk in "take care"










Evelyn -

っ it's a pause










anonymoose -

Thanks, all of you!












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Chinese Tutor - The new money

? ?



CITYLIFE / Bars & Cafes






The new money


By Mark Andrews (City Weekend)
Updated: 2007-07-06 08:59



This club is a mystery. Vast amounts of money have been spent on it, but
the question is why? With names of cocktails like Warm Dior this place
seems aimed at local nouveau riche. However, on a Saturday night visit it
was empty with more staff than customers. There is no dance floor and the
club seems to consist of tables and chairs. It is lit by red neon tubing
and the panels there are big screens playing hip-hop videos.

If you care for an unsual treat, however, check out the lounge-styled
bathroom with its lavish finish including mingling couches for a very
high-class, chic pit stop in between drinks. The music is not
overbearingly loud. Two bars are filled with juggling tenders. Some items
on the menu reach well into the thousands. Cocktails and beer are around
RMB50. This club is best left to the whisky and green tea crowd. Perfect
for: individual service.

Cici
Add: Redtown 570 Huaihai Xi Lu
Tel: 021-6283-7779























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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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Chinese Tutor - Lay off on the horn!

CITYLIFE / My Opinion






Lay off on the horn!

By Laura (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-07-04 16:39



All cities face traffic problems. People the world over are frustrated by
bad and inconsiderate driving but why do people feel the need to beep
their horn so rudely? If someone pulls into a line of traffic, why beep
at them? They obviously need to be there so you may as well just let them
in. A loud beep does little more than infuriate other drivers stuck in
the same bad traffic as you.

In many other countries car horns are used as a friendly gesture to say
"Please let me in" rather than "GET OUT OF MY WAY".

No one enjoys being stuck in traffic but rather than pushing to the front
of the queue, the city could alleviate some of its traffic woes if
commuters were courteous and allowed other drivers in and out of traffic
queues politely. Your journey is no more important than the person next
to you.
















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Tibet and know more interesting tour routes leading to this divine place.
Please click here!

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




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� 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!





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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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HSK Exam - Zhang Ziyi at Christian Dior collection show

ENTERTAINMENT / Most Viewed Photos in 72 Hours






Zhang Ziyi at Christian Dior collection show


Updated: 2007-07-04 15:12






Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi attended the Christian Dior Fall/Winter
2007-08 Haute Couture collection show in Paris on Monday, July 2, 2007.
The prestigious fashion house of Christian Dior is celebrating its 60th
birthday this week. [Eastday.com]


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Speak Chinese - Read all about it

? ?



CITYLIFE / Eating Out






Read all about it


(Beijing weekend)
Updated: 2007-07-02 09:56




Thai seafood salad is a popular dish at Art Sphere.
Artistic types looking to linger over a meal or cup of coffee with a book
in hand would be at home at Art Sphere. The restaurant at Asian Games
Village is also a library and bookstore. Its owners are artists and
publishers, who intended this to be a place where art-loving people can
sit down for an undisturbed conversation.

The fact Art Sphere is in the same yard of Yanhuang Art Museum is a plus.
The ambience is lovely, with plenty of trees and plants in the yard. The
restaurant has a good outdoor section with tables and umbrellas, making
it an enjoyable spot for warm evenings and cool afternoons.

There are three small sections with books at the restaurant. Most books
are art-themed, featuring painting, calligraphy, and design. There is a
special section of English books, most other books are in Chinese. All
have plenty of pictures and drawings.

All the books can be both bought and read. Some examples are, Complete
Collection of the World's Top 50 Artists, which comes in 50 books, one
about each artist, and Complete works of Chinese Famous Paintings and
Calligraphy, consisting of modern and ancient Chinese artists. But other
books on Chinese folk art make for easier reading and browsing.

The food is a fusion of world cuisines. There are Italian, French,
Spanish, Australian, American and Russian classic dishes. A small section
of the menu also lists a few Thai, Japanese and Chinese choices. The
dishes are beautifully presented, light and healthy.

Apart from round tables and chairs at the entrance, other parts of the
restaurant are furnished with square tables and comfortable sofas. It is
quiet, spacious and relaxing to sit back on one of those, browse a book
of art, or have a private conversation with a friend.

There is a special BBQ menu for the outdoor area. The restaurant has an
extensive drinks menu, which features cocktails, wine, liquor and beer,
as well as coffee, tea and snacks.

Average spending is 100 yuan. Menu is in both Chinese and English.
Parking is easy inside the yard.

Recommended dishes are French-style baked whole trout, Australian lamb
chops,Zuercher veal, beef rib-eye steak, and Italian Pizza.

Opening time:9:30 am - midnight.
Adress:Inside the yard of Yanhuang Art Museum, 9 Huizhong Lu, Asian Games
Village, Chaoyang District.
Tel: 010-6497-9331.























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 mandarin - Bollywood movie still hot after 12 years

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Bollywood movie still hot after 12 years

(AP)
Updated: 2007-06-29 08:55


MUMBAI - If you want to understand the hold that Bollywood has over
India, go to Manoj Desai's old movie palace, in the crowded neighborhood
known simply as Mumbai Central. Go to the early show, at 11:30 a.m., when
the line for tickets occasionally spills off the sidewalk and into the
parking lot.


The cheap seats then are just 35 cents, and the audience is mostly from
the city's vast slums. Everyone seems to know the dialogue by heart.

They've been lining up, every day, for 12 years.

For the same movie.

"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge," which translates from Hindi as "The One
with a Heart Will Take the Bride," but known across India simply as
"DDLJ," has been a daily fixture at the Maratha Mandir theater since
October 1995.

"Every year or so, we think sales will go down," said Desai, the theater
owner, a massive, fleshy man in a shiny polyester shirt, sitting behind a
marble-topped desk the size of a small car. "But it never does."

His explanation is simple: "We are crazy about movies."

He's right about that. Movies are so big here that riots break out after
the deaths of major stars; so big that when the country's most famous
actor, Amitabh Bachchan, fell badly ill, two fans killed themselves
hoping it would help his recovery.

But Bollywood, the Mumbai-based Hindi-language movie industry that churns
out 200 films a year �� most of them musicals following a strict happily
ever-after formula �� is about more than cinematic madness.

Bollywood is about poverty and aspirations. It's about middle-class
dreams for the poor, and upper-class dreams for the middle class.
Particularly in Mumbai, one of the most crowded cities on Earth, the
movies are an escape, and a solace.

Their influence is everywhere. Bollywood has helped foster the
hyper-extravagent weddings that have become a hallmark of India's new
rich, and helped turn Hindi into the country's true national language.
Movies have spawned generations of actors-turned-politician.

In a country with more than 2,000 ethnic groups, all the world's major
religions and hundreds of languages (more than a dozen have their own,
smaller movie industries), Bollywood is one of the few threads that
actually knits India together.

"Here is our national language," the Indian-American writer Suketu Mehta
once wrote of Bollywood. "Here is our common song."

Standing by the snack counter during DDLJ's brief intermission, Prakash
Prasad put it far less poetically: "The story is good. The songs are very
good," said the stringy 24-year-old with greasy hair and worn blue jeans.

Prasad came to Mumbai six years ago, leaving his family's
poverty-battered central Indian village. Outwardly he found little: life
in a slum, a factory job that barely paid and, eventually, unemployment.
But he also has a circle of close friends, and a city that he now
considers his home.

Since losing his job a month ago, he's come to DDLJ every day. It's one
of the few things he can still afford.

"I love Bombay," he said, using the city's former name. "I love this
city."

Mumbai is full of such people, desperately poor villagers who arrive
looking for a little money, a little excitement, a little hope.

The have filled the city almost beyond belief.

New York City has 8,159 people per square mile. Dharavi, the biggest of
Mumbai's many slums, has an estimated 7,200 people per acre.

For many of these people, a cheap seat at the Maratha Mandir, a
gracefully aging palace with curving wooden walls, elaborate chandeliers
and 1,102 red leather seats, is one of the few places where they can
carve out their own place.

There's the Parsi housewife who has come every day for a decade, and the
guy who runs the milk stall at the city's nearby central train station
and who �� at last count �� was on his 32nd showing. There are thousands
of people like Prasad who come from crowded shantytowns.

During the summer, when the heat climbs well past 100 and the city is
awash in a soul-sucking humidity, the theater's frigid air conditioning
is enough to draw them.

On most days, at least a few hundred people show up for DDLJ. On
weekends, the theater occasionally sells out.

But why this movie? There are plenty of theories.

Some possible explanations: It features Shah Rukh Khan, today one of
India's biggest stars, and a miraculously beautiful woman known by one
name, Kajol; Its music is very catchy; The plot is heavy on traditional
family values (obey your parents, don't have premarital sex) but misses
few chances to fill the screen with lush shots of cleavage.

But for the most part, it's your basic Bollywood boy-meets-girl songfest,
with 3 hours of stilted dialogue, five song-and-dance numbers, and a
happy ending that's obvious from the start.

In India, that's cinematic comfort food.

And it's cheap comfort food. Desai charges half what he does for
first-run movies, and still turns a profit.

For the crowds that flock for DDLJ, that counts for a lot.

Tyeb Bhai, 52, has been manning the theater's snack bar for 28 years,
dispensing 10-cent cups of tea and homemade potato chips.

He can tell what movie is playing by what is purchased. At DDLJ, the
audience is mostly poor, and mostly they buy nothing.

"If they have a day off, or they're skipping work, or whatever, they can
come here for a show," he said. "You can't find something like this
anywhere else in the city, not that people like this can afford."












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Chinese Character - Kelly Clarkson on Elle magazine

ENTERTAINMENT / Music/Theater






Kelly Clarkson on Elle magazine


Updated: 2007-06-27 10:52








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Pnyin - Bullock goes to Church for romantic comedy

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Bullock goes to Church for romantic comedy

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-25 12:57





Sandra Bullock

"Spider-Man 3" villain Thomas Haden Church is in negotiations to co-star
opposite Sandra Bullock in the comedy "All About Steve," which will begin
shooting this summer.

Bullock plays a brilliant crossword constructor who, after one short
date, decides that a CNN cameraman (Church) is her true love. Because the
cameraman's job takes him hither and yon, she crisscrosses the country,
turning up at media events as she tries to convince him they are perfect
for each other. She fails in this objective but falls in with a band of
misfits who appreciate her for who she is.

Phil Traill will make his feature directorial debut on the Fox project.
Kim Barker ("License to Wed") wrote the screenplay.

Church, who played Flint Marko/Sandman in "Spider-Man 3," next stars in
Miramax Films' "Smart People." He was nominated for an Oscar for his
supporting turn in 2004's "Sideways."










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Chinese Studies - "Citizen Kane" leads "Godfather" in movie poll

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






"Citizen Kane" leads "Godfather" in movie poll

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-21 17:22



LOS ANGELES - "Citizen Kane," Orson Welles' powerful portrait of an
unscrupulous media baron, beat back an assault from "The Godfather," on
Wednesday to retain its title as the greatest American film.

Film critics, historians and experts voted "Kane" as the top U.S. film
for the second time in a decade in a poll conducted by the American Film
Institute. The results were revealed in a three-hour CBS special "100
Years, 100 Movies, 10th Anniversary Edition."

"The Godfather," which ranked third in the original poll of 100 great
films a decade ago. moved up a notch to second place while "Casablanca"
slipped to number three.

Also in the top 10 were a surprising "Raging Bull" at number four, up 20
places from a decade ago. "Singin' in the Rain" was in fifth place, "Gone
With The Wind" was sixth followed by "Lawrence of Arabia," "Schindler's
List," "Vertigo" and "The Wizard of Oz."

"Vertigo," the Hitchcock film starring James Stewart, rose to 9th place
after placing 61st in the original poll.

"American film has always reflected and, in many respects, defined who we
are," said AFI president and chief executive Jean Picker Firstenberg.

She credited the spreading popularity of the DVD with spurring interest
in silent films and in often neglected masterpieces like John Ford's "The
Searchers," which went from 96 on the original list to 12 this year.

For the first time, D.W. Griffith's silent masterpiece "Intolerance" was
voted onto the list as was Buster Keaton's "The General" while Charlie
Chaplin's poignant "City Lights" rose from 76 to 11 on the list.

But Griffith's racist 1915 film "Birth of a Nation" fell off the list
entirely because of its now unpopular ideology, despite its history of
technical innovations.

Of the 43 newly eligible films released from 1996 to 2006, only "Lord of
the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (50), "Saving Private Ryan" (71),
"Titanic" (83) and "The Sixth Sense" (89) made the cut.

Other new additions to the list include "Cabaret" (63), "Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf?" (67), "The Shawshank Redemption" (72), "All The
President's Men" (77), "Spartacus" (81) and "A Night at the Opera" (85).

Among those films that did not make the list were: "Fantasia," "Doctor
Zhivago," "Birth of a Nation," "The Jazz Singer," My Fair Lady," "From
Here to Eternity" and "An American in Paris."

AFI film historian Pat Hansen said it seemed that musicals took the
biggest hit. "Musicals seemed out of favor and were replaced by more
popular films like 'Titanic' and 'Saving Private Ryan'," she said.










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Chinese Character - Danza to play 'The Producers' in Vegas

ENTERTAINMENT / Theater & Arts






Danza to play 'The Producers' in Vegas

(AP)
Updated: 2007-06-19 08:49









This photo, supplied by Barlow-Hartman, shows Tony Danza in his role in
'The Producers' in New York in a Dec. 20, 2006 photo. Tony Danza will
reprise his lead role as Max Bialystock in the Las Vegas version of Mel
Brooks' hit Broadway show 'The Producers,' he told The Associated Press
on Monday. [AP]



LAS VEGAS - Tony Danza will reprise his lead role as Max Bialystock in
the Las Vegas version of Mel Brooks' hit Broadway show "The Producers,"
he told The Associated Press on Monday.

"I love the part," said Danza, a former star of TV's "Taxi" and "Who's
the Boss," who signed to take over Aug. 13 as the down-on-his-luck
theatrical producer who hatches a wildly successful play despite his best
attempts to fail.

"My take is, I think Max is a likable guy," Danza said by telephone from
his home in Los Angeles. "Sure he's up to no good. But it's almost like
he can't help himself."

Mel Brooks, who wrote the play based on his 1968 movie about a pair of
con artists who overfinance a Broadway musical in the hopes of producing
a flop and making off with the investors' money, called Danza perfect for
the show.

"I think for Vegas, you need a show that has a lot of laughs and a lot of
legs," said Brooks, 80, one of the few people to have won Oscar, Emmy,
Grammy and Tony awards.

"Tony brings the laughs, a certain charm, and an inescapable charisma,"
Brooks told the AP. "He's irresistible. Everybody likes Tony Danza."

Danza, 56, was one of the Maxes in the long Broadway run of the show,
which opened in 2001 with Nathan Lane as Max and ended April 22 after
2,502 performances.

The Las Vegas version, pared to 90 minutes, has been playing since Jan.
31 at the Paris Las Vegas hotel-casino.

Danza's 18-week engagement is for 126 shows, ending the week before
Christmas. Terms of his contract were not made public.

Brooks said he expects Danza "will be a terrific draw."













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Chinese Class - Harry Potter casts spell on location vacations

ENTERTAINMENT / Movies






Harry Potter casts spell on location vacations

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-14 16:55



LONDON - For tourism chiefs eager to entice "set-jetters" to Britain,
Harry Potter offers the ideal location vacation -- and the latest book
and film look certain to stoke renewed Pottermania.

The teenage wizard certainly knows how to wave his magic wand over
cathedrals, colleges and castles. Being featured in a Potter movie is a
ticket to tourist success.



"The right film can be a giant advert -- seen by millions of people --
for the unique appeal of a destination," said Tom Wright, chief executive
of VisitBritain.

"We estimate around one in five of Britain's international visitors are
inspired to come here by the images they see in movies or on TV," he said.

The tourist industry was so grateful that it even awarded an outstanding
achievement "Oscar" to Harry.

For tours inspired by movie and TV locations -- known in the trade as
"set-jetting" -- are enjoying a boom.

"The Lord of the Rings" gave New Zealand tourism a massive fillip after
the fantasy trilogy was set there. From Indiana Jones to Elvis Presley,
Hawaii proved a perfect backdrop.

The global success of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" gave specialist
tour operators a big boost in Britain -- but nothing matches Potter's
longevity.

ATTRACTIONS

J.K Rowling's final book in the wizard saga comes out next month just
after the latest Potter movie.

"Our tours tend to peak just before another Potter book or film comes
out. Then people go bananas (crazy) for Potter," said Jason
Doll-Steinberg, marketing manager at British Tours Ltd whose summer
bookings are on the rise again.

"Films really are a great advert for the country. It was a real shame
'The Lord of the Rings' was not shot here. New Zealand benefited from a
British phenomenon."

He is bombarded with calls from historic attractions asking to be
included in specialist tours and "My advice always is -- get into the
next Potter blockbuster and you will be laughing."

Sites selected for the films certainly hit the jackpot.

At Alnwick Castle, Britain's largest inhabited castle after Windsor
Castle, Philippa Pendrich said "We have done very well thank you."

At the castle used for exterior shots in the movies, she said "Pre-Potter
we had about 68,000 visitors a season. Last year we had about 195,000."

At Christ Church, one of Oxford University's most famous colleges, head
custodian Tony Fox said "It has improved our economy no end, boosting
revenue by 50 percent."

"In pre-Potter days you would sit around for hours on end and get no one
in," he said of the dining hall used as the Great Hall in Hogwarts School
of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Gloucester Cathedral feels equally blessed.

"We could potentially attribute 50,000 people over a couple of years to
Potter," said chapter steward Mark Beckett.

And no corner of Potter's magical world is overlooked.

King's Cross Station in London even erected a "photo opportunity" plaque
for Platform Nine and a Half where Harry boards the school train to
Hogwarts.







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Learn mandarin - Victoria Beckham films her L.A. story

ENTERTAINMENT / Music






Victoria Beckham films her L.A. story

(AP)
Updated: 2007-06-13 07:30





Victoria Beckham prepares to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before
a baseball game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers in
Los Angeles, Monday, June 11, 2007. [AP]

LOS ANGELES (AP) �� A Beckham was on the pitch �� only it was Victoria
Beckham and she was at Dodger Stadium. The former Posh Spice, wearing a
Los Angeles Dodgers windbreaker, filmed scenes for her upcoming reality
show Monday before the New York Mets-Dodgers game.

In a nearly empty Dodger Stadium, the wife of soccer star David Beckham
played catch with Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe in preparation for throwing
out the ceremonial first pitch.

That was filmed, as was a conversation with Hall of Famer Tom Lasorda, a
longtime manager of the Dodgers who is now a club executive.

NBC has signed a deal for six episodes of a 30-minute unscripted series
chronicling the former Posh Spice's relocation from Europe with her
husband, who has signed to play with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major
League Soccer.

Beckham is in Spain finishing out his contract with Real Madrid, which
ends June 30.

"Mid-July, I reckon," she said when asked about when the move to
California will take place. "As a family, we're really excited about
moving to L.A. He's looking forward to coming to a Dodgers game as well."

Beckham, also wearing white shorts, white high-heeled sneakers and
oversized sunglasses, said she was "really nervous" about delivering the
ceremonial first pitch. But many of her practice tosses to Lowe in the
area behind home plate were on-target.

"I've been to lots of soccer stadiums, but this is something else," she
said. "I'm going to do the best I can. It's a huge honor for me. David's
going to be watching at home."

Surrounded by cameras and still photographers, Lasorda told Beckham:
"You'd better tell people that you really love the Dodgers."

"OK, I love the Dodgers," she replied with a smile.

The reality show might air this summer. It will be produced by Simon
Fuller, the "American Idol" magnate who managed the Spice Girls pop group
that included Beckham.

Fuller manages both Beckhams and helped negotiate the famed athlete's
lucrative soccer deal.












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Learn Chinese - Mischa Barton to star in lesbian film

? ?



ENTERTAINMENT / Most Viewed Photos in 72 Hours






Mischa Barton to star in lesbian film



Updated: 2007-06-08 17:59



Former O.C. star Mischa Barton is coming out on the big screen in Roland
Joffe's Russian coming-of-age drama Finding t.A.T.u., reports Variety.





The movie, adapted from the novel t.A.T.u. Come Back by Russian author A.
Mitrofanov, follows the story of a lonely American teenager in Moscow who
becomes friends with a local girl over their obsession with the
gay-for-pay pop band t.A.T.u.

In 2000 t.A.T.u. caused international controversy with their music video
single "I've Lost My Mind." The video, which aired on MTV Russia,
depicted the band's two female singers dressed as Catholic school girls
singing the song and kissing sensually.

With the release of the documentary Anatomiya t.A.T.u. in 2003, it became
apparent that the girls' sexuality was a publicity stunt.

The cast also includes Shantel VanSanten, Anton Yelchin, Alex Kaluzhsky,
and Helena Mattsson. (The Advocate)
























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