wedding anniversary

Last Saturday my parents celebrated the 33rd anniversary of their wedding. 33 years! Quite a long time, isn’t it? On the occasion, I prepared a special class about getting married and weddings.

Why do people get married? For love? To have children? Because they are expecting a child? For money? To have a stable life? Because of the social pressure? – everybody around me has already got married, so I also should… 

How do you get married? A bride, a groom, a bridesmaid, a best man… Exchanging rings, exchanging wedding vows:

“I, …, take you, …, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life”.

“I, …, take you, …, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part”.

Is there anything exciting that married couple is still expecting? How can you keep the heat in your marriage?

Wedidng night, honeymoon…

Anniversaries:

• 1 – paper
• 2- cotton
• 3 – leather
• 4 – silk
• 5 – wooden
• 10 – tin
• 15 – crystal
• 20 – china
• 25 – silver
• 30 – pearl
• 35 – jade
• 40 – ruby
• 50 – gold
• 60 – diamond
• 70 – stone
• 80 – oak

Can you imagine being married with the same person for 50 and more years?

Ellie!

Hitlist #525
March 28th, 2011

1. 1 (4) ELLIE GOULDING, Lights
2. 3 (8) 林俊杰 (JJ LIN), I Am
3. 2 (5) RADIOHEAD, Lotus Flower
4. 11 (4) MICHAEL JACKSON, Hollywood Tonight
5. 8 (7) LADY GAGA, Born This Way
6. 5 (8) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Faster
7. 4 (7) BADLY DRAWN BOY, I Saw You Walk Away
8. 6 (6) TAKE THAT, Kidz
9. 13 (5) R.E.M., Oh My Heart
10. 16 (2) LINKIN PARK, Burning In The Skies
11. 20 (12) DURAN DURAN, All You Need Is Now
12. 9 (4) ADELE, Someone Like You
13. 18 (2) ARCTIC MONKEYS, Brick By Brick
14. 7 (10) PJ HARVEY, The Words That Maketh Murder
15. 12 (9) R.E.M., Überlin
16. 19 (2) 周杰伦 (JAY CHOU), 天地一斗 (Tiandi Yi Dou)
17. – (1) 潘玮柏 (WILL PAN), UUU
18. – (1) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, Just Can’t Get Enough
19. 10 (15) JÓNSI, New Piano Song
20. 14 (4) APOCALYPTICA FEAT. BRENT SMITH, Not Strong Enough

sunset

It was raining yesterday. It’s raining today. It’s going to rain tomorrow.  Rainy season has started, which means that the spring has reached its middle. Hopefully after a couple of days it’ll get warmer and sunny. Shortly before the rain began, I had been lucky to catch a wonderful sunset over West Lake. I’m a big fan of the sunsets and West Lake as well – I’m so happy I could have taken these photos.

you show the lights

Ellie holds the 1st position – Radiohead tried to attack the peak with their “Lotus Flower”, but eventually have to be content with the 2nd place… My favourite artist ever, Jay Chou, debutes with a track “天地一斗”, which is a lead song for his Sprite’s advertisement. I didn’t like it at first, but it quickly grew up on me. It features Kobe Bryant, an NBA star. East meets West!

“You show the lights that stop me turn to stone

You shine it when I’m alone

And so I tell myself that I’ll be strong

And dreaming when they’re gone”

[Ellie Goulding, Lights, Bright Lights]

Hitlist #523

March 21st, 2011

1. 1 (3) ELLIE GOULDING, Lights

2. 6 (4) RADIOHEAD, Lotus Flower

3. 3 (7) 林俊杰 (JJ LIN), I Am

4. 2 (6) BADLY DRAWN BOY, I Saw You Walk Away

5. 10 (7) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Faster

6. 4 (5) TAKE THAT, Kidz

7. 5 (9) PJ HARVEY, The Words That Maketh Murder

8. 8 (6) LADY GAGA, Born This Way

9. 12 (3) ADELE, Someone Like You

10. 11 (14) JÓNSI, New Piano Song

11. 13 (3) MICHAEL JACKSON, Hollywood Tonight

12. 7 (8) R.E.M., Überlin

13. 14 (4) R.E.M., Oh My Heart

14. 17 (3) APOCALYPTICA FEAT. BRENT SMITH, Not Strong Enough

15. 9 (11) SEAL, Weight Of My Mistakes

16. – (1) LINKIN PARK, Burning In The Skies

17. 19 (2) MANIC STREET PREACHERS, Postcards From A Young Man

18. – (1) ARCTIC MONKEYS, Brick By Brick

19. – (1) 周杰伦 (JAY CHOU), 天地一斗 (Tiandi Yi Dou)

20. 15 (11) DURAN DURAN, All You Need Is Now

圣帕特里克节

– 这些照片好漂亮！他们在庆祝什么？

– 他们在庆祝圣帕特里克节，为了纪念爱尔兰守护神圣帕特里克。

– 那就是只有爱尔兰人会过这个节日了？

– 那倒不是。

– 他们为什么浑身上下都弄成绿色呢？

– 这是习俗。

***

圣帕特里克 – St. Patrick

纪念 – to commemorate

守护 – guard

守护神 – patron

浑身 – from head to foot, all over

习俗 – custom

lights

Ellie! An English singer who debuted last year, has just scored her 2nd number 1 hit. The first one was Elton John’s cover “Your Song” – a big hit in winter. “Lights” has a different sound, it’s faster, happier and feels warmer. Great achievement by Ellie!

Hitlist #523
March 14th, 2011

1. 7 (2) ELLIE GOULDING, Lights
2. 3 (5) BADLY DRAWN BOY, I Saw You Walk Away
3. 1 (6) 林俊杰 (JJ LIN), I Am
4. 6 (4) TAKE THAT, Kidz
5. 2 (8) PJ HARVEY, The Words That Maketh Murder
6. 8 (3) RADIOHEAD, Lotus Flower
7. 9 (7) R.E.M., Überlin
8. 4 (5) LADY GAGA, Born This Way
9. 10 (10) SEAL, Weight Of My Mistakes
10. 5 (6) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Faster
11. 15 (13) JÓNSI, New Piano Song
12. 17 (2) ADELE, Someone Like You
13. 13 (2) MICHAEL JACKSON, Hollywood Tonight
14. 16 (3) R.E.M., Oh My Heart
15. 12 (10) DURAN DURAN, All You Need Is Now
16. 11 (8) 潘玮柏 (WILL PAN), 全面通缉 (Quan Mian Tongji)
17. 18 (2) APOCALYPTICA FEAT. BRENT SMITH, Not Strong Enough
18. 19 (4) MAROON 5, Never Gonna Leave This Bed
19. – (1) MANIC STREET PREACHERS, Postcards From A Young Man
20. 14 (13) SCISSOR SISTERS, Invisible Light

九溪

Tea plantations, mist everywhere. With a book in my hand, with a cap on my head, with a bag over my shoulder, with a camera right next to my eye… That’s 九溪 (Jiu Xi – Nine Creeks) in Hangzhou – a picturesque place, good to go on a Sunday afternoon.

women

March 8th – International Women’s Day

How do you celebrate? Do you give (or receive) flowers? Chocolate, jewelry, sexy underwear? Or just a hug, kiss, smile?

Who are important women in everybody’s lives? Mothers, wives, grandmothers, daughters… Lovers? First ladies?

Mother nature! Is Earth also a female?

The words which always mean female: woman, girl, lady, actress, queen, princess, waitress, mother, wife, daughter, aunt, bachelorette, spinster, niece, maid, nanny…

Advantages and disadvantages of being a woman:

– they can wear male clothes, they can put on a make-up – if man does that, it’s not accepted by everybody… Others?

– painful because of giving birth, having a period… Others?

– social inequality, lower earnings

What is a typical woman like? Are you a (or do you know any) typical woman?

Famous women: Marie Curie, Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth 2nd, Queen Victoria, Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher, Empress Wu Zetian, Emperor’s mother Ci Xi, Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel, Madonna, Lady Gaga… Others?

What are the jobs, where woman are more suitable than men?

– a nurse, a beautician, a babysitter, a kindergarten teacher…

Can you imagine a woman as a leader of your country?

squirrels

What a wonderful weather! I had a nice walk with one of my friends (surprisingly, it was his birthday, which I didn’t know of…). We went to West Lake, the sun was shining beautifully; we even saw squirrels!! The spring is here, no doubt about that.

If only my mood was a bit better… Well, you can’t have everything at once. I haven’t been very happy recently, for whatsoever reasons. I need to get over my sadness and find some inspirations.

am I strong… maybe not enough

Hitlist #522
March 7th, 2011

1. 2 (5) 林俊杰 (JJ LIN), I Am
2. 1 (7) PJ HARVEY, The Words That Maketh Murder
3. 5 (4) BADLY DRAWN BOY, I Saw You Walk Away
4. 4 (4) LADY GAGA, Born This Way
5. 3 (5) WITHIN TEMPTATION, Faster
6. 10 (3) TAKE THAT, Kidz
7. – (1) ELLIE GOULDING, Lights
8. 14 (2) RADIOHEAD, Lotus Flower
9. 8 (6) R.E.M., Überlin
10. 6 (9) SEAL, Weight Of My Mistakes
11. 7 (7) 潘玮柏 (WILL PAN), 全面通缉 (Quan Mian Tongji)
12. 9 (9) DURAN DURAN, All You Need Is Now
13. – (1) MICHAEL JACKSON, Hollywood Tonight
14. 11 (12) SCISSOR SISTERS, Invisible Light
15. 13 (12) JÓNSI, New Piano Song
16. 20 (2) R.E.M., Oh My Heart
17. – (1) ADELE, Someone Like You
18. – (1) APOCALYPTICA FEAT. BRENT SMITH, Not Strong Enough
19. 18 (3) MAROON 5, Never Gonna Leave This Bed
20. 12 (6) BEADY EYE, The Roller