A day at Shanghai Botanical Gardens

One of those weekends where everyone is together in Shanghai, and we can take a breather. We went to Shanghai Botanical Gardens for a little relaxation and a little walk walk. Shanghai Botanical Gardens is located outside of the city at Xuhui District. We were there for like 2 hours, went a little too late. Jojo was perhaps rather unhappy that we went so late, but te good thing is that he managed to take some good pictures.

It was pretty congested in the park, with families and groups of friends taking pictures around. We avoided the ground, enjoyed the many tulips found in the garden, went a little oooh-aaah when we saw some sakura and blossoms. There were some hobbyists flying kite in some areas of the park, and some doing their little BBQ with the much-loved yang-rou-chuan (羊肉串).

Went off around 6 in the evening. Push ourselves off to this Malaysian Restraunt called Sakura in the city. Good food, a little pricy. Along the way, I was sharing a cab with Yida and Caihui. The taxi driver who took us there kept talking to us. Reason: fatigue. He was a hell driver, swearing and cursing throughout the trip as if the road only belonged to him. Occasionally, doing a couple of unnecessary and daring angry road overtaking. We smell the tyre burning, apparently he did some damages to his gear. Bad luck for us, but we arrived to whereever we want safe and sound.

We don't do much nowadays. With most of them working, and some of us never in town, Mahjong at night is just what we do nowadays. This trip happened 3 weeks ago during a shiny sunday. And yes, it is still damp and cold here in Shanghai. Where is the sun?!

Is the world going crazy for China?

It's weird. It's not even hilarious. But something is going wild for China.

The Olympics torch that passes through London and Paris were marked with angry mobs trying to entinguish it. The government is so jumpy about the situation here in China that lighters and matches are banned and included in the forbidden lists to be on board any plane. Students who wants to apply for high school here in China needs to go through some physical exams, ending up with some students thinking about the notion of doping to increase a short term burst of performance. Some people here who want to have a slim body are considering about actually eating roundworm eggs which can lead to Anemia. And the Chinese government is digging out serious archives to indicate Tibet will never be seperable from China. What has the world revolve to nowadays?

I find it rather interesting that all eyes are on China. China got the best attention, whether as an economical player, a sports player, and even as a political player. People from all over the world looks at China now. But somehow, some things are rather not so good to look at. The Chinese government understands this.

Amidst all this, it is interesting to know that the Chinese are still prideful of everything, and wishes everything will turn out well. I believe most will be relieved when the Olympics is over in Beijing this coming August. And then, more things will surfaced and be in need to be resolved.

As a foriegner here, I am just glad the weather turns good here in Shanghai, and snicker about the freak weather in Paris as snow runs down a couple of days ago.

Qing Ming Festival

Today is Qing Ming festival. Here in China, the government has made this day an official national holiday. The move was to spread the annual holidays in the country over the month to curb the human traffic congestions during the Spring festival season, May day and National day period. It is a good move, as people can use this period to pay their respects to the dead.


This festival is both the fifth term in the traditional lunar calendar and a festival to hold memorial ceremony for the dead. It is a day in which one expresses one's grief for his lost relatives. People often go to sweep and weed graves with whole family and take a walk in the countryside as well. In Singapore, the Chinese took the time to pay their respects to the dead in cemetries. However, as the need for land is limited, most of the formal burial sites for our ancestors were moveto small areas. Many chose to goes through the respect visiting over a month.


Here in china, people can travel over across the land by train or plane to do the chore. And many chose to do it before the national holiday to avoid the peak traffic congestions, as well as spending perhaps a well worth holiday resting or doing some neat travelling.


So what am I doing here now in Shanghai? I spent the day watching Lost Season I and playing a little bit of mahjong. Luck is good. Won enough to buy 2 packet of tobacco to past time through the night.


Whatever or however things are, we just stay up late as our form to pay our respects to the dead as we gamble through the night.

There's something magical about Tibet.

There is something unique about Tibet. Whether it is its culture, potential mineral resources, political movement, religion, its recent riot that rocked the world, tourism, Dalai Lama or maybe just its luxurious railway, Tibet always grabs the headline in one news or another.

I was thinking about Tibet yesterday when I missed the bus stop I was suppose to alight, ended had to walk 20 minutes back to my destination at Siping Road. Told you, there's something about Tibet that makes one obsessive or just pure OOh-Ahh about Tibet.

When I heard about Tibet again, It was on a BBC Broadcast. What caught my attention was an interview with Yangrui from CCTV with BBC. It was the first time I came to understand why it's so difficult to accept the dry humour of the Brits. It's filled with sarcasm, and in the right mind, any Brit can seriously make you rather shameful and embarrass at the wrong time and wrong place. Yangrui, a perhaps politically cheerful, and hopes the best for his mother land journalist, was playing too much Tai-chi with the BBC fat lady. Fat lady asked what's on Tibet, maybe due to bad traffic in the air and lots of noises, Rui replies back in regard to Taiwan and Chen Shui Bian, when he should know that the program was specifically based on the current situation in Tibet. After Bishing and Boshing around, Rui's final answer to the situation in Tibet was "I don't know". It was rather hilarious, the issue covered by the BBC on China, as they managed to find all sorts or personals to talk over the phone globally, only to be given remarks that makes one wanna hide in the closet. Poor Mitch, our dear American friend in China, who grumbled and whined about the poor traffic, the poor conditions in China, the poor pollution that can possibly clogged any Olympians, only to be replied Hey look! It's not just China, its as bad in any city around the world, even American ones or something like that.



And seriously, there's something magical about Tibet. When news broke out there's something happening in Tibet again, everybody points their finger to China again. Maybe because history was always a karma. What you did once, will always come back to you, so everyone suspected China to be the accused and Tibet the victim again(1959 March 10). We see clips released by CCTV, and clips released by foreigners in Tibet, without realising the full picture of what was going on.



Surprisingly, as more information was collected, we eventually found out that perhaps the Free Tibet movement was too collaborated to be the Accused's verdict. In various of the world, China embassies were targeted and attacked spontaneously within the same period of time. And Tadah! The killings in Lhasa was done by the locals targetting Han Chinese and their properties. Now now, we have to scratch our heads now as foreigners who listens to CNN and BBC too much. Why in the first do we doubt the PRC? Why did we never frown upon the Tibet in the first place? Told you, there's something magical about Tibet. Hoho.

Nah, CNN and BBC just suck actually. They can go join Hollywood or Bollywood if they want to.

There's something magical about Tibet. Maybe our dear Dalai googled something on Cultural Genocide and found this:

Cultural genocide is subtler than physical genocide -- its tools are less obvious. So now China can extend its dilution of Tibetan culture into cyberspace with expert assistance. Google has agreed to filter out every aspect of Tibetan life that the Chinese government finds offensive, leaving only propaganda, misrepresentations, and outright lies about Tibet and Tibetans. It's amazing. The Tibetan people spent thousands of years developing their history and culture, and Google managed to make it disappear in little more than a year with only a few algorithms.

But should China really face charges? Or perhaps Dalai cannot see any possible changes for his beloved Tibet this lfietime?

One thing for sure, China holds a iron fist in regard to the developments in Tibet. The comfortable housing program brought forth last year, was another chagrined moment for Tibetians. But we cannot oppose the efforts the PRC tries to improve the situation in Tibet.

This dog is one of the most expensive dogs in China right now. 1 Million RMB?


Railroad to Tibet here in China is comfortable and full of scenic landscapes?

This Thiongster Mineral Water is expensive as Evian.

We can say that every action the PRC do is to improve the sitaution in Tibet. It's a magical place! The only problem PRC is facing is somehow like what USA is facing on the Afs problem. Afs chases out the Sovs, but left Afs so bad a rubble place to live in the Afs have the Talis to disturb us eventually. PRC does it the other way round. PRC does no such thing though. Its just something of what the PRC chants so much about nowadays. Intangible heritage. You go chant so much and preech so much about it, but it's so hard to impose it down especially when Tibet do not belong to Tibet, so how to determine something of value when something of value is determined by someone else?

There's something magical about Tibet. Still, the actions carried out in Tibet is shameful. The actions carried out all over the world by Tibetians are shameful. And our Dalai should start using Baidu.com instead of Google, that way the PRC will maybe give a chance for a change and talk to him.

The Ah-gua with a heart two size smaller

Patient: I have a heart that has malfunctioned the past 6 months. You see, it has grown smaller in the past 6 months, despite much efforts with radiology and constant panicks from the monster that roams at every corner, 911 had been called, experimental threatments had been done,.even to the point as atheist I had cried out to God for help, but everything was a botch. Medically, I am suffering in a way that is beyond hope. I cannot sleep well, I hear noises that seems to be amplified a thousand fold, I even know what I did last summer perfectly.



So, what heart condition is it? Pettiness my friend.



Pettiness is a sickness that grows like wild thorns. It seeps into your life at a rate that is hard to control. You throw this condition into a enviromentally controlled position with all kinds of pesticides to control it, only to find out days later the thorn outgrew you! They actually become immune and you know somehow, something or somebody won eventually.



Pettiness makes you a loud loser where nobody takes pity on you. Rather, they laugh at you as they comfort you. Your nightmares grow, you hear doors thumping like baboons, and you hear Hecate's voices everywhere. Macbeth's condition is what you are suffering. Or rather, put it in the oriental way: Monkey God goes beg Tang-sen:"Master! Please don't preeech anymore! Wah kia liao!"



In fact, Tang-sen did not do anything. The pettiness amplify to such an extent that you grow a distain for anything that happens. Together with thickness of any possible individual being one can be, the pettiness grows to a point of growling. Welcome to my past 6 months, doc.



Who can cure me now?

On a shiny day in Shanghai in the nieghbourhood

Anytime or anywhere, if there's good sunshine, even the worst kind of camera can take a dirt in shooting some photographs. This pictures are taken in my neighborhood. It was a good day with good sunshine. Such shots are typical photos of alleys in Shanghai, most commonly known as nong-tangs by the locals. When there are good sunlight, people rushes out to dry their clothes. Similarly, locals will try to air the bed rolls to remove moisture and possible fungi attempting to grow in damp cold Shanghai.

The only thing different of this alley from most alleys in Shanghai is that there is a mixture of Spanish Architecture and Shi Ku Men existing together. Still, life goes on at it is, with no differential factor of who own which house as a tone of serenity lies around, where everyone knows each other, despite whether you are Local Chinese or Western, or mixed blood.

The area has a nice local community to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the place. Anyone who walks around the French concession area can guess where this place is?

PAP or not, Singaporeans are like frogs in a well.

This is not a PAP logo, just a logo I happened to see on my neighbourhood, imprinted on a lamp post.

There is something going recently, or at least weeks back that got me troubled. Its about Singapore, about China, about the futures of Singapore, and what our Lao Lee, Mr Lee Kuan Yew said.

Do you believe that our mindset as Singaporeans is stucked up? Do you believe that we feel we are on the top of the world? Despite the fact that most of us are struggling ever for the More money, much better syndrome, despite we know we should start looking ahead to our futures as not stable and know yes, as Singaporeans, we should not be too comfortable in our world like a frog in a well, we still think we are the best, Singapore is comfortable and all.

Lee said this recently. About the fact we need not worry for the next five years, as there is the IR be built in Sentosa, we will be attracting the investments and attention needed globally, about the fact that in Asia, we might face another ups and down crisis again in the coming years. What makes me sad in general is what he said in the end. That we should stand up ourselves and not depend on him and his decisions anymore. Something about his saying, 5 years okay, but 10 years from now, don't come to me for directions, for 10 years from now, either I am dead.. or on some wheel chair and cannot really fuction and decide for Singapore. Does he mean Small Lee, Lee Hsien Long in general, or does he mean generally as Singaporeans as a whole? It's rather disturbing to us Singaporeans.

Singaporeans think that they always don't have freedom to decide. PAP is always in control. There is no political freedom. However, do most Singaporeans feel comfortable in getting out of the well, and see whethe frogs can make love to create better looking frogs outside the well? I dare say most Singaporeans do not dare to venture out. Most of us would prefer to choose to remain in the well and complain, and feel comfortable in the well, and let anything to be decided outside the well by our superb government, PAP. Look, its not how restrictive our government is, its what we as a whole Singaporeans are restricting ourselves with. You change first, don't wait for the garment to change you. Or rather, SPOON FED.

Lao Lee also said something about the fact that yes Singapore can do good and make good decisions. But in consideration to the Super Power China race, Lao admitted that anything Singapore can do good, Panda China can do even better. For those Singaporeans out there who think China is way lay back and still a country bumpkin, let's look at another picture. Supposely, yes, China is a bumpkin, but China is a bumpkin that attract all the foreign investments in, it has become a super manufacturing power. In Dalian, like India, it has attracted foreign outsourcing to be carried out there. There's plenty of highly skilled workers in Dalian meeting the demands of the Knowledge Management empire globally. Never seen Dalian? Its a superb modern city that attracts not just bumpkins, but all powers to it like a magnet.

At least Bumpkins do more than follow the steps of their leaders. CCP gave them directions. And Bumpkins marches out in an army as a whole, driven for success and glory. Follow and at the same time, they improved their livelihood dramatically. Tell you something, most of them earn more than your local Hainanese Chicken Rice Food Stall Vendors now, some of them even richer than the public listed companies' CEOs. Frogs, all you get to eat is only a small picture of what farmers are doing now!

So Singaporeans out there, if you think China is no good, you're wrong. Look at the Chinese in Singapore. Contact Singapore is finding every means to attract foreign talants into our little Island. With the chinglish and weird patterns and habits that seem so Ah-thiongs to us all, they are slowly growing many many and taking up jobs in Singapore. You might feel they are bumpkins, but they are way far more intellectuals than us frogs. In the end, hungry bumpkins might eat up frogs in the well, a metaphor's speaking.

Brain surgeons use monkeys in China

Animal protectors, animal lovers, do no groan as you read:

Doctors from Renji Hospital are using monkeys as aides to conduct research on brain surgery. In the experiments carried out, they found out from monkeys that 10 minutes are the longest period a monkey can withstand a blocked blood supply to its brain without suffering effects or dying.

Apparently, SOME monkeys must have died along the way, since it is KNOWN after 10 minutes damage will be done.

Monkeys were used as their brains were similar in structure to those of humans. The experiment provided data useful in treatments to serious brain injuries, tumours and other human diseases.

Reality bites eh? To save ourselves, the endanger of others. Or rather, is it ethical?

The mysteries of ancient Sanxingdui II

Archaeologists around the world were excited by the unearthling of large palatial remains in the 1980s, the remnants of the eastern, western and southern walls in 1984 and the discovery of two large sacrificial pits in 1986.

These discoveries proved that Sanxingdui contains the ruins of an ancient city that was political, economic and cultural centre of the ancient Shu kingdom.

A metropolis of its time, Sanxingdui boasted highly developed agrcultural and mining systems, and produced ceramics and sacrificial tools.

Before the excavation of Sanxingdui, it was believed that Sichuan has a history dating back 3000 years. Thanks to the excavation, it is now believed that civilized culture first appeared in Sichuan 5000 years ago.

Archaologists say that the Sanxingdui Ruins also dispel theories that the Yellow River was the sole starting point of Chinese civilization.

Of more than 10,000 relics unearthed in Sanxingdui, the nearly 1000 found in 1986 in the two sacrificial pits are considered the most valuable. In these two pits, bronze, gold, jade and marble artifacts, pottery, bone implements, elephant tusks and objects made of ivory were found. Archaeologists also discovered cowries and roughly 800 large bronze relics.

In addition to the many bronze and gold masks, the most valuable finds from the two pits included the bronze statue of the Shu king, a gold scepter and a bronze "spirit tree". With a length of 1.42 metres, a diametre of 2.3 cm and weight of 0.5kg, te design on the gold scepter features fish, birds, and human figures. The scepter is believed to be a symbol for a monarchic or theocratic order, or a combination of two. Consisting of a pedestral, a trunk and part of a dragon, the 3.95 metre-tall bronze tree is the oldest, tallest and largest of its kind in the world. Some thinks that it represents a legendary spirit tree, while many researchers believe that the tree was an all-embracing symbol.

The Sanxingdui covers 12 square kilometres, of which only four have been excavated. Chen Xiandan, deputy curater of the Sichuan Provicial Museum says: "It is likely that more exciting archaeological discoveries will be made"

The mysteries of ancient Sanxingdui I

One of the more impressive displays at the Sanxingdui Museum, in Guanghan of South-west China's Sichuan Province, is a bronze statue of a barefoot man with anklets and clenched hands.

The 2.62 metre high, 180 kg statue is throught to represent a king of the Shu Kingdom. She was the name of Sichuan in ancient times.

Dating back 3100 years, the king's statue is crowned with a sun motiff and coated with three layers of tight, short sleeved bronze "clothing", which is decorated with a dragon pattern and overlaid with a checked ribbon.

Huang Nengfu, a professor of art and design at Tsinghua University and an eminent researcher in Chinese clothing from different dynasties, considers the garment to be the countriy's oldest existing dragon robe. He also thinks that the pattern is the work of the famous Shu embriodery.

The robe has changed the traditional view that Shu Embroidery began in the mid-Qing Dynasty(1644-1911). Instead it shows Shu Embroidery appeared in the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century - c.11th century BC), according to Wang Yuqing, a Taiwan-based Chinese clothing historian.

The bronze statue of the Shu king is one of the four most important cultural relics to be found in the Sanxingdui Ruins in Guanghan, a city 40 km from Chengdu. Sanxingdui, means "three star mounds" in English, is so named because the ruins are located in a village where there are three mounds.

Since 1992, more than 10,000 relics, dating between 5000 and 3000 years ago, have been unearthed in the city's Sanxingdui Ruins. The excavations have yielded some of the most significant Chinese archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

China - 5 unusual retreats for you

Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski

Just an hour's drive from downtown Beijing, you will find 42 villas with a total of 236 rooms and suites spread over eitght kilometres of hilly terrain adjoining the Great Wall. The Commune is an architecture museum, luxury resort and natural spectacle all in one - a popular location for corporate retreats, meetings, and conferences for up to 500 guests.

Directions: Badaling Highway, exit at Shuiguan
Website: Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski


Fuchun Resort

Forty kilometres from Hangzhou and 250 from Shanghai, this resort has 70 rooms and suites plus 17 villas nestled among the hills above the scenic Fuchun River. Enjoy some tempting East-West fusion cuisine at the award-winning T8 restraunt without worrying about extra pounds. These can easily work off again anyway on the 18 golf course on in the spa gym.

Directions: Fuyang Section, Hangfu Yangjiang Road, Hangzhou
Website: Fuchun Resort


Hotel of Modern Art

Who would have thought it? The Guilin region of South China boasts more than just a spectacular natural scenery. It also has a stylish design hotel, HoMA, set in a private park containing sculptures by artists from every corner of the earth. You are welcome to take a peek over the artists' shoulder as they work - or even take up a hammer and chisel yourself!

Directions: Yuzi-Paradise, Dubu Town, Yanshan District, Guilin
Website: Hotel of Modern Art


Banyan Tree Lijiang

Not far from Lijiang (whose old town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997), the Banyan Tree from Singapore comprises 55 villas decorated in the traditional Naxi style and has plenty of opportunities for guests to relax: in the private garden or the pool, at one of the hotel restraunts or luxuriating in the spa. The panoramic views of nearby 5,600-meter Jade Dragon Snow Mountain are thrilling and soothing at the same time.

Directions: Lijiang, Yunnan Province
Website: Banyan Tree


Jia Shanghai

Jia Shanghai offers style-conscious guests a wonderful home away from home ("jia" means home). The hotel's Italian restraunt and its rooftop bar and lounge are design to attract the chic set from Shanghai.

Directions: 931 West Nanjing Road. , Shanghai, Tel. +8621 62179000
Website: Jia Shanghai

China Education - The Ever Late Modernization

If one categorize China's advance to change and modernize different sectors and areas of policies, China Education's road to modernization can be said to be one of the hardest to be done. Historically, in a hierachical competitive society, China education provided a fair and just route in which one can find means to climb up in accordance to Maslow's Laws. Whether its from individual's dreams of success, policies to cohesively run in sequence with the government's beliefs, China Education has gone through its up and down in history.

Still, within this century. if one talks about the four areas of advancements in agriculture, national defence, industrial developments, and science as comparison, China education seem to be lagging behind and remains late to the race in modernization.

China Education, together with the develops and modernization of China, creates a disorder in which raises the issues in which why China Education is lagging behind comparing to the various sectors of modernization. The difficulties in which China Education faces, is not the problem of education itself, rather the influence of social issues on China Education makes it difficult to be improved. One area of aspect is to look and know that China's modernization is complicated and adopted to a very chamaleon style of change, and form adaptation by following crowds to run cohesively meets up with challenges. Next, the economy behind supporting the issues on reforming China Education is limited. Most of such funds become personally owned or put to areas in which deemed as more important that the modernization of China Education.

So how can China Education Modernization face the challenges ahead? What kind of requiresites are needed? And how can it find a balance between the issues that are numbering up with the the needs required for the modernization for the education in China? And from it a more systematic, with proper aims and visions, depth of education to create a unique and social Chinese Education that differs from others emerge to meet the demands of this draconian modernizing China?

Contact Singapore "Singapore – Your World of Possibilities" Afterthoughts

1. A lot of people came and asked how issit like to work in Singapore.
2. Many were unsure how to find jobs and work in Singapore.
3. Many asked about the currency exchange conversion of Singapore Dollars and RMB
4. The surveyors hired disturbed the visitors while they were actually viewing the exhibition. Blast them!
5. Booth information is not enough. Please go to Contact Singapore or Ministry of Manpower.
6. Many just come for freebies. Take goodie bag and head for exit.
7. Some directly went towards the photo taking area to have their photos taken.
8. There are many professionals out there who met to the needs of Singapore in search for foreign talents
9. Just maybe command of English language not good.
10. More people visit when Host is giving out prizes.
11. Every Booth should have a furniture called a chair for the volunteers -.-
12. All kinds of people come in. Quite funny and hilarious actually.
13. Especially if they asked "Singapore going to merge with another country?" due to Lao Lee recent interview saying that if Malaysia is a country that offers equal opportunities to all the diffrent races, perhaps MAYBE Singapore might merge with them one day. Go figure what he meant. LOL
14. One interesting guy even asked whether there are loads of Brothels and Nightclubs in Singapore o.O
15. One person asked how much I think his salary can fetch if he work in Singapore. I said 2500SGD. He said too little. He gets more in China. The he so confident, he can always try his luck in fetching a better salary in Singapore :) My judegement might be wrong.
16. Found out Chinese are actually angry that Singaporean Chinese or Singaporeans in general do have racial prejudice. When I heard this, I felt rather uncomfortable. Thiongs angry already.
17. Many worried they try get EPEC cannot find job in Singapore and worries about the standards of living and upkeep while finding jobs.
18. Some really pretty girls very keen on the EPEC, when asked about their qualifications, they go err ahhh err ahh.. I wonder what kinds of jobs they are really seeking in Singapore. .-.
19. Many are interested in finding a job, investing to get the so called GREEN CARD (permanent residence) in Singapore.
20. Many also think China can earn more than in Singapore.
21. Super Brand Floor 3 is a sloppish area. People might tend to walk down too fast to see exhibition.
22. The food area where Sauces for cookery by KEES very popular with housewives!
23. Optical Mouse giveaways attract crowds very fast.
24. The first day go this ah kua boy group maybe called BOBO or something attracted more crowds unfortunately. -.-
25. Damn shagged to work so long hours.
26. Surprised that other foreigners residing in China or touring Shanghai were interested with the exhibition. - Korean, Singaporeans, Malaysians, Hongkong People, Indonesians, Philippinos...etc
27. Many were really interested with the EPEC and EPSAT and spend long time playing around with it.
28 Also, those who were patient actually browse through all the information before leaving. 29. A lot more, brained freeze.
30. I think go some gay come also. Very nice people they all actually. More humble and friendly than some Aunties -.-

Guess what fruit is in abundance and cheap in Shanghai now?

Tangerine! I see Lots of them by the road stalls and vendors, in super markets like Carrefour, Wallmart, Emart and all!

They are going for a price like RMB 1.50 per 500 grams currently. Its a good deal. Big harvest from nearby I guess. Eat and enjoy. However, there is a saying in Chinese, don't eat too much. This fruit can be a little heaty.

You can cook good and delicious meals using Tangerine. It mixes well with pork and beef as a side dish. I seen it as side dish in fusion cuisine onboard Lufthansa Airlines. And for the health conscious and cancer patients, read below.

quoted from China Daily:

Tangerine peel could help in the fight against certain cancers. Human cancer cells, which contain an enzyme called P450 CYP1B1, were destroyed by a compound contained in tangerine peel, Salvestrol Q40, scientists at Leicester School of Pharmacy found.

The findings may offer a new approach to uncovering a treatment for cancers such as breast, lung, prostrate and ovarian cancer, the scientists said. Medicinal chemist Dr. Hoon L. Tan said: "It is very exciting to find a compound in food that can target cancers specifically. "Salvestrols may offer a new mechanism of dietary anti-cancer action

Gay Blogs in China - Yculblog

In trying to find more readings on Gay culture, I continue to browse through the blogs in YculBlog. Here are more blogs in relation to Gay community here, this are the authors to the blogs they own:

COCO
猫猫
死 地
marc
狗狗
左转右转
joeyzf
疯一样的男子


The problem for most readers who are Not from China is that these blogs are written in Chinese. You might not understand what's written. There should be more people out there. Just my mandrin is no good and I cannot source them out. Please note that these blogs are for you to understand them. You should not criticise as everyone has the right to choose any paths in their life.

We all choose to live the style of life we want. Some of us spent crazy hours rushing datelines in work. Some choose a more carefree style of Living. Some of them might have double personalities in order to hide things the society deemed as controversial. But as the african belief in Ubuntu goes, "Do good, Have Love, Have compassion, make the world better", everyone has and equal right in every day's life.

Gay Culture in China

I got bored today, woke up and decide to do some understanding of tagging. I started off with knowing what are the popular tags within this YculBlog.com blogsite i used. What caught my attention was a couple of tags in relation to Gay culture here in China. Everything begins with a tag: gay

So what did I find out? Lots of articles written by gay community here. No, they seem to have a lack of ability for concealment. They perhaps would prefer to be disclosed out. Out of the closet out of the cabinet. A term in the gay community to be let known. Though this is a virtual world in which perhaps bloggers use a different name from their real world, many of their articles actually talks about real life, what's happening in the worl revolving around them.

Sad to say, a couple of them perhaps felt that they are born in a body which does not belong to them. Castrato is one of them. There is an air of immortality in his post. He feels a need to push on in life, enjoy life to the fullest, perhaps one day changing the world around him. There is still perhaps a very typical mindset of Asian values in his beliefs: take care of parents, get rich, take of his love ones, but there is a tinge of air in which he hopes there are changes. A common value in gay community who wish to be accepted in the society. From his blog, I feel that there is a very big lust factor involving around sex, some concepts can be rather gruesome to the normal people. People who maybe have the urge to understand can read him blog at well.

Intangible Cultural Heritage - A new prospect for preservation of cultures in China?

Intangible Cultural Heritage is a new word in China. With it, it brought about a lot of awareness among the Chinese. We can understand it by saying such cultures are usually formless, and do not have a stationary position like buildings and relics. Rather, such cultures usually exists amidst the crowds in the forms of folklore, craftmanship, beliefs, practices, dances and performances.

China has deemed a couple of such practices into Intangible Cultural Heritage areas: beijing opera and Kun-qu, folk arts like those of bamboo carvings from Jiaoding, drum performances from Shaanxi, tea drinking practices and many more. It become a much awared activity when one visits perhaps a Beijing Opera and go woo ah and say "LOOK! This is China's Intangible Cultural Heritage!" Yes, more people have become aware of such. The Chinese are proud of what they have, took pride in it, start to respect, and many become more prone to protect such treasures.

What I like to point out is that are such treasures more important, or the name Intangible Cultural Heritage that made them important? What if let say traditional paper cutting is not protected at all, will people be so much concerned in preserving this form of fork art running in the society? Will people just say, "eh no point, will not earn money, nobody wish to upkeep such traditions, let's do something that will earn more money..".. Such thoughts make me wonder which is more important, the branding or really the tradition.

Of course, for those old practioners and loyalists to any specific form of art, they are at their tip top happiness. The grandma who goes to her weekly Beijing Opera chuckles happily to herself, knowing that what she enjoy will never disappear. Sweet way to gain awareness, she says.

Chinese Astronomy

Picture: Chinese Astronomy. Chinese Star Chart possibly dating from the 600s AD, Tang Dynasty

One cannot not link to history, archaeology, historical management, museum management without linking to science and development, that includes the developments of astronomy in Ancient China. One of my lecturers, Cai Da Feng from Fudan University, Shanghai, was interested in Astronomy. He is a busy man, but always find time to play around his hobby.

Chinese astronomers, like Roman and Sassanian astronomers of the same time period in Europe and West Asia, were very interested in the stars both for scientific reasons and because they believed that the skies could help predict the future.

One of these Chinese astronomers drew this star chart, which is the oldest one in the world. Even though telescopes and binoculars hadn't been invented yet, the chart shows some very faint stars that are very hard to see with just your eyes.

But along with this chart, there were also instructions for predicting the future based on the shape of clouds.

For more information on Chinese Astronomy, you can visit the link here: Chinese astronomy

What I cooked yesterday - Dinner for 3

I made soup yesterday.

I have no name for it but this are the ingredients and steps:

pork minced meat 50 grams
garlic x 1, chopped finely
small onions x 3, chopped finely
melon x 1 (mao gua), cubed
small potato x 1, cubed
soya sauce
sasame oil
pepper
sugar
salt
black beans 50 grams
peanuts 50 grams
egg x 1
Gou qi, a little bit

1.heat up 1 litre of water in a pot.
2. slice up the melon into cubes and toss in when water is hot
3. next, golden fry the onions and throw into the soup. It gives off a nice aroma. Chinese style
4. let the content boil for a while. Meanwhile, you can chop up your garlic and throw it in
5. prepared your minced pork. add soya sauce, peppar and sasame oil to your liking with the minced pork. Add an extra egg to it if you have nothing to do and maybe a few more calories to make you feel better in this cold Shanghai weather.
6. toss it in into the soup
7. add peanuts and black beans. make sure wash them first!
8. add cubed potatos in
9. season to taste with gou qi, salt, sugar
10. let soup boil for 2 hours

Its good and sweet, though it doesn't really look appetizing :)

food that goes along well with it:
fried pork sticks - bought from the road side at 6rmb
friend duck meat - bought from the road side at 6rmb

Blog of the Day - Renmibi

Renminbi is a newly designed web-blog about China, living in China, and about how West meet East. No, its never always culture shock, Some of the articles inside are rather cheesy and entertaining, and tips for cultural bileteration, feeling good for both east and west. Its worth taking a look, they got foresight on how they will deliever china as a blog, at the same meeting to their demands as a business platform.