To survive in the city, all the sensory organs should be well masked. And this is particularly true in Xiasha the place where I live. At nightfall if only I am in the room, I will shut the window, for the nauseating stink of burned garbage, food spoilage, vehicle exhaust and industry waste gas, the particular air of urban life, is precisely reaching the uttermost. I thought this cost of physical health is a must pay so that one may enjoy the expediency of city life. But in fact, the price was much higher than we could imagine. And what I saw, smelt, heard, drank, touched and felt in Guilin that boasts the best scenery in the world strengthened this idea. It was a long and tiring journey, but it all paid when the voyage across the Lijiang River finally started. The yacht was drifting into a chorus of water, sunshine and wind. Beneath the surface, waterweed shadows swayed on the varicolored cobbles, which were home to many crabs and shrimps. Floating on the clear liquid water were sporadically distributed ships painting the limpid surface with white trials. The view of crystal green mountains grown from the clear waters in the distance was now appearing and now disappearing in the mist and wind. Standing at the head of the yacht, in the cool drizzle and gentle breeze, I lost myself in the awe and beauty of Lijiang River but hesitated to enjoy as long-period living in the city had weakened my ability to appreciate it. Fortunately, the locals gave me enlightenment on how to unmask my long repressed nature. Definitely, they and their life constituted of an unalienable part of the picture of Lijiang River. They were old couples taking a walk after an early dinner along the bank, family having a happy time on the beach. Or, they could even be me and my friends, the visitors from a distant and strange land, marveling at the scenery. The fragrance of fresh drizzle spurred me to take deep breathes without any holding back or caution. The touches of gentle breeze relax every inch of my skin. The bright colors of waters, mountains and sky lighten my eyes, so strained and bored by crowds and traffic. The sensation from this original and primitive beauty impressed me. And the knowledge that I was always a part of Mother Nature moved me.

Some people say that marriage is the tomb of love; and I think this word is genuinely true in a Chinese marriage where romantic love either dies out or replaced by the affection between family members. “家境”-the social status, property, and background of all the family members in a household-is still a considerable factor influencing the relationship of couples under married or cohabiting in China, despite the ideology of young Chinese has been more or less “westernized”. Young Chinese have gained more freedom of love-a reckless and irresponsible behavior of immature young people in the light of seniors; but it is never the case of the freedom of marriage-a much more serious issue concerning the afternoon of one’s life and two families. Marriage is just beyond a business of two people. What contributes to this? First comes to my mind is the family structure of Chinese family. It is definitely a truth that we have successfully cut down a large number of Big Family into smaller sizes with decades’ efforts of family planning to keep pace with urbanization. But is toady’s nuclear family of China simply equal to that of industrialized Western world? The major difference between the two nuclear structures is that they are differently shaped: Chinese nuclear family structure is mostly vertical; while Western nuclear family structure is mostly parallel. Conditionally, both two systems make sense. Marriage maybe the happy ending of a love story, but it is also the start of a longtime “grinding-in” between two families in China. Should parents step into the marriage life of their children? However the answer is for sure for the majority of today’s young Chinese, who may have just worked for several years before finishing marriage and are still on the “up curve” of their career. It’s almost impossible for the most of them to save much, as their primary job is still to figure out how earn more. However, they have to start to assume the burden of forming their own home-buying a house and preparing for a coming baby. The Chinese“家”or home, composites of two parts-the upper part is a shelter referring to house, and the lower part is the livestock pig referring to income. It’s a simple word, but turns out to be hard job particular in current real estate bubble. Who will be so generous to offer them that financial support which they may never return but do it the same way for their own children? It must be their parents. Such huge amount of money that concerns two families at a time is due to make the situation of the new-founded family more complicated. However problems are never restricted to financial issue although it may be most tricky. Other subjects such as the education of next generation are also potential subjects that grandparents should lend a hand in. The vertical structure not only works from couples’ own family to couples, but also from couples to their children. Today, the major responsibility of child nursing and caring is still widely accepted as the business of women in China, despite Chinese women’s financial and social status much improved. It may be the nature of women that they are also inclined to shift their major focus to their children even if it means to achieve less in their career. This is also particular true among the increasing number of highly educated women who place great hope on their children. As a matter of fact, most of them attach more attention to their children than their husbands. I believe that the role of today’s Chinese woman is more of a mother and less of a wife. But a good mother doesn’t make a good wife. Admittedly, they live together and spend more time with than anyone else, but I wonder do they really have a lovers’ world? I think this partly contributes to current failure relationship between couples. However, the theory that good mother just makes good wife dominates in China where feminism is still not robust. In this vertical world of marriage, when one looks up, it’s parents; and down, it’s children. While in the horizon world of marriage, it’s just a business of a couple. It explains a lot. The reason why Chinese mostly discourage divorce even if the affection or the so called love is gone between couples is that the price is too expensively to pay from all aspects. It also explains why romantic love without consideration of social and financial disparity can’t be a popular way leading to marriage in China.

The most familiar use of GDP is to evaluate a country's economic position in certain period. The oversimplification of GDP lies in that it is a criteria only concerns aggregate income without removing revenues from the impunities or those harmful products and services: criminal behaviors, repeated construction, excessively advanced construction, military sales and etc. When measuring the truly positive GDP, not only these apparently unnecessary or even harmful GDP contributors should be expelled, but also the cost of side-effects including environmental pollution and social problems of the increasingly open and competitive market economy should be counted. From the perspective of building a positive GDP, the central government plays the role of a GDP refiner by directing the recent series of administrative campaigns-anti-corruption, anti-drug, anti-trust, housing price control and etc.-which may slowdown the China's rapid economic growth but actually fasten seatbelt in a critical time full of opportunities and crises. While we are still making the cake bigger, we make it more nicely.

July 27, 2014 Hangzhou, Zhejiang-Affected by Typhoon Matmo, it was raining dogs and cats outside. While I walked out of Zhejiang library at 6 pm, water had risen to knee-level in some places. The bad weather made everything hard. When I finally got to the nearby bus station, my trousers were waterlogged. Heavy weather, long queuing line, and slow traffic contributed to anxiety and impatience. So when Line 28 finally departed in and its front gate just faced me, I could see a long procession quickly gathering behind me. No sooner had we settled our position in the line, the front gate opened. It was at that moment a bald elder man of middle size in white T-shirt, dashing all the way and humming a faint strange tone, straightly squeezed in the gate against my flank. To me such undisciplined action happened in China is “reasonable but unexpected” however beyond my reaction. But it was within the reaction of the angry couple observing the rule and waiting behind me. While the girl annoyingly complaint, “such old men always behave like this”, his boyfriend resorted his strong dissatisfaction to action: he stretched his leg; the elder queue-jumper stumbled. What made me even more speechless was the elder queue-jumper paid no attention to others’ disaffection while just continued to shoulder into the back part of the bus hunting for a potential seat. What greatly disappoints me is in every bus there is the “courtesy seat” reserved for old people including those who just obey this rule when it’s favorable but maltreat others when they’re not. Some said childhood is about right and wrong; adulthood is about advantages and disadvantages. Now some experienced senior citizens in our community just play it to the full in their daily life. “courtesy seat”

In China there goes a well-known saying; losing face is more terrible than losing a game. Owing to some Brazil soccer hooligans' violent and aggressive behaviors-burning their national flags, committing arson, creating conflicts-after the match, I can say, Brazil not only lost badly against Germany in a game but also lost it's face badly as the 2014 FIFA World Cup host nation. Admittedly, it was not a thrilling close game for Brazil was greatly crippled with the absence of Neymar and Silva; but it was a fair and square game for every athlete had done their best to defend honor. And that was sportsmanship. Patriotism can be our major reason to support our national team. But it is not an excuse to give vent to one's anger and frustration. A real patriot won't burn his national flag or commit crime to express his feelings. The violent chaos in Brazil overshadowed this world's event. national flag burnedrising tensionrising tensionarsonarson

This was a man's world. But it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl. Men conquered the whole world, but it's women who conquered them. Dramatically, gentleman and lady kept the balance. It was the era of Lady First. The last hundred years witnesses the rising power of woman. With the advent of woman' right, apart from the traditional nursing and caring area, women are now more likely to succeed in those man dominant areas: education, politics, economics, science and etc. It has been an emerging social phenomenon that woman is outperforming man in many fields. In this new era, woman is less the weaker sex. Just as every coin has two sides, the rising power of woman brings new challenges not only to man but also to woman. On the one hand, more and more women complain that compared with their mother and grandmother apart from the responsibility of housewife they have to bear more economic and social pressures while facing latent rules such as glass ceiling. In addition, their husband or boyfriend is less strong, mature and responsible compared with the male of elder generation. On the other hand, more and more men complain that they have fewer opportunities and suffer a lack of self-confidence since in the school boys have been falling behind. What's more, today's woman is no longer a lady but a Fe-male ("女汉子") who is less gentle and graceful but more aggressive and mammonish. When man is not always "the first" who can offer Lady First while woman is fighting for equal rights, should we say that Lady First has become out of time? Or should we transform our Lady First education to Gender Equality one? What's your opinion? gender equality

NO.10: A landslide victory by the team with big egos Argentine star Lionel Messi NO.9: The counterattack of "underdog" Holland vs Spain N0.8: The team once we supported France vs Uruguay N0.7: The team's live performances Costa Rica vs Uruguay NO.6: The team supported by our friends NO.5: The team we know more about Brazil NO.4: The team with handsome players Germany NO.3: Debatable referee decision that made a difference The bite of Suarez NO.2: Patriotism-to support national team NO.1: Football Gambling-to make profits.

Do as the Romans Do Every continent has its own great spirit of place. Every people is polarized in some particular locality which is home the homeland. But the spirit of place is a great reality. It is necessary to attach great significance to this great reality especially in this age of globalization. With the advent of globalization, various aspects of life of nations around the world are more closely associated than ever before. What also rises is the issue of cross-cultural communication when people are communicating with others with different nationalities, religions, cultural and social backgrounds and etc. Sometimes due to lack of understanding and tolerance, such kind of unconscious difference may incur grudge and grievance. Globalization not only provides us with more opportunities but also poses a major challenge for society’s cultural tolerance. As it goes with the good saying: when you are in the Roman do as the Romans do, the most wise and rational way for foreigners to tackle with cultural difference is to respect and embrace the local culture. By respect, I mean to recognize and understand the different customs and norms instead of despising and even excluding them because of cultural hegemony. Take my foreign language teacher’s experience in China for example. Mr. C. was our oral English teacher who once won the “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition. Having lived China for a year, he could be well described as a China hand. However even for a China hand, there was once a depressing and annoying occasion concerning the difference in melting embarrassing situation. What almost caused his anger was that a woman taxi driver who had taken the wrong way and wasted much time just chuckled rather than made a serious apology to defuse the situation. In Britain such behavior is recognized as restless and offensive which is likely to result in an argument and fight, he said. Despite it greatly disgruntled Mr. C., he didn’t lose his temper because he can respect the ways Chinese bear themselves. And by embrace, I mean to truly fit into the local folks’ daily life by further adapting their habits and customs. For instance, Ms. T. my another oral English teacher was well qualified as an international talent who was not only proficient in four languages-English, French, Spanish and Chinese-but also traveled extensively around the world. What impressed me most was her deep understanding of Chinese culture and her active attitude towards learning and practicing it. Being a Chinese one is sure to feel her warm hospitality when she greets you, “Have you eaten yet?” The willingness to truly apply this Chinese common greeting to her daily social interaction showed Ms. T.’s awareness of cultural diversity and her passion to embrace it. Recently, the story of “rude Chinese tourist” triggered public’s discussion both at abroad and home. In my esteem, such controversies and even conflicts are inevitable as the world is entering into a new era of globalization. And this situation could be improved if people of both sides spontaneously assume their responsibility as a “diplomat” contributing to cross-cultural communication. In a nutshell, being a foreigner, when you are in the Roman do as the Romans do; what’s more, the Romans should also show greater understanding and tolerance.

June 30, our summer social practice team "Bravo" from the School of Foreign Languages, ZSTU, held a swap meet directed at pupils in the Qingya Residential Quarter in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. This swap meet was mainly held for pupils to swap their old toys and cartoon books. Our aim was to help younger pupils learn to share, to communicate and to make independent choices. The activity was highly praised by parents who were willing to see their children's sense of conservation and recycling developed. As for us, pupils’ passion for toys and cartoon books reminded us of the genuine fun of childhood. Owing to parents and pupils support, this swap meet achieved great success. For example, an elderly even donated sets of gently used toys to support our activity. Seeing the items of toys on the table constantly changed, we felt that our strenuous preparation work got paid off. To better develop the idea of swap meet, we decided to donate those rest gently used toys and cartoon books to the pupils from the underprivileged area.

June 29th, our summer social practice team "Bravo" from the School of Foreign Languages, ZSTU, started the seven-day's series of activities directed at pupils-"Chinese communities embracing foreign culture"-in the Qingya Residential Quarter in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. With the help of Mr. Zhu an administrator at the local community center, we organized our first day's indoor activity-Sushi Show-at the community center. Thanks to previous publicity work, at about 9:30 am, three dozens of pupils accompanied by their parents trickled in, and participated in our first day's Sushi Show where our team members demonstrated the process of making simple sushi to pupils. Both pupils and their parents showed great interests to our sushi show. On the one hand, Pupils enjoyed a good playtime. On the other hand, parents are pleased to see their children involving in practical activity which greatly developed pupils' teamwork spirit. What impressed were those happy smiling faces and innocent eyes: