105 degrees Fahrenheit, a quarter past one p. m. It was a blistering day in July.Although O. Henry had told us not to begin a story with such a flat dry opening, in this case it was allowable since it couldn't be worse than a scorching summer afternoon. Indeed, the fervid sun parched everything in the street as if we were put in a smoldering furnace. And there was a feeling of drowsiness filled in the atmosphere beyond the occasional spiritless stir of hot wind.At that moment I was wandering in the burning sun, seeking for a silver lining in this stifling heat. Suddenly, a convenience store came into sight. Upon arrival at the store, nothing felt unusual, at least in this age of COVID-19. After a series of routine checks such as scanning health code, I stepped into the store, streaked off towards the freezer. But I was welcomed by the sight of all sorts of known and unknown brands of frozen treats in the freezer, almost dazzling me. After a moment's hesitation, I deliberately picked out a less ostentatious popsicle. Relieved by the canny selection, I walked over to the checkout contentedly, feeling as if my body were already absorbing the pleasant coolness at every pore.“20 yuan (almost 3 dollars), WeChat or Alipay?” said in an expressionless voice with an expressionless face, but an invisible smile just wrinkled the corners of the cashier’s eyes. Hearing the sound, my thoughts were drawn back to reality. A few seconds later I heard myself gasped, and my face looked rigid. Caught off guard by the unimposing chocolate ice lolly, a mingled feeling of being gullible and discontented surged up in my chest.Like most people, notwithstanding the complaints over expensive brands of ice creams, we have seen a soaring rise of pricey items replacing cheap trusted brands in freezers. Consequently we call these ice creams “xuegao cike”. The term “xuegao cike”, which literally means 'ice creams assassin', is being used to describe ice cream that ambushes inconspicuously in the back of supermarket freezers, cunningly camouflaged against its less-expensive counterparts. However, when their prices are revealed at the check-out counters, they metaphorically “kill” customers' wallets.Among many domestic players, Zhongxuegao (Chicecream) is believed to be one of the culprits. The gimmick of building a "high-end" image is the key to its success. Like all branding, however, the influencer business is a delicate one. The cult brought by its worshippers, is a "kopis", i.e., a mixed blessing for the sellers, which benefits itself or vice versa. Being a cultural icon leaves them more vulnerable to social taste, and taste can change in a trice online. Less Jupiter than Icarus, Chicecream came crash down recently for products not matching the price or having no label, which was a testament to the crisis of a premium price. On the other hand, such strategies not only boost the whole market prices, but also push out the space for regular pricing. As we know the carps threaten to upset food chains of the waterways they live in while crowding out native fish. However, it is not all dark clouds. The business of influencing is not frivolous. Over the years our market has witnessed so many celebrity brands sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. An estimation from the National Bureau of Statistics in China showed that in 2020 the contribution of influencing business approximated to 1.4% of GDP that year. And for consumers, influencer industry with its celebrity brands is becoming magnets for young generation as more people are glued to their smartphones in spare time. But the problem is that the industry is awash with fraud and manipulation, a not unusual occurrence with any new-born thing. Perhaps it is time for them to reflect the essence in building a trusted brand in a more regulated market. When I walked out of the store, back in the street, I looked up to the sky at my own absent-mindedness. The white blazing fireball made my eyes ache. Soon the sweltering hotness crept over my body again, and the ice cream tasted before had evaporated with sweat through skin. I clearly knew that whether overpriced ice cream or affordable one, albeit their diversities, the coolness is the same and it never lasts forever.

Since I am on my winter vacation, I am available for improving my culinary skills. OK, today let me introduce you how to make Portugal Egg Tarts, one of my favorites. I'm fond of baking, and egg tarts is easy to make.1. First of all, the ingredients, all we need are flour 120g, 2 yolks , milk 80g, butter 110g, cream 80g and sugar 5g, which yields about 10 egg tarts. 2. Secondly, make the pastry. The pasty is vital to make an egg tart a success, so just pay attention. Blend the flour, butter(20g) and sugar, and then pour into some water to make the mixture a ball, according to your condition. knead the ball and roll out the ball in a rectangular form. Put sliced butter(90g) on the pastry, and fold it, thus making the butter wrapped in the pastry. Roll out it again, then fold it , repeating this procedure four times. Finally, cut the pastry into small balls, then the shell of egg tart is prepared.3. Preheat the oven to 200C, then make the custard liquid, blend the egg yolks, sugar, cream and milk together. After the oven heated, press the dough ball into the model and pour the custard liquid in it. Make sure the liquid not too full, just about 80 percent to the edge of the crust. Bake the egg tarts until the crusts are golden brown, which usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.

Just a few days ago, a piece of news has sparked heated dispute on the Internet. It is said that a girl from the metropolitan city Shanghai went to his boyfriend's hometown located in rural areas of Jiangxi Province. However, the girl was consternated by the crude Spring Festival Eve dinner and the shabby housing conditions and then posted the images onto the internet for complaint. Agitated by some netizens, she hesitated and decided to go back to home next day. In the case above, while some people say the girl is lack of civility because it is after all such an important festival for Chinese, some argue it is wise for the girl to break up with her boyfriend since marriage is so realistic that she will have to live in agony if she marries a man with a poor background. From my perspective, it reflects the predicament of Chinese marriage and a clash between young and old.In some Chinese people's eyes, love is one thing, but marriage is another. Interestingly, Chinese parents usually object their children's puppy love in high schools, but urge them to get married after they graduated from college. And there will be gossips from the neighbours and pressure from parents for those leftover women and men, especially in underdeveloped cities and countryside. It is a shame not to get married in one's thirties or so, according to the social convention. Moreover, in the view of some elder people, the only thing that a female seeks is to marry a good husband.Besides, in China, marriage is never a personal issue for the two involved but for two families. And the parents-in-law will list a variety of lists for the future son-in-law such as income, estate, cars and so forth. Unfortunately, we all judge, and we are clannish about marriage. Perhaps it does not belong to Chinese but is part of human nature as well. As Jane Austin wrote in her book Pride and Prejudice, "However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters." But how can a couple settles for a marriage with little spiritual fulfillment? Does a marriage based on fortune or arrangement will last longer and be more happy?In Qian Zhongshu's novel Fortress Besieged, he compared marriage to a bastion beleaguered where people outside want to get in and people inside want to get out. Throughout human history, such an incessant loop of "in and out" unfolds the anthropic tales of seeking for love, fortune, status and reproduction, via the union of a couple and two clans at an appropriate time and sometimes breaking up in the days to come because of a variety of reasons. We affirm the necessity of marriage as if it were a principle universally acknowledged, but barely ponder its meaning behind the scenes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves. We did it." On February 11, 2016, the American scientists from Caltech, MIT, LIGO and National Science Foundation announced that they have detected the gravitational waves that Albert Einstein had predicted in his General Theory of Relativity a century ago.This electric news became a viral hit yesterday and inundated our social media. Although most people couldn't grasp the meaning of those abstruse physics terminologies, they were still deeply impressed by the breaking news. Without doubt , the breakthrough will open a window for us to understand the mysteries of black holes, the evolution of the universe, the origin of the Big Bang, etc., which has been a long journey from the dawn of time to the distant future that needs not only imagination but audacious, arduous explorations as well.Since we are talking about gravitational wave, what is that? Plainly speaking, gravitational waves are analogous to the ripples of space-time. According to general theory of relativity, gravity is just the curvature of space-time which is influenced by the mass of those celestial bodies. And this time, LIGO, known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, found the direct evidence of gravitational wave produced by two colliding black holes that is propagating through the space. The milestone once again affirms the rightness of Einstein's theory and moreover marks a giant leap of human being towards the universe. As an intelligent creature on this globe, we humans are so proud of our knowledge and wisdom at this moment!

Your balmy fragrance is like the smell of a warm summer night.And I'm a trifle tipsy, murmur with delight.In my eyes, the creases of your dress are striated, layered petals.Cause I'd like to compare you to a blooming rose.Beneath the attire lies your creamy nude, moist and smooth.I kiss you gently as if you'd be melt in my mouth.Oh, my tasty, I made you out of flour and cream and butter.Yes, it's Just An Egg Tart!

Today is Laba festival, a Chinese traditional holiday, which is celebrated on the 8th day of the 12th month in the Chinese lunar calendar. The name Laba, has different meanings in different origins. For example, La means the twelfth month and Ba means eight, while it's also said that La is similar to Lie, the Chinese character which represents hunt, then Laba festival is related with offering sacrifices to Gods or ancestors.And what Chinese people do during this festival? Well, on that day, we usually eat laba congee, a rice porridge, made of glutinous rice, millet, red beans, peanuts, dried dates, almond, dried lotus seeds and so on. As you can see, it takes time to cook Laba congee, but its sweet flavor and soft texture will make your mouth water. The temples in China will also deliver Laba congee and often people line up to get the blessing boon.In ancient times Chinese people expressed their thankfulness to the God of agriculture via dedicating Laba congee, praying for the good harvest next year. Besides, we also memorize our ancestries as well as welcome the approaching new year. As Chinese people always say, if Laba comes, can the new year be far behind.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that " Love makes the world go around". Despite the fact that we have different skin colors, we speak different tongues, we live in different places, our hearts beat as one. And it is a sweet story about a little boy from the US, who fight with cancer, that goes viral on the Internet.Dorian Murray, an eight-year-old boy in America, who gets a rare pediatric cancer, tells his dad that he wants to be famous in China before the end of his life. His father posted his son's wish on Facebook, hoping that people in China would take a photo on the Great Wall holding signs with the words "D-Strong". The news spreads all over the Internet in a short while, and then the web is inundated with pictures and encouraging words from many people. It is indeed a touching story that warms our heart in this chilly winter.It also reminds me of the heartbreaking image of a drowned toddler that sparks global outrage over Europe migrant crisis. The body of a 3-year-old refugee washed ashore in Turkey and the incident made all the people across the world contemplate the war in Syria and the plight of the refugees. Furthermore, the coverages of this tragedy stimulated the European governments to put more embracing policies to the refugees. Humanity, after all, is not drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. As a beneficent person, we should not forget there are so many people surviving under war, poverty, political repression, trudging over deserts and mounts, with hunger, exhaustion, or death. When we enjoy our happy moments and live a cozy life each day, please, please think of the little babies crying in terror, the refugees fleeing their homeland, numerous corpses lying nowhere. Please keep your unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. Do not let these tragedies become such a common sight that we hardly pay attention to.As British philosopher Russell wrote in his notable essay, "Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind."

It is the time of rain and snow, it is the time of white and innocence, it is the time of thanks and forgiving, as the holly jolly ambience of Christmas culminates in the last month of this year. The dust of snow falls upon us, the jubilant song of Jingle Bell, the scene of family reunion, have given our hearts a change of mood and saved the unpleasantness of the year we have undergone.As the Christmas is just around the corner, I have just finished a MOOC course "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens offered by BerkeleyX on the edX platform. During the course, I read the orignal piece of Dickens's work, disussed problems with classmates from all around the world, and finished the assignments and took the exam, achieving a certificate. Nonetheless, the most significant thing this course provides me is the origin and culture of Christmas as well as the spirits of Christmas. Speaking of the Christmas spirit, there is a hot advertisement video about a lovely cat called Mog on Youtube recently. Well, in fact, the adorable and dorky kitty screwed up the Christmas day and burned up the house totally by accident. However, at the same time, she saved the Thomas' family and the house miraculously. But there was no Christmas at all. Then came the touching scenario that the neighbours shared what they had with the family and Mog, indicating the truth that Christmas is for sharing.Back to our book A Christmas Carol, it tells a fantastic story how Mr. Scrooge, the greedy, stingy miser, who often refers Christmas as "Bah, humbug", is transformed into a friendly and generous person by the three ghosts. Besides, the features of phantoms are deliberately depicted which all have a symbolic meaning. The ghost of Christmas of the past who has a glowing head represents the exuberant young Scrooge who's yet not depraved by gold. While time and money erode the honesty and integrity of Scrooge, that's where the image of the spirit of Christmas of the present comes from, wealthy, powerful, with a throne of food and jewels. And at last, the ghost of Christmas yet to come, is the grim reaper, with no mercy, taking the sinners down to the Hell.In Dickens' times, the then society of Queen Victoria, there was no such a formal tradition as Christmas festival. Not until the book, A Christmas Carol, was published did the custom of Christmas prevailed. As a consequence, the impact of A Christmas Carol was so huge that it did not only affect the British literature but also the culture of the western world. After the book became household, some plots in the book were brought into the local customs such as family reunion, gifts exchange, Christmas dinner. Dickens is indeed the father of Modern Christmas. More importantly, the spirits of Christmas of sharing and helping are passed down from generation to generation."And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!", as Dickens has already told us.

Recently a news coverage has become a viral hit on the Internet that a senior high school student from Hangzhou was admitted to Harvard University. Meanwhile, those coverages unanimously depicted the girl student as smart, diligent but her family condition not good. However, until some people point out that it is far from the truth do we realize her parents both graduate from MIT and she is an ABC either. With the electric news reports often exaggerated or even made up, it is no wonder why some people in our country inevitably question the authenticity of the news.Unfortunately, it is not a unique case, but has its counterparts. As we all know, China's medical scientist Tu Youyou won a share of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine this year. But there are two different versions of Tu's acceptance speech on the Internet, of which one is much more flowery than the other. And of course, the literary version adorned with poetic rhetoric is the fake one. Raymond Zhou has written a commentary on China Daily, and I hereby invoke some of his original words, "China's cyberspace is dotted with the flotsam and jetsam of educational and uplifting quotes, most of which are attributed to luminaries of all kinds, and quite a lot of them are made up."It seems Chinese netizens really buy into chicken soup like this. For instance, the 20 mottos of Harvard University was once widespread and popular among Chinese, which turned out to be apocryphal in the end. Therefore our media is wont to be gushy rather than rational when it comes to news coverages because the extravagant news appeals to the watchers' eyes and the clicks go up like a petrol pump!Undoubtedly, these things cater to the superficial spirits of Chinese people in contemporary society. Yet such things are, in truth, deadly serious. Remember, even the glory that some people have, the sumptuous life that some people lead, the valiant efforts, personal striving, for which you, we, can claim no credit. It is safe to say that the imaginary illusion or the tedious chicken soup has nothing to do with individual improvement but puts our society in peril.

As Robert Frost wrote, " Two roads diverged in a yellow wood/ and I - I took the one less travelled by/ and that has made all the difference." It seems human nature to regret for what we did in the past and the choices once we made. Too often we simply bury our faces in our hands and heave a sigh, hoping that if we could ever come back. Unfortunately, however, what's done cannot be undone. Accept that fact!So what should we do in face of such a merciless rule that merely provides us a one-way ticket? Should we complain about the mistaken life or cry for the wrong decisions? No! Such negative feelings only add to the failures of our life.There is obviously no use dwelling on guilty and remorse because they are not the answer to the problems. If you weep for the missing sun, you will also miss the star. We do make mistakes, we regret them and we want to go back again. To err is human! Nevertheless, the best way is to learn from the past and look forward to the future.Remember that all the things in the world simply come and go, and they have been dispersed as smoke by a light wind, leaving behind almost no gossamer traces at all. No exception with our errors and screwed life! So just take it easy and let bygones be bygones.