In this five days trip from July 10 to 14, I visited japan with my families through travel agency instead of planning the travel route by ourselves, because just understand limited Japanese and do not know which locations are worthy to visit.

It is the second times to go to japan, this time we traveled Wakayama and Osaka, although it is during summer in Japan, the weather is different from Hong Kong. The temperature in this five days are around 27.c-32.c, it is same as Hong Kong, but since there has less high buildings than HK in Wakayama and Osaka ,  the hot island effect  and  wall effect is not as worst as the situation in HK, so the wind in Japan is cooler and comfort. So, even we were visiting the Universal Studios in a sunny day, we do not feel hard and suffering.

Beside the weather, we try hot spring at first two nights, it is the first time I have a bath in hot spring. To be honest, it is quite embarrassed that everyone must be naked in the men pool with my brother, but I get used to it in the first five minutes, and then i can feel the life of real Japanese. But it is too bad that it is no photo taking in the spring area.

In the day of visiting Universal Studios, I find that there are not only the characters of the movies produced by Universal picture (like Back to the Future, Hellboy, Jurassic Park, jawes etc.), but also there are the characters of Japanese, especially “One Piece” it is far more popular and commercialize than I can imaged. There is a shop to promote its product and have a theme show of this comic, it showed that the western theme park can accept the local sub-culture, and it can give a fresh image for the oversea and local tourist. I think that if the Disneyland can add some theme shop, show or even an area for the characters which represent HK culture or sub-culture, it would be make it more special.

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As more and more friends around me said that this one is pretty good, I finally pay for the ticket. “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” is a series is a quite dangerous idea; after all, I purposely didn’t read any other critiques or even some general descriptions of the movie even though the title itself suggests the otherwise in order not to interfere my thinking and have any preconceptions on it.

This movie is not only animals other but humans and chimpanzees or apes.  The story itself won’t be complete without the interactions between humans and the chimps, and that’s the most amazing part of the whole movie.  Unlike the decade-ago sequel, this one does not star real actors in chimps’ costumes; rather, all the chimps’ actions are very chimp-like with human facial expressions and gestures thanks to the advanced CG technology in the modern world.  Of course, all those expressions are based on real actors OR actresses, though they are simply flawless at any angles.

At least I now have a better understanding why the chimps hate humans so much and how they start to take over the Earth that will eventually lead to “Planet of the Apes.”  Of course there are still some gaps in between to fill in that subsequent prequels or sequels are unavoidable, such as if the humans actually built a time machine instead of a spaceship to travel, why the apes were dressed in medieval armors, whether the time warping really changed the history, etc.

This series of “The Planet of the Apes” is fully show that beginning of the struggle between human and the apes. In my opinion, human side represent domination of sciences, the apes side represent nature and freedom. That may one of the message the audience may take that
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Ruins of St. Paul is the ruins of the wall directly in front of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, a large three-way known as Archways. Because of the similarity with traditional Chinese Archways are the ruins of that wall, people in Macau, “a large triangular Archways” is called. I was always wondering what it is when I was a child.

As I said that Macau is a place of fusion of east and west cultures. It is said that the coexistence of cultures can be seen from the east and west of St. Paul Catholic Church itself. Western facade of the Catholic Church is the baroque architecture Dearimasu was imported many Eastern elements. For example, the Chinese walls are engraved the pictures of the Chinese chrysanthemum symbolizes more. Moreover, the sculpture was placed in the facade is symmetrical. It is one of the major characteristics of ancient Chinese architecture. In addition, the third floor of the facade was written in Chinese characters “Dui lian” (couplet written in the gate well in China) has been inscribed. Duilian the right of the “sin Memorial idleness dead”(念死者無為罪)on the left is “Shi-induced human evil demon.”( 鬼是誘人為悪)
The people here make it easier to appeal to Christian doctrine, and not bother Duilian in Chinese. The age distribution is not much like the old information, even without a saw, against the foreign presence in the first place does not even know with fear, and resistance was not quite yet. Therefore, through the words of the traditional architectural style here and here, even though an alien culture, residents here feel so intimate, heart will go weakens combat, I think it is more easily accepted. Western culture to Asia at the time to do much of the twist, the Ruins of St. Paul. I think It is thought of as just a product of East-West cultural fusion.

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Although I got it two weeks ago, I just opened the package few days ago. It is because I deiced to store it as one of my collection of toys. However, one day I have a holiday and got nothing to do in front of the desk, and I saw the kendama with a dazzling red ball on the right hand side of my desk. So I opened it, and try to play it and now I cannot not get it off when I am free at home. Actually, I am getting better.

By playing the kendama, patience and concentration are required, it is a kind of practice of life style that is no different with writing an history essay during the examination, but playing the kendama is joyful and get happiness. Even my mother is also like to play it, but she is less patience and when she see me play it well, she will be happy and ask me how to do it. This make her like a kid though her facial and verbal expression. That is the power of toys which can enhance the relationship between child and parents.

Moreover, playing kendama is classified as extreme-game in Japan and even the western countries like USA and England. It show that the Japanese traditional game is evaluated as modern and getting popular even in HK, there is HONG KONG KENDAMA CLUB. It makes me think that, which kind of Chinese traditional game or practice can be universalized across Asia and western countries. Although football is originated in China, the level of football skills is still not match world cup level. It is sad but true that kendama is more likely to be universalized successfully, because the Japanese kendama player is still on the high level of the world. The world cup is coming, and hope that our country and even the local football team can show their skills to the world.

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Although, reading is simply for most of the people, it is not so easy for me. It is not because I get some difficulties in reading, but I am so busy at work in last few months. I can just read this novel for an hour on bed before I fall asleep.

Why I choose this book to read, because there are same similar situation in the fancy martial world and reality society, although the story is not real, I can get the same feeling from the character and which is related to my daily life.

Moreover, I like to read the real Chinese novel rather than the translated novel. I have read other Jin Yong’s martial artists novel like ‘The smiling, proud wanderer”, “The giant eagle and its companion”, those novel is written in traditional Chinese and the translated Chinese novel like “Der Schwarm”, “Jonathan strange & Mr norrell” and “Dracula”. Although those translated novel is attractive as well, I find that the classic Chinese novel is more fluent and able to perform the art of traditional Chinese language. In my opinion, the art of traditional Chinese language is able to express the writer’s mind by the simple words and enjambments in the novel. However, in the translated novel the sentence is written in the form of “Vernacular Chinese”, it is a new form of Chinese has applied since “New Culture Movement” in 1915. The sentence structure of vernacular Chinese is sometime more complex than the traditional Chinese.
When I read the traditional Chinese, I feel that I could more easy to blend the identity of a Chinese, because I can sense the mind and the mining of a Chinese writer by the same language. It is about the concept of Nationalism that our language is evaluating with our history, so, by reading the traditional Chinese, I can realize that the changes and different of traditional Chinese and vernacular Chinese, and try to apply those forms of Chinese in my later written work.
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The film that I would like to discus is “20.30.40”, which is directed by Sylvia Chang. The name of the film was formed in three figures. It means that there are three different love stories of different age stage of women hidden behind. From 20-year-old to 40-year-old. The story has link up three different stories together in the same space-time and neighborhood. The main theme is talking about nowadays’ women how to discover themselves and finding what they need in the chase. The film also revealed the dream and love on females.

All of the three main characters need man. The older two want to find Mr. Right to take care them beside the younger one need a man to help her achieves her dream. Is it meaning that females are the slaves of the love?

In the film, the story of 20 is about a teenage girl called Qi, she loves singing very much when she facing the failure, Qi said “It doesn’t matter, we have time…” which means that teenage have time to waste, they want to try everything. If they have not tried, they will not give up. There is a dialogue saying that” Finding a partner is for future. When become older and older, there is a partner to accompany with you… ”which is the male character Jerry raised. It just hit the females’ heart. It is a very good setting of tell the truth of the female need through the male. Everyone knows that both male and female need is “Love” which can reduce loneliness. However, it is too difficult to find the perfect match.

It is questionable that even if a woman got married, it is not really represent they can found a man to rely on their whole life? This question was raise at the story of 30. Xiangxiang is a charming airhostess. She has a stable joy and lives by herself. However, her attractive can only fulfill her sexual need. Her life has only sex and no love. She feels lonely and unsafe; also strongly hope to get marriage with her Mr. Right. It is because she lives in a single parent family. Finally, she found her Mr. Right. He is a very normal people; he doesn’t have many money and very attractive outlook. He is the one Xiangxiang need, he loves and treasures Xiangxiang very much, and can give her love, safe and warm.

The director rebuilds the image of the divorced middle age women. It is mature, worldliness, tolerant and independent. No matter encountered any of the difficulty; new women should still continue to walk their road. Therefore, females are not “The slaves of the love”. They are all superwoman.

Chan yi, Cherry (448 words)

After watching the media- generated sets of signs, I always wish that I can have that cultural tourism like them. I believe that cultural tourism can help us to release our daily pressure from our busy and heavy workload and also bring the reflection after travel different country and get along with the local citizen. Besides, I love photography very much, I would also like to admire landscapes and the heritage sites. Therefore, I am looking of the opportunity to become a backpacking to travel alone before 25 years old.

During the summer holiday, I have the leisure time that I decided to go travel to Taiwan alone for 7 days which is the tourism entertainment. I have not joined the trips through the travel agency. I buy a travel book and start to plan the route of travel, also book the airline and the high speed railway ticket. In the trips, I spend 5 days that mainly focus on traveling Tai Chung instead of the busy and crowd Tai pei. Taiwan is a lovely place. These 7 days trips let me taste the lifestyle and atmosphere at Taiwan.

Actually my tour plan mostly base on the travel guidebook. I have decided to visit three places at Tai Chung, they are Cingjing, Hualien and Kenting within 5 days and the last 2 days I stayed at Tai Pei and Chiufen.

There is a Cingjing Farm in Cingjing, the wide grassy plain is the most popular site of the Cingjing Farm. There are different type sheep grazing on the land. The sheep are very friendly. You can take picture with them and feed them. Not only playing with the sheep, but also you can enjoy the sheep shearing show. Furthermore, I am very disappointed because of the unstable weather of Taiwan. It’s raining all the day.

My tour to Taiwan can help me to find my own identity. Going to travel alone which is a big task and challenge for me. For me, I am not an independent and talkative girl. I am shy, introvert and afraid of getting into trouble because I cannot believe I can handle all the things. However, after the trip I change a lot. I become mature and more willing to talk with the stranger, because in the trip no one will help you, I need to sleep alone in the dark and ask for help, it forces me to grow in these 7 days. When communicate to the local people, I understand myself more. Taiwan is a really nice place to travel. The kindness of the Taiwanese is unforgettable.

Chan yi, Cherry (427 words)

What is the meaning of freedom? Freedom is the meaning of the state of not being a prisoner and free. Then, what is the meaning of imprisonment? Imprisonment is the state of being imprisoned and not free. We can find the underneath meaning of freedom and imprisonment through a novel called “One hundred years of solitude”.

Gabriel García Márquez, was growth up in the country that is full of  complex races and political instability. The aim of writing this story is to reflect the unstable power of the political and military and the bloody history of the Latin America, the Thousand Days War (Guerra de los Mil Días, 1899–1902) and the corporate hegemony of the United Fruit Company.

In the story, the history of the six generations of the José Arcadio Buendía’s family is the innuendo of the social unrest and the invasion forces in the Latin America. The family members have their own loneliness. They do not feel free in the spiritual level. They do not have any not good communications and are not unity. Some family members refuse to communicate with others. They live in the same house but the souls are imprisoned by themselves or the others. Due to this, they do not understand each other.

At most of the time, prison is a visible and touchable thing. However, prison can be invisible at some times. In the case of Amaranta, she is not jailed physically, but mentally. This is a spiritual imprisonment. She is liberty because of the physically freedom. However, underneath the surface, her virginity is the prison that given by herself. This makes her not free in any love relationships.

Amaranta is not free in love relationship due to her attitude. Actually, she can accept Pietro or start love relationship with any other men. However, she chooses to be imprisoned. The black gauze that she always put on her wrist is the metaphor of virginity and imprisonment. The black gauze is an invisible prison.

The root of wars is the result of the human’s obedience, cruelty, ignorance, hypocrisy and cowardice. Wars make people feel not free and unhappy. People do not have liberty during war periods. In the story, there are many wars and politic prosecution. Many people were killed or sent to the jail. However, some souls cannot be imprisoned by any political and military power. Their sprits are always free.

The “One hundred years of solitude” persuade people at 1960s to against the imprisonment given by the political and military power. Wars and politic prosecution can imprison people. However, people can be free when they are in jail or where else. Freedom is the decision that people can freely decide.

The famous Taiwan writer Li Au once says, “Nobody can imprison your soul.” Freedom is the decision that people can freely decide. It is the attitude people choose. You are free, because you choose to be free.

Chan yi, Cherry (485 words)

Exodus is a film about the conflict of two sexes. By director Pang Ho Cheung.

A police officer Chim discovered a secret of women while he interviews Kwan who is a suspected offender of peeping in female toilet. The secret behind is about an organization created by female which plan to kill all the men. As female toilet can only be accessed by women, therefore, they exchange information there. That is why women spend more time in washroom. Chim starts to investigate the case but Kwan suddenly changes his statement to the incident and admits all the charges. Chim involves in the case and follows Kwan. Soon, Kwan is killed by that organization. Chim’s wife Cheung was the member of the organization in the past. When she discovers Chim hooks-up with Kwan’s wife, she connects back to the organization and kills Chim.

Chim as a police officer interviews him and discover the secret. The narrative begins. The curiosity of the viewer was aroused that we may expect Chim may find ‘something’ about the women organization or any other possibilities through out the whole film.

In the ending of Exodus, Chim’s wife Cheung reconnects to the organization after she discovers Chim’s disloyalty. And she kills him through the organization. By comparing to the opening, the stage of the incident is obviously come to a higher point. When come to the ending, the climax states a fixed or narrower outcome and they serve as to settle the causal issues in the film.

Contrasting the opening and the ending, the pattern of development of this film is goal-oriented plot. As shown in the film Exodus, the desired object is the secret of women or the secret behind the women organization. The main character Chim leads the development. By the end, in the memory of his wife Cheung, the secret of the organization is released as women think that all the hatred, anger and problems are created by men. Therefore, they try to kill all the men in order to have a more harmonious community. The goal is satisfied. The curiosity of the viewer will be eliminated. And the secret of the women organization stated in the opening is exposed. That the narrative developed from the opening has come to be understandable.

The relationship between story and plot is noticeable in this film. In the film Exodus, the death of two character Chim and Kwan and not shown in plot. In the scene that shows Kwan’s death, we cannot see the dead body of him or any signal directly show his death. However, what has been shown to us instead is the crying of his wife. We automatically refer her crying to Kwan and recognize his death. Another example is the death of Chim, only some diegetic elements are shown in the plot that Chim carries tea which prepared by his wife to his office every day, and Kwan’s saying of the invention of new drugs by the women organization. After the intake of the drug, people will keep on burping. After burping of 100 times, the people die. In the last scene, Chim burps for a few times, than, a black screen ends the film. We can easily associate it is the death of Chim. It is because we may think of his wife putting that drug into the tea to him on the basis that she wants to kill him of his disloyalty. However, we can never see the Chim dying before the screen. His death is not directly presented to us. That shows the distinction of the story and plot. We can still understand the narrative even some parts of it are not shown in the plot.

In the film Exodus, relationship is actively employed in it to present the narrative, which are the relationship between opening and ending as well as story and plot. These relationships constitute the narrative to an extent that the viewers understand it.

Chan yi, Cherry (656 words)

Ben is a student in Art school, dreaming about being an artist. However, he suffers from insomnia after the painful break up with his girlfriend Suzy. He cannot sleep again anymore. Therefore, he gets extra 1/3 time in his life. In order to take his mind off of Suzy and escape the boredom of the extra hours he got, he decided to work on night shift of a local supermarket. It is a cash-back to him as he uses to extra time to exchange for money. And this is another way for him to forget about his ex-girl friend Suzy. When he works in the supermarket, he imagines that he has the ability to stop time. Therefore, he can walk around in the “stopped” word just like pressing a pause button while your watch a film. As he is painter, he undresses the females in the “frozen” world and draw portraits for them. While Ben works in the supermarket, he quickly falls in love with his colleague Sharon. That makes him able to forget about Suzy.

To start with, the setting of the whole film helps the progression of the narrative of the film. By referring to the opening of Cashback, when the story come to describe Ben’s relationship state with Suzy, the setting of the film clear show the psychological state of Ben. Bell calls Suzy by phone and asks for chances if they can come back again. But Suzy rejects his request. At this moment, the background moves closer to Ben. And it changes to the bedroom of Ben. The movement of the background make Ben seems falling down on the bed. The angle, perspective and direction change suddenly. We can clearly see that Ben is hopeless after he heard of Suzy’s saying. And he drops to a very bad mood and psychological stage. Therefore, the setting of the film helps the audience to realize the narrative.

Every time when Ben recalls some old memories and transition effects always create special feeling. The way it transits from the “present” Ben to the “kid” Ben is special and it uses a camera movement. The dolly shot moves from Ben and continuously move to the past. All the props, backgrounds are coherent, just like the “present” Ben and the “kid” Ben are at the same place. That creates a confused feeling of time and space which helps and matches with the whole film. It is because Ben always imagines stopping the time. That distorted time and space feeling is full of the whole film.

In the film Cashback, while Ben works in the supermarket, a new character is added in the film which is his new colleague Brain. Brain is a Kung-fu fighter. We can see it from his costume. One thing important is that in the supermarket, they are dressed up in uniform that the clothes of them are more or less the same. But we can easily notice Brain is a Kung-fu fighter case they way he dresses is a little bit different. Therefore, the costume really helps developing the characters’ personality.

To sum up, in the film Cashback, Mise-en-Scene really help the development of the story and shape audiences’ impression to the characters which is helpful for people to have a further understanding of the film.

Chan yi, Cherry (550 words)