You can’t miss watch musicals, when you travelling in London.

As a visitor in London, there are lots of things we can’t miss definitely, watch musical is one of those things. There are more than 100 theatres in London and some theatres are specially for performing musicals. Each theatre always full of people when the musical is being performed. It is really hard to say which musical is the most worth to watch it. But i will personally suggest three musicals which i think the most worth to see.

The first one is Sing in the rain , Address: Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 5AY

Sing in the Rain is one my favourite movies, that the reason why the musical i think is the best for me. But also the setting of the theatre is the other reason for me love with this musical. The stage is not very big, so when all of the performers singing and dancing together, the scene looks amazing and makes audience want to dance with them together. Especially when you sit just in front of the stage, you will have a lot of good laughs and will feel crazy with all that water splashing around. So you clothes will getting wet, but why we need to care about that? Come on, let’s just enjoy the show.

The second one is The Lion King, Address: Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street, City of London, WC2E 7RQ

The Lion King musical based on the Disney animated film of the same name. I strongly suggest people with their family to watch this musical. There are couples of scenes show the love between father and his son, the scenes with the stage setting really expressed me. When i watch the show, at the same time, it makes me think about my life and my family. Every element of this musical is just perfect to match them together. And there is a little supprise at the opening scene, i believe you will enjoy it.

The third one isWicked, Address: Apollo Victoria Theatre, 17 Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LL

I think Wicked is the one suitable for everyone to watch it. You can go with your friends, family or even you can go alone. The performers include different age groups, there excellent performance make the show like a fairy tale. That is not about the content of the story, but its because of the atmosphere. When i watch this musical, i feel i was the one with them on the stage and experience their life. The main light of the whole performance is green, the effect of the show will more visualised. Just please try  to buy the tickets near the stage, otherwise please bring a small telescope, because this theatre is really big.

We are not allowed to take pictures during the show, so you can buy a brochure after watching the musical. It includes more information in detail or you can just buy them for collecting as me.

Christmas window display in London, 2012

You will never feel lonely in London during Christmas holiday, because there are lots of things you can do. Not only about shopping, eating or visit some famous places, sometimes you can also choose the other way to celebrate Christmas holiday and even do not need to spend money on that, that is take a rest and enjoy the Christmas window display in London.

Actually decorate window display during Christmas holiday is a tradition in London. Most shops will make the window looks attractive for consumers. Some window display be decorated by colours, it used with similar colours to make the window looks beautiful. But most shops will choose use story to make window display more meaningful. It makes the entire window display looks like a fairy tale.

Those shops always cooperate with other brands and make the unique theme for their window display. Such as, in this year, Harrods cooperate with Disney company, and use the image of Disney princess to decorate the window display. It is a good chance for company to cooperate with each other, it make both of them can get the benefits and the same time, they can satisfy with consumers as well. Therefore, it much more easier for both companies to achieve their goal.

No matter what the company want, at least, consumers can enjoy those fabulous display and get what they want, that is the most important thing. So everyone can just bring your own camera and take pictures for those window display, it will be a very nice experience.

So do not need to worry about your Christmas will be bored, or will be spend too much money. Just bring your camera to take pictures for all window display in London. If you even do not have a camera, then just come to London with nothing, walk on the street and see those window displays with your eyes. I believe your Christmas won’t be boring and lonely.

London Southbank Christmas Market 2012

In this year, London Southbank Christmas market brings the real German Christmas style to Southbank Centre’s Winter Festival from 16^thNovember to 24^th December 2012, the market return to Queen’s Walk along the Thames River (Between London eye and Waterloo Bridge).

In this German style Christmas market, it offers Christmas decorations, sweets, hand made soaps, the warm German Mulled Wine and traditional food from over the world. It create a warm atmosphere for gathering with family and friends. It also make tourists feel excited about the market, because they can not just take some amazing pictures and at the same time, they can eat lots of traditional food from different country at one night.

It could be a wonderful time for parents to take a rest, because i believe children will attracted by cute decorations and delicious food. So parents do not need to worry about children will feel bored, the only thing parents need to do is just follow with their children and enjoy the moment.

Southbank Christmas market still provide a chance for people to know different culture from different countries. When you taste different food, it actually makes people know the traditions of that country, because food is one kind of aspects to present own country’s unique culture.

I think that is one of the reasons why Christmas market exists. Obviously Christmas market is not just to bring the happiness feeling to people, and offers lots of interesting stuff to share. Even though celebrate Christmas holiday and make people feel fun is a very important reason for running Christmas Market, it still makes a chance to promote different countries culture, and especially make tourists know more about other countries.

Then let’s just take this chance, and meet with family, friends or colleagues at London Southbank. What should we do? Of course, we just need to enjoy a beautiful Christmas Market at this unique location or to experience this fantastic culture promotion.

‘Check In’- We are not lost, we are here.

When people use social platform to communicate with each other, while they are more likely to use ‘Check-in” function to locate themselves, and let other people know where are they, and which places have they been to?  This situation is not only happens in one specific country, but it exits all over the world.

Whatever when i use Weibo in China or Facebook in UK, i just realised most of my friends like to use this function.

Do they really afraid of lose in somewhere, so they just let others to know where are they in any time? We do not deny this answer completely, because it may the real reason for some people. But i think the important reason for most people is they just want other people to know where they have been and show their personalities.

Such as if you go shopping in some special places, then what you want people know is about what are you actually doing, and which kind of place you choose to shopping. The same as when you eating in some good restaurants, when you let people the place, you always will get more comments about the restaurants and also to the food.

The other important reason for some people is they indeed want to use ‘Check-in’ function to record their daily life. Therefore, even many years passed, when you go back to look at your past life, you can know which places you have been to and what were you doing at that moment. It will remind people some good experience.

So no matter what is the reason for you to use ‘Check-in’ function, there is one thing undeniable that the use of new media does make people’s lives more enjoyable. That

‘LIFE OF PI’for Ang Lee’s another brilliant work

The film ‘Life of Pi’ is adapted from the novel of the same name, the box office in China is easily achieve billions of RMB in the first week, since the movie released on 22 November. The movie is not just achieved a success in box office so far, and also achieved a good reputation. To achieve the both success on the box office and also the reputation is not easy for any film, but Ang Lee made this happens.

Except to analyse successful aspects from professional ‘film studies’ angel, the pre-publicity of this movie also made the effort to make movie success. When Ang Lee decided to make this movie, the news has spread quickly and each news focus on the ‘hard work’ of making this movie. Therefore, it has already made audience curious about this movie and started to follow the information about this movie.

And during the process of making this movie, the pre-publicity team always mentions that there are three hardest things for making film. they are children, animals and water, while those were included in Life Of Pi, so it gives audience a hint that how does Ang  Lee to make this happen.

In Life of Pi‘s official website, it provides Facebook, Twitter, Flicker etc social platforms to do promotion of the film. It offers large of  story of making films and update the news about this film in time. It takes advantages of social platform to interact with audience. It makes audience know more about the behind scene story, and share their opinions on these platforms.

The background of this official website is made as 3D effect, so it makes more visualised. Therefore, all of this pre-publicity strategy helps to attract more audience go to the cinema to watch the film as well. Then i believe, Life of Pi is a journey be worth to take it, it will be the other important work in Ang Lee’s director career.

Christmas lights in Regent Street, London

In London, it is a tradition to decorate the lights to celebrate Christmas Holiday. And they have a ceremony to turn on all of the lights in each year, so regent stress as one of the most important main streets in London, it of course attract lots of people all around the world.

In this year, the main theme of the lights in Regent street depend on the story of ‘Twelfth days of Christmas’, It is the festival days beginning Christmas Day on 25th December. Twelfth Day follow the Twelfth Night according to which Christian tradition is followed. And it is followed by the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January. ‘Twelfth days of Christmas’ is a long story about the Christian tradition and there is a song about this story as well.

In this year, This new design features to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic teams and the lights will remain until Twelfth Night, which is on 6 January.

I really like the Christmas lights in Regent street, the reason is not just because of the wonderful design makes the decoration looks beautiful. The more important factor is the behind story of each lights. I think it is a good way to convey the culture to everyone from all over the world. People enjoy the design of the lights, and at the same time, they can also achieve more information on culture aspect.

While of course, if you want people to know more about the behind story, you need to have ability to draw people’s attention first, therefore, it means the design of the lights is also important.

And actually, this concepts is suit for any area of the society. Everything you made is for people, so to understand what they need rather than what you need. Once you attracted people, then you have a chance to let people know what kind of story you want to convey.

For more information about Christmas lights in Regent street, please visit the website below :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20315353

Secondhand Bookshops In Brighton

Brighton located in south England, which is a beautiful city by the seaside. I had a chance travelling in Brighton and the culture there is amazing for me. There are lots of vintage shops and secondhand markets. The stuff are sold in a very low price, I realized people sales those stuffs are not for money, the more important thing is their passion on those old stuffs. And the second handbook shops are very popular in Brighton.

In the main street, there are five second-hand bookstores at least. In those five second-hand bookshops, one of the largest second-hand bookshops impressed me the most. That bookshop has two floors and each floor includes three rooms.

The bookshop owner told me he just puts those books with specific category, but not to organise them, so basically the book has a lot of dust. There are too many books in there, so actually it is very difficult to find the book what you want. The owner mentioned, the reason why he does not organise these books is because he wants the customer enjoy the time when they looking for the books, rather than feel too rush in his bookshop.

He explained his bookshop is not an academic bookshop, which provides academic resource. While, his bookshop provides large of secondhand books, and those books are almost hardly to buy in the market in nowadays. Therefore, his purpose is attract much more people enjoy the ‘reading’ but not think reading as a mission, that you have to do.

All of the books in this bookshop are very cheap, and even some secondhand books are free to exchange, so I am surprised the owner’s passion on running this bookshop. The owner thinks there are colleges and universities in Brighton, therefore, he wants to attract more teenagers to his bookshop. Because in his view, there are fewer teenagers interested in secondhand bookshops, and he believes if he always has the passion on this work, more and more people and include teenagers will pay attention to the bookshop.

It is a very impressed experience to me. It seems like second hand bookshops as a part of culture exist in Brighton, and I believe this situation is popular in other cities of Britain as well. The owners run their business is not for money, but strongly express their passion on their works. Their passion actually confirms that knowledge cannot be measured by money. So, that is just life.

Can Weibo change China?

Yesterday, Professor Junchao Wang, Tsinghua University gave us a talk about WEIBO and idea communication in China. He mentioned Weibo plays a leading role of social media in China nowadays, and it indeed changed traditional communication sphere in China, even though Weibo still under the Chinese government control to some extent. Wang thinks Weibo as a new platform for people to communicate and include some sensitive topics that impossible to be discussed in the past; he believes Weibo will make Chinese public sphere more and more freedom.

Under the Chinese government policy, lots of information could not be posted online, the online system will delete the sensitive information refer to the government. That is to say, Chinese do not really have the speech freedom since the emergence of Weibo. As wang mentioned, Weibo to some extent changes this situation. While, when I know more about the news posted on Weibo, I find in fact, there are large of information on Weibo are not true, so even though Weibo provides a platform for speech freedom, is that still meaningful with discussing about false information?And the point is people even do not have enough knowledge to realise the information is truth or not. Some news match with the wrong pictures, viewers just read pictures and criticizes the news, nobody doubts its authenticity.

I mentioned this problem to Wang when he finish his talk, he explained Chinese people repressed for too long, and now they have finally found a platform to vent their dissatisfaction with society, so to develop their media literacy is very important, while, that is should be about the problem with the education.

And also on Weibo platform, you may feel Chinese have good integrity, but in fact largely of them are just grandstanding, but not responsibility for their speech and comments. To this extent, I don’t think it is a good phenomenon on Weibo platform. However, Weibo gives Chinese a chance to speak up their thoughts and opinion, but not keep quite anymore. They use this platform to help strangers as well as to expose the bad things in society.

I personally think Weibo provide a platform to build own personalities, which is a good thing for Chinese. Because of the policy and the education in China, in fact Chinese do not have enough courage to present themselves, they would not like to be exposure and afraid of criticize. While, Weibo changed this situation and makes people like to communicate.

If we want to change China, that is still a long way to go. So can Weibo change China is still a question, there is no answer can give at this moment, unless the Chinese government policy changes, but everyone knows that it could not be happen in recent years. However, Weibo indeed makes communication situation better in China, which is the thing we could not deny. Then let’s just use Weibo frequently, and to see what will happen in the future.

Most Londoners like to read books on the underground

Like most Londoners I spend a lot of time on the London underground, and I noticed most people like to reading in the underground. Most Londoners spend about 60 minutes in the underground back to home, when then finish their work. Sometimes, they need to stand in the busy time, but most people still reading books or newspapers.

Today as usually, when I on the way back to Wembley park station from central London, I had a chance to talk with tow ladies, when she finish to read book. I noticed she got both paperbacks and kinder with her, so I was just wondering why she carries different stuff for reading. She explained she put most reading articles on kindle and it is more convenience for her, but once her eyes felt tired with reading kindle, then she will change to read paperbacks. And she emphasises that the point is she needs to read on the underground.

When this lady takes off the underground, I took a chance to chat with the other lady who stands beside me. I talked with her and said I even feel dizzy when I stand on the underground, especially in the busy time, so I am really surprise she can enjoy the reading even though she stands on the underground. She said she used to be and she really enjoy the time on the underground, whatever the underground is crowd or not. She said she can take this time to do lots of reading and think about nothing. After finishing her daily work, the time she spends on the underground makes her feel relax, because when she backs to home, she needs to take care of her children and playing with them.

In fact their answers are really surprised me, I never thought they actually enjoy the time on the underground and enjoy do some reading. Because this situation is basically impossible to happen in China. Most people concentrate on playing mobile phone on underground or just chatting with other people. But there is the other important reason is the underground in China are very crowd, there are too many people to stand, you even feel hard to get into the underground, so reading books is actually impossible to happen.

It is interesting to make notice on your surroundings, sometimes a silly thing will makes you think about the cultural different. So I am interested to be a spy, and just exit around different people and different places.

Bonus, we can watch a different version of Hollywood films in China

In china, there is a large group of people who are fancy with Hollywood films. The interesting thing is, in most of time, the version we watched is different with American audience. So how lucky we are, China as a ‘special’ distribution place for Hollywood films, we are exceptional.

There is a trend for Hollywood films to cooperate with Chinese and to border their market, but Chinese government just want to show the positive images of China in those films. Therefore, if Chinese film censorship thinks Hollywood make Chinese character with bad stereotype, or some sensitive plots about Chinese government, they will remove the scenes and do not allow Chinese audience to watch it.

Such as, In Black Man 3, Chinese government removed the scenes in totaling 13 minutes. Even with the scene, a Chinese waitress attracts Agent J with her alien tongue. The waitress portrayed as an alien, therefore, she as a strange person but not as a Chinese woman with the positive image. Chinese audience just feel ridiculous about that and cannot believe that the version they watched have 13minutes less than the original one.

This situation is not the first time happens in China, and actually, it is a normal situation. As a film fans, I am personally really angry with this problem. Hollywood film tickets are usually more expensive than local films; but Chinese film censorship cannot even guarantee audience to watch the entire film, which makes me really disappointed.

The point is more scenes removed by Chinese government, more stronger feeling of curiously of Chinese audience; they still will use as many methods as they can to find the scenes have removed. That is one of the most important reasons, that there are lots of piracy problems exist in China. How ironic it is.

It seems that the Hollywood films in Chinese version, there is no bad Chinese, nothing bad about Chinese government, no negative with Chinese army in history, no bloody scenes, no violence, no naked characters and so on. Poor Chinese editors, they need to spend time on this bloody important and difficult work.

There is the other thing I have to mention, it is lucky for Inception, because it is the only entire Hollywood film been shown in Chinese cinemas in recent years. We think that is because editors do not have enough ability to understand the story, therefore, it is too hard for them to edit. Anyway at least, they did a contribution for Chinese film censorship, so God bless them. Let’s just take this exceptional advantage and enjoy the different version of Hollywood films. After all, this privilege is not for everyone.