Life in United Kingdom

Chinese New Year falls on 10th February, 2013, the year of snake. New year's eve is 9th January 2013, the 29th day of twelfth months. Many people ask why there are only 29 days, because the Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, which means it has both elements of a lunar and solar calendar. Chinese New Year starts on the second new moon after the winter solstice unless there is an 11th or 12th intercalary month, in which case it starts on the third new moon. This year the second new moon after winter solstice starts on 10th February. So it is not accurate to say that Chinese calendar is lunar calendar,  in China, it is commonly known as the Agriculture calendar, or Old calendar. New Year's Eve New Year's Day

Ironically, this may be a paradox for an immigrant: we left our own country, live as a foreigner. What's that for? Freedom of speech? But English is not our mother language, we only rely on the internet and international telephone call to keep in touch with our mother tongue; Democracy? But we have not right to vote;  Money? Many asylum seekers pay hundreds of  thousand of pound for the human trafficking. They have to work as slaves for years to pay off the debts. I receive the Electoral Registration form every year, or may be home visiting as well, but we have no right to register. Sometimes I wonder how those pen pushers waste paper by sending out so many forms, notices, and sorts of things, do they never check that I have never 'complete[d] the Electoral Registration form'? Even though I am not eligible to register and vote?  Below is the notice to thank me for what I have never done. Dear Householder Thank you for completing the Electoral Registration f...

PopCap ’s Zuma Happy Farm which is very popular recently in China.

Amid the extensive concerns of the British East-india Company, it is well known that growth and manufacture of Opium has for many years been considered as a great source of public revenue and of private wealth; whole districts have for these purposes been devoted to the culture of the poppy; the superintendence and collection of the taxes have been the employments of officers or high rank in the company's service; and the privilege of the commodity for a season, one of the most lucrative gifts which the Governors of the East could bestow on their nearest connections. China was the grand mart for this article, and so strong was the attachment of the Chinese to its use, that any quantity sent to Canton was sure to be purchased at a high price. It appears, however, that this valuable traffic will now be lost to the Company, the Chinese Government having discovered that great evils result from the abuse of Opium, the particulars of which have been detailed in instructions from the Fooy...

Because of the strict censorship China imposes on the Internet, many domain names are censored in china and people in China cannot view these websites. I didn't realise the restrictions until I had a 3-week trip to China. I heard the term 'Bypassing the Wall' from my father, an old man in his 70s who is very interested in all sorts of news, esp. censored news, though he doesn't know how to surf the Internet. 'The Wall' obviously means the Great firewall of China. 'Bypassing the Wall' is using proxy servers outside the firewall to browse blocked sites. It is not difficult to bypass the Wall for those determined to do so. The websites that I use frequently in UK such as blogspot and youtube are blocked. I was very annoyed when I tried to show my baby's album on google picasa to my friend I found that it was blocked too. My friend ran a program called 'Freegate' to bypass the Wall and finally saw the album. He told me that Freegate was somehow r...

The Bill was read the third time in the Parliament on 14 July 2009. The Minister for Borders and Immigration Phil Woolas: ... I told the Committee that I would return to the issue.The original clause 39 was found not to be acceptable. Itrust that Government amendment 17, tabled in thename of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, alongside assurances that I intend to give the House will address the concerns raised by hon. Members about transitional arrangements. I am also announcing today that, as part of our package of transitional measures, we have decided that to give those who are currently inthe UK on a route to settlement time to adjust to the new system,we will allow the earned citizenship provisions to commence in July 2011 . ... New clause 7 attempts to reinstate much of the old clause 39. It would provide for a one-year period after commencement in which migrants may apply for indefinite leave to remain or for citizenship under the current rules . ... We have also made it c...

 I noticed that there were many advertisements on 19th Century newspaper Derby Mercury selling Chinese cloth powder , and I am wondering what this thing is.

26, Jan, 2009. Today is Chinese New Year, the year of OX. Aside from the couplets and red cloths, beautifully carved OX statue, plants are also one of the things to add some festive spirit to the Chinese New Year, you may parallel this auspicious plants as Christmas tree in western countries. Chinese name for lime is "Kat Chai " in Cantonese or same sound as another auspicious word " ji " in many other Chinese dialects. Lucky bamboo has been loved by Chinese for its upright and empty heart, which is symbolized as humble and moderate, and since the words for "bamboo" and "prayer" sound alike in Chinese, it's for the best wishes of prosperity. The words on the boat-like vase reads ‘ Yi Fan Feng Shun’ which means ‘smooth sailing’.

I joined Youtube on 24th June, 2006, and two years later, I started upload videos. We didn't own a TV till last Christmas (2007), because we kept moving around, and I didn't want to pay TV license fees, but my daughter liked to watch, so I turned to Youtube for some cartoons, this opened a world for me and my daughter, and I have been "growing up" (I mean improving my English and accumulating knowledge of the world) with her by watching Disney's and all kinds of stuff. Now my second daughter is 3 months old, and she can laugh aloud, It's fun to take video and upload to youtube to share with other people around the world. Unfortunately, my family can't watch youtube in China, because Chinese government blocked it again after Olympic 2008, the websites blocked by Chinese government include BBC and VOA. I would like to share with you my Youtube Channel , there are only four my own videos, though.

Some photos of Chinese Community Centre Derby. Centre address is 110-112 Abbey Street, Derby, Derbyshire, DE22 3SS, Telephone: 01332 342436. Members of the centre like playing Mahjong, every time I pass outside the centre, I can hear the noise of mahjong and exciting shout of the players.