HATSUNE MIKU 初音未來(初音ミク)

Have you heard of Hatsune Miku? She is a famous singer in Japan. Maybe i should say: she is the vocaloid(虛擬偶像) in Japan.. :D 

A) Yes, I have heard of Hatsune Miku. -> Q1

B) No, I have not heard of Hatsune Miku. ->  please watch the video below -> Q1

Q1) Do you still remember what is your reaction  when you first meet with Hatsune Miku's work?

I am not the fan of her. Actually Hatsune Miku's voice is quite beautiful but it is not the type of voice I like. I just listen for one of her songs and never listen to her song again. Although i am not really obsessed with her songs, I love her appearance and her long hair. :D

Are you be interested in knowing the elderly and kids' reaction to her? I have got some video from youtube about this. \ (> A <) /

Kids' react:

Elders' react:

Technology is really amazing. People use it to create vocaloids and even hold a concert of her. We can see that the action of the vocaloids on the stage is really smooth and vivid. They really sang like a real singers on the stage with dancing. Human's creativity is really powerful. Isn't it?

by Hedy

       The Different Expressions Between Mainland Chinese and HongKong Chinese
       Hi! I'm David. Since I have been to HK for two months,I have found some different expressions between Mainland  Chinese and HongKong Chinese . Here are my ''RESEARCH FINDINGS'' .  :)

       Having different words of the same meaning

                  Mainland      HongKong 
                        空调         冷气机
                        钱包          银包、荷包
                        公交车      巴士
                        出租车      的士
                        扣篮           入樽
                        草莓           士多啤梨（口语）
                        摩托车       电单车
                        圆珠笔        原子笔
                        吃火锅       打边炉
                         欧冠            欧联
                         欧联            欧霸
                         洗手夜        碱液
                         沐浴露        碱液
                         胶片            菲林      
                          橡皮擦       擦胶
                          下课           落堂
                          教室           班房
                          服务员       侍应（正式）
                          逃课           走堂
                         志愿者        义工
                          警察           差人（非正式）

     Having different meanings of the same word                      
电话：内地日常语言中，通常专指固定电话，不用来表示移动电话（手机）。在香港，即可用来表达这两种事物。
欧联：这是个体育词语。可让我和香港roommate纠结好一会儿。在香港，这个词指的是欧洲足球俱乐部最顶级的比赛，而在内地，这个词指的是次一级的比赛。最顶级的比赛内地叫做‘’欧冠‘’。（可参见上文同义异词部分）。

   Having the same meanings with reversed Chinese charecters
    
                        Mainland                   HongKong 
                         夜宵                               宵夜
                         素质                               质素

It's not difficult to find some reasons to this phenomenon. In Mainland, most people use Putonghua. And we know there are different grammar   rules between Putonghua and Cantonese. Also, HongKong was deeply affected by UK culture. And the most essential reason is that the two regions have different political and cultural system. 
In the end, I wish this blog can help you have a better communication with your Mainland or HongKong friends. 

Nightingale from Demi lovato

Hi, I am Hedy  \(^O^)/

Do you remember what I have shared about the song ‘Skyscraper’? Today I would like to share another song from Demi lovato. Here we go! ‘Nightingale’!

Lyrics(both English and Chinese) can be found in the following link:

http://jill880601.pixnet.net/blog/post/49482650-demi-lovato-nightingale-%E5%A4%9C%E9%B6%AF-%E4%B8%AD%E6%96%87%E6%AD%8C%E8%A9%9E

Demi wrote this song for hereslf. She said it is a personal song. She miss her friend who was died when Demi was 13 years old. Sometime Demi think she can still feel this friend and this friend like the nightingale (or guardian angel) for her.

Please watch the video from 1:14 to 1:35

Things happened are always irreversible. What we can do is treasuring people and things around us, especially our life. Don’t commit to suicide even though you feel frustrate and desperate. When you feel stressed or hopeless, please watch this video. Listen to the song :D

 

My best friend shared this video to me. Isn’t the characters in the video very cute?

Winter Sonata 冬季戀歌

Hi there, I am Marcella.
It's getting cold in Hong Kong. Winter's coming!! I started listening to winter songs again this week. And I discovered that one of my favorite songs have many different versions in different languages!!
I was really amazed by the compatibility of the melody! I have to admit that all the versions are so beautiful that I can spend a whole day listening to them without getting bored of them！

Now, let me introduce the songs to you.

中島美嘉　『雪の華』

This is the Japanese version and the original "Yuki no Hana", meaning snowflake. This version is
sung by Mika Nakashima. It is an all-time winter favorite song and has won a lot of awards.
Cover versions are sung by many famous singers. The song expressed love and happiness of the
persona to her boyfriend/ partner when they are walking side by side on a snowy winter day.

Lyrics can be found here:Chinese English

박효신  『 눈의 꽃』

This is the Korean version of 『雪の華』, in Romanji, "Nun-uikkoch", also meaning
"snow flake".The greatest differences between the Japanese version and the Korean
 version is that the Korean version is sung by 박효신,(Park Hyo Shin),a male singer.
Moreover, the persona of the song is a man. This song has been used as the them
e song of  a TV drama, 『미안하다, 사랑한다』, in English, " I'm sorry, I love you".
The story told by in the lyrics is  more less the same as the Japanese version, except
it's in the view of a male. 

This song has been so popular that it was sung in the Voice kids in Korea. Listen to their angelic voices.

Lyrics can be found here: Chinese 

蔡淳佳 『对不起，我爱你』
This is a Putonghua version sung by Joi Chua , who is a Singaporean. The name of the song
is " I'm sorry, I love you",which has the same name as the Korean Drama.The Putonghua
version has a rather sad theme.The persona is worrying about the relationship
with her boyfriend but she still has hope that they are still in love with each other.

Lyrics: Chinese

泳兒  『花無雪』
This is the Cantonese version of Yuki no Hana. The song is sung by Vincy, and the name of the song means flower without snow. The song is about the persona breaking up with her boyfriend.




Hayley Westenra --- Snow Flower
This is the English version of Yuki no Hana. This story of the song sticks quite close to the original. However, the love of the persona is the strongest and she is very sure that she and her partner will stay together forever.

Lyrics: English

This singer has performed a famous Chinese love song月亮代表我的心--The moon represents my heart, during the opening ceremony of the World Game in Taiwan on July 16, 2009. In this performance, she sang in Putonghua.




Hayley Westenra is from New Zealand singer who has an angelic voice. She has sung songs of different genres, from folk songs to pop songs. She also sings in different languages, English, Irish, Welsh, Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Latin, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Māori.  Her Putonghua was quite fluent and standard. 

Free-to-air TV license

‘Ricky Wong Wai-kay (王維基) was extraordinarily low-key yesterday after commerce secretary Gregory So Kam-leung pronounced the death sentence on his application for a free-to-air TV license.’ (The Standard)

Do you know who is Wong Wai-kay? Are you disappointed with the government’s decision on not giving the free-on-air TV license to HKTV(香港電視)? Or don’t really care about this news? I believe you must hear the name ‘Wong Wai-kay’ in these days. Maybe you have no feeling on this issue, but I would like to share some information and my feeling on this hot issue in HK.

If you flipped over today’s newspaper, I believe you must bump into the hot topic about the free-on-air TV license. To be honest, I am quite disappointed about the HKSAR government’s decision on not giving the free-on-air TV license to HKTV. Most of us know, HKTV has prepared for the operation of the free-on-air HKTV for almost 3 years, but all preparation the HKTV staff made in vain. They don’t have the license now, or maybe forever. Actually I was looking forward for the TV programs made by HKTV since he applied for the license. The government’s decision disappointed many HongKongers.

I really want to know why the government give the license to i-Cable's Fantastic Television(奇妙電視) and now’s Hong Kong Television Entertainment Company Limited(香港電視娛樂). The Standard reported: ‘Greg So Kam-leung(蘇錦良), Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, said the application by City Telecom-owned HKTV was dismissed after the Chief Executive-in-Council had considered a basket of factors and accepted a consultancy report that the market could not accommodate five TV stations.’ What is the so-called ‘a basket of factors’? This is what all Hong Kong people, and mostly the HKTV staff, want to know.

The government’s decision on not giving the free-on-air TV license to HKTV raises public anger. People think it is unfair of the government to reject the application of HKTV for the license. The government must tell the detail of’ a basket of factors’. Maybe this can relieve public anger if the explanation is strongly persuasive.

News about this issue:

Rally call in TV fight (The standard)

Rejected TV boss eyes new vision (The standard)

王維基透露09年政府主動致電邀請申請牌照 (香港電台)

毛孟靜：香港電視不獲發牌不公平 (now.com 新聞)


by Hedy

English in Subway??

Hi! I'm Marcella! The topic of today is this:

This logo might be familiar to you (or not). This is a fast food shop originated in the US, featuring sandwiches, especially subway sandwiches!! Yum yum<3

  

I tried my first bite of Subway sandwiches last summer in Central. It tasted good. However, what I think is the most eye-catching part is when you order for your food. My friend told me that I have to order in English! That really shocked me. I looked at the people behind the front desk and the cashier, they are all foreigners. I tried to listen to the customers in front of me in the queue while I was struggling whether I want tomatoes or  not. And the result is YES, everyone uses English here in Hong Kong Subway. When it comes to my turn, I was so freaked out that my friend had to do all the ordering for me :p 

I don't think I am the only one who has been freaked out by the need of switching code in Subway. Although Hong Kong is a bilingual society, it's not common to speak English when we order food. Well, sometimes in Starbucks, we will use English chunks, stating the names of coffe/ drink or the size that you want. But that's totally different from using English the whole way through the ordering process. Like me, people may feel uncomfortable. 

I did some research online, and I found somebody like me LOL 

The writer said that one day she entered the Subway shop in Central as she wanted to buy something to eat during her trip on the ship.  However she was stunned as she didn't know much English and she didn't understand what the foreigner (the shop-assistance) was mentioning about. At last she ended up leaving the shop without buying anything. She also complained if it is necessary to use only English when ordering food.

What she complained about is sensible. We should understand that not everyone knows English. 

There are pros and cons using English in subway.

Pros:1) Subway can keep its own traditions and characteristics of being an American fast food shop

         2) The way of ordering indicates the "class" of Subway, the target consumers and the quality of 

              food and also the price

Cons: 1) Those who are not good at English dare not order in subway

          2) Tourists (for example: from mainland China) may not has as high level of English as Hong

              Kong residents

          3) It's like setting a basic requirement for buying subway and discriminating those who doesn't 

              know English

Well I was only focusing on the Subway in Hong Kong which I've been to last year. And the pros and cons are just my own opinions. In fact, I've heard that some newly opened shops of subway has employed shop-assistance who can speak Cantonese and Putonghua, which can be a good news to some people.

If you really have troubles ordering your subway, go and check these articles out! They are the instructions you can follow when you are ordering your food! LOL Just read through it, pick your favourite and then order!

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/dbtranslation-2010/article?mid=63&prev=68&l=f&fid=8

http://tw.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/question?qid=1010112007791

Being a scientist

Have you ever dreamed of being a scientist? Although not every one can become a scientist, we can keep on learning science knowledge at any time.Here is an article with some dynamic graphs which is about some experiment phenomena.The tittle says arts students will be frightened when seeing the graphs. Really? Maybe I was a science student, I felt very stimulated and romantic! Come and have a look！

http://plus.url.google.com/url?sa=z&n=1381833943778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fchaoglobal.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F10%2F04%2Fgif2%2F&usg=1GidCnjYIRO3gZXRFn6jg23PVig.

靜‧聽 Ripples In the still of Night

　　

　　現在已是深夜兩時，在這夜闌人靜的時候，不知道大家在聽什麼歌呢？

　　It’s 2am now. In this still of the night, which song are you listening to at the moment?

　　有人可能還在工作奮鬥，希望來一首旋律輕快勁爆的歌曲提提神；有人可能睡不著，想聽一首節奏悠揚的搖籃曲，好讓自己快快盡入夢鄉。

　　Some people may still be struggling for their work, hoping to refresh himself with a lively strong beat music. Some may not be able to sleep a wink, hoping to listen to a melodious lullaby which will take him to a dream.

　　而我則喜歡一把清澈的聲音─王若琳，她的歌聲充滿靈魂，彷彿在跟你細說著一個動人的故事，讓平靜的晚上泛起了一點漣漪。

　　For me, I’m fond of a tranquil voice─Joanna Wang. Her voice is spiritually beautiful as though telling you a moving story softly, rippling in the quiet night.

王若琳 Joanna Wang

　　王若琳是台灣歌手，自小在美國長大，她曾經翻唱許多知名歌曲，唱得絲毫不比原唱者遜色，反而帶出她獨特的味道，令人沉醉其中。

　　Joanna is a Taiwanese singer brought up in the United States. She had covered many well-known songs. Her singing is no less pleasing to the ears than the original artist’s as she can bring her uniqueness out in the music, enchanting people so much.

　　在此跟大家分享我的最愛─由她翻唱“Vincent”，希望你們喜歡。

　　Let me share my favourite to all of you─ her cover version of “Vincent”. I Hope that you will like it.

Vincent - 王若琳 Joanna Wang

Lyrics                                                                      歌詞

Starry, starry night                                           那夜繁星點點，

Paint your palette blue and gray                     你在畫板上塗抹著灰與藍。

Look out on a summer's day                           夏日裡輕瞥一眼
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul 便將我靈魂的陰霾洞穿。
Shadows on the hills                                       暗影鋪滿群山，
Sketch the trees and the daffodils                   樹木與水仙花點綴其間，
Catch the breeze and the winter chills            捕捉著微風與料峭冬寒，
In colors on the snowy linen land                    用雪原斑駁的色彩。
Now I understand                                            我終於讀懂了，
What you tried to say to me                            你當時的肺腑之言。
How you suffered for your sanity                     獨醒於眾人間的你是那麼痛苦，
How you tried to set them free                        你多想解開被禁錮者的繫絆。
They would not listen                                      可他們卻充耳不聞，
They did not know how                                   對你視若不見。
Perhaps they'll listen now                               也許，現在聽還為時不晚……
Starry, starry night                                          那夜繁星點點，
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze                 鮮花盛放，火般絢爛
Swirling clouds in violet haze                         紫幕輕垂，雲舒雲卷。
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue           都逃不過文森特湛藍的雙眼
Colors changing hue                                      色彩變化萬千，
Morning fields of amber grain                         清晨琥珀色的谷田，
Weathered faces lined in pain                         張張飽經風霜與苦痛的臉，
Are smoothed beneath the artist's Loving hand在畫家筆下漸漸舒展。
Now I understand                                            我終於讀懂了，
What you tried to say to me                             你當時的肺腑之言。
How you suffered for your sanity                     獨醒於眾人間的你是那麼痛苦，
How you tried to set them free                        你多想解開被禁錮者的繫絆。
They would not listen                                       可他們卻充耳不聞，
They did not know how                                    對你視若不見。
Perhaps they'll listen now                                也許，現在聽還為時不晚……
For they could not love you                             他們根本不會在乎你，
But still your love was true                               你對他們的愛卻未曾改變。
And when no hope was left inside                   當最後一點希望都一去不返，
On that starry, starry night                               在那繁星點點的夜晚，
You took your life                                             你憤然結束自己的生命，
As lovers often do                                            如熱戀中盲目的人兒一般。
But I could have told you, Vincent                    文森特，我本該告訴你。
This world was never meant for one               像你這樣美好的靈魂，
As beautiful as you。                                      本就不該來這骯髒的世間。
Starry, starry night                                           那夜繁星點點，
Portraits hung in empty halls                           空曠的大廳裡畫作高懸。
Frameless heads on nameless walls              無名的牆上無框的肖像，
With eyes that watch the world                       用注視整個世界的雙眼，
And can't forget                                               把一切刻在心田。
Like the strangers that you've met                  就像你曾遇見的匆匆過客，
The ragged men in ragged clothes                 襤褸的人身著破爛的衣衫。
The silver thorn of bloody rose                       血紅玫瑰上銀白的利刺，
Lie crushed and broken                                 零落成泥、摧折寸斷，
On the virgin snow                                          散落於皚皚雪間。
Now I think I know                                          我想我現在懂了，
What you tried to say to me                            你當時的肺腑之言。
How you suffered for your sanity                   獨醒於眾人間的你是那麼痛苦，
How you tried to set them free                       你多想解開被禁錮者的繫絆。
They will not listen                                          而他們根本不會去聽，
They're not listening still                                 此刻，仍無人在聽
Perhaps, they never will                                 也許，永遠。

(Lyrics from: http://www.wretch.cc/blog/seleno21/31996392) 

Original version of 'Vincent' by Don McLean (原曲)

Text by Wing