A Lazy Afternoon.

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I had a really really “lazy” dream last night…

“That must be a heated summer afternoon.

This “gentleman” definitely feels too hot in his thick black fluffy fur jacket. Look at his long and sharp claws, and those hairless soles. Life must be much easier for a sun bear like him, because he has got all those necessary needs in order to live an ideal life in the trees.

It is lovely that the fur around his nose and mouth suddenly turns white, while his whole body is black. What a good-looking “gentleman”! His outstanding appearance must attract a lot of “ladies” around him.

However, this lucky “gentleman” seems to be lazy today. His frown and his drooping lips are saying that he doesn’t feel like doing anything but lounging on this comfortable tree. The heat makes him unpleasant, but the relaxing position placates him. His limpid eyes are staring into the air, but they are also filled with thoughts. He might be thinking about his life. He might be looking at some distant forest and dreaming about his future. Or, he is just thinking about tonight’s dinner menu. Who knows?”

But, dream is just dream. I had to wake up again and study for my finals!

Snowflake.

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Snowflake

On the silent street
your shadow is fading away
into a piece of snowflake

I lean back on the corner
writing your name on the snow
thinking of the new-grown grass and watching our memories flow

You would never know
how sorrow and empty I feel
like a snowflake spinning, dancing
and finally dissolving into the snow

“Clear” Sky

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Three weeks ago, when my plane landed on the ground, I was totally shocked about the view outside the window, because I could see nothing but hazy and foggy air.

I heard about the haze in my city before I left school, but I did not expect the situation to be such serious.

It made me sad somehow. There is not more bright sun or shiny stars. Tall buildings could only be seen partially. Everyone was wearing mouth masks. It became hard to catch a taxi because you could not see the cars clearly enough.

People were living in an unclear and gloomy world. And I missed my city – the clean, lively place.

Thick layers of haze that have been choking lots of cities in China recently. Haze is traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon where dust, smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky. Sources for haze particles include farming (ploughing in dry weather), traffic, industry, and wildfires. Industrial pollution can also result in dense haze, which is known as smog.

Big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Xi’An were all victims, which led to issues including flight delaying, diseases and inconvenience of people’s daily lives.

The good news was that the air became much clearer than the day I arrived but I still saw a different city.

I don’t know what is going on nowadays with the environment.
I just want my city and the clear sky back.

Over the Rainbow.

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What do I hope to find over the rainbow?
Of course a perfect me, I think. That would be a beautiful girl with a charming smile and melodious voice. She would have everything and be successful at everything she does.

Right in front of me there is a vast rainbow stretching into infinity.
After open the red door with all of my curiosity, the orange river appears and runs eagerly by my side. I follow the river into the splendid yellow. The green leaves swing and wave to me as I pass them. Then the raindrops fall, the sky turns into an endless gloomy shield. The storm starts to howl, carrying blue dust. I look into the gloomy shadow and move forward into another unknown. I move slowly but firmly. I will not change my direction until I find out what is waiting for me over the rainbow. As I am picturing all the possibilities, suddenly a streak of indigo lighting breaks the silence. The snowflakes spin and sway from the violet sky, dancing with dulcet music.

Suddenly I realize something. The rainbow is just like life. There will be pleasure filled with bright colors, and there will also be gloomy moments filled with challenges and difficulties.

Finally I reach the end of the rainbow. Unfortunately, there is nothing but a mirror in front of me. With disappointment I walk closer to meet the girl in the mirror, who looks exactly like me without anything special. She is not that perfect self I had hoped to find after all. I look into the mirror and observe the girl more carefully. Something has changed about her. Her face is more confident and she seems stronger. The girl is me; a new person after the rainbow journey. She is the person who has just enjoyed the beauty and conquered all the hardships; she is the person I want to be.

I look back at the rainbow, from which I discovered my own identity. I bid a thankful farewell to the journey, from which I learned to know not a perfect but a real self.

Suddenly I realize something. I will smile at the person in the mirror.
Yes, this is what I hope to find over the rainbow – a true me.

The Grey Road

frog3

ded

They curve along like a snake.
How much pain can they take?

Grey and cracked showing no fear.
Why does one even tread here?

It not fun.

Imaginative.

Scary.

Exciting.

Nor beneficial.

Yet we all do it just as were told.

Why does this routine not grow old?

Christmas in China

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Lots of my American friends have been asking me about Christmas in China and how we celebrate the holiday. Well, since Christmas is not a Chinese traditional festival, we do not really celebrate it like the western cultures.

However, Christmas is becoming more well known and more popular. There are always Christmas tress near the big shopping malls and the trees on the roadsides will be decorated into colorful lights. There will be sales in the malls and Christmas music is everywhere.

Only some families opt to have a small Christmas tree during Christmas in China. Few homes have Christmas lights strung outside or candles in the windows. Malls, banks and restaurants often have Christmas displays, Christmas trees, and lights. Large shopping malls help usher in Christmas in China with tree lighting ceremonies.

As for the Santa Claus, it’s not uncommon to see a Santa Claus at malls and hotels across Asia. To draw some attention, some stores will have their staff dress up as Santa and probably do some performances. Chinese children do not really get gifts from people but everyone expects something from the mysterious Santa Claus.

I am really excited about this upcoming holiday. Hope it’ll snow this year!

P!nk

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Four years ago, I was watching the Grammy’s with my mom, and saw what I thought was the most amazing performance I had ever seen – or was going to see. P!nk sang her song, “Glitter in the Air,” meticulously while doing acrobatics in midair. I’m not joking. That takes some serious skill, and I was properly impressed.

Of course, P!nk is not exactly one to slack off after delivering only one stellar performance, so she set about proving me wrong two years later during the 2012 American Music Awards, where she executed a flawless ballet routine with a partner to her popular song “Try.” The performance showcased her incredible talent, strength, and flexibility. All while singing. When I thought I would never see a more impressive performance than “Glitter in the Air,” two years prior, I had most definitely been wrong.

Then P!nk went and broke her own personal awesome performance record during this years Grammy’s. She combined her two previous performances, set to her song “Try.” But she didn’t stop there, and she went on to sing her song “Just Give Me a Reason,” with Nate Ruess. In all, the performance was incredible.

I was so impressed with these performances that I sent the three links to my dad – who had an appropriate reaction: “She is a badass.” That about sums it up. And if you haven’t seen the videos, go see them.

Shadow

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It’s a snake. She’s black too, but the kind of black the night sky is. She’s dark. She’s vivid. She’s powerful.

She’s real. She can never leave you, and sometimes, you want her to leave you. She can be your strength, and she can be your weakness.

She speaks your mind when you lose it, she’s there when your sibling’s a bother, she’s there when you don’t understand something.

She fights. She will fight hard, and when you think she’s done fighting, she will fight even more.

Her enemy is Conscience. Conscience makes her mad, and Conscience makes her strong. She fights Conscience with all she has.

The longer she fights, the less control she possesses. She looses herself in an effort to protect, she grows stronger and out of control.

Fangs, venom, whipping tail, flared hood, she fights Conscience and eventually she fights you. Your body turns from heavy to angry.

She is Anger. Anger must be held back. She must be held back. Nothing can hold back Anger.

She rises, hissing, spitting, glowing, menacing, fighting Conscience and fighting you. She’ll fight you and everyone and everything around you.

DESTROY

Her Anger will infect you.

ATTACK

You will be a danger to be around.

KILL

You can’t fight fire with fire. You must drown it with water.

Imagine never finding water.

The Battlefield 4 Youtube Controversy

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Over the course of the past three months, gamers and fans of the Battlefield franchise have repeatedly bashed Electronic Arts for releasing a clearly unfinished product.

However, the so-called “Battlefield community” is now taking blows at innocent Youtubers, who have been falsely accused of breaking FTC guidelines and changing their opinion for EA’s money.

After an article claiming that Youtubers with over a million subscribers had an undisclosed contract with EA to avoid giving negative reviews of the product was released, most Battle-fielders were quick to react.

However, after listening to the You-tubers’ testimony, it is clear that this article was fabricated. The You-tubers only took part in EA’s Ronku project which did not forbid them to give negative reviews of the game.

Conscience

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It’s a butterfly. It’s black, all black, with misty, soft, glowy, fuzzy edges, like the edges of a shadow.

You can’t really hear it, it’s there. You begin to let your guard down, it’s there. You let your mind wander, it’s there.

It speaks to you. Stop trying, it says, you don’t need to be with others. Just go, it says, just go alone, sit alone, eat alone.

So you go alone. You sit alone, You eat alone. Then you leave alone.

It flies next to you. You don’t need to look up, it’s just there. It grows. It always grows. It lands on your shoulder, your head, your chest. It’s heavy, too heavy. Don’t fall, you tell yourself, don’t fall. Just fall, it replies, just fall.

It’s a heavy load, it is. In class it keeps your head down. In walking it keeps your shoulders hunched. In sleep it keeps your body curled.

The others, they try to keep it away. They fight, claws, fangs, hooves, venom, they fight hard. It keeps coming back. It keeps speaking.

You’re not good at this, it says, you’re not good at that. You’re good at being bad, it says, that’s a better way to think about it.

It still grows, it’s still there. It covers you with it’s wings, it pushes you down. You can get back up but it pushes you down harder. Stay down, just stay down, it says, stay down, stay low, then you can’t get any lower.

You can still get lower, but man, it doesn’t know that.