Located in Guangdong Province in southern China, Shenzhen is a sub-provincial city, bordering the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong to the south and Dongguan and Huizhou to the north. Due to its strategic location, Shenzhen provides great potentials for economic growth and is considered the economic capital of the country.

Sometimes, Shenzhen is referred to as the backyard of Hong Kong, since it is within close proximity to Hong Kong and hence allows for a convenient day trip from Shenzhen to Hong Kong or vice versa. Shenzhen boasts of a long history of more than 1500 years. Once a small, typical fishing village known as Baoan County, the destination got its present name in 1979 when Deng Xiaoping, the then Communist Party Chairman, gave the location the designation of Special Economic Zone.

Today, Shenzhen is a blend of traditional Chinese culture and modernity and enjoys all the benefits and comforts of an international city, with superb attractions, state of the art road and transportation system, and high quality as well as advanced information system.

Administered by the Guangdong Provincial Government, Shenzhen is divided into six zones, such as, Luohu, Futian, Nanshan, Yantian, Bao’an and Longgang, among which first four are located in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ.) Luohu is in the eastern section of the Special Economic Zone, and is considered the financial and trade center of the city.

Located at the heart of SEZ, Futian serves as the destination’s center of administration, culture, and commerce. Nanshan is regarded as the learning as well as western logistics of Shenzhen and is in the western part of the Special Economic Zone. Situated to the east of SEZ, Yantian is much famed as the center of tourism.

Neighboring Dapeng Bay and Daya Bay, Longgang district is popular as the center for hi-tech export processing and logistics distribution. When comes to Bao’an, it occupies an area of about 715 square kilometers and serves as a base for modern agriculture. In addition, Shenzhen is also a provincial city under the control of the Central Government.

Al though, the city doesn’t has as many historical attractions that other destinations in China have, Shenzhen has created great other attractions in order to entertain and educate visitors touring here. For instance, a visit to the China Folk Cultural Village would be a great way to get a clear idea on different types of folk cultures of the country.

Sprawling over an area of about 500 acres, the China Folk Cultural Village consists of more than 20 unique cottages, each of them representing the distinctive architecture of various ethnic groups. The Village also hosts a number of interesting festivals including the Water-Splashing Festival, the Torch Festival – a traditional event of the Yi ethnic group, and Knife Bar Festival – celebrated by the Lisu ethnic group. In addition, people touring here can also take part in folk dances and shop handicraft items.

Situated in Shenzhen’s Oversea Chinese Town, Splendid China is another prominent attraction in the destination. Also known as Shenzhen Miniature Kingdom, Splendid China is one of the largest miniature scenery parks in the world, with replicas of almost all landmarks in the country, such as the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses in Xian, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Old Summer Palace, Ancient Observatory of Beijing, Potala Palace, the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, Mount Huangshan, the Li River, and much more.

This scenic miniature park is managed by the China Travel Services, and is divided into two sections such as a Scenic Spot Area and a Comprehensive Area. It is estimated that there are more than 50,000 ceramic figures in the park.

Attractions in Shenzhen also include the Window of the World, a replica park situated in the western region of the city. The focal point of the park is the flamboyant replicas of the world’s wonderful as well as scenic sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Tower of London, Roman Colosseum, the Pyramids, Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, Manhattan, and Mahamuni Pagoda of Rangoon. In short, when you leave the park after seeing these replicas, you feel as if you have toured the world in a day.

Other not to miss attractions in the city include Shenzhen Museum, Shenzhen Grand Theater, He Xiangning Art Gallery, and Guan Shanyue Art Gallery. Additionally, Shenzhen is a shoppers’ paradise with such options as Louhu Commercial City, Dongmen Laojie or the Old Street, and Huaqiang Bei Rd. Above all, Shenzhen provides tourists visiting the destination with superb accommodation as well as dining options.

TVXQ fans submitted a civil appeal to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stating that SM Entertainment began selling tickets for TVXQ’s Shenzhen concert before receiving permission from the Chinese government. To this, SM explained that, “We asked the concert planning agency in charge of TVXQ’s Asia Tour, and they said all legal permission and procedures pertaining to ticket sales for the Shenzhen concert had no problems whatsoever.” However, fans are stating that SM’s statement is a lie.

Recently in an interview with a journalist, SM stated, “The ‘Nanjing Asia Pacific Correspondence of Culture Exchange Corporation’ was informed by the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Culture that ‘Permission is granted for TVXQ’s Guangdong (Shenzhen) concert’ on the 21st of October. The Chinese agency also received the ‘Ratification by the Ministry of Culture of Korean TVXQ’s Concert in Guangdong (Shenzhen) [2009] Number 2146.”

Therefore, SM stated that ticket sales began on October 21st, when Dream Maker was given permission to do so.

▲TVXQ Shenzhen concert ticket sales authorization transfer certification The authorization certification stated that the rights to sell tickets were transferred from the ‘Nanjing Asia Pacific Correspondence of Culture Exchange Corporation’, who is the Chinese company in charge of the concert, to the general agent for tickets, ‘Piao’. ⓒDNBN

However, fans stated that, “‘Nanjing Asia Pacific Correspondence of Culture Exchange Corporation’ gave the authorization to sell tickets to ‘Piao’ on September 30th,” and “Ticket sales actually began before this date,” and presented evidence. The actual date of the transfer of the authorization of ticket sales did indeed begin on September 30th.

Fans stated, “‘Piao’ believed that by being given the authorization to sell tickets, permission for the concert had already been given. Therefore, they did their job and began selling tickets. However, September 30th is quite far away from October 21st. Therefore, SM Entertainment blatantly disregarded China’s procedures for such an event.”

Fans also stated, “For the Chinese companies, as they work with concerts in China, they are allowed to draw up contracts regarding sponsors regardless of whether or not permission has been given. However, if the Chinese company, SM and Dream Maker are planning to hand over the authorization of ticket sales, they should have waited until after permission was give before doing so.”

To collect evidence that ticket sales began before permission was granted by the Chinese government, fans presented receipts and lists of order confirmation of fans who had bought tickets for the concert.

▲Shenzhen Concert Ticket Sales Confirmation List A confirmation list of a ticket buyer in China. The date on the receipt states October 5th. However, SM stated that ticket sales began on October 21st. ⓒDNBN

According to this evidence, the payment bank account and money transfer receipt are both listed under the date October 11th. Other ticket confirmation lists are even dated as October 5th. This proves that ticket sales were occurring before permission from the Chinese government was given.

Fans stressed that, “If this isn’t a violation of ticket sales, then what is?” and “This proves that ticket sales began even though permission wasn’t give by the Chinese government.”

Fans also said, “The Shenzhen concert is a concert directly linked with SM,” and “No explanation can let SM escape from their responsibility for going ahead with a concert regardless of the fact that the government had not granted permission yet.”

On the 16th, regarding TVXQ fans’ civil appeal titled ‘SM Entertainment’s Disregard for the Chinese Administrative Procedures may obstruct Culture Exchanges between Korea and China’, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, “In the case of China, a license system is used for foreign concerts,” and “As you have stated, the actions of disregarding a country’s appropriate procedures may have a negative effect on the growth of the Hallyu Wave, the image of the Korean music market and the nation as a whole, as well as the cultural exchange between the two nations.”

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also stated, “We will call a representative of SM forth to clarify and set regulations so that such an event will not occur again.”

Source: [ohmynews+DNBN]
Translation credits: jeeelim5@tohosomnia.net
Shared by: tohosomnia.net
Do not remove/add on any credits

Mercredi 14 octobre, 23h50 : Donc ce matin, on est partis pour Shenzhen ; le trajet était assez long (5h) mais ça allait quand même, on a pu dormir. A l’arrivée, Lala nous attendait. C’est, si j’ai bien compris, la nièce d’une connaissance du père de Loïc… Oui, ça va chercher loin encore une fois !

Elle a le même âge que Loïc (un an de moins que moi donc), bosse depuis 2 ans maintenant, et depuis un an à Chinese Telecom. On est arrivés vers midi, donc on est allés déjeuner. Loïc en a marre de manger chinois je crois, alors on a mangé jap’. Heureusement, je crois que j’aurais pas aimé mangé “occidental” ici, ça aurait été dommage ! Donc on a trouvé un jap’ à 128 Yuans (12,80€) par personne, et tout à volonté ! un truc de fou ! et c’était super bon ! du coup, ça nous a pris pas mal de temps déjà… Et ça n’était pas que sushi, maki et sashimi, mais pleins d’autres plats, très bons !
(oui Nanoue, j’en rajoute exprès pour te faire rager )

Ensuite, on a voulu faire du shopping… Un disque dur externe, et je cherchais aussi un grand angle, genre 10-24… Alors, pour le premier, pas de souci, on est tombé dans l’endroit idéal pour ça, un espèce de paradis pour les amoureux de l’électronique, sur un dizaine d’étages dans une demi-douzaine de tours… !

Par contre, pour le 2e… On n’a trouvé qu’un seul revendeur Nikon, et le caillou à 800 € on a le même en France, alors non merci, c’est trop cher ! On verra bien à Hong-Kong ! Ensuite, on se dit qu’on ira peut-être à l’hôtel le soir, plutôt que de squatter chez Lala (même si elle insiste fortement pour qu’on vienne chez elle !) En fait, on profite du fait que Loïc doive échanger son billet d’avion, et que pour ça il doive aller dans un hôtel pour se renseigner sur les prix :

80 € la chambre avec deux lits pour un hôtel de luxe ! quand on se souvient qu’à Paris (entre autres) c’est encore plus cher pour un simple 2 *, on comprend pourquoi on a longuement hésité… Mais bon, on avait dit à Lala qu’on irait chez elle, donc…

Après, on a fait les débiles/pris des photos dans la ville.

le moment où on se demande si on est vraiment en Chine ou pas, en regardant les enseignes…

les immenses bâtiments.

Loïc, moi, Lala, dans le métro.

Lala, Loïc et moi.

Ensuite, on est rentré dans la ville où Lala habite. On a passé une bonne journée, on a bien rigolé, parlé anglais (t’aurais été fière de moi (ou pas ?) Waïmatso !) et on a fini dans un p’ti resto, puis chez elle, elle a une immense maison sur 4 étages, avec un étage juste pour elle et un de ses frères ! Maintenant, il est 00:46, Time to sleep, demain debout à 8h et une nouvelle journée nous attend !

Alors là, je fais une petite pause, et j’explique pourquoi on avait choisi d’aller à Shenzhen. Déjà, parce que Loïc connaissait quelqu’un là-bas. Ensuite, parce qu’il y avait plus d’une page pour Shenzhen dans mon guide (10 même !! comparé à la demi-page sur les maisons Hakka…) alors on se disait que ça devait être intéressant. Et aussi parce que c’est la première ville à avoir vraiment connu un essor commercial important : de petit port il y a encore une cinquantaine d’années, elle est devenue une des vitrines de la richesse chinoise actuelle ! Bon, par contre, maintenant que j’y suis allée… Je pense qu’il y a encore plein à visiter ne serait-ce qu’en Chine avant d’y retourner, hein ! Ca, c’est fait !

Vendredi 16 Octobre 2009, 23h38 : La journée d’hier : on a commencé par accompagner Lala à son boulot, puis on est allés juste en face, dans un centre commercial, pour un petit déjeuner dim-sun, super bon ! sauf le théo khone (tofu), même sucré, j’aime vraiment pas ça… et y’avait tellement qu’on a eu des restes pour le voyage…

Bon, en fait cette journée n’était pas super passionnante non plus, puisqu’après, on a juste réussi à ne pas se perdre dans Shenzhen malgré le non-sens de l’orientation de Lala. Ah, et on lui a appris à dire “ouais” au lieu de dire “oui” tout le temps… C’est fou, elle apprend le français, parle très bien anglais, mais n’a pas la moindre envie d’aller visiter un autre pays que la Chine…!

Et puis l’après-midi, bah 5h de bus plus 3/4d’h de retard, ce qui fait qu’on est arrivés à Moyan à 19h… Juste à temps pour aller dîner au restaurant avec des amis que Maryline et Raymond avaient invités, et aussi des amis de Joseph (du mahjong).

Puis on a fait un petit tour, qui comme d’habitude s’est fini… Au cyber

Toutes les photos de Shenzhen ici !

Chine 2009

Fãs do Dong Bang Shin Ki, se segurem! Outro ato foi adicionado para a batalha SME versus TVXQ e, como sempre, não foi algo bom.

No início deste mês, SM Entertainment alegou que o TVXQ tinha cancelado tardiamente sua aparição no concerto em Shenzhen, dia 21 de Novembro, e que os três membros JunSu, JaeJoong e YooChun nunca solicitaram os detalhes do contrato de tal show.

Em resposta a esta declaração, o advogado dos três membros anteriormente declarou que, na última semana, obtiveram um manuscrito de um indivíduo afirmando ter assinado a nota de confirmação sem o consentimento dos três. Uma nota de confirmação é um documento garantindo a presença de um cantor em um evento. Normalmente, a nota é assinada pelo representante, sem quaisquer queixas, pois o artista é muito ocupado para assinar seus próprios documentos. No entanto, o advogado de JunSu, JaeJoong e YooChun disseram que o trio jamais deu tal permissão.

Dia 24 de Novembro [hoje], a defesa dos três membros elaborou sua declaração em relação as assinaturas não-autorizadas nesta nota.

Em relação a situação do concerto em Shenzhen, JunSu, JaeJoong e YooChun não assinaram [ou aprovaram a assinatura de] nenhuma nota de confirmação… A nota de confirmação para o concerto em Shenzen, China contem assinaturas que foram forjadas.

Alguns fãs chineses e coreanos chamaram nossa atenção para o fato de que as assinaturas na nota pareciam forjadas. Após um exame minucioso, nós confirmamos que as assinaturas são falsas… A pessoa que forjou [as assinaturas dos membros do TVXQ] nos deu uma nota escrita à mão, que declara que a SME o enviou para forjar as assinaturas.

SM Entertainment declarou anteriormente que não havia questões jurídicas envolvendo as vendas para o concerto em Shenzhen, no entanto, eles forjaram as assinaturas desta nota.

Veja o scan da nota:

-Nota de confirmação-

-Nome: [censurado]

-Número pessoal: [censurado]

-Número do telefone: [censurado]

Eu, o escritor desta nota, em Março de 2009, segui ordens de [censurado] da SM Entertainment e assinei o documento para o concerto em Shenzhen no lugar dos três membros. Nem eu nem SM Entertainment tinha permissão dos três membros para utilizar suas assinaturas, antes ou depois que o documento foi lançado. Os três membros não sabiam sobre o concerto em Shenzhen, quando apresentaram sua ação. O evento foi confirmado após a ação já estar arquivada.

Data: 15 de Novembro de 2001, domingo                 Escritor: [censurado]

O conselho legal também declarou: “SME tem feito um acordo com o trio do TVXQ para realizarem as atividades pré-planejadas… O concerto em Shenzhen foi adicionado para a programação do TVXQ depois [que o acordo foi feito]. SME está tentando distorcer os fatos”.

Eles continuaram: “Pedimos a SME que revele a história por trás das assinaturas forjadas e também todo o conteúdo do contrato para o concerto em Shenzhen. Nós queremos eliminar qualquer mal-entendido que possa ter surgido entre os fãs a partir desses eventos”.

O processo SME x TVXQ fica mais complicado a cada dia. Cada nova declaração só aumenta as dúvidas dos fãs, que nunca podem conferir com os próprios olhos o que é verdade e o que não é, se limitando a apenas engolir cada declaração dolorosa – sendo esta verdadeira ou não – lançada por alguma das partes.

FONTE: CBS + Newsen

Baseado no artigo lawlietta@allkpop | Tradução e alteração por NazakawaSadako@WordPress

NÃO RETIRAR SEM OS DEVIDOS CRÉDITOS!

By Paul Chong Friday 20 November 2009

Democrat President Obama Bowing to Emperor Akihito

President Obama would unconsciously be reminded by memories of his boyhood’s Muslim upbringing that the shortest distance between a problem & a solution is the distance between his knees & the floor. That would be kneeling down before Allah to stand up to anything in the world!

At least the Christians would believe in doing their best, and leave God to do the rest. Bur alas I have been reminded that the Americans have been throwing God out of their life’s equation. I believe that Obama, consciously or unconsciously, is living out a life of religious conflict.

He is the first American President (Afro in origin, imported from Kenya) known to bow to foreign dignitaries. First he bowed to the Saudi King & then it was a “wow bow” to Emperor Akihito. In the Los Angeles Times (November 14, 2009) he was reported as “How low will he go?”. He has aroused all sorts of sentiment among the American people.

Obama Bowing to Saudi King

Has the switch & change in the Democrat foreign policies brought this on? The change has meant less confrontational approach towards Iran & North Korea. This change towards a conciliatory & co-operative diplomacy is certainly apparent in Obama’s recent Asian outreach. He is obviously acting out “the call to action” since receiving his controversial Nobel Peace Prize. What has he achieved, if anything, after the initial nine months of his presidency?

Obama, for all his rhetoric, lacks the mark of a great man’s aura. He looks simply plain. At least, George W Bush exhibited the gait of a six-gun shooter. There’s the creeping question whether his “painting with words” would be matched by his action & commitments. In short, could he fulfil his dream of change? He will yet be judged by history.

However, Obama missed out one great bow – not to “who” but to “Hu”. In his address in Japan he emphasied that America was not out to “contain” China. Yet his many moves & appeals to China betrayed that intention, & it’s left to wonder whether the American generals, the avid practitioners of the full spectrum dominance doctrine were listening.

China is not a new nation nor small in status by any comparison. Foreign countries have had taken advantage of China during its past repose & rest. For a greater part of human history, China has been known to be great & far advanced than any other. China means “Middle Kingdom” – half-way between heaven & earth. It is also the centre of civilization or globalization in the present context. As in the tradition of Chinese kungfu martial arts, new skills are unmatched to the old master’s.

Obama must remember that China does not have to be dominant in order to be prominent. Co-existence, mutual help, & co-operation rather than confrontation are key pointers to peace & harmony. This is the type of foreign policies preached & practised by China since the dawn of history. Such would be the basis for the new world order. For this reason, China has surged ahead in its dealing with Africa & Southeast Asia leaving US way behind.

China & the rest of the Asian countries are no doubt pleased to hear of Obama describing himself as “America’s first Pacific president” & even of his boast of having a half-brother living in China’s glorious booming special economic zone of Shenzhen.

Liu Mingkang

It would be unthinkable for China to accede to US pressure on its currency policy. At a recent Beijing forum, Liu Mingkang, Chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, highlighted the fact that the very weak US dollar & low interest US interest rates are creating “unavoidable risks for the recovery of the global economy, especially the emerging economies”. This is “seriously impacting global asset prices & encouraging speculation in stock & property markets”.

The above scenario goes to show that US is more responsible for the problem than the solution. Why would or should the Chinese listen to US hectoring, when US keeps printing its “fiat” money without restraint? Should the Chinese be expected to prop them up?

In his four-day visit to China, Obama did not miss out the hallmark of China – the Great Wall of China. Taking in the sights is one thing, but having a better insight of the greatness of China is yet another! Had he bowed to Hu, Obama would have reaped greater bonuses than all the bows he had executed with the Saudi King & Emperor Akihito.

President Hu jin-tao

Hu Jin-tao, the Chinese “sifu” President would gladly have shown Obama what China is doing right, in contrast to US, to resuscitate, rejuvenate to recover from this economic crisis. While US “stimulus” package has largely been channelled to bailing out the greedy & seedy, China’s economic stimulus package has been towards productive economic infrastructure, creation of businesses & jobs. It is undeniably true that greed begets more greed, and seeding it will be breeding it. No end will be in sight . . . sorrowfully for US.

Let’s just roam through some vibrant economic activities in China:

• Pearl River Delta – China’s factory of the world, the hub of manufacturing & endless assembly lines.
• The Yang-Tze Delta – the hub of capital-intensive industry,car production, semiconductors & computers.
• Zhongguancun just outside Beijing – China’s Silicon valley.
• The many immense info-tech malls – bursting with smallbusinesses manned by industrious, well-educated youth, wellmotivated & eager to trade & deal.

It is not as though technology is completely new to China, rather China had never looked at it with the eyes of the Western democratic capitalism. China’s way of economic development may well be the best there is after Deng Xiaoping’s foresight & economic vision. This is totally transparent without any hidden agenda, unlike the British with their scheming, devious & hideous diplomacy & imposing an unforgivable opium war upon the Chinese in the 19^th century.

The new world order, as preached & executed by China, is hopefully being heeded by US. As advocated, this will be strategically based on economic independence with due respect to cultural & political differences. The four BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) emerging economies are in accord along this economic road to development. Consolidation of Asia as opposed to fragmentation, that which the West & the Northern rich countries like to create. The former Soviet Union knows full well what it means to be fragmented.

China will not dominate to facilitate deals with other sovereignties. Loans are given without any political strings attached & accessible without any hefty corporate commissions or consultation fees & conditions. China invariably has been engaged in vast, complex infrastructure projects that result in costing not more but less than half the price charged by IMF.

In the kungfu duel, the old master or “sifu” always has more up in his sleeves to overcome his opponent, brilliant & young he may be. Trustingly, some of the Eastern upbringing in Obama’ childhood still remained intact & will serve him well as his “third” eye . . . that he may see the ills & ailments of the US state of affairs.

An authentic LG phone (left) and its counterfeit confiscated in Yemen

An official of LG Electronics’ Dubai branch was recently surprised to hear from Dubai customs that a shipment of 14-inch LG TVs was passing through — because LG stopped making TVs smaller than 20 inches six years ago. Rushing to the port, he was led to a cargo ship where he found 1,050 cheap TVs packed in fake LG cartons. Pirated goods that were once traded only inside China are now turning up all over the Middle East.

Until the last couple of years, knockoffs were usually produced by illegal companies in China for distribution there, but recently they have been found in many Middle East countries including Dubai, Iraq and Yemen. In fact last December LG Electronics was able to find a factory that was turning out knockoffs in Shenzhen, China, by following the trail of a knockoff LG cellphone found for sale in Yemen.

In August, LG discovered a shipment of 1,500 fake LG washing machines in Dubai that was headed for Iraq, and in November Samsung Electronics seized 50,000 fake Samsung-branded cellphone packages and user manuals in Shenzhen. Samsung accused the company of pirating.

The knockoff market is growing quickly. Samsung and LG turned up just 100 cases of counterfeit goods in 2004, but that figure more than doubled to 230 last year. The fake products are usually sold locally for 70 to 80 percent less than the real ones. “Now that Samsung Digital TVs rank first in the world and Korean companies are showing great power in premium markets, the copy problem is getting worse,” a Samsung executive said.

The victimized companies are fighting back. LG Electronics has five agencies in China and two in Dubai looking for fakes. In April they plan to teach customs officials in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia how to spot counterfeits. Samsung has obtained criminal judgments against fraudsters. Last year jail sentences were handed down to people from an organization that made 20,000 illegal Samsung logos and to people from another company that made 9,000 fake Samsung cellphone batteries.

An executive from LG Electronics said that China has been more willing to face the problem recently. “Fortunately, as part of its image reform campaign, the Chinese government is aggressively trying to deal with the counterfeit problem, and it’s a big help.”

Original article and photo source here.

Check out this helicopter tour of Shenzhen!

twitter http://twitter.com/DBSKupdates

[TRANS] 091115 JaeChunSu – It’s Still Negotiable With SM

Dong Bang Shin Ki members, Hero JaeJoong, Micky YooChun and Xiah JunSu, have indicated on the 13th of November that, “The reason for the refusal to perform at the ShenZhen Mirotic Concert is because SM refuses to reveal the contract details.”

The representative of the 3 members stated, “SM only announced the ShenZhen concert schedule after they have filed the lawsuit” and that “The members requested for SM to reveal the contract details regarding the concert but SM refused ; That is the reason why the members decided not to attend the concert at ShenZhen.”

He added on, “ShenZhen Mirotic Concert was not on the tour list originally, that’s something the fans are aware of.”

He also revealed the possibility of reconciliation, “It is not that they (JaeChunSu) do not wish to work with SM anymore,” “There is still a possibility of reconciliation, but only when their issue with the income part of their contract are settled.”

Source: Asiae + OhMicky
Translation: sshutingg @ OneTVXQ.com
Credits: OneTVXQ.com { One World. One Red Ocean. One TVXQ! }
Feel free to repost, but please leave the full credits intact. Thanks!

link to asiae: LINK

The Chinese government performance permit was signed and issued on October 28th, 2009, while SM started selling the tickets for the performance in September after the provisional disposition was filed, which means they started selling the tickets before obtaining the Chinese government permit.

In the following picture are two permit. The first one is obtained on October 28th for the Shenzhen concert, it was then updated on November 3rd. The second half is the permit for the Bejing concert. For both, the dates the permits were attained have been underlined.

So basically, SM began selling the tickets before they were certain whether the concert will happen or not. Even though SM specifically said they knew about all the stops in June 2008 for the tour, there’s no way they could have been certain of this particular concert until October 28th of this year.

credit: RockJJ
trans+shared by: sharingyoochun@wordpress

O clima internacional continua em alta no escritório da arquiteta
Patricia Totaro. Após voltar do 21º International IAKS Congress -
Associação Internacional de Instalações Desportivas e Recreativas,
realizado em Colônia, na Alemanha, a profissional recebeu a boa notícia
que o projeto desenvolvido para a Unique Family Fitness, de Brasília (DF),
acaba de ser escolhido como um dos que possui o designer
mais diferenciado  do mundo. A afirmação é da revista americana CBI -
Club Business International.

LEIA MAIS NOS SITES
:: SORTIMENTOS :: http://www.sortimentos.net/?p=4572
:: GEBBEG VARIEDADES :: http://gebbeg.com.br/?p=7492

.

A Chinese man has amazed surgeons by his recovery since having half of his body amputated after he was run over by a truck.

Peng Shuilin, 37, spent nearly two years in hospital in Shenzhen province (深圳市), southern China, under going a series of operations to re-route nearly every major organ or system inside his body.

Now Peng – who opened his own cut price supermarket called the Half Man-Half Price Store – has survived so well he’s being used as a role model for other amputees.

At just 2ft 7ins tall, he gets around in a wheelchair and gives lectures on recovering from disability.

“We’ve just given him a check up and he is fitter than most men his age. He is amazing and the only person in the world to survive having so much of his body amputated,” said Bujie Hospital vice president Lin Liu.

“He had good care but his secret is his cheerfulness – nothing ever gets him down,” he added.

bron: www.ananova.com

With the sad announcement that cancelled ShenZhen’s concert, many fans are left adrift.  I went to visit the Chinese forums (Baidu.com) to see how the Chinese Cassies were doing and what I saw there both touched me and made me proud.

I’ve translated the post and  bolded the parts that really left an impression on me.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Would you be willing to attend this type of concert?

I’m sure that everyone knows about the cancellation of  the ShenZhen concert. During these times of doubt, our team has been thinking of a way to lesson everyone’s suffering and lift their spirits. There’s no need for more words, only determination and faith, along with the phrase, “We are always standing by TVXQ”.   With these thoughts in mind, we came to an idea. Though the venue will decrease in size, though there won’t be fancy lights and blasting speakers, though there will be no sight of our boys….there will be a unity of loving hearts singing and shining in place of our boys. My fellow sisters, would you like to attend this type of concert?

A lot of our sisters have bought plane tickets which they can no longer refund. We refuse to let those tickets go in vain. Even though you may not see our boys, we would like to create an unforgettable memory. So, we would like to propose an idol-less concert full of love.

————————————————————————————————————————————

VENUE:  a stadium in Shenzhen (we are currently searching, however, since we don’t have a staff who lives in Shenzhen, if anyone has a recommendation, please contact us at tvxqbar@qq.com)

TIME:  November 11th, 7pm

ORGANIZATION: 百度东方神起吧

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We will announce the door prices based on the venue we have found. We hope that everyone could be understanding. Drinks and snacks will be prepared and our “Stand by you” project will be released as well. We will arrange by the door for everyone to leave a message to the boys. We will then mail the recordings of this ‘fan event’ along with all the messages to the boys.

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To put it simply, this is more like a huge fan event, we just hope that everyone could find a silver lining out of the disaster regarding the Shenzhen concert. We want to show the boys that, “See, we can wait for you. Even if you can’t make it here, we can still have fun. So don’t worry about us, just focus on your own happiness!”

The event’s theme will be the same as their concert. We can still sing together and cheer together. We will broadcast the PV we prepared for 6 month, the Chinese version of ‘Proud’. This was originally planned to be included in the 6th anniversary of this forum, consider it an early gift.

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We need to inform everyone that since this announcement was very sudden, our own sources are also limited. We are not sure if this event will succeed, but we promise everyone, that we will do our very best.

We are currently working on the details now, if there are any good advice at all, please email us at tvxqbar@qq.com

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Source:百度东方神起吧

Link to original post:  http://tieba.baidu.com/f?kz=667902990

Translated by: Yotada

Chinese Cassies HWAITING! You really make me (and I’m sure our boys too) Proud ! ! !

Beijing municipal officials recently announced plans to continue with seven incinerator projects in the Beijing area, despite protests of nearby residents.

As we have reported before, Beijing’s trash is growing at approximately 8% annually, though the city is capable of treating just over half of what it tosses. Currently, 90% of Beijing’s solid municipal waste is sent to area landfills.

Though source waste reduction, improved recycling programs and more active resident seperation are among the many options available for addressing the problem, local and central level officials have prioritized the building of more incineration plants as their preferred approach.

This stance, combined with a lack of regulatory oversight and monitoring necessary to ensure the plants’ safety and environmental standards, has stirred dissatisfaction among local residents, and prompted vocal protests unseen in years past.

Incinerators – Clean or Dirty? Friend or Foe?

The thought of burning trash hardly seems ecological or pleasant to the nose, and expert opinions vary as to whether they are part of a sustainable path of development.

That said, advanced facilities are capable of meeting even the most stringent emissions standards; contribute little apparent smell to the community in which they are located; and can even produce energy as a biproduct, making the plant a net negative energy consumer.

Plus, incinerators contribute to the mitigation of landfill methane gas, which has a global warming potential 25 times that of CO2.

Among the list of countries with advanced facilities in operation – which includes Austria, The Netherlands, Japan and France – is China. However, most facilities in China are not among the latest and greatest.

In Shenzhen, for example, though the Baoan incinerator produces almost no dioxin – the carcinogenic emission that often gives incinerators a bad name – it also costs ten times what incinerators across town cost to operate. Other, operationally cheaper plants, by contrast, can be smelled from a mile away and seen belching dark plumes of smoke into the air.

The topic at hand is not why have not China’s municipalities not set strict standards to mandate cleaner incinerators. Chinese cities such as Beijing and Shanghai have passed standards comparable with those in Europe. However, lacking enforcement and monitoring of operation in China has resulted in poorly performing incineration plants even in cities which have enacted strict local regulations.

Moreover, national standards permit dioxin levels ten times those permitted in the US by the Environmental Protection Agency. Foreign engineering firms cite China’s pollution-permissive legal framwork as their reason for not being more responsive to a surging demand for building incineration plants in China.

These factors combined have resulted in incineration plants which, in addition to posing an environmental threat, have also bred public distrust and resentment.

Public Outcry Becoming More Prevalent

As recently as a few years back, environmental justice was not something with which ordinary citizens normally got involved.

Whether because of higher income levels, property value concern, raised awareness, an amalgamation of these elements or something else altogether, China’s citizenry has become more vocal on environmental issues affecting local communities. Growing activism is especially apparent on the issue of incineration plants.

In the past two years, protests over planned incineration plants have broken out in major cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, and Panyu. (in Guangdong Province). Each of these cities’ protests resulted in planned projects being halted or altogether abandoned. In Xiamen, rally cries against a planned chemical plant overturned the project.

Government, Backed Into a Corner, Pushes Back

Despite a measure of recent success of citizens in defeating incineration plant construction and expansion, the mechanism for democratic governance is far from fully developed in China. Though local governments can no longer ignore public sentiment completely, they have not demonstrated a willingness to redraw waste management initiatives.

Just last week, Beijing government officials announced intentions to continue with seven planned incineration plants, slated to be built in the city’s residential neighborhoods, as part of a plan to build nine incineration plants in the Beijing by 2015.

The announcement came in spite of renewed concerns over incineration plants in the last few months.

Chen Ling, vice-director of the Beijing municipal commission of administration, was quick to address community concerns by avowing that the plants would not pose a health risk.

But a marred track record to date may speak louder than Chen’s promises.

Beijing’s one existing incinerator plant, built in 2002, was found in 2008 to be burning, on a daily basis, four times its designed capacity, and pumping 40% of its methane emissions in to the air, rather than capturing them for energy.

Beijing’s latest act demonstrates that though a corner has not been fully turned in terms of government responsiveness to public sentiment, it can neither act unilaterally, particularly on issues that affect daily quality of life. If the last few years’ of growing activism are any indication of what is to come, it would seem that the recent announcement is not the final word.

If you like what you see here, check out TALKING TRASH: Beijing.

Dayum … pimp ride and a pimp license plate! The best combo I’ve seen so far! I wonder how much he / she place as bid in the auction for this plate!

I generally find airports to be a nutritional dead-zone for vegetarians, and the airport in Shenzhen was no different. The best we could drum-up before our flight to Jinan was a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with no ham. When it arrived, it appeared to be more of a grilled margarine sandwich with a thin slice of cheese on sweet-tasting white bread. Positives: The place had an English menu (top floor of the airport) and the sandwich was obviously meat-free. Negatives: taste.

Nachdem ich jetzt so viel zum beneiden gebloggt habe hier mal etwas zum bemitleiden… mein typischer Tagesablauf hier in Shenzhen.

Mein Tag beginnt um 6:30 Uhr mit dem aggressiven “biep biep bieb BIEP” meines Weckers. Nachdem ich den richtigen Knopf gefunden habe, um das Ding ruhig zu bekommen bin ich immerhin wach genug, um ins Bad zu schlurfen und mich soweit zur- Arbeit- geh fertig zu machen.

Um 7 Uhr sitze ich dann verschlafen vor meinem Rechner und hoffe, dass Tom bald online kommt und die große chinesische Firewall nicht mal wieder das Gespräch ruiniert.

7:20 Uhr verlasse ich das Haus und wandere in Richtung Metro. Dazu gibts Musik von meinem MP3- Player. Ich hab da ja die seltsame Mischung von “Drei Groschen Oper”, “Days of the New”, “Ärzte”, “Deine Lakaien”, “The Who” und “Knorkator” drauf, was im Shuffle wirklich immer wieder für Überraschungen gut ist.

Um 8:03 Uhr komme ich dann an der Metrostation nah meiner Arbeit an. Hier wusel ich mich irgendwie durch die heranwalzenden Menschenmassen an der Ampel und schlage mich bis zu einem kleinen Straßenstand durch. Die Verkäuferin sieht mich, wie jeden morgen, nur kurz an und packt wortlos ein, ich nenne es mal Dampfbrötchen, in eine Tüte. Im Austausch drücke ich ihr einen 1 RMB Schein (ganze 10 Cent) in die Hand und verschlinge mein “Brötchen” auf dem restlichen Weg.

Um 8:11 Uhr komme ich dann auf der Arbeit an und ziehe mich erstmal um. Hinterher laufe ich dann in “Code of Conduct” tauglichen Sachen rum, streife meinen ziemlich versüfften Laborkittel über und mache mich an irgendein Experiment.

Um 11:30 gibts dann eine Mittagspause, in der ich mein selbstgekochtes Essen auspacke umd mich mit meiner Kollegin, ich nenne sie immer noch “W”, zusammensetze.

Je nachdem wie viel zu tun ist, geh ich zwischen 11:45 Uhr und 12:30Uhr wieder an die Arbeit. Weiter gehts mit Experimenten, kalibrieren der Waagen, überprüfen der Chemikalien- Kühlschrank- Temperatur und abwaschen. Das ist sowieso die Hauptbeschäftigung, wenn man Experimente macht: abwaschen! Ihr könnt euch nicht vorstellen wie viel Zeit ich mit Schwamm oder Bürste in der Hand irgendwelche Flaschen, Tiegel, Erlenmeyerkolben, etc. schrubbe.

Dazu kommt, in letzter Zeit, noch das Einlegen diverser Probengefäße in einem Säurebad für die Analytik mit dem ICP-MS Gerät. Das Unangenehme ist die Gefäße wieder aus dem Säurebad heraus zu bekommen und hinterher abzuwaschen.

Das klingt alles garnicht so schlimm, oder? Macht auch viel Spaß. Der dumme Teil ist nur der: wenn ich mit all den Sachen fertig bin verlasse ich das Büro und es ist zwischen 7 und 8 Uhr abends. Dienstags und Donnerstags nehme ich dann den Bus zum Chinesischkurs und komme dann gegen 11 Uhr nach Hause. Die restlichen Tage geh ich nach der Arbeit entweder mit W essen oder gehe einkaufen.

Sobald ich zu Hause bin stelle ich mich dann an den Herd und koche mein Mittagessen für den nächsten Tag. Zwischen 10 und 11 Uhr bzw nach 11Uhr mache ich dann meinen Computer an und schaue nach, ob Tom, meine Eltern oder andere nette Leute online sind.

Das also zu meinem Tagesablauf. Ich hoffe ihr bemitleidet mich ausreichend

Aber ich muss ja zugeben ich kann mich eigentlich nicht beschweren, denn die Arbeit macht weiterhin viel Spaß.

Also bis bald

  – Roxi

Fake handsets from China are posing an increasing threat to multinational brands such as Nokia as they flood emerging markets, according to a report.

SHENZHEN, China — Not long ago, Tsoi Chun Bun made potato chips. Now he designs and sells millions of mobile phones a year.

He is one of hundreds of young entrepreneurs seeking overnight fortunes in Shenzhen Inc. — the Wild West of the mobile-phone industry. Phones made and designed by these Chinese vendors will account for about a third of the 1.1 billion cell phones that will be sold around the world this year.

Three decades ago, Shenzhen was China’s first city to experience market-oriented economic reform, unleashing anything-goes capitalism that has spread throughout the nominally capitalist country. And while China’s mobile-phone industry has spread beyond Shenzhen, the southern region remains a center of the mobile-phone ecosystem that inspires dreams of instant success.

“It is China’s version of the Gold Rush,” said Shanghai-based Ken Qing Wang, general manager of the China operations of Silicon Valley-based Telegent Systems, which supplies analog TV chips to the mobile-phone industry. “A lot of wealth has been generated.”

Tsoi, who at 33 is already wealthy and founder of Chinaking International Development, has his eyes set on even loftier heights. “There are lots of billionaires in their twenties here,” he said. Waving a pink cell phone, Tsoi proclaimed he intends to join the billionaires club after a successful initial public offering “in a couple of months.”

Such gunslinger hubris is what goes for street talk in Shenzhen, which supplies cell phones primarily for the developing world but also covets the developed world. Whether mobile-phone makers like Tsoi can ever compete with such innovative thoroughbreds as Apple and Research In Motion is questionable. But companies like Chinaking have shown they can make money in developing nations. For now, they are happy to focus on the next billion mobile phone consumers — the world’s urban poor and rural residents who often are out of the reach of giant international brands. Those lowly markets, though, are expected to represent 60 percent of global mobile-phone sales by 2013, according to researcher Informa Telecoms & Media.

Countless companies, from component parts suppliers to design houses, make their home in Shenzhen. In this complex food chain small companies seek to carve out their turf with niche factories producing such unheralded parts as keypads, mobile-phone speakers and plastic molding. Some specialize in paint. Others are located higher on the food chain, designing devices used by consumers from Brazil to India.

“You see all these companies. You see all these people running around. You feel you are at the center of something, the birth of something,” said William Stofega, an IDC analyst who specializes in global mobile device technology and trends. “It’s phenomenal.”

The crowded business environment in Shenzhen Inc., which according to government figures employs some 4 million workers, means each player tries to undercut the other in design and cost. In the past five years, the average price on low-end Chinese feature phones has plunged from $220 to $90.

“Every day in Shenzhen, new companies join the mobile-phone industry,” said Dennis Zhu, director of marketing of Tinno, a Shenzhen mobile-phone design company. “But many companies also crash every day.”

Because the mobile-phone makers rely on the same chipsets, competition to create differentiating features is fierce. “It’s bloody and it’s getting bloodier,” said Ji-Chang Hsu, executive vice president of Taiwan-based MediaTek, whose chips power the vast majority of Chinese mobile phones.

These vendors are more narrowly focused on individual markets — selling a line in China and, say, Indonesia — and are able to create and implement new features, such as twin SIM card slots so a phone can have two numbers or mobile TV, much faster than companies whose sales span the globe.

These guerrilla mobile-device makers typically churn out a new mobile phone with new features designed with local markets in mind in less than four months, versus nine months for the large global players, said Mingto Yu, chief financial officer of MediaTek. “It’s impossible for a global company based in the United States or Europe to do this,” he said. “You need that local touch.”

MediaTek supplies the core technology — virtually all of the device’s guts — to the vast majority of cell phones rolling off the assembly lines of these Chinese mobile-phone vendors, making it much easier for newcomers to spring up overnight. Former potato-chip maker Tsoi, for example, has two brothers who also started their own cell-phone companies. While many enter the market by initially making fake iPhones or Razrs, those that create their own designs find higher profits. “Their ability to get feedback from the market is fast. They can track trends quickly,” Telegent’s Wang said.

Chinaking, which produces 50 new models a year, developed a mobile phone that can be used as a projector. Tsoi grabbed a phone and displayed a cartoon on his shirt. “I call this the baby sitter,” he said.

“In China, people use a cell phone for two months, then change to a new one,” Tsoi added. “The cell phone is almost like fashion. This gives us a push to innovate.”

The knife-sharp competition has also led to increasing quality in an industry once known more for exploding batteries and cheap knockoffs than innovation. “There still may be a quality gap between Chinese mobile companies and multinationals like Nokia, but it’s no longer enough to influence the buyers,” said Jeffery Wu, founder of mobile-phone maker G-tide, a 21/2-year-old company that is selling 31/2 million devices a year, from Africa to Latin America.

At the same time, the introduction of Google’s mobile-phone operating system, Android, which doesn’t require a license, will help Chinese cell-phone makers “legitimize their companies” and wean them off copycat ways, said Kai-Fu Lee, who until recently headed up Google’s China operations.

“It could put them in competition with the Nokias,” IDC’s Stofega said.

Still, Chinese mobile-phone makers have a long way to go to move beyond low-end products and “shanzhai,” or “bandit,” devices, said Wai Shun Lo, a Hong Kong-based telecommunications expert. “These companies just get a little bit from each phone. … It’s just all low-cost structures. It’s all shanzhai.”

Don’t tell that to Chinaking’s Tsoi, who believes his nimble company can outmaneuver all comers. On a September afternoon, he conducted two simultaneous strategy meetings in his large office over expensive tea — walking between the two groups while continually talking on his mobile phone.

“We have speed,” he said amid his management multi-tasking. “We can change very quickly.”

From the Mercury News.

I’m in cold, cold Beijing now for work and will be returning to Singapore on Friday night cuz I’m gonna have a long day this Saturday.

Besides doing a friend’s makeup for her wedding, I’ll be doing makeup demos featuring the Christmas collections of The Body Shop and Chanel.  Thank goodness they’re both within Raffles City.  After which I’ll cross over to Raffles Hotel for my friend’s wedding dinner.  Won’t have to worry about traffic situations.  Lucky me. 

In the following posts, I’ll let you guys preview the two very different collections.

On another note, I’d like to mention that I was in Shenzhen for the past 3 days and was at a HUGE, 5 floor spa which was a big eye opener for me.  Queen Spa & Dining. It is so huge it’s bigger than Tangs Department Store in Orchard Road.  A wide range of services from various spa pools, to your regular foot and body treatments, manicure & pedicure, F&B and business facilities, and even mahjong and pool games.  Apparently many people come here from Hong Kong and shop till evening then check into the spa and spend the night there relaxing and taking naps and don’t even need to book a hotel room.  (there is baggage storage facility if needed)  I had a very very good Chinese Physician therapy.  The physician was so good he knew just where I needed more work on without me having to tell him.  Also had my foot skin scraped followed by a foot massage.  The therapist used what looked like a metal ruler and gently scraped away the hard skin around my feet leaving them looking nice, smooth and clean!  Check it out yourselves.  www.queenspa.cn