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China’s promotional video on billboard-size screens in New York City’s Times Square grabbed the attention of passers-by. The 60-second video, and ffxiv gil the electronic display with its vibrant red background aimed to promote better understanding of China.

Any national promotion is supposed to reflect the country’s culture, taste and special characters in a condensed form. The following three national campaigns aim to do just that.

Experience China

The promotional video Experience China is an effort to exert “soft power” through culture and lifestyle.

Xinhua News Agency called it a “public diplomacy campaign”.

Massive images flashed on six screens on two sides of a building framed in China’s traditional red color.

The ad campaign features a wide runescape money range of Chinese people–including celebrities such as Jackie Chan, the martial-arts movie star, Yao Ming, the basketball player, astronaut Yang Liwei, pianist Lang Lang and lots of ordinary, smiling Chinese.

According to Xinhua, China is hoping the video will help raise its image as a prosperous, developing, democratic and progressive nation. But some foreign media and experts have noted that the display does not reflect all sides of Chinese society.

And for a country with 1.3 billion people, 56 ethnic groups, and a history which stretches back 5,000 years, it’s too difficult to express what China is in just 60 seconds.

Germany’s tongue-painting ad posters

Germany has long had issues with rs gold multiculturalism, immigration, and assimilation.

A few months ago German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared multiculturalism in Germany a “failure”, saying immigrants needed to do more to integrate.

An ad campaign was rolled out to encourage immigrants to learn German.

“Out with language, in with life” or “speak out, get into life” are the rough translations of the slogan.

However, the message sometimes becomes garbled.

Michael Paulwitz, a German Jewish writer, has claimed that sticking out your FFXIV Power leveling tongue represents malice and contempt in Jewish culture.

Australia’s “Where the bloody hell are you?” ad campaign

Tourism Australia has created an “in-your-face” challenge to come and sample the unique “down under” experience.

The campaign focuses on the question, “Where the bloody hell are you?”, using a classic piece of Australian slang in the hope of attracting foreigners.

In the video, the camera changes from place to buy runescape gold place, including Sydney Harbor, featuring the Sydney Opera House, the beach and the aboriginal tribes. In each scene amateur actors greet the audience. The campaign attempts to harness the value of iconic Australian places by displaying them as compelling experiences.

And the irreverent phrase “Where the bloody hell are you?” communicates something of the boisterous nature of Australian culture.It also challenges viewers to visit down under. The only problem is that the phrase is said so quickly that many overseas viewers won’t even realize that they’ve been sworn at.

A new breed of stars are in the making. The frontmen’s names are shouted by fans in the stadium. Their faces are printed on T-shirts. Their blog entries are pinned on the wall.

Meet the super band, namely IT guru Kai-fu Lee, 49, e-commerce boss Ma Yun, 46, and training school tycoon Yu Minhong, 48, just to name the few main ffxiv gil characters. As China moves into the economic fast lane, a technological and entrepreneurial elite is set to become more influential.

But can these rich guys really provide nourishing food for young brains?

Lee, founding president of Google China, spearheads the trend of Chinese entrepreneurs wooing learners.

A Google search for the IT guru’s name usually returns to the title of “youth mentor”, which he favors, rather than scientist or president.

“The method of Google is to exert a subtle ff14 gil influence on youth’s minds. A key step is the marketing of Lee,” said Guo Qi, a commentator in IT Time Weekly. “With his background as a professor and his Chinese ethnicity Google brands itself through his speeches and letters.”

Life mentors

Early this year, nine universities in Beijing recruited “life mentors” for students from the public. They said, ideally, candidates would be retired Party and governmental officials. They hoped these experienced pensioners would give students on important life issues.

But, this time, universities just went off on a tangent. According to a China Youth Daily survey in July, over 80 percent of Chinese have read books about FF14 Power leveling success. But statistics released by Ipsos early this year show that 69 percent Chinese believe that money represents success.

Soft-spoken Lee has been creating a cultish following through his theory of “interest decides success” while vigorous Ma Yun stuns listeners with his “never give up” ambition. These all meet young people’s hunger for success.

Demand for economic development and FFXIV Power leveling job pressure have pushed IT elites and business tycoons to center stage, according to Wu Qing, sociology professor in China Youth University for Political Sciences. “It is hard to judge whether it’s a move forward or backward. It reflects a trend of the times,” he said.

Therefore, most of these A-listers share similar life paths: overseas returnees striving to be successful back home. Thus their advice converges.

Barometer of influence

Celebrities who use self-help books and speeches to inspire youth are nothing new in the West. But young people can usually choose from a great variety of people.

According to Tu Pan, manager in the US Education Center of EIC (the Education International Cooperation Group), US universities’ commencement speakers’ list is usually a barometer of who’s influential among young people.

For instance, the speakers for Harvard University in the past several years were: actor John Lithgow, who wrote for children, newsman Jim Lehrer, known for his cheap ffxiv gil role as a frequent debate moderator during elections, and physicist Steven Chu, who then became US Secretary of Energy.

“You do not need to be a Bill Gates to be successful,” said Wu. “You need someone who can help you become the person you want to be and inspire you to make a difference.”

Millions of Internet users were shocked on Sunday as access was blocked to the unauthorized music and video files on VeryCD, a popular peer-to-peer file-sharing website. Links to online videos were automatically diverted to other web pages.

As the State Administration of Radio Film and ffxiv gil Television looks to wipe out piracy on the Internet, file-sharing websites like VeryCD are facing an uncertain future.

According to the administration, 168 illegal video websites were closed last year.

In peer-to-peer sharing, you use a file-sharing software program, eMule, for example, to *locate computers that have the file you want. Other users can also download the files they want from your computer’s hard drive through the software. Such websites are very popular runescape money among young people but have copyright problems.

The events of Sunday have also affected Internet users in foreign countries. “I have been in Italy for two years. Most of the Chinese books I read are from VeryCD,” said Jia Lifang, 24, a graduate majoring in fashion design at Istituto Carlo Secoli in Milan. “It’s hard to get Chinese books here.”

But some industry experts say it is unlikely to see a complete closedown of the website.

“Perhaps removing the illegal download resources is a *makeshift way to help the website avoid being shut down completely like BTChina and cheap ffxiv gil Icefish, which provided download services,” said Meng Wei, a file-sharing website analyst at iResearch Consulting Group.

Many file-sharing websites have looked for new ways to host content following the recent piracy crackdown. Youku.com got revenue by producing its own TV dramas like Old Boy last year. Qiyi.com and Sohu.com have claimed to have bought authorized video content from foreign companies. Users can watch a limited amount of imported programs for free.

“Providing copyrighted content is an unstoppable trend. We will introduce *authorized content to users,” said Huang Yimeng, founder and CEO of VeryCD, on his blog. “But there is still a lot of content that we cannot offer as legally downloadable, which is a pity.”

Copyright protection poses legal headaches all over the world. In the US, YouTube has signed agreements with Warner Music and CBS to provide authorized content. In the US, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act states that it is illegal to download from file-sharing sites without permission from copyright owner, according to He Anni, a lawyer at Lianggao Law Firm in Beijing.

He said that if you want to use something on a website, including a document, music or clip, you need to find information about permission to use, download, distribute, or reproduce. Most websites have a “Terms of Use” page that explains how you are allowed to use their stuff.

Watch for free online

The recent crackdown on illegal online content has proved to buy runescape gold be a real headache for p2p (peer-to-peer) fans. So, where can you go to watch all your favorite American TV dramas and Hollywood films for free online?

Qiyi.com

The website has claimed that it only provides licensed content, including movies, TV dramas, news footage, *variety shows and cartoons. Currently, only three US TV dramas are available: Desperate Housewives, Cougar Town and Grey’s Anatomy.

Tv.sohu.com

The Chinese news portal’s TV and film channel has been providing licensed content for years. They recently imported some hit episodes of American TV dramas, including Gossip Girl, The Big Bang Theory and Nikita.

Google.cn/music

Google has licensing agreements with labels such as Warner, EMI and Sony, as well as Universal Music Group and FFXIV Power leveling the Music Copyright Society of China. So, users can download authorized music files from here for free.

With Spring Festival just around the corner, it`s time to fire up the kitchens for that all-important reunion meal. And now, this annual ritual is getting a little digital help.

He Fan, a 26-year-old Beijing-based English teacher, may not know her way around the kitchen, but she`s hardly worried after volunteering to prepare this year`s new year eve dinner. She knows she can manage with the click of her computer mouse.

She began her preparations weeks ahead of the Spring Festival by surfing on Taobao.com, China`s largest e-commerce site, and ffxiv gil ordering partially prepared or ready-to-eat dishes from online stores and restaurants from different provinces across China, and even abroad.

"In the past, my parents and relatives would get together and cook for the more than 30 members of my family. The new year eve dinner was more like a suffering, than an ff14 gil enjoyment for them," she says.

Her lengthy shopping list includes roasted whole lamb and mutton skewers from Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, seafood packages from Guangdong province, sauced beef from Shanxi province, liquor-marinated fish from Zhejiang province, and marinated duck necks, wings and feet from Hubei province.

"I`ve also bought imported foods for my FF14 Power leveling cousins since young people like to taste something new, such as Haagen-Dazs ice cream from the US, chocolate muffins from Czechoslovakia and deep-fried glutinous rice cake stuffed with bean paste from Taiwan."

The self-confessed shopaholic says that during Spring Festival, the stores and supermarkets are always crowded and complaints of FFXIV Power leveling high prices are common. But "you can get 20- to 50-percent discounts if you buy online", she says.

Dong Xiaohua, manager of the site`s food sector says, "We are encouraging more vendors to sell their products directly online, and the lower prices this results in is a big draw for customers."

For example, jade dates from Hotan, Xinjiang, which have emerged as a star festival purchase on line, are selling at 100 to 120 yuan ($15-$18) per kilogram, 60 yuan cheaper than in the supermarkets.

Crabs from Yangchenghu Lake in Jiangsu province are another cheap ffxiv gil online favorite, with 100 to 200 stores on line selling them for 30 percent less than the markets.

Su Dan, an online vendor in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, sells lamb on line and has been aggressively expanding his business to include more Xinjiang specialties.

"When customers make orders, my chefs will cook and vacuum seal them immediately," Su says. "The dishes can retain their freshness for up to a week. And you only need to cook them in the microwave for a minutes to have them ready to eat.”

Dong says that the most popular specialties on his site are those from Sichuan, Xinjiang and Zhejiang. Biscuits from the US, candies from Japan and pastries from South Korea are the most popular.

Gong Linna was a struggling folk singer before her lyric-less song Tan Te, or Perturbed, composed by her German husband, became an ffxiv gil Internet sensation. Her powerful voice, wide vocal range and dramatic facial expressions drew rave reviews. She first performed the 4-minute song in Berlin in 2006, but it wasn`t picked up in China until 2009, when it began doing the rounds on the Internet.

Since then the 35-year-old has been busy performing live all over the country, even at rock concerts, which is rare for a folk singer.

"I was not surprised to be introduced to Tan Te as I have performed many of my husband`s songs. But the song requires continuous breathing and ff14 gil voicing, which is hard, and I had to practice it over and over again. Lacking lyrics, the song`s meaning is the music itself."

Her husband, whom Gong refers to by his Chinese name Lao Luo, says, "The song was originally accompanied by no instruments but human voices, and I experimented with a band supporting her only later.

A star singer in her hometown, Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, southwest China, she was never shy while performing in front of people. With Guiyang being home to 15 ethnic groups, Gong would often listen to their folk songs and FF14 Power leveling imitate their dances in her childhood. It was that early exposure that helped mould her distinctive voice and style, she says.

The musically versatile young girl enrolled to study folk music at the Chinese Conservatory of Music in Beijing at 16. She held her first solo concert in 1999 and cooperated with the China Central Nationalities Orchestra, China`s most prestigious traditional FFXIV Power leveling music orchestra. In 2000, she won the Chinese National Singing Competition as best female singer and became a popular figure at various galas.

Her future looked bright and promising, but as time went by, Gong felt anxious and lost. Although she was pursuing fame like other singers, she did not feel at ease with all the lip-synching and stereotyped performances.

She returned home and began to live among the ethnic Miao.

"I observed their simple and happy lives. Elderly women would sing all day long - whether combing their hair, cooking or doing housework," she says. "I was determined to show people that singing should be a happy experience and a way of personal cheap ffxiv gil expression, rather than about following rules."

Her struggles ended when Lao Luo and his music entered her life. He has written most of the music for Gong`s six albums so far.

He also found her a band, including musicians from around the world. For Gong, who grew up singing with karaoke tapes, singing with a live band was a fresh and challenging experience.

After moving with her husband to Berlin in 2004, Gong regained her confidence as a singer.

Calling their music new Chinese art music, the couple insist that the essence of traditional Chinese folk songs needs to be preserved even as it is integrated with new forms. In 2003, Gong gave her first performance abroad in an outdoor music festival in the Netherlands.

Tian Qing, director of Research Institute of Music of the Chinese Academy of Arts, calls Gong`s works "a breakthrough in the field of traditional Chinese folk music" and "a chance for the public to get to know this music genre".

"Unlike other students who follow the teachers` instruction and obey the books, Gong was a serious student with independent ideas," says Tian, who knew Gong as a student in the conservatory.

"The popularity of Tan Te is accidental and Gong is definitely more than that."

For Gong, the biggest reward is that "finally I can sing with my own voice on stage".

Money can`t buy you love, but it can let you rent a girlfriend to take home for Chinese New Year.

It seems modern Chinese parents still make old-world demands on their adult offspring to hurry up and marry and runescape money produce offspring. The pressure is greater in rural areas than it is in urban cities.

So, the pressure is on to arrive home for the holiday with a girlfriend in tow. I say girlfriend because, statistically, marriageable-age men now outnumber women of that age here.

For much of the past decade, the media each year has reported on who rents girlfriends, how much it costs to rent a girlfriend and how they carry off their holiday-only charades in small towns and big cities across the country.

There was the story about rs gold the fake girlfriend who refused to return the money from "red envelope" gifts handed out at a Chinese New Year party in Zhengzhou. The police broke up their argument and persuaded the couple to split the money.

There was the story about an engineer in Shanghai who rented a girlfriend, but whose parents found out at the family reunion. There was the story from Changsha about a "girlfriend" who kept forgetting her lines, to
buy runescape gold the consternation of the young man who had hired her and trained her what to say to his parents.

One fellow told the media he attracted 400 applicants in three days when he advertised on his Internet blog for a girl to take home to Xuzhou. Daily pay rates, according to a variety of media reports, can range from 80 yuan to 3,000 yuan.

There are professional men in their 20s and 30s who tell the media they`re too busy to find a real girlfriend, or who can`t afford a girlfriend because they just graduated from college. Other young men in search of a fake girlfriend tell the media they just broke up with their real girlfriend and haven`t found a replacement in time, or that their real girlfriends refused to go home with FFXIV Power leveling them to meet the parents. One young man told the media he`s gay, but isn`t ready to tell his family yet.

If I were a Chinese mom I might say, "Welcome home, dear. Is this your real girlfriend or your fake girlfriend" when your son arrives home with a good-looking girlfriend of just the right age who has the perfect answers for all the anticipated questions.

If I were a Chinese mother, I might say, "Dear, I`d like a 50-50 share of the fee you paid your fake girlfriend, because I`m the one who also has to pretend she`s real in front of your father, uncles and cousins."

I`m a mom, too, and I suspect that our lie-detector skills are universal. We start by learning what our babies` faces look like when they need to burp. After more than 20 or 30 years of practice, most of us have come to know what our children`s faces look like when they tell a lie.

But then, there`s dad. This is the 21st century, and the whole world has changed. No one expects young people in a tough global economy with ff14 gil a high cost of living to find a mate and get married right away.

Isn`t it time to tell fathers the truth about fake girlfriends and mothers who pretend to believe it? I suspect I might say, "No, not this year."