Link:

http://www.ijs-global.com/class09/evaduran/

The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II.

When the dawn fell on the 20th of August 1968 everything started. It was around midnight, when several thousands of Czechoslovak citizens awoke to the sound of heavy iron colossuses. At the first glance the only thing they saw was the big fire-bright star painted on the colossuses.

They just rolled past – what was happening? Nobody knew. People began to panic and they ran out on the streets only to be approached by heavy armoured vehicles and tanks. Nobody knew what was going on – not even the Soviet soldiers had the faintest idea.

It was only a small group of high-ranking Soviet officers and officials who knew that this was only the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Czechoslovakia.

It began on January 5, 1968, when reformist Slovak Alexander Dubcek came to power, and continued until August 21, then the Soviet Union and members of its Warsaw Pact allies invaded country to halt the reforms. 

The Prague Spring reforms were an attempt by Dubček to grant additional rights to the citizens in an act of partial decentralization of the economy and democratization. 

Among the freedoms granted were a loosening of restrictions on the media, speech and travel. Dubček also federalized the country into two separate republics; this was the only change that survived the end of the Prague Spring. 

The reforms were not received well by the Soviets who, after failed negotiations, sent thousands troops and tanks to occupy the country. A large wave of emigration swept the nation. While there were many non-violent protests in the country, including the protest-suicide of a student, there was no military resistance. Czechoslovakia remained occupied until 1990. 

After the invasion, Czechoslovakia entered a period of normalization: subsequent leaders attempted to restore the political and economic values that had prevailed before Dubček gained control of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia(KSČ). Gustav Husak, who replaced Dubček and also became president, reversed almost all of Dubček’s reforms. The Prague Spring has become immortalized in music and literature.

Introduction:

More than 300 contract staff working for Hong Kong’s largest telecoms company PCCW launched a half-day strike – demonstrating outside PCCW Tower in Quarry Bay on Tuesday. They are angry at plans by the company to lay off 600-700 staff and reduce staff salaries.

This half-day action is expected to affect many PCCW services – including installation, maintenance of telephones, broadband and cable television services.

According to this background, we ask people their opinion of this event.

Question: What do you think about the payment cutting of PCCW outsourced workers?

A middle age bus driver: “Yes, I know this, but I’ve no idea.”

The husband of young couples: “Standing on the side of the owner, it’s normal. If they do this legitimate, I think it is ok. In addition, they should consider the social responsibility.”

A male staff from another telephone service provider “3”: “It’s bad. The salaries of outsourced workers are low, and they even have a family to support.”

A female student from Hong Kong Baptist University: “It’s irresponsible. The company should give these staff some compensation like more vacations. It’s really unfair.”

The principle of Baptist Church of Kowloon Tong: “That’s normal, many companies are doing the same thing in Hong Kong. It may be useful if they find the media help them. If not, I don’t think they can get their purpose.”

 By Eva Du

Prague - February 9 – IJS-Global – Hang Zhou, a Chinese restaurant in Prague, which has opened nearly 9 years there.

“After Czech joined European Union, our restaurant tax from 5% rose to 19%. Now under the economic crisis, we are under a tremendous stress and have to face to the coming challenge.” Yang Jindong, the keeper of Hang Zhou restaurant said.

On May 29, 2007, the Czech Chinese Restaurant Association was founded in Prague Peking Restaurant. Zhao Huanyan, a Senior Economist pointed out that in recent years, the Chinese restaurant developed in Czech very quickly. In the early 90s, there are only dozens Chinese restaurants and since 2007, the number increased to more than 600.

In Prague, the Chinese food from the exclusive restaurants tended toward fast-food restaurants gradually. The price of food usually between 100 Koruna (US$5.4) to 150 Koruna, and each person usually spends 170 Koruna for one meal. In the Hang Zhou restaurant, they also have a special menu. On this menu the price of every dish is 99 Koruna or 109 Koruna, which including rice and a dish. Mr. Yang said that this kind of menu usually only provides to the familiar Chinese guests. As it’s cheaper and the taste not changed so much.

Thinking for the western dining habits of most foreign customers, a lot of traditional Chinese restaurant change shredded meat into sliced meat, and the shape of leaves also changed like this. This way can help the guest who is not using chopsticks could eat with knife and fork easier.

“Most Western visitors do not attempt to use our chopsticks, although we specially painted the use methods of chopsticks on its package.” Wu Xin, the waiter of Hang Zhou restaurant told us, “Therefore I considered that do in Rome as the Romans do is very important, for most of our guests are foreigners.”

In this Chinese restaurant, they would accommodate about 50 people to have meal together. On the counter they put a Kuan Kung and a Chinese cabbage which made by jade. In the tradition of Chinese, both of them are symbolize wealth and harmony. During the noon dining time, there were no more than 20 guests. “I have gone to Prague for more than ten years, and I like this place. So whatever how difficult the situation is, I will keep here.” The boss Mr. Yang said.

The advertising of Hang Zhou Chinese restaurant in Prague

The inside of Hong Yun Chinese restaurant in Prague

By Eva Du

People are waiting in the King Coo KTV.

Take photo in Xidan in Spring Festival, one of the most famous shopping center in Beijing.

Beijing – February 2 – IJS-Global – According to the Beijing Commercial Information Center which made a survey of 100 shopping centers, supermarkets and restaurants with 2,364 samples in Beijing showed that under the global economic crisis, over the first Spring Festival Golden Week, the amount of expenditure in Beijing is more than US$21.74 million compared with last year.

During the Golden Week 7 days, about 3.24 million Chinese tourists came to Beijing. It’s more than 20% of 2008. In the afternoon of January 31, Beijing Tourism Administration announced that in this Lunar New Year holidays, the whole tourism revenues in Beijing is RMB2.155 billion, up 32.6%. The total number of travel and tourism revenues have reached a new record.

Business School of People’s University of China, Professor Huang Guoxiong analysed that Beijing consumer market sold more than RMB150 million compared with the same period of last year. This means the basic situation of China’s retail market has not changed.

Beijing King CooKTV’s duty manager, Zhao Liang said that although as a result of rising prices and the holidays and other reasons, their price was higher than before. In the Lunar New Year period, there were still a lot of customers. If people do not advance booking, they usually need to wait 30-50 minutes in the hall.

Wang Wei, the girl who lives in Beijing and learns for master degree in London. She specifically went home during the Spring Festival Chinese New Year. She said that from the daily life, whether in London or Beijing, the economic crisis has not affected her so much. After graduating this year, she might stay in London to read for another degree, or come back to Beijing and find a job. Because in the area of employment, she believes there are more opportunities in China.

Professor Huang pointed out that the date of New Year’s Day and Spring Festival are closely in 2009. It became a sustaining stimulation to the consumer market and better to weaken the impact of the economic crisis. Furthermore, after the Olympic Games, Beijing attracts more visitors from other provinces or countries which is better to the development of tourism. In addition, during the festival various shopping malls in Beijing have taken great efforts to bring benefits to consumers, but also stimulate the market and increase their income.

“Beijing consumer market made a good start, reflecting the economic development of Beijing as a good trend.” Professor Huang expected that if the GDP can keep increasing in 8 or 9 percent, national retail market is expected to achieve 12% to 15% increase. If goverment’s policy really stimulate the economy and improve people’s income, the retail industry will bring development opportunities.

Outline for Prague Reporting Trip Article

TOPIC: “Chinese food earn its survival in Prague”

GROUP MEMBERS:
ZHU JINGYAN: http://juliazhu.wordpress.com/
GUO MEICHENG: http://guomeicheng.wordpress.com/
DU RAN: http://cierbinma.wordpress.com/

OUTLINE:
1. Brif introduction
Give the brif introduction of the Chinese restaurant in Prague according to our information gathering and seeing in Prague: Number, size, location, service style dishes, customers, prices etc.
Some over-arching perspective about not only how many restaurants there are, when they first started opening in Prague, how many new onesopen each year (on average), etc.

2. Background
·The introduction of Chinese food and Chinese people who tried to earn their life in Prague
·Explain the reason why the Chinese restaurant mushroomed in Prague.
·Why Chinese restaurants are obviously popular among Czechs.

3. Development and current situation
·Development of different levels of restaurants and stratigies of developing.
·Current situation : Czech’s joining in the EU, competition among different restaurants and among Chinese restaurants themselves,

4. Different solution:
Different restaurants chose different solution:
·some try to move together to form a Chinese Restaurants Association(e.g Peking Restaurant);
·some still insist to live on their own.(e.g Huang Shang Huang)

5. the future: How the Chinese food culture earn its survival in the western world?

Definition of Plagiarism

I have read the article of our university’s common sense of plagiarism. They said[1]“plagiarism means taking someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own.”  And I also checked the Oxford ESL English-Chinese Dictionary and it gave the similar explanation like the first one. With the other this kind of knowledge I learned from last semester, I considered my definition of plagiarism. Anyone use others sources, ideas or information as their own without any reference and quotation, this is plagiarism.

Nowadays, with the development internet, the problem of plagiarism is becoming more and more seriously. [2]“Jonathan Bailey, the author of Plagiarism Today, a blog dedicated to the issue of plagiarism online, said this type of cut-and-paste plagiarism is widespread.” Therefore, on the internet we should pay more attention on this problem, especially in mainland China. Because many people in China they are not recognize in their blogs they made a mistake of plagiarism. Although they are not deliberate to plagiarize, we also need to change this situation fast. As this is the respect to the copyrights. And second, this will make our articles more professional, reliable and creditable.

How to definite what is the common sense, this usually confused me. Especially if we are the journalists, this issue becomes more important to us. But in different countries we will have the different common senses. So if we are natives, it easier than for correspondents. In that case we should learn more of the local culture before we start our job.

Can I legally post any picture on my blog that I have downloaded from the Internet as long as I credit the source?

For this question, I don’t think that is legal. I think the key point of this behavior is how I can make sure the source is credit. For example, the “nude picture scandal” happened in Hong Kong last year. Many people downloaded or posted these pictures. And last the police enacted a decree to stop people’s behavior. In this case, anyone who said they trusted the source and post nude pictures in their blog, this is illegal. I think this example can support my answer.

Hong Kong – January 16 – IJS-Global – Hong Kong Baptist University students who live in on-campus accommodation have no other choice except the Wonderland restaurant if they wanted to enjoy some Japanese food around their university.

Wonderland, a non-chain restaurant located in Shaw Campus of HKBU next to NTT International House on Renfrew road, is the only restaurant supplies Japanese food around HKBU which has opened more than three years. Inside of the restaurant was decorated by bamboo and maple leaves, and the service style with experienced servants is different from the nearest self-help canteen of HKBU.

Miss Xie, a waitress working for Wonderland said, “We open from 7:30a.m to 10:00p.m. There are nearly 120 seats here which usually filled during lunch time everyday.” Most of the customers are the students and teachers of HKBU. According to Miss Xie, they usually spend about HK$20-40 for a meal.

“I find this food is the best,” said LAP, who is a second year student in Humanity of Arts Faculty at HKBU and regular customer of Wonderland, “however the food is not enough, and if I want more, I need to pay more.”

Talking about the advantages of Wonderland, Miss Xie pointed neat environment and warm atmosphere, best services offered by 10 waiters and 8 cooks, and reasonable prices as the top reasons attracting customers.

However, Dee Dee, A HKBU student, said the light in the restaurant is a little dark. Jack, an exchange program student from America, said he knew from his friend about the restaurant, but he had never been there.，“The entrance is small and at the corner, so it is not easy to find,” said Jack.

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