It took us one and half an hour to the cherry orchard. Everyone was given a plastic bag when enting the orchard. At first i wondered how we should use the bag, for i think we can eat the cherries upon picking them down.   In fact, the ripen cherries were all on the top of the trees. Boys picked them down first, and then we can have them together.

    That is really an amazing day for me, for, in my life,this is my first time to see the cherry trees which are short and lovely with beautiful red cherries waving in the breeze; my first time to climb up a tree;my first time to have cherries to full and still feel disgusting when i think of the fruit.  

    Here are some photos of our cherry-picking.

                                                       Happy Helen

                                                 Someone died in our block. I believe everyone nearby knew it, for the death's relatives played some sad music with a speaker for two days and set a small shelter besides the gate of our unit where the dead and her photo were placed, and around which were some wreaths.   

    On the first day (last Friday), they just played CDs from 7 a.m. till 5 p.m.. Living on the sixth floor, we can hear the music clearly and felt annoyed, let alone the ones that live just next to them.  

    On the second day (last Saturday), a Suona band were invited to play live music from 6:30 a.m.to 9 p.m.!   Listening to it carefully, I found the sad songs should be the cheerful or happy ones played in a slow way. My husband and I were nearly driven to mad. He voluntarily went to shopping with me.   When we went back home, we found lots of people crowed around the band,and some of them cheered at the tricks played by the "Suona musician". It seemed none of them was sad. I  really got surprised. I wondered wheather this was a sad matter or something exiceting.  

    On the third day (this Sunday), we were waken by firworks at 5:30 a.m.! What happened?!  Looking outside the window, we found a crew of cars driving out of our block. Oh, that is the end. This time, they didn't disturbe our block by music, but the whole district by firworks. 

    It is said this area used to be a small village and most of the local residents are rural people who are now live in great buildings instead of samll shelters; who are now walking on the asphalt roads with trees and flowers on each side instead of muddy paths;who are now shopping in big suppermarkets like walmart,carriefour, etc. instead of samll shabby groceries.... resulted from China's urbanization.

    What is the essence of urbanization? Is it only to build every coner of China with giant buildings, asphalt roads, supermarkets etc.or to civilize people's minds?

   We all know the answer and I know it takes time to civilize the minds.

   Hope, in futuremy,my child will not have the chance to see the white-flower wreaths at the gate of her home and be disturbed by terrible music and firworks in the morning.

                                                                     (Kelvin & Helen at Dalian University of Technology 2008)

                                                                Happy Helen

 Mourn for the victims of the Earthquake....

    Aiming at improving English by writing and making more English writing blogfriends, English Blog Only，the first English only blogsphere in Sohu， is established on Dec. 3^rd, 2007 by Happy Helen, with Dragonfly and Welcome to Susan‘s blog as the vice moderators. Every friend, no matter posting threads or giving comments here， has to communicate in English. We don’ want to show off but to improve our English level and for a better communication with foreign friends in the future. 

     Till now， 5082 threads are posted here, nearly all of which are original English works, including members’ daily life routines, English study experience, bookreports, movie reviews, concerns on the social hot issues, etc. Every week, there is a hot discussion under an assigined topic selected from the recent blogs about the latest social focuses, such as what is your opinion on boycotting; Mothes’ Day：let’s share the stories between you and your mother; etc.，and the latest is: Let’s pray for people in the Earthquake. In addition, we actively link to the blogspheres about English under other Sohu square, namelyEnglish, English Circle and Bilingual Paradise, in order to form an English league providing English fans a larger platform and more spacious study place. Every friend with the same interest is welcome.-------See you in English Blog Only!!

My mother is a tough woman   who seldom expresses her feelings or shows her tender to others. I used to misunderstand her for many years.   

When I was young, she was strict with me to help form some good habits of life, and sometimes even beat me into tears  , so I thought she didn't like me; she focused too much on her career, spared little time on me, so I thought I was nothing to her.

In the first year of my college, I visited my boyfriend(now my husband) in Beijing. I lied to my parents that I went to a friend’s and would not go home. I thought they would not be worried about me, for they didn’t care my presence at home. I was totally wrong. When I returned, my friends told me that my parents called them many times, showing their anxiety that they can’t find me and worried whether I was safe or not. My father was very angry when he got the truth. He told me that my mother was so worried about me that she didn’t sleep and cried for two days. She was afraid that something unfortunate happened on me. I can’t believe that my mother fell tears for me  , for she never cried in my memory. From that moment, I knew my mother card me and loved me.  

Months before my wedding my mother prepared new expensive clothes and shoes for herself as well as my father,   and asked my father not to wear them until my wedding ceremony. On the ceremony, when being asked if she was sad about her daughter’s leave, she smiled and said: no, I am happy about her, for she marries into a good family. Her mother-in-law is a good woman who will care her better than I do. However, on the three-day-return day, she cried sadly when we had dinner together. She said she only had one daughter and begrudged to leave her. That was the second time she cries for me. Mum, I know you love me, I know you care me.  

Mum, thank you for your strictness, now I can enjoy a healthy and regular life. I have a family of myself, and I know why you care your career so much: if we want to live better, we have to work hard.

    Yesterday was mother’s day. I called her and wish her Happy Mothes’ Day. She said: it is meaningless,     but I know she must be very happy in her heat  . That is her style.  

                                                                             my dear mother and father  

                                                             Happy Helen

   When you click China's map on the pic, something different may occure.

   CAUTION: if you are not patient enough, please don't click it!!  

            Click at your own risk!!  

    Tibet WAS IS and ALWAYS WILL BE  a part of China.

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                                                      Happy Helen

    His name is Vitas and was born on Feb.19, 1981; 

    He is a mystery, for no one knows his real name and where he comes from;

    He is an alien, for he likes to redden his lips when performing on stage;

    He is a genius in music, for he learnt to played accordion at the age of five; composed his first song at the age of six; held the first solo concert at the age of 19 as the youngest singer in the Kremlin Palace in Moscow. Later he became famous in the world.

    He has entered the Guinness World Records for his vocal rang which spans five octaves. He is one of the few male singers that regular use the whistle register-----the hightest register of human voice. It is named this for its resembling the intensity and pitch of a whistle. while Chinese musician call whistle register as "dolphin sound".

    Some one even wonder wheather Vitas is the so-called Castrato, a male singer who was castrated before puberty in order to preseve the beautiful boy's voice. A Castrato's voice has the characteristics of womens's high pitch and boy's pure sound. This originated from old Italy where peopel were crazy for opera and women were not allowed on the stage. Boys with beautiful voices from poor family were sent to trained as Castratos in order to lift the family from the low social status.

    Some one said Vitas is an ET, for no one on the earth owns such increadible beautiful sound.

    No matter he is a Castrato, an ET or something else, we love his voice and i am a fan of his.    
    Here is one of his masterpiece Opera 2 composed by himself when he is eleven. He said when he sang this song the first time, all his neighbours rushed out of the house to see if there was fire. They mistook Vitas's voice as the fire alarm.  

                                     Happy Helen

Do you believe my words today when everyone may be fooled by the friends in the world?  

But i promise i don't lie   and i was really born this day 29 years ago when no one knew what was fool's day in China.

I am glad that i came to this world  on such a special day and every friend can remeber my birthday easily.  

I am really excited today for i receive a very special gift from my husband.

Ninty-nine roses which is the second birthday present he gave to me since we has been being together for 9 years.

It is really a big suprise for me!!

Thank you, my dear, for your present!

Thank you, mother for bring me to this beautiful world! 

                                                                          Happy Helen

1. dairy: a place on a farm where milk is kept and butter and cheese are made;

          a company that sells milk and makes other dairy products.

2 acute: (medical) of deseases which may become dangerous soon

3. alimentary canal

4.overhaul: n. neccessary changes or repaires made to a machine or a system;

            vt. repair or change all the parts that need in a machine, system, ect. that is not working correctly.

5 tainted: adj food or drink that is tainted is no longer safe because it has decayed or contains poison.