Saturday, September 25, 2010

Speak Loudly

Speak

Recently, Laurie Halse Anderson's book,
Speak has aroused controversy when Wesley Scroggins, an associate professor of management at Missouri State University posted his thoughts of this book here. He deems that this book is a pornography and students should not be allowed to read it. Speak is facing the possibility of being banned by ALA, and bloggers everywhere are participating in the #speakloudly campaign to voice out their dissent towards the banning.

In my opinion, books like Speak should not be banned, because it tells us the tale of a rape victim, about the terrifying thing that happened to her and its aftermath. Now, my friends, rape cases do occur in our current society, and many girls/women are suffering from it every moment. Many of them are abused by strangers, friends or even relatives. The hurt that is inflicted upon the them are indescribably torturing. Some of them even tried to commit suicide because the black spot will always remain in their lives and the memory of the pain will never be destroyed.

The reason why Speak should not be banned is that it reminds us of a serious social issue that lies unexposed under the society's norms. There are many rape cases, but we have only heard of some, because many girls are afraid of what might happen to them if the case is brought to light. The matter is a lot worse in Asian countries, where a girl's chastity and virtues are highly regarded. If a girl is sexually abused, there's 90 percent that she won't speak up for herself. Nor will she do anything to make sure the perpetrator is prosecuted under the law. Why? Because people will start to look down upon her and see her as a walking disease. They will spread rumours about her, accuse her and tell their children to stay away from her instead of blaming the rapist for what he has done. There are even cases where the girl's parents ask her to shut up and pretend everything is all right, or else they might "lose face" if others know that their daughter is "unclean". This type of thinking is very unfair for the victim. They won't dare to lodge a police report under the immense pressure. Why can't people be more supportive of the girl and inculpate the rapist? It's NOT the girl's fault that she is raped. Think about it, if the victim is your wife, daughter, or even you, what would you feel?

In a nutshell, banning SPEAK is a wrong thing to do. We are not living in a fantastical utopia, and there's no use in sheltering youngsters in a cocoon of goodness and forbiding them to learn the fact that bad things do happen. Learning about social issues like this will allow them to learn how to protect themselves no matter what happens in the future.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Subscribe Via E-mail Now!

Subscribe to my blogs via e-mail now! You can find the widgets on the left sidebar of Friends & Family and the right sidebar of The Bookaholics.

Read my latest review:
Book Review : Blood Coven Vampires (#1 - #3) by Mari Mancusi

http://www.bloodcovenvampires.com/images/cover_boysthatbite.jpghttp://www.bloodcovenvampires.com/images/cover_stakethat.jpghttp://www.bloodcovenvampires.com/images/cover_girlsthatgrowl.jpg

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Mooncake Festival

Tomorrow is the long-awaited Mooncake Festival! Children are always the most excited ones, because they get to light lanterns and participate in a long procession. I hereby wish everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Now let's refresh our memories of the legend of Chang'e and the mooncake festival!

chang er

The Legend of Chang'e

Chang'e was a beautiful young girl working in the Jade Emperor's palace in heaven, where immortals, good people and fairies lived. One day, she accidentally broke a precious porcelain jar. Angered, the Jade Emperor banished her to live on earth, where ordinary people lived. She could return to the Heaven, if she contributed a valuable service on earth.

Chang'e was transformed into a member of a rich farming family. When she was 18, a young hunter named Houyi from another village spotted her, now a beautiful young woman. They became friends.

One day, a strange phenomenon occurred—10 suns arose in the sky instead of one, blazing the earth. Houyi, an expert archer, stepped forward to try to save the earth. He successfully shot down nine of the suns, becoming an instant hero. He eventually became king and married Chang'e.

But Houyi grew to become greedy and selfish. He sought immortality by ordering an elixir be created to prolong his life. The elixir in the form of a single pill was almost ready when Chang'e came upon it. She either accidentally or purposely swallowed the pill. This angered King Houyi, who went after his wife. Trying to flee, she jumped out the window of a chamber at the top of palace—and, instead of falling, she floated into the sky toward the moon. King Houyi tried unsuccessfully to shoot her down with arrows.

In contrast to the first version, her companion, a rabbit, does not create elixir of life. Aside from the rabbit, the moon is also inhabited by a woodcutter who tries to cut down the cassia tree, giver of life. But as fast as he cuts into the tree, it heals itself, and he never makes any progress. The Chinese use this image of the cassia tree to explain mortal life on earth—the limbs are constantly being cut away by death, but new buds continually appear.

Meanwhile, King Houyi ascended to the sun and built a palace. So Chang'e and Houyi came to represent the yin and yang, the moon and the sun.

http://www.chinagiftguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/zq1.jpg

Mooncake Festival / Mid-autumn Festival

The festival is intricately linked to the legend of Chang E, the mythical Moon Goddess of Immortality. According to “Li-Ji”, an ancient Chinese book recording customs and ceremonies, the Chinese Emperor should offer sacrifices to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. The 15th day of the 8th lunar month is the day called “Mid-Autumn”. The night on the 15th of the 8th lunar month is also called “Night of the Moon”. Under the Song Dynasty (420), the day was officially declared for Mid-Autumn Festival.

db65d4d9.jpg image by 5blackdogsII

Because of its central role in the Mid-Autumn festival, mooncakes remained popular even in recent years. For many, mooncakes form a central part of the Mid-Autumn festival experience such that it is now commonly known as 'Mooncake Festival'.

http://media.playpark.net/maple/moon_chair.png
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_kfNV4Fh1hYE/TEZBYNsBI2I/AAAAAAAAA3U/ZP-pAkkgiW0/Firelight_SophieJordan1.jpg?imgmax=800
Don't forget to enter the Firelight Giveaway on Book Mac!
Contest will end September 30th!

Open INTERNATIONALLY!!!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

As busy as a bee

http://www.graphicsfactory.com/clip-art/image_files/image/6/1329526-bee.gif
Apologies for not updating my blog more often. I'm very busy at this moment, but I'll try to post something new each week. Thanks for visiting and have a lovely day! :)

http://www.northeastharvest.com/images/neharvest/honey3.jpg
Here's some honey for you. I bet you love it as I do! :)

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Sunday Cuteness

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Avcu6k_pd64/STUzCLi56QI/AAAAAAAACOE/9TRu90dgE4g/s320/so_cute_rabbit-1.jpg
Come on...Let's play! Just once, OK?

http://www.marlerblog.com/uploads/image/chick.jpg
I'm waiting for my brother to pop out from his egg.

http://www.virtualsciencefair.org/2009/yocj9j2/cute-puppies.jpg
Aren't we the cutest twins?

http://cutecute.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cute-kitten-in-can-1024x768.jpg
I bet you can't find me just now.

http://local-static3.forum-files.fobby.net/forum_attachments/0014/1423/too-cute-bird-and-cat.jpg
You weigh a ton, chick!

http://www.innocentenglish.com/cute-animals/dogchicken.JPG
Hey there big guy, did you see my mama?

Thursday, September 9, 2010

OMG! I Won!

OK, I'll let you guess. Which of the following did I win?

a) Gena Showalter's UNRAVELED Contest
b) Lisa and Laura Write's Epic Book Recommendation Week Giveaway
c) Beth Fish Reads' Mockingjay District 13 Button Giveaway

The answer is... all of them! Yeah! I'm too excited that I just can't restrain myself from blogging, even though I haven't receive the prizes!

Let's take a look at my prizes!

From Gena Showalter's UNRAVELED Contest:
http://www.freestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/free-stuff-visa.gif Unraveled (Intertwined, #2)

Go here to find out more:
A new release by Gena Showalter

From Lisa and Laura Write's Epic Book Recommendation Week Giveaway:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ibedmbivr60/THM_8AcNqSI/AAAAAAAABE0/dwhJMSRQlNc/s1600/theduff.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ibedmbivr60/THNDBlLYmWI/AAAAAAAABE8/fZ8J4QNNDXg/s1600/crystal.jpghttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ibedmbivr60/THMvCgrTl7I/AAAAAAAABEc/QuuH1Cmlj-o/s1600/friendisnotaverb.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ibedmbivr60/THM74fuGRiI/AAAAAAAABEs/Kkn3MEpaaas/s1600/thereplacement.jpgThe Julian Game

From Beth Fish Reads' Mockingjay District 13 Button Giveaway:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KfXm6QzlOl4/THq_mjegMFI/AAAAAAAAENQ/g2Sxnp4p4SY/s1600/Gold_Buttons_FINAL.jpg
I'm giving one of these to my friend Rebecca in New York!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Who's The Fairest of Them All?

1. Kim Tae Hee
http://c.ask.nate.com/imgs/qrsi.tsp/7914648/10417069/0/1/A/%EA%B9%80%ED%83%9C%ED%9D%AC.jpg

Kim Tae Hee image1420058508_da1dd0663c.jpg
A sophisticated, natural beauty.

2. Song Hye Kyo
song hye-kyo
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k2wAOXsHF_c/SeTN-tEH0XI/AAAAAAAAAFY/UPTPmt3Eab0/s400/song-hye-kyo-90403008.jpghttp://blog.dramafever.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/song-hye-kyo-2.jpg

Cute and pretty. Another natural beauty.


3. Eugene Kim

http://cdimg3.crunchyroll.com/i/spire1/06172008/b/7/1/0/b7103d687ae9a0_full.jpg


http://img2.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire4/07062008/8/0/9/3/80937a50a14fa0_full.jpg
Pretty facial features. Spunky and carefree.

4. Lee Young Ae
http://img.tamtay.vn/files/photo2/2009/6/28/17/592635/4a47464e_757cd6d6_lee%20young%20ae%2031.jpg

http://www.koreandramaonline.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Lee-Young-Ae.jpghttp://www.visitkorea.or.kr/cms/resource_etc/75/1002375_image2_1.jpg
Classic beauty. 39 years old and still looks radiant.

5. Liu Yi Fei
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/3027479286_601dd11f49_o.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_G1M-28vLBtI/SLwq-B9BvVI/AAAAAAAAABE/aKGP3OrSZWQ/s400/Liu-Yifei9.jpghttp://www.diggstars.com/images/celebs/sc13/11163/large_liu_yi_fei.jpg
Chinese Barbie doll.

6. Son Ye Jin
http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire3/08132008/a/2/8/3/a283ce68f846c0_full.jpg
http://www.mumuy.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/son-ye-jin.jpghttp://www.popkorea.net/wp-content/gallery/celebrity/son-ye-jin.jpg
Let my eyes do the talking.

7. Han Chae Young
http://kojaproductions.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/hanchae_kup.jpg
http://www.thailandbuddy.com/images/Han-Chae-Young.jpghttp://star.koreandrama.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/Han%20Chae%20Young.jpg
Korean Barbie. 172 cm in height.

8. Kwai Lun Mei
http://images.mathrubhumi.com/images/2008/May/23/21656.jpghttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20090603/0023ae606f170b90323b2f.jpg

She'll definitely look good in a uniform. She has an ability to blend in with nature.

9. Fan Bing Bing
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20091111/0023ae606f170c64adc658.jpg
She has a sultry look, but I think her ears are not so perfect.


10. Lin Chiling
http://www.whatsonxiamen.com/ent_images/6909Lin%20Chi-ling.jpg

http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/media/images/linchiling.jpglin-chi-ling-03.jpg image by teajus

She is a Taiwanese supermodel with high EQ and great speaking manners.