还有一个小镇broadway,

周三跟着皮皮班一起去了chelsea theatre看了magic show - Something Else. 本想给大家多多介绍介绍这部戏的，结果把leaflet弄丢了，反正总之就是根据一部得过奖的children's fiction改编的。讲的是一个叫something else的creature寻找友谊，最后和一个叫something的同类成为好朋友。全剧就3个演员，但是表演很真实可爱，得到了小观众的多次笑声。

 

周四是皮皮他们年级的christmas party. 结果就是每个家长带吃的，小朋友们坐在一起吃。吃完了以后，老师放音乐带着小朋友一起跳舞。我照了一些照片，最后一张是我觉得他们班最帅的小男孩（穿绿衣服的啊）。只是这张怎么看起来这么忧郁。

今天又去了national gallery参加family event.工作人员先带着看了Harriet Hill的the adoption of kings(应该是这个名字)。这幅油画讲的是耶稣降生时，三个远道而来的国王(应该是骑驴来的，我旁边的那个小孩老根那乱叫，工作人员说话声音又小，影响我听讲解)各自送了耶稣一份礼物。这是幅1510年左右的油画。英国人特别强调critical thinking.对小孩的教育也是如此。老师总会提出各种问题，要求小孩经过独立思考后得出自己的答案。比如针对这幅画，老师就问了好多问题（本来想写几个问题来的，一时想不起来了，都怪那个老乱叫的小孩）。

 

然后今天的任务是自己选择一个画一个国王送的礼物（一个金杯子，一个宝石塔，还有一个没听懂），之后再做成立体的。他们还特别鼓励家长参与。做手工时，我跟那个老乱叫小孩的妈妈一桌。结果我们聊的还挺好，可是开始我还嫌人家不管教儿子来的。她的乱叫的小孩是老三，16个月大了。老大5岁半，老二3岁半，都是小帅哥。不过我真是没有美术细胞，画出来的杯子一点也不好。工作人员估计也没话夸我的画了，就说，oh, u have a good beginning.不过就当是回忆过去小学中学的美术课手工课了。我还跟那个妈妈说呢，我10年前中学的时候做过这些。后来回家的路上一想，不止10年了，得10多年了。哎，再次感叹岁月不饶人啊！

不得不承认，英国在儿童教育方面有很多成功的地方。虽然英国学校的课程不紧张，作业也不多,但社会，社区和学校在培养儿童创造力，独立思考能力，动手能力有非常丰富的经验。

 

在英国，the national gallery, the science museum, the national history museum, bbc经常组织各种针对儿童的活动，而且绝大部分都是免费的。比如前一段时间bbc每周都有不同的主题活动。印象比较深刻的一次是去royal college of music去听音乐介绍和演奏，小朋友席地而坐，听着平日里很难有机会碰到的音乐大师近距离用风趣的语言讲授音乐知识。还有最近几周都有去the national gallery去参加周日的family event. 每次都是gallery的staff带着先来分析一副著名的画，然后根据画的主题会有不同的创作活动。有一次是动手做参加舞会的面具，上次是先画油画上的国王，然后把他剪下来再贴上衣服（这个衣服是小朋友自己弄上色的，反正描述很复杂，实在不知道怎么说）。

 

我们住在city of westminster（位置有点像北京的西城），我很喜欢这个地区，生活很方便而且提供给居民的服务非常便利完善。在city of westminster的children's library 所有的书都是免费借阅的，最关键的是非常新。还有玩具也可以免费借着玩。children's centre经常有各种活动，比如最近一次hallowmas做南瓜灯，所有的装饰物都是免费提供的，包括大大的南瓜。

 

接下来该说说学校。别的学校我不了解，只能说说皮皮所在的学校。皮皮上的是一个一般的公立学校，学生阿拉伯人居多，英国人很少（现在英国人一般不在市中心住了，都跑到郊区去了）,除了皮皮没中国人。班上很多混血小孩，都是小帅哥小美女。每个班级的班主任都是英国人，人都非常好。英国老师与中国老师的最大不同是，英国老师都是鼓励很少批评学生，而且不会强迫学生做事情。我曾经问过皮皮的班主任，觉得皮皮的缺点是什么。老师说没觉得他有什么缺点，说小孩还在成长，很多地方还没有固定，会随着成大自我完善。然后跟我说了皮皮一大堆没让我觉得是优点的优点。学校也会经常组织活动，丰富孩子的视野，开阔眼界。比如下周三带着去chelsea theatre去看magic show,再比如周五的international day.在international day这天，所有的小朋友都被鼓励穿自己国家的服装，家长义务带有民族特色的饮食（皮皮他们学校的学生家长说的语言种类有47种，还是147种，我忘了。反正听完后就是大吃一惊，那应该是147种吧）。皮皮那天穿的红色的小旗袍去的，据她说得到了所有老师的夸奖。晚上我带着去学校参加party时，好几个家长都要跟皮皮照相，because she is so cute.也有好几个小女孩喜欢她的旗袍，还问我are you from china？我当然自豪的说,yes, we are from china.

 

 

圣诞将至，伦敦的节日气氛也愈渐浓烈。主要的商业街道１１月初就装饰一新，各个商场超市也针对圣诞开始各种促销活动。上周六最后一次芭蕾班，老师也放了两首圣诞歌曲，带着小朋友一起跳舞。当时我就特别喜欢那两首歌，可是时间太紧没来得及问老师歌名。

 

本来还说下学期开学时问问老师歌名，结果今天在hyde pard的wonderland又听到了这两首歌。当时我正在排队买token,赶紧问排在前面的帅哥爸爸(长的很像贝克汉姆)歌名是什么。结果这位本来正在哼歌的爸爸说他也不知道歌名是什么，建议我买盘或是上网下载。

 

我当然是选择后者了，回家就先上网googole,google.功夫不负有心人，还真让我找到了。

 

对了，刚想起来，国内youtube是不是看不了了。如果不行那就去music.sogou.com上直接下载，那上面有。这两首都是经典的圣诞歌曲。

 

第一首歌是Paul McCartney的Wonderful ChristmasTime。当时皮皮他们用这首歌跳舞时，老师大大表扬了皮皮，说她跳的最好，让让她在前面领舞。

 

    

 

第二首歌是Jona Lewie的Stop The Cavalry。骑兵好像跟圣诞节没什么关系？但这首歌却成为英国电台圣诞期间必放的歌。这首歌里有一句歌词：“Wish I was at home for Christmas”（但愿我能回家过圣诞节），于是它成为了带有反战意味的圣诞歌曲，在今天似乎格外有意义。

 

  

 

真的很经典，快来听听，希望你喜欢

to be continued

1. Be Ambitious

2. Education Matters

3. Look After the Elderly

4. Save More

5. Look over the Horizon

Do you find that many people in the streets of London wear a red flower over the chest resently ?

 

After searching online, I know the red flower is called poppy, which is worn to remember the nation's war dead. 11th Nov is the rememberance day of the Uk and the Commonwealth since the first war ended at 11pm on 11st Nov of 1918. This is the reason why you see many people wear poppy recently.   

 

Last week, I spent 1 pound to buy one for pipi. The raising money will be given to the British Royal Legion. It is reported by BBC that  £30m were raised by selling millions of poppies last year.

 

The following content about the etiquette of wearing a poppy was from BBC website:

 

1. Should you wear one? The poppy commemorates those who have died in war. The tradition was started by American teacher Moina Bell Michael, who sold silk poppies to friends to raise money for the ex-service community. In 1920 the poppy was proclaimed the national emblem of remembrance in the US, and in the UK, the first poppy day was in 1921. Last year Britons bought 26m poppies, but others choose not to. Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow famously refuses to wear one on air, reportedly saying he does not want to bow to "poppy fascism''.

2. What colour to wear - red, white or purple? Red is most popular, but the lesser-seen white poppy dates from 1933, when the Women's Co-operative Guild wanted a lasting symbol for peace and an end to all wars. But the Royal British Legion refused to be associated with their manufacture, and so the Co-operative Wholesale Society took on production. The intention was not to offend the memory of those who died in the Great War, but many veterans felt white poppies undermined their contribution and the lasting meaning of the red poppy. Feelings ran so high that some women lost their jobs in the 1930s for wearing white poppies. Critics argue the red poppy already encompasses the sentiments of white one, which they say also diverts funds for the Royal British Legion. Then there are purple poppies, worn to remember the animal victims of war and sold by animal charities.

3. When to start wearing one? It's a hotly debated question. Many people think poppies should be worn from 1 November until Armistice Day on 11 November. Others pin one on only in the week running up to Remembrance Sunday - 8 November this year. A Royal British Legion spokesman says they can be worn from the launch of the poppy appeal, which this year was 22 October. Organisations like the BBC usually choose a day for presenters to start wearing one. This year it was from 6am on 24 October.

4. Where to pin your poppy - left or right. Some people say left, as it's worn over the heart. It is also where military medals are worn. Others say only the Queen and Royal Family are allowed to wear a poppy on the right, which isn't true. Then there is the school of thought that says men should wear theirs on the left and women on the right, as is the traditional custom with a badge or brooch. The Royal British Legion spokesman says there is no right or wrong side "other than to wear it with pride".

5. What size should it be? The traditional poppy is roughly 7cm from red tip to the bottom of its green stalk and 4cm wide. But other sizes are worn. The Queen Mother had an extra large poppy - even two sometimes - specially made for her each year. And Baroness Sayeeda Warsi sported a super-size poppy for last Thursday's controversial Question Time. Why someone wears a larger poppy is open to debate. An attempt to stand out from the crowd, maybe a nonconformist gesture? Whatever the reason, that splash of red certainly gets noticed.

BBC. Dos and don'ts of poppy etiquette. Avaliable at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8333733.stm

呵呵，写写这两天的流水账。

 

周六上午带皮皮去上芭蕾课。上周是次体验课，皮妞根本没兴趣，结果皮爸皮妈耐心加威胁的做工作，终于同意本周去上了。谁知早上变了挂，连说自己肚子痛，这不是明摆着不想干正事嘛。皮爸皮妈发了火，皮妞不得不参加，但是效果还不错。虽然第一次跳芭蕾，但是一直积极跟着作，这种精神得表扬。

 

芭蕾舞上课的地点就在westminster abbey, big ben附近。下了课路过白金汉宫时，正赶上卫兵交接仪式。皮爸去找停车位，皮妈就带着皮宝先来看。结果皮妈还跟着皮宝沾了回光，有幸站在第一排近距离的看。因为那个位置，警察只让小朋友站在那。皮宝这样的小小朋友当然要有家长陪同。

 

中午到家都快2点了，皮妞吵着要出去吃饭。结果也没吃多少，理由是腰果鸡丁的鸡丁和酱爆鸡丁的鸡丁不是一样的鸡丁。

 

下午去kingsenton garden玩球，碰上皮爸同事一起捡了好多栗子。话说伦敦公园里的栗子不是一般的多不是一般的大，风一吹就哗哗的掉（呵呵，这里运用了夸张的写作手法）。周日晚上皮爸把捡了的栗子炒了，别说，还真甜。

 

周日决定去windsor castle玩。从家出门都11点了，不想还碰到hyde park的马拉松比赛，处处封路，在家附近绕了好几圈才开出去。到温莎都1点了，更糟糕的是我们下了车就开始下典型的英国式的不大不小的雨。在草地上picnic是不可能了，只能找地方吃饭。极力推荐麦当劳，星巴克中间的the king and castle.很好吃，价钱公道，用餐环境也好，而且分adult/child meal，下次去温莎还会去这家吃。

 

真正在城堡里乱晃也就不到2个小时。我们就去了Queen Mary's Dolls House, 还有楼上的the State Apartments, the Drawing Gallery 还有这个女王那个国王的dining room, dressing room, drawing room等等一大堆实际上也都差不了多少的room. 其实英国的城堡我也去了好几个了，windsor是我目前为止最喜欢的。等去玩leeds castle后，专门写个英国城堡有感。

 

回来又遇到返程堵车，回到市中心已经5点半了。正好路过hyde park的一大片栗子林，临时决定下来捡会栗子。结果在一棵比较大的栗子树下发现一大群鸭子跟那找栗子吃，我们刚刚捡到的栗子又成了鸭子嘴里的美食。

 

今天写的比较乱七八糟，主要是比较累，呵呵，新的一周要好好锻炼身体，从早上溜公园开始。

 

 

 

 

 

臭皮不喜欢照相，只有一些

Pipi's photos in nursery or reception

我照的

呵呵，很好看，最有净赚好像是19磅

半夜２点半，爬起来看国庆阅兵。６０周年当然很高兴，但更多的是伤心因为不能身在北京亲身感受欢乐气氛。更可惜的是，阅兵、群众游行的队伍肯定能从我家附近经过，错过了更多的精彩。

 

除了对阅兵的壮观印象深刻外，给我印象最深的是北京的天真蓝。我当时还在怀疑北京蓝天的干净程度，皮爸反驳道北京的秋天本来就是天很蓝的。是啊，我怎么忘了，秋天是北京最美的季节。

 

香山漫天遍野的红色枫叶，钓鱼台高高的金黄法国梧桐树，农家院满园的硕果累累，都是我印象中浪漫的北京秋天。这个月底要去cotswolds玩，等回来之后会把照片放上来，和北京秋天来个对比。

hehe, it is a long time not to write something in my space.

My faimly came to london last month. Pipi likes the life in london very much. She feels relaxed bcs no one forces her to go to kindergarten everyday. She enjoys going to Hyde Park twice per day to feed swan, duck, pigeon and squirrel. She also has a good friend to play together, but it is a pity that this girl will come back soon.  

For me,  I am busy with my essays now. I have 3 essays, including 5-6000 words about performance-related pay, 2500 words about CSR and 4000 words about rural development of China.

The course are going to finish soon. Then i will begin my 12,000 dissertation about higher education in China. Terrible days will come.  

This is a video on Beijing travel  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr-16ZD_Ym4

 

I have left Beijing for 2 months. However, the longer I stay here, the more I miss Beijing.

 

I love everything of Beijing, the lifestyle of Beijing, the culture of Beijing, the tourist attractions of Beijing, the food of Beijing, the people of Beijing.

 

I love going for a walk after dinner and go shopping at night. I am not used to British night, because it is too quite. I cannot understand why the shops in the UK close so early. Do not they want to earn more money?

 

I love morning exercises in parks. I enjoy seeing different people dancing, singing, practicing taiji in the parks. I think the life attitude of Beijing people are more positive, optimistic, confident.

 

I love the restaurants of Beijing. In Beijing, people can enjoy the delicious food all over the world. But I still prefer Chinese cuisi9ne. I miss 手抓饭，拉条子，羊肉串，凉皮，炸酱面，酱爆鸡丁very very much.

 

I love the parks of Beijing. In Beijing, there are lots of parks for the public. The British parks are simple, there just have trees, flowers in the parks. In contract, the parks in Beijing are more rich,  pleasurable, leisurable,赏心悦目. Beijing has lots of parks, and every park has his diverse feature. I miss Beihai Park, Zizhuyuan Park, and of course Yuyuantan Park which is close to my home.

 

I love the people of Beijing. They are very lovely, warmhearted, generous. Frankly speaking, British are more polite than Chinese. No matter how many people there are, British can queue for the bus. Sometimes, it is difficult in Beijing, especially rush hours.   

 

Thought Beijing has many weaknesses as well, I still love Beijing very well.

 

Sunday is the middle autumn festival, and I miss the moon and moon cake of Beijing.

Happy middle autumn festival to everyone!

August 29, 2008

I am so lazy that I have not updated my space for 2 years. There are many things taking place during these two years.

 

At present, the most important change for my life is studying in the UK. Frankly speaking, I didn’t worry about myself before I came to Leeds. I know I can adapt to new surroundings quickly. At that time, I read a lot of articles at BBS. Most of them were complaint. The writers said the security of Leeds was very bad, the kind of British vegetables were few, it is always rainy days, the British night life was too boring and so on.

 

The only thing I worry about is pipi. She depended on me very much before I came to Leeds. Although I told her many times that mum would study in the UK and back to Beijing at Christmas holiday. I also promised that I would buy many Christmas gifts to her. I know she is clever and can be looked after very well by her father and grandparents, but I still worry. However, at present, she is very happy everyday except that she is unwilling to go to kindergarten. I’m a little sad that she doesn't miss me at all. But it’s ok, her happiness is the most important than any one thing.

 

I still remember clearly the day I left Beijing. When I left home, pipi didn’t wake up, and I kissed her many times. At this moment, I really miss her very much.

 

Pipi, my little princess, mom loves u forever!

一年多时间没写日志了，呵呵，争取尽快恢复更新。

起码VS骑马

妈妈：“皮皮，你把牙给刷了，你要是不刷，起码漱漱口”

皮皮：“骑马，我不骑马，我要牵狗”

 

孝顺的皮皮

一天，            皮皮说：

我长大了要给姥爷买酒，买一大桶酒；

我给姥姥买菜买饭，还买一个像西瓜那么大的荔枝；

我要给妈妈买一只小狗；

我还要给爸爸买一只小乌龟。

 

多可爱的皮皮啊，虽然不可能有西瓜那么大的荔枝，爸爸妈妈也不需要小狗小乌龟。

 

编儿歌

小蜻蜓在山上飞啊飞，它妈妈跟他它后边；小蜻蜓笑呀笑，飞啊飞，哈哈笑。

小皮皮跟着姥爷快快乐乐去看鱼，小鱼看到小皮皮让姥爷抱就笑话小皮皮了。

6月2日，陈晓东结婚，带着皮皮去参加婚礼。

 

路上，皮皮说：“我也要结婚”，妈妈就问了：“你跟谁结婚啊”，皮皮说“我跟妈妈结婚”，“可是，小女生只能跟男生结婚啊”妈妈说，皮皮瞪着大眼睛说“那我跟爸爸结婚”，估计小孩成长的最初都是想要和爸爸妈妈结婚，他们觉得这样就可以一辈子和爸爸妈妈在一起了。

 早上时皮皮还是高兴地要去见新娘，见到新娘还说新娘漂亮，要给新娘扔亮片，还去看地上的花瓣。过了一会儿，抱了个气球去找新娘，送给新娘。新娘忙着与来宾照像，没空理她。皮皮就在新娘照像时站在一边，说我也照。可大家都没去理她。等新娘照完一次像，皮皮又走过去让新娘拿气球。可新娘仅仅是敷衍了一下，接着忙。皮皮就拉着妈妈进了宴会厅，玩了一会儿，就要求下楼，于是就再也不肯上去，坚决要求“不见新娘”。连大厅的门口都不愿去。于是，整个婚礼，爸爸妈妈轮流抱着皮皮在饭店大堂及门口玩，就是没上楼。为什么皮皮后来不愿见新娘了呢？爸爸认为，皮皮是因为受了新娘的冷落了。

晚上带皮皮出去玩时，皮皮要在楼下的小花园摘喇叭花。妈妈为了不让皮皮摘，就告诉皮皮说喇叭花睡觉了，不能打扰它们。皮皮不高兴了，嘟着小嘴说要把喇叭花给叫醒。妈妈只能换个大众化的教育方法说外面的花要给大家看，不能摘。结果这个句型皮皮就记住了。第二天姥姥要扔垃圾时，皮皮就拽着姥姥说：“垃圾要给大家吃，不能扔”。看，皮皮套用的多好啊，以后考雅思，作文有起码得7分的潜质。

 

皮皮现在能考虑深层次的问题了。

她要上的解放军报社幼儿园前面的小院子里有只狼狗，叫米勒，个子特别大。

皮皮看见了后就说：“米勒狗怀孕了”

姥姥就问了：“米勒狗怎么怀孕的啊”

皮皮回答说：“打针打的呗”

姥姥接着就问了：“打什么针啊”

皮皮：“预防针”

大概在皮皮心里，小狗都是这么生出来的。

 

皮皮估计已经到了执拗敏感期，我所理解的是指小孩莫名其妙、无缘无故的执著于做某件事情。（注：爸爸认为这是皮皮的秩序感很强，有点象爸爸。什么东西都有什么东西的规矩。什么东西该放在什么地方，该是什么样子的，皮皮心里都有本帐和自己的逻辑。）

比如，老是要开家里的壁灯。皮皮晚上睡觉前、一早醒来、中午睡觉，甚至有时半夜醒来连眼都不睁时，她都会说：“开灯”，而且她所认为的灯就是“红颜色的壁灯”，不能是“上面的灯”。

还有讲故事时，每次讲到一些固定的故事，皮皮的反应总是相同。比如讲小熊家漆房子，要把房子漆成黄色，皮皮就不干了，大嚷：“不要黄色，要漆成红色”；讲到马妈妈说小马长大了时，皮皮总是说：“不长大，不让小马长大”；讲到牵牛花要爬上树去看生病的小鸟，皮皮哭哭啼啼的说：“不行，让小鸟下来”。

现在皮皮在家里每天必做的事就是让姥姥给打针，每天都要打针打好多次，重复了很久时间了，她仍然乐此不疲。可是一真刀实枪去医院打针，马上就不干了。

皮皮睡觉只认树叶被子，每次我想给她盖上厚一点的图案是小猪的被子，皮皮总是给踹开，以至于现在一上床睡觉，她就先大嚷，告诉妈妈：“不盖小猪被子，盖树叶被子”。

还有皮皮的“头”（实际上是粉颜色的枕头套），皮皮只认臭头（玩了好几天的头），不认香头（洗干净的头）。这丫头用眼睛一看，再放鼻子上一闻，马上就能分清臭臭的头和香香的头。 曾经试着把两个头都洗了拿给皮皮，皮皮一放嘴边一闻，立马不干了：“都是香头，不行，我要臭臭的头。”看来皮皮是“喜旧厌新”啊，还挺有怀旧情绪的。