It's all about Mandarin. And about learning the language through music, movies, and TV serials. I'll have my own personal reviews about new artists and what I'm doing to learn the language. My aim is to post at least once a week and the steps I'm taking to improve my learning. There's no better motivation to learn something than to actually write down your progress. And so, here it is! Mandarin Immersion!
Here's the music video for one of the songs I really like off of her J-Game album (which I recently bought). For some reason, I really like any song that sounds "Chinesey" (I don't think that's a word!). What I mean by that is that I like songs that use classical Chinese instruments...and this song uses them a lot.
I've seen a lot of other Jolin's music videos and I didn't really think she was that hot or pretty (I know, some of you are probably asking me if I'm blind), but after watching the video for this song, I'd have to say that my opinion has changed...all I can say is that she looks real pretty in pink!
I was browsing around and I happen to come across two teaser trailers for two movies...the interesting thing about it was that both happened to have the word "door" in it (門) and I was inspired to look for and post.
The first trailer is for Derek Yee's new film Protege (門徒). It stars Andy Lau, Daniel Wu, Louis Koo and Anita Yuen. This movie has a sort of "Infernal Affairs" feel to it, though you can't really get much out of the trailer. This movie is due out for release in February 2007.
The second trailer is for Li Shaohong's horror flick "The Door" (門). This movie finished filming earlier this year and was released December 1, 2006. There was a fairly hefty budget for this film, but knowing the kind of horror movies that have been coming out of late, I'm not going to be expecting much from this film.
"The Banquet" Will Not Compete At Golden Globe Awards
Zhang Ziyi will not be a nominee for best actress for her role in "The Banquet" for the Golden Globe Awards because the film did not participate in the competition. The distributors for the film were asked why they didn't want to be included in the Golden Globes, but refused to answer. With "The Banquet" out of the running, it makes "Curse Of The Golden Flower" a stronger competitor.
The #1 Chinese celebrity mansion belongs to Jet Li. The mansion is being built near Shanghai, near Jet Li's wife's family and took two years to construct. The mammoth mansion consists of three separate buildings and is close to 54,000 square feet! The property will have underground passages. Story courtesy: CriEnglish: Jet Li's Mansion The Number One In Celebrity World
Top 10 Hottest Females In China
This list was compiled by a newspaper in China. Click on the link to view the complete list. The list includes familiar names such as Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Zhao Wei. Also check out what the Chinese people in China have to say about the women on this list.
Joey Yung almost had a large lighting pole strike her on her face while filming an advertisement. While filming on a glass surface, the light pole started coming down and almost hit her face - fortunately crew members were able to catch the pole before any damage was done. Joey shook it off and stated "Before I was tired, but now I'm wide awake!" Story courtesy: CriEnglish: Joey Yung Nearly Disfigured In Accident
Cathy Tsui & Lee Ka Shing To Marry
Actress/model Cathy Tsui will be marrying wealth heir Lee Ka Shing in Australia this year. Not to be confused with Li Ka Shing, Lee Ka Shing will be the successor to the Henderson Land Developement Company. Their relationship has been a high profile one in an on again, off again relationship for the past two years.
Chow Yun-Fat To Play A Role In Upcoming Pirates Of The Caribbean III
Next year in May, the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End will be released. Be on the lookout for Chow Yun-Fat, who will play a Chinese pirate Captain Sao Feng. Keith Richards (from the band Rolling Stones) will also make an appearance in the film.
While filming in Australia, Fiona Leung was injured in a serious car accident that sent her to the ICU. She was in a van carrying film equipment and several of the crew, who were also injured in the accident. As of this writing, Fiona's condition has stabilized.
Lydia Sum Flies Back To Canada To Celebrate Mother's Birthday, Christmas
Lydia Sum has flown back to Canada to be with her mother on her birthday and to celebrate Christmas. Lydia's daughter did not accompany her. Lydia Sum, who is recovering from a serious illness, responded to questions only from TVB's official crew members.
Tony Leung Trying To Pick Up Mandarin For Ang Lee's New Movie
Tony Leung said that he spent 2 months trying to learn the script for Ang Lee's new movie "Lust, Caution", which is all in Mandarin. Tony's native tongue is Cantonese, so he had to spend a significant amount of time trying to memorize and learn Mandarin in the script.
The very first song I learned the lyrics to was S.H.E.'s song 戀人未滿 (Not Yet Lovers) (Lian Ren Wei Man) and it was off of their album "Together" (album cover is at left).
The reason I learned the lyrics to the song was because after hearing this song many times, I just felt compelled to learn what they were singing. I managed to find their lyrics from S.H.E Angelic Fansite. That site has everything you need to know about the group, including lyrics to all of their songs in Chinese, Pin Yin, and English!
This is basically how I'm learning Mandarin - I find songs I like, find the lyrics and try to learn the song. By doing this, I can slowly pick up how to read Chinese characters, learn how to say them (well, sort of), and know the meaning of the words.
And so, below is the video for the song 戀人未滿 (Not Yet Lovers) (Lian Ren Wei Man), which by the way, still remains my favorite Mandarin song. I've also included the lyrics (which can be found at S.H.E. Angelic Fansite) below. These lyrics are part of my big collection of lyrics that I'm constantly adding to.
So go ahead and play the video and follow along with the lyrics below (and hopefully you'll see how I'm learning Mandarin!).
Here is 戀人未滿 (Not Yet Lovers) (Lian Ren Wei Man):
為什麼只 和 你 能聊 一 整夜 wei shen me zhi he ni neng liao yi zheng ye Why is it that I only can talk to you for the whole night
為什 麼才 道別就 又想再見面 wei shen me cai dao bie jiu you xiang zai jian mian why is it that after we leave I feel like meeting you again
在朋友 裡面就數 你 最 特 別 zai peng you li mian, jiu shu ni zui te bie Out of all my friends, you're the most special
總讓我 覺 得 很親很貼 zong rang wo jue de hen qin hen tian I feel that you're the closest to me
為什麼 你 在 意 誰陪我逛街 we shen me ni zai yi shuo pei wo guang jie, Why do you care who I go shopping with,
為什麼 你 擔心誰對我放電 wei shen me ni dan xin shui dui wo fang dian why are you worried that someone would try to seduce me
你 說你 對 我比 別 人多 一 些 ni shuo ni dui wo, bi bie ren duo yi xie, You said you treat me more than others,
卻又不說是多哪 一 些 que you bu shuo shi duo na yi xie but as to where the "more" is, you wouldn't say
友達 以上戀人未滿甜 蜜心 煩 you da yi shang, lian ren wei man, tian mi xin fan, We're more than friends, but not yet lovers,
愉悅混亂我們以 後 yu yue hun luan, wo men yi hou our hearts are sweet and happy. In future,
會變怎樣 hui bian zen yang, What will happen to us,
我 迫 不 及 待想知道答 案 再靠近 一 點點 wo po bu ji dai xiang zhi dao da an, zai kao jin yi dian dian I can't wait for find out the answer. Come closer a little
就讓你牽手再勇敢一點點 jiu rang ni qian shou, zai yong gan yi dian dian, Then I'll let you hold my hand.
我就 跟你 走你 還等什麼 wo jiu gen ni zou, ni hai deng shen me Be braver a little and I'll go with you. What are you waiting for
時間 已經不多再下 去 shi jian yi jing bu duo, zai xia qu, There isn't much time left, if we continue like this
只 好 只做朋友再向前 一點點 zhi hao zhi zuo peng you, zai xiang qian yi dian dian we can only be friends. Come forward a little
我就 會點頭再衝動一點點 wo jiu hui dian tou, zai cong dong yi dian dian, And I'll nod my head, be more pro-active and
我就 不 閃躲不過三個字 wo jiu bu shan duo, bu guo san ge zi I won't hide, it's only three words
別猶豫這麼 久只 要你說出口 bie you yu zhe me jiu, zhi yao ni shuo chu kou, Don't hesitate too long, as long as you can say it,
你 就 能擁有我為什麼 ni jiu neng yong you wo, wei shen me you'll have me. Why is it
你 寂 寞 只 想要我 陪 ni ji mo zhi xiang yao wo pei, That when you're lonely you only want my companion?
為什麼我難過只 肯讓 你 安 慰 wei shen me wo nan guo zhi ken rang ni an wei, Why is it that when I'm sad I'm only willing to have you console me?
我們心 裡面 wo men xin li mian In our hearts
明明都有感覺 ming ming dou you gan jue, There's definitely a feeling,
為什麼不 敢面對為什麼 wei shen me bu gan mian dui, wei shen me why don't we face it.Why is it
你 寂 寞 只 想要我 陪 ni ji mo zhi xiang yao wo pei, That when you're lonely you only want my companion?
為什麼我難過只 肯讓 你 安 慰 wei shen me wo nan guo zhi ken rang ni an wei, Why is it that when I'm sad I'm only willing to have you console me?
我們心 裡面 wo men xin li mian In our hearts
明明都有感覺 ming ming dou you gan jue, There's definitely a feeling,
為什麼不 敢面對 wei shen me bu gan mian dui why don't we face it.
友達 以上戀人未滿甜 蜜心 煩 you da yi shang, lian ren wei man, tian mi xin fan, We're more than friends, but not yet lovers,
愉悅混亂我們以 後 yu yue hun luan, wo men yi hou our hearts are sweet and happy. In future,
會變怎樣 hui bian zen yang, What will happen to us,
我 迫 不 及 待想知道答 案 再靠近 一 點點 wo po bu ji dai xiang zhi dao da an, zai kao jin yi dian dian I can't wait for find out the answer. Come closer a little
就讓你牽手再勇敢一點點 jiu rang ni qian shou, zai yong gan yi dian dian, Then I'll let you hold my hand.
我就 跟你 走你 還等什麼 wo jiu gen ni zou, ni hai deng shen me Be braver a little and I'll go with you. What are you waiting for
時間 已經不多再下 去 shi jian yi jing bu duo, zai xia qu, There isn't much time left, if we continue like this
只 好 只做朋友再向前 一點點 zhi hao zhi zuo peng you, zai xiang qian yi dian dian we can only be friends. Come forward a little
我就 會點頭再衝動一點點 wo jiu hui dian tou, zai cong dong yi dian dian, And I'll nod my head, be more pro-active and
我就 不 閃躲不過三個字 wo jiu bu shan duo, bu guo san ge zi I won't hide, it's only three words
別猶豫這麼 久只 要你說出口 bie you yu zhe me jiu, zhi yao ni shuo chu kou, Don't hesitate too long, as long as you can say it,
你 就 能擁有我 ni jiu neng yong you wo, you'll have me.
我不相信都動 了 感情 wo bu xiang xin, dou dong le gan qing I don't believe, we already touched each others' hearts,
卻到 不 了 que dao bu liao yet it hasn't transformed into
愛 情那 麼貼 心卻 進 不了 ai qing, na me tie xin que jin bu liao, Love, that dedication still cannot enter the
心 底 你能不能快一點決 定 xin di, ni neng bu neng kuai yi dian jue ding bottom of (your) heart, can you quickly decide
對我說我 愛 你 dui wo shuo wo ai ni And tell me "I love you"
再靠近 一 點點 zai kao jin yi dian dian Come closer a little
就讓你牽手再勇敢一點點 jiu rang ni qian shou, zai yong gan yi dian dian, Then I'll let you hold my hand.
我就 跟你 走你 還等什麼 wo jiu gen ni zou, ni hai deng shen me Be braver a little and I'll go with you. What are you waiting for
時間 已經不多再下 去 shi jian yi jing bu duo, zai xia qu, There isn't much time left, if we continue like this
只 好 只做朋友再向前 一點點 zhi hao zhi zuo peng you, zai xiang qian yi dian dian we can only be friends. Come forward a little
我就 會點頭再衝動一點點 wo jiu hui dian tou, zai cong dong yi dian dian, And I'll nod my head, be more pro-active and
我就 不 閃躲不過三個字 wo jiu bu shan duo, bu guo san ge zi I won't hide, it's only three words
別猶豫這麼 久只 要你說出口 bie you yu zhe me jiu, zhi yao ni shuo chu kou, Don't hesitate too long, as long as you can say it,
你 就 能擁有我為什麼 ni jiu neng yong you wo, wei shen me you'll have me. Why is it
只 要你說出口你 就 能擁有我 zhi yao ni shuo chu kou, ni jiu neng yong you wo as long as you can say it, you'll have me.
When I first started listening to F.I.R's album Unlimited (which I bought two weekends ago), I didn't really think much of them. But it seemed like the more I listened to that album, the more I began liking them.
Maybe it was because the first few times I listened to the Unlimited CD, I wasn't really paying attention to it.
Unlike Nan Quan Mama's (南拳媽媽) CD, you can tell that F.I.R's songs are a little more serious in nature. In most of Nan Quan Mama's songs, you can tell they were just having fun and that a lot of their songs were bubbly and happy.
F.I.R.'s songs on the otherhand, seem a little more darker, but I really love the music in their songs. I am now really interested in getting the other two CD's they have out. Their first CD called "Fairlyland In Reality" and their new CD "Flight Tribe" (see album covers at left).
Here are three songs from their album "Unlimited" (which I bought two weekends ago). The last song is another song from F.I.R. that I really like and is from their first CD (which I don't have).
The first song is 刺鳥 (Killing Bird) (Ci Niao):
The next song is 把愛放開 (Let Love Go) (Ba Ai Fang Kai):
The last song from the "Unlimited" album is Love*3:
Another song that I really love that I heard on Mandarin Internet radio was 我們的愛 (Our Love) (Wo Men De Ai). This one is off of their first CD "Fairyland In Reality):
Photographer Leslie Kee has photographed 300 artists, mainly Asian, in a photobook that will be made available for sale. All proceeds go to charity for Tsunami relief and other various charities. Many popular Chinese stars are in the photobook including Aaron Kwok, Cecilia Cheung, Gong Li, Joey Yeung, Jolin Tsai, Sammi Cheng, Tony Leung, Twins and Zhang Ziyi. Most of the photos are close to being adult in nature (i.e. they show a lot of skin, many are topless photos). Click on the link below to see some of the photos.
A Bruce Lee theme park will be built in Shunde, in the Guangdong province of China. It will contain a statue and a memorial for the late action star. It is being built with a $25.5 million budget and is expected to be opened in three years.
Hacken Lee held his wedding earlier in the week and his invitation consisted of a "Treasure Box" that held a cassette tape. Guests were told to bring the invitation, as they were to come away with "Treasure" at the end of the wedding. Click on the link below to read the details and to view photos of the wedding invitations.
On November 28th, Hacken Lee wed his long-time girlfriend Emily Lo in a ceremony that included Andy Lau, Priscilla Chan, Shirley Kwan, Eric Tsang and Nat Chan as guests. Paula Tsui and Jacky Cheung were also reported at attending. The banquet was held at Hotel International for 46 tables. For more photos and information, click on the links below
Zhang Yu Blows Whistle On Those Who Demand Sex For Roles
Actress Zhang Yu blew the whistle on filmmakers, directors and casting agents, who demand sex for roles in dramas and films. Zhang used the Internet to make her message heard and to expose this "hidden rule" that exploits aspiring young actresses. Zhang also reported that all her roles were obtained by sleeping with someone of importance.
Since getting Nan Quan Mama's (南拳媽媽) "Color Palette!" album over the weekend, I can't stop listening to their CD! And to think, I wasn't going to buy this CD, but then at the last moment, I decided to get it.
This CD is probably one of the best CD's I've gotten in a while.
Below are the videos for 初戀粉色系 (A Series Of Pink Crushes) (Chu Lian Fen Se Xi), 離家不遠 (Not Far From Home) (Li Jia Bu Yuan), and 悄悄告訴她 (Tell Her Secretly) (Qiao Qiao Gao Su Ta).
Here is 初戀粉色系 (A Series Of Pink Crushes) (Chu Lian Fen Se Xi):
This is 離家不遠 (Not Far From Home) (Li Jia Bu Yuan):
And finally 悄悄告訴她 (Tell Her Secretly) (Qiao Qiao Gao Su Ta):
Here is the trailer for the movie "The Knot" (云水谣), starring Chen Kun, Li Bingbing, Vivian Hsu, Chang Gua Ahleh, Isabella Leong, Yang Kuei Mei and Chin Han. The story is about a young couple in the 1940's that get separated during turbulent times. This movie opens December 1st, 2006 in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Screenings on test audiences were very positive and distribution of this film will be as great as for the movie "Curse of the Golden Flower".
Over the weekend I got a chance to get some CDs. Unfortunately some of the albums that were high on my "to-get" list were hard to find, so I settled on the following CDs:
Jay Chou - "Still Fantasy". I've been meaning to get this CD a lot sooner. There were only two songs on this CD that I heard before buying this CD: 千里之外 "Faraway" (Qian Li Zhi Wai) and 白色風車 "White Windmill" (Bai Se Feng Che). After listening to this CD a couple of times, I'd say I'm quite happy with the purchase.
Dao Lang - "Thank You - Greatest Hits". This is the first mainland Chinese album I've bought and I've read a lot about this singer. I know he's very popular on the mainland and I've heard one or two songs from this singer. I still need to listen to this CD more for me to begin liking it - to me, it seemed like most of the tracks on this CD were very similar...then again, it could just be his rough, rugged voice. I'll try to listen to it more.
F.I.R. - "Unlimited". I heard a few songs by F.I.R. and I rather enjoyed their music. When I saw this one at the store, I wasn't too sure if it was their newest album...but when I got home, I realized there was a newer album than this one. There were only a few tracks that I liked, but I think I'll have to listen to it more before I like it.
12 Girls Band - "White Christmas". I heard this CD while I was at a Chinese grocery store last year and I tried to look for this CD, but couldn't. Well, I found it on the weekend and got it. So far so good! I really like the 12 Girls Band version of many of the songs. No doubt I'll be playing this CD when we have guests over during the holidays.
Nan Quan Mama - "Color Palette!". I picked this one up at the last minute and actually I wasn't going to buy this at the last minute. BUT, after listening to this CD, I think it was the best CD out of all the CDs I bought over the weekend. There were many familiar songs I heard on the Internet radio and there were quite a few songs I never heard, but instantly liked! I would probably say this is the BEST CD out of all the CD's I currently have!
Jolin Tsai - "J-Game". When I went CD shopping, I knew I had to get a Jolin Tsai CD and I ended up getting this one. I was actually looking for the "J-Top" CD, but I think I got it confused with this CD. I'm glad there were a few familiar tracks on this CD and there were also a few songs on this CD that I hadn't heard, but instantly liked. This was also a good buy.
12 Girls Band - "The Best Of 12 Girls Band". Since I love any song with Chinese instruments, I figured that I'd get one other 12 Girls Band CD. After listening to this CD a few times, I really got to liking it a lot. I think next time I go CD/DVD shopping, I'll get the DVD of the 12 Girls Band in concert.
Movies To Be Made Available On Net In China & Free Movie Downloads
Several movie studios, including 6 Hollywood studios have signed an agreement with BestTV (a unit of Shanghai Media Group) to distribute movies through the Internet in China. This will allow Hollywood to boost distributions of their popular movies (which is currently limited). BestTV will charge users a fee and studios will make some money from this fee as well as on royalties and advertisements embedded in the movies.
In related news, a new Chinese website quacor.com is allowing free movie downloads of movies - including movies that were released only a few weeks ago. Some titles include "Still Life" and "This After Our Exile". The website's revenue will come from advertising on their site and those embedded in the movie.
Zhang Ziyi Named In Top 10 Women In Business By Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal recently released it's "Top 50 Remarkable Women In Asian Business Circles" and Zhang Ziyi came out in the top 10. Others in the top 10 include: Zhou Kaixuan (from Li Ka-shing Foundation), Hu Shuli (editor-in-chief at Caijing (财经) Magazine), and Li Yifei (chief representative at Viacom China).
The director of "In The Mood For Love", "The Chungking Express" and "2046" is wrapping up his first English language film called "My Blueberry Nights". Wong Kar-wai (王家衛) had his English language directorial debut on the film starring Jude Law and Norah Jones. The movie will be released sometime in 2007.
Jackie Chan has teamed up with Maggie Chu, a business woman, to launch The Jackie Chan Organic Skin Care Line. Jackie adds this to his diverse businesses including restaurants, cookies, fitness clubs, and clothing lines. The products will be made in Hungary and will use all natural ingredients with the packaging being made of recycled material.
On Saturday the 43rd Annual Golden Horse Awards were held in Taiwan. Best Film went to "This After Our Exile", Best Director went to Peter Chan Ho Sun for the film "Perhaps Love", Best Actor went to Aaron Kwok in "This After Our Exile" and Best Actress went to Zhou Xun in "Perhaps Love". For list of all other award winners, please visit the link below.
Since filming "Everlasting Regret" over a year ago, Sammi Cheng seemingly disappeared from the entertainment scene. Sammi recently answered questions surrounding her absence. There were many rumors of her "disappearance" - everything from illness to fading popularity. But when answering media questions, she simply stated that she needed extra time to recharge - reading books, vacationing, and watching movies. She also stated that she's back into full working mode and will be in the recording studio soon.
For the past two years it has been rumored that Ella Koon and Ron Ng were a couple. Lots of evidence seemed to point to this including Ella staying over at Ron's apartment and many photographic evidence. But when asked again, she still denies these rumors, saying instead they are good friends and that she was collecting a few things from Ron's apartment.
Anthony Wong will be making his US debut in the film "The Painted Veil", which will also star Naomi Watts, Ed Norton, and Liev Schreiber. The film is about a dissatisfied young English couple who, out of frustration, moves to Shanghai. The film has a $35 million USD budget and will be released on December 15, 2006 by Warner Independent Pictures.
Here is the trailer for the movie "Exiled", which is the sequel to Johnnie To's "The Mission". Most of the cast is intact, which includes: Richie Ren, Anthony Wong, and Francis Ng. This movie participated in the Toronto International Film Festival over the fall, however I didn't get a chance to catch it.
The trailer for Exiled:
The next trailer is for a movie starring Louis Koo and Rene Liu called "Happy Birthday". The story is about a couple who breaks up but remains in contact via birthday cards. Every year the birthday cards come year after year until one year, they stop coming. We later find out that one of them passed away a long while ago and that the cards were being sent on behalf of his sister.
It is rumoured that Hebe Tien (from the girl group S.H.E.) is Jay Chou's girlfriend. Jay had picked her to film in a music video with him for his new album "Still Fantasy". When a reporter recently asked why he didn't kiss Hebe in the music video, Jay responded that he has no feelings for her and that any reports out there are fake.
On Nov 16, 2006 the highly anticipated movie "Battle of Wits" premiered in Beijing. The movie stars Andy Lau, Fan Bingbing, and Sung-kee Ahn and is a movie jointly funded by China, South Korea and Japan. The movie is based on the historic Warring States period is China and the film is based on a Japanese cartoon book. Click on the story link below for lots of pictures.
The popular Taiwanese group F4 are preparing to film a new drama where the roles are going to be equal amongthem. Since filming the Meteor Garden series, the four haven't been on screen together. All four have had somewhat solid careers after the Meteor Garden craze.
Supergirl Shang Wenjie Critisized For Her Language Skills
2006 Supergirl winner Shang Wenjie was a French language major in University before winning the singing competition, however after she published a French poem on her blog recently, many have found simply grammatical mistakes with the poem. Many on the Internet blasted her and her language skills, saying that even elementary school French students wouldn't make those mistakes.
On Wednesday, 2005 SuperGirl contestant He Jie was injured in a car accident. From the pictures, it looked like it was quite serious, but fortunately He Jie, she only suffered an injury that required 20 stitches. He Jie's publicist and assistant were also in the car and were also slightly injured. Story courtesy: CriEnglish: Super Girl He Jie Injured In Car Accident
Film "This After Our Exile" Getting Rave Reviews
The film "This After Our Exile" has recently been getting rave reviews by critics and recently held a special press screening for the media in Hong Kong. "This After Our Exile" has been screening around the world in various film festivals. In fact, it was here in Toronto this past Wednesday, as it was participating in the 10th Annual Asian Film Festival. The family drama stars Charlie Yeung and Aaron Kwok. It opens in China on November 30, 2006.
Vanness, a member of the popular group F4, has had a busy schedule since his Meteor Garden days. He believes in charitable causes and has donated 10% of his income from concerts to charity! He even sponsored 8 children via World Vision. For 2006, it is believed he had an income of 10 million from his various concerts.
Businessman Apologizes For Photos Of Gillian Chung
Jimmy Lai, a businessman from Hong Kong, apologized for voyeuristic photos of Gillian Chung (half of pop duo Twins) taken backstage in a concert in Malaysia back in August. Lai is the owner of a media company that published the photos. Lai also said that no one will be fired because of the photos, which were published in the weekly gossip magazine "Easy Finder".
Four Albums From Four AMusic Artists Released On Same Day
AMusic, a record company, has decided to release four albums from four of it's artists. Albums were released for Chapman To's album "Hapkido", Janice's album "Do U Know...", Leon Lai's album "Looking", and Jill's album "Diamond Love" on November 17, 2006.
Xinhuanet has recently announced the top ten highest paid Chinese actresses. The list includes the usual suspects such as Zhang Ziyi, Gong Li, and Hsu Chi. Zhang Ziyi took top spot in 2006 with earnings of over $15 million. For complete list, please click on the link below.
A group called Fahrenheit is rapidly gaining popularity. Fahrenheit has filmed a drama called "KO One" and has also released an album. Both the F4 and the Fahrenheit TV dramas have not been broadcast in China, however many have seen their shows via the Internet. However, when fans were asked what groups are most popular, most answered other groups such as S.H.E. and Katun. Only time will tell if Fahrenheit can have the same success as F4.
I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada to parents who can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Hakka, and English. As I grew up, my parents spoke mostly Cantonese and I learned to speak a little of it.
I dropped out of Chinese school when my parents sent me when I was younger, but now I regret that I didn't stay. Lately I've been trying to pick up Mandarin through movies, shows and by learning the lyrics to popular Mandarin music.
Here's the music video for one of the songs I really like off of her J-Game album (which I recently bought). For some reason, I really like any song that sounds "Chinesey" (I don't think that's a word!). What I mean by that is that I like songs that use classical Chinese instruments...and this song uses them a lot.
