Apple Ipad just released yesterday in San Francisco. It is a very simple design – everything just a big touch screen. People said including me, that it looks like the big iphone. However, it is much powerful and advance than the iphone 3G. A everything-touch screen you can use to read books electronically, brown Internet easily, and type and email people like using the laptop, and you can play games, watch DVD in high definition, or organise and view your photo easily etc.

I can see that Ipad’s released will change the industries. But this is technology – whether it is updated or outdated. Moreover, it has unbeatable price: $499 for Wifi, or you can choose 3G ipad with contracts with phone companies. A single Amazon / Sony electronic book reader is cost the same price. Or it is considerable to have an Apple Ipad which had all the computer functions, including the book reader too?

There is no need for me to review the technical terms. A very good blog about Ipad fromStephen Fry is worth reading it. Stephen likes technology and like using Apple.

Some people are still talking about comparing the google-phone to the iphone. I think google needs a long way to reach Apple’s technology and designs. John before had skeptical about using PC or changing to an Apple. However, when we first bought an Apple Mini in 2005, and constantly using it, then we felt in love Apple’s products. It does simplify your daily life as we can not live without computer nowadays.

John has one 24 inch IMAC for his programming, Macbook Pro laptop for travelling and iphone for daily life. I have one Mac Book and Nano Ipod, and the Apple Mini is waiting to be sell. This is not showing off that how much Apple equipments we had, is more to say that once you love using Apple’s stuff, and you will continuously using it. And I do admit that we are a little bit crazy about Apple’s stuff. How could you not too?

This is not saying that we will also have Ipad soon as well for the sake of having it. It all depends do we necessarily need it or not? But for other people, it might be a good change.

(cover pictures from official apple website)

昨天最新的苹果Ipad在三藩市隆重推出一个全自动触摸的大屏幕。很多人包括我也在想，就像大型iphone一样，不过比iphone更先进，更多功能。Ipad 可以当成电子书籍阅读器，自动触屏去阅读杂志和新闻，同时也是自动触屏使用键盘，这完全改变我们需要实际键盘的需要，触摸即刻！也可以当DVD看高清录像，再可以组织和编辑你的旅游照片。既轻薄又多功能。

我可以想像到 Ipad即将改变很多科技工业的发展，但这就是科技，与时进步，这也推动企业更以先进的科技发展。再说，Ipad 更有无懈可击的价格 －wifi才是499美元，或是买3G的Ipad，然后和电信公司签约。索尼或amazon的电子书籍阅读器就要一样的价格了。为何不选择苹果的 Ipad呢？苹果的市场策略就是，价格实惠，但永远不会因时间而改变价格。

这里就不用我介绍所有的功能。被封为英国的多才多能的Stephen Fry 用了4遍文章介绍了苹果的Ipad，你可以阅读下。Stephen喜欢科技的东西，也喜欢用苹果的东西。有些人还在讨论google发明的手机好还是iphone好？我想google的科技发明还要走一段路才能比的上苹果技术和设计。我们之前也对苹果机有一定的怀疑，不晓得真的那么好用。自从05年买了第一台苹果机，之后我们就开始爱上苹果的东西。

约翰因为工作需要，他有1台24寸imac，一个macbook pro手提和iphone；而我只是简单的mac book手提和nano ipod播放音乐，我们还有要卖掉的苹果mini。这里不是说明我们有很多苹果的东西，而是说明了，一但你用了apple的东西，你就爱不舍手，让你的生活简单化。当然，这不代表我们也要买个Ipad，要看我们真正的需要它不，不过价格真的十分便宜。但给其它需要新电脑的朋友，何尝不考虑下呢？ （照片封面来自苹果官方网站）

UK has a music free application that you can download and listen music for free legally. It calls Spotify. Listen free music while you are online, just like Last.fm, but more latest music and very easy to use. However, it only applies in the UK. Anyway, I have been using it for some time now.

Today, I discover an artists from Stockholm, who is same age with me called Miss Li. She just released a new album ‘Dancing the whole way home’. Miss Li’s style like Amy Winehouse – Jazz, Blues, Rock and Indie as well in a variety of style. I do like this album, and it is definitely worth putting into my ipod.

It’s amazing that she is young and so talented! I do like Swedish artists a lot, like Kent, The Cardigans, Club 8 and Jazz musician Lisa Ekdahl and Koop. They are all my favourite artists. Sweden is great place and it produces a lot of great artists and music. My favourite songs are:

• I heard of a girl
• True Love Stalker
• Polythene Queen
• Is this The End
• Stuck in the Sand
• A Daughter of a Son
• The Boy in the Fancy Suit
• Stupid girl

Moreover, Swedish people are incredible trendy in fashion too. We did plan to travel to Sweden before, but it is more expensive than London. I think I need to save more money so I can be there soon. Sweden is Rock!

In fashion industry, most people adore Kate Moss and Keira Knightley in the UK because they both have typical high cheek bones and classic British elegant faces. Personally, I think they both are pretty but rather common. When you talk about perfect face and body, everyone will think of brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen. Indeed, she has everything and she is incomparable.

However, I like Gisele, but I set my eyes on Daria Werbowy, who is an Ukrainian Canadian model, originally was born in Poland. My obsession of her is her eyes and smile -mystery and sexy!  Her face is very unique and she got a perfect body as well. In style, she wears a lot of simple, chic and street style fashion. I am totally adore her body and her look. Look at her pictures, how could you not like her?

We all know that faces and beauty eventually will wear-out, and it is rather superficial and temporary, but I appreciate and love seeing pretty things and people. Sometimes I just could not stop staring at them. Anyway, Daria is the most popular supermodel and fashion icon nowadays. Maybe sometimes we want something that we can not have. Cover pictures are from Style.com

We have walked through the 2009 – a recession economic year! However, it is a whole new world to discover 2010. My wishes for 2010 are very simple:

Luck & Bless

Money & Pass Driving License

Health & Happy

Good food & Music

Is it too much? I have already had a good start in the New Year, and wish all yours and my dreams will come true this year. The picture was from one of my favourite fashion blog Stockholm Street Style in Sweden.

大家已经经历了09年的经济萧条，2010年刚来，我真心祈祷我2010年的愿望成真：多多运气＋福气，多多钱运＋拿到车牌，多多衣服＋鞋子，多多食物＋音乐，旅游多多＋经历多多，开心和健康就好了。是否太多呢？愿望不算多的，祝福大家的愿望和我一样，都会实现。开年的一月八号已经是我人生的第一个好的开始，结束了5年的爱情长跑，约翰和我终于结婚了。婚礼简单浪漫，也是我一生中最开心幸福的一刻。希望今年愿望实现。封面照片是我最爱的瑞典街头时尚照片。

I enjoy baking and cooking different types of food at home. Normally we cook Italian and British food at home, though I could cook some indian or chinese sometimes, it take a lot of preparation and the chinese ingredients are expensive here. I always think my Mum cooks the most amazing chinese food. However, I discovered that my Mum tends to put some pork and nice real meat stock inside the food, but John doesn’t like much pork because it is too fatty and greasy he said.

As John nowadays can eat some beef and it is cold winter snow day. I decided to make some Jamie Oliver’s recipes. Beef stew is the easiest winter food. It tastes meaty with different herbs. You can eat with some garlic bread or some Jasmine rice. Superb!

I always cook Bacon Asparagus Tortelloni and it is the quick and health dish, but delicious. Asparagus needs to be careful, hot water 3 minutes, and ice water for 1 minutes, then fried with garlic and butter 1 minutes. It will be the most crunchy tasty Asparagus ever. Trust me. I think I know different herbs and meat combination since I learned so much from the chef from TV.

I made some of the scones from James Martin’s dessert book, eat with clotted cream and Jam! As the dessert expert John said it was the most moist inside, crunchy outside and delicious scone ever, and better than a lot of shops are selling. It gave me so much joy and confident about my cooking.

The pumpkin pie we normally make at the weekend. I just made some chocolate cookies yesterday. I love cooking and I think it is nothing happier than people you love eating well and enjoying the food.

Good food, good music and good accompanies, then Happy Day!

Miwa’s boyfriend Haruki flew from Japan to celebrate New Year Eve with us, so we decided to have New year dinner, then went to see the firework in London. We took Haruki to eat the amazing fresh-made Gourmet burger because he likes beef like I do.

We managed to find some seats in one of them in Soho, and surprisingly, all the restaurants were not full at all except some of them in the tourist places in Leicester Square. After the giant burgers and chips, we walked down to the pub near St James Park, ordered some champaign and desserts to get our mood started.

At 11 pm, we stood behind the House of the Parliament, and it was so cold about minus 3-4 degrees outside with a full moon. The firework was last 10 minutes, and it was magnificent and so colourful. News said that there were about 250,000 people witnessing the countdown and the firework. The funny things is after the firework, it was snowing for 5 minutes. What else you can get in a night! We had an extremely good time in New Year Eve. Goodbye 2009, another new year has come.

Happy New Year to all of you, and wish you and me will have a lot fortune and luck in 2010. Picture of firework is from Dailymail News.

日本好友美和的男友山野春树专门从日本飞来英国4天和我们一起渡过元旦新年。我们决定去伦敦眼一年一次倒数和看烟花。春树第2次到返伦敦，这次我们带他去吃超级棒的牛肉汉堡包。一个汉堡包有7－8寸高，超级新鲜美味！

约翰老说新年一定哪里都爆满，我们6点在soho找到位置坐了下来，吃完我们就走去汉金殿后面的公园，找了间酒吧开了香槟庆祝新年，因为外面实在冷，零下3－5度，所以我们要找个温暖的地方坐下来，喝喝香槟把新年气氛调动起来。我们聊天到11点，出发去霸位置看烟花！外面已经人山人海。

烟花放了10分钟，伦敦的烟花实在不同，颜色五彩缤纷。报道说，当晚估计有25万人在这里看倒数和烟花。当晚晴空万理，也是满月。烟花结束后，最兴奋的是开始下雪。下了10分钟大大的雪，我们就各自回家了。告别2009年，走向美好的2010年。谢谢大家陪伴我度过这么多年。同时祝福大家都过个好年，祈祷2010年你我都运气连连，开心无限。 烟花照片是在dailynew网上载录下来。

As my fascination of the Favourite Work of Art in Victoria period, I am also fascinated about 1920’s fashion and music. I always imagine what was the life style, fashion and music to be like when I am listening songs from Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra or Peggy Lee?

Fashion in 1920

Fashion is 1920 was a new revolution for women. Women had their right to vote, and before the first World War people lived in middle class with leisure, luxury, and happy life. The images in my head, women had bobbed hair, fine make-up, red lips with knee length and thin sparkle jewellery on their dresses. The silk delicate fabric, feather fascinator clip, or long pearl necklaces and cloche hats. It was so classic and elegant. It was a romantic era for fashion, which is why people look back at it with great fondness and still emulate it’s style.. That some of the people called 1920 was a golden age.

Music in 1920

Music is 1920 Because of the middle class life style in 1920, that is why some of the songs had written in those days had portrayed in a romantic happy life. Jazz was very popular in middle of 1920. Blues, Ragtime and Broadway musicals were in that era. In my head, it always appears cocktails, knee length dress, people dancing (like the song ‘Check to Check’) Jazz live in the background, champaign, smoke in the pub.  I will never feel tired of the classic jazz songs!

I love to go back to live for a while in that era and experience the life and music in 1920. Let’s sway with music and dance together. It will be the end of the post of my 2009. I wish we will have more great music and fashion that it will last as long as the 1920 did.

(Miwa and us will be seeing fireworks and count down 2009 in London Eye tomorrow night, I am very looking to forwards to seeing fireworks and enjoy the crowed.)

Recently I have bought some winter boots because I don’t have much winter boots. But now I think I have enough for this winter and keep my feet warm and satisfied. I need to save up from now. No more new shoes or clothes. Happy New Year soon and wish best of all.

We are heading to have New Year dinner with friends to celebrate 2010. Which shoes should I wear tonight? It is raining outside, maybe I will wear the blue boots.

冬季鞋
最近买了很多冬季的鞋子和靴子，冬天我没有太多的鞋子，所以最近疯狂的买了很多。不过买到很多自己比较满意的鞋子。让我这个冬天的脚可以暖暖一下。爱鞋的我是否保护我的鞋子，不过过了这个冬天，我要好好存钱了，再不能买任何东西。祝大家新年如意。我也祝自己新年好运气，一切顺心顺意。今晚和朋友吃年饭，我在想我该穿那双鞋子？外面下着雨，或许我穿蓝色短靴子吧。

Vapiano is franchise Italian restaurant in Europe and the State. My friend Kevin took me there when we were working together. From their website page, it is described the restaurant is ‘Somewhere between the nicest of fast casual and hippest of casual dining restaurants is Vapiano’.

The interior design is clean modern, open-space, casual with high standard quality food, especially there is fresh basil plant in every single table. Pasta is home-made, and it cooks in front of you, so it makes sure all fresh. It comes with a big portion as well, and you can choose your pasta types. My favourite pasta is Scampi E Spinaci, which is king prawn with pesto and baby spinach and Salsiccia Con Fichi , which is spicy Italian sausage with fresh figs. (both £8.50,  I just made it sound so fancy, did I? ) They are the best. Pizza is making in front of you including the dough, crispy edge with interesting filling.

Price is incredible cheap and so reasonable. Pasta and pizza starts from £6. Dessert from £3 – £5. All the staff and chef speak Italian. It is a friendly and self-service restaurant, so suitable for a quick lunch and dinner place, but also somewhere you can enjoy hang out with your friends.

We have been there many times and it is always my favourite quick Italian health restaurant. You can see more restaurant picture and memu here. 4.5 stars out of 5 for sure and highly recommended. We always went to the one behind Topshop in Oxford Street, you can not miss it.

Vapiano是一个在欧洲和美国十分流行的意大利连锁餐厅，在牛津街Topshop后面是我们经常去的地方。朋友介绍我去，之后我就几乎是他们的常客。店里装修十分时尚及现代，干净又整洁。每台桌面上都有一盆新鲜的Basil香叶，随时需要随时栽放在你的意大利面里。所有的意大利面都是厨师每天新鲜制作，所以十分新鲜美味。有8－10种意大利面条给你选择，我最喜欢的2道是 ‘菠菜大虾意大利面’ 或是 ’新鲜无花果加意大利辣香肠‘ 超级是我的最爱，价格十分诱人，才8镑多，大大分量加新鲜原料。pizza也是新鲜到连馅底的面粉都是现场撮然后加下原料的。

价格实在便宜，这么新鲜好的餐厅意大利面从6镑起，甜点也是3－5镑。所有的东西都是现场炒和煮给你看，你可以学到东西又可以吃到好吃的意大利菜，当然所有的厨师也是意大利人，都说意大利话。不仅是自助式服务，健康，简单快捷的意大利餐厅。假如你赶时间又想吃个健康的意大利菜，Vapiano绝对是我首选。你可以从这里看到 菜单和更多图片。绝对推荐4.5星！

I think we did pretty good on Christmas food even though it was our first time to cook Christmas dinner. The food was very tasty and nothing went wrong, so I was very pleased with them. Then we watched some movies and went to have a walk in the park. In boxing day, we went out in Westfield, but it was so crowed, so we went to have a walk in Holland park. To be honest, we did eat so much food and I am a little bit sick of food or eating out, which is unusual for me, because I am always in love with food. (was it sound too weird?) It did remind of me so much like the Chinese New Year – family and food.

I do think I need to on diet soon. But overall, I am quite happy with this Christmas holiday. I forgot to mention that I was so excited to receive so many Christmas gifts. 2010 is coming as well as our big day. Afterwards, we will move into new house hopefully in February. Hope everything is going smoothly and well. Wish everyone had a good Christmas.

我想今年的圣诞过的还是不错，虽然是我们第1次煮圣诞大餐，但一切都准备的紧紧有条。食物十分美味，我十分满足我们的烹饪技术。圣诞当天我们吃了大餐然后就去公园散步。晚上看这电影渡过，好像就像我们的中国新年吃吃喝喝然后无所事事。Boxing Day我们去商场逛街吃饭，啊？实在太多人购减价货品，我们就走了，去另一个公园散步。圣诞实在吃太多东西了，现在看到食物再美味，或想到出去吃饭都怕。

我想是时候减肥了，总而言之，这个圣诞过得还是乐姿姿的。我们的大子日即将到来，过年后我们还要搬去新的房子，希望一切顺利和开心。祝福大家也有个美好的圣诞节。