The Prague spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia . It perposed to economy decentralized and democratization. It began on January 5, 1968, when reformist Slovak Alexander Dubček came to power, and continued until August 21, but it was not accepted by the Soviets who sent thousands of Warsaw Pact troops and tanks to halt the reforms and to occupy the country until 1990.

Hong Kong – Feb 11- IJS-Global -  When you open a magazine randomly or enter an MTR station in Hong Kong, people will find out diet advertisements are everywhere. Keeping skinny seems that’ve already became Hong Kong ladies’ major  beauty standard. What’s the actual attitude that people think of these overflowing diet advertisements? We did some vox pop in order to collect some attitudes.

Yammi Chau, a sales said, she never went to any diet company for losing weight. “You can make up by different attire style.”

Anita Wong, a clerk said, most of 20-30 age ladies may be attractive by this kind of diet advertisements, “I never consider this kind of thing. It depends on your gene. ” she though if ladies can achieve their goal by paying money, it’s ok.

Candy Wong, a undergraduate student considered security is the most important thing. She trusted the supervision of diet advertisements by Hong Kong government more than that in mainland. But it was hard for her indentifying with diet idea among the society.

Prague – Feb 9, 2009 – IJS-Global.com: Around 20 years before, Czech was transformed from a socialism country to a capitalism country. People of the country got their democracy, but maybe they are not satisfied by the changes of the extent of economy and their daily living. Rob Cameron, a freelance of BBC Prague bureau said.

“Nowadays, the per-capita average incomes of Prague per month is around 1,000 euro,” Rob cited, “and it obviously is not too much.” As per the statistic of other cities, Bob believed that will be less than Prague.

In 1989, Czechs fighted against the political system at that time, did not mean they all fighted for democracy. “Some people was, but some people may be just for the freedom to buy a new DVD player.” Cameron put it. People want their life can be changed better, but actually you can hear complaints everywhere. “They thought they lose the security and the social consonance.” Rob said, apparently people want more development.

Monica, a postgraduate of history department, Charles University of Czech said the government does not guarantee houses any more like what the socialism government did previously. “The price of the real estate in Prague now is very very high, we young people can not afford a house any more.” She said. Now she lives with her parents in a house which locates in the downtown guaranteed by previous government. But now the family faces a dilemma—-buy a big or new house in a way of selling the old and small one, meanwhile, they have to move from downtown to the suburb because they can not cope with the price and the location at the same time.

Cameron confirmed that the high price of Prague’s real estate. He rents a downtown apartment with three rooms and 120 squares by 1,250 euro per month, but most of the local people would share a house by the basic cause of barely affording the rent fee.

Apart from the tram and the subway, more and more Prague residents chose private car as their transportation. As the capital and the richest city among Czech, not all the family can buy even if an economy car.

Supermarket is always a best place to observe local standard of living. The prices of commodities are still very cheaper comparing with western European countries. Two cooked chicken legs only cost 30 crowns which equals to about 1.2 euro. The price gap make people feel too expensive when travelling in most of other European countries. Comparing with the local price level, prices of tourist souvenirs like ripping-off. A fridge magnet costs around 3 euro in Prague but in Paris, it only charges tourist 1 euro more. Maybe that’s the reason of how Prague residents make 70% incomes from tourists, according to Lonely Planet, Prague.

For more and more Chinese young people, the lunar Chinese New Year of 2009 may be the right timing to start handling difficulties, such as much more doing-it-yourself foods, less expenditure and converted financial management plan.

“For the past ox new year holidays, I did all the meals by myself even at our family reunion dinner on the eve of the new year. If the usual we of course would go outside, choosing a nice and good restaurant.” A book editor living in Nanjing, Jin Paopao put it via a phone call.

Before the Chinese new year, Jin sold out an apartment that made her no longer pay for any mortgage to the bank any more. She said she bought that apartment several years ago in the purpose of investment when the real estate market of Nanjing was just begun. The rent of the apartment had been used to balance bank mortgage every month. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t find somebody willing to rent it since last summer. During the past half year, I have to make the mortgage up by my own salary,” as far as she’s concerned, “I decided to sell it out in order to get some cash in the bank. I think It will be the best way coping with the recession.”

More and more Jin’s friends act like her, starting to curtail spending. “It seems that it is popular to invite friends having dinner at home instead of hitting a restaurant outside.” One of Jin’s friend, Shao Guan, a middle school teacher said. Comparing with previous lifestyle, young people prefer to spending their time watching movies instead of shopping. 

“I’m considering to sell a house which is used as an investment property,” Zhou Xi, a journalist of Yangtse Evening Post said. She just finds out her pregnancy and starts to consider all the possible income and expenditure in the future. Along with the financial crisis, advertisements of printed media begun dropping sharply which effected her income already. “My husband is doing export business, it is almost ruined by the economic downturn. But I still plan to quit my job after the birth of my child. I wanna collect some money, open a small but cute coffee shop in the way of selling the house. ” Zhou said that.

During my trip to Prague, I am so interested in local people’s ordinary life. My most of interviews are surrounding the center.

1, why I am interested in the topic:

Gowning up in China, I’ve known some not long ago history about Czech, which
are about the transformation from a socialism country to a capitalism country more or less. In 1968, Soviet Union invaded the country in order to stop Prague
Spring reform. Then during 1968-1989, Czech was in Communist Era.
After 1989, the country started the Velvet revolution, it marked the
prelude to democracy of the country.
 2004, Czech joined the EU and in the end of last year, Czech was invovled in Schengen Visa, these series transformation bring what kind of change in ordinary people’s life? That’s my motivation.

2, I interviewed three people, one is a student in History major, from Charles University. She told me her attitudes towards democracy and towards China’s political system as well. The other woman told me something about the local real estate market. When in socialism period, people were guaranteed with houses, how do people deal with their house under capitalistic circumstance? The situation in Prague is very similar to that of in China now. The third person is a man who comes from UK and now has been living in Prague more than 10 years. His observation about the city is very interesting.

3, I went to some shopping malls and local supermarkets in order to know the price level in Prague. What a surprise is that the price level in Prague is even cheaper than that of in Beijing or Shanghai. I will raise some example to illustrate.

The Longman dictionary version 2000 defines “plagiarism” as “the act of using someone else’s words, ideas, or work and pretending they are your own”;”an idea, phrase, story etc, that has been copied from someone else’s work, without stating that this is where it came from.”

From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, “plagiarism” is considered as below:

: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own

: use (another’s production) without crediting the source

: to commit literary theft

: present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

(Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarize)

According to the explanation applied by Hong Kong Baptist University, plagiarism means “taking someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own” and “is the most common form of intellectual dishonesty.”(Source: http://www.hkbu.edu.hk/~ar/avoiding_plagiarism/)

In my opinion, plagiarism and copies are in the similar way. To be brief, it means that if you use some words or sentences which produced by somebody else, you did not use the quotation marks and state the source neither. 

2. Can I legally post any picture on my blog that I have downloaded from the Internet as long as I credit the source?

Well, I think most time we can not do it, but it really depends on the different situation, such as the function of the blog, what the purpose of posting the picture on my blog, where I get the picture from, etc.

Sometimes people posted pictures on their blogs or other places just for fun and sharing, they would of course like you to transship their pictures if you truly did the acknowledgement and for non-profit purpose. On that circumstance it would be fine.

Copyright in photos is a little bit more complicated because the regulation changed several times, we have to handle photo’s copyright depends on the time when it was taken or published, etc. But basically we can say that some famous photos which have been wildly known or used by public, for example, some classic paintings, Iwo Jima flag photo etc, everyone can use them with clear acknowledgement.

Otherwise, I suggest people use photos very carefully unless they are taken by you or you can use them legally.

Hong Kong- January 16- IJS- Global- Cherry Jin

Why can a bad-taste and never getting changed restaurant can survive among the  dog-eat-dog Hong Kong? Maybe the answers are students customers, the cheap prices and good location with convenience.

The Harmony student cafetera is the only canteen located in the old campus of Hong Kong Baptist University, providing basic Chinese and western food. Although foods there are not satisfied with most people apparently, it can be crowd with students especially on lunch time. The waiting line in front of cashiers can be more than 20 persons.

Lam Pui Ying, a year 3 student of chemistry department thinks she does not like food taste here, but the prices here are acceptable, “cheaper than others.” She said. “I have nothing special food like.” She said, she goes to the canteen five times per week, only at lunch time. It makes another attractive reason is the location of the canteen is close to the science hall where she studies almost everyday.

From the menu posted on the wall, price range is from HK$5.5 to 25. A stuff confirmed it, 5.5HK$ is the price of a toast or a bottle of soft drink and 25HK$ people can buy a set including fried noodle with shreeded pork with Chinese soup or hot drink. The price is only available for students and stuffs within the Baptist University with their school cards. People who are not studying or working in the university are welcome as well, but should be paid several Hong Kong dollars more.

Wong Yiu Chung, PHD of history department thinks prices here, convenience of the location and the space are the reasons make him here often. He is reading books while accepting the interviews. He thinks food taste here is not good as well but the balance in price and toast is ok.

Considering how to make some changes about the canteen, the two students think, canteen should adjust the temperature upward and the menu should be changed regularly. “The food is boring.” Wong Yiu Chung said.

  Hope to make more friends here.