(Source, Leighton Meester in "Wild Child" by Christophe Meimoon for Marie Claire UK December 2010 via Image Amplified.)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Beauty Inspiration: {Leighton Meester}
(Source, Leighton Meester in "Wild Child" by Christophe Meimoon for Marie Claire UK December 2010 via Image Amplified.)
World’s Biggest Chocolate Bar
The sweet event took place in Armenia’s capital of Yerevan, and was organized by the Grand Candy Factory – a local chocolate making company – as a way to celebrate to celebrate its 10 years of existence. Guinness Book representatives were invited to take part in the unveiling of the chocolate monster created, and to make sure this event goes into the record books.
Supermodel Adriana Lima at Miami Beach
10-year-old boy shoulders his family
10-year-old boy shoulders his family, sells fruits to support 70-year-old grandpa
6 o’clock in the morning, knocks on the door awake Zhu Honglei up. It is grandpa, the only one who lives with him in the old cottage. Mother went away years ago for sick of poverty, and father went to city to make money but never sends a penny home. Grandpa can’t work in the fields anymore, his rheumatism gets worse early this year, making him hardly get off bed, so Zhu Honglei becomes the man in the family, at only 10 years old.
Zhu Honglei rubs his eyes in the darkness. He pulls the lamp on, a squirrel swishes out of his empty window, but Zhu is used to it. He puts on clothes that he’s been wearing for a week. He only changes after shower to save the laundry, and he only showers once a week to save water. Every 4 days, Zhu will climb up to the mountain spring with neighbor, to fetch water and fill the tank at home.
Zhu Honglei rubs his eyes in the darkness. He pulls the lamp on, a squirrel swishes out of his empty window, but Zhu is used to it. He puts on clothes that he’s been wearing for a week. He only changes after shower to save the laundry, and he only showers once a week to save water. Every 4 days, Zhu will climb up to the mountain spring with neighbor, to fetch water and fill the tank at home.
Getting off the bed, Zhu comes to the kitchen on the other side of the wall to make fire for cooking breakfast, which is fried pickles and some pumpkin leftover from last night. Pumpkin is the main food in the house, there are always 5 or 6 of them in the corner to serve the table. Zhu can’t remember when is the last time he eats meat. He goes through his homework a bit in the glow of the hearth.
After breakfast with grandpa, it is half past seven. Zhu puts away the dishes and leaves for school. He has to be quick since there are about 5 km mountain roads to hike before he could reach school, which starts at 10. According to Liao Guoliu, principal of Cherry Elementary School, Zhu is never late for school. “There is a storm in July this year, resulting in a mudslide that blocks many mountain roads. We tolerate kids not coming to school whenever there is storm and mudslide. But Zhu climbed a whole other mountain to go around the mudslide for school. He arrived at 1 pm that day. Teachers were touched by his effort and made up his morning class for him before sending him home.”
After breakfast with grandpa, it is half past seven. Zhu puts away the dishes and leaves for school. He has to be quick since there are about 5 km mountain roads to hike before he could reach school, which starts at 10. According to Liao Guoliu, principal of Cherry Elementary School, Zhu is never late for school. “There is a storm in July this year, resulting in a mudslide that blocks many mountain roads. We tolerate kids not coming to school whenever there is storm and mudslide. But Zhu climbed a whole other mountain to go around the mudslide for school. He arrived at 1 pm that day. Teachers were touched by his effort and made up his morning class for him before sending him home.”
2 hours later, Zhu arrives at school. Class hasn’t begun yet so he goes play badminton with peers. Rackets belong to his desk mate, one of them is broken in handle. Zhu asked grandpa to replace the handle with wood, not very comfortable for hands though. He holds the racket with his right hand, and serve the shuttlecock up high. His pair gets it and returns a drop shot. Zhu rushes forward immediately but he fails to reach the ball in time. The ball touches ground, his peers laugh and so does Zhu, since he brags about his badminton skills before.
After a few rounds, Zhu is sweating with messy footwork. He sits on the ground and takes off his sandals that is thin as sheet and ruptured in fore sole. “I can’t play well today, because the shoes are too broken.” Zhu says the shoes are brought by his father when he is 7, it is meant to be oversized so that they can still fit as he grows up. Zhu’s best shoes are a pair of white mesh shoes. He takes very good care of them, wearing them only on Monday to flag-raising ceremony, other than that, he cleans them and put them away in the closet.
Class begins. Zhu sits at the 4th row. Due to his little body, he sits as straight as he can and tries his best to read out loud along with the rest of class.
Though there are over 300 people in Cherry Elementary School, it is too poor to build a canteen. Teachers and schoolchildren don’t have lunch. Many schoolmates will buy some snacks as lunch with their allowances. At such time, Zhu is all alone in the classroom. He will takes his book out and read quietly as if the book can distract his hunger. Zhu says he eats twice a day, breakfast and supper, he is used to it. He does have allowances sometimes. When grandpa’s plum trees come to fruits, he will climb up the trees to pick plums and sell them on market. “I can sell over 10 yuan a day, and use the money to buy salt and bean oil.” says Zhu, “people won’t bargain with me.”
When asked why doesn’t he buy snacks when he has the money, Zhu says: “ Grandpa won’t have anything to eat at home, I can’t eat.” He says so with tears in his eyes. Walking hours between mountains and enduring hunger at noon, this is school life for the 10-year-old boy Zhu Honglei.
After a few rounds, Zhu is sweating with messy footwork. He sits on the ground and takes off his sandals that is thin as sheet and ruptured in fore sole. “I can’t play well today, because the shoes are too broken.” Zhu says the shoes are brought by his father when he is 7, it is meant to be oversized so that they can still fit as he grows up. Zhu’s best shoes are a pair of white mesh shoes. He takes very good care of them, wearing them only on Monday to flag-raising ceremony, other than that, he cleans them and put them away in the closet.
Class begins. Zhu sits at the 4th row. Due to his little body, he sits as straight as he can and tries his best to read out loud along with the rest of class.
Though there are over 300 people in Cherry Elementary School, it is too poor to build a canteen. Teachers and schoolchildren don’t have lunch. Many schoolmates will buy some snacks as lunch with their allowances. At such time, Zhu is all alone in the classroom. He will takes his book out and read quietly as if the book can distract his hunger. Zhu says he eats twice a day, breakfast and supper, he is used to it. He does have allowances sometimes. When grandpa’s plum trees come to fruits, he will climb up the trees to pick plums and sell them on market. “I can sell over 10 yuan a day, and use the money to buy salt and bean oil.” says Zhu, “people won’t bargain with me.”
When asked why doesn’t he buy snacks when he has the money, Zhu says: “ Grandpa won’t have anything to eat at home, I can’t eat.” He says so with tears in his eyes. Walking hours between mountains and enduring hunger at noon, this is school life for the 10-year-old boy Zhu Honglei.
Finishing homework, Zhu will stand at the doorway staring at the sunset. Rice reserve is about out, corn harvest gets only couples of kilograms, pumpkins in the field haven’t been ripe, eggplants and carrots are still small. But Zhu says: “I will guarantee grandpa’s fullness even if I eat less.” He is already shorter than his peers due to malnutrition.
The image of mother is fading in Zhu’s memory, though he remembers clearly the best food he eats is the cake mother brought on his 5 years old birthday. “There is cream, really sweat, and flowers and jujubes.”
As for father who abandoned the family, Zhu doesn’t hold disappointment and grudge as grandpa does. He still hopes that father will show up at the front door one day.
Zhu fumbles around his closet, and takes out a letter he wrote on an exercise book. He reads: “Dad, I miss you and mum. Can you come back and take me to mum? Grandpa is sick and needs to go to hospital. I can’t sell enough fruit to pay for that. I hope you can earn money and come back early. I will study hard, don’t worry about me. I will take good care of grandpa.”
American Idol Winners From Season 1-9
Season 1 – Kelly Clarkson
Born in April 1982, Kelly Clarkson was the first ever to win the American Idol award in the year 2002. Nearly 50 million people had tuned in to watch this girl take the Idol crown for the first time. The other runner up in that season was Justin Guarinin.
A person who has been to the American Idol and had even won the title, the first important thing that they get is publicity. Not only the winners, even those who never make it to the top rank, win some publicity and have a huge number of fans following them. Besides this, some might even get an opportunity to work in some good show or company or maybe with a good music director. More below are the list of American Idol Winners from season 1-9.
A person who has been to the American Idol and had even won the title, the first important thing that they get is publicity. Not only the winners, even those who never make it to the top rank, win some publicity and have a huge number of fans following them. Besides this, some might even get an opportunity to work in some good show or company or maybe with a good music director. More below are the list of American Idol Winners from season 1-9.
Season 2 – Ruben Studdard
Born in September 1978, Ruben Studdard was nicknamed ‘Velvet Teddy Bear’ by the judges. He was the second one to win the American Idol in the year 2003. He defeated Clay Aiken by 134,000 votes. Ruben went ahead to make 4 studio albums after winning this award.
Season 3 – Fantasia Barrino
Season 3 – Fantasia Barrino
Hers was the third name to be added to the American Idol winner list after she defeated Diana DeGarmo in the finals. One of the other well known finalists was Jennifer Hudson. ‘Fantasia’, as she was popularly known, went on to be nominated for 8 Grammy awards and has even acted in some movies. She really deserves to be a winner, not only because of her voice but also because of all the hardships that she had faced before coming to the show.
Season 4 – Carrie Underwood
Season 4 – Carrie Underwood
If anyone’s name deserves to be put after Kelly, then it’s Carrie. From Oklahoma, Carrie won the award in the year 2005. The person who she defeated was Bo Bice. After winning the award, she went ahead to win 5 Grammy awards.
Season 5 – Taylor Hicks
Season 5 – Taylor Hicks
Not once in the entire show was Hicks’s in the bottom three zone. Sometimes he wrote (and he still does) write his own songs. In this season he had defeated Katharine McPhee to win this award. Later on he also went ahead to release his two albums.
Season 6 – Jordin Sparks
Season 6 – Jordin Sparks
Born in December 1989, Jordin became the 6th American Idol winner in the year 2007. She won with a new record of 74 million votes. After winning the award, she even has been on tours with Alicia Keys and Jesse McCartney. On the final day, she had defeated Blake Lewis.
Season 7 – David Cook
Season 7 – David Cook
The next name to be added to the American Idol winners list was that of David Cook. He had defeated an equally worthy contestant, David Archuleta. After the award, Cook had also been on The Declaration tour. He had come to the show and had won it, despite several problems in his personal life.
Season 8 – Kris Allen
Season 8 – Kris Allen
After defeating Adam Lambert, Kris became the 8th winner of the American Idol. Not just singing, Kris is also interested in paying the viola.
Season 9 – Lee DeWyze
Season 9 – Lee DeWyze
The recent winner of this show is Lee DeWyze, who won it in 2010. He defeated Crystal Bowersox. After winning the Idol he never had to look back. He had sung the national anthem for the Games 2 of the 2010 NBA Finals in June.
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