Christmas Card

Dear my friends,

Wish you a Merry Christmas.
I will never get a happy Christmas without you by my side.
You are the wonderful presants and angels on the Chrismas tree in my heart.
My Christmas is coulorful, just because of you.
That are the best Christmas gifts you give me.
Think you so much!
Wish our friendships forever!
                                                                                                   

Yours,

Nikki

UK Government-Secretaries

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs：
Hilary Benn MP (appointed on 28 June 2007).
Responses to:

• All departmental issues including budget, delivery and strategies
• EU Agriculture, Fisheries and Enironmental Council
• International negotiations on sustainable development and Defra’s interest in climate change
• National Economic Council (NEC) & National Development Council (NDC)

Secretary of State for Transport: Lord Adonis MP (appointed 5 June 2009).
Responsibilities:

• Delivery of Government's transport commitments
• Long-term transport strategy, including high speed rail and carbon
• Security
  

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs:
David Miliband MP (appointed on 28 June 2007).
Responsibilities:

• Overall management of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) including departmental strategies and policy planing
• responsible for relations with foreign countries, matters pertaining to the Commonwealth of Nations and the UK's overseas territories and the promotion of British interests abroad.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions:Yvette Cooper MP (appointed on 5 June 2009)
Responsibilities:

• Welfare and pension reform
• Helping people free from poverty

Secretary of State for Defence：Bob Ainsworth MP(appointed on 5 June 2009).

Responsibilities:

• Take over the whole business of Defence Department including departmental plan, budge and Defence Policy, Media and Communications
• His personal work on Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Nuclear issues ,Bilateral Defence Relations, NATO and EU issues

Home Secretary for the Home Office: Alan Johnson MP(appointed on 5 June 2009)
 Responsibilities:

•  The whole business of the Department and its policies
• Personal work: Security, Counter-terrorism, Civil emergencies, Expenditure issues
  

Secretary of State for Health: Andy Burnham, a Cabinet minister, is the leader of Health Department. He responds to the NHS and social care delivery and system reforms. Also  finance and resources, strategic communications of the Health Department.


Chancellor of the Exchequer : Alistair Darling MP (appointed on 28 June 2007)
He in charge of all economic and financial matters of UK Parliament.
He controls Her Majesty's Treasury (HM Treasury), which developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy.

 
Prime Minister's responsibilities:

• Selecting all other members of the government
• Chairing Cabinet meetings
• Decision of holding general election for the House of Commons
• Oversees the operation of the civil service and Government agencies
• Recommending a number of appointments to the Queen: members of the Church of England and senior judge

The Assembly of Wales

Outline

The first minister: Rhodri Morgan (Rt. Hon Rhodri Morgan AM), he was appointed by the Queen following the elections in May 2007. The first minister can appoint the Welsh Ministers, Deputy Welsh Ministers and the Welsh Assembly Government).


Members: there are 60 seats for Assembly members, and the elections be held on a four year cycle. They represent specific area of Wales.
 
About the Tour to Senedd--home of the National Assembly for Wales
 
When we got into the building for the first time, I felt a little bit surprised. It seems to be complicated and serious that we had to take off our coats before go through the security check-in gate, and scaned for security inspection. But when you have realized that you are entering a government building, it is not that complicated, for we Chinsese students don't have many opportunities to walk in a government place. The Wales Assembly is open to us.
 
The building Senedd must be one of the symbols that Welsh would be proud of. The tour guide told us that it is called a environmentally friendly building. It is designed in a sustainable way. First one is, the beautiful roof, despite of the wooden material, the roof can go for at least 100 years. Second one is, people use recycled rain water to fush the toilet which collected by pipes outside the building. Third one is, electronic lights are unnecessary at day time, because there is no wall but glass all around the building. Furth one is, geothermy is applied to keep the building warm in winter, so that minimises using air conditions. The guide told us that, in spite of the high costs to build such a beautiful and environmental buiding, it can save 50% expence on energy.
 
The Siambr was the second place we visted. I'm not sure about the word 'Siambr', but after our viste, I know that it is a place to hold conferences. The guide told us assembly members meet every week, and every one can be a sitter-in to some of the members' discussions. The subjects that might be discussed in the Siambr can be health, environment, education, transport, housing ect.
 
We were so luckey that we meet one of the Assembly members, Mr. Franks, a regional member account for South Wales. When we asked him about the drawbacks of Wales Assembly, he said he hope the Assembly to have more power, such as to make local laws for Wales and to solve Welsh education problems which are specific.

Halloween

Also called     All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve
Observed by  Numerous Western countries (see article)
Type              Secular, with roots in Christian and Celtic tradition
Begins           Sunset
Ends              Midnight
Date              October 31
Celebrations Costume parties, trick-or-treating in costumes, bonfires, divination
Related to     Samhain, All Saints’ Day

Jack-o'-lantern

History

Orign of Name

The word Halloween, originally spelled Hallowe’en, is shortened from All Hallows' Even – e'en is a shortening of even, which is a shortening of evening. It is now known as "Eve of" All Saints' Day.

Symbols
Jack-o'-lantern-carving of pumpkin, is the most famous symbol of Halloween.

Traditional characters include the Devil, the Grim Reaper, ghosts, ghouls, demons, witches, goblins, vampires, werewolves, zombies, skeletons, black cats, spiders, bats, and crows.

Foods
Caramel apples or taffy apples

Created by dipping or rolling apples-on-a-stick in hot caramel, sometimes then rolling them in nuts or other small savories or confections, and allowing them to cool.


 
 

        
Barmbrack (Ireland)
A yeasted bread with added sultanas and raisins.

                      

Bonfire toffee (Britain)
Treacle toffee, is a very hard, very brittle toffee that is associated with Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night in the United Kingdom.

Candy Corn (North America)
A confection popular in the United States and Canada, particularly in autumn around Halloween.





Trick-or-treating

Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?"










Costumes

Costumes are based on themes :such as ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils; characters from television shows, movies, and other pop culture icons.

Policies of The European Union

In this post, I would like to make a list of main points from one of the policies of the EU which is focused on Economics.

Economic and social affairs
The purpose that EU was found is base on the economic co-operation.
The main goal of the EU is to develop a effective powerful single market surround Europe.
The single market will make the members of EU more competitiveness and financial prosperity.

Here shows some of the main policies:

Energy liberalisation
A full market opening of all EU gas and electricity markets .
Aim:  more choice and lower price.

Modernisation of the EU’s competition rules
Simplifying the procedures involved
Aim: to develop industrial co-operation across the EU

Single European Sky
Big reductions in airport delays.

Financial services market
To reduce the main cost of business.
To speed up the creation of a single market.

EU budget factor made up by:
1.Common Agricultural Policy;
2.Structural and Cohesion Funds is big part of the budget;
   In order to reduce disparities in prosperity across the Union;
3.The EU’s large development budget;
4.Maintaining the internal market;
5.Administering the Union


Economic and monetary union (Single currency)
1.Basis of the single market : the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital;
2.The single European market:
   good for growth and jobs;
   the world’s largest international free trade area;
   reduced fiscal barriers;
3.It is not about de-regulation but do good to UK business and consumers

Regional support
Two main strands to 'Structural Operations:
  The Structural Funds towards regional development made up 90% of the total monies spent;
 The Cohesion Fund supports members whose capita GDP below 90% of the EU average.

Enlargement
EU started with six member states;
Six times enlarging→current 27 member states;

The Four Nations of UK

The United Kingdom

The UK is made up of the four separate countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and each have their own governments.

Capitals
England-London
Wales-Cardiff
Scotland-Edinburgh
Northern Ireland-Belfast

 Identifying Symbols

△Flags

  


  England
  St George's Cross


 

  Wales
  Dragon of adwallader


           

   Scotland
   St Andrew's Cross

  Northern Ireland
  St Patrick's Cross

△Plant 

     England-Rose     

           

Wales-Leek

Scotland-Thistle

Ireland-Shamrock



△Patron Saint
    England-St George
    Wales-St David
    Scotland-St Andrew
    Ireland-St Patrick



Population
△Population in 2007
    England                51.1 million
    Scotland                 5.1 million
    Wales                     3.0 million
     Ireland                    1.8 million

Clothes

The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century.







Characteristics
The Irish are supposed to be great talker.
The Scots have a reputation for being careful with money.
The Wales are renowned for their singing ability.


Food
△Wales





 Bara Brith (which translates as speckled bread), a wonderful sticky fruitcake smothered in butter or Welsh Cakes, a type of scone cooked on a stove-top griddle.There’s nothing quite like the treat of a Welsh afternoon tea with Bara Brith.

Laverbread, not to be mistaken for bread, but actually seaweed, often fried into crisp patties with eggs, bacon and fresh cockles for a traditional Welsh breakfast.



△Scotland

 

Arbroath Smokie-a wood-smoked haddock still produced in small family smoke-houses in the East coast fishing town of Arbroath.

Bannocks (or Oatcakes)

A barley and oat-flour biscuit baked on a gridle. In modern times bannocks are often eaten with cheese. There are several traditional recipes and many manufacturers in Scotland today.

△Ireland

Champ – a delicious comfort food dish of potatoes mashed with lots of butter, warm milk and chopped spring onions or, as we call them, scallions.

Irish Stew - a hearty casserole traditionally made with meat, potatoes, carrots and onions. The Ulster variety is made with steak pieces instead of lamb – cooked to a peppery slush and often served with thick slices of buttered bread.

KING ARTHUR IS LEGEND

Everything I leart about King Arthur was start with a legend story named King Arthur & Merlin The Magician.

There is also a video version of this story called ‘Merlin’ on BBC TV channel, and it always stay in the most popular dramas top ten list on BBC iplayer web site.

About King Arthur

It is said that King Arthur was lived around 500 (AD), a period of about 50 years. He was such a mythological personage that he commanded the Round Table(Knights) to united the whole British Isles. But no one exactly knows that if King Arthur is a real person or not. When he was born ? Where he came from? We are unable to find the answers.

As a result of the mystery of King Arthur, many legends worked out. The Death of King Arthur, The Sword in the Stone, Excalibur, Avalon, Knights of the Round Table.

About Merlin the Magician

In Arthurian stories, Merlin was Arthur's best friend. And it was Merlin that who guided Arthur to win the Sword in the Stone, so that Arthur was able to united the British Isles.

The British Isles

There were 5 parts of th British Isles. England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Republic of Ireland. And we learnt that the first four parts of the British Isles made up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is known as UK for short.