The hottest TV drama in China – “Nirvanain Fire” or “Langya Bang” has just ended. Millions of people waited every day after midnight for the latest (two) episodes. Are you one of them? What is the story about? Why the show is so popular?

  “Nirvana in Fire” is based on an Internet novel by author HaiYan, who was invited to pen the screenplay for the television adaptation. The 55-episode series, set in a fictionalized kingdom, weaves together two storylines — one about a betrayed general's revenge and the other about princes fighting for the throne.

    The series was put on screen on Sep. 19th, and the number of Internet views exceeded 140 million times the next day. Only during the week of National holiday, the number increased by 1.6 billion.

    It's now the hottest Chinese TV show with a very high score of 9.3 on Douban. (The classical TV drama, Journey to the West, produced in 1986 is with the same score). Previous and recent costume dramas such as “The Journey of Flower” and “Yun Zhong Ge” only scored 6.4 and 3.5.

    Drawing comparisons to “The Count of Monte Cristo”, the story revolves around a gifted young man named Lin Shu, whose father serves as a general. Already a high-ranking military officer by his teenager years, Lin Shuenjoyed a close friendship with Prince Xiao Jingyan and was even engaged to Princess Nihuang.

   At age 17, however, Lin Shu's life turned upside down when his father's army was framed and destroyed by a foxy political rival. LinShu escaped death, but due to the poisoning, his body became weak and frail, and he lost his martial arts abilities. From then on, his face was pale and his fingers always ice-cold.

    After twelve years, Lin Shu returned to his country's capitalwith a new name, Mei Changsu, and a new identity, the leader of the Jiang ZuoAlliance. He then became the strategic adviser for his friend, Prince Jingyan, who had been exiled(流放) by the king. Despite the efforts of Prince Xiao Jingheng and the crown prince to win the throne for themselves, Mei Changsu succeeds in paving the road for his friend to take over as king, as well as the avenging the injustices dealt to histroops many years before.

    I was never very neat，while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place，but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled(贴标签) everything. I always looked for everything. Over time，Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over，and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.

    War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon，I heard her screaming，“Take your shoes away！Why under my bed！” Deafened，I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

    The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation，I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up，she quickly crawled(爬) under her covers，sobbing. Obviously，that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden，a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.

    Slowly，I collected the pencils，took back the books，made my bed，cleaned the socks and swept the floor，even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didn't notice Kate had sat up. She was watching，her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then，she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me，“Thanks.”

    Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didn't always agree，but we learned the key to living together：giving in，cleaning up and holding on.

    For 26 years, the Chicago International Children's Film Festival (CICFF) has featured (放映，上演) thoughtful, memorable, meaningful and culturally diverse children's movies. This film festival in 2009 ran from October 22 to November 1 and featured more than 200 films. It is the largest annual film festival in North America and the only Academy­qualifying children's film festival in the world. Winners in the short film category go on to compete in the Oscars！The films came from more than 40 countries. More than 25,000 people attended.

    TFK Kid Reporter Meghan Pfau was there. “We don't just show kids movies. We ask kids to think about what they are watching,” CICFF Director Nicole Drieske told TFK. “Five minutes before the lights go down we have a talk with everybody. We talk about what's going on in our minds when we are watching a movie,” she explains. “Movies teach us so much. If we're not paying attention to what we are watching, we aren't learning as much as we could.” Viewers vote to give their opinions at the end of each movie. The CICFF staff wants kids to feel like they are an important part of the festival.

    Kids can also attend interactive (互动的) workshops led by filmmakers, media professionals and celebrities. And young talent takes part in the CICFF. Eleven­year­old Shiropa Purna wrote and directed Our Boat is Our Address ， which is featured in the festival. “My dad is a director and he taught me many things，”Shiropa says.

    A “children's jury” meets in August to watch more than 100 movies that will appear in the festival. They rate the films based on plot, character, setting, acting and sound. The jury awards more than a dozen prizes. The awards are announced at the festival's Closing Night Award Ceremony.

    Charity Cycling UK recently launched a campaign to raise awareness of dooring after discovering that many people don't know what it is. Dooring is when a driver or passenger opens the door into another road user—typically cyclist—without looking for other road users.

    Cycling UK chief executive Paul Tuohy told Gloucestershire Live: “Some people seem to see car dooring as a bit of a joke, but it's not and can have serious consequences. Cycling UK wants to see great awareness made about the dangers of opening your car door carelessly, and people to be encouraged to look before they open.”

    The charity says 2,009 of the 3,000 injuries were sustained by cyclists, resulting in five fatalities but says this might not be the full extent of the danger.

    Cycling UK says not all car dooring incidents will be attended by police, so the charity has written to transport minister Jesse Norman calling for a public awareness campaign urging all car occupants, not just drivers, to look before opening vehicle doors. One of the ways the charity suggests is the “Dutch reach”, where people leaving a vehicle reach over and use the non-door side hand to open the door.

    Cycling UK also suggests harsher laws and advice on safer road positioning for people who cycle.

    Mr. Tuohy said: “In the Netherlands they are known for practicing a method, known sometimes as the 'Dutch reach', which we think could be successfully encouraged in the UK.”

    “Cycling UK has written to the Department for Transport asking them to look into this, and highlight the dangers of 'car dooring' through a public awareness THINK style campaign.”

    If you're really concerned about opening a door into the path of a cyclist coming behind you, consider using what's known as the “Dutch reach” to open the door. That will naturally turn you in your seat and give you a much better view of what's coming up alongside in the car.

    Twenty-one years ago, my husband gave me Sam, an eight-week-old schnauzer（雪纳瑞犬）, to help ease the loss of our daughter. Sam and I developed a very special bond over the next years.

    At one point, my husband and I decided to move to a new home in New Jersey. Our neighbor, whose cat had recently had kittens, asked if we would like one. We were a little apprehensive about Sam's jealousy and how he would handle his turf（地盘）being invaded, but we decided to risk it.

    We picked a little, gray, playful ball of Fur. She raced around chasing imaginary mice and squirrels and jumped from table to chair in the blink of an eye, so we named her Lightning.

    At first, Sam and Lightning were very cautious with each other and kept their distance. But slowly, Lightning started following Sam — up the stairs, down the stairs, into the kitchen. Later, when they slept, it was always together; when they ate, it was always next to each other. When I took either one out, the other was always waiting by the door when we returned. That was the way it was for years.

    Then, without any warning, Sam was diagnosed as having a weak heart. I had no other choice but to have him put down. The pain was nothing compared with what I experienced when I had to walk into our house alone. This time, there was no Sam for Lightning to greet and no way to explain why she would never see her friend again.

In the following days, Lightning seemed heart-broken. I could see the disappointment in her eyes whenever anyone opened the front door, or the hope whenever she heard a dog bark.

    One day as I walked into our living room, I happened to see Lightning was lying next to the sculptured replica（复制品）of Sam that we had bought a few years ago, one arm wrapped around the statue's neck, contentedly sleeping with her best friend.

    Living abroad to study can certainly be an interesting experience but is that alone a good enough reason for spending years far away from home? To make the experience truly worthwhile, there has to be a goal behind the decision to study abroad. This may be a wish to perfect language skills in a foreign language environment, or a clever move in your career development. You must also consider the costs, not just of living and studying abroad, but of applying. Most universities now charge application fees for international students.

    If after considering these points you are sure that you want to apply to study abroad, your next step is to choose the right programme of studies. Research your choices and select carefully. You must do your homework well. Most universities have information online but you can also email and ask them to send you more details. You can find a lot of information on school ranking from education websites. But read carefully. Different universities emphasize different strengths. Don't just think about the university's reputation; look for the most suitable for your goals.

    Next, you must deal with a large pile of paperwork. This involves filling in application forms, preparing your school records, and getting reference letters. Reading the instructions and requirements of the universities carefully is of great importance. Sadly, many fine applicants get kicked out in the first round, simply because they don't follow the application procedure properly.

    Money is another important consideration. Some scholarships are provided by governments, others by schools and colleges. This information, again, can be found on the Internet. If you find a scholarship that is suitable for you, follow the application procedure carefully; the earlier you apply, the better your chance of getting it.