Chinese consumers' crazy appetite for luxury goods and services appears unstoppable,with just 2 percent of the Chinese population responsible for one-third of the world's luxury items.

    As China's economic miracle develops,the market opportunities for all sorts of luxury goods and services are increasing.Luxury consumption in China now extends ways beyond well-known car,clothing and jewelry brands.For example,the luxury jet market in China is the fastest-growing in the world,even outstripping that of the United States, with a market share of 25 percent.This trend appears to continue,with 20 to 30 percent growth expected in China, compared with only 2 to 3 percent in the US.But more importantly,China's luxury jet market growth represents a major development in the private consumption of luxury items.

    China's high-quality red wine market also provides evidence of the growth in private consumption of luxury goods.In 2013,China became the largest market for red wine in the world,even overtaking France,with l.86 billion bottles consumed in China last year.Over the past five years,China's red wine consumption has grown 136 percent.

    According to my ongoing consumer research in this area while working at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing,public consumption of such expensive global luxury brands such as Prada and Armani is easily explained by the desire to "gain face" and publicly display social climbing through material possessions.On the other hand,it is "self-reward" that lies behind consumer motivation in this area.Chinese consumers who have experienced rapid financial and economic gains appear particularly prone to the need to reward themselves for their success.But this has little to do with "gaining face" and impressing others and much more to do with the need for personal contentment.

    Finally,the growth in private luxury consumption in China is set to continue in part due to the maturity of the Chinese consumer and advancement of Chinese consumer culture generally.

    In 1978, I was 18 and was working as a nurse in a small town about 270 km away from Sydney, Australia. I was looking forward to having five days off from duty. Unfortunately, the only one train a day back to my home in Sydney had already left. So I thought I'd hitch a ride(搭便车).

I waited by the side of the highway for three hours but no one stopped for me. Finally, a man walked over and introduced himself as Gordon. He said that although he couldn't give me a lift, I should come back to his house for lunch. He noticed me standing for hours in the November heat and thought I must be hungry. I was doubtful as a young girl but he assured(使…放心) me I was safe, and he also offered to help me find a lift home afterwards. When we arrived at his house, he made us sandwiches. After lunch, he helped me find a lift home.

    Twenty-five years later, in 2003, while I was driving to a nearby town one day, I saw an elderly man standing in the glaring heat, trying to hitch a ride. I thought it was another chance to repay someone for the favor I'd been given decades earlier. I pulled over and picked him up. I made him comfortable on the back seat and offered him some water.

    After a few moments of small talk, the man said to me, “You haven't changed a bit, even your red hair is still the same.”

    I couldn't remember where I'd met him. He then told me he was the man who had given me lunch and helped me find a lift all those years ago. It was Gordon.

    Today, I felt upset, I decided to take a walk even though I didn't know where I would go. The most extraordinary thing happened when I was out on this walk. I saw an old man sitting on a chair. He was a seller of second-hand shoes. He seemed so tired and nobody was buying his shoes.

    I wanted to give him something but I had not brought anything with me. Then, a little girl came toward him. I heard the child say, ''Grandfather, may I polish your shoes?" That old man took pity on her, smiled and he gave her a shoe to polish. The girl said, I polish the shoe because I need money to buy my brother a new school uniform. The old man answered, "Oh, little girl. Just stop doing this. Come with me and I will buy you a uniform.”

    Then they walked to a market (I followed behind) and he bought her a uniform. The girl was so happy. She said, Thank you so much for doing this." Then she left, leaving the old man smiling. He walked away from the market, but I stopped him.

    I whispered in his ear, "You are a hero! Thank you for your kindness!” As I walked away, I glanced back and I could see him still smiling. I was blown away by the kindness I had just seen. Someone who had so little himself was able to show such incredible generosity! Amazing!

    My own sadness had completely disappeared, chased away by the light of this kind act. I began realizing that I have a lot to be thankful for.

    Two Chinese-themed films -- "Go Back to China" and "Baby" -- will be screened at the 20th annual Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) this week.

    The film "Go Back to China," written and directed by Chinese American filmmaker Emily Ting, tells the story of fashionista, Sasha Li, a spoiled rich girl living in the United States, who burns through her trust fund (信托基金) and is forced to return to China to work for the family toy business. The second Chinese film, "Baby" was directed by Liu Jie and produced by Shan Gao, and will be on its first show at China Onscreen Biennial. In the film, a Chinese girl, Jiang Meng, who is a lowly cleaner working in a children's hospital, swears to save a baby born with the same congenital defects(先天性缺陷) she was born with, whose father has abandoned it as too expensive to treat.

    Running from April 25 to May 2, the Newport Beach Film Festival boasts over 60 narrative films and over 200 shorts in its line-up this year. These films and shorts are carefully selected by many countries which includes China, Chile, Ireland, South Korea, Europe, Japan, South America and Australia. Film fans are invited to attend the Pacific Rim Showcase Party this Wednesday, honoring the best in Chinese, Asian and Australian filmmaking.

    NBFF Executive Director, Gregg Schwenk, said of the festival," This year, the theme is the Power of Ideas. We've always focused on diverse, strong filmmaking, and we're most proud of how we've been embraced, not just by our audience, but by the filmmaking community."

    Norah had a cottage on a cliff above a big bay. In winter it could be very nasty because of strong winds and sea spray. In fact, when a gale was blowing, Norah and her husband got used to sleeping in a small room downstairs, because their bedroom upstairs, which faced the gales, had a very big window, and they were afraid that an extra violent gust might break it and blow pieces of broken glass over them.

    Also, the salt spray from the sea put an end to many of the colourful plants Norah planted in her garden. She tried putting up a fence to protect them, but the wind just hit it, went up over the top and then down the other side, so in the end she filled the garden with trees and bushes that liked salt.

    But most of the summer Norah enjoyed her cottage and garden very much. At weekends she could sit our of doors in the sun, looking at the beautiful view, with interesting ships and boats passing by, and she could very easily cycle down to the sea for a swim.

    Now, Norah and her husband had plenty of friends and relations. In the summer lots of them used to come to enjoy the beautiful place, and in the end it really became quite annoying for Norah and her husband. When they were at home, they found friends and relations arriving, expecting to be given unlimited drinks and meals, and to sit in the sun for hours, talking as if Norah and her husband had nothing else to do but entertain and listen to them.

    This went on for several years. Norah did not wish to appear rude by refusing to let her friends and relations in, but on the other hand, she was getting tired every summer.

    Then one day Norah was complaining about this to her hairdresser while she was doing her hair. "You're disturbed by too many uninvited guests, are you?" said the hairdresser. "Why don't you try my way of escaping?"

    "What's that?" asked Norah.

    "Well," the hairdresser answered, "when the bell rings, I put on my coat and take my shopping bag. If it's someone I don't want to see, I say innocently, 'I'm sorry, but I've got to go out.' But..."

I didn't go to Santiago,Chile to look for friendship.In fact,Chile was not even on my wish list.

A mid-life crisis woman,I got a chance to study abroad.I only wanted to learn about global business,taste South American  cuisine,and  check"study  abroad"off my  wish  list.

On the fifth day,I joined a group for a neighborhood work project aided by the anti-poverty(扶贫)organization. Our tasks were to build a water tower and paint the community center.Upon arrival,I couldn't believe my eyes.It was like a scene out of a horrible film.That moment redefined poverty for me because I had never seen such terrible living conditions.As advised,I showed no signs of the emotional battle going on inside me.

Just as I was about to start work on painting,a request came through for a few volunteers to help Nadia,a local resident who volunteered to cook for us.I raised my hand to help because I wanted to spend time with the people of the neighborhood despite my shortage of Spanish speaking skills.  Nadia had a sincere smile but not overly friendly.Even without speaking each other's language,we started to learn about one another.We chatted about our children,our upbringing,shared pictures of our family,struggled to instruct each other to communicate in the other's language,and laughed many times.

After we fed everybody and the dishes were washed,my day was over.But I found myself hesitant to leave.It was as if I had known her my entire life.I had not predicted the unselfishness of heart I would encounter,and it was moving.

As we were waiting for the car to pick us up,Nadia showed me her plants that are well-maintained.I could see that despite the hard conditions she was passionate about life.She made me long to be a stronger person.She showed me that poverty was external,but happiness was internal.I was seeking to give 100 percent for a well-intentioned cause,but I left receiving 200 percent from her.