Exciting plot introduction

After destroying one Horcrux and discovering the significance of the three Deathly Hallows, Harry, Ron and Hermione continue to seek the other Horcruxes in an attempt to destroy Lord Voldemort. However, now that Voldemort has obtained the Elder Wand, he aims to complete his final stage to ultimate power and launches an attack on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the trio return for one last stand against the dark forces that threaten to take over the Wizarding and Muggle worlds.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 will be the second instalment of a two-part film based on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, and the final film in the Harry Potter series.

“Years ago, we briefly — and seriously — considered doing Goblet of Fire as two films. So this concept is not altogether new. As for Deathly Hallows, I intuited — almost from the first moments I began reading it and certainly once I’d finished — that to realize the story in a single film was going to be a tall order. Others in ‘the group’ felt similarly. So the idea of two films began to get kicked around as early as late summer of 2007. We didn’t take it lightly. But ultimately everyone felt that despite the challenges it would present, it was the most sound creative decision.
I’m sure some will think we’re crazy. My wife looked at me cross-eyed when I first mentioned it. But I’m really excited about it because it should allow us to stretch a bit with the characters and give them the proper send-off. The story is highly emotional and those moments deserve time to breathe. And, personally, I feel we owe it to Jo — in order to preserve the integrity of the work — and the fans — for their loyalty all these years — to give them the best and most complete experience possible.”
David Yates, who directed the preceding two films, is directing both parts, with Steve Kloves returning to script. The first part was released internationally on November 18 2010 and the following day in the United Kingdom and the United States, with the second scheduled for release on 15 July 2011. Production of the two films occurred concurrently, and treated as if it were one film.The idea to split the films had been around since the middle of 2007,but only really came into serious consideration after producer David Heyman was able to talk to writer Steve Kloves when the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike ended and Heyman had Rowling’s approval.

On 12 March, 2008, Warner Bros. additionally confirmed that the film would be split into two, to do justice to the book.David Yates, director of Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince will return to direct and Steve Kloves is going to write the screenplay. According to Warner Bros. executive Alan F. Horn it will allow “an extra hour and a half to celebrate what this franchise has been and do justice to all the words and ideas in the amazing story.” Heyman described the workings behind the split: “Deathly Hallows is so rich, the story so dense and there is so much that is resolved that, after discussing it with Rowling, we came to the conclusion that two parts were needed.” Due to the WGA strike, Kloves was not able to start work on the script until it ended.

Before David Yates was officially chosen to direct the film, others had expressed an interest in the job. Alfonso Cuaron, director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, had said that he would be “tempted” to return to direct.Guillermo del Toro, who passed on Prisoner of Azkaban, had expressed interest in directing Deathly Hallows,but an increased workload ruled him out of the project.

Heyman noted that the films will be a closer recreation of the books than the previous films because of the length a two-part adaptation entails.Daniel Radcliffe said: “This is a road film, particularly in Part One of the film. People have been so used to seeing Harry Potter at Hogwarts and we’re just not there for the first part of the film. That seems to have really freshened things up, and hopefully will get people seeing the films with fresh eyes again, because it’s just a totally different look when you’re not just sat in the same room the whole time.”

Although Yates had retained composer Nicholas Hooper for Half-Blood Prince, John Williams (who composed the scores to the first three films) had expressed interest in returning to score the film – however he did not state which part he would be contributing to. In January 2010 Alexandre Desplat, a French composer, was confirmed to produce the score for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I.In November 2010 it was confirmed that Alexandre Desplat (despite many fans wanting Williams) would compose the second part. Yates and Heyman have noted that some of the events of this film had an effect on the way the sixth film was written.

The first part of Deathly Hallows will end as Voldemort retrieves the Elder Wand from Albus Dumbledore’s tomb. This would mean that the beginning of this film would be the trio planning the Gringott’s Break-in.

In the wake of the success of the 3-D film Avatar in late 2009, Warner Bros. announced that the Deathly Hallows films will be converted to 3-D for showing in 3-D.However, the first film was not released in 3-D due to time constraints.

Transformers,have you ever heard? Now, the third season of  Transformers is releasing. It is ‘Dark of the Moon’.Next i will introduce it for you.

In 1961, the Ark, a Cybertronian spacecraft, crash lands on the far side of the moon. The crash is detected on Earth by NASA, and President John F. Kennedy authorizes a mission to put a man on the moon as a cover for investigating the craft. In 1969, the crew of Apollo 11 lands on the Moon to explore the craft.

The term “rose valley?conjures up a secluded ravine festooned with countless blooms exuding a lingering floral perfume. Bearing this picturesque image in mind, we headed for Rose Valley at the foot of Miaofeng Mountain in Mengtougou district. As we wound our way into the valley, terraced fields of roses appeared on the towering slopes on both sides.

“The road will be packed with cars in a few days when the roses are in full bloom,” said our taxi driver. Although the unseasonal drought and cold had pushed the flowering period later than usual, it is still a soothing ride up the mountainous road, with birdsong in the background, and interesting trees and outcrops dotting the way.

After an hour’s drive from Pingguoyuan metro station, we finally arrived at Jiangou county, the only village at the foot of the Miaofeng Mountain and nestled inside the valley of roses. It may be a favorite destination for flower lovers, but to the residents, the roses here are part of their daily lives. The scent of roses permeates every little detail of life here.

When we asked for water, we were promptly served a cup of rose tea – which the locals consider as common as drinking water.

Villager Wu Fenglin has managed a farmhouse hostel, Dasiheyuan or The Big Courtyard, since 2003. When the roses bloom in June, that’s when his business peaks. He says reservations must be made at least two days in advance to get a room, and the same applies for the dozens of little hostels in the village.

Visitors stop for the roses, but they also come to savor the special cuisine -featuring a floral banquet – that uses rose petals.

There is rose pancake and stir-fried egg with roses. The signature dish is rose-petal fritters, where the rose petals are dipped into an egg and flour batter and then deep-fried till golden brown.

“We make this with fresh-picked rose petals taken from a flowers that have just blossomed,” Wu said. When he was a little boy, Wu’s mother also made rose jam by cooking the rose petals with sugar, “only for special festivals”. These days, rose jam is on sale at every stall lining the valley.

I bought a few bottles at the top of the rose forest reserve at a shop run by 69-year-old florist Wang Shurui.

He assured me the jam is pure and natural and a “green” food without any additives.

“It is made according to our local tradition by brewing fresh rose petals and sugar in a ratio of 1:3. The longer it is kept, the more fragrant it becomes.”

Wang also said we should come again when the purple roses are in bloom.

“The roses will be all over the mountains. It is really intoxicating.”

He said the roses are big and fragrant, with intense color, thick velvety petals and high oil content.

“If you take a few in your hand, the fragrance will stay for as long as three days.”

Miaofeng Mountain is known for its reputation as the “land of roses” in China, and the flowers here are recognized as “a wonder in North China.”

The yearly yield amounts to tens of thousands of kilograms, and local farmers have to bring in migrant workers to harvest the roses in June.

The Sacred Golden Summit on Miaofeng Mountain is just next to the rose park, and it has a different appeal. It is popular among pilgrims who come in the thousands from all over China to worship some really ancient deities in its shrines. A century ago, the Empress Dowager Cixi was among them.

The faithful come to pray for good luck, prosperity and to the maternal goddesses who reside on the summit.

Travelers can now either follow a century-old pilgrim’s trail to reach the summit or take the easy way up on a shuttle bus.

There had been no more monks at the temple since it was rebuilt in the 1980s, but the annual temple fair is among the largest in the northern part of the country, a tradition preserved since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is held on the first to 15th day of the fourth lunar month.

During the temple fairs, tea stalls sprout like spring grass along the pathways up the mountain, and at nightfall, their lamps shine like a string of fairy lights.

The main shrine at the summit houses Bixiayuanjun, also known as niangniang, or Royal Lady. She was the daughter of the god of Tai Shan and her many miracles on the sacred mountain have cemented her reputation.

Apart from the ancient rituals at the temple, some young people also go to Miaofeng Mountain for a very modern pursuit. We met 25-year-old Yang Tao, who had ridden his motorcycle from downtown Beijing with three friends. They were about to race up to the top.

“There are few people or trucks on the paved road. It is a great place for speed amid all the natural beauty.”

An old adage says “a woman’s work is never done.” The phrase is just as true, if not more so, today as it was over 300 years ago when the phrase first came about. In addition to traditional roles as wives, mothers, and daughters, today’s women are also under pressure to achieve professional success.

As women take on all these roles, it’s not surprising that a retreat that allows women to escape their busy lives and focus on personal development would be in demand. While women’s bookstores have long been established, they’re a rarity in China.

The Lady Book Saloon in Beijing is working to fill that void. While shying away from the word “feminist,” planning director Sun Tingting says the bookstore, now expanded to three branches, fills a special need that women have. “Reading is an effective method for spiritual growth,” she explains. “Through reading and communicating, women obtain an inner strength to be better employees, better wives, better daughters, and better mothers.”

The first branch, on Chengfu Road near Tsinghua University, opened in 2007, and the concept has been wildly successful. The bookstore’s membership numbers over 1,600 and about a million women have signed up to receive the store’s newsletter.

Members pay an annual fee, but in return get access to free books and a DVD library, food and beverage discounts and event discounts. They can even join in planning some of the store’s events and classes.

On a normal day, women can curl up with a book in the store’s reading area, relax in the house café, or surf the internet using the store’s Wi-Fi network. There is even a play area for women who bring along their tots. Events and educational classes are popular, focusing on subjects from art to food and even relationships. One recently-held class taught women how to use essential oils in home beauty treatments.

The Chongwen branch is tucked into a corner on the second floor of the New World Lady’s Mall. A free shuttle car runs between the subway exit and the entrance to the mall. With a soft lavender-themed interior and feminine decorations such as tea sets and scented candles for sale, there’s no mistake about the target audience. The books here are divided into sections, “Books written by women,” “Books written for women” and “Books women should read.” They include both domestic and international titles. The Lady Book Saloon is most popular with women aged between 20 and 45. Sun explains that women in this age group are experiencing changes in family and professional relationships, but still need to focus on inner growth.

Bookstores are facing increasing pressure from online book outlets, but Sun is confident that the Lady Book Saloon’s niche market and unique service will continue to allow the company to grow. “We don’t have a price advantage, so we take a more personal approach with warmer service and a more intimate experience,” she says. “Technology makes life more convenient, but the need for personal communication can not be replaced.”

Keeping with the idea of a personal experience, the Lady Book Saloon holds monthly meetings to get feedback and suggestions from customers to better expand services in the future. Sun envisions future bookstores as being cultural landmarks. “We will develop into a women’s club, where like-minded women can make friends and improve themselves through reading and communication,” she says of her plans for the bookstore chain.

The formula seems to be working. A new branch is set to open this fall in Beijing’s Xinjiekou neighborhood.

Due to the improving living standards and changes of traditional ideas, travelling during the Spring Festival holiday has become a way to celebrate for more and more people, whether it is snow viewing, seaside excursion or taking children to the playground.

No.1 choice: ski!

Where to go: Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest)

Activity: the 2nd Bird Nest Snow Season

In winter, the Bird’s Nest becomes a white world. The 2nd Bird Nest Snow Season has already started. During the Chinese New Year holiday, visitors can see a different Bird’s Nest. The various snow sports will offer you a dynamic Spring Festival holiday.

There are 16 entertainments in the main venue and outfield to meet the requirements of visitors of different ages and tastes. Compared to last year, this year’s event has the new skating zone and Snow Dodgem. Covering a big area of 1150 square meters, the Snow Cartoon Castle takes visitors to enter to a fabulous world.

Opening period: till the middle of February

Opening hours: 09:00 – 18:00 (ticket selling stops at 17:00)

No.2 choice: experiencing strong Chinese New Year flavor

Where to go: Wuzhen, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province

Activity: long street banquet

During the Spring Festival, the streets in Wuzhen are illuminated for the celebration. People put up posters on their doors and walls. Many customs of the lunar New Year holidays are inherited in the town. The most distinctive one is the “long street banquet”. In the past, wealthy families would hold banquets for guests in the Spring Festival. The neighbors set out tables and chairs along the street. The connected tables formed the lively and colorful “long street banquet”.

Today, the “long street banquet” is still held in Wuzhen town with more splendid dishes. The most indispensable one is the well-known braised sheep. It is a usual practice to put up a pot and boil sheep meat. The scent penetrates the whole street. Visitors are strongly advised to taste this gourmet.

Other activities in the town: worshipping the kitchen god (Dec.23 on the lunar new year); pasting spring couplets, setting off fireworks and holding the reunion dinner (on the eve of the lunar new year); burning the first incense, watching traditional Chinese opera, enjoying festive lanterns, attending the temple fair and the lantern festival in January.

No.3 choice: trip of minority flavor

Where to go: Tibet

The Tibet in winter is actually not cold with temperatures of 18 C in the daytime. The climate in Shannan is much like the autumn in Jiangnan (south of Yangtze River).

The Nyingchi in southeastern Tibet is always praised as Jiangnan in the plateau. When there, do not miss the gorgeous valley of Yarlungzangbo River, the villages hidden in the valley and alpine pastures.

In winter, Lhasa is less crowded. Visitors can tour the Potala Palace and the Jokhang Temple at a leisurely pace. December to March is the best season to see the awe-inspiring sight of Mount Qomolangma. A must-see attraction is the flag cloud floating above the peak, where visitors can see it in the mountain camp.

No.4 choice: family tour

Where to go: Disneyland, Hong Kong

Hong Kong Disneyland is an ideal choice for a family tour especially with children. At the age of five, the Disneyland will formally start the grand ceremony “Leaping Wonders” (Feiyue Qimiao). The Disney Flying Cruise which has never been seen before, will appear.

Tips: the brand new “square fashion shop” in American Town will be opened on Jan.21.

No.5 choice: express rail travel

Where to go: Wuguang (Wuhan – Guangzhou) Express Rail

The Wuguang (Wuhan – Guangzhou) Express Rail connects Wuhan, Changsha and Guangzhou. It shortens the distance between the two ends into three hours and sixteen minutes. The best scenery along the journey is Hengshan Mountain (Hengyang, Hunan Province) where visitors can enjoy the snow sight, appreciate the Zhurong Peak and search for the mysterious Fangguang Temple.

Delicacies along the way: Baoqing pork blood balls, Maojia braised pork, Hunan preserved fish, Wuhan hot dry noodles, Wuchang fish, Wuhan Doupi (a kind of snack made from sticky rice, beef, mushrooms and beans) and Jingwu duck neck.

The Cultural Temple Fair of the West Market in the Tang Dynasty is usually held from the second day to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month during Spring Festival in Xi’an of Shaanxi Province every year, attracting a crowd of tourists from everywhere. During the temple fair, visitors can admire the exotic performances from other countries and some traditional folk activities, including Xi’an City Walls performances, Big and Small Wild Goose Pagodas performances, the lion and dragon dance performance, and some exclusive performances by local skilled performers.

The Cultural Temple Fair of the West Market in the Tang Dynasty is a comprehensive temple fair with Xishi culture, the prosperous Tang culture, China’sSilk Road culture, and the exotic culture. From the first day to the seventh day of the first lunar month, there are characteristic snacks at home and abroad, folk exclusive performances, the exhibition and sale of merchandise, and the like, especially the exhibition of exotic cultur.  It has the Tang culture as its historical characteristic, the Silk Road as its cultural characteristic and the fashion as its era characteristic. From the eighth day to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, there are the lantern shows and the fireworks displays.

However, there are some important considerations when using hot spring spas during days with freezing temperatures or below. Obviously, freezing hazards have to be addressed. In addition, heating up water that has been sitting out in cold air is much more expensive and time consuming; different techniques to provide thermal insulation to a hot tub will make winter hot spring spa usage more feasible.

Hot Water For Cold Days

Keeping hot tub water at the right temperature can be a challenge all by itself during the winter season. The heater will run more often and at higher power during the winter, consuming energy and requiring a longer start-up time. The best way to mitigate this issue is to preserve any heat that is made and keep it in the tub itself.

The best way to provide thermal insulation for a tub is with a thick, insulating cover. A floating thermal blanket can also be laid directly on the water surface for an additional layer. Snow accumulation should be removed from any cover. Snow is deceptively heavy when it begins to form deep piles. A plastic tarp can be used as a good snow cover and then pulled off to remove accumulated snow.

Freezing Water Hazard Protection

The biggest hazard from freezing water is within the pipes and pumps. The actual tub will usually not suffer damage from the formation of ice, but if a pipe freezes up, the water will expand and destroy the internal piping and machinery. Some hot tubs come equipped with a special mode to prevent freezing in the winter. Using this setting will ensure that the heating elements will fire whenever the water temperature begins to drop.

However, for a system without an automatic mode with feedback sensors, a timer should be manually set. A good rule of thumb is to have the hot spring spa run for 15 minutes every hour that freezing temperatures are present. In the northern latitudes, however, 15 minutes may not be enough. For temperatures colder than negative 10 degrees, it is advisable to run the hot tub much more often or even consider draining the system completely rather than risk damage to the piping.

Following these two guidelines for keeping hot tub water warm to prevent damage and to save on energy costs is the best way to enjoy this luxury through an extra season each year.

First, decide where you want your sandbox located. Keep these factors in mind. You want to be able to see your child while they are playing in it. If it is too close to the house, you might not be able to see them playing in it. Keep it away from driveways, sidewalks, streets, wells, and gardens. Each of these areas can present their own problems. As for gardens, they attract insects.

You also don’t want the sandbox in direct sunlight. Sand can get very hot and cause burns. You want shade on the box but, you don’t want debris from trees falling into it either. So this sets up a good challenge for you. Once you find your location, you are ready to start.

I would caution on the use of truck or tractor tires. Insects like to fly or climb into the inside of a tire. They build nests inside. This could cause problems like bites and stings. If you decide to do this, always check it out before letting a child play in it. Snakes also like the coolness on the inside of a tire.

Construction: When you have picked out your area, stake it off and use a string to mark off the area where your sandbox will be located. Using a spade or sharp shovel, dig out the area. You don’t need to go very deep. However, you want a smooth surface with no grass, weeds, or vegetation growing inside this area. I would think three to four inches of sod removal is enough.

Now use some heavy duty plastic to line over where you dug out. You can usually find a roll at your local hardware store. You can also find them at Lowe’s or Home Depot. Simply lay it down in the area and cut it off at the ends. If you have to overlap, make sire you go at least 8 inches on the overlap. The plastic does several things. It keeps out weeds from growing. It provides a smooth flooring for your child’s feet and hands. To some degree it holds some moisture. However, once the sand is turned over, the moisture usually evaporates.

The cottage playhouse will let your child have hours of fun outside in their house. My child has her friends over all the time to play in her house. They have a great time playing pretend and imagining all kinds of grown-up things.

I love all of the memories that come to mind as I watch my daughter playing in her house with her friends. My playhouse did not look anything like the modern house she has but I still had great times. This house has columns in the front and it looks like it is made of brick. It even has a play fireplace inside. Even the boys like to play here.

If you could hear my little girl talk about her house, you would think it was real. The children will be inside discussing what they are going to make for lunch, and who should pour the drinks and who is going to make the salad. They are not pouring real drinks or making real food, but do not let them know that.

You find out just how much your children learn when you hear them play. When my daughter and her friends are discussing what food they will make, you can hear that they talk about the same foods we eat at our meals. Now I know that having good healthy meals is something she remembers.

There is also a play phone inside the cottage playhouse, you can hear the boys and girls each taking their turn calling their friends and making other important calls. There will be times when someone even calls their job. I love seeing their imaginations grow as they play with all of the different things in the house.

The fireplace really comes in handy on chilly days, even though it doesn’t really work, the kids will talk about who will get to start it. The children decide who is going to go outside and get the wood and who is going to build the fire. The fireplace is a trap door too, sometimes when one of the Moms goes to get her child they try and sneak out the trap door. They think that we don’t know about it and you can hear them laughing inside as we pretend to look for the lost child.

The cottage playhouse will hold four or five children with room so they can all move around. When there are too many kids to fit in the house, they talk through the windows and take turns going inside. There is also a half door on the front so they can hand each other drinks and snacks.

It is easy to understand why the kids love this house so much. There are so many things for them to do inside. Some of the children even suggested that we plant a garden in front of the cottage playhouse to make it look more like our real house.

On that day, most families will enjoy watching the full moon together.  The most favorite food for Mid-Autumn Day are all kinds of moon cakes. Some moon cakes are made of wheat flour, sugar and lotus seed powder. People add chocklate, icecream, fruit and nuts into mooncakes in recent years. They’re very delicious!

Besides, Mid-Autumn Day also is the best time to travel or relax.The Expo Garden turns out to be the perfect location for people to enjoy the moonlight, eat moon cakes and hold reunion dinners with families as the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches.

As one of the best viewing points in the Expo Garden, the restaurants located on the top floor of the Cultural Center are getting ready for tourists who want to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival at the Expo Garden.

Shufu, a Sichuan restaurant on the top floor of the Cultural Center, will be one of the most popular eating places on Sept 22. The restaurant holds about 300 people and provides unmatched evening views of the Huangpu River and Zone A in the Expo Garden.