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Watch and Learn, Putin: President Xi Shows Right Way to Charm a First Lady

Posted: 11/19/2014 4:28 pm

xi jinping peng liyuan ship doorAll eyes in China are upon the nation’s leaders for guidance and inspiration, and so when Chinese President Xi Jinping helps a lady through a door, people pay attention—especially when that lady is his wife.

While accompanying Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott aboard the South Pole exploratory ship “Snow Dragon”, President Xi was photographed turning back and extending a hand to help First Lady Peng Liyuan through a door. In order to perform the gesture, Xi even interrupted another man that was talking to him at the time.

Chinese netizens are abuzz at the sparks of romance demonstrated by the couple, and have nothing but praise for the “First Gentleman”:

ECHO-李大璐：
Uncle Xi is the ideal model (husband) who loves his wife. [thumbsup.emoji]

相约阳春：
I am truly envious.

Tiffanyzyh：
[thumbsup.emoji] Uncle Xi~ (He) is so considerate and nice towards his wife [heart.emoji] (It is so emotionally) moving~

@HXY-韓傻子：
I need to learn from Uncle Xi

喵瑩紙_三世雪：
Having gained such a husband, what more can a wife ask for?

At last week’s APEC summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin was seen on television draping a coat over First Lady Peng during an outdoor event, an incident that was later censored from Chinese media in part because of its romantic overtones.

It appears First Lady Peng needs only one man to be her white knight—the president of her country.

Photo: Sina News

Haohao
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Even 99 iPhones Not Enough to Win One Woman’s Heart

Posted: 11/10/2014 9:30 am

Since the inception of Singles’ Day in China several years ago, millions of singles throughout the country celebrate the day by trying to woo that special someone. Yet one young Guangzhou resident chose a rather unique method to express his love in the lead up to November 11: iPhones, and lots of them.

There’s been no shortage of reports detailing extravagant Singles’ Day gifts such as a new car, or giant diamonds, but one Guangzhou programmer instead opted for 99 iPhone 6s. To his credit, he organized the phones in the shape of heart before proposing to his girlfriend in front of a sizeable crowd of friends and onlookers.

The phones reportedly cost the man over RMB 500,000 (about $82,000), or roughly the equivalent of two years’ salary, Tencent News reported. Sadly, the grand gesture was lost on the woman, who rejected his proposal.

Thankfully, demand for the new iPhone remains high in China, so he shouldn’t have too much trouble reselling them as one Weibo user suggested. Others simply dismissed the guy’s move as stupid. One user, 韵母和韵父, asked “How many kidneys did it take to buy those phones?” referring to earlier reports of a young man selling his own kidney to buy an iPhone. Another user wrote, ” 99 kidneys!”

For those who might be wondering how November 11th was chosen as Singles’ Day, the answer resides in the four lonely “1″s that form the date: 11/11.

 Photos: Weibo 

Haohao
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Hundreds of Shenzhen Couples Marry on “I Love You” Day, 5/20

Posted: 05/21/2014 1:01 pm

i love you day marriageYesterday was a terrible day in Shenzhen: there was heavy rain, lightning, and flooding as the city issued a red alert weather warning to make the crappiness of yesterday bureaucratically-approved. And yet, yesterday saw hundreds of Shenzhen couples throw caution to the wind and take the plunge into marriage as May 20 is now regarded as one of the most romantic days of the year in China.

If you missed it, yesterday was “I Love You” Day, so-called because the Chinese pronunciation of the date 5/20 (wú èr líng) can be loosely re-interpreted as the phase “I love you” (我爱你, wǒ ài nǐ).

The populist trend of this fad stems from online communities, as have other random dates that sound similar to romantic phrases. They include: 2013/1/4 (“Love you for the rest of my life, now and forever”), 1/3/14 (“For now and for always”), and 11/11 (Singles’ Day). These dates have seen hordes of lovebirds flocking to marriage licensing centers to get hitched at the right place and at the right timedate.

493 couples tied the knot yesterday in Nanshan District, while the number of married couples in Futian District was reported at a prophetic 520, reports NewsGD.

i love you day marriage

The number of marriage license applicants numbered eight times more than those on average non-”I Love You” days at the Nanshan marriage licensing center. Extra security guards were called in to help keep order from rambunctious lovers who presumably didn’t want to wait until the non-symbolic day of May 21, otherwise known as the summer solstice.

However, that wasn’t the biggest public display of love in Shenzhen on “I Love You” Day. The message “Jia loves Qiong; our love is ordained by heaven” was written in lights yesterday on Shenzhen’s tallest building, the KK100, a lost sentiment upon every other Shenzhen resident who had to settle for rain and lightning to pour down from the sky above.

“I Love You” Day now joins the ranks of China’s other recognized days of romance: Valentines’ Day, White Day (March 14, when girls give gifts to their boyfriends in return), Qixi Festival on 7/7 of the Lunar Calendar, and Singles’ Day on November 11 (Lantern Festival can be seen as China’s “traditional Valentine’s Day”).

We’ll try to keep you apprised of any new developments should they arise.

Photos: NewsGD, Shenzhen Evening Report via Weibo

Haohao
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New Chinese dating service comes with hefty membership fee for the guys

Posted: 03/7/2014 1:38 pm

Popular matchmaking service, Meimeng, is on a nationwide search for the top 100 single women in China. Last weekend, they held a recruitment session in Shenzhen. The finalists will receive a private matchmaking session and will be invited to attend a blind date party in Sanya this June in the hopes of meeting that special someone, Shenzhen News reports.

In an interview, Meimeng CEO, Zhang Rui, explained that both men and women can join the service for free, however if the men wish to contact any of the interested women they are expected to pay a membership fee of between RMB40,000 and RMB100,000. If that wasn’t a steep enough price tag, in order to qualify, they must also possess assets in excess of RMB5 million, equal to the cost of a house. “We are a company established by married women. Helping people get married is a good deed.” she says.

Close to one hundred singles aged 24-50 attended the Shenzhen event. Speaking to the event’s success rate, Mrs Zhang explains, “if both parties like each other and decide to be boyfriend and girlfriend, it’s deemed a successful match. Our current rate of success is between 70% and 80%.”

In order to qualify, every woman is subject to three tests: a face and palmistry test, a lie detector test and an overall quality evaluation. Mrs Zhang stresses that “the lie detector test is to encourage every woman in attendance to be honest and open.” Women are also tested for health, character, unique talents, and voice. If they meet the requisite standards, they are allowed to join the club for free.

Meimeng claims its members are the best singles in the world, and their popular app is available only to pre-screened and approved members. Miss  Zhou, one of the participants, told the reporter, “I’m not sure if the process is reliable but I am hopeful. I am most concerned about men’s overall quality. Money is not critically important. The key point is that we have common interests and like each other at first sight.”

Miss Xu, also a post 80s from Sichuan, is working in finance. She likes handsome men, and is hoping to find an educated and outgoing partner. “I am looking for someone who shares the same values and interests.” Miss Long, a freelancer from Hunan agrees, “It’s important for both parties to feel right about each other.”

Good luck to all singles.

Haohao
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Couples writing “joint resumes” to stay together after graduation

Posted: 10/28/2013 7:00 am

A new trend has emerged among graduating couples who face the prospect of being separated by career commitments – the joint resume. Some couples, determined to ensure they end up in the same city are compiling the dual resumes and offering their services to employers jointly, City Evening News reports.

Chemistry majors from Jilin University, Qi Dong and Huizi (alias), have been together for three years but might struggle to continue their romance if they go their separate ways after graduating next summer. For this reason, they have followed the trend of creating a joint resume and, although they haven’t succeeded yet, they are far from giving up.

A number of companies contacted by the paper say that have received joint resumes in recent months. The companies said they welcomed the phenomenon. Gui Qinghua, a human resources manager for a financial services company from Beijing said that those who sent the joint resumes could probably offer stability.

However, a careers adviser at Jilin University surnamed Li said recruiting couples could be risky: “If they fall out, it could create a toxic atmosphere in the workplace. Plus, couples are more likely to bring their domestic habits into work,” Li told the paper.

Although beggars can’t be choosers in this job market, young people need to seek creative ways to balance what they want with what they need.

Haohao
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Shenzhen student finds girlfriends cost RMB9800 per year

Posted: 09/9/2013 7:00 am

A college student in Shenzhen kept accounts over a year that would help him calculate the cost of having a girlfriend. He claimed in late August that it cost 9,800 yuan a year, QQ News reported Saturday.

This revelation has caused quite a stir with netizens as students have to think carefully about how to spend their pocket money during the new school year. The student concluded that, while dating, he could only spend 283 yuan of his 1100 yuan monthly pocket money on himself.

He recorded that of the four most important red letter days in his relationship – birthday, Western Valentine’s Day, qixi, Christmas – he spent 300-900 yuan on presents. He spent 400 yuan on his present for their 1-year anniversary. He and his girlfriend went to the movies twice a month on average, which cost him 700 yuan in one year. He spent 4800 yuan on meals over the year and other activities such as swimming, karaoke and girlfriend’s friends’ birthday parties cost him 3000 yuan.

Other students have pointed out that this student is something of a diaosi, claiming that a romance in Shenzhen should cost at least 12,000 yuan.

Han Jiangxue, identified as an “expert on emotions,” said that if couples don’t take into account the practical aspects of being together, such as the cost of living, then their romance is unlikely to last.

Of course, in calculating and reporting the cost he has revealed the embarrassing fact that he is not the world’s most romantic person. He has also of course revealed that he is a masochist.

Haohao
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Man shows up at girlfriend’s graduation ceremony in Shenzhen to propose to her

Posted: 07/2/2013 7:00 am

Overwhelmed with emotion

It’s official, romance is not dead. This year’s graduates may be entering the toughest job market in the country’s history but it’s not all doom and gloom out there.

A student at Shenzhen University got the surprise of her life during her graduation ceremony at the weekend when her boyfriend showed up and proposed to her. The photos were put on Sina Weibo by a user named SB71 and were forwarded by several of the city’s major microblogs.

Photos show the man arriving at the ceremony all suited and booted before ceremoniously proposing to her in one of the most public ways possible. Bystanders can be seen applauding and taking photographs.

He’s given himself a lot to live up to

After posting some harrowing stories over the weekend, The Nanfang is glad to bring you some good news for a change.
And as Heath Ledger showed us in “10 Things I Hate About You,” you’ve gotta be prepared to make an ass of yourself for the special person in your life:

Haohao
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Migrant in GZ fails to win the affection of his girlfriend’s parents, takes her hostage

Posted: 07/25/2012 11:00 am

Most of us have probably done stupid things in the name of puppy love. But one 20-year-old man in Guangzhou has raised the stakes significantly.

The man, Xiao Cao, is facing jail time after he tried to cheat his girlfriend’s parents out of RMB25,000 by threatening to “sell her”, according to The Nanfang Daily.

Two weeks after having a meeting of the minds online, Xiao Cao met up with Xiao Zhi and they immediately fell in love.

However, Xiao Cao, a migrant worker without even a middle school education, was unable to win over the parents and they did not allow their daughter to date him.

Subsequently, Xiao Cao camped outside the family’s home, begging the parents to accept him. A week later, the parents yielded. They said they would allow him to date their daughter…on condition he pay them RMB42,000, an unimaginable sum for the young man.

Xiao Cao was too proud to beg for the money, so he hatched another plan. When he saw Xiao Zhi leaving her home, he followed her to Xinshi where they had an argument. During the argument Xiao Cao dropped his phone on the ground and broke the speaker. Xiao Zhi said she would help him fix it.

Xiao Cao said that was not necessary but asked her if he could share her’s. He then asked if she would accompany him to Huadu District to see his cousin. They then went on a four day trip during which, unbeknownst to the girl, Xiao Cao was using Xiao Zhi’s phone to text message her parents, saying: “Your daughter owes me RMB25,000, if the money isn’t returned I will sell her to a human trafficker in another city.”

Over the next four days, Xiao Cao was using the girl’s phone to haggle with the parents. During this time, Xiao Zhi had no idea she was a “hostage.”

Xiao Cao has now been detained and the case is under investigation.

Haohao
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