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February 27, 2009
Liqiang's Letter to Mai Pearls
Every year Mai Pearls donates 10% of the profits to a Chinese charity. Last year we donated the profits to Operation Blessing for their sponsor a Chinese student program. Here is a letter from one of the sponsored students;
Dear Uncles and Aunties:
How are you?
My parents need not worry about my cost of living since you have helped me go to school. And with the development of society and our country, my family’s situation is changing greatly so that we have enough food to eat.
Since China started carrying out the education policy of free tuition and free textbooks, we only need to make up for the cost of living in school. With your help, my family only needed to pay half of my living expenses when boarding in school. Instead, they now buy more rice for the family and send my younger brother to school with their savings. Going to school will change my brother’s life.
We just had an exam, and I scored 480 points, which is not good enough to me, so I will try my best to study harder. I clear know who I am, a new generation, the future of China and its successors, so I will never give up and I firmly believe that I will be successful.
Thank you for the new life you have given to me, which changes my destiny, and gives me a chance to back school, so that I will continue struggling for my dream. It is a good chance to me, and I will treasure it. Since I cannot return your affection today with anything else except, I can only say thank you with all my mind and all my heart.
Yours Sincerely，
Liqiang
Posted: February 27, 2009 01:45 PM
February 25, 2009
Sha Luojin's letter to Mai Pearls
This week is Fair trade week and as an ethical company we are posting letters that are written to Mai Pearls and their customers from sponsored Chinese students in south China. Mai Pearls give 10% of their profits to Operation Blessing China. Here is a letter from Sha Luojin;
Dear Uncles and Aunties:
How are you?
Our family is very poor, because of more people and less land, and we have no food to eat about April or May. My parents work for the rich to food, and borrow us living cost in school. In order to save money, my sister and I back home for lunch. It is about 2,000 meters of mountains from school to my home for times in everyday.
Since I have entered the junior middle school, the help of you through Operation Blessing China improve the cost of my living greatly. It is impossible for me to buy learning materials in my primary school, so I had to copy others learning material sentences by sentences with hand, while I have brought all set of learning materials.
Since the change in education policy, which relieves the burden on my family, my parents have bought some more learning materials and daily necessities for us. And my parents give me 6yuan every week for my breakfast and some pocket money, with which I can eat sometimes at school because I have to finish all my homework. I will be punished if I can finish all my homework. Your helping encourages me both in physical and in emotional.
How happy I am now, but how can I imagine the following year. If I enter high middle school, my family can not provide mu tuition and cost of living.
Hopeful you are in good health and your jobs are going smoothly.
Yours Sincerely，
Sha luojin
Posted: February 25, 2009 11:29 AM
February 23, 2009
Mu Xiuzhen's story
Mai Pearls donates 10% of their profits to Operation Blessing's Chinese care program. Each year the students write letters and below is one of those letters, having been translated thankfully!
Dear Uncles and Aunties:
How are you?
Hopeful you are in good health and your jobs are going smoothly.
It is a new term that I receive your scholarship again, and I have many things to share with, but I don’t know where to start. You never know me, but you give your money to you. When I receive your money, I feel very heave, not only the money, but the feeling and love. We are born in mountains, and know nothing about the outside, but we never are forsaken by the world. There are many people in social, who take care of us and help us, so we must study hard, and I will answer your favor with my study. Your help not only encourage me in physical, but in emotional. We want to say “thank you very much” face to face if it is possible, all long you help us. Please feel assured that we will never make you disappoint you.
We, four brothers and sisters, are learning in school. My oldest sister needs
more money for her high school education. The education fees of us make our living harder. But I still Persist in studying to enter the college in my dream. Now I am a third-grade student in junior high school, and there are a lot of knowledge to review. The sentence, you mustn't lose heart, sooner or later your effort will pay off, always encouraging me to not give up my dream, which make my experience success. By the way, I want to tell you my exam this term, I am the first in my class and the fifth in the grade, although my study is lower than my imagined, I already tried my best.
I used to face the drop-out, the desire of learning touched my parents, so that they sent me to school again. I feel very happy when I see my peers have to go out for jobs, and I must cherish this opportunity to change my life mu future.
Yours Sincerely，
Mu xiuzhen
Posted: February 23, 2009 10:23 AM
February 19, 2009
Su Haojie's letter to Mai Pearls
Mai Pearls donates 10% of their profits to Operation Blessing Chinese educational programs. Here is a letter from a student, Su Haojie;
Dear Uncle and Untie:
How are you?
I have learned in the bright class three years now, and I can’t imagine how fast time is, in those years I tried my best to study, and I done well in this exam. I was the third in all grade, even not the first, I will continue improving. It is important year for me, and I will struggle to enter a high school in my dream.
My family is not rich, sometimes we have enough food, sometimes we have not. Your helping make our lives easier when I am a junior high school student. My second sister was admitted to a university this September, we are so happy, but the tuition and the cost of living became a big problem to our family. Before she went to school we have to kill a small pig treat the villagers to raise the travel fee. Finally my sister won the Government's loans to study.
If I can go to a high school in county this year, which mean put a heavy burden on my parents’ shoulders, there are still some ways to my study that if I trust in success and firm goal, I will conquer difficulties to the goal of my life in the future. I want to become you, kind and responsible person.
May you are in good health and your jobs are going smoothly.
Yours Sincerely，
Su haojie
Posted: February 19, 2009 03:23 PM
February 18, 2009
Yan Biyan's story
Here is a letter from Yan Biyan, a Chinese student that has been sponsored by Mai Pearls through Operation Blessing;
Dear Uncles and Unties:
How is going?
It is hard to imagine how fast time is. I thought the third-year junior high school life must be a new one, just like entered junior high school from primary school. But after a period of time, I felt very bore, even I wanted to give up my learning. I know I need stick to study, when I see my parents’ eyes, which desire my success.
I'm much obliged to you for helping us, and I am not sure if I can sit in the bright classroom without your help. Your helping make my family live easier，because there are seven members in my family, only my parents work .Sometimes we want to help them ,but they refuse, they are afraid that our study would be delayed, “you are the third class now, ” they said, “it is very important time for you.”. I know that they are love very much.
I woke up in night because of the quarrel between my father and my mother,
and the reason is my tuition. I cried out from my room and said that I would give up study and went out for job, so that our lives would be easier. “Xiaoyan, don’t worry about your tuition” my father said, “I can handle the tuition.” Then I went to bed again.
I feel a lot pressures when I hear from teacher that if I am failure this time, I will no any change more , at the same time my family can not provide me study materials so that I have to borrow my students, sometime it is hard to borrow the materials, the feeling is really bad. But now is different because of your help, I really appreciate it. I buy a full set of learning materials. You can not imagine how happy I am, my family too, especially my mother. I worry about nothing now, and just learning. I am leading a happiness life, for my grandparents have good health, I have a good relationship with my classmates, and our teacher are interested my study specially, and I enjoy my study.
May you have good health and a smooth job!
Yours Sincerely，
Yan biyan
Posted: February 18, 2009 01:43 PM
February 17, 2009
Studs!
As pearl stud earrings are by far the most popular thing that Mai Pearls sells, we have just created a "Pearl Stud Earrings" category to make shopping on the website easier for those of you who have a list! Pearl studs are probably the most popular items on the site due to their simple design and versatility - no girl should be without a pair!
Posted: February 17, 2009 11:45 AM
February 16, 2009
The Designer Wedding Show
From the 13th - 15th February The Designer Wedding Show was exhibiting in Battersea Park, London. I went to visit it on the first day to be inspired, find out what the trends are and to eye up any competition!
It was very inspiring, particulary as it seems to house the creme de la creme of the bridal services from tiaras to tents.
What came across strongly from the cat walks was that vintage is very BIG this year. Whether it is your dress or your jewellery, it must be vintage. The wonderful thing about vintage is that it is an elegant "green" option.
There were a few of Mai Pearls' competitors there however although there were some great jewellery brands for the bride there was absolutely nothing for the bridesmaids. From my experiance, the bride often likes to give her bridesmaids a piece of jewellery to wear on the big day. This is a lovely keep sake from the day whilst ensuring that all the bridesmaids look tidy and uniformal. This is certainly a niche that may have been over looked by The Designer Wedding Show and an area that Mai Pearls may be able to fill next February. However there is absolutely no reason to wait as today we have just launched our "Pearl Bridesmaid Jewellery" range, making it even easier for the bride to shop for her bridesmaids!
Posted: February 16, 2009 02:03 PM
February 11, 2009
Letters from the students that Mai Pearls sponsors
Every year, Mai Pearls gives 10% of its profits to charity. Over the past 3 years, we have been making donations to Operation Blessing, an international charity with an office in Beijing. From here, the donations have gone towards their educational programs and Mai Pearls have been able to support 41 students during this academic year.
All 41 students have written letters to Mai Pearls, telling us a little more about their lives and how the sponsorship money has helped them.
Kindly, Operation Blessing have translated 7 of these letters so that I can update you on what a difference this sponsorship makes.
Here is the first letter;
Dear Uncles and Aunties:
How are you?
Hopeful you are in good health and your jobs are going smoothly.
I have learned in the bright class for three years, and I can’t imagine how fast time is, three years are just like three days. I learned much knowledge and I know how to handle the relationship between students and teachers. I'm much obliged to you for you love and your caution. Maybe I am a shepherd or a migrant worker without your help. It is you who help me realized my dream three years ago, and I owe you a debt of gratitude which I shall never be able to repay, maybe the only way I reward you is study hard.
There are four children in my family. Compare with my oldest sister, I am very lucky to have this cherish opportunity to study, and your help relieves the burden on my family. My family can't express how grateful I am to you.
Since China started carrying out the education policy of free tuition and free textbooks, we only need to make up for the cost of living in school. With your help, my family only needed to pay half of my living expenses when boarding in school, so I save some for my second sister.
I want to tell my living in school, we get up at 5 o’clock and sleep at 10:30 everyday, even I am really tired sometimes, I know why I am here; even I have pressures, I will change the pressures to motive; even I don’t know where I am next year, I should precious today, and I must never be unworthy of your love and our teachers' untiring teachings and my parents hope. If one of us must quit school, I have to give up my study to support my second sister, for she is a three-grade student in high middle school. In any case, all this could wait till the next day. No use worrying about it now.
Uncles and aunties, thank you very much for your help. After this year, would not you be in touch with me? I really want to in contact with you no matter where I am. May we keep in touch?
Yours Sincerely，
Du jianmei
Posted: February 11, 2009 10:28 AM
February 09, 2009
Valentines Day
Why not save yourself from receiving yet another fluffy stuff bear holding a very plump pink heart and give your other half a gentle push in the right direction. Mai Pearls not only offer affordable pearl jewellery but with their special Valentines Day jewellery offer, Mai Pearls have become even more affordable, perfect during this credit crunch.
He will love the fact that he can give you something that you adore, that will last and that will still be within budget! So go on girls, either forward him this newsletter or a link to the website or click on the piece of jewellery that you like and use the "Tell a Friend" option to drop that hint!
Posted: February 9, 2009 11:13 AM
February 03, 2009
Bridal Jewellery Sale
Mai Pearls creates beautiful pearl jewellery for brides to be, bridesmaids and mother's of the bride. In order to celebrate our popular designs, Mai Pearls have put on a special bridal jewellery sale for one week only. To view the sale, please click here. Sale must end Monday 9th February or until stocks last.
Posted: February 3, 2009 11:38 AM