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Chinese Learning Community
Nice E-Mail asking for an intro... Web site looks interesting. I saw your blog and website, and I just wanted to introduce you to italki.com. It is in some respects, similar to livemocha.com. We are a social network that is trying to harness the web for social language learning. We have lots of language partners that are interested in language exchanges, tutoring, and simply making friends. We also have functions like social questions and answers (ask any question about learning Chinese and get an answer from a Chinese person), shared files (downloading of open source textbooks), and more.I just thought I'd make the introduction. Especially in the case of Chinese, we have a huge amount of Chinese users that are really interested in meeting English speakers. It's worth checking out just to see the effect. I thought it might be worth mentioning for your users.Thanks for taking the time to read this,Kevin Chenco-founderitalki.comLabels: Learning Chinese
Warrior Mulan Costume
One of the adoption bulletin boards was asking where to get a Warrior Mulan Costume, since her daughter did not like the Princess one. Disney discontinued it along with most of their Mulan merchandise (which I don't agree with). Mulan Warrior Pattern I just found: http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/patterns/sewingpatterns.pl?patternid=16608This brings back memories! My daughter was lucky enough 8 years ago to get the cool Warrior Mulan. Everyone else had the Princess one. We even got a great picture of her on top of my Aunt's Black Horse in her Mulan outfit. Mulan books and other information on my site:  |  | | | Fa Mulan, Herione of China information about including Mulan Books in English and Chinese, and a bit on the Disney DVD |
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Labels: mulan
Chinese Color Symbology and more!
At EliteDresses.com, my wife has been super busy and has put together some excellent information. Feedback is appreciated! - Chinese Color Symbolism - Chinese Color Symbolism and meanings focusing on QiPao's including Holidays, Religious, and cultural beliefs.
- Chinese Symbol Meanings - Chinese Symbol Meanings for Dresses and Cultural References
- Chinese QiPao Cheongsam Dress History - History of the Chinese QiPao Cheongsam Dress and symbolism of colors.
- Dress Terms - Guide to dress guide to terms, definitions, and cultural references including holidays. Solves the mystery of what's Organza, a Pastel, and more!
References: Labels: chinese symbols
VCD's - What are they?
I just put up on www.childbook.com a bunch (50 or so) of Chinese VCD's for kids. Children songs with kids dancing, some animation, some series, etc. Some as low as $2.99. So a customer asks - What's a VCD? Is that a new technology? VCD or Video Compact Disk is video stored on a compact disk. They never took off in the US, but were very popular in China and Taiwan. They can be played on a computer, and some DVD players. My favorite VCD's (limited to stock on hand):Labels: Learning Chinese
Teaching Chinese using Skype
Skype, and other VOIP Technology is being used to teach Chinese and other foreign languages over the Internet. This way a native language speaker can teach a student at less of a cost. Win win for both parties involved. For both sides it's important to get the right headset. I suggest Plantronics and look into noise cancellation (this way the person you are calling hears you, and not all the background noise around you). Plantronics makes headsets for call centers for people who are on the phone all the time. Their are even wireless headsets. Some articles that cover teaching Chinese using VOIP:
If your interested in Learning Chinese via a tutor using Skype send me an E-Mail, I know a Chinese teacher who is interested in teaching using Skype. She documented a project for me (that I need to post) and I feel I owe her (but she says all the free stuff she got off my site is payment enough). Labels: Learning Chinese, voip
Huntington Library - Chinese Gardens Open
The Chinese Gardens at the Huntington Library is now open! There is an old connection between the Huntington Library and Chinese. Any guesses? Huntington 's fortune came from the building of the Transcontinental Railroad that many Chinese worked on. Huntington, along with Stanford (University), Crocker (Bank) and another made up the big four that made such an impact on California.Older post on Chinese Gardens in the USRelated Item: Ten Mile Day - Railroad that linked the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Over 6000 Chinese worked on it at one point. Building of the Transcontinental Railroad. From the tunnels through the Sierra Nevada's to the final joining in Utah of the two railroads.
All text, without the pictures for middle school is:
 | | | | | | Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep. English. Paperback. | Our Price: $6.99  |
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Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep. Sailing to California in 1865, fourteen-year-old Otter leaves China to meet his father and legendary uncle on the transcontinental railroad, an adventure that challenges his survival on the mountains of the Sierras. English. |
Labels: Chinese History
Buying a Piano - New Chinatown
We just finished the Grand Piano Search. My daughter has been playing for 10 years, and her piano teacher suggested it's time to upgrade the piano. The piano industry seems to be a boom and bust industry. Right now, it's in a bust. There are also a lot of Chinese made pianos, some of them have become pretty good. The challenge is many made in China pianos have fancy European names on them. Such as Vienna. If you get serious about Pianos, the book to get is The Piano Book - Brookside Press. For finding out the age of piano, the site Bluebook of Pianos has a lot of good information. Next project is to sell our console/upright (if your in the Los Angeles area and need a good starter piano...
We visited 10+ piano stores. The Chinese focused ones were two in Arcadia focused more on Chinese, one in West Covina, and another in Rowland Heights. We had a great experience at www.pianogallerie.com in Arcadia, the owner came across as among the most truthful of everyone we spoke to. Most experiences were not that great on going to a piano store, especially how many of them knocked the competition. Amazing the amount of people who claim how great their piano is! And why this brand is so great! If you talk to enough sales people, read The Piano Book and get the supplement, you get pretty educated. For a high end piano, the Chinese made ones are not there yet. Some of the Chinese made ones are very good, but it's hard to tell which ones are great and which ones are not. Steinway is nice, but at a price! The German made ones are amazing, but even more than Steinway. Yamaha and Kawai are good, safe piano's. We ended up with a Kawai. Our old piano is an American made Schafer and Son which is a great starter piano. Piano Claims that are suspect:1. Grey market Kawai and Yamaha are not made for the US market and have a problem of cracking ( huge source of controversy in the industry). There was a problem with early Kawai and Yamaha's imported into the US back in the late 60's and early 70's. 2. This Chinese made piano is made to German design, which makes it excellent. Maybe... Hard to tell without a track record of a couple years. 3. This Chinese piano is better because it is all wood. Kawai's use plastic in them, so are not as good. The right type plastic in the right location is not an issue. 4. You should always buy new for Pianos (not true, if a good brand name piano it's not an issue. But it's always a good idea to pay for a Piano technician to look at it before purchase. New pianos have a 30-40% premium. Plus piano's take time to season. You can also take out the action and look at the hammers to see how heavily used the piano has been. The major worry is cracks in the soundboard (expensive to fix). Cute book about music:  | | | | | | Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka | | Our Price: $4.50 |
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Nine-year-old Yang and his family have immigrated from China to Seattle and the father is a professional Violin Play. He has been giving Yang Violin lessons for years, and Yang hates the Violin. Yang discovers Baseball! A great story about fitting in and getting used to a new country and culture.  |
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Table Tennis in the US
NY Times story - A Table Tennis Star in China Now Uses Her Paddle for the U.S.Forest Gump gave the impression the US had a pretty good table tennis team. Guess not :-) When I was in China on the All-American Ping Pong team, I just loved playing ping-pong with my Flexolite ping pong paddle.
My wife and her brother are so much better than I am at Ping Pong. When ChildBook expands, we need to get a Ping Pong table for the break room!
Labels: ping pong
Why Learn Chinese
Michigan's former State Education Superintendant blogging from Tibet on Why Learn Chinese. A Small World indeed! TOM WATKINS: It's a small world after all
Key Points:
1. More people are know English in China than in the US.
2. Learning another language gives you another viewpoint. The word he uses, that is full of meaning, is Kaleidoscope. 3. Learning Chinese will give a student a competitive advantage.
4. Mandarin Chinese is the most used language on the Internet.
5. 1/5th of the world's population lives in China.
6. China is determined to be a world super power again.
Labels: Why Learn Chinese
50th Anniversary of Pinyin
Feb. 10, 2008 was the 50th Anniversary of Pinyin. Pinyin. Wade Giles is the other method that is used for romanitizing Chinese. Here is a conversion table of Wade Giles to Zhuyin to Pinyin. Zhuyin is symbols that are phonic that were used to teach Chinese Characters. Zhuyin, also called Bo Po Mo, is still used in Taiwan. The advantage of Pinyin is if you know English, it's easy to read. The problem is the pronunciation of some letters and combinations is different, where Wade-Giles is closer on the pronunciation. Due to politics, you still don't see a lot of products from Taiwan using Pinyin. Luckily, I do have one that is selling well the 10 Level Learning Chinese System also called Practical Chinese that includes books, Cd, and Workbooks.
Currently I have 90 products that use Pinyin, and 120 Bo Po Mo Products.
On which one is best to use for Learning Chinese, Zhuyin Bo Po Mo vs. Pinyin. The argument for Zhuyin Bo Po Mo is the pronunciation is better. The argument for Pinyinis it's easier. The problem I have seen is there is no good material in English for Learning Chinese I have yet that uses Zhuyin Bo Po Mo. Schools in the US that are run by Taiwanese (most Chinese Schools) use Zhuyin Bo Po Mo.Labels: Learning Chinese, pinyin
Canadian Chinese New Year Stamps
Irritating Education Expert
Article I enjoyed from the Washington Post - The Most Irritating Education Expert on Chester E. "Checker" Finn Jr. who's new book, "Troublemaker: A Personal History of School Reform Since Sputnik," just came out. Key Points:1. No Child Left Behind should have focused on getting nationwide standard results. Instead of letting each state set their own standards (rewarding the states with low standards, since more students would meet them). 2. Great Quote: "Republicans say they care about standards and choices, but their own constituents are at best smug about today's schools and, at worst, hostile to reform that might help poor and minority kids to enter their suburban enclaves. Both parties have screwy ideas about how to balance freedom and regulation in the K-12 domain, with Republicans shunning uniform standards but tolerating government micro-management while Democrats seem to care more about where the money goes than whether kids are learning."
My 2 cents. There are schools that have a 60% drop out rate in the US. There are other schools in K-12 that are world class in the US. As a society, it's important to give all children a chance, and school is a great tool for doing that. Many parents do a lot of extra study work with their kids, paying after school, getting books to improve Grades Study Skills. Even College Admission Books with advice into getting into the best colleges, including Harvard. Labels: Education Improvements
China's College Degree Challenge
LA Times Article - Degree no Job Guarantee in China. The complaint is many colleges in China do not do a great job of educating. Same issue in India. So of the mass of Engineers that are graduated from a Chinese univeristy, per a McKinsey report, only 10% would be suitable to work in a multi-national. Education is extremely important in the Chinese culture, including going to the right university. In the US, that has built a booming industry for study aids, academic advice, and college admissions. A huge interest in China is getting into Harvard. A book about how one parents got their Child into Harvard became a best seller. I don't carry that book, but one I do in English is 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays that is a a great read. So is How They Got Into Harvard by The Staff Of The Harvard Crimson. Softcover. My daughter dreams of going to Harvard , and if she gets in her Grandmother has promised to pay the tuition. She has been on the Harvard campus tour twice.  | | | | | | 50 Successful Harvard Application Essays | | Our Price: $12.95 |
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50 Successful Harvard Application Essays. What worked for them can help you get into the college of your choice. A compilation of fifty effective and diverse college application essays that offer students insights into what makes an essay compelling. English. Paperback. 180 Pages.
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Labels: china's future, college admissions, Education
iPhone - What does this say about China
There has been a mystery with iPhones, on why are only 2/3rds of them have been activated. 3.7 million were sold last year, and only 2.3 million activated. So where are the other 1.4 Million Phones. It seems at least 400,000 are in China. NY Times article that gives some insite into the issue. Smugglers Return iPhones to China Business Week's article, Inside the iPhone Grey Market is interesting. So what does this huge amount of phones being exported to China, say about Chinese society today? Some semi-educated guesses: - The latest Electronics (especially Cell Phones) are status symbol in China.
- Cell Phones are very visible symbols of your wealth. Which is why they pay $555 and more, for an iPhone that costs $400 in the US due to the status.
- Lots of Internet is viewed on mobile phones in the cities, unlike the US.
- Apple has great branding, even in China.
- Apple has a better interface than other competitor phones, even in Chinese.
Labels: china economy
Learning From a Native Speaker, Without Leaving Home
Knowledge Connection
Thought provoking essay by E.D. Hirsch Jr. in the Washington Post, the Knowledge Connection. He also has a web site. Politics aside on Why No Child Left Behind has not lived up to it's expectations, the essay talks about the importance of giving children more exposure to different materials helps them in school. My belief is reading is a great way to expose children to more vocabulary and concepts through books, especially ones they may not get in school. School is so limited in the time they have with a child, so reading is often left to be done at home. Of course with competition from TV and video games, it's a challenge to bring up a young reader. One tactic is unplug the TV, to force the child to not watch TV. I am lucky that where I live, we have poor TV reception and we don't have cable (the horror according to my daughter). This enabled my wife and I to better control what my daughter watched on TV growing up, such as DVD's, or then it was also Video's. Another great way to help reading is by subscribing to a newspaper. I also believe in starting very young reading to children, to get them used to the concept and expose them to new ideas. Labels: chinese children books
China Drug Supplier - Non-Licensed
Clearance and New Products
FDA and China Drug Companies
Adopted Chinese Parents - Learning Chinese
There are some Families with Children from China who work hard to keep their children bilingual in Chinese and English. The majority don't (my 10 years experience selling Learning Chinese Products). There are probably slightly more adopted parents who are having their children learn Chinese than the general population. With a new baby/child in the family, parents are usually just trying to keep their head above water as they adjust to how their entire life has changed. Their is also the fear that if they try to keep up being bilingual, it will somehow hurt their child's ability to learn English. My High School daughter is bilingual, as is many of her friends, and their English is better than mine (who is monolingual). There is so much Learning Chinese Material out there, and more and more schools are teaching Chinese. Many non-Chinese are also learning Chinese and sending their kids to school to learn it. Here is a list of reasons to learn Chinese I wrote up At a minimum, I suggest keeping them exposed to the Chinese culture. There is so much wonderful cultural history from China and materials from English, there is no excuse not to. There are more Chinese restaurants in the US than their are McDonalds! Labels: Learning Chinese, Why Learn Chinese
Girl's/Women's in China's Status
From an economic viewpoint girl's historically in China have been of less value. This is because when the daughter marries, she becomes part of the son's family. I still see this even in the US, where sons of the family will get an inheritance, and the daughter's nothing. This is probably part of the reason that China has the highest suicide rate for women. Two sad quotes from the article on suicide: "In a woman's lifetime, she does not have any family love from the day she is born," said Song, who has carried out in-depth journalistic research into the phenomenon. Opportunities for personal development and education were also lacking, Song found. "Girls are not sent to school, either," she said. "My impression is that in rural areas, a woman's whole life only revolves around others as long as she lives. There is not a single day that she thinks about herself." article from the Washington Post. China will have an issue that will grow, is boys who will not be able to marry because of a shortage of women. China has the greatest imbalance of boys to girls, 120 to 100. And the women who are there may put off marriage due to career reasons. The reasons for the imbalance are cheap ultrasound machines, 1 child policy, and abortions that are legal to the 9th month. Korea and India have similar issues with an imblance of males to females. I have already seen where Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese will go to other countries, such as Vietnam to marry. Taiwanese men will often go to China to find a bride. Conference on the subjectChina's women in cities are getting better. An example is the richest Chinese is a woman, worth $3.4 Billion dollars. Two books I like for self esteem are:
Empress of China (about the first empress) The Seven Chinese SistersLabels: Chinese Culture
New Nick TV Cartoon - Ni Hao Kai Lan
Chinese Drug Contamination - 4 Deaths possible link
Page one from the Wall Street Journal - China Plant Played Role In Drug Tied to 4 Deaths - There blog has some comments. Key Points: - The drug thinner Heparin had production halted by Baxter, which has 50% of the market share
- FDA may only inspect around 7% of foreign drug-making facilities in a given year.
- FDA has not inspected the plant ever, and it has been making the drug ingredient for Baxter for 20 years.
- China is now the world's largest producer of active pharmaceutical ingredient
- The Chinese plant may not be the reason for the 4 deaths.
- This is scary - FDA "cannot provide the exact number of foreign establishments that have never been inspected."
Labels: china economy, china food safety
Product Reviews - So Helpful
Product Reviews - So helpful! I hope I can get more. For some reason, it's hard to get customers to do reviews for Childbook.com (most sites have this issue I have noticed, which is probably why unless you are a super large site, most sites just don't bother with reviews). A product that I have been selling for two years, finally got it's first review yesterday (actually two). The Great Voyage of Zheng He, Bilingual Book - Nice book about a famous Chinese Admiral. Great English, Chinese, and Pictures. Not to mention the story. Beautiful artwork and enjoyable story Reviewer: MMBaillie I was looking for a book to reinforce language studies that would be appropriate for my college age son. He has been studying beginning Mandarin and I was very happy to find this Chinese Character/English bilingual book. My son loves history and he said he was able to recognize many of the characters in the book. I was pleased with the beautiful artwork and I enjoyed the story as well.Was this review helpful to you? good history book Reviewer: Gary from Phoenix I bought this book because I want to learn more about the Chinese heroes (real people, not legend). The book is in English and Chinese, both myself and my son can read it. Labels: childbook
Learning Chinese - My 200th Post
My 200th post! Back in September I started blogging and it's already 200 posts. It's a challenge to come up with meaningful posts everyday. The Theme I have worked on keep related to Learning about the Chinese Culture and Language. The blog has given me an opportunity to write about new ideas that can be used for articles, lesson plans, and other resources for web pages for childbook.com that I am developing. Of course my topic of a couple blogs, Why Learn Chinese that gave me a lot of content to update my page, Why Learn Chinese is still high on my priority list to get done soon. Very soon :-) Labels: childbook
200th Post - Learning Chinese
Wary U.S. Olympians Will Bring Food to China
Sad that the US Olympics committee sees it as necessary to bring food to China, due to concerns over food safety. This comment is a nice summary of the why: When a caterer working for the United States Olympic Committee went to a supermarket in China last year, he encountered a piece of chicken — half of a breast — that measured 14 inches. “Enough to feed a family of eight,” said Frank Puleo, a caterer from Staten Island who has traveled to China to handle food-related issues.“We had it tested and it was so full of steroids that we never could have given it to athletes. They all would have tested positive.” I understand the caution, especially after 80 Japanese have reportedly fallen ill due to poisoned dumplings from China . Labels: china food safety, china's future, Chinese Food
Las Vegas New Years Events
Special Ed for Chinese Students
Boston Globe article on Special Ed. having a lower amount of Chinese students in it as a percentage. The reason given was parents were parents not knowing about the resources available and cultural. Basically the article was assuming that more students should be in Special Ed. who are ethnic Chinese in Boston. Assumptions are dangerous things to make. A question not asked, are other racial groups over represented in Special Ed. in Boston, if so, why? The special ed classes I have been in have had ethnic Chinese in them, so I am not sure about the chinese cultural issue. Parents do like to compete on whose kid is doing super good in school, and going to what A+ college. The amount of Grades, Study Skills, and College Admission Books shows that, as is the interest in them (which is why I am selling them, as well as reading them). The parents I have met want to do the best for their kids, no matter what. I have seen it where boys are sometimes favored a bit more than a girl in a family. When older, sometimes only the sons get an inheritance and the daughter don't. Labels: Special Education
Chinese & China Lesson Plans and other Educational Materials
I stumbled across Lesson Plans for the following books and I have included them in the description. Many of them are done as part of a unit on Chinese Culture. Chang's Paper Pony, a very cute story, can be done as part of a unit on the Gold Rush. The lesson plans range from ancient China, such as The Lost Horse : A Chinese Folktale by Ed Young to the Gold Rush, Chang's Paper Pony, to literature with Lon Po Po A Red Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young that has a lot of activities for comparison to the European version of Red Riding Hood to the modern immigrant experience in Yang the Third and the impossible family and I Hate English by Ellen Levine to everyday culture in a cute book Dim Sum For Everyone! by Grace Lin. There is a cute scene in Yang the Third and the impossible family (may be the other Yang book, Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka ) where the family who just immigrated to Seatle Washington from China, goes to a Chinese Restaurant and discovers fortune cookies. References:Dim Sum For Everyone! by Grace Lin Our Price: $6.99 Sale Price: $5.99 You Save $1.00! Just right for young children, Dim Sum for Everyone! celebrates a cultural custom and a universal favorite activity--eating! Great book! The Lost Horse : A Chinese Folktale by Ed Young Our Price: $7.00 The Lost Horse : A Chinese Folktale , English, Soft Cover. English Chang's Paper Pony. English. Softcover. Our Price: $3.99 Cute story of Chang during the Gold Rush who wants a horse of his own...English. Softcover. Lon Po Po A Red Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young Our Price: $6.99 Lon Po Po by Ed Young. Three young sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother. English, Paperback English. Paperback. Yang the Third and the impossible family Our Price: $5.50 Can Mary keep her Chinese Culture, yet still fit in? Third daughter Mary Yang makes an unexpected new friend while trying to hide a kitten from her family in a challenge of American and Chinese Culture. I Hate English by Ellen Levine Our Price: $5.99 I Hate English by Ellen Levine. When her family moves to New York from Hong Kong, Mei Mei finds it difficult to adjust to school and learn the alien sounds of English. English. Paperback. Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear by Lensey Namioka Our Price: $4.50 Nine-year-old Yang and his family have immigrated from China to Seattle and the father is a professional Violin Play. He has been giving Yang Violin lessons for years, and Yang hates the Violin. Yang discovers Baseball! A great story about fitting in and getting used to a new country and culture. Labels: chinese lesson plan
Chinese New Year Festivities
Disposable Chopsticks - Not Good for the Environment
disposable Chopsticks per some are an environmental because they are not reused. They increase deforestation. There was a protest against chopsticks at a Microsoft facility in Beijing that made the Wall Street Journal. Great publicity! 63 Billion disposable chopsticks are made each year in China. The problem is many people believe the chopsticks are more sanitary than reused ones. For noodle soup and other Chinese Food, the wooden chopsticks are better to use than plastic ones because they hold the noodles better. Some even suggest bringing your own chopsticks where you clean them in the restaurant before leaving (first I had heard about this). Correction, my daughter has reusable chopsticks she takes to school, and per my wife metal chopsticks that are reusable are popular in Taiwan. I just never thought of taking them to a restaurant. I wonder, what type of chopsticks are on the front cover of Dim Sum For Everyone! by Grace Lin. A cute book about Dim Sum that with a cute girl with chopsticks on the front. Labels: chinese environment, Chinese Food
More Chinese Food Safety Issues
Japan has a case of pesticides in Dumplings impored from China that has 10 people ill. The scandal has stopped the merger of two companies. Supposedly, this may have been deliberately caused to harm Japan China relations. Of course, the alternative is sloppy food safety that I would guess China would not want to be the cause, since this would harm the made in China label. A friend of mine refuses to eat any food from China because he believes there is a high chance it's contaminated. Due to this he does not eat out at Chinese restaurants, because he is suspicious of where the ingredients come from. Correction - 700 people ill per the Economist. The higher number makes more sense on why there is so much scandal about this. As well as why the Japanese and Chinese governments are interested in downplaying it. Labels: china food safety
Tainted Pet Food - Charges Filed
Charges were filed for a US couple who are owners of a US firm that imported the chemical that was mixed with pet food and resulted in the death of thousands of pets. Charges were also filed against two Chinese companies. Per the LA Times: ChemNutra Inc., which imports Chinese food and ingredients for distribution across the United States, along with married owners Sally Qing Miller, 41, and Stephen S. Miller, 55, were charged in a 27-count indictment with evading mandatory inspections of the ingredients in China, delivering adulterated food, misbranding food and conspiring to defraud the companies that unknowingly bought the tainted ingredient. All but the conspiracy count are misdemeanors.Comments - I thought the history was a bit different, and did not realize the product was directly imported from China. I thought it went through another country. Overview/commentary of what happened.Related Posts: China's Food Safety UpdateDetails - US Getting more access on China SafetyLabels: china food safety, made in china
Happy Chinese New Year!
Customs for Chinese New Year- In preparation for the New Year the house is cleaned. This is getting rid of the old, and bringing in the new. No cleaning is done New Years Day, since this may sweep away the luck of the New Year since luck is arrives with the New Year.
- The Chinese New Year Eve has a huge feast where all the family gathers. In Taiwan and China, it's a couple of day holiday so forget doing any business those days. Fish is a favorite dish symbolizing prosperity. Dumplings, since they look like gold nuggets is a symbol of prosperity.Chinese restaurants do a great business this day in the US.
- Oranges are for wealth, and tangerines are for good luck, so there will often be a stack of them. Red Apples are also a good luck symbol. Plum Blossoms are a symbol of Spring because they bloom then
- Red Envelopes are given using new money. In the US a favorite is to use $2 bills (yes they do exist). 2, 6, and 8 are considered to be lucky numbers. 4 is avoided, since it's an unlucky number. Red is considered a lucky color and is worn this day.
- New Cloths are often bought for the New Year.
- A hair cut is often gotten for the New Year.
- On New Years Day, everyone is careful on how they act since this is setting an example for the rest of the year (not a good day for an argument). It's a day to be super positive. No ghost stories. Don't break anything.
- Red Decorations (such as the Spring Symbol) are throughout the house. Red is a lucky color.
- Lion Dances are to scare away bad spirits. Fire crackers also do this. The Dragon in a parade is the symbol of strength.
- The Lantern Festival has lanterns in different shapes to scare away evil spirits.
Great references are Good Luck Life: The Essential Guide To Chinese American Celebrations And Culture and New Year in Ping Wei - A Documentary of China - DVD. What is nice about the DVD is it shows a Chinese village and explains the why behind the what they are doing for Chinese New Year. So it has an Uncle writing the Chinese for paper to be put on the wall. What do the Chinese Symbols mean? The DVD is dubbed in English and is very well done. I highly recommend it. Labels: chinese new year
China's Environment
 Great article from the Economist.
 Key Points: - Environmental agency in China is underfunded and it's competitors for agriculture and industry are much more powerful. So wonderful sounding regulations are enacted (sounds great!), but actual implementation is poor.
- Deputy director is Pan Yue, an outspoken green campaigner who is a son-in-law of a famous former general, Liu Huaqing. Shows importance of political/family connections in China. In this case it's a good thing.
- Local environmental agencies are usually focusing on the same goals of local governments (grow the economy at any cost).
- Environmental damage in 2004 may have lowered GDP by 3.05%.
- Picture above of Tiananmen Square shows extent of pollution. For the 2008 Olympics to show China at it's best, factories are to be closed in Beijing.
Labels: china's future, Enironmental
Yang the youngest and his terrible ear
China's Storm - Portent of Change
LA Times has an article about a subject I thought about, but did not blog.
Devastating snow evokes China's stormy history Millions of Chinese are trying to return home in time for Chinese New Year celebrations this week. Natural disasters have helped fell dynasties in centuries past, which may weigh on leaders' minds in the ongoing crisis. Key Points: 1. Historically, natural disasters are seen as omens that a dynasty (ruling class) is not doing a good job, since they are no longer in Heaven's favor. 2. Local government is not as responsive (often incompetent) since they are appointed, not elected. Federal government has limited power domestically due to decentralization ( Emperor is far away). 3. This natural disaster won't be enough by itself to be a threat to the stability of the government by itself. But by happening during Chinese New Years, the most important holiday of the year and the only time many people visit their families it is high profile. Related Information: - Previous Post on Ice Storms in China- Half the Sky is sending updates on the Storm's impact on orphanages in China. If you can donate to help them, it would be great! Labels: China Politics, China's Government, chinese new year
Music Lessons and Chinese Americans
Online Schools for K-12
NY Times article about Online Schools. I have done two masters, and one of them mostly online and the other I physically went to classes. Online has it's place, and with home schooling I can understand how an online class would be a great resource. From reading the article, the online classes require a lot of parental supervision, but are supplying the material over the Internet. My guess is basically by requiring the help of parents, this is similar to one on one tutoring. The ability to go at your own speed is a great incentive, since in a regular class you pretty much have to go at the average of the class. With some students who can go much faster, and others that need additional help. Online classes if designed right can be a great resource for the right student. I also have this view of home schooling that for the right student it can be great. I am amazed by parents who home school their kids. By having everything online I imagine that it's easier to track Grades and Progress of students. The ability to interact with other students in person is something that is missed from the online experience. My daughter, High School Freshman, would probably comment what a great idea! A point of the article is the cost of an online class is lower than a regular class. School funding is a challenging issue. The Study Skills needed for online classes would be the same as a regular class, but without the teacher to motivate students. I would guess more motivation is needed by the student to keep up. Labels: academics, online classes
China's Inflation Hits America
NY Times Article that Inflation in China will have an impact in America. I am already starting to see this on some items we sell, such as . Key Points of the Article: - China's increased demand for raw materials increases costs for all manufacturers.
- China's imports only make up 7.5% of goods bought in the US.
- Chinese imports US Market Share is about 80 percent of toys, 85 percent of footwear, and 40 percent for clothing.
- China manufactures even when not having a major market share, still have price pressure on other people in the same industry.
- Plastic, used heavily in toys, has increased in price 30% due to the price of oil.
- There is an increased cost by manufacturers due to safety testing.
- Wages are increasing in China with labor shortages being reported in some areas.
- China's Government has increased tariffs in some areas as a way to increase businesses focusing on higher margin value items.
- Revealing quote: Nate Herman, director of international trade at the American Apparel and Footwear Association, based in Arlington, Va., that represents some big clothing and footwear makers. “Factories are coming back and asking for 20, 30, 40, 50 percent price increases.”
With my wife's site selling dresses, the Flower Girl Dresses and Holiday Dresses are made in the US. The US garment industry has shrunk due to imports, the only ones I see mostly remaining are places that focus on high end or quick turnarounds with faster changes in fashio. The Chinese QiPao Cheongsam Girl's Dresses and Vietnamese Girl's Dresses - Ao Dai Cuoi are imported and I have started to see price increases. Labels: china economy, chinese dresses
Learning Chinese Reward - A Teenager has his own film
Ice Storms in China
The impact of a severe winter can be seen as millions of travelers have been stranded as they attempt to make their way home for the annual New Years Holiday to the rise in food prices due to destruction of crops. Half The Sky, an organization to help abandoned orphans in China. Estimate of damages is $7.5 Billion and is the worst in 50 years. Two E-Mails I received from Half The Sky (a great foundation I have a lot of respect for) founded by a parent who adopted a child from China and is going to carry the Olympic Torch. Hello again, Welfare institutions in south and central China are having the hardest time dealing with the weather disaster. This part of the country is simply not equipped to deal with extreme cold or heavy snow and ice. The most common critical problems are power outages, lack of safe drinking and cooking water, lack of fuel, diapers and public transportation. In many places where buses have stopped running, our Half the Sky nannies have been walking hours (in one case, 4 hours) along icy roads to get to the children. As conditions worsen, our nannies and teachers are remaining at the institutions day and night. They have given up the idea of going home to their own families for the holidays. They need quilts. They need warm clothing. They need coal, water, disposable diapers and food. Here are the reports I have thus far, while in-flight. I will send more soon. Where you don’t see a report, either all is well or I don’t yet have information. I will tell you when we’ve heard from everyone. We’ve also given all the directors an emergency number to call when/if the situation changes. Hunan Province Chenzhou has had no electricity or water for six days. They are relying on coal for heat and cooking. The supermarkets and banks are closed. Staff is using personal money for baby food, diapers, coal and water. Costs are rising due to shortages. They have a natural well which, thankfully, is not frozen. Even the older children are helping to fetch water. They have perhaps six days of food remaining. The local government is overwhelmed by the disaster and is unable to help much. Shaoyang has seen heavy snow every day for 20 days. There is sufficient water and, for the moment, there is power, so the children are warm. However, 5 of 6 power poles have been downed by weather. Only one stands and the institution fears it will fall as well, leaving them without electricity. Much of the rest of the city is already dark. Children and caregivers continue to work and play together. High school students are cramming for exams and trying to ignore the cold. Everyone prays that the power pole will continue to stand. Yueyang also has no electricity. The one functioning power generator is being used in the children’s dormitory. They are relying on coal heat but the price has tripled in recent days. They are running out of food and have applied to the local Bureau of Civil Affairs for funds to buy more. Our HTS nannies have been walking for hours to get to work, often slipping on the ice, “even though they try to be cautious.” Xiangtan has had snow for the past 10 days. The main water pipe is “broken again.” There is no water for cooking right now but they do have electricity, coal and blankets. They are still able to buy food but prices have gone way up. Not all of the HTS nannies can get to work every day. They are keeping the programs going as well as they can and make sure that at least five nurturing nannies are there with the babies every day, along with the institution’s caregivers. Jiangsu Province Changzhou has seen some heavy snows but the director reports that the children are fine. The director says that he’s doing his best to ensure that the children do not suffer. Public transportation is crippled by the snow and HTS nannies and teachers are waiting for hours to catch a bus for home or even walking home in the snowy dark. Nanjing reports no problems at all despite the heavy snows. I tried to fly into Nanjing yesterday but it was not possible. Anhui Province - Chuzhou has both water and power. Only public transportation has failed. HTS nannies and teachers are walking to work. They are leaving home extra early to be there for the children. Guangxi Province Guilin has two broken HTS heater/air conditioners in the Infant Nurture rooms and they’ve asked us to replace. The rooms are very, very cold. They ask for more soft matting for the floors and also snow boots for our HTS nannies who’ve been slipping and falling in the ice and snow as they come to work. They are so ill-equipped to handle severe weather. Jiangxi Province Fuzhou lost power for a few days but now it is back to normal. The snow stopped a couple of days ago but now is falling again. The directors and HTS staff have gathered all the children into one big room to keep them warm. They’ve bought New Years clothes for the children and will have a party no matter how bad the weather. This year, however, the foster parents will stay home to keep the children safe. The institution has enough food and water. They want us to focus on those in more serious trouble and ask us please not to worry. Jiujiang says they’ve never faced such bitter weather. They desperately need disposable diapers. Washable diapers cannot be dried. They need warm clothes, shoes, gloves hats quilts and warm mats for the floors. They need medicine for infant coughs and colds. Hubei Province Wuhan suffers heavy snows but they still have power. Heaters are working but there is no water for bathing. The local community has offered to take children in for the Chinese New Year and the institution feels this may be the best decision to keep them safe. Huangshi reports that the freeze is so severe that all heater/air conditioners have stopped functioning. They need quilts and warm clothes for the children. They need disposable diapers. Several HTS nannies have fallen on the ice on their way to work and they need medicine to treat cuts and bruises. Gathering these reports together makes me think about how careful we have always been at Half the Sky to maintain our focus on nurture and education programs. Ours is not a medical or relief organization. There are many wonderful groups who do that work. Probably the primary reason we’ve been able to accomplish so much and reach so many children is because we’ve maintained our focus on our core mission -- providing nurturing care for children who’ve lost their families.. But a moment like this really cannot be ignored. The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina in the US taught us that no matter how wealthy a country might be, its vulnerable citizens (old, poor, ill, and orphaned children) are the ones who suffer most when disaster strikes. Even as China seems to be entering the first world, a disaster like this is quite simply crippling. We know that orphaned children will be among those who suffer the damage most. I say this because I think we should break one of Half the Sky’s rules and, if there are sufficient funds raised in the Little Mouse Emergency Fund, we should offer relief (water, food, diapers, quilts, clothing) to any orphanage where children need help. Let’s see how this goes. If people are as generous as I think they might be, we will work with the provincial Bureaus of Civil Affairs in every hard-hit community, and offer assistance to all welfare institutions where there is need. Please lend a hand, however you can. You can donate to the Little Mouse Emergency Fund by calling us in the US at +1-510-525-3377 or in Asia at can click on “Donate Now” download a form to mail or fax. Donations are tax-deductible in US, Canada and Hong Kong. Please forward this message and tell your friends and family. I will be back with an update very, very soon. Thank you! Jenny Jenny Bowen Executive Director Half the Sky Foundation Half the Sky was created in order to enrich the lives and enhance the prospects for orphaned children in China. We establish and operate infant nurture and preschool programs, provide personalized learning for older children and establish loving permanent family care and guidance for children with disabilities. It is our goal to ensure that every orphaned child has a caring adult in her life and a chance at a bright future. Dear friends, Greetings from Beijing. Every year at this time we send you a note celebrating and welcoming the Lunar New Year. This year, the Year of the Mouse, promises prosperity (we hope!) and good fortune and there should be plenty to celebrate. But in these days leading up to the holiday the weather has dealt China a heavy blow. YouÂ’ve probably heard about the millions of workers stranded all over the country, struggling to return home to their families for the Spring Festival Holiday. But I donÂ’t know if you know how rough these days are for our children in welfare institutions, who, of course, have no families to go home to. You wonÂ’t read about them in the news. Despite power outages and downed phone lines, our Beijing staff has been reaching out to all Half the Sky orphanages by whatever means possible. WeÂ’ve reached all but five. In some places, conditions are pretty grim. WeÂ’ve managed to get word to all of our sites that we are going to do whatever it takes to get the children the help they need. I am asking for your help. Today Half the Sky launches the “Little Mouse Emergency Fund” to help the institutions purchase what they need to get through this disaster. If there are funds left over when the weather clears and services are restored, we will take the balance and help each site establish a store of emergency provisions so that this never happens again. You can give to the Little Mouse Emergency Fund by clicking “Donate Now” on our website. Please note in the “Special Instructions to Half the Sky” that your gift is for the Little Mouse Emergency Fund. I am trying to get on an airplane right now (even airports are crazy!) but I will write more details about the needs and conditions in individual orphanages as I fly. Will send more just as soon as I can. I'd be very grateful if you'd forward this message to others who you think might care about the children. Please be safe and warm and wellÂ…. Love and thanks, Jenny Jenny Bowen Executive Director Half the Sky Foundation Half the Sky was created in order to enrich the lives and enhance the prospects for orphaned children in China. We establish and operate infant nurture and preschool programs, provide personalized learning for older children and establish loving permanent family care and guidance for children with disabilities. It is our goal to ensure that every orphaned child has a caring adult in her life and a chance at a bright future. Labels: china economy, chinese Adoption
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