Blogs

As a California native, what to do in the event of an earthquake has been engrained into my head since I could remember. But now that I’ve lived out of California for a few years, those safety precautions have been pushed to the back of my mind. The recent earthquake here in Beijing was a good reminder that it doesn’t matter where you are because earthquakes can happen anywhere at anytime. Therefore, brushing up on general rules for safety can never be a bad idea.

Former United Nations Disaster Mitigation expert Doug Copp and current Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of theAmerican Rescue Team International (ARTI) gives these tips for earthquake safety:

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In wake of the recent earthquake in Sichuan, Beijingers can help victims by donating supplies, money and giving blood. 

Drop off donations (see below list) at the Bookworm Beijing by 4pm on Saturday, May 17th.   The supplies will be sent to The Bookworm Chengdu.

As advised by the Chinese Red Cross, they are collecting emergency donations only of:

TENTS
DRIED FOOD
PRACTICAL CLOTHES
QUILTS
EMERGENCY BLANKETS
MONEY FOR WATER AND MEDICINE

All collected donations will be sent to The Bookworm Chengdu on Saturday 17th May.
For Beijing:
Please drop off all donations by
4pm on SATURDAY 17th MAY
Call Alex or Jenny on 132 6421 746

The Bookworm

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According to local media, Beijing's Municipal Health Bureau announced (original in Chinese here) that between Jan 1 and May 12 this year, there have been 3,606 cases of hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) and one case of someone dying from the disease. They stress that the main cause of the fatality is that the child was not taken to a hospital in time to receive medical attention. There was also one other death from HFMD in Beijing, but, because the patient traveled from Hebei to Beijing for treatment, Beijing’s health authorities are not including the death in Beijing’s statistics. Currently Chaoyang, Fengtai and Changping are the three districts with the most cases of the disease.

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In a U.S. report, Sweden has been rated as "the best place to be a mother in the world.” Although vague, this study sought to find out where mothers fare best and face the greatest hardship. Countries in the top ten included Norway, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, Finland, Ireland, Germany and France.

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When I see twins in the street—I usually do a double-take, no pun intended. But how about seeing a thousand pairs of them! At the Fourth Mojiang International Twins Festival held during May 1-3, over a thousand pairs of twins from China and overseas gathered in Mojiang County, southwest China’s Yunnan Province to celebrate this special festival for twins.

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When I first arrived in Beijing, the word hua sheng 花生, or peanut, became the most important word in my vocabulary. I am severely allergic to peanuts, and China is a particularly dangerous place for someone who suffers from a peanut allergy. Not only are peanuts prevalent in most dishes, but waiters just don’t seem to grasp the gravity of the situation.  

When I order food I say, “I don’t eat peanuts,” or “I am allergic to peanuts,” but invariably, the dish will still have peanuts lurking inside, although considerably fewer peanuts than usual. I’ve taken to saying in Chinese, “If I eat peanuts, I will die,” and this request, although extreme, seems to get the point across. 

It makes sense that Chinese people are often baffled by my peanut allergy. It’s estimated that three million people in the United States are allergic to peanuts, yet China has virtually no peanut allergy. 

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Marianne is just a few days away from being 100 days old, and here in China, baby benchmarks like these means lots of quaint customs: eating fish and chicken (according to this site, rubbing a cooked chicken tongue on your baby’s lips will make him a “good talker”); shaving your baby’s hair to make a calligraphy brush; and when she turns a year old, having her grab an object from a selection of different items (i.e. a pen, coins, an official seal and toys) in a ceremony known as zhua zhou (抓周) to help eager parents foresee their child’s future career path.

We’re not sure yet how we will celebrate, but my wife has already booked a photographer, a baby hair calligraphy brush company, and a chop maker who will make a seal out of the shriveled remains of Marianne’s umbilical cord (the latter, is apparently all the rage these days with Chinese parents).

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I know, I know – this blog is a little early, but if you have a house similar to our house, reminders need to start popping up like daisies NOW. It takes weeks before the pop-up reminders are even noticed, so here’s hoping this blog strikes even one wakeful dad on the noggin.

If you’re from Spain, Belarus or the UK, you’ve had your turn. Stand back and make way for the rest of us. Mothers from Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malawi, Netherlands, New Zealand, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Turkey and the United States – unite!

Pounce on the silk frocks, stake your baubles at the jeweller, peg your antique armoire at Panjiayuan. Leave surreptitious notes or luxury ads torn from magazines in easy-to-spot places (through the loops of beer can lids for Dad, in the ice cream section of the freezer for the kids). Flaunt your bare, diamond-less earlobes. Scatter business cards from the best hotels in Beijing, offering the most luscious high teas and overnight packages, and leave the ice bucket conspicuously empty on the kitchen counter. Dream big, girl – BIG!

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Another week, another thing to freak out about... the recent BPA (bisphenol A) health scare which has resulted in calls for the banning of plastic baby bottles containing this potentially cancer causing synthetic hormone that leaches out of certain plastics when heated, is creating angst and anxiety for parents the world over. 

A recent report by the Environmental Health Fund has cited such major retailers as Walmart and Toys ‘R Us selling bottles that leach this chemical, which can cause “damage to reproductive, neurological and immune systems during critical stages of development, such as infancy and in the womb.

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A week's worth of food for the average Chinese family.

I’ve found that since moving to China, one of the things I miss the most about home (the United States, for me) is the food. My best friend is Bulgarian, and she longs for dishes with grape leaves, goat cheese, fresh salads and certain Bulgarian spices. My American male friends crave, among other things, good Mexican food, steaks, cold cuts for making sandwiches, food from Wendy’s and Taco Bell, while my friend from India misses authentic sambar, puri and chaat. Most foreigners in Beijing can find some kind of semblance to their favorite foods from home, but somehow, it just doesn’t taste the same. 

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