December, 2007

A damning report – Chinese parents favor foreign-brand toys – has recently revealed that middle-class parents in China are shunning Chinese toys in favour of foreign brand names.

Hot on the heels of the recent lead paint scandal which rocked the Chinese toy industry, the report by the Associated Press showed that parents aren't willing to take chances with Chinese toys.

Indeed, more and more parents are turning away from traditional wooden toys and buying their children Danish Lego blocks, American Barbie dolls and Transformer figures from Japan. It's not something that's happening on a small scale, either- in many of Beijing's mall toy stores, foreign toy labels take up far more shelf space than the home-grown brands.

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Did you know that every colour has an ‘inner’ colour? This reflective or ‘opposite’ colour can be seen on photo negatives… it’s when our blue jeans magically appear orange. Try the example above – what colour does bright red become? (Answer following, but don’t cheat!)

First, stare at the black dot in the centre of the red square for 20 seconds, without moving your eyes. Then move your eyes to the white square and stare at the black dot there. Hey presto! Inner colour revealed!

You can practise seeing reflective colours with your friends. Tack sheets of coloured paper on a wall with a sheet of white paper in between each colour. Draw a small black dot in the centre of each page. Now, choose a colour and stare at its dot for 20 seconds then move to the white sheet next to it. Keep staring at the white sheet and the reflective colour will miraculously appear!

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As of this blog post, it’s only a short time  until Santa sneaks into Beijing, his sack stuffed with splendid treats for good little boys and girls. Lucky the Good Children List has now gone on the world wide web, otherwise how on earth would Santa know how to find expat kids living in Beijing?

Santa appears to many Western kids in a red, fur trimmed suit bursting at the seams, but this image is a relatively new incarnation. The modern day version of the jolly Santa Claus who whisks across the star-sprinkled skies in his sleigh, is believed to be an amalgamation of images brought to life in the early 19th Century. Writer Clement Clarke Moore in The Night Before Christmas described Santa dressed from head to foot in fur, with a jelly belly, cherry-like nose and a beard white as snow. He also gave Santa eight reindeer (can you name them all? answer below) and even devised his chimney deliveries.

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It's getting to that time of the year to dig the decorations out of the closet and dress up the holly! But before you start decking out your tree, you probably need to buy one first. And where can you buy a Christmas tree in Beijing?

Fake Trees:

Alien Street Market
Laofanjie Shichang, Yabao Lu (south of Fulllink Plaza), Chaoyang District.
老番街市场, 朝阳区雅宝路

Beijing Wantong Market
Trees here range from RMB 40-280.
2 Fuchengmenwai Dajie, Xicheng District. (6804 6283)
北京万通批发市场地址：阜成门外大街2号

Hongqiao Market
Prices range from approximately RMB 40-100. Daily 8.30am-7pm. 36 Hongqiao Lu, Chongwen District. (6713 3354)
红桥市场, 崇文区红桥路36号

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Spring Festival wouldn’t be Spring Festival without fireworks any less than positing Christmas without presents, or Halloween without candy. But come the Lunar New Year, our fair city descends into cacophonous chaos when the fireworks start flying.

Of course I’m all for free-wheeling festivities, but the older I get, the thinner my threshold becomes for things that go bang in the night (and that especially applies to our amorous upstairs neighbors).

This is why I fully support this piece of news concerning the ban of fireworks around Olympic venues. The city, it would seem, is smarting from the fire that flared up in the Olympic ping pong venue at the Peking University Gymnasium this past July, and have banned fireworks sellers from setting up shop within 100 meters of Beijing’s 31 Olympic venues. 

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In many an expat’s home country, teens are keen to begin their working life quite early – usually through odd jobs or part time roles that pad out the pocket money. Beginning work in this way not only gives young people valuable work experience, it also teaches them commitment and responsibility, and enhances their social and networking skills. The cash flow injection is a nice bonus, too.

Working in China, however, may be a little tricky for many teens. Language issues are not the only barrier – the logistics of working for Chinese companies may not suit many expats, and the battle for work in this town is clearly dominated by the masses of Chinese graduates seeking work after school or university. Then there’s the ayi barrier – many jobs normally filled by teens are absorbed by this ubiquitous and multi-skilled house manager.

So. How can ex-pat teens join the workforce here in Beijing without complications or treading on ayi’s toes? Here are some ideas.

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I’ve always thought that my name has had a direct influence on me. I mean, title dictates behavior, and over the years that a lot of my actions would have been different if my parents would have had the guts to call me by their second choice: Barnaby. Yes, that’s right, Barnaby Fowler would have been a much different creature to the one I am today.

Barney would have been a lovable, perhaps slightly dimwitted fellow. Would he have been taller? Thought of as more dependable guy? More attractive to the opposite sex? Who can say, but I am a firm believer in this notion, and I do find myself thinking about it quite a lot.

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While taking a decidedly low-key vacation with my family in sunny Los Angeles, I found a few hours yesterday to channel surf through some mind-numbing American daytime TV. Being on the verge of fatherhood, I could not help but stop on the local PBS affiliate to check out Sesame Street, the long-running children's television program known around the world for its numerically and alphabetically-obsessed anthropomorphic animals.

It was much the same as I remember it, and I was amazed to see some of the veteran actors, including Maria and Gordon, still at it after all these years. On the other hand, some of the newer characters – i.e. Elmo – lost me; and I couldn't help but notice the differences in the new voices of the muppets (Kermit the Frog, Ernie) once voiced by the late creator Jim Henson – I'm old school like that.

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Pregnancy is a precious time in a woman’s life. It’s also a unique opportunity to explore your mind, spirit and body, and the growth of a new life.

Prenatal yoga is specially designed for the pregnant ladies. It helps with circulation of body and concentration of mind, reduces tension and backpain, and soothes the mood. Robyn Wexler, a full-time yoga teacher at Yoga Yard introduces here a few movements that can be easily practiced at home:

Baddha Konasana (Cobbler’s Pose or Bound Angle Pose):
Appropriate for 1, 2 & 3 trimester

Pose:
Bend knees outward and bring soles of feet together. Bring feet in close to pelvic floor. You can rest your knees on blocks here if you find it more comfortable. Inhale and lengthen your spine. Exhale and relax shoulders and thigh.

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