Happy Birthday Mollie!

Wishing Mollie from Alaska a very Happy Birthday today!!

Weblogging for Parents

The New York Times ran an interesting article about parents weblogging about their children.

Today's parents—older, more established and socialized to voicing their emotions—may be uniquely equipped to document their children's' lives, but what they seem most likely to complain and marvel about is their own. The baby blog in many cases is an online shrine to parental self-absorption.

China Related TV

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.

Beautiful China

Red Lanterns

An adorable picture from People's Daily Online.

National treasures on display in Beijing

Some photos from the national treasures display in Beijing.

An exhibition will be held in the National Museum of China in Beijing from Feb. 1 to March 31 to display 90 national treasures which were exhibited in France during the Culture Year of China last year.

News

A Coffee War Heats Up in China: The Chinese coffee market is expected to grow by 70 percent in total sales volume between 2003 and 2008 to reach 11,073 tons.

China rounds up, beats mourners for deposed leader Zhao: China has detained dozens of people, some of whom have been severely beaten, for trying to mark the death of former leader Zhao Ziyang, witnesses said.

Guangdong Becomes China's Most Populous Region: Guangdong Province, one of the economic powerhouse in China, has replaced central Henan Province to become the most populous region in the country. Guangdong's total population hit 110 million for the first time in its history. The figure includes 79 million registered permanent residents and 31 million migrants.

News

Pro-Daughter Policies to be Extended in Guangzhou: Guangzhou's Population and Family Planning Bureau said on Wednesday that favorable education and healthcare policies for families with daughters will be rolled out across the southern city later this year.

China rediscovers Russian legacy: Chinese entrepreneurs have created a mock Russian village in the town of Harbin, once a Russian outpost in north-eastern China.

Tibetan monk 'broken' by China: A Tibetan monk imprisoned by China for nearly three years can no longer walk or speak clearly, according to US-based Human Rights Watch.

News

China fears Everest is shrinking: China is to re-measure the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest, because of fears it may be shrinking.

Chinese Among the World's Top-five Fast Food Fans: Ninety-seven percent of customers on the Chinese mainland dine at fast food restaurants, putting China in the top five out of the 28 markets recently surveyed by pollster company AC Neilson.

China market fruitful for whisky: Whisky sales in China increased by 137% in less than 12 months.

7,000-year-old Village Found in Ningbo: The Ningbo Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology announced this month that, after a 4-month excavation of 725 square meters, they have confirmed the discovery of a 7,000-year-old village of the early Hemudu culture.

Finding China at Target

Target.com has a large number "Global Bazaar" items that are Inspired by China (13 pages to select from!). The Foo Dog book ends are my favorite! (Make sure you get a left and right set.)

News

Daring Young 'Monks' Sell Trinkets With Greatest of Ease: The bald man in a monk's flowing robe pounded a drum, and a dull, rising beat echoed through the darkened streets with a promise of something in short supply in this grim, isolated town: entertainment. [NYT: free reg. req.]

Remains of Ten Thousand Year Old Rice: The discovery of the remains of cultivated rice dating back ten thousand years proves that the downstream area of the Changjiang River, where the Shangshan site is located, is one of the earliest places in the world where grain cultivation was a way of life.

Seven social problems hinder China: Seven social problems, including loss of farmland and a widening financial gap between rural and urban areas, are hindering the development of China.

Local Story

Lessons in Chinese: On a beautiful spring morning in Hangzhou, China, a small group of Americans laden with baby bags and diapers maneuvered through a flood of bicycles to get to the registrar's office. In a few hours, they would walk out of that cramped little building as parents.

[The article has a nice photo-gallery. If you are asked to register, you may use "canews" as the username and "canews2" as the password.]

China Related TV

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.

Stamps

Stamps issued to mark tsunami relief: The State Post Bureau of China issued special stamps Friday commemorating tsunami relief in southand southeast Asia.

News

Power Shortage Causes Blackouts Nationwide: Twenty-one Chinese provincial power grids have been obliged to impose blackouts since this January as a result of the surging demand for power caused by the cold winter and rapid economic growth.

China Launches Health Education Program to Reduce Chronic Diseases: China launched a massive health education program Friday in a bid to curb the fast increase of non-communicable diseases in the country. About 160 million Chinese suffer from hypertension. Meanwhile, more than 20 million Chinese have diabetes and about 200 million are overweight.

Post Office Set up in Antarctica: China resumed a post office at the Great Wall Station in Antarctica at 5 pm Beijing time on Friday. This is the first time in the past two decades that mail from China has been delivered to Antarctica. People can now send a letter or a post card to China's Antarctic Great Wall Station from any post office in Beijing and the Great Wall Post Office will send it back postmarked: China Antarctic Great Wall Station Post Office.

Iraq Insurgents Say They Have Freed 8 Chinese Hostages: Insurgents in Iraq said they released eight Chinese hostages on Saturday. A man with his face covered by a traditional checkered headdress shook hands with each of them before they walked off camera. The speaker on the tape said they were being released.

Local Story

Our Lovely Lily: It seems impossible to believe that this time last year, 23-month-old Lily Xin Hao Min wasn't a part of her mum and dad's life. The bubbly toddler has transformed Alison and Andrew Bernard's lives by making their 15- year dream for a child a reality.

Beautiful China

Pandas

Pandas' prospects improve in China: Endangered giant pandas have boosted their numbers in the wild by almost half in just a few years thanks to enlarged habitat and improved ecosystems.

Local Story

Rio Rancho family embarks on Chinese adoption: About the only two words that Theresa Yamasaki now knows how to say in Chinese is "xie xie." Before the end of the year, however, Yamasaki will know how to say a lot more than thank you in Chinese. If she wants to adopt a child from China, she'll have to become more accustomed to the language.

Looking through Chinese Glasses

Treasure Mountain Consulting teaches businesses to "wear Chinese glasses."

Respect comes from knowing why Chinese are like they are. Many Westerners think all they need is a long list of cultural dos and don'ts, tips and techniques on everything from how to give gifts to who sits where at dinner, negotiating contracts to making invitations. Such tips are important, but unless you know why you should make such changes to your normal behavior you often only change part way.

News

China's greying population: But basically it does seem clear right now that China is in the midst of a demographic boom where there's a bulge of young people and that bulge is going to get older and older.

Forests Growing in China: China's total forested area increased by 16.0 million hectares from 2000 to 2003 to reach 175 million hectares, the State Forestry Administration announced in Beijing.

Chinese workers abducted in Iraq: Eight Chinese nationals have been abducted in Iraq, the Chinese embassy in Baghdad has confirmed.

Family Web Page

Our China Adoptions

Hi, we are Jeff and Lisa from Tennessee (Go Vols!). We have 4 wonderful kids. We adopted our youngest, Alexandra, from China in December 2003. She has been a true blessing to each and every member of our family.

News

Zhao's Death Presents Dilemma for China: While he lived, China's Communist Party considered ousted leader Zhao Ziyang such a potent threat that it kept him under house arrest for 15 years.

Chinese media muted on Zhao death: The death of purged Communist Party leader Zhao Ziyang has received only limited coverage in Chinese media.

China stands firm on Tiananmen: China has ruled out reassessing its handling of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, following the death of ousted Communist leader Zhao Ziyang.

Timeline—China: A chronology of key events.

News

Chinese reformer Zhao Ziyang dies: China's purged Communist Party leader Zhao Ziyang has died at the age of 85, after suffering a series of strokes. Zhao had been under house arrest since the crushing of pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Demand for KFC Soaring in China: China's relentless appetite for the colonel's chicken has KFC on a building boom in the world's most populous country, with 1,200 locations, soaring profits and a menu that mixes in bamboo shoots and lotus roots.

'Go West' Campaign to Accelerate: A senior cabinet official has said that China will continue to invest huge sums into its western region over the next five years to develop it into a magnet for both domestic and overseas investors.

Private library changes people's reading habits: In Britain, 58% of people have a library card. In China, only less than half a percent of the population has library cards. Every 2,000 Americans share a library. In China, the figure is 800,000.

China Related TV

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.

Beautiful China

News

China tightens Tiananmen security: A thousand policemen are to be deployed every morning on Beijing's Tiananmen Square to escort visitors to the flag-raising ceremony. The new rules may be designed to prevent any dawn protests on the square.

Face value a big consideration for Chinese: The idea that Chinese are very concerned with mianzi, or "face," may seem a tired stereotype, but a recent survey shows it has much validity. Over 80 percent of the 1,030 people queried by Beijing Sci-tech Report in a study released last week said that face was an important consideration in their lives.

Gambling with Public Funds Faces Crackdown: Party and government officials and heads of companies who misappropriate public funds for gambling are major targets of a government crackdown on gambling along China's borders.

Migrant Workers Call the Shots: China's migrant workers -- usually rural residents who travel to the cities to find work -- numbered about 99 million in 2003. Still, in 2004 Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang provinces began to suffer from a shortage of labor.

Local Stories

Library, language center help Chinese adoptees hold onto heritage: Far from the crowded streets of Beijing and Guangzhou, a few baby girls now lay their heads to rest in Solana Beach. Laurel Burrows and her husband, Rick, adopted little Zoey in September 2003.

Kingston couple travels around the globe to adopt baby girl: The world is a frightening and dangerous place for orphaned children, but less so now for a baby girl adopted from China by a Kingston couple. Doug and Lori Peck describe their trip to China in early November to adopt the 15-month-old child they would name "Michelle," as an unforgettable adventure and experience.

Giant Jack

Giant Jack

From the beginning, Jack was different-much bigger than his sisters and far too clumsy to join in their games. His sisters are always laughing at him. But when Mother Mouse explains to Jack that his difference is what makes him so special to her, Jack is transformed. Happy and confident, he loves being big and strong, and his sisters discover just how great it is to have a brother like Giant Jack. Comical pictures illustrate this comforting story that will reassure adopted children and any youngster who has ever felt "different."

[I thought the book was okay. Might want to check it out from the library. -- Walter]

News

59% Americans have favorable opinion of China: American attitudes toward China have improved significantly over the last 10 years, according to a survey released by the Committee of 100, an organization of prominent American citizens of Chinese descent.

China to build expressway between Beijing, Taipei: Chinese Minister Zhang Chunxian of Communications revealed Thursday that the country is planning to build an expressway between the capital city of Beijing and Taipei.

China Finds Widespread Cheating on Reports: China's inspection of audits of 181 major state companies' financial reports found widespread cases of incomplete reporting, serious asset losses and outright fabrications.

Fierce mammal ate dinos for lunch: An astonishing new fossil unearthed in China has overturned the accepted view about the relationship between dinosaurs and early mammals.

A different point of view . . .

What Kind of Future For Adoptees Taken Abroad?: The growing enthusiasm to adopt children in need from Asian countries has troubled me since a return trip from China a few months ago.

Mulan II

Mulan 2 is available for pre-order from Amazon.com for $20.99 (DVD). It ships on February 1, 2005.

With less drama and more slapstick than its predecessor, Disney's Mulan II continues the animated saga of the young Chinese heroine, Fa Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, sung by Lea Salonga). The story picks up one month after Mulan has saved her country through bravery and determination. Revered by all, she now returns to her village and becomes engaged to General Li Shang. Wedding plans must wait, however, when the Emperor assigns the couple to a secret mission to escort his three princess daughters across China where their arranged marriages to waiting princes will secure an alliance with a rival kingdom and save China from invasion. Meanwhile, Mulan's wise-cracking guardian dragon, Mushu (voiced by Mark Moseley), realizes that if Mulan's marriage takes place, he is out of a job and so he undertakes his "18-phase master plan" of relationship sabotage to breakup the happy couple. Most of the film's jokes come from Moseley's Mushu (as quick-witted as Eddie Murphy's earlier performance), while a trio of prankish soldiers provide additional comic relief. While the film's overall effort is not as sensational as the original, it offers solid family entertainment, healthy female role models, and a handful of catchy songs. (Ages 6 and older)

News

China's leader shows his stripes: More than two years on, Mr Hu has proved himself to be more tiger than horse, taking on Mr Jiang and pushing him aside, then showing his true political colours by cracking down on dissent and squaring up fiercely to Taiwan.

China closes market for pirated goods: The closure of Beijing's famed "Silk Market" is a metaphor for China's handling of U.S. objections to its weak protection of copyrights, patents and trademarks.

China jumps to be world third largest trader: China registered a 35.7 per cent surge in foreign trade last year, accounting for US$1.15 trillion exchanged, to become the world's third largest trading power behind the United States and Germany.

DNA Could Help Solve Ancient Equine Mysteries: An archaeological project will be carried out to conduct a DNA analysis on a dozen horse skeletons unearthed from ancient burial tombs in Shaanxi, an inland province in Northwest China.

China's Lost Girls

National Geographic's DVD China's Lost Girls is available for pre-order at Amazon.com for $13.99. It ships March 1, 2005.

Political Cartoon

This political cartoon, entitled, "The One Child Unemployed" has a mother taking care of a teen-aged son asking, "Aren't you ever going to leave the nest?"

News

Pollution Worsens in China's Seas: A total of 169,000 square kilometers failed to reach the standard of clean water, an increase of 16.0 percent from the previous year. The most heavily polluted areas were concentrated along the coastline, including Bohai Bay and the mouth of the Yangtze River.

China 'ready for Taiwan flights': A delegation of Taiwanese opposition legislators says China has agreed to the first direct charter flights between Taiwan and the mainland.

China Related TV

China Sprout posts a much-appreciated weekly guide for China Related TV listings.

Culture

Mystery of Ancient Carvings Lives On: Tucked away in the depth of Beishan Mountain of Zhongwei County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Damaidi is one of the country's enduring mysteries. Thousands of years ago people carved hundreds of symbols into rocks. Who were they, and why did they painstakingly carve petroglyphs of animals and other figures?

Bringing Kunqu Opera to Life on Campuses: Chinese college students, traditional Kunqu opera will no longer be just a description in a textbook, but a part of campus life. This year, the Ministry of Culture has required each of the country's seven professional Kunqu theatres to give 20 free public performances at Chinese colleges yearly.

In pictures—Harbin ice festival: Thousands of visitors are flocking to China's Heilongjiang province for the 21st International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin.

Tibetan language website launched: A Tibetan language website (www.qh-tibetan.com) on Tibetan culture and progress in areas inhabited by Tibetan people opened recently in Qinghai Province, a multi-ethnic area in northwest China.

Regions and territories—Tibet: Tibet, a remote and strongly-Buddhist territory known as the "roof of the world", is governed as an autonomous region of China.

News

Wealthy Chinese Kids Have Worse Nutrition: A Chinese study has found that children from wealthy families are more likely to suffer bad nutrition than those from low-income homes, partly because they eat more fast food.

Smog enveloped Hong Kong for a fifth of 2004: Hong Kong's pollution problem worsened markedly in 2004 with the city cloaked in choking smog for 65 days throughout the year.

Shanghai Farmers Richest in China: According to the statistics released by Shanghai Municipal Agricultural Administration, the per capita annual income of Shanghai farmers amounted to 7,300 yuan (US$880) last year. (That's $2.40 a day!)

A Divide China Must Conquer: To understand today's China, it is necessary to look beyond the unfathomable ebb and flow of 1.3 billion people. It is only by studying the few that it is possible to grasp what is happening to the overwhelming many—like Yu Jikui, a porter whose slight by a passer-by set off riots in Wanzhou; or the young Yang Shan, whose parents both work in distant cities; or the developer Zhang Yuchen, who built a castle fit for Marie Antoinette where 800 farmers once grew wheat. [NYT: free reg. req.]

Beautiful China

Stamps

The USPS is taking preorders for the Lunar New year reissue of all 12 stamps in the series.

(Thanks Roy from PAC!)

News

China to make sex-selective abortions a crime: China is to outlaw the selective abortion of female fetuses to correct an imbalance in the ratio of boys to girls that has grown since the one-child policy was introduced more than 20 years ago.

China's suicide bridge sentinel: A bridge in eastern China that had become a notorious suicide spot has seen a dramatic reduction of deaths in the last year, after one man began voluntarily patrolling it.

Local Story

Long road to adoptions: Heather, now headteacher at The Drive Community Primary School in Felling, adopted her from an orphanage in Shenzhen, southern China. Ella was just 16 months old when they first met, an emotional experience that will stay with Heather for ever.

China's 1.3 Billionth Baby

China welcomes 1.3 billionth citizen: A baby boy, China's 1.3 billionth citizen, was born at 0:02 Thursday in a Beijing hospital. "Both mother and son are in good condition."

It's a Boy as China Marks 1.3 Billionth Person: China named the first baby born at a Beijing hospital Thursday as the 1.3 billionth person of the world's most populous nation, more than two decades after a one-child policy was introduced to keep its numbers in check. [NYT: Reg. Req.]

China to continue population control efforts: China will continue its population control policy in a long period to come though it has become a low birth rate country, the State Commission for Population and Family Planning said Wednesday.

Reining in World's Largest Population: Official recognition that "The Day of 1.3 Billion" has arrived gives a small cause for celebration. China reached this much vaulted figure four years later than predicted.

Population policy coming of age: . . . All this shows the expertise of policy-makers to strike a balance between population growth, human needs and China's long-term social development.

Population Editorial

This editorial cartoon is from China Daily. It shows an over-sized plane labeled "China" and asks, "Can't we fly any higher?" The answer is "No way! Too many passengers!"

Local Story

Babies from same orphanage adopted by Stratham neighbors: Stratham residents Joe and Melissa Mastin lived within walking distance of Kevin Stickney and his wife, Michelle Dunklee, but the couples had never met. Both families had been working for more than a year with the same Brookline, Mass., adoption agency, China Adoption with Love, and had completed the application process. They first met last fall at a meeting of the Seacoast China Families Support Group while waiting for babies to be referred to them.

Local Story

China trips build family in Manalapan: Pamela and Rich Stockwell moved to Manalapan from South Carolina just over three years ago. At the time, the Stockwells were a family of three with a daughter they had adopted in China. Now, with the adoption of two more Chinese babies, the family has grown to include two 5-year-olds and one 14-month-old.

Who's Your Daddy -- Lot's of Bad Press

'Who's Your Daddy?' is a ratings dud: Television viewers gave a collective shrug to Fox's attempt to turn a daughter's search for her birth father into a game show.

Fox's Daddy Doesn't Draw Crowd: Fox's much-maligned Who's Your Daddy reality special was no match for "Who's your top college-football team?" -- the Nokia Sugar Bowl Monday night -- or Fear Factor on NBC, or Still Standing on CBS, for that matter.

Fox reaches a new low with 'Daddy' show: The process of helping any child grow into a caring and confident adult is hard enough. But to do so in an ever-coarser culture where a person's deep psychological or physical needs are fodder for a game show? It's almost too hideous to contemplate.

Tibet

Buddha's Warriors: The Story of the CIA-Backed Tibetan Freedom Fighters, the Chinese Communist Invasion, and the Ultimate Fall of Tibet has received very positive reviews from Amazon.com:

Buddha's Warriors is the first book that brings to life Tibet before the Chinese communist invasions and depicts the transition of peaceful monks to warriors with the help of the CIA. . . . Set in a narrative framework but relying heavily on the oral transcripts of the Tibetan men who actually fought the Chinese, Buddha's Warriors tells, for the first time, the inside story of these historic developments, while drawing a vivid picture of Tibetan life before, during, and after Mao's takeover. The firsthand accounts, gathered by the author over a period of seven years, bring faces and deeply personal emotions to the forefront of this ongoing tragedy. It is a saga of brave soldiers and cowardly traitors. It's about hope against desolation, courage against repression, atheism against Buddhism. Above all, it's about what happens to an ancient civilization when it is thrust overnight into the modern horrors of twentieth-century warfare.

Fodor's Beijing and Shanghai

Fodor has published a new travel guide for Beijing and Shanghai:

Hike to the top of the Great Wall, sample the street life on a riverfront boulevard, watch the sun set over the Forbidden City, spear a steamed pork dumpling or be soothed in Suzhou's age-old sculpted gardens—Fodor's Beijing & Shanghai, 1st Edition offers all these experiences and more! Our local writers have traveled throughout these cities to find the best hotels, restaurants, attractions and activities to prepare you for a journey of stunning variety. Before you leave for China's fastest growing cities, be sure to pack your Fodor's guide to ensure you don't miss a thing. With a glossary of Chinese phrases, and essays on Chinese culture, this guide is a must for any trip.

News

Renovated Shanghai Concert Hall to Mark Its 75th Birthday: The Shanghai Concert Hall is gearing up to celebrate its 75th birthday by unveiling a new logo early this month, just three months after its striking return with an almost full concert schedule for the new year.

Confusion Still Reigns Over Road Rules: Local implementation of widely debated national traffic laws went into effect in Beijing this month. According to the regulations, drivers of all motor vehicles in the capital will be liable to pay compensation to pedestrians or cyclists with whom they are involved in accidents. This is regardless of who was at fault.

Size of China's Aid Marks a Policy Shift, but Is Still Dwarfed by That of Richer Countries: China's response to the tsunami disaster is showing the nation's limitations as an aspiring superpower, despite its new and growing influence in Asia. [NYT reg. req.]

Chinese Cinderella

Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society, by Adeline Yen Mah:

Born into a family of wealth and privilege in 1940s Shanghai, Chinese Cinderella (CC) is sheltered from the harsh brutalities of the Japanese invasion in China. But after enduring abuse at the hands of her cruel stepmother, CC seeks refuge at a martial-arts school and joins a secret dragon society. There, under the guidance of Grandma Wu, she trains with a trio of orphaned acrobats and is introduced to the exciting world of espionage as a part of the Chinese Resistance movement. And when CC and her new comrades take on a daring mission to rescue a crew of American airmen, they prove that true bravery knows no age barrier.

Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society is a compelling blend of martial-arts adventure and historical fiction. With honesty and compassion, New York Times best-selling author Adeline Yen Mah has written a triumphant novel reminding us that children can overcome tragic circumstances and create their destiny.

News

A Village Grows Rich Off Its Main Export—Its Daughters: There are two kinds of families in this village: the relatively rich, who live in tiled villas with air-conditioning, and those who still hunt in the wooded hills with bow and arrow and send their sons off to become Buddhist monks when there are too many mouths to feed. . . More and more these days, relative prosperity is tied to which families have daughters, many of whom go to Thailand and Malaysia to work in brothels. [NYT reg. req.]

Chinese Mainland Population to Reach 1.3 Billion: The population in Chinese mainland is expected to reach 1.3 million on January 6, according to a prediction the National Bureau of Statistics.

Chinese Cars May Be Coming to U.S. Roads: The man who brought the Yugo and Subaru to this country and built a gull-wing sports car bearing his name has a new project: selling low-cost Chinese-made cars in the United States. [NYT reg. req.]

Tonight on Fox Magazine

This Sunday's edition of FOX Magazine:

The touching story of a 13-time Grammy Award-winning musician who changed his life by adopting children from another country. For more information, visit: www.shaohannahshope.org

The show airs at 11pm ET/10pm CT and 8pm PT.

New Years Fireworks in Shanghai

Shanghai launches fireworks to welcome year 2005.

Tsunami Aid from China

Buddhists from Chinese mainland and Taiwan donate for tsunami victims: Buddhists from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan donated a total of $1.2 million US dollars in a prayer service in Lingguang Temple in Beijing to the tsunami-hit countries in Southeast Asia.

Tsunami Donation Drive in Full Gear in China: The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs encouraged Chinese citizens and non-governmental organizations to donate to the tsunami-hit Asian countries Saturday. So far, the Red Cross Society of China has transferred US$660,000 to the disaster-stricken regions, and another US$24.2 million will come soon.

China Increases Tsunami Aid to US$63 Million: Premier Wen Jiabao announced Friday that China will offer an additional US$60.5 million of humanitarian aid to the earthquake and tsunami-hit countries.

Ferocious tsunami starts donation drives across China: Bombarded with devastating TV pictures on tsunami-ravaged South and Southeast Asian countries and a rising death toll, Zhou Jin, 78, an average Chinese in Beijing, rushed to a local donation center Saturday and left 1,800 yuan (about 217 US dollars). "I am too old to have much expenditure. Here is the cash I have with me. Take it and make use of it for the needy there," Zhou told civil affair officer Zhang Ye.