In pictures—China's Wealth Gap
China's rapid economic progress has transformed its cities and coastal areas. But life for many millions of Chinese in the country's vast, rural hinterland is in some ways the same as it always was. BBC News Online visited two of China's poorest inland provinces, Ningxia and Guizhou, to hear views on the growing gap between rich and poor.
If you want a unique crib with an asian theme, and you have about $1,000 to spend, check this one out.
There will be nothing but sweet dreams in this luxurious crib. 42" diameter will accommodate a child until they are 35" tall. Made of a combination of solid birch, beech, poplar and maple hardwoods, this crib is durable and sturdy. There is an iron mattress cross-brace to provide proper support for your child. For added safety, this round crib uses a double latch release mechanism (the center panel drops down when depressing the two latches simultaneously). Also, includes four rolling casters (and two brakes) for easy mobility. Bedding not included but is available below. Optional 5" foam mattress.
(Thanks Tina from APC!)
Ship Collision Creates China's Largest Oil Spill: The biggest oil spill since the founding of the People's Republic of China began on Tuesday when two containerships collided in the South China Sea near the mouth of the Pearl River on Tuesday.
"Professional exhaustion" harassing Chinese society: The phenomenon of "professional exhaustion", or "burnout", which is widely spread in world scale, is harassing the working population of China. This is shown in a large-scale online survey sponsored by China Human Resources Development Network, an attempt to figure out the exhaustion degree of the society.
China Blocks World Meeting on Workers' Rights: China on Wednesday abruptly blocked a meeting of global union and business leaders scheduled for next week that aimed to press Beijing to do more to protect workers' rights. [NYT: free reg. req.]
Farmers Being Moved Aside by China's Real Estate Boom: Like other land transactions in rural China, negotiations had been one-sided: Yulin officials, citing an obscure legal clause, ordered farmers to leave and offered them $60 per parcel of land. The farmers had screamed robbery. But farmers in China cannot be robbed of land because they are not allowed to own it. [NYT: free reg. req.]
Small child, huge challenge: Kailee Wells is ready. She dreads the cold, sharp needles that sting her arms and legs, and the plastic tube they will snake down her nose. It scratches her throat. She shudders to think of being confined to a hospital room for six weeks or more, missing Christmas, no friends allowed. But time is running out, and Kailee, who is 7, knows it.
Mandy's Moon has an adorable Asian Treetop Angel.
We are very excited to introduce "Jing Wei" - an Asian Treetop angel made by the Precious Moments Doll Company EXCLUSIVELY for Mandy's Moon! This beautiful treetopper is 12" tall. She is dressed in a beautiful red & gold silk embroidered dress and holds a lantern. Her face and hands are made of rubbery plastic just like the Precious Moments dolls, (so she isn't breakable!!!) and she has realistic type hair. She is a gorgeous addition to any tree!
This was sent to me by a reader of this weblog:
Hi, I'm the father of a 3-year-old from JiangXi province. A friend of mine recently forwarded these two items with (good) news about language acquisition skills of international adoptees, which I thought your readers might find of interest...
RESEARCH EXPLORES WHY SOME INTERNATIONALLY ADOPTED CHILDREN EXCEL WHILE OTHERS STRUGGLE
Child suicides high in Shanghai: A recent study revealed that one-quarter of the children (ages 8 to 15) in China's wealthiest city have considered taking their own lives. Perhaps more surprising is that the results were made public.
China's ailing health care: A survey recently released by China's Health Ministry found that 36% of patients in cities and 39% in the countryside did not go to see the doctor because they were unable to afford medical treatment.
China Bans Nike TV Ad for Cultural Disrespect: The State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has banned a Nike television commercial depicting top NBA rookie LeBron James battling an animated kung fu master, two women in traditional Chinese garb and a pair of dragons.
Chinese activists 'risk torture': China's growing number of human rights activists risk detention and torture, a report from Amnesty International said.
The following articles require free registration from the New York Times:
China Bans Video Game for Breach of Sovereignty: China, sensitive about issues of national sovereignty, has banned a computer sports game that classifies Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Tibet as countries and has threatened to fine Web sites that supply the game and net cafes that let patrons download it.
Ancient Chinese Consumed Fermented Drinks: The Chinese were consuming fermented beverages — possibly wine — as long as 9,000 years ago, according to scientists who used modern techniques to peer back through the mists of time.
China's Textbooks Twist and Omit History: a visit to a Chinese high school classroom and an examination of several of the most widely used history textbooks here reveal a mishmash of historical details that many Chinese educational experts themselves say are highly selective and often provide a deeply distorted view of the recent past. [Note: History textbooks in the US are not without some level of sanitation! -- Walter]
Have you ever stopped to think...?: Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be adopted? Have you ever stopped to think about what really makes a family? I would like to tell you what it really feels like to be adopted, and explain a little more about how families are made in different ways.
One family, two worlds: Cindy Brock is pretty good at styling her 3-year-old daughter's hair these days, but it's taken a while to get to this point. Brock, 35, is white. Her adopted daughter, Elayna, is African-American.
