Dinah Chong Watkins

 "I’m bored…” It’s a common phrase that starts the third day or so of summer vacation. It’s not quite the same as a session at the spa, but a trip to the park with a picnic blanket and lunch can make for a low stress if not relaxing day. Pack up the basics (toys, wipes, blanket) with a few interesting time-wasters (magnifying glass, clear plastic containers, small hand shovel, water spray bottle) and a good selection of snacks.

As always, location, location , location is the number one rule so case the joint before you go and get a lay of the land. Is there a shady spot? Can you buy drinks onsite or need to tote them from home? Is this a picnic-only park (hence just bring the minimum) or a run around all day kind of place (in that case, bring a foldable chair)?

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It happens to the best of us. You wake up one morning, look in the mirror and instead of that fresh faced, dewy-skinned collegiate staring back at you it’s the canyon creased, droopy-eyed Crypt-Keeper. Crow’s feet, liver spots, sagging bits and pieces; what are you going to do short of going under the knife?

Here are five ways you can look younger with a minimal investment of time and money.

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 The Good News: You’ve done a remarkable job of raising your child to begin his/her first steps towards higher learning and self-sufficiency.

 
The Bad News: You’re on the hook for 4 (hopefully, only 4) years of tuition, books and beer money. Plus room and board expenses equivalent to the cost of a mid-priced home in America (or 2 parking spots in Beijing).

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Summer school break is just around the corner and for families of teens that means the inevitable road trip of college tours. College tours are a great way to see if the school is a potential hit or miss for your child. Some kids like the traditional old school pomp and circumstance while others are cool with the fractious energy that comes with libertarian ideas and grass roots activism. Getting a ground-up view of the campus quad will show you the personality of the school, faculty and student body that brochures and web sites can’t.
 

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What’s the secret to a happy marriage? Is it sexy lingerie and rose petals strewn over a king size bed? A diamond ring every anniversary? Separate His and Hers vacations? Although all of the above will certainly help, the art of conflict resolution is the true key to a lasting and happy relationship.

 
Conflict is inevitable in life. With your boss, colleague, neighbor, parent, sibling, children; but the hottest buttons always seem to be the ones your partner hits.
 
Some of the more common and least effective ways of dealing with conflict are:
 
The Silent Treatment
You keep quiet while your eyes burn into him like laser-hot beams, unfortunately you’re not from the planet Krypton so it has the same searing intensity of yesterday’s Jell-O. You remain uncommunicative except when asked if anything is wrong and you reply, “Nothing.” This requires a lot of patience and controlled fuming, especially if business travel takes him out of the picture for a few days. This can also cause consecutive nights of insomnia as you lie awake, tossing with righteous indignation, while he at the same time is thinking “ZZZzzzzzz…” 
 

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Tired of carrying wads of Reminbi to pay for the weekly groceries? Overseas credit card fees really hitting the wallet? Have no fear, the Chinese banks are here! It’s time to get yourself a local bank account with an ATM debit card. All places in China that accept credit cards accept bank debit cards (Unionpay) and can be used without additional fees.

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 On any TV reality show worth its salt, there comes an episode where the contestant, thousands of miles away from home is rewarded by getting a phone call from a loved one. He/she breaks down in blubbering sobs as Spouse/Mom/Dad speak their undying love and quickly remind them to play nice to avoid getting voted out at the next tribal council.

Now, not that we’re confronted with reality show challenges like eating scorpions, animal blood or trying to decode puzzles made up of words represented by pictographs (uh, wait a moment here…am I on – TV?), but the importance of the simple telephone connection grows exponentially as we hear news of a business opportunity, gossip about Uncle Jim, and make plans for an upcoming visit from Granny. Unfortunately, the most obvious barrier to calling home is the expense. Typical landline rates to the USA/UK on Beijing Telecom are RMB 8 per minute. From the USA to China, rates average USD 0.15 a minute.
 

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