May, 2009

Treat the kids to some traditional Chinese culture for Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu Jie, 端午节) this Thursday, May 28, in Longtan Park.

Festivities kick off at 9am with dragon boat races and a ceremony dedicated to Qu Yuan, the poet and minister who drowned himself out of grief over the decline of the Southern Chu Kingdom. Don't forget to save room for the zongzi.

There's also a Children's Day Carnival going on at Pinnacle Plaza up in Shunyi. More info can be found here.

Here's a list of family friendly events for Saturday, May 23 - here's hoping the weather holds!

The EU Extravaganza 2009
Organized by the Delegation of the European Commission to China, this two-day outdoor festival celebrates European culture, music and cuisine from 27 EU Member States. RMB 5. 10am-6pm. Chaoyang Park Fireworks Square. Visit www.eu-in-china.com/extravaganza.htm for more details.

Suresnes, Dancing City
The Theatre de Suresnes Jean Vilar asked five contemporary choreographers to create dance pieces based on hip-hop. The choreographers created teams and, drawing from the form of expression represented by hip-hop, blended it with their poetry and dramaturgy. Dubbed in French with English and Chinese subtitles. RMB 20, RMB 10 (students).
5pm (May 22), 7.30pm (May 23). French Cultural Centre (6553 2627)

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Well, it finally happened. After months of anticipation, our 16-month-old daughter has finally graduated from four limbs to two. She is now functionally bi-pedal, with the ability to walk/lurch forward, stop on a dime and gradually rotate (always with an intense look of apprehension or glee on her face).

This milestone is especially momentous given the amount of collective angst my family has suffered over the past few months watching other tots (many of whom were months younger) waddle away in public, and garnering such “medical advice” as orders for CT scans and all-day “motor development training courses” (a handy source of revenue) at several of Beijing’s fine medical institutions.

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If your newborn was born later than October 2008, please send us your baby's photos to be published in our June/July issue.

To be considered, please send the following to imogenkandel@truerun.com :

1) Photo of baby at least 1MB in size
2) Child's full name
3) Mother and father's full name
4) Child's birth date
and
5) hospital where your baby was born.

Make your baby a star in our summer double issue!

An Apple a Day ...
"A World Bank study on the impact of the current financial crisis has estimated that in 2008 alone, higher food prices may have been responsible for an additional 44 million children suffering permanent physical and cognitive setbacks due to malnutrition ... The authors of Investing in the Future, which was released at the 2009 Micronutrient Forum in Beijing on 12 May, urged countries to increase their investments, renew commitments and expand existing vitamin and mineral supplementation programmes."
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=84350

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Editor's note: Today (May 12) marks the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Sichuan. Here is a selection of news stories and links related to the anniversary.

CNN.com: Plight of the giant panda: Animals struggle after quake

"As people across China's Sichuan province continue to rebuild their lives one year after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake leveled some towns and cities, the region's famed giant pandas are still struggling due to the devastation wreaked by the deadly temblor."

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/11/china.quake.pandas/

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Researchers at Beijing's National Research for Family Planning have managed to develop a monthly testosterone shot that has been heralded as the male version of the female contraceptive pill.

Want to read about it? I know I do!

This May, beijingkids has moms on the brain. Looking for the perfect way to spend Mother’s Day on May 10? Find ways to indulge mothers in the beijingkids guide to scrumptious brunches, spa treatments, and ideas for a great night out in this month’s issue. Also, six extraordinary mothers from different walks of life share their stories and lessons from motherhood – meet a single adoptive mother, a woman who recently gave birth, a savvy grandmother and more.

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