On the week of Chinese New Year and in the days to follow, expect to hear firecrackers go off well into the middle of the night. No, your fortress is not being attacked, although it certainly sounds that way. Coming from a long line of tradition, the loud bangs from firecrackers are thought to fend off evil spirits and ghosts. Although, the noise will probably be more successful at frightening the uninitiated than warding off bad luck. If this is your first time spending Chinese New Year in China, brace yourself for a week of uneasy living.

Fireworks remain a contentious issue in the Capital. Efforts were made in the past to ban fireworks, but most attempts have been relatively short term. Although now with the monitoring of air pollution levels there is a chance there will be no fireworks being set off if the days reported are either orange or red, find out more here. In 1988, the National People’s congress restricted the production and display of fireworks. In 1993, the Beijing government went further, by banning fireworks altogether. Due to the public outcry and continued disregard for the fireworks ban, it was officially lifted on September 9, 2005.

So if you intend on purchasing or partaking in any events where sparklers and fireworks will be present, keep some of these basic tips in mind (even if it seems like you’re the only one following them!)

Basic tips:
– Hold sparklers at an arm’s length away. After the flame goes out, put it in water. Many trash cans have been burned, due to misplacing of sparklers
– Never go near a firework that has been lit.
– Only allow adults to handle fireworks.

For a more intensive guide to how to handle mini explosions with care, check out the ehow website, where ”Joe,” a fire captain, will give demonstrations on how to handle sparklers and fireworks safely.

This post has been slightly modified with the latest development in regards to fireworks. It first appeared here on February 10, 2010. 

Photo courtesy of anthony wang (flickr).

The post Olympic ice hockey excitement has placed ice hockey on the radar. But rest assured, you don’t have to be in Canada to participate in the hockey frenzy. The Sports Beijing Imperial Guard Hockey Club will host an  International Ice Hockey Tournament from April 1 to April  4. Eighteen of the best youth hockey players – local and international – will compete for the Cup. This four-day event features three age divisions, with teams hailing from Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Harbin. The hockey action will take place the Hokay Ice Rink in Gaobeidian. Admission is FREE.

Visit the website for more information, or email Philip Ho, the tournament director philipbeijing@me.com

Finding the right school for your children is a difficult decision many parents face. Finding the right school in a foreign country – in which you may or may not speak the language – is a process that stresses out even the most resilient expat parents. Regardless of the school, comparisons between China’s education system versus your home country’s system eventually arise.

A Chinese mother now living in Japan recently posted her thoughts (and confusions) about the differences between Japanese and Chinese kindergartens. Check out her observations, as detailed on chinasmack.

She addresses the emphasis on individuality and independence in Japanese schools, versus community and dependency taught in Chinese school. In one example, she emphasizes the fact that Chinese parents tend to carry their children’s book bags, whereas Japanese children carry everything by themselves. Subsequently, she wonders, “Why? Is it because we Chinese love our children a little more?”

Maybe that’s not the quite the question to ask, but these observations raise interesting cultural differences between China and Japan.
 

First there was the Oedipus Complex, now there’s the Womanzier Complex. In a Telegraph article, Dr. Dennis Friedman makes the claim that boys who have nannies before the age of one will likely “turn into womanizers.”

The rationale behind Friedman’s claim is that two women taking care of your impressionable son will permanently ingrain the idea of “the other woman” in his mind. The co-dependence he has on both women simultaneously will affect the rest of his (dating) life.

Friedman’s sunny forecast affect the fairer sex as well. According to his research, baby girls who have a nanny will be filled with a “vacuum of need,” and “drugs, sex and money” will occupy this empty space.

The only solution, Friedman suggests, is for mother to bear the full responsibility of staying at home for at least a year before hiring additional care.

Aside from the fact that many working mothers simply don’t have the luxury of staying home full-time for a year, studies have shown that infants under the age of one have little to no long-term memory. Read more at DailyMail.

Bae Hyun-jung from Korea Herald reports:

“The couple, being jobless and almost penniless, could not bear the parental burden and thus ended up escaping reality by abandoning themselves to virtual reality, said police officials. The game which stole their attention away from their baby was ironically a role playing game in which they raised a virtual character of a young girl, according to officials.”

But when the six year old I tutor expressed disappointment after not receiving an iTouch for Chinese New Year, I was shocked. For a child so young, the iTouch is apparently on her list of must-have items.

Parenting.com recently ran an article highlighting the top 25 iPhone Apps for kids. While the article suggests lending the device to kids as a distraction, some parents have taken the next step: buying a child his/her very own iTouch or iPhone.

In an age of technology, is the iTouch (clocking in at about 1400 RMB for 8GB) a necessity or a frivolous, expensive toy? Countless discussion boards have parents mulling over the idea. Should I invest in an iTouch for my child? How educational is it? Is it worth it? Will the iTouch easily break under clumsy hands? These are all things to consider before purchasing.

If an mp3 player is what your kids are after, there are plenty of simpler and more affordable options available. But if you are considering getting your child an iTouch or iPhone, check out this site that reviews kid- friendly and educational apps.

Photo taken from LisaThumann of Flickr.com

Fireworks remain a contentious issue in the Capital. Effort were made in the past to ban fireworks, but most attempts have been relatively short term. In 1988, the National People’s congress restricted the production and display of fireworks. In 1993, the Beijing government went further, by banning fireworks altogether. Due to the public outcry and continued disregard for the fireworks ban, it was officially lifted on September 9, 2005.

So if you intend on purchasing or partaking in any events where sparklers and fireworks will be present, keep some of these basic tips in mind (even if it seems like you’re the only one following them!)

Basic tips:

– Hold sparklers at an arm’s length away. After the flame goes out, put it in water. Many trash cans have been burned, due to misplacing of sparklers
– Never go near a firework that has been lit.
– Only allow adults to handle fireworks.

For a more intensive guide to how to handle mini explosions with care, check out the ehow website, where ”Joe,” a fire captain, will give demonstrations on how to handle sparklers and fireworks safely.