The aches, the sneezing, the sore throat, the exhaustion — the flu season is here and you want to be prepared! In Beijing, you can buy over-the-counter (OTC) medicines such as headache and stomach remedies as well as common personal care items from international clinics or pharmacies. Compared to international clinics, pharmacies are easier to find at almost every corner, so are more convenient to buy medicines in an urgent situation. Though finding a pharmacy may be easy, finding English-speaking staff in pharmacies is not, and when you walk into a pharmacy you might not see any brands you know. Here are some basic symptoms, names of cold medicines, and sentences you might need to use when talking to the pharmacist.

READ MORE: Mandarin Monday: Words and Phrases for Visiting a Chinese Hospital

READ MORE: How to Buy Generic Medicines From Chinese Pharmacies

Symptoms

Runny nose 流鼻涕 liúbítì
Scratchy throat 喉咙痒 sǎngziyǎng
Sore throat 喉咙疼 sǎngziténg
Sneeze  打喷嚏 dǎpēngtì
Cough 咳嗽 késòu
Headache 头疼 tóuténg
Tiredness 疲倦 píjuàn
Body aches 身体酸疼 shēntǐ suānténg
Yellow or green mucus 黄色或绿色鼻涕 huángsè huò lǜsè bítì
Fever 发烧 fāshāo

Cold Medicines

Fortunately there are the generic names of drugs in English on most Chinese medicine boxes, but the directions and precautions might be all in Chinese. Make sure to ask the pharmacist about the instructions before you purchase the medicine.

Tylenol 泰诺 tàinuò
Tylenol Extra Strength 加强型泰诺 jiāqiángxíng tàinuò
Sudafed 速达菲 sùdáfēi
Anti-histamine medicine 抗组织胺药物 kàngzǔzhī ān yàowù
Aleve 萘普生 nàipǔshēng
Nasal decongestant 鼻喷剂 bípēngjì
DayQuil and NyQuil 白加黑 báijiāhēi

Sentences

I feel  _______.
Wǒ gǎnjué 我­感觉 _______。

I have a headache.
Wǒ tóuténg. 我头疼。

I want to buy   _______.
Wǒ xiáng mǎi _______. 我想买 _______。

How many pills should I take per day?
Měitiān xūyào chī duōshǎo kē yào? 每天需要吃多少颗药？

Photo: ixabay.com, pexels.com

Summer has arrived in Beijing. The heat is here but the sunshine is hiding behind a thick blanket of pollution. Many from the international community have flown off to sunnier places, or are visiting their home countries, while some of us are stuck in the heat and thunderstorms in Beijing. Wherever you are this summer, delicious, easy, and healthy food is a must. In this series, I will share cooling recipes that don’t need a stove or oven.

This week, a super easy, healthy breakfast. Bircher muesli reminds me of the time I worked at the Dorchester Hotel in London, and had to make breakfast for the executive chef and serve it on a platter. Bircher Muesli with fresh apple juice; you guessed it, he was German. This bircher muesli is spruced up a bit with healthy ingredients. Add honey for sweetness, or Greek yogurt for a tart kick in the morning.

Healthy Bircher Muesli (serves four)

– 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and grated
– 3 cups rolled oats
– 1 cup cooked quinoa
– 1 cup raisins
– 2 tablespoons chia seeds
– Dash of cinnamon
– 1 vanilla bean
– 4 cups almond milk
– Half cup toasted almond flakes

Put all the ingredients in an airtight container except the toasted almonds. Mix together, and leave overnight in the fridge. When the morning comes, serve in a bowl with the sliced almonds and some honey. Breakfast is served!

Photos: Pixabay

This week marks the annual exodus of people from Beijing. Individuals and families alike will embark on journeys back to their hometowns to see loved ones and ring in the new year. For those of us staying in Beijing that have seen all the glorious dumpling making events and other festivities that the city has to offer during the Lunar New Year, a change of scenery might be good. Luckily, winter is the perfect time to travel to the Harbin Ice Festival up in the northern Heilongjiang Province. Below is a quick guide for the sights, activities, and other tips to take note of when visiting Harbin this winter.

Skiing
If you’re looking to spend your vacation sliding down slopes of white, fluffy snow then Yabuli in Harbin is the place for you. The famed Yabuli Ski Resort sits 180 kilometers from Harbin and is China’s largest ski resort. Getting to Yabuli is as easy at taking a flight from the Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) or taking the Beijing-Harbin High Speed Railway. Of the resorts that exist in the area there is also the Club Med Yabuli Sun Mountain Lodge. Club Med Yabuli offers downhill skiing lessons and snowboarding lessons.

Festivities Abound: The Ice Festival
For those looking to explore the ice palaces, ice lanterns, and ice sculptures that Harbin has to offer, below are the top spots to visit when checking those out. Though at this point in 2017 the Ice Festival is making its last rounds (closing on February 25 depending on the weather) there should still be plenty of ice wonders to see for visitors.

Sun Island Scenic
The Sun Island Scenic Area hosts the Harbin International Snow Sculpture Art Expo each year where talented people shape snow and ice into fascinating sculptures. The scenic area is located past the Songhua River, away from the city center and is broken up into 3 areas: 1) Animals world on the northwest side, 2) the center of the garden which has lakes, and 3) the ice and snow series on the south side. The Snow Sculpture Exhibition is the world’s largest indoor ice and snow art museum.

Location: No.3 Jingbei Road, Sun Island Scenic Area, Songbei District, Harbin
Admission Fees (Snow Sculpture Exhibition): RMB 240 for adults, RMB 120 for kids 3.9 and 4.6 feet (1.2-1.4m), and free for children under 3.9 feet (1.2 meters).
Hours: Jan. 1 to the early Mar. 2017: 8am-8pm.

Ice and Snow World
Located on the south side of Sun Island Scenic Area is the Ice and Snow World which is lauded as the main attraction of the ice festival. Ice and Snow World is said to have the four key “mosts”: the most beautiful night views, the most art attractions, the most recreational activities, and the most options for alternative entertainment. Inspiration for the various sculptures usually come from traditional fairy tales or architectural feats such as the Great Wall and the Egyptian Pyramids.

Location: West side of Sun Island, Songbei District, Harbin (near Heilongjiang Science and Technology Museum)
Admission Fees: RMB 330 for adults, RMB 200 for children between 3.9 and 4.6 feet (1.2-1.4m), and free for children under 3.9 feet
Hours: 11am-10pm (Dec. 22, 2016 to March, 2017)

Zhaolin Park
Zhaolin Park’s is an ice world perfect for kids. The Park hosts over 1,000 ice sculptures including ice lanterns, animals, and mystic creatures. In addition to these kid-friendly masterpieces, Zhaolin Park also has recreational activities for children such as ice slides. The pieces at this site light up and thus are best visited when dark. While this park is the smaller of the festival’s three total main venues, it is still worth a visit if you have the time!

Location: 74 Youyi Lu (74 Friendship Road), at the northern end of Zhaolin Dajie in Daoli District
Admission Fees: RMB 150 per adult; children under 1.2 meters get in free. The park is free admittance all other times outside of the Ice Festival dates.
Hours: 9am-9pm

What to Pack in that Rucksack
January is the coldest time of year in Harbin, with temperatures dropping to -24 degrees C (-11 degrees F). This affects both your body and your technology so if you want to keep both your selfie game strong and everyone’s fingers intact, below are some helpful tips and essentials you will need to pack.

Clothing: Layering is the name of the game, and thermal will be everyone’s secret weapon. Layering is important since Harbin’s centralized heating means while the outside is an arctic oblivion, when one is inside it’s actually quite warm. For the outdoors, don’t forget to pack thermal undergarments, gloves (two pairs at a time depending on the thickness of your gloves), extra socks, and both a thinner jacket and a heavier jacket to layer together. Hats are a must (or something at least to cover your ears and forehead) as well as extra pairs of pants and long johns. Sunglasses may also be a good idea since snow can often be blinding. Packing a set of snow shoes or water proof winter shoes will also keep your feet warm. Preferably bring boots with tread to help ensure a more balanced walking experience.

Tech: In order to protect your cameras and phones from running out of battery too quickly, always put them away in a warm place (such as a warm inner jacket pocket) when not in use. Extremely cold temperatures will negatively impact batteries, making them last potentially half as long as they otherwise would.

General Health: Bring a water bottle for hot water to stay hydrated and warm. No matter where you are, it’s usually a good rule of thumb to try and stay hydrated! Also, if at any point you feel you are starting to get frostbite, get into a warm place and warm up slowly. Do not run any part of you under hot water or do anything too extreme to warm yourself.

Here are some useful maps for the trip as well.

Photos: Tracy Hunter, Rosanna He

In late 2013, I went home to Canada to birth my son who was born during the coldest and snowiest winter Ontario has had in 30 years. I loved it. I loved every minute of the huge snowdrifts against the patio glass doors, the crackling fire in the fireplace of my parent’s home, and the crystallized frozen breath that stiffened my scarf after a crisp walk outdoors. It was divine.
Winter is a season I’ve come to appreciate all the more since moving to Beijing in 2008. Winter here in the Chinese capital is, frankly, a disappointment. The bone-chilling indoor cold thanks to poorly insulated buildings makes the much colder temperatures in Canada seem so much more bearable; at least in my home country, when you return indoors, you can remove your down-filled vest. And without the pristine beauty of regularly falling snow, this city is just like one giant grey-infused shoulders-slumped sigh as it endures the long wait for spring.

My son was only six weeks old when I took my daughter ice-skating for the first time in Canada. We went to a homemade skating rink that is maintained by local volunteer organizations and serves as a place for shinny hockey or free skating for the small population of local kids.
My daughter had never been on skates before. Together, with her godmother, we walked the fifteen minutes to the rink and strapped her into toddler skates much to her excitement. Her godmother and I (both in boots rather than skates) took turns holding her hands and directing her across the ice as she reveled in the feeling of floating. “Mommy, it’s fun! Mommy, I’m dancing!”
I was so proud. I imagined her doing twirls on ice in a few years, able to skate away on her own, flying across the ice freely like most Canadian kids can do by the time they’re six or seven years old. I want both my kids to understand the beauty of skating on an icy surface—like ballet on blades, even if holding a hockey stick.
It’s been nearly three years since that snowy day of Canadian maternal pride, and I’m sad to report that we haven’t been ice-skating since. Sure, there have been a few roller skating attempts in warmer months, but we haven’t been back in Canada in winter since my son’s birth. And, with small ice rinks mostly tucked away into the basement of malls, ice-skating is an under-appreciated activity in this snowless city.
That’s why I just left my Canadian friend a message announcing my plan to take the kids ice-skating in Beijing as soon as possible. I got the response I needed: a resounding yes. Stay tuned! A proud Canadian ice-skating team will imminently overtake the Solana mall’s indoor rink.

About the Writer
Ember Swift is a Canadian musician and writer who has been living in Beijing since late 2008. She and her husband Guo Jian (国囝), who is also a musician, have a daughter called Echo (国如一) and a son called
Topaz or “Paz” (国世龙).

This article originally appeared on page 40 of the November/ December issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

PHOTO: Blogs.Sweden.se

Urgent action is needed to change the way both doctors and consumers use antibiotics, to avoid a post-antibiotics era where these drugs no longer work at all, the World Health Organization (WHO) in China announced during the first ever World Antibiotic Awareness Week, from now through November 22.

“Antibiotics are a crucial part of modern medicine, but they have become victims of their own success. As a result of over-use and misuse of antibiotics by both doctors and patients, antibiotic resistance is a now a gravely serious global health problem – including here in China,” said Dr. Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO representative in China.

“Antibiotic resistance affects us all. It means infections which were once easily cured are becoming harder to treat, and common surgical procedures such as caesarian sections and appendix removals could become life-threatening due to the risk of untreatable infections,” Dr. Schwartländer explained.

Beyond the health system, the economic costs of antibiotic resistance are formidable – in China, one prediction estimates the loss of up to a million lives a year by 2050 – and if left unchecked, antibiotic resistance could wipe out up to 3.5 percent of global GDP by 2050.

In China, use of antibiotics is very high: over the past decade, more than half of outpatients in China have been prescribed antibiotics – far above the level recommended by WHO (less than 30 percent).

A new survey commissioned by the WHO for World Antibiotic Awareness Week also shows that public awareness in China about antibiotics and their use is low:

• 61 percent of survey respondents in China thought antibiotics were effective against colds and flu, despite the fact that antibiotics have no impact on viruses;
• 53 percent of survey respondents in China  thought it was okay to stop once taking antibiotics once they felt better, rather than completing the prescribed course of treatment; and
• 35 percent of survey respondents in China thought antibiotics were effective against headaches, which is not the case.

China has taken important steps over the last few years to address antibiotic resistance: for instance, in 2011, the Chinese government launched a nationwide campaign to improve the use of antibiotics by health workers and institutions, which has led to significant reductions in rates of antibiotic prescriptions.  

However, more needs to be done – both by health care professionals and patients.

“The WHO’s message for patients is this: don’t demand antibiotics from your doctor when you may not need them. Only take antibiotics when they are prescribed for you by a certified health professional. Always take the full course, even if you are feeling better. Never use leftover antibiotics, and never share your antibiotics with others,” said Dr Schwartländer.

“The magnitude of the problem of antibiotic resistance is enormous, and all of us have a role to play in addressing it. If everyone plays their part, we can ensure that these crucial drugs are still able to save lives in the years to come,” Dr Schwartländer concluded.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on November 18, 2015.

As I speak to my friend on Skype back in Montreal, she tells me it hasn’t snowed there for over a month. I respond, proudly, that the snow has stayed on the ground here in Beijing for exactly four days and counting. Hurray!

With the exception of one winter away to birth my son, this is my seventh winter in Beijing and it marks the first time I have seen snow remain on the ground for more than one day. I love to wake to the bright reflection of light off of white coming through the windows. It brings a freshness to the normally grey Beijing winter and combats those early winter blues—at least for me.

The kids are also thrilled. Ever since Frozen’s popularization of the melodic question “Do you wanna build a snowman?” my daughter has been waiting for the snow with baited (princess-obsessed) breath. Getting to actually build one in Beijing and then gleefully sing the song (in an appropriate context) on a higher-than-normal-frequency repeat for four days has been her idea of pure bliss.

Thankfully, despite the annoying loop in my head, I’m not yet at the point of wishing the snow would melt to silence the song. I’m charmed by the white. It warms my heart, even at -10.
 

Photos: Ember Swift

Ever since we moved into our current apartment last year, we haven’t really needed to pay as close attention to the city central heating schedule as once did. We have in-floor electric heat which we can turn on any time we feel like. Previously we lived on the grid, so to speak, with our radiators only heating our apartment when the city government allowed. We had space heaters, of course, but they were no match for the chilly weeks that usually bookend the heating season.

In our home we no longer wait for the city to warm us, but I continue to be interested in the how and the when of municipal central heating. We still have friends who are dependent on the city heating schedule. Likewise, several of our favorite restaurants and cafes around town are in buildings that are only heated by the city.  Heat Watch will probably always be part of our Beijing life.

Heating season isn’t due to begin until mid-November, mostly regardless of the weather. I used the qualifier "mostly" because some years we experienced exceptionally cold and snowy Novembers and the heat was turned on ahead of schedule. Usually, though, the outside temperature has little to do with the start or even duration of heating season.

Monday’s forecast called for cooler temperatures than we had been experiencing lately and a greater than fifty percent chance of rain. Brigid had an art class down in Dongzhimen in the afternoon, which was supposed to be followed by Myles’ baseball practice in another part of Beijing. Because of this close scheduling and the possibility of rain, I booked a driver to cart us around and brought our rain gear, just in case. It was still dry where we were when Brigid’s class finished.  Just as we started for Myles’ practice, I received a message that baseball was cancelled because it was already pouring in that part of the city. Instead, we headed home.

It was raining lightly in Changping when we pulled into the east gate of our complex. Upon getting out of the car, I offered Brigid her rain jacket. Brigid, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, accepted her coat from me, but draped it over her arm.

"I don’t need it," she told me. "I’m fine."

Our arrival was being watched closely by two women standing under the overhang by our gate, out of the drizzle. As we walked past them, they stopped Brigid and asked her a question I was not expecting in September in Changping.

"冷不冷?"
Lěng bù lěng? Meaning, "Aren’t you cold?"

We usually don’t hear this question at least until October, after China’s National Day, which seems to usher in the heavier-clothes wearing season much like Easter and Labor Day in the some parts of the US still define to some extent acceptable colors and textiles. Our experience, too, with the fall weather is that we usually don’t feel it gets put-your-coat-on-kid cold until around Myles’ birthday. But here we were on September 22, and the weather conditions were such that strangers on the street thought Brigid was inappropriately dressed.

I am noting this not because I want to launch into a rant about the all-too-common "冷不冷?"

I can wait until later this fall, on an early October day when we’ve been out sweating in the late afternoon sun if I want to make a fuss about that. My point, though, is to use this as a prelude to this years’ Heat Watch. On September 22 it was cool enough that strangers were compelled to ask my daughter if she weren’t cold. The heat doesn’t come on for (probably) another seven weeks.

I may be very grateful for our in-floor heat sooner than I might like.

This post first appeared on Jennifer Ambrose’s site on September 26, 2014.

Jennifer Ambrose hails from Western Pennsylvania and misses it terribly. She still maintains an intense devotion to the Pittsburgh Steelers. She has lived in China since 2006 and is currently an at-home mother. With her husband Randy and children Myles and Brigid, she resides outside the Sixth Ring Road in Changping, northwest of Beijing

Photos: Jennifer Ambrose

As Christmas season approaches, weary high school students eagerly anticipate winter break. During these few weeks, they are granted liberty from the burdens of academic studies, and only one question remains: where is the best place to enjoy this freedom?

Escaping the Cold
After enduring the freezing cold Beijing weather for an extended period of time, you’re likely to desire staying in the warmth of your bed all day long. In subzero temperature, who wants to be outside? However, this problem can be easily resolved if you escape to warmer locations, such as:

1.Hawaii
Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii is the perfect tropical island to visit in winter. In Hawaii, you can explore a unique local culture while also relaxing and enjoying the scenic beaches. However, make sure you book your tickets and hotels early, as space on Hawaii’s popular resorts fills up quickly!

2.Dubai
Take your time to explore one of the most magnificent cities of the Middle East. With a temperature that hardly drops below 30° C, Dubai will definitely relieve you of Beijing’s chilly weather. While the cityscape is lined with skyscrapers and modern architecture, splashes of its historical and traditional culture provide a contrast to the urban appearance. There is plenty to do in Dubai, from visiting local marketplaces to exploring the desert, and if you ever start yearning for winter, visit the indoor ski center!

3.Hainan
Want to remain in China, but still enjoy a warm climate? If so, then Hainan is the place for you! Spend your time having a perfect seaside holiday, drinking coconuts, relaxing on the beach and watching the waves as they hit the shorelines. Don’t forget to drop by the butterfly valley in Yalong Bay to examine the rare and precious butterflies of China. This winter, take the opportunity to visit this nearer, yet equally relaxing getaway from the cold.

4.Hong Kong
As one of the world’s financial centers, Hong Kong definitely cannot be left out from this list. With warm weather year round, Hong Kong is an ideal location for escaping the cold. In this city, you can attend numerous festivals, enjoy scrumptious dim sum and shop your heart out in the countless high-end malls.

Embracing the Cold
As winter settles in, many begin to long for snow. However, Beijing is dreadfully dry and snow seldom frequents the city. But what is Christmas without snow? Here are some possible places where you can find your perfect Winter Wonderland:

1.London
As the capital of the UK, London will be lit up with Christmas spirit during the winter season, and you will be lost within the joy of the holiday season amongst the bright lights and joyous carols.  Most importantly, snow often blankets London in the winter, creating a beautiful Christmas cityscape. From ancient squares to modern metropolis, the city will be filled with romanticism. While you are there, make sure to visit the Big Ben or take a ride on the London Eye to experience the magical view from miles above the ground.

2.Finland
Finland is truly a paradise of snow during winter. At night, you can observe the colorful mystery of the northern lights while enjoying the beautiful frost covering the country. There are also plenty of opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, and snowman building. Moreover, Finland is just the place for you if you love exploring new places.

3.Montreal
If you are looking for some holiday spirit, Montreal has it! In Montreal, winter is to be spent outside in the open skating, hiking and sliding. Many parks are open to visitors, providing opportunities for romantic and elegant walks along a snow-covered landscape. There are also many holiday festivals during this time of the year, allowing you to fully experience the Christmas season.

4.Harbin
Want to go somewhere close to Beijing? Well, Harbin has always been the winter wonderland of China. Imagine yourself walking by shimmering, glowing ice figures of all shapes and sizes. These sculptures are Harbin’s specialty, proudly displayed in its seasonal Ice and Snow Culture Festival. You can not only admire ice carvings, but also walk inside some of them, and even slide down an ice slide! Don’t neglect to include this unique festival in your holiday plan!

With these eight locations in mind or as a starting point, you can easily start planning your well-deserved winter vacation—UNIT-E wishes you the best in your few weeks of freedom!

This article originally appeared in the November/December issue of UNIT-E. It was written by Rosalind Chang, a student at the International School of Beijing.

About UNIT-E
UNIT-E was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.

Photos courtesy of Wikimedia commons, rincewind42 and tatumszymczak (Flickr)

Shanghai’s been going through a rough patch lately – first it was tens of thousands of dead pigs found dumped in the Huangpu river and now two new cases of bird flu – it’s enough to make you feel a bit sorry for the citizens of our Great Southern Rival.

Yesterday the World Health Organization released a Global Response and Alert notice (GAR) citing Shanghai’s "two laboratory-confirmed cases of human infection with influenza A(H7N9) virus":

The first patient is a 74-year-old man, who became ill on 28 March 2013, and is now in critical condition. The other is a 66-year-old man who became ill on 29 March 2013 and is considered a mild case.

To date 18 cases (including these two new patients in Shanghai) of A(H7N9) have been confirmed in southern China, "including six deaths, ten severe cases and two mild cases," and over 500 more cases of people who have had close contact with the victims are being closely monitored. 

Alarming as this illness may seem, the encouraging news (for now) is that there has been no evidence of human-to-human transmission – the patients who have been stricken ill all worked directly with poultry – but the key question is if it’s only a matter of time before the strain mutates into a virus that can spread between people.

According to the Huffington Post, what’s got scientists particularly worried about the A(H7N9) virus, which causes pneumonia-like symptoms and difficulty breathing, is that it appears to grow more easily in the body temperature environment of mammals’ bodies than the H1N5 strain from a few years back.

Even more alarming is the possibility that in addition to humans other species, most notably pigs, may already be carrying the A(H7N9) virus as well, which has fueled speculation that Shanghai’s dead river pigs may be linked to the illness.

For now authorities have reassured the public that out of 34 randomly selected Huangpu River pig carcasses that have been tested so far, only one has tested positive for the A(H7N9) – but it remains to be seen if this sampling size is adequate enough to rule out a link.

And then there’s the matter of all the dead ducks, geese and swans found in the Nanhe River in Sichuan – Pulitzer prize winning science journalist Laurie Garrett, writing in Foreign Policy, reckons there is indeed a link between the dead birds and A(H7N9):

‘One very plausible explanation for this chain of Chinese events is that the H7N9 virus has undergone a mutation — perhaps among spring migrating birds around Lake Qinghai.

‘The mutation rendered the virus lethal for domestic ducks and swans.

‘Because many Chinese farmers raise both pigs and ducks, the animals can share water supplies and be in fighting proximity over food — the spread of flu from ducks to pigs, transforming avian flu into swine flu, has occurred many times.

‘Once influenza adapts to pig cells, it is often possible for the virus to take human-transmissible form.

‘That’s precisely what happened in 2009 with the H1N1 swine flu, which spread around the world in a massive, but thankfully not terribly virulent, pandemic.’
 

It all sounds pretty ominous, but is it time to freak out? Probably not – at this point you probably have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than coming down with A(H7N9), or even more likely one of the hundreds of other bugs that have been spreading through the city (and our office) now that the spring flu season is in full swing.

But if you think it better to be safe than sorry, the US Embassy has issued this advisory on a few precautions you can take (i.e. avoid eating runny eggs for breakfast) and over at myheathbeijing Dr Richard has a detailed post with additional tips.