Vacations Blog

From guest blogger Marsha Takeda-Morrison of Sweatpantsmom

Here is my Thursday Thirteen list, a suggestion of things to do with tweens in L.A. I thought up most of it at the mall last week, as I was waiting outside a store for my two tween girls to emerge with their purchases. It’s amazing what you can get accomplished in seven hours.

1. Hot Topic - This could really cover items 1 – 13 on this list, since as far as my two girls are concerned there isn’t any need to venture anywhere else. Give them a backpack full of snacks and a fully-charged cell phone and they could probably stay in there for weeks spending my hard earned cash on Juno t-shirts and black glitter nail polish.

2. Art Museums – We’ve been taking our kids to art museums since they were babies, but it’s gotten particularly entertaining lately to hear their expert commentary. It’s always amusing to hear things like, “OMG – naked!” when standing before a majestic sculpture by Rodin, or “I TOTALLY want that for my new bunk bed comforter” while contemplating a canvas by Jackson Pollack.

3. Soup Kitchen –I’ve never actually visited a soup kitchen with my tweens, but it’s something all the PC parenting guides say you should do in order to teach your kids to be grateful for what they have. In all honesty, I’m not sure how my two girls would fare – I’d really be embarrassed if they sat down at a table, waited for a menu and then asked the homeless guy sitting next to them if he recommends the buffalo wings or the grilled cheese.

4. The movies – Any movie will do. Just sitting in a nice cool theater chowing down on hot buttered popcorn and Junior Mints is enough to keep them happy. The 9 – 12 year old set aren’t very discerning moviegoers; In fact, it may be the only time you’ll hear “Garfield: The Movie” and “awesome” in the same sentence.

5. Target – Maybe this is only applicable to tween girls, but mine love the aisles filled with cheap loot, cds and video games. Also, lots of eco t-shirts that say things like ‘Tree Hugger’ which is apparently all the rage now. You might just get them to listen to your Hendrix albums after all.

6. Yogurt shop – Yogurt is the new black. Menchies is our favorite, but Pinkberry or any other one will do. But try and take them to Baskin-Robbins and be prepared for much eye-rolling as they’re forced to mingle with the four-year-olds enjoying a scoop of Shrek Swirl with their grandpas.

7. Starbucks – This is the new version of sneaking a sip of your mom’s wine when you were seven. Tweens like the idea of sipping a grown-up coffee drink (I order decaf for mine) and it’s great for coffee addicts like me who can get their daily fix guilt-free. You know, it’s for the children.

8. Bowling Alley – They may last for one game of bowling, but what they really want to do is head to the arcade for some DDR (Dance Dance Revolution for you total squares.) Bring a bat or rolled-up newspaper if you have girls, though – the last time I was there a small crowd of teen boys gathered to watch my daughters and their friends bouncing around to the music until I shooed them away.

9. California Pizza Kitchen –According to the highly scientific poll I conducted with my girls and their friends while driving back from the mall in my van last week, this is the sanctioned eatery to dine with your parents. Added bonus – it’s the only place they don’t feel embarrassed about ordering from the kids menu since “the macaroni and cheese, like, rules.”

10. The Library – Believe it or not, tweens are rediscovering the library, mainly for the treasure trove of manga books they have there. At $9.99 each, it gets expensive to keep buying them at Barnes & Noble. However, do not even suggest they try out any of the library-sponsored teen events such as cupcake making or scrapbooking – you may as well tell them to invite their crowd over for a rousing game of rummy.

11. The beach – The beach is ideal for tweens and their unpredictable moods. They can indulge both their sloth-ly instincts by laying on their towels all day, or burn off energy by hitting the waves for some boogie-boarding. Also, the close proximity of a snack bar serving pizza and every variety of greasy, deep fried food will make them think they’ve died and gone to heaven

12. The park – My girls are just starting to notice boys, and members of the opposite sex are in abundance here, especially during soccer season. Bring along that bat that you took to the bowling alley

13. At home, with their parents – They’re not going to want to be seen with their dad and me for long, so we’re savoring all these days just hanging out together. So what if they roll their eyes when I suggest the fifth game of CandyLand?

In addition to launching UpTake, I have also been following the tragic news of the Sichuan earthquake and feeling powerless to help. On my non-UpTake related personal China blog, CNReviews, we created a Sichuan earthquake donation directory with now over 40 methods for contributing. Then a designer named Oliver Ding, who I didn’t know, created a great SlideShare of the post. The country is now starting a three day period of mourning. The impact on the country is probably comparable to the impact of 9/11 on people in the U.S.

Please consider making a small financial contribution to one of these agencies, and also consider ways to help in the Myanmar cyclone disaster which will likely have even more fatalities due to barriers to aid put up by the Myanmar government.

From guest blogger, Andy Boyd of ProTraveller

What comes to mind when you think of summer and the sunshine it (should) bring? For many the first thing that comes into their mind is spending some time down at the beach, enjoying a swim in the sea and generally relaxing. For others, especially families with children off school, beaches have to take a humble second place behind the water park.

The attraction is easy to see. The best water parks in the world are designed to have something for everyone. Bring your friends, take your children or go by yourself; these parks are packed full of things to see and do.

If I had to choose 5 water parks worth visiting, they’d include these:

Chimelong Water Park, Guangzhou, China

Here’s somewhere that looks so much that it may even be worth enduring the smog! Chimelong Water Park’s premier attraction is the aptly named Behemoth Bowl, which is basically more than a massive bowl where can you slide round and eventually drop into a pool below. If that sounds like too much action, grab a donut try chilling out on the world’s longest lazy river!

World Water Park, West Edmonton, Canada

You might have a hard time getting your girlfriend to have a go on the slides at some water parks, but there should be no problem enticing her to this place. World Water Park is actually situated indoor, right next to the West Edmonton Mall. There’s something for everyone here with pools through to 85ft tall slides.

Sunway Lagoon, Selangor, Malaysia

This outdoor park enjoys great weather most of the year and has all the usual slides you’d expect. However, it does have one trick up it’s arm that you may not have been expecting: an outdoor wave pool with surfable waves!

Wet ‘n Wild, Orlando, Florida

Ask anyone where they think the best theme parks in the world are and most of them will say Florida, which is why I’ve include Wet ‘n Wild. This iconic water park is famed around the world for some of the most thrilling slides you can dream of with everything covered from vertical kamikazes to more relaxing slides and pools. If you’re in Florida this is a must!

Tropical Islands, Krausnick, Germany

Yep, you read that right. Germany may be mostly landlocked but thanks to modern architecture they managed to create an indoor park thermostatically controlled at paradisiacal temperatures. Fortunately it’s not all about sitting back and relaxing under the domed roof. As attractive as that may be, we’re sure the choice of slides will be worth the trip alone, even in January!

What is your favorite water park for summer fun?

Today begins the celebration of Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, and the Year of the Rat. Based on the cycles of the moon, Lunar New Year is traditionally focused on family and remembering ancestors. Famous folks born in the Year of the Rat include Mozart, Marlon Brando and Gwyneth Paltrow. Lunar New Year is celebrated many different ways, and if you decide to go out or stay in, there is something for you!
Check out Min’s blog for her plans for CNY – this year she is cooking the big dinner herself! Shar Scott from Planaganza has some great ideas on how to organize yourself to throw a Chinese New Year’s party of your own. Some of our travel blogger friends have written about their plans from around the world. Globetrotteri wishes us Happy New Year from Hualian, Tiawan; GoVisitHawaii has put together an excellent list of ideas for celebrating in Oahu; Peter from PulauPangkor talks about his plans in Kuala Kurau; and Beth Whitman of the SeattlePI has written about Tet (Vietnamese New Year) festivities planned in Seattle. (psst…I found all these blog posts using our new travel blog search tool!)

In Silicon Valley, my friend Cam Chan describes her plans for celebrating:

My family and I are planning to celebrate Tet (Vietnamese New Year) and Chinese New Year pretty much the same way that we have celebrated it since I moved to the Bay Area 10 years ago. I am Vietnamese and my husband is Chinese, so we try to incorporate a little of each tradition. I will purchase several banh tet (Vietnamese savory rice cakes that are traditionally eaten during Tet) and a tray of sweeten goodies (sugar coated ginger, melons, etc.) which we will graze on next week. We went to my in-laws’ in San Francisco for the traditional Chinese New Year dinner on New Year’s Eve. Grandma Chan cooked a 9 course meal made from scratch (yummy!).

The grandparents handed out red envelopes or lucky money to the kids (including us) and the grandkids (our children). We have officially entered adulthood in both the Chinese and Vietnamese traditions because we are married. Therefore, we will be expected to give out red envelopes to all those who are younger and unmarried. For us, this means that we are obligated to give money to Albert’s sister and our three children, though we do give out additional packets to the children of our friends also. We also plan to take our 3 year old to Grand Century Mall in San Jose to see the Dragon Dance next weekend. Our three month old twins will have to wait until next year to enjoy the festivities as the performance and festivities are usually very loud and crowded.

The San Francisco Bay Area is chock-a-block of celebrations for this festive holiday, check out some of these suggestions:

Vietnamese Spring Festival and Parade, San Jose, February 10
Lunar New Year Celebration at Children’s Discovery Museum, San Jose, February 16-17
Chinatown Community Street Fair, San Francisco, February 23-24

How are you celebrating this Year of the Rat? Did we miss your favorite festival? Let us know!!

If you visit San Francisco Chinatown these days, you will find that the 2008 Chinese New Year animal is the Rat, as in the rat in Ratatouille, The Green Mile or Mousehunt (1997). There will be rats (live or not) in the homes of more than 1.3 billion people in 2008. (I received two pigs in year 2007!) Chinese New Year is the most significant holiday for Chinese people around the world, regardless of the origin of their ancestors, or their current locations. Feb. 6 2008 will be the last day of Year of Pig according to Chinese lunar calendar and Chinese will celebrate Rat Year 2008 that night!

Chinese New Year History

Today, we call Chinese New Year day “Spring Festival” (春节, chūnjié) which was officially set by Nanjing Temporary Government in 1912. Before 1912, the Chinese New Year eve was simply called “Nian”(年) (means “year”), and the first day was called “Yuán Dàn” (means “the first day/dawn”) which we now use to refer to Western New Year’s day – Jan. 1. The origin of Nian can be traced back to Zhou Dynasty (1066 B.C. – 256 B.C.) or even as early as 2600 B.C.

There are a few different versions of folk tales about the Chinese New Year history. One of the most famous legends is that Nian is an extremely cruel and ferocious beast, which the Chinese believe, eats every creature including human being. After years’ observation, people find out that every 365 days Nian comes out and eats people. Red color, the fire and loud noises were proved to be most effective in scaring Nian away. Since then, red-paper couplets are pasted on top and both sides of doors, torches are lit, and firecrackers are set off throughout the night. Early the next morning, as feelings of triumph and renewal fill the air at successfully keeping Nian away for another year, the most popular greeting heard is Gōngxǐ (means “congratulations). So, maybe you also know why color red is the color of China.

Another slightly different version is that Nian is too dangerous and people don’t know if they can survive through the next day, so it becomes extremely important that all family members must come together on New Year Eve. The parents will prepare a feast with the best food they can afford for dinner. After dinner, the family will stay up until midnight, praying for safety. A third less well-known version is that a young guy whose name is “Wan Nian” (means “ten thousand years”) invented the lunar calendar and thus the King named the calendar “Nian” after his first name.

The first two legends actually explain how Chinese people celebrate the New Year. But since China is such a big country, the tradition is very different from region to region .

Chinese New Year Food

New Year Eve dinner is the most important event in celebrating the new year. I remember my mother spending days preparing the dinner and snacks when I was young. We have several must-have foods on Chinese New Year eve. Generally speaking, people in North China eat dumplings (called Jiǎozi, 饺子) which are made of wheat flour, stuffed with minced pork and vegetable and taste salty; people in the South eat a kind of round sweet dumpling (called tāngyuán, 汤圆) which is made of sticky rice flour and stuffed with black sesame paste or peanut paste. People in the Middle, along Yangzi River eat rice cake (called “niángāo”, 年糕) which are be in various styles and flavors.

Today a new trend is that more and more families don’t eat home-made dinner, but go to restaurants for the feasts. I agree with this trend so that my mother, the best chef of the world, can take a day off!

Chinese New Year Activities

CNY holiday is the longest one in China – 7 days. Since it is the only chance for many city immigrants to go back home and meet with families and relatives, many companies, especially self-owned (as opposed to state-owned) will grant a much longer holiday to their employees, from ten days to two weeks. But most MNCs just stick to the law. What do people do in such a long holiday?

• Bàinián (means “greeting the new year”): Visiting friends and relatives in their home. This the most fun part for kids since married grown-ups will give them some money (called Yāsuìqián in North, Lìshì in South) in a small red-paper envelope to protect the kids whom are the most vulnerable target for vicious Nian beast. It is more an obligation than a good will today. This is a Chinese version of Halloween “All Treats – No Tricks” game for Cantonese kids (Hong Kong and Guangzhou area). They will come to you saying “Gōngxǐfācái” (as the characters in the right image) , and you must then give them a Lìshì.

• Go to temple fairs or flower markets or firework shows or parades：Temple fairs are held at various ancient temples in North China. It is a kind of mass gathering that integrates religious worship (for Buddhist and Taoist), entertainment and commerce, (check here for images about temple fairs). Cantonese people go to flower markets instead.

• Travel: More and more people in the cities take leisure trips to escape the cities. As the United States has become the most popular outbound travel destination for China as of December 11 2007, it is certain that you will see more Chinese people in big cities like San Francisco or attractions like the Grand Canyon this year.

• Do nothing but relax: Shanghai is the tourist hotspot for Chinese people. Shopping district like Nanjingdong Road is always fully packed with tourists in holidays. So a few people choose to stay at home to avoid crowd.

What are your plans for Chinese New Year 2008? Does your family celebrate by going out or staying in? Or, have you had the opportunity to experience the celebration of Chinese New Year where you live? We would love to hear your stories!

From guest blogger, Marie Minder, MMW International, www.mmwi.com

In November 2007, I had the opportunity to travel for the first time to Beijing, China, with a friend who was traveling on business. One afternoon, while Kim worked, I observed this exciting new culture up close. As I waited on the sidewalk, the school across the street let out for the day. All of a sudden, I found myself surrounded by a crowd of school age children with their backpacks and the adults who came to meet them. In front of me was an ancient man wearing the traditional nondescript gray Mao jacket with loose fitting trousers. He was riding a bicycle ever so slowly through the crowd of pedestrians. On the back of the bicycle with his arm’s around the man’s waist was a little boy of 8 or 10. On the right side of the grandfather and the little boy on the bicycle was a young woman in designer jeans, spiked high heel boots, a short coat with fur trimmed sleeves. She looked like a fashion model. She was maneuvering her motor scooter and her young son calmly through the crowd.

Welcome to Beijing, China, a world of contrasts. High rise luxury buildings, one room apartments with no plumbing, 8 lane highways, hutangs (maze-like alley ways ) with no cars, modern subways, bicycles and more. It is hard to get your bearings because so much of Beijing is in constant change. The roads change daily. It is not unusual for life-long Beijingers to find themselves a little lost.

If you are planning on visiting China, here are 5 recommendations:

• Carry small packs of toilet paper with you, you might find they come in handy.
• Practice with chop sticks before you go. I did not see many forks. Alternatively, pull out your guidebook and be prepared to ask for a fork.
• Hire an English speaking tour guide and driver. I know this one may be hard for rugged individualists or budget conscious folks but it was the best thing that I did on my trip. Tour guides and drivers are great deals and will cater to your specific needs. Talk with your hotel concierge for suggestions on local guides.
• Everything is negotiable, and the best negotiating tip is to just say “No”. Negotiating is a game and can be fun to play, if you are prepared. Don’t be afraid to talk with other tourists about their shopping experiences, to find the good deals. Have an idea of how much you are comfortable spending and stick to it. And have an idea of the value of an item before bargaining, it will help you keep to your budget. Do not be afraid of offering an amount too low. If it is indeed too low then, the merchant will simply shake his head and walk away. If the amount that you offered is in the acceptable range then the response will be something like “Are you serious? Give me a serious response.” This is where the game gets interesting! Prepare yourself for a unique shopping experience.
• Keep your eyes open. China is a beautiful country, full of contrasts, with many unexpected surprises. Even though the crowds may feel overwhelming and everything feels different, enjoy your visit and the experience.

Beijing, a world of contrasts. It is an exciting, chaotic place to be as it prepares for the big 2008 Summer Olympic unveiling. So buckle up my friends and jump right in. It will be an amazing trip.

Have you recently visited China? Do you have recommendations from your trip to share with other travelers? We would love to hear about them!

It was my second time to join the bloggers at the Chinese Blogger Conference 2007 in Beijing on Nov. 3 and 4. Last year, I went to Hangzhou and met a lot of great bloggers, including one of the conference founder/organizers, Issac Mao, who has begun to be referred as “Chairman Mao” by bloggers; Rebecca MacKinnon from Global Voices Online；and Professor Chunyan Wang from Renmin University, who was the first person who introduced Creative Commons (CC) licence to China web-sphere. And this year, I had the chance to reunite with my blogger friends, and make new friends. How wonderful!

Weather in Beijing was welcoming, with a warm and clear sky. Early November is the right time for the changing leaves in XiangShan Park (Fragrant Hills Park), where the Fragrant Hill Hotel, a prize-winning hotel designed by I.M. Pei, is located. The conference was held in a 5-star conference hall in Tsinghua Science Park. Google China is one of the tenants of the science park.

So, it is easy to imagine that the once grassroots blogger party is now transforming into a glitzy Web 2.0 event, little by little. Like most Chinese conferences, this one has a theme: “Let hundreds of flowers bloom together, let hundreds of school of thought contend.” This is an idiom from more than 2000 years ago when a famous Chinese philosopher advocated “free thinking”. From my personal opinion, the theme is also one of the major reason that I saw a camera with “NBC’ logo, and Financial Times reporters. Rebecca moderated the most controversial panel and has very detailed coverage here.

But what attracts Chinese bloggers (like me) are diverse topics and the opportunity to have closer communications with bloggers who are passionate in building communities.

Exciting stuff from the conference:

1. jiwai, a micro blogging service provider “sponsored” the conference with a mobile messenger broadcasting service. Everyone can send a text message to a specific number and “twitter” on what she/he is thinking/doing about the conference. A message (shown on a big screen) rolls every 10 second and each message stays for 30 seconds, so people can comment and ask questions in real time mode without disturbing the speakers and audience. Most important, they can share their opinions with everyone. Bloggers outside the conference room can post online by following the ID.

Translation of the messages on the screen:

• QQ71527683: I am from QQ. (he/she is using the QQ instant messenger to send this message.)
• marcao: Mr. Wang Jianshuo said: “Chinese Blogger Conference is the only party for idealists in nowadays China.” ( Wang Jianshuo is one of the most well-known Chinese bloggers)
• Beijing：This speaker is performing very professionally, not like an amateur.

This picture was taken when the controversial panel discussion about “grassroots media v.s. professional media”was going on.

2. 1kg.org, a travel related volunteer coordinator/NGO. Its Chinese name is “pack ONE extra kilogram (stuff) on your trip”. The “stuff” is what you think you can give and help the children in remote villages where even a pencil is regarded as precious. This NGO will provide information on villages or schools that are close to natural attractions. The bloggers have raised funds by hosting photography exhibit in cities.

3. YeeYan: I had blogged about YeeYan in October 2006 when it was still a group blog of less than 10 people with a dozen articles/blog posts translated from English to Chinese. Thirteen months later it has grown into a thriving community with more than 10,000 registered users and 3,000+ translated articles. Founder Lei Zhang believes that social collaboration is the way to change the translation industry. A group of bloggers have translated “Inside Facebook” into Chinese. The book is published, and I got one too. Good to see they handle the copyright issue right so far.

Many people may not agree with me that Shanghai is a place for foodies. My biggest argument is: you can find high quality examples of various cuisines in Shanghai which is not possible in other cities like Changsha (famous for Hunan food), Chengdu (home of Sichuan food) or even Guangzhou (though a Chinese saying “eat in Guangzhou” implies Guangzhou is the best.)

I love food, and eat almost all kinds of food, except of blue cheese I guess. I gained weight in the two-digits, after I moved back to Shanghai from California within 6 months. My guide to food in Shanghai is a Chinese Web 2.0 restaurant review site called Dianping. “dian ping (点评）” in Chinese mean “order & review”. I want to share with you what’s the best in Shanghai according to over 1 million users in Dianping.

Best Restaurant: 花乐 （Karaku）

• Japanese, run by fifth generation owner of a 150-year old restaurant 一宝料亭 in Japan; located in Kong’s Garden in a western-style villa.
• Phone: 021-64383822, 64688922
• Address: Building 4 in Kong’s Garden, Xietu Rd 2421, Xujiahui
• Average $: 666 RMB/person (about $89 USD)
• Recommended food: Tempura, Hot Spring Egg, Fried Goose Liver, Green Tea Ice Cream
• Good for: Business banquet

Best Food: Fried Dumpling

• Chinese, name of the restaurant is not available;
• Phone: n/a
• Address: opposite to entrance of East China University of Science & Technology.
• Average $: 3 RMB/person (about $0.40 USD)
• Good for: college students’ breakfast

Best Environment: 雍福会 (Yongfoo Elites)

• Shanghainese, 2004 Best Club Design (2nd) by Wallpaper, 2007 Best of the Best No.1 Club in Shanghai by Hurun.net
• Phone:021-54662727 64719181
• Address: Yongfu Rd. 200, (Shanghai British Consulate old venue), Xujiahui (closed to Huanhaizhong Rd.)
• Average $: 677 RMB/person (about $90 USD)
• Good for: luxury decor

Best Services: 海底捞火锅店 (Best kid/family friendly)

• Hot pot, see a video here about “Noodle Kongfu”
• Phone:021-54223132 54220948
• Address: Wuzhong Rd. 1000, Minhang
• Average $:71 RMB/person (about $9.50 USD)
• Good for: free nail care, baby sitting, Internet, even “change your napkin towel every 15 minutes”

Unfortunately, I haven’t been to any of above and can’t give my personal recommendation. It’s hilarious that a fried dumpling store is ranked at No.1 as Best Food. I will check it out sometime. My favorite is this (called “Wan Chai” as a place name in Hong Kong) which serves a “fusion cuisine” of Cantonese, Shanghainese and Sichuan food. They have a few chains in Shanghai. The one we go frequently is on Julu Rd. in French concession area, a street of bars and night clubs.

Have you ever been to Shanghai? I’d love to what’s your favorite. You might want to check out Shanghaieats to decide where and what to eat in Shanghai.