Tag Archives: china

Brangelina Brood Expanding by Three?

Can you be overdue with twins? French newspapers are reporting that Angelina Jolie will deliver her twins on Tuesday. Numerous sources at the Lenval Hospital in Nice, where the actress was admitted on June 29th, say Brangelina’s twins will be welcomed into the world in just three short days. According to the paper, doctors were initially planning to induce Jolie on Monday, but since July 14th is Bastille Day (a French holiday) the procedure was pushed back a day. There have been so many false reports associated with Jolie’s pregnancy and pending delivery that I’m not sure I buy this … Continue reading →

May in Review, Part Three

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I shared the news that thousands of Chinese are offering to adopt children orphaned by the quake in Earthquake May Prove to Be a Milestone for Adoption in China. However, some orphans of a previous quake reported feeling as though they were tolerated as foster children rather than fully part of their adoptive families or relatives’ families, and some social service personnel feel that the children could support each other better in a boarding school where they would live with other earthquake survivors. This controversy is discussed in Is Adoption the Best Solution for Earthquake Survivors? –The Disagreement. In What … Continue reading →

More International Hotels that Treat Your Kids Like Royalty

Most parents agree that if their children are happy they are happy. These days more and more hotels around the world are latching on to that philosophy and upping their game when it comes to creating kid-friendly atmospheres. Dozens of upscale properties are now targeting tots in an effort to win over their affluent parents. Here are several more international hotels making headlines for their superior kid-friendly amenities: CHINA Just in time for the 2008 Summer Olympics the Commune by the Great Wall hotel has just completed its new children’s facility. The brightly colored kid-friendly structure hosts programs specially designed … Continue reading →

Asian Adventures

I have always dreamed of sending my parents on a cruise of Japan and China, but Asian sailings are among the priciest on the market. And with the price of airfare skyrocketing these days I can barely afford tickets to see them in Hawaii so I don’t know how I would be able to round up the money it would take to cover a dream cruise. Still, I’m constantly on the look out for great deals on high sea adventures, with the hope that one day I can gift my mom and dad with the trip they have longed to … Continue reading →

Sharon Stone Apologizes for“Karma” Comment

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Is it something in the water? This week, more so than usual, there seems to be an overabundance of celebrities who are opening practicing the old “mouth and inserting foot” technique. After Hulk Hogan and family spoke ill of the young man gravely injured in a car wreck in which their son was driving, now Sharon Stone has said maybe the Chinese are just getting what was coming to them. What? Did Sharon Stone actually insinuate that the horrendous earthquake China just had and all the suffering the people are going through was a result of “bad karma” for its … Continue reading →

What Will Really Happen to Adoption in China, Post-Quake?

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The Chinese government says it is drafting plans for adoptions of quake orphans, and phones at local Civil Affairs Bureaus are ringing off the hook. One Western newspaper even estimated that there are more Chinese calling about adopting than there are orphans. It remains to be seen what will happen. Do Chinese parents calling about adoption today still see it as offering to foster children, or do they truly understand adoption as making a child a permanent part of your family tree? Perhaps they do. Perhaps the restrictions on bearing children have left more people wanting to love more children … Continue reading →

Chris Rock Breaks World Record and Chan Tries to Fix China

It was much more than a night of a million laughs. Just hours ago comedian Chris Rock ended up making more than just a name for himself in the United Kingdom, he made history as well. The 43-year-old funnyman set a new world’s record when he performed in front of the largest U.K. comedy audience ever assembled under one roof. Rock reportedly broke the current record of 10,108 – previously set by British comic Lee Evans in 2005 – when he appeared before a crowd of 15,000 fans at London’s O2 arena. To make sure everything was official, authorities from … Continue reading →

Hello Kitty Says Hello to New Travel Job

Regular readers of this blog know how completely obsessed my young daughter is with Hello Kitty. The popular fictional feline with the oversized face is a staple in our home. From shirts to pens, purses to sheets, pillows, sandals, stickers, sunglasses, hair pins, tote bags, duffels, backpacks, hats and banks, Japan’s No.1 export has invaded every inch of our living space and it looks as though she will be sticking around for a while. Hello Kitty is known for winning over the hearts of girls my daughter’s age, but now her cuteness is being marketed to another sector of the … Continue reading →

Giant Panda Ling Ling Passes Away

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The fifth-oldest male panda in the world passed away at the end of April. Ling Ling was Japan’s oldest giant panda. He was born at China’s Beijing Zoo in 1985 and was given to Japan as a symbol of friendship in 1992. Ling Ling was a star attraction at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo for more than fifteen years. This is the first time in a long time that Ueno Zoo has not had a giant panda in residence — Ling Ling’s predecessors arrived from China to commemorate the signing of a peace treaty between China and Japan in 1972. The Ueno … Continue reading →

Pre-and-Post Olympic Tours of China

If you don’t have tickets to the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in China’s Beijing then you might want to steer clear of the area until after the madness dies down (or go before the chaos begins). The big event kicks off on August 8th and runs through August 24th. During that time the mighty metropolis will be pulling out all the stops to impress visitors. By taking a trip to the region immediately before or after the festivities you are guaranteed to save some cash. Take a look: Beijing Bargain Right now Virgin Vacations is offering an incredible six-day package … Continue reading →