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Thoughts on Living in a Suburban Chinatown
E-Mail I just received:
Do you ever feel a least bit awkward or intimidated being one of the
few 白人 around many 華人 in your area?
My Answer:
No, I never feel awkward or intimidated.
Frustrations are a different subject!
Top frustrations:
- Running of red lights.
- Rude people
- Small Parking Spaces
- Shopping Carts being left around in my neighborhood (this finally stopped, I called in 5 shopping carts to have them picked up).
- People who believe they need a Golf Club to protect themselves from my Golden Retriever.
- Being targeted for house burglary because of where we live.
- TV's in restaurants
Positives:
- Chinese Bakeries!
- Great Chinese Food!
- Chinese Super Markets
- Great School District
- My in-laws are comfortable living here. We live with them. And if they are happy, my wife is happy, which makes me happy.
- We have a nice house my family is happy with
- Nice
banks. I do business with a Chinese bank and they know me by name. It's
a pleasant experience, instead of being treated like a number.
- It's a great location for our business.
Labels: chinatowns
Chinese search newbie Jike takes on Baidu and Google
Cyber Espionage Threat on an industrial scale
LA Chinese Area Real Estate
This map from the LA Times based on data from Zillow shows areas with negative equity.
What stands out for me is areas that are heavily ethnic Chinese are keeping their prices compared to surrounding areas.
Temple City -9%
Arcadia - 6%
San Marino - 4%
San Gabriel - 11%
Rowalnd Heights - 16%
Walnut - 13%
Diamond Bar - 21% - half of Diamond Bar has a great school district, and the other half is Pomona.
Monterey Park - 14%
Hacienda Heights - 21% Labels: chinatowns
Fakes and status in China
The article is OK, but not great.
What was more interesting was the comments!
Fakes and status in China - The Economist
A new term for me was wu-mao network. I know it as the 50 cent party, and yes, I believe it exists, unfortunately.
In the US some authors on Amazon do something similar, where on the first day of sale of their books they have a bunch of people give positive reviews, 5 star, but this is their first review. Another trick is complain about low reviews on Amazon.
SEC probes movie studios over dealings in China
Economic Power of China in History
New wave of immigrants — a new target too?
Study: Asians are fastest-growing U.S. group
Summer College Classes - Severely Impacted
Using TV to Teach Your Child Chinese
While channel surfing the other day, I came across an old show on PBS called Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat. I said to myself, “This is interesting”, and started to watch a bit of it. It taught a lot about Chinese culture, family obligations and loyalty, a good medium to teach this to children. So I searched and found another Chinese Children's Show on Nick Jr. called “Ni Hao, Kai-lan”. This show helps teach kids basic Chinese words through songs and lovely animated characters, in a nut shell, Chinese made easy for your children to understand.
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| Bundle: Chinese Made Easy, Traditional, Level 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: Text: Text & Workbooks, Teacher's Guide Level 1, 2, 3 |
Our Price: $300.35
Sale Price: $270.00
You save $30.35!   |
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- Children remember Chinese easier with these task-based lessons.
- Uses rhymes, pictures, stories.
- Covers content for different Chinese exams.
Complete set, all books Levels 1-5 plus Teachers' Guide 1-3.  |
To better utilize this learning medium, we just have to follow some simple tips.
1. Watch with your child – it is important for one parent to sit and watch with their child. Our children might have questions and we should be there to answer them. This will help a lot with the learning experience.
2. During commercial breaks, review what was taught – reviewing what your child has learned during commercial breaks help keep your child focused on learning. We all read the studies that commercial breaks sometimes develops attention problems, by continuing the learning process during commercial breaks will also help in reducing attention span disorders.
3. If you have TIVO or any DVR service, use it to reduce the number of commercials. This will filter out the commercials for you.
4. Get Chinese learning materials – buy 1 or 2 books to help you with the learning process. You can find many stores online or you can check out your local library.
With these simple steps, we can utilize the power of the television to it's fullest! Let the learning begin!
A Trip To China in four pictures
Creative Good is an amazing blog that is a great read that focuses on the customer experience. The founder, Mark Hurst, recently had a business trip to China and has some great observations.
A trip to China in four pictures - Creative Good Labels: china's future
New iPhone Features Target China
Internet Censorship in China
Best Buy's Success in China
Ferrari Struggles with ‘Spin’ in China
Shanghai based UK College Admissions Consultant
Webinar - Establishing a Web Presence in China
China sends its first female astronaut into space
Recommendations for Learning Chinese Textbooks for Kids
I just got a question this morning on which Learning Chinese Textbook's do I recommend. There are good points and bad points to each textbook series. Some of my favorites.
I like the Better Chinese products a lot. There is a huge amount of supplementary material available, including teacher guides, CD Roms, Flash Cards, Games, Singing for each product family.
They have four families:
My
First Chinese Words Learning Chinese Curriculum
by Better Chinese is for ages 2-7, and is a great introduction. It's made up of 36 books and a CD. What is nice about the series is its great for those with short attention spans.
.My
First Chinese Reader Curriculum by Better Chinese for ages 7 to 11, grades 2 to 6. Available in both Simplified and Traditional Characters.
Discovering
Chinese
- Learn Chinese through Stories By Better Chinese. I like the focus on learning through stories, which all Better Chinese products have.
Magical
Tour of China
by Better Chinese is for midddle school and high school, and has 6 levels. The series builds upon Discovering Chinese or My First Chinese Reader.
Another series that is lower cost, is Chinese
Made Easy for Kids. No Teacher Guides unfortunately. Uses Pinyin with either traditional or Simplified Chinese Characters. The Textbook includes a CD.
And for learning Characters, sames authors, is Chinese
Made Easy. A Teaching Guide is also available, but this is more of a list of answers.
Chinese
Made Easy and Chinese
Made Easy for Kids are very popular with schools. I have some teachers who use both in the same class, since the Chinese Made Easy for Kids has more activities in it. One teacher's only complaint about Chinese Made Easy for Kids was the use of kids in the title (she teaches middle school).
For a down to earth style of teaching, I like Practical
Chinese. Created by a Taiwanese Mother, who is also a Chinese Teacher in the US, who was frustrated her two US born kids (ABC's) were having challenges learning Chinese.
I suggest look at the sample pages and find out which one is the best fit for your teaching style.Labels: Learning Chinese Textbook
China Carbon Emissions Numbers Don't Add Up
China May Boost Hollywood Summer Sales
Oldest Chinatown in the World
As
a friend of mine and I were debating which was the oldest Chinatown
in the US, I said San Francisco, she said New York. I did a little
research to see who was right, and yes I was right, San Fransisco has
the oldest Chinatown in the US, established in 1848 by Chinese
Immigrants. But I was actually surprised that it wasn't the oldest
Chinatown in the world. That honor goes to a place called Binondo,
located in the heart of Manila, one of the busiest cities in the
Philippines. This was established around 1594 by Spanish Colonizers
to keep the Chinese Community in one area, and thus under their
control.
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| Exploring Chinatown: A Children's Guide to Chinese Culture |
| Our Price: $22.95 |
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This is a book for kids, families, and teachers who’d like to get more out of their visit to Chinatown than an “I escaped Alcatraz” t-shirt or oversized pencil. It’s a guide to what makes Chinese culture, well, “Chinese.” It covers almost everything, from how to order in a restaurant, and what not to do with chopsticks, to how to write characters in Chinese and how to make potstickers. It tells about herbal medicine shops, temples, and tearooms. |
Chinatown
in Binondo, Manila has been the center of business for the Chinese
community in the Philippines since from the Spanish times up until
the present. I happen to have a friend from the Philippines who said,
“You can find anything and everything in Binondo, from authentic
Chinese cuisine to electronics to clothes, they've got it all!”.
Maybe one of these days I can plan a trip to the Philippines and
visit the “oldest Chinatown in the World”
Chinese Made Easy for Kids Vs. Chinese Made Easy
So I just created this simple chart for comparison - I hope it helps.
- Ray
Chinese Made Easy for Kids Textbook Series and Chinese Made Easy Chinese
Textbook Series Comparison
Area
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Chinese Made Easy for Kids
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Chinese Made Easy
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Age
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6-12
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5-11
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Color
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Yes (workbook is B and W)
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Yes (workbook is B and W)
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Focus
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More Verbal, and more games
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Verbal and Written
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Author
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Ms. Yamin Ma and Ms. Xinying Li
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Ms. Yamin Ma and Ms. Xinying Li
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Vocabulary Learned
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Write 100 Simple Chinese Characters, and recognize 500 Chinese
Characters
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1,700 Characters
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Number of Levels
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5
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4
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Characters
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Traditional and Simplified
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Traditional and Simplified
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Flash Cards
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Yes (Simplified Only, 2 levels)
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No
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CD Included
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Yes
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Yes
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Work Books
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Yes
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Yes
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Teacher’s Guide
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No
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Yes
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Blog Posts
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Chinese Made Easy for Kids
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Chinese Made Easy
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Teacher’s Guide
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No
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Yes
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Buying Guide
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Chinese Made Easy
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Chinese Made Easy for Kids
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Topics
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- Chinese and Western festivals
and customs
- Law and order
- Communication and the media
- Education and employment
- Entertainment
- New technology
- Celebrities
- healthy life style
- Young people
|
- Children will learn about Chinese Greetings
- Classroom Language
- Personal Introduction
- Numbers and Dates
- Countries and Languages
- Occupations, Transport
- Colors and Clothing
- Daily Routines
- School
subjects and facilities
- Parts of the body and illness
- Everyday
articles, Stationery
- Articles in the house
- Animals
- House and Rooms
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Sample Pages
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Chinese Made Easy for Kids Sample Pages
   
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Chinese Made Easy Sample Pages
   
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Chinatown Summer Nights Returns To LA Chinatown For Three Unforgettable Nights
Daily Deal Chinese Bakery - Rowland Heights
Yes, I bought one :-) Nice bakery.
$5 for $10 Worth of Chinese Baked Goods
Kee Wah Bakery stocks pastries that range from
bags of homemade ginger cookies ($4.95), to bags of pineapple paste
cakes ($7.85), and gift boxes of low-sugar moon cakes with white lotus
seed ($31.80), which are seasonally available during the fall. The
self-serve pastry case allows cake connoisseurs and bun buffs to peruse a
variety of other sweet treats, such as egg tarts ($1.20). New items
include a coffee bun ($1.10), cream stick ($1), and apple box ($1.50).
Kee Wah Bakery
The first Kee Wah Bakery appeared in Hong Kong in
1938, where its moon cakes, bridal cakes, and other pastries gradually
generated a loyal clientele. In 1985, when much of that clientele had
migrated to the United States, Kee Wah set down new roots in LA to offer
its signature floury goods to Californians. Patrons pick from egg
tarts, crispy squares, and pineapple crust buns using a self-serve
bakery system, which is refilled with fresh breads baked three times a
day. During the autumn, when the Chinese Lunar Festival is in full
swing, the bakery churns out moon cakes
filled with lotus seed and red-bean paste. The shop's three locations
in the San Gabriel Valley—Monterey Park, San Gabriel, and Rowland
Heights—help meet the demand for Chinese wedding cakes and almond
cookies throughout the valley. Labels: Chinese Food
Teaching Your Children About the Dragon Boat Festival
For many Asian-Americans, June is the season of the Dragon Boat Festival. This tradition of celebrating this festival was handed down to us by our parents and their parents. And now, as parents, have the responsibility to teach this tradition to our children.
This may sound hard, but don't worry, we here at Childbooks has compiled for you a list of resources you can use to help you teach your children the true meaning of the Dragon Boat Festival. Just have a look at our Dragon Boat Festival Resources Page, here you will find:
- Dragon Boat lesson plan to help with teaching your child about the Dragon Boat Festival
- Dragon Boat Festival slide show in PDF and PPT format to also help you with teaching
- Dragon Boat Worksheets that you can download, print and use at home
- Dragon Boat Festival Coloring Pages, a great activity for kids
- link to the different books we sell about the Dragon Boat Festival
- link to Dragon Boat Background, Customs, and History
- and much more
You may even want to take your child to see a Dragon Boat Race. We have compiled a Dragon Boat Racing Event Calendar to let you know when and where the next Dragon Boat Race will be.
With this resource just a click away, you child will learn so much about the Dragon Boat Festival. Labels: dragon boat festival
Research on ABC parents with Chinese or Caucasian spouse
Sounds interesting, unfortunately my wife was in Taiwan so we don't qualify.
From a customer:
A few weeks ago we participated in a
research conducted by Kris Noam of UC, Irvine. Kris studies the role of
Chinese culture in lives and child rearing practices of ABC parents. She is
still looking for respondents. She is interested in ABC parents with
either a
Chinese or a Caucasian spouse.
The open interviews last only about 1.5 hour, can take place at a time/
location convenient to you, and of course you will stay anonymous.
If you have questions you can contact Kris directly: k.noam@uci.edu or
visit her website: www.abcparents.webstarts.com.
Online Education Revolution
Asian-Americans, Affirmative Action, and Fisher v. Texas
Night Market in Pasadena
Nightmarket July 28th in Pasadena, sounds like they will have a lot more parking. The last one had some challenges I heard with parking and being to many people.
Announcing the return of the 626 Night Market!
We’ve listened to all the feedback (there was a lot) and have revamped
the entire event to make it bigger and better: More space, parking,
food, traffic control, safety, security, staff, etc. We hope to see you
on Saturday, July 28th, from 4PM – 11:30PM. In the meantime, stay tuned
for some awesome free prizes from our vendors.Labels: Chinese Food
Why Chinese immigrants struggle with English fluency
Interesting article comparing Chinese immigrants to Slavic Language Immigrants in Montreal. The study found Slavic Immigrants made much more progress in their English, and Chinese immigrants.
My guess, which is not in the article, is in Montreal, the large Chinese community in Montreal (they have a Chinatown), reduces the need for English. I am sure there are Chinese banks, restaurants, and markets. I doubt there is the same type of businesses for Slavic Language Speakers.
A Math Teacher I had in College, from Japan, mentioned he went to school in Iowa and he got met at the airport by three Japanese students. They were super happy he was there, so they could play some game that required 4 people. His English did not improve much, since he spent all his time with other Japanese students in Iowa while he went to school there.
Why Chinese immigrants struggle with English fluency - The Star Labels: chinatowns, learning English
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