One of my good friend from Bschool is a Jamaican-born Chinese. He didn’t learn how to use a chopstick until he was in Bschool, taught by his then new roommate, a red haired American from Florida! That was the talk of the school for about one week, until people found other amusing things to talk about. But the story stuck with me, 10 years later, and I am determined to teach my children how to use chopsticks properly.

Well, now the job is easier with the introduction of these cute one piece design chopsticks. They come in various fun shapes, with durable plastic that are consumer product safty certified. Fun farm animal shapes and transluscent sea creatures are my kids favorites, while my partner’s kids love the dinosaur designs. They are truly one of the easiest chopsticks you’ll ever use, no matter how old you are!

Earlier this year, for my son’s birthday, I decorated the table with a lot of pig chopsticks, as he was my little golden pig, along with other farm animals from the Chinese Zodiac. I also gave those away as part of the party favor for his birthday. It was such a hit, both with the kids and their parents. . .the kids liked the color and the fun design, and the parents liked a favor they can keep!

National Day – 國慶節 – guó qìng jié

Today, The People’s Republic of China celebrates it’s 60th National Day, 國慶節 – guó qìng jié, the equavilent of the Independence Day in the U.S.

Besides the military parade, and the flag raising ceremony, the government has planned a huge fireworks display in Beijing, the capital city. It is said that this year’s fireworks will be twice as large and grand as the one showcased during the last Olympic, also in Beijing. Be sure to check out the Wall Street Jounal blog for up to date updates of this historical event.

The average Chinese citizen, however will not be present for the parade, most try to take advantage of the mandatory 1 week vacation to travel around the country. So bear in mind, do not visit China during the first week of October where all the hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions are over crowded unless you have to be in China for a reason. Of course, if you like crowds and wish to experience what 1.3 billion people feels like, this will be perfect.