Tag Archives: china

Adventures by Disney: The A’s

I talk so much about the Disney parks around here, especially the domestic ones, that it might appear those are the only Disney vacations available. However, there are many other Disney vacation options out there, and today I’m starting a recurring column on one of the largest: Adventures by Disney. Adventures by Disney consists of a series of guided tours along various locations in the world. You pay a lot more than you probably would just planning a trip on your own, unless you’re going all out, but for your money you receive a one-of-a-kind experience. Adventures by Disney provides … Continue reading →

China Adoption Today

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For several years, Americans have adopted more children from China than from any other country. Agencies recommend China to their clients as having a stable and predictable adoption process. Well, the good news is, it’s still stable and predictable. The bad news is, the time families wait for a referral is now measured in years instead of months. In December 2006, I wrote about China’s imposition of new requirements for adoptive parents. Most notably, these stipulated that singles were no longer eligible to adopt (China had been a popular option with single mothers until that time), and neither were people … Continue reading →

Chinese Freighter Strikes Section of the Great Barrier Reef

A 755-foot Chinese freighter loaded with coal and headed for China ran aground on part of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia Saturday. The ship, Shen Neng 1, was going full speed when it crashed into the reef. Just hours before, it had left the port of Gladstone, loaded with 72,000 tons of coal and 1,000 tons of bunker fuel. The fear now is that the ship will break apart because of the damage done to it. For safety measures, 23 crew members were rescued by an Australian police boat. There has been a report that the … Continue reading →

Miracle Worker

Sometimes we can be blind to the things God is doing in our world. You often hear people say, ‘If God is so powerful, why doesn’t He do something? Why doesn’t He act in the world and change things?’ You might have even made such comments yourself at times. We might wonder why God doesn’t work miracles as he did in Bible times. Let me assure you He does. Often we just don’t hear about it. But this morning some information came from the Bible Society and it clearly shows God is still at work in the world and still … Continue reading →

China Adoption Book Review Series: Kids Like Me in China

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What does a nine-year-old think and feel about her adoption? What thoughts and feelings does she have on revisiting the orphanage where she lived during the first year of her life and meeting her caregivers? My recent China Adoption Book Review Series (The Lost Daughters of China, China Ghosts, and Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son Parts One, Two, and Three, has covered writings by adoptive parents and from researchers, journalists and academics into abandonment, orphanage care, and domestic and international adoption in China. With Kids Like Me in China, we get to hear from an adoptee. Ying Ying Fry … Continue reading →

China Adoption Book Review Series: China Ghosts

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Like Karin Evans, author of The Lost Daughters of China, Jeff Gammage is a journalist. His memoir, written seven years after Evans’, is entitled China Ghosts: My Daughter’s Journey to America, my Journey to Fatherhood. The title is apt: while Gammage credits Kay Ann Johnson, author of Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son: Abandonment and Orphanage Care in China with helping him understand the context of his daughter’s story, his own book focuses much more tightly on his story and his daughter’s. Gammage and his wife Christine adopted a two year old in Aug 2002. His memoir is valuable for … Continue reading →

China Adoption Book Review Series: Wanting a Daughter, Part Two: Chinese Do Adopt Daughters

My last blog shared some of Kay Ann Johnson’s research from her book Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son. This blog continues with more of Johnson’s research, this time in an area which I have never seen addressed in all the reading I’ve done about adoption in China. This topic is the adoption of Chinese foundlings by Chinese parents in China. Johnson began her research interested in the situation of birthparents who abandoned children. She soon discovered a greater interest in what became of the children. Only a minority, she says, (her book was published in 2004) are adopted abroad, … Continue reading →

China Adoption Book Review: Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son

Kay Ann Johnson is a professor of Asian Studies and Politics at Hampshire College. Yet when she adopted her daughter from a Chinese orphanage in 1991, she felt not only the anxiety of participating in what was then a new adoption program, but also a great desire to learn more about her daughter’s story, or at least the story of many girls like her. Why are children, especially girls, abandoned in China? What consequences—emotional and practical—do the birthparents face? Do most foundlings enter the orphanage system? Johnson’s 2004 book, Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son: Abandonment, Adoption and Orphanage Care … Continue reading →

Hemp Facts

Last week, I blogged about industrial hemp and how it was legal to import, but illegal for American farmers to grow because it is in the cannabis family, which also includes marijuana. I thought I’d list a few facts about hemp that I discovered at the Hemp Industries Association web page: – It is believed that the oldest hemp fabric found dates back to 8,000 BC. Two of our former presidents, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson actually grew hemp. – It hasn’t always been illegal to grow hemp in the U.S. In fact, during World War II, the government subsidized … Continue reading →

Bamboo Flooring: A Great Alternative to Hardwood

If you love hardwood flooring and are thinking about placing some in your home, you may want to consider bamboo flooring. It is a great option for homes that is simple to clean, has anti-microbial properties, and is environmentally friendly. Bamboo grows quicker than any other type of tree. Unlike some trees that take 15 to 100+ years to grow, bamboo can be harvested every 5-7 years. The minimum aged trees used for most bamboo flooring is three years. The hardness of the flooring usually depends on what type of bamboo is used as well as how long it is … Continue reading →