Does Tanzania or China use Daylight Saving Time?

Tonight we change our clocks moving the clocks one hour forward.  One way to remember this is Spring Forward / Fall Back.  In the Spring we set clocks forward one hour. In the Fall we set clocks back one hour.  So if you go to bed tonight at 8 pm and you get up at 7 am tomorrow, you will get one hour less sleep than you did with these sleep and wake times yesterday.

I used this site to find out that Tanzania does not have Daylight Saving Time.  I did a search for China and learned that they don’t do this in China as well.  Please see the above map and see which countries use a Daylight Saving Time system.  The green areas are using a Daylight Saving Time.  The Blue ones used it in the past but don’t any longer.  The White areas indicate places that have never used a Daylight Saving Time system.

Are you interested in where this time change thing started?  Here is a internet site that gives good information about this.

 

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Work in China

Work in China can pay little in comparison to what people in America make. Sometimes the people live in dormitories at the site.  They are known for team work with the ability  to construct bridges and buildings quickly.    Watch this Rapid build.  They rebuilt a bridge in just 36 hours through careful planning.

The average worker in China makes about 1/10 of what an average wage in the USA.  So if you make $10.00 an hour here, what would a person there make?

The people that live in the rural areas generally live poorly.  The high speed trains aren’t everywhere and in rural areas transportation can be dangerous.  Trains can be very crowded and dirty.

Take a look at this Video about growing rice in rural area.

A Unique Vending Machine in China

Did you know you can buy LIVE CRABS for dinner in a vending machine near the subway train?

Music in China

Although I want you to have an idea of what traditional  Chinese music sounds like, I want you to have an idea of what is popular in China amoung today’s young people as well.  I like this song and I think I you will too. Listen here.

Here is a video of Traditional Music.  There is some talking at the beginning and they explain the different instruments.  I think that part is interesting but you can fast forward and listen to them play.

Tiny “Capsule Hotel” Options

I love to find unique ideas and parts of modern culture from other parts of the world.  While these are not just found in China, they have become a favorite inexpensive way to lodge for a night or two.  Popular with the young people, the compartments are big enough for one person and can be less than $10.00 per night.

Watch this for someone’s video of their observations about staying at a capsule hotel.

From a Worm to Silk

You should receive your silk sample and cocoons this week. It took a long time to get the cocoons in. I found them for purchase as a beauty product. They say to put them on your finger after soaking them in water and then use to cleanse the face.  I bought them for you so you could see what they look like.

The Chinese learned to use the silk from the cocoon to make a very fine material called Silk. Watch how this process works.   It is fascinating.

The trade of silk began nearly 200 years before the birth of Christ.  The trade route became very important to many nations. Trade not only allowed the exchange of products, it provided for exchange of ideas and culture.  The  SILK ROAD  holds a significant part of history.  I hope in the years to come you learn about the Silk Road and the impact of this discovery on the world.

 

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall isn’t really visible from space but people will tell you that it is. I had to find proof that you can and found This

It took a long time to build it and was started about 2000 years ago.  Read more fun facts about this on this Site and this One.

There are several good videos about the Great Wall on You Tube.  I am giving you a link to one done by The National Geographic.  It is about 45 minutes long. Click on this National Geographic documentary to watch.  This one is much shorter if you don’t want to watch long film.

The Glass Bridge

Did you see yourself standing on the Glass Bridge?  This bridge was built nearly 1,000 feet above the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in China and is the longest and highest glass bridge in the world.  Take a look at this Site for some awesome photos.  It was opened recently (August 2016)  and closed soon after for a brief period for upgrades due to the higher than expected number of visitors.  The bridge can take 8,000 visitors a day and up to 800 people on it at a time.

A broken glass pane on one of the other glass bridges led to fear of the safety of the bridge so when this bridge opened they demonstrated its safety by having people try to break it with a sledge hammer and by having a car load of people drive across it.   Each of the transparent sections has 3 panels and the glass is two-inch thick tempered glass.

This is a beautiful Video of the bridge.  There is a plan for several swings and a bungee jump from the bridge.  Would you be willing to jump from the bridge in a bungee jump?

(I give measurements in this description in “Feet” but nearly every other country uses the METRIC system so they describe the length and height in Meters.  There are 3 feet and 3 inches in a meter.)

Eating in China

Different cultures frequently have different expectations of behavior and one place we see this is at meal time.  How people eat, sitting in chairs or on the floor can be one difference.  The Chinese usually sit at round tables. It is good manners to wait for the guest of honor or the oldest person in your group to sit down.  You should also wait to start eating after they begin.

The types of utensils used can also vary. Chop sticks are used for eating in China but many places have forks or spoons to use if you can’t handle yours. I sent a set of chop sticks with your box so you could learn how to eat using them. Here is a VIDEO you can watch to learn how.

Table manners can vary from country to country.  Here is a WEBSITE about manners when eating in China.  I thought is was very interesting that tapping on the table with your first two fingers is a way to say thank you after someone adds more tea to your cup or brings something to you. The server will stop pouring tea or drink when they see you tap the table.

It is not good to stand your chop sticks straight up and down in your food.  This reminds them of death as sticks (incense) are stuck straight up and down in a pot of rice on the altar at funerals.

The cooks chop up food into bite size servings so knives are not needed.  The Chinese don’t use knives during meals.  You probably wouldn’t find salt and pepper on the table either. They do use soy sauce to flavor foods sometimes. The Chinese usually don’t eat sweets for dessert.  Fortune cookies are a tradition used in America following the meal when eating at a Chinese  restaurant but are not served in China.  They eat fruit or have tea following the meal instead.

 

Kites were invented in China

I sent each of you a kite for a reason.  Kites were invented in China about 2000 years ago.  There are 4 basic types of Chinese kites.  Take a look HERE to see more about these types. Early kites were made of wood.  Later they were made of bamboo and silk and eventually paper.  In times of war kites were used for sending messages and signally for help.

I remember something I learned when I was young that amazed me.  A kite contest was held for an important building project in 1848. A young boy had to work very hard to win the contest but his dedication to success paid off.  You can learn more about this at this Site.   Imagine flying a kite to the opposite side of a massive river.  Imagine that your kite was the first step in building an important bridge at the Niagra Falls.

I have always loved the feel of the wind’s pull on the kite.  As a physical therapist I have treated people with balance problems.  Treatment was much more fun when we took a kite outside to fly it.  Looking up and flying the kite offered an awesome challenge to their physical abilities.

Can you think of another creative way to use a kite?