Martin Hendrick form Martin's English School came along with his pupils to the Christmas Market  and performed several songs and Christmas carols on stage. 

On Saturday the 26^th the 6^th Traditional Christmas Charity Market took place gathering a big number of people in the second floor of the usual venue, the Shangri la Hotel, here in Changchun.

This is the first in a series of zhou-tastic tales from Martin, Changchun's premier and only Foreign Zhou chef in town.

Several years ago Changchun Friends had a book printed called "Changchun Stories" which was a collection of stories from the Changchun Friends community. I entered a piece called "I love zhou" and was surprised and delighted to win second prize. This was even more remarkable when I read the other stories that covered and wide variety of amusing and interesting subjects and all deserving recognition.

Since then I have been asked many times about zhou (rice porridge) and how to make it interesting – so here's an update.

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The Fall and Rise of Andrev Yongovlaschenski

The few who have noted Andrev Yongovlaschenski the instant I set boot on the fervid streets of this great city may assume that my taking to the business and social environment like a porpoise to the sea is a gift, a boon of my genes. This sentiment would not be altogether erroneous. I do truly believe I was born to be a giant among men. Yet my beginnings, verging on ignoble, contained few signs of a future blessed by the stars.

The proposed new logo for the merged conglomeration

ChangchunLIVE (CCL) offered News Corp, and its owner Rupert Murdoch a potential lifeline today as it confirmed its takeover bid for the beleaguered  company.

“We are new in the media business, so we would greatly benefit from News Ltd’s sixty years experience in print, film and multimedia journalism” CCL spokesman Matthew Wood said today “Plus, News Ltd would benefit from our impeccable reputation, and our ability to pay for the deal in Chinese Renminbi, not that American greenback junk”

New Corp owner Rupert Murdoch has yet to publicly confirm the takeover bid

Shou polan..Shou polan ..echoes amongst the building as a Chinese man pedals his tri wheeled cart. The man yells out "Shou polan". It begins the day in my neighborhood on the far northwest part of Changchun and continues throughout the day. As I have learned Shou polan means "take back scrap". Daily I see and hear the man as he collects all those things which others don't want. It is how he makes his living, even paying some small amount to people for some of what he collects. Things like recyclable paper, cardboard and other items people want to rid themselves of.