The Best Places to Celebrate Chinese New Year in Los Angeles

Chinese New Year celebration in Washington, DC.

The Chinese Lunar New Year is coming up this Saturday, February 9,  at Midnight.  This regarded as the most important celebration of the year in Chinese culture.  This Lunar Year is the Year Of The Snake and it represents a 6th sign of Chinese Zodiac calendar. It is believed that people who are born in the year of the Snake are wise, introverted, smart, generous, logical and rational.  It is also believed that if anyone has a sixth sense, it's those born in the snake year.  

We selected a few celebrations happening in the city of Los Angeles that are family friendly and free of charge.   

Traditional New Year Ceremony will kick off at Thien Hau Temple on Saturday the 9th at 10pm.  The celebration will include traditional activities such as incense offerings, Taoist and Buddhist  monks,  setting off firecrackers to awaken the spirits and lion dancers.  

114th Annual Golden Dragon Parade and Chinese New Year Festival in China town will take place on Saturday, February 16 and Sunday , February 17.  This is the biggest Chinese New Year celebration in Los Angeles.  Golden Dragon Parade will begin on Saturday at 1pm.  Grand Marshals are LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.  The celebration will include, live entertainment, arts, crafts and huge family gatherings  

Lantern Festival at Chinese American Museum  celebrates Chinese New Year  on Saturday, March 2nd with live entertainment , face painting, kite-making, dragon costume photo opportunity, lion dancers and much more.  

Chinese New Year celebration in Washington, DC.

Nine - Year - Old Girl Gives Birth in Mexico: Is She a World's Youngest Mother?

Photograph by Judy Baxter

Mexico - On January 27 , a nine -year - old girl has given birth to a baby girl in Western Mexico. The Telegraph reports that a girl is identified as Dafne, became pregnant when she was only 8 years old.  The father of the baby is a 17 -year - old boy who is currently missing.  

 The  Independent reports that  a 17-year-old father run away two months ago and local police is searching for a young man.  If paternity is proved, a teenager could face child sex abuse charges.  

Jorge  Villasenor,  with state prosecutors' office, said: We are looking for the young man to get his story because she does not understand what has happened.  This is a rape or child sex abuse case."  (The Telegraph)

The Independent reports that according to the local media a mother and a daughter were released from the hospital this weekend and both are doing well. The hospital said that it would have to do extensive follow - up  because of the mother's young age.  

Surprisingly enough, "Dafne" is not a world's youngest mother.  On May 14, 1939 a 5-year-old peruvian girl, Lina Medina , gave birth to a boy by a caesarean section.  Lina's doctor, Dr. Lozada at first was certain that she had an  abdominal tumor.  After Dr. Lozada examined Lina,   he discovered that she was eight months pregnant, making her the world 's youngest mother.  (www.oddee.com)

Sources: The Telegraph, The Independent, Oddee.com

German Labor Office Sends Teenager to Work in Brothel

Odd News

Augsburg, Germany. Photograph by Frank Kovalchek

Augsburg, Germany - Reuters reports that a 19-year-old woman received a letter  about her job placement from the German Labor Office in Augsburg this Saturday.  She was shocked after reading it.  Turns out that the job was lined up for her at the Augsburg Colosseum brothel. A teenager told Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper " I was looking for a decent housekeeping job - not working at the brothel bar…I was totally shocked when i read the letter.  My mother even started screaming out loud when she read the letter." 

According to The Telegraph newspaper, a few  years ago the prostitution was legalized in Germany.  As a result of that, the brothel owners who have to pay tax and employee health insurance gained the access to the official database of job seekers.  Consequently,   the brothel owners are able to  look for employees through the job center just like any other business owners.   

Ronald Fuerst, the head of the Augsburg labor office told the newspaper that the agency knew that Colosseum was a brothel but send the letter anyway.  It was a mistake on the agency's behalf.  The agency had to call the woman first and ask if she was interested working in a brothel, instead of just sending her a letter, Fuerst added.

Sources: Reuters, The Telegraph

Pictures of Augsburg, Germany by Frank Kovalchek 

Odd News: Two Los Angeles Students Lose Fingers in Tug--OF-War

Photo by Craig Marren

It turns out that tug - of - war can be a dangerous game.

Los Angeles - On Monday two high school students, boy and a girl lost their fingers while participating in a tug - of -war game during lunchtime at El Monte High school, officials told Reuters.   

The students were competing  against each other and somehow the rope snapped amputating the fingers of two students. Los Angeles County supervising fire dispatcher, Eddie Pickett told NBC News that a male student lost four fingers on his right hand while a female student lost four fingers on her right hand and a thumb on her left hand.  However, CBS News reports that the girl lost three fingers on her right hand and two fingers on her left hand.  

According to CBS News the student were identified by their classmates as Edith Rodrigues and Pablo Ocegueda.  Both victims are under the age of 18.

Both teenagers undergone hours of surgery but there is no information at this time whether the doctors were able to reattach the fingers.  

Nick J. Salerno, El Monte Union High School District Superintendent said "I've never heard of anything like this happening…..It's unbelievable to me , it's shocking."  

However, the accidents like this happened before.  In Minnesota a girl lost four finger during a tug - of - war game in 2008.  The fingers were still attached by tendons and were successfully reattached.

In Colorado, two high school students had their right hands partially severed during a  tug - of - war at pep rally in 2007.






 Sources:  Reuters, NBC News, CBS News, Fox8

The Best Places to Celebrate Mardi Gras in Los Angeles

Scott's Photo stream

              
The Mardi Gras weekend is quickly approaching and if you are still looking for places to celebrate, here is a list of free events in Los Angeles area that entire family can enjoy.    

Farmers Market in Hollywood will be holding  a family friendly Mardi Gras event this weekend. The party will kick off on Friday evening and run through the weekend. The celebration will include Mutti Gras Pet Parade and costume contest, arts, crafts, strolling parade bands,  face painting and thousands of beads.  

Scott's Photo Stream

A huge Mardi Gras party is going to take place in Long Beach at Shoreline Village on Saturday the 9th.  This community event is free and offers a fun day with live entertainment, Second - Line Parade, art and costume contest for children and adults.  

Scott's Photo Stream

On Fat Tuesday, February the 12th, the best places to go for Mardi Gras celebration are  Amoeba Music Store and Olvera Street.  Both venues are free.  At Olvera Street the celebration will start at 9am with Mexican and Caribbean music and continue with parades, burning of a "Bad Spirits" (El Mal),  Children's Carnival, the crowning of Miss Olvera Street and a lot of fun family activities.   

At Amoeba Music Store in Hollywood, the celebration will start at 2pm with DJs spinning New Orleans music and annual Second - Line Parade.  

Scott's Photo Stream