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