Qingdao Family August 2017

AUGUST

8月

2017

Chinese Cooking YCIS Writer’s Corner Environmental Psychology and the Classroom

Cover Image © Angela Schmidt

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QINGDAO FAMILY

BRIGHT SUMMER, BRIGHT SMILE

Porcelain Crown A porcelain crown is an excellent choice to restore a damaged tooth because of its durability, strength and aesthetic.

Summer is a season for vacations, weddings, and reunions.

It is also often a time for accidents with teeth.

Dr. Shanon Li No matter Chief Dentist of where I am Qingdao United Family Hospital every summer vacation, whether relaxing in Florida, hiking in Lake Louis in Canada, diving in Phuket Island in Thailand or strolling on the beach in Qingdao, as soon as people hear that I am a dentist, I will almost always get asked a question about their teeth.

It is not a surprise because everyone has a set of teeth and uses it on a daily basis.

Front teeth are so important for a person’s appearance, dignity and even self-esteem. After living in Qingdao for 10 years, I have enjoyed helping many of my expat or local patients recreate their smiles. The aesthetic dentistry I do for my patients covers a wide spectrum

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of procedures: tooth whitening, tooth-colored fillings, repairing chipped teeth, veneers, porcelain crowns, bridges, periodontal plastic surgery, dentures and implants.

There are so many people with concerns about their front teeth and smiles whom we dentists can help. Aesthetic dentistry is my passion, and I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to learn from internationally renowned doctors in this field when I was in dental school in the United States.

Implant An implant uses titanium to replace the missing root of a tooth. An implant is the best option to replace missing teeth.

Tooth-Colored Fillings Modern, high-density, state of the art composite resin and porcelain material provides a natural look and feel to fillings. It also reserves more of the natural tooth to reduce the amount of repair work necessary in the future. With the use of proper aesthetic dental techniques, it will be difficult to tell that you have fillings!

Orthodontics Besides the procedures I routinely perform, our orthodontists can help patients with the alignment of their teeth. The function comes first and the aesthetic follows. Our orthodontists do both conventional braces and invisible braces

Veneers Veneers are thin layers of composite material directly applied to the tooth or a thin piece of porcelain made from a dental lab.

Periodontal Plastic Surgery Periodontal plastic surgery restores the function and aesthetic of periodontal tissue, which includes gum, bone and ligament. It can include reshaping, reducing or grafting of bone, gum tissue or ligament.

Our dental team at Qingdao United Family wish you a happy, healthy, bright summer with your bright ď‚• 0532 8163 3021 smile!

0532 8163 3122

QINGDAO FAMILY

Pak Choi with Fresh Chinese Mushrooms Former restaurant owner turned stay-at-home grandma, Hui Wai Ning, shares some of her favourite home-cooked recipes with you. Easy to make, healthy, and full of love; these recipes will warm the hearts and bellies of every Qingdao family.

Ingredients (serves 2 people): 1. 250 gr. Pak Choi 250gr 2. a handful of fresh Chinese mushrooms 3. 2-3 p. spiced beans, 2 slices of ginger, 2 garlic cloves 4. 200 gr. tofu Recipe: 1. Cut the Chinese mushrooms and tofu into finger-thick slices.

2. Wash the Pak Choi and cut into pieces.

3. Heat the wok on a high flame, fry the Chinese mushrooms until they become soft, then add a spoon of olive oil and soy sauce (make sure to turn the flame off before adding the soy sauce ).

4. Place the tofu in the wok, reheat and stir fry for a few seconds before removing from the flame 5. Remove the tofu and mushrooms from the wok and put to the side.

6. Reheat the wok with a few drops of oil, add the ginger and a pinch of sea salt (on high heat), place the Pak Choi in the wok and stir fry a few seconds before readding the Chinese mushrooms and tofu.

7. Fry until the Pak Choi softens.

8. Enjoy the healthy taste and good flavour!

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QINGDAO FAMILY

The Environment, a Friend or a Foe?

by Adina 邱天美

As soon as people hear the word "environment", the first thing they usually think about is pollution or the lack of clean air, especially in China. However, as an environmental psychologist, I tend to understand the environment as the space we are in and the people that we are surrounded by at a given time. With this in mind, our home, school, workplace etc are all environments that influence our behavior more than we are aware of. given the amount of Chinese people who are currently studying English.

Many people think that studying a language is very hard, but the space we decide to study in has a very big impact on our study outcomes. As a matter of fact, a proper physical environment can increase learning outcomes up to 25%, thus next time you face difficulties learning English, just take a closer look at the space you are in. What environmental factors should you look at?

If it's the first time you hear about environmental psychology, no worries! You are not the only one.

Very few people are actually aware of this broad, yet very important field. In simple words, environmental psychology looks at how our behavior influences and is influenced by space. In other words, everything we do is space related, whether we do it alone or with others, thus the space and the people around us will influence our behavior. Starting from this idea, we can separate the environment into two parts: physical (space) and social (people).

Environmental psychology has broad implications, but for the sake of clarity, in this article I will focus on the physical learning environment to emphasize its influence on our learning outcomes, more specifically in relation to language learning,

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Furniture Sitting in comfortable and soft chairs will make you want to spend longer time in that classroom. However, hard and uncomfortable chairs will make you involuntarily lose your patience.

As a consequence, our attention span is reduced, thus not being able to fully focus, nor remember new English words. It becomes even more disturbing once back pain starts to kick in, as it won't only make you want to get out of that classroom faster, but it will also ruin your mood for the rest of the day.

Layout Desks of more than two people arranged in rows in a classroom, will put you into the listening mood, not the interaction mood. If you are sitting on the side and your colleagues in the middle of the row need to go out of the classroom,

they will disturb you, thus make you lose focus on the lesson. Once your attention is lost, it will be very difficult to continue following the teacher's ideas, thus your learning outcome has been already compromised.

However, a cluster type arrangement of tables (students facing each other) will make you more willing to interact with others and encourage to better cooperate in group work.

When you are trying to improve your English speaking, this is definitely the type of layout that you should be looking for.

QINGDAO FAMILY

Color Vivid colors in a classroom will keep you awake and help you keep your mind focused on the lesson. As an example, research shows that blue helps increase the ability to concentrate, while purple encourages cooperation. Classrooms painted in very pale colors (e.g. grey, white, beige etc) will negatively influence your ability to focus and make you feel distracted and sleepy, unable to focus on the tasks at hand.

For more info about colors and mood, you can do some research on the psychology of colors.

Temperature When talking about temperature, it is very difficult to point out the perfect temperature for maximizing learning outcomes, as different people perceive temperature differently, depending on which geographical area they grew up in.

However, it is worth pointing that if you feel too cold or too hot in a classroom, that feeling will inhibit your brain activity, thus trying to attend a lesson in such conditions is a waste of time and resources.

It is also worth mentioning that people's perceptions about hot or cold can be influenced by giving them the illusion of control. In other words, research shows that if people feel they have control over the temperature (e.g. they are able to turn the AC up or down), even if the temperature in the room doesn't actually change, but their perception about how hot or cold it is will change, thus becoming more comfortable in that room.

Acoustics If you are among those students who always run to the back of the classroom out of fear that the teacher will ask you questions, depending on how good or bad the acoustics of the classroom is, you might be losing 80% of what the teacher is saying. As a result, it is very easy for you to feel distracted, sleepy and want to find other type of entertainment while in the classroom (e.g. play with your mobile phone, talk with other colleagues etc).

If you are a teacher, remember this: next time you face some naughty students in the back of the classroom, just change their position and let them help out with your lesson (e.g. teaching assistant) and see what the result is. I have a feeling you won't be disappointed!

Lighting A lot of research is being done in relation to the influence of light on our ability to keep awake and focused. When we are in a classroom, it is very important to have as much natural light as possible, spread equally in all parts of the classroom.

Our biological clocks follow the sun's activity: we wake up when the sun rises, we fall asleep when the sun sets. Sunlight makes us feel awake

and energetic, improves our brain activity and helps us focus. If there is not enough light in the classroom, in order to keep both the teacher and the students focused, it is crucial to supplement the lighting. The absence of good light will not only make us lose focus, but it will also add extra pressure on our eyesight when trying to read or do other class activities, thus increase the need to wear glasses.

So next time you are in a classroom, either as a student or a teacher, try to observe how these environmental factors influence your behavior and ability to focus. The space you learn (or teach in) has a major impact on learning outcomes, so I will finish this article with the following: 1. T here is no "bad" student, there are only improper learning environments and teachers who don't understand the influence of environmental factors on themselves and their students and/or can't adapt their teaching styles to different styles of learning.

2. E veryone is a genius, but each person's talent is different. Only by having a proper learning environment and guidance can we discover our true potential!

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QINGDAO FAMILY

YEW CHUNG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF QINGDAO WRITERS CORNER Josiah Mendes of Yew Chung International School reminds us of the importance of family.

Home Stretch

by Josiah Mendes

A rich merchant in Baghdad encounters Death, shocking them both. In a desperate attempt to escape his fate, the merchant flees to the faraway city of Samarra. Upon arrival, he once again finds himself face-to-face with Death. This time, the merchant accepts his fate, but not before asking Death why the ghostly figure was so surprised when they ran into each other in Baghdad.

‘I was surprised,’ Death explained, ‘because I had an appointment with you tonight in Samarra.’ …

Standing on the platform, the cold bitter winter wind swept past the deserted platform. Well, all deserted except for one.

Zhang Xiao huddled all by himself in the corner of the platform as the wind battered him. He was waiting at Shanghai’s Songjiang railway station. Shanghai had been his

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choice of place to look for work, just like millions of others, after coming from a rural village in Heilongjiang.

Since summer he had been there.

Since summer he had not seen his family. Since summer he had been unemployed.

inhaled a breath of dusty smoky air.

He stumbled across the container and collapsed into a corner. Dark clouds covered the sky as his vision blurred and he fell into a deep sleep.

A coal train rolled slowly into the station. Stained black from the charcoal it carried, it rattled nosily.

This was the ride he had been promised by the station guard to go back home for Lunar New Year.

But this wasn't how it was meant to be. He was meant to be wearing a suit and boarding the bullet train, bearing gifts for his family and friends. Not like this as a bag of rags, with nothing to take home and spending all he had to try and get a train ticket back home for Spring Festival.

Zhang Xiao was suddenly awoken by the swoosh of a passing bullet train, filled with expectant, excited passengers making their way home to celebrate the new year with their family. He remembered the warm days when he welcomed the New Year sitting by the stove, huddled around the television with his parents, with his wife and baby daughter. Now, as he shivered in the corner of the empty coal truck, he understood what his mother had said to him the day he decided to leave to earn money to get a better home.

As he boarded the empty container with a dark shadow following, he

…

‘Son, home refers not to the building.

QINGDAO FAMILY temperatures, almost a sign of what was to come. Suddenly, the sight of his daughter saying goodbye to him jumped into his fading mind.

He promised her that he would buy her presents and gifts when he came back to keep her from crying.

Now he had nothing, absolutely no possessions in the world except for the clothes he was wearing and one small bag. He had one tiny present, a small keychain with Shanghai’s signature building. A keychain with the Oriental Pearl Tower on it, that was all he had for his daughter.

One small keychain instead of the many he promised. He loved her so much, the thought of never seeing her again was unbearable. His eyes slammed shut. Hypothermia set in and started the process to shut down his body.

Stirred by a yearning for life, he struggled to open his blurry eyes.

Death sat silently in the other corner of the carriage. He was camouflaged against the coal-stained background with only the moon lighting up his face.

It is in here,’ she said, poking him gently in the chest and saying firmly, ‘ Home is what brings us together.’

He absent-mindedly took off the blanket as he dreamt and thought about his family. He wondered what his daughter would grow up to be like? Would she look like her mother or more like me? Her mother, his wife, the best choice he had, in this seemingly short life, was made for him.. He asked himself what his worst choice was — and found that it was leaving her. She loved him, and he had missed that love while he had been away; missed her soft comforting voice, missed everything about her.

In the journey to Shanghai, he had traveled in comfort. In the luxurious third class seat, he made his way just as many others had done before him, moving from a rural unknown town to the urban city to find work. As he took in the skyscrapers and tall buildings along the Bund, and walked through the famous shopping streets of Nanjing Road and the wealth of foreigners who walked the streets, he felt that he could belong to this place.

He never did, drifting in and out of jobs just as he drifted in and out of consciousness as he made his way home. A failure, a wasted period of time. His shivering stopped ominously despite the freezing

In a weak, frail voice Zhang Xiao said: ‘So you have finally come.’

Death replied: ‘I boarded this train the same time you did. This is not the first time we met. We have met before. I met you as you wandered the streets of Shanghai; as you slept under the bridge; when you got into a fight with other beggars.’

‘I thought I always saw a dark shadow in the corner. Every single time you mentioned.’

‘Each time you have evaded me, but today is not your day. You won’t be able to escape home.’

‘So be it, every man has an end, no one lives forever. Take me home.’

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Baking with

Cecilia Ciao! I’m Cecilia, an Italian girl who has been living in Qingdao for the past 4 years. About two years ago I started making my passion for baking into a business.

Through this column I will take you to discover simple dessert recipes from around the world.

Instructions For the cookies: 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together oil, sugar, milk, eggs, and extract until well combined.

2. Whisk together the baking powder and flour and add to wet ingredients; mix until just combined. The dough will be soft and sticky.

Italian Lemon Cookies (also called Anginetti) These zesty lemon cookies are soft, pillowy, and not too sweet. Not much is known about their origins, besides the fact that they originated in Naples, in the South of Italy.

Ingredients For the cookies:

For the icing: 1. Melt the butter over low heat. Add

Prep Time: 20 mins Bake Time: 8-10 mins Total Time: 30-35 mins Servings: 18 cookies Calories per Serving: 116 kcal

• 190g (1 ½ cups) all purpose flour

• 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable or canola oil • 57g (¼ cup) sugar • 60ml (¼ cup) milk • 2 small eggs (about 50g each) • ½ tsp lemon extract • ½ tsp lemon zest • 6g (½ tbsp) baking powder

3. Using an ice cream scoop, drop spoonfuls of dough onto parchment paper or silicone mat lined baking sheet.

4. Bake at 175ºC (350ºF) for 8-10 minutes. Let rest for two minutes and then remove from baking sheet to let cool completely.

Cuisine: Italian

For the decorations (optional): • • • • •

7g (½ tbsp) unsalted butter 185g sifted powdered sugar 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon lemon juice Lemon zest or colored sprinkles (optional)

sugar, lemon juice, and water.

2. Whisk until the sugar melts. If icing is too thick, add more water one tablespoon at a time.

3. Once the cookies have cooled down completely, pour a little dollop of icing over each cookie.

4. Top with lemon zest or colored sprinkles, then let the cookies dry for about an hour. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!