BACKWARD WEEKGet ready for a whole new event in BISS this year. As you may all already know backward week has been organized by student council and will take place directly after the New Year break. Here is what you need to know:

- Monday is Friday’s schedule & Wear your clothes the wrong way around

- Tuesday is Thursday’s schedule & Call you friends by their last names

- Wednesday is.... Wednesday’s schedule!!!! & wear your pajamas to school

- Thursday is Tuesday’s schedule & wear your clothes inside out

and finally,

- Friday is Monday’s schedule & wear your summer clothes

BISS UPDATES!

! As you all may know, Google could be pulling out of China. The ultimatum came after Google said it uncovered a computer attack that tried to plunder its software coding and the e-mail accounts of human rights activists protesting Chinese policies. Well the problem now, is that if Google leaves… who will do our homework? Where will we search for information? Will we have to spend endless hours on books and other search engines to get what we could have obtained if Google would’ve been there? By now you guys might be a bit worried and you rightly should be. Though there are other search giants such as Yahoo, Bing or AOL. However, the only true search ‘GIANT’ is Google. Baidu is the most popularly used search engine in China, but for people like us where the majority of us don’t understand Chinese, Google is our primary choice. Wait, don’t go crazy yet. Google has not yet left China. Has it? No, so be happy and rather than crying make full use of it. Get the best out of it. Remember: people still researched back in the old days when Internet was not there. Google, PLEASE DON’T GOO!!

By Abhishek Singh

‘s Googly in China

EDITORS- IN-CHIEFZ a i n a b S a m a dV a s u d h a M u k h e r j e e

BISSKITIssue no. 10.02February 2010

- Student Spotlight: Michael Cho- Chinese New Year Food- Fashion Police- Temple Fairs- Google’s googly in China - Year of the Tiger- Fireworks- BISSache- Valentine Special- BISS Update

Editor’s note:Hey guys! Here’s the latest update on what’s going on in BISSKIT. We are trying to make it more regular so that you don’t have to wait too much for the next issue to come out. Right now we are still trying to work out a time. Till then have a happy Chinese New Year break.

IN THIS ISSUES...

新年快乐

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Hi everyone, it’s already been a month since Hyun Jin decided to interview Michael Cho about his achievements as the President of Student Council, so here are some questions we all wanted to ask him. So here is the first student spotlight in BISSKIT.

By Hyun Jin, Grade 12

HJ: Do you have any difficulties being the student leader? MC: Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to cooperate with students from different nationalities. But being the Student Council President was an entirely different job, at first it was challenging for me. Not only the responsibility to organize the Student Council group was on me, but I also had to act as a leader of the student body.

HJ: How has this leadership position proved to be an advantage for you?MC: Above all, the best thing about being the student leader is the opportunity this role provides. Although being a "perfect" Student Council President is extremely difficult, this role provided me with new leadership skills, ranging from communication skills to that of motivation, through seemingly countless trials and errors, I was able to cultivate the necessary skills required to lead this group. And I'm not done yet, I'm still learning.

HJ: How do you manage your time for schoolwork and other activities?MC: Actually, time management has been a major challenge for me this year. Before Grade 12, I was involved in quite a lot of activities and I loved every single one of them. But this year with all these enormous amount of assignments, I noticed my limit. To be fully efficient, I decided to take off some of my after school activities and focus on my studies and my main activities. It's still not easy, but it's definitely getting better.

HJ: What do you want to be in the future?MC: Once as a kid, I dreamed of becoming a rock star, but that didn't last long. It is an incredibly awesome job, but I just don't have the "thing" to become a famous rock star. I still didn't give up my hope though! I'm hoping I can get a job in either the Music/Entertainment side like concert management or an advertising company. But above all, my ultimate dream is to have a gigantic house with my basement filled with tons of guitars and amplifiers. I can still be a rock star myself right? 

HJ: How was your winter?MC: Before calling it a "Holiday", I think we should first change that word to "Work Period" (laughs sarcastically). I went back to Korea for my holiday but I stayed at my house for most of the time because I had so many things to catch up with: college application, IB homework, etc. On one occasion, I didn't even go outside for 3 days straight! It was still good to see my family though, and I'm just happy that I'm done with all that work. I got a few days to chill and listen to music, so it was all in all good.

HJ: If you saw 100RMB on the road, what would you do?MC: I don't know if this is a trick question to test my generosity and honesty, but to be honest, I'll probably use that 100 RMB for food ingredient shopping. Don't be angry though, all that food ends up being the cakes and cookies sold at the student council bake sales!

HJ: Any plans for the Chinese New Year holidays?MC: I’ll go to Philippine because my family just moved there due to visa problem. I’ll come back here and have rest. As our band has another concert soon, so I’ll pump to the practice during the holiday and of course I’ll be working on my IB assignments… :)

B I S S a c h e - T e e n a c h e

T’s Advice columnFor your daily troubles in and out of school

*If you have any questions you would like answered, submit them to BISSKIT editors Zainab Samad and Vasudha Mukherjee or to the teachers, Ms. Mercer and Ms. Laing. They will be handled appropriately by trained professionals with great care. Your queries will be in good hands.

Dearest readers. I have two pieces of news to impart upon you.

Firstly: no one is writing to me! How do you expect me to answer questions if I have no questions to answer? I promise you can ask me about anything, because I

know everything and if I don’t I can just google it and pretend I do. :P

Secondly: Valentine’s Day is coming! Second only to my birthday, February 14th is no doubt my favorite day of the year. This year it falls on a Sunday, which leaves

a lot to be desired (how are you supposed to give everyone in class valentines when there’s no class?), but there is an upside to this travesty. As V-day now falls on a weekend, that means an extra seven glorious hours left to your own volition.

You can spend Valentine’s Day just as you please! “Oh but T!” you are surely clamoring. “What if we have no one to spend Valentine’s with?” To that I respond, don’t you be silly now. Look around! There are so many people to spend Sunday afternoon with. One of the misconceptions people have about Valentine’s Day is that it is a day for couples only, and if you spend it alone you are a fat loser. I say will say it now; once, and only once; emphatically; assuredly; and with great

finality: Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers. The holiday began as a celebration to some Saint Valentine or Valentinus of whomever, who has been martyred. Yes that means they were killed, probably gruesomely. Somehow, it has evolved from that into something about couples, and now into something about selling cheap

pink-foil wrapped chocolates and children giving each other fold-and-tear cards in class. These are different times now. Things have changed. Valentine’s Day is a day for celebrating love. Love isn’t exclusive only to romantic love. You love your family, your friends, and yourself too I’m sure. Make everyone you care about Valentines

cards. Sleep in a little. Tell your mom you love her. Go for ice cream with your friends. Stay out late (but not too late! It’s a school night, after all) and go home

feeling happy. A sad Valentine’s Day is something that you force upon yourself, and it is even easier to go out and have a good time. Having fun is a cure for

depressive living, as they say (Who is they? I am, I guess), so don’t let your singledom get in the way of that! BESIDES WHY DO YOU NEED TO DATE? ITS

NOT LIKE YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED ANY TIME SOON. LoL

Happy early Valentine’s, everyone! I love you all!

What’s in store for the people born in the year of the TigerThe people born in the year of the Tiger are known to be lucky, lively and draw people towards them. They are known to have their own agenda and are known to have very dominating behavior. They spend their money very lavishly they think they can have more. The Chinese believe that having a person from the year of Tiger is good, as it will protect everyone and the house from fire and burglary.Tigers are very honest. Tigers are very competitive. Tigers have the habit to protect their loved ones, and in real life they may be very silent and cool, but we should never underestimate their reactions as they can pounce on our back without a warning.

Tigers are known to have a restless nature, but they are very intelligent and alert. At times they can very stubborn and obstinate because of their power. It has been said that Tigers are very flexible and can heal or get cured by any illness or pain. Tigers are fast learners, and they have the habit of sharing and giving money. In their house you will see show pieces of different countries which shows their desperateness to travel the world.Some of the likes and dislikes of the people from the year of the Tiger are that they like the color green. They like stones like ruby and diamond, they like loud parties and going on vacation and sports. Some suitable gifts you could give them would be cooking books, mystery novels, sports gear, travel books or guides. They do not like being ignored and not getting being recognized for their efforts and they do not like impolite people.

Hope you got to know more about the people from the Year of the Tiger,Wishing you a very happy Chinese New Year. -Sana Samad

FireworksoriginatedfromChinasome2000yearsago.Theyareexplosiveandwhenset,burstintoamyriadof colors in the sky. Though somecountries have banned the use of @ireworks, they are still widely usedduringcelebrations.Foreaseofreading,Ihavecompiledalistofprosandconsof@ireworks.Enjoy~

Fireworks!!!

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT PLAYWITHFIREWORKS!

‐They are dangerous and youmight kill yourself. There havebeen cases where people diebecauseof@ireworks.

‐They are seductive and if youare married, it is not in yourbestintereststobeplayingwith@ireworks.

‐TheyarethecauseofthatburnthotelbesidetheCNNtower.Yes,nowyouknow.

‐They are loud and disturb theschool‐goingchildren

WHYCHINESE PEOPLE STILLPLAYWITHFIREWORKS!

‐Theyareseductive.

‐T h e y c r e a t e a f e s t i v eatmosphere.

‐It makes them feel powerfulandrebellious.

‐Theylikethecolors.

‐It is a tradition to play with@ireworksduringChineseNewYear.

‐Theyareloudandaresaidtofendoffevilspiritsandghosts.

-Li Fen

A reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve where members of the family, near and far away, get together for the celebration. The New Year's Eve dinner is very sumptuous and traditionally includes chicken and fish. In some areas, fish is included, but not eaten completely (and the remainder is stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase "may there be surpluses every year" sounds the same as "may there be fish every year." Every food item is placed on the name of the dish and its meaning from Chinese to English.

Buddha's delight: An elaboratevegetariandishservedbyChinesefamilies on the eve and the @irstday of the New Year. A type ofblack hair‐like algae, pronounced"fat choy” in Cantonese, is alsofeaturedin the dishfor its name,whichsoundslike"prosperity".

Fish:Itisusuallyeatenormerelydisplayed on the eve of ChineseNew Year. The pronunciation of@ish makes it a homophone for"surpluses".

Dumpl ings : J i ao Z i are ea tentraditionally in northern Chinabecause thepreparation is similar topackaging luck inside the dumpling,which is later eaten. Jau gok are themainChinesenewyeardumpling.Itisbelieved to resemble ancient Chinesegoldingots.

Yusheng or Yee sang: Raw @ishsalad. Eating this salad is said tobring good luck. This dish isusually eaten on the seventh dayof the New Year, but may also beeatenthroughouttheperiod.

Niangao:MostpopularineasternChina because its pronunciationmeans "amoreprosperous year".Nian gao is also popular in thePhilippines because of its largeChinesepopulationandisknownas tikoy there. Knownas ChineseNew Year pudding, nian gao ismade up of glutinous rice @lour,wheat starch, salt, water, andsugar. The colour of the sugaruseddeterminesthecolourofthepudding(whiteorbrown).

Cakes:Taro Cakesaremade fromthevegetable taro, thecakes arecutintosquaresandoftenfried.Turnipcakesaredishmadeofshreddedradishandrice @lour, usually fried and cut intosmallsquares.

CHINESE NEW YEAR FOOD- Varsha

B a k k w a :Chinese salty‐sweet dried meat,akin to jerky,whichistrimmedofthefat, sliced,marinatedandthensmoked for later consumption orasagift.

Melon seed/Kwatji:Othervariations includesun@lower,pumpkinandotherseeds.

Mandarin oranges: Theseare are the most popular and mostabundant fruit during Chinese NewYear – jin ju translation: goldentanger ine/orange or kam inCantonese. Also, the name gik inTeochew dialect is a "luck" or"fortune".

* BISSFa!ion Police*

What your fellow classmates thought about these BISS outfits

Yellow house pride Striped jacket Graphic T-shirt Mini sweaterand hotel slippers and white jeans

****! ! ! ***!! ! ***!! ****!

*Out of 5 stars

Hey! This is what you thought about fashion at our school. Quick Summary: Looks like at BISS, hotel slippers are considered cool, or it's just the yellow house vibe?! Jeans seem to be very popular in school and we love 'em. A mini sweater seems to be pretty popular too (4.5 stars! NICE!), so since it's getting cold, why don't you start wearing clothes like that too? Anyways some advice? Have fun with your clothing selection, don't be boring. Plus, Halloween's coming up, get a crazy costume, and wow everyone. Maybe then YOUR picture might come in the BISS Fashion column? Anyways, remember to dress up for Halloween and for a regular school day. Don't let the fashion police catch you in an awful outfit!

- The BISS Fashion Police

* BISS Fashion Police *It's February, a new month with two very special holidays. That's right, this month, there's not only the Chinese New Year, but also Valentines day! Though these two holidays may seem quite different, they have one thing in common: The color red. ! For the Chinese, red represents luck. Many chinese wear special traditional clothes, such as the chi-pao, and LOTS of the color red. This new year is going to be the year of the Tiger, so any person who's zodiac sign is the Tiger should wear a red bracelet to show that this is their special year.! As we all know, red is the color of love. So, that's why many people wear red on Valentine's Day. Since both of these holidays are in the same month, red is definitely the color to wear. So, for this month, try wear something red in your outfit. If you were born in the year of the Tiger, wear a red bracelet.

Redden up your life. Who knows, it may bring you good fortune this month!

- The BISS Fashion police

B e i j i n gA t t r a c t i o n s

AstheChineseNewYearcomescrawlingdaybyday,wheretospendyourholidaysmaybecomethenumberoneques;ononyourlist.Thenconsideryourselflucky,aswehavecometoyourrescue.Herearefivedifferenttemplefairsforyoutovisit,oneforeachdayoftheweek.Nownow,don’tbealarmedbytheword“Temple”ormistakenwiththeword“Fair.”ATemplefairismerelyafancynameforplaceswhereeverybodysingsgreatsongs,dancegreatdances,eatgreatfoodandhavegreatfun.

BaiYungGuanTempleFair‐Thisisthegrandesttemplefairofwestdowntown.Thisistheonlyfairwhichisreallyheldinatemple.=)Loca;on:XiBianMenWai,XiChengDistrictFairTime:Feb8‐15Admission:6RMB

DiTanParkFair‐Oneofthecity’sbusiesttemplefairs.Ac;vi;esincludefolkperformances,fashionshowsandafoodstreet.

Loca;on:100metersnorthofLamaTempleorLamaTempleSubwaySta;on

FairTime:Feb8‐15

Admission:6RMB

ChangDianTempleFair‐ThisisoZenafavoriteou;ngforforeignresidentsduringtheChineseNewYear.Itispar;cularlyheldtodrawpeopletobuyandsellpain;ngsandcalligraphicworks,an;ques,toys,andfoodproductsincludingseasonalfruitandvegetables.Inaddi;on,entertainmentisprovidedintheformofacroba;cs,conjuringandoperas.

Loca;on:LiuLiChangStreet,XuanWuDistrict

FairTime:Feb8‐15

By Annie

LongTaHuTempleFair‐FaireventshereareverysimilartothoseinDiTan.Therewillbevariousinterac;vecompe;;onsinvi;ngvisitorstojoininarm‐wrestling,rockclimbingandchess.

Loca;on:ZuoAnMenNeiStreet,ChongWenDistrict

FairTime:Feb8‐15

Admission:5RMB

ShiJingShanAmusementPark‐Thisisaveryforeign‐styletemplefair.Itis almostlikeamixbetweenawesterncarnivalandaparade.It’saveryinteres;ngtemplefair.

Loca;on:100meterswestofBaJiaoYouLeYuanSubwaySta;on

FairTime:Feb8‐15