3 lists (according to different authorities) about what happened in China over 2010. Some stories you may not be familiar with as they often only get reported on a national level (and then often squashed/”harmonised”). 2 lists are ‘news’ events (read: bad news) and 1 list is state-funded news events (read: good news).

Tianya: Netizens’ list of important news events 2010

- Li Zhuang, a lawyer, was jailed for his defense of alleged mafia bosses in Chongqing clampdown jailed in January
- Google quits China Google’s intention stated in blog post on January 12, Chinese search server switched off March 23
- Shanxi vaccine scandal reporting Wang Keqin toxic vaccines distributed 2006 - 2007, report published in March
- Yushu earthquake April 14
- Stabbings and knife attacks in primary schools and kindergartens April - May
- Foxconn jumping suicide incidents April - June
- Explosion at Nanjing chemical factory July 28
- Zhouqu landslide August 8
- My Dad is Li Gang hit and run incident October 16
- Shanghai residential building fire (November 15)

Southern Metropolis Weekly’s list of important but lost news events 2010

- Problematic vaccine killed and disabled hundreds of children in Shanxi Province toxic vaccines distributed 2006 - 2007, report published in March
- Foxconn serial suicides April - June
- Oil pipe explosion in Dailian caused massive oil spills July 16
- Former president of Microsoft China Tang Jun exposed as having a fake doctorate degree July
- Zhouqu landslide August 8
- Mengniu Dairy hires “black PR company” to spread slander about its competitor Yili Dairy on the Internet; Baby formula milk caused premature sexual development (Note: these were listed as two separate stories) August - October
- Articles written by Meng Jianwei, a PHD student whose father was beaten to death during forcible demolition caused discussion on the Internet father killed in October
- Deputy police chief’s son hit and ran, yelling “My father is Li Gang” October 16
- Shanghai residents spontaneously mourn the deceased in the residential fire; residents were demanded to move back to the burnt-out building November 15

Xinhua’s list of important news events 2010

- Shanghai Expo successfully hosted in Shanghai
- Taiwan and Mainland China signed economic cooperation accords
- China introduced a long term education-boosting plan
- China celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Shenzhen and Zhuhai economic zones
- Yushu and Zhouqu natural disasters were defeated
- China’s 12th five year plan was discussed during the annual session of the National Congress
- Guangzhou successfully hosted Asian Games and Asian Para Games
- China debuted the world’s fastest computer
- China’s grain production increased for seven consecutive years
- Central government gave its eight character guideline on economic development: positive, stable, cautious and flexible

Feb 3 is also day 1 for the Year of the Rabbit (and I’m a rabbit). This year was the tiger’s fault and a pretty bad (trying) year
The tiger’s brash and rough and will go into every situation claws ready for some ‘beat some sense into them’ type action (with words at the […]

Things I’ve discovered/rediscovered since teaching Grade 1 & 2…

Farts are always worth commenting about and shoving your nose into your shirt over (despite the angry teacher telling you off)
Yucky is an awesome word and extremely useful!
A simple picture of a toilet is worth an hour of laughter (toilet humour crosses language barriers!)
Songs are simply magical […]

As is the way of Jiaxing’s autumn, 8-10 degree (Celcius) drops are the norm. Every year we mention the cold winter to the newbies. And every year some smug American or even smugger Canadian says to us “HA! Can’t be as cold as where I’m from. I can handle the cold.” And to them, every […]

They say living through the year of your birth is a real challenge and boy has that been true. Soon after the start of the year we have the rude awakening of the end of contract at the college with none of the long term teachers being renewed! Great… we land at a primary school […]