Happy Duanwu Festival

The Duanwu Festival occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Lunar Calendar, giving rise to the alternative name of Double Fifth. This year, the festival falls on May 28. The festival is celebrated with eating dumplings (ZongZi or Chimaki ちまき in Japanese), which are large rice wraps, drinking wine and racing dragon boats.

The traditional story behind the festival is that it is to commemorates the death of poet Qu Yuan (340 BC - 278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu, in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty. A descendant of the Chu royal house, Qu served in high offices.
However, when the king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance. Qu Yuan was accused of treason. During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry, for which he is now remembered. Twenty-eight years later, Qin conquered the Chu capital.

In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.

Why do Chinese celebrates it?

Traditionally people went to the beach to throw dumpling into the sea to feed the fishes so that they do not eat Qu Yuan's body! Now some still does it traditionally and treat this day as a rememberance day for Qu Yuan, but today the celebration festival is still on minus the throwing of food into the sea.

Swine Flu Info(H1N1 flu)

What is Swine Flu ?

Swine influenza, or swine flu, is a respiratory disease in pigs causes by certin strain of type A influenza virus (H1N1). Outbreaks of swine flu are not common among humans. Most people who get swine flu are infected through contact with pigs.The severity of swine flu in humans can vary from mild to severe.

Facts About Swine Flu(CNN)

The United States government declared a public health emergency Sunday as the number of identified cases of swine flu in the nation rose to 20.The declaration is part of a "standard operating procedure" that will make available additional government resources to combat the virus, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said at the White House.Additional cases of swine flu are expected to be reported in the coming days, added Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.No one has died in the U.S. from swine flu, officials said Sunday.The World Health Organization advised all countries to be on the lookout for "unusual" outbreaks of flu, after an emergency meeting Saturday as the seriousness of the outbreak became clear.By Sunday, 81 deaths in Mexico had been deemed "likely linked" to swine flu. Viral testing has confirmed 20 cases, said Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's health secretary.

The current WHO phase of pandemic alert is 3 https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2009/h1n1_20090425/en/
How it spreads?

Although people typically get swine flu from contact with pigs, there have been cases of person-to-person transmission. Expert think coughing, sneezing and contaminated surfaces can spread the infection among people, but it's unknown how easily that happens.The virus cannot be obtained through eating properly cooked pork or any pork product.

What are the symptoms ?

The symptoms are similar to those of the common flu: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Also , like the common flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.Symptoms of diarrhea vomitting have also been reported. Infection from virus can lead to sevre illness, including pneumonia and respiratory failure, and can be fatal.

How should I protect myself ?

Do what you'd do in other flu outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising people to "take the ordinary steps they would take to protect themselves:

(1) Frequent hand washing !

(2) Making sure you cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.

(3) Because so much is still unknown at this point, the main risk factor is people traveling to areas where cases have already been identified. "However this virus may already be in other places in the United States," CDCspokesman Tom Skinner told CNN. "With enhanced surveillance, we will see more cases and that is why it makes good sense to be proactive, by doing things we know are effective in reducing exposure."

(4) Sick people should not go into work, nor should sick children be sent to school.

(5) If you're sick, stay home, get treatment, go see a doctor ! Details pls refer to below links: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/26/swine.flu/index.html?iref=nextin

http://www.medicinenet.com/swine_flu/page3.htm