1 . Among the self-flying planes, advanced electric cars, and model space stations on display at a collection of Chinese goods in Shanghai in May was a decidedly untechnical item of the past: White Rabbit creamy candies. This year the sweets turn 80.

Since the sweets appeared, the rabbit has reinvented itself many times. The most recent one was in November when it teamed up with a high-end American fashion firm. It produced giant rabbits on handbags costing up to7,500 yuan, as well as dresses, jackets, and a gold White-Rabbit necklace. For many of its followers, the milky taste recalls a childhood when few other treats were available. Tapping into nostalgia (怀旧之情) in the Chinese market, the cooperation enables White Rabbit to develop new followers across the Pacific.

China’s first domestic toffees (太妃糖) were produced in 1943 with Mickey Mouse on the wrapper. When such Americana fell out of favour in the 1950s, it was replaced by a big white rabbit, which gave the brand its name, Dabaitu. Soon, the stylized blue-and-white cartoon rabbit became popular. However, the fortunes of the sweet stopped in the 1970s. As foreign goods poured in, White Rabbit lost its domestic lead.

Then the rabbits fought back. In 2018 the first supplies of White Rabbitlip balm (润唇膏) sold out within hours. The following year, the producer teamed up with Godiva, a chocolate company, to make White Rabbit ice cream. And people lined up for hours to buy the newly launched White Rabbit milk tea at a pop-up shop in Shanghai. Besides traditional candies, the company has since launched perfumes, body wash and hand cream. In 2021, the company opened a shop in Shanghai selling all manner of branded products.

White Rabbit’s cooperation with luxury brands received a boost this year from the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit. The sweet maker has taken full advantage of “guochao”, a phrase meaning “national wave”. It refers to the fashion that Chinese-made goods inspire the nostalgia and national pride among the young.

3 . I’m sure you’ve been there at some point: you’re smelling the roses when an insect starts buzzing around you. While bees are typically harmless when left alone, annoying one can lead to a desperately painful sting(刺痛).

That’s because the bee’s stinger used to pierce the skin contains toxins(毒素). When the bee toxin enters the skin, it immediately begins to cause a local reaction, leading to symptoms(症状) like pain, red and swelling skin. Most of the symptoms will ease in several hours. However, stings can also be life-threatening if you delay and don’t give urgent treatment.

To make the pain go fast, you have several options. Before you do anything, check if the bee’s stinger is still in your skin. If you don’t see a stinger, it’s possible that you were stung by a wasp(黄蜂), or another insect. One of the major differences between bees and other stinging insects is that bees have a special stinger that can remain in the skin long after they have left. With this stinger, a bee can only sting you once, whereas insects like wasps have a straight stinger that allows them to sting you multiple times.

If you do notice a small black stinger sticking out of your skin, it’s extremely important to remove that stinger right away. Most of the toxin gets released in the first three seconds. If you can get it out right away, you may avoid some of the symptoms. Using tools or even your fingernails to “catch” the stinger directly and pull it out.

Treating your bee sting at home is the quickest and easiest way to reduce your symptoms, according to some experts. After you’ve safely removed the stinger from the skin, one of the first things to do is wash the area around the sting gently with soap and water. By doing this, you can help reduce the risk of an infection.

After you’ve washed and dried the area around the sting, there are a couple of things that experts recommend. First: a cold pack. You’ll need to wrap a towel around the cold compress(敷布). Another OTC option is calamine lotion—a medication used to reduce pain and discomfort. It is also a safe and practical option to consider in younger children who have been stung.

4 . Empty Bowls: Grand Marais needs volunteers & bakers!

Overview

Empty Bowls: Grand Marais will be hosting its yearly fall community event on Thursday, November 16, at Up Yonder in Grand Marais. The goal of the event is to spread awareness of food safety in the Cook County area. And the raised funds will be distributed (分配) back into the community.

What’s expected

Community members are invited to come and enjoy a bowl of soup for lunch or dinner(or buy quarts of soup for takeout). A bake (烘焙) sale fundraiser will also take place at the same time, with a goal of raising $3,000, which is enough to provide 300 meals through programs in Cook County.

Volunteers are needed for the event to help with a variety of tasks, such as baking cookies, cupcakes, pies, mini fruit bread loaves, etc.

Event details

*Location: 1615 West Highway 61, Grand Marais

*Time: Lunch 11 AM—1PM; Dinner 5 PM—7 PM

*Price:

Kids(10 and under): eat free

Adults: $8 per person

Take-out quarts:$15 per adult

To learn more about Empty Bowls: Grand Marais, please visit:

https://www.facebook.com/EmptyBowlsGM

5 . Trashion (垃圾时尚) is a term for art, jewelry, and fashion created from used, thrown-out, found and repurposed elements.     1     However, as recycling and “green” fashion become more and more popular, trashion is now widely used to describe any wearable item or accessory that is constructed using all or part recycled materials.

Trashion is a philosophy including environmentalism and innovation.     2     Like upcycling, trashion generates items that are valued again, but these may be low-cost or high-cost, perhaps depending on the skill of the artist. The environmental aim of trashion is to call attention to the polluting result of waste.

    3     For example, in 2006, Julia Genatossio held Monsoon Vermont, a trashion design house. The company designs items such as umbrellas, shower curtains and backpacks which are made from Jakarta’s recycled trash. Unlike other charity activities, it was a for-profit business activity.

Trashion design can include a wide variety of home goods, from tables to vases. People believe that by re-using unwanted items, they are both benefiting the environment and the items themselves, by giving such items a new purpose in life. Trashion can also be an interesting exploration for artists, who push themselves to think about things in new ways.     4    

One of the great things about trashion is that it is accessible to anyone who feels creative and resourceful, unlike traditional fashion, which tends to be costly and elitist (精英统治的).     5     Someone who wears trashion clothes to a function, for example, can be confident that no one else will be wearing the same.