Scheef & Stone Febraury 2018

Cover story, continued ... JAPAN

married simultaneously in a free ceremony in Caloocan City. Three years later, 4,000 couples decided to tie the knot on Valentine’s Day 2013. FRANCE You may consider Paris the ultimate romantic destination, but when it comes to Valentine’s Day, a small village 160 miles south of the City of Lights is where you want to be. Saint- Valentin is home to less than 300 people, and on Valentine’s Day, they do their namesake proud. During the week leading up to Feb. 14, locals decorate their homes with hearts and flowers and cover trees with love notes. Many couples come to be married in the village’s “Jardin des Amoureux,”or “Lovers’Garden.” Whether you’re married or single, there’s always a reason to celebrate Valentine’s Day. This year, why not try your hand at crafting homemade chocolate, write a humorous poem, or eat black bean noodles with your single friends? You might just find a new tradition to fall in love with. HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Asia, and South Korea has taken it a few steps further. In South Korea, the 14th day of every month is a special day for love and romance. In addition to Valentine’s Day in February and White Day in March, South Koreans celebrate Diary Day on Jan. 14, Black Day in April, Yellow Day in May, Kiss Day in June, Silver Day in July, Green Day in August, Photo Day in September, Wine Day in October, Movie Day in November, and Hug Day in December. Each holiday signifies a special way to celebrate love. Don’t worry; single folks aren’t left out of the festivities. Black Day on April 14 is a holiday for single people to wear black and eat “jajangmyeon,” a Korean black bean noodle dish. Depending on how you look at it, this holiday is either for people to mourn being alone or to celebrate their independence. THE PHILIPPINES In the Philippines, Valentine’s Day isn’t just a day to say “I love you.” It’s a day to say “I do!”Mass weddings on Feb. 14 have become incredibly popular. In 2010, over 1,500 couples dressed in white and were

In Japan, women take responsibility for gift- giving onValentine’s Day, and chocolates say more than words. On Feb. 14, women in Japan give the men in their lives gifts of“giri choco”or“honmei choco.”Giri choco translates to“obligation chocolate,”and, as the name would suggest, tends to be cheaper and store- bought. Usually given to friends, colleagues, or bosses, this chocolate comes with no romantic notions attached. Honmei choco is“true- feeling chocolate.”Often homemade, honmei choco is given to romantic partners, including husbands and boyfriends. The ladies of Japanmay do all the work on Valentine’s Day, but one month later, on March 14, the country celebratesWhite Day. This holiday gives men the chance to reciprocate by giving presents to the women in their lives. Typical White Day gifts include cookies, jewelry, white chocolate, white lingerie, and marshmallows. SOUTH KOREA Japan’s Valentine’s Day andWhite Day traditions have spread to other countries in

HowYoung Minds Absorb a 2nd Language And the Benefits of Learning Early

your little one to different sounds in their first year, the more they’ll pick up those sounds as their brain creates new neural circuits. If you speak a second language and have a child at home, now is a great time to share it with them. Your child is especially ready to pick up new sounds and words, with the added benefit of learning their heritage. If you’re ready to teach your child a second language, here are a few ways to incorporate new words. Take time to talk with your child in a second language during playtime. Research shows babies need personal interaction to learn, so switching on the TV in another language won’t suffice. Increase vocabulary by giving options in a second language. Try questions like “Do you want juice or milk?”or “Do you want to play on the swings or by the tree?” Find a language exchange group or bilingual daycare to increase your child’s exposure to a second language. If you don’t know a second language but want to give your child a head start, you can begin by learning new words together. How fun would it be if you become bilingual as a family?

If you speak a second language, you have the unique ability to set your child up for a lifetime of advantages. Not only does a second language benefit your child in adulthood, but learning another language also strengthens multiple parts of their developing brain, according to Michigan State University. You may not want to overload your kids with two lexicons, but this is really not the case. Children quickly adapt to dual languages. The brain is a muscle, and like any other muscle in our body, the more it’s exercised, the stronger it becomes. With all the research floating around about how beneficial it is to teach your child a second language, you might wonder why youngsters pick up languages so easily. According to NBC News, the answer lies in their flexible minds. Children’s brains develop in response to external stimulants. Did you know that babies are born with the ability to distinguish the sounds of all languages? As they get older, even before their first birthday, they lose that ability. Kids are able to take in sounds, intonation, and language structure more easily than adults who have to painstakingly memorize verb structures and grammar. Children under 8 are especially primed to pick up a new language thanks to flexible ear and speech muscles. As they take in new words, it increases their ability to focus on one thing or change their responses, a skill called cognitive flexibility. The more you can expose

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