(We Chinese in America Media Editor Tang Zhao, February 16, 2022) Three Obasan (stay -home mothers) Silicon Valley start-ups import fresh food from Taiwan and bravely enter the second spring of their careers. Kangbao（康宝） imports Hacken bread and Taiwan's exquisite agricultural products from Taiwan to understand the homesickness of Taiwanese. (Photo from World Journal)
Many people have found that more and more Taiwanese delicate agricultural and fishery goods, bread and desserts and other food are imported into the North California Silicon Valley, which not only benefits the local Chinese and relieves the homesickness of the Chinese, but also strengthens the economic exchanges between Taiwan and the United States, creating a better future. Multiple trade opportunities. The three founders of Combo Market in Northern California were all housewives. At the beginning, Combo Market was established to meet the “need for food”. They did not expect their business to flourish and become a big platform for online food shopping in Taiwan. In the future, they would like to also focus on promoting Taiwanese food to the mainstream market in the United States, so that more people can eat Taiwanese food and know the beauty of Taiwan.
The three founders of Kangbao Foods are all mothers. When they immigrated to Silicon Valley, they were all housewives taking care of their husbands and children. Sophia, one of the founders, said that although American supermarkets have both fish and vegetables, if you want to eat whole sea bass or special processed agricultural products, you can only go to Chinese supermarkets, and there are not many choices in Chinese supermarkets. When chatting with the book club, she accidentally met the other two founders, Amy, and Grace, and the three of them hit it off.
When the three of them were in Taiwan, they all worked. Sophia used to be a teacher, Amy used to be a nurse and worked in import and export trade in the technology industry. Grace is a web designer in Taiwan, each with her own talents and common ideals and goals. The three Obasan (stat home mothers) started out as housewives. Their identities have undergone a major transformation, and together they will create the second spring of their careers.
From idea budding to action, it only took the three of them half a year to do it. They started from scratch, first renting a refrigerated storage space, then looking for an export freight company in Taiwan, and then officially importing the refrigerated container to sell fresh food. The project is very huge, and to make it better, they have been making improvements of their business along the way.
Originally, through online platforms such as Facebook, a group buying model was adopted, allowing consumers to purchase goods and then pick up the goods, and consumers with full quotas were directly delivered to their homes. There were no employees in the initial period, only the three of them. The container unloading and delivery were all done by the three Obasan themselves. The delivery was often delivered to the middle of the night, and even the house number could not be seen clearly.
Kangbao Foods （康宝视频）has moved from a group buying model to an e-commerce business. In addition to retail, it has also delivered its products to Chinese supermarkets and online supermarkets, allowing more consumers to access their products from everywhere. The epidemic has the greatest impact on Herbalife, and it is also an opportunity for Kangbao's retail to go online.
They said that during the epidemic, many people had shopping needs, and they also needed to deliver goods to their homes. The volume of orders exploded. Not only did three people deliver goods non=stopped, but even the older children had to jump down to help as drivers. At its peak, Kangbao had as many as eight employees, and they continued to deliver goods day and night, so they decided to change the original group purchase to an e-commerce model to make it easier for consumers to place orders and make the process smoother.
They said that the epidemic has affected not only the way consumers consume, but also the price and speed of shipping containers. In the past, a whole freezer container was about $ 4,000, and the arrival time to Hong Kong was about one month. Due to the congestion of shipping and the shortage of workers, the container has now risen to $25,000, and the arrival time has been delayed to at least two and a half to three months, and the cost increased significantly.
However, because of the epidemic, many people are unable to go home, and the desire of buying home-style food is even stronger. In addition, the online shopping platform is booming, and the sales of Knagbao Foods have also increased significantly. Kangbao is the exclusive agent of Penghu fishery products, Haken shop bread and Taiwan's exquisite agricultural and fishery food products in the United States. The consumer repurchase rate is quite high. Now it has launched a national mailing service, which allows consumers on the east coast and the Midwest to buy. As far as Taiwanese food is concerned, they have received orders from other states, such as Alabama, Hawaii, and other places.
In addition to the Fremont warehouse, Kangbao Foods also opened a store in Cupertino, Silicon Valley last year. The three founders said that at present, about 60-70% of Kangbao food wholesales to supermarkets, and only 30% of retail sales, but in the future, they hope to enter the mainstream market in the United States, let Kangbao food enter American supermarkets, and let more people realize Taiwanese food and taste the deliciousness of Taiwanese food.
(Source: World Journal)
(We Chinese in America Media Editor Tang Zhao, February 15, 2022) Today is Chinese Lantern Festival. Lantern Festival remind people of dumplings, full moon, reunion all the time, love, blessing, every day meet fate, and the full moon is rounder. Happy Lantern Festival! After we have had the goodies, we need to brush our teeth. Here is an important reminder of the lifespan of toothbrushes: Toothbrushes are easy to breed bacteria, and regular replacement is more important than regular cleaning. (Photo from the World Journal)
Some hygiene products cannot be used for a long time without being replaced. Among them, "toothbrush" is a good example. A scholar from the University of Manchester pointed out that a toothbrush without a cover placed in the bathroom can carry millions of bacteria. If it is the bacteria that exists in the oral cavity, it may not be a serious problem, but it is also common to breed Escherichia coli and bacteria that can cause diarrhea. Staphylococcus bacteria that may cause skin infections.
Some people think it’s important to “clean” toothbrushes regularly. The Cleveland Clinic clarifies that myths include putting the toothbrush in the dishwasher or denture cleaner, washing the bristles with soap, placing it in the freezer, or putting it in boiling water. In fact, these are not very meaningful, it is better to develop a good habit of not sharing toothbrushes with others and changing toothbrushes regularly.
Change the bristles immediately
Dentists indicate that there is no hard and fast rule for the replacement frequency of toothbrushes, and it depends on each person's usage. Some people brush their teeth very hard, and the bristles of the toothbrush split after less than a month of use, so they should be replaced immediately; while some people brush their teeth lightly and for a short time, the bristles of the toothbrush are not easy to split or collapse, and it is easier to ignore the importance of replacing the toothbrush with a new one.
Dentists suggest that the toothbrush must be replaced within three months at the longest, because the oral cavity contains a variety of bacteria, and the bristles that have been used for a long time are more likely to remain on the bristles. In addition, the bathroom is a humid environment, which is easy to cause a variety of bacteria to breed. In turn, the toothbrush used to clean the mouth has become a breeding ground for germs.
Brush your teeth the right way
In addition to changing toothbrushes regularly, it is more important for people to use the correct way to brush their teeth. Dentists would suggest that when brushing teeth, use two or three teeth as a unit, pay attention to the bristles and the tooth surface at 45 degrees to 60 degrees, and cover a part of the gums. When brushing the upper row of teeth, the bristles are slightly elevated, and when brushing the lower row, the bristles are slightly downward. Gently point up and down or rotate the brush, at least 10 times each, and then brush the loose tartar to the occlusal surface, and the occlusal surface is cleaned in a back-and-forth manner. In addition to brushing your teeth with a toothbrush, you should also use dental floss or an interdental brush to thoroughly clean the interface between the teeth and the interdental area.
In addition, when choosing a toothbrush, you can also pay attention that the bristles are not too hard and try to choose a toothbrush with a smaller brush head. A suitable toothbrush combined with the correct brushing method can effectively improve the oral hygiene and reduce the swelling, pain, and bleeding of the gums.
(Source: Compiled from Online Information)
(We Chinese in America Media Editor Tang Zhao, February 14, 2022) The number of marriages in the United States has soared this year as the pandemic eases. The picture shows the newlyweds getting married at a California beach on Valentine's Day last year. (Getty Images)
The new Covid 19 epidemic has entered its third year. Looking back at the early outbreak of the epidemic, people lived a life of isolation, and many newcomers dared not hold weddings. Now that indoor activities are gradually opening, couples who can’t bear the joy are scrambling to choose wedding dresses, churches, floral arrangements, photographers, and wedding singers, but with inflation, this year's weddings cost a fortune.
According to a study by The Wedding Report, a wedding market research agency, 2.5 million weddings are expected to be held across the country in 2022, the highest record since 1984, which will stimulate all wedding-related industry chains. As the epidemic slows, the supply chain tightens. It is also reflected in the wedding industry.
"We expect each couple to have a 10% to 15% increase in their budgets," Shane McMurray, founder of The Wedding Report, said in an interview with CBS' MoneyWatch. The average cost of each wedding this year has risen from $24,000 before the epidemic to $27,000. Coupled with the help of inflation, wedding professionals have expressed that the cost will increase, and price increases are inevitable.
In addition, some newlyweds who were originally scheduled to get married in 2020 or 2021 were forced to postpone their wedding date to 2022 due to the epidemic, but their weddings were still calculated at the previous relatively cheap rates. Under the trend of price increases, some wedding venues can only accept the loss.
Take Brooklyn Winery, a famous wedding banquet hall in New York City, for example. The cost of ingredients, waiters and all kinds of things has risen, but they do not charge the increased fees to guests who booked before the epidemic.
“All of our costs have gone up, but we’ve adjusted as much as possible to avoid passing those costs on to our guests,” said Rachel Sackheim, chief operating officer of the Brooklyn winery. We still have to re-evaluate because we can't bear the effects of inflation on our own."
Sackham pointed out that for those who signed up before inflation, the operators are bound to take a large part of the loss "because we can't increase their prices."
To organize more weddings to balance the income, the industry also encourages newcomers to get married on weekdays and avoid non-holidays or weekends, which is not only more cost-effective for newcomers, but also more flexible in date selection; Sackham said: "Newcomers who insist on getting married on weekends, whether it’s a wedding dress, a wedding or a flower, the cost will be higher.”
(Source: Compiled from Online Information)
(We Chinese in America Media Editor Tang Zhao, February 14, 2022) Billionaire Rick Caruso has announced his candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles. (Photo from KTLA5)
Billionaire developer Rick Caruso announced Friday that he has joined the ranks of Los Angeles mayoral candidates hoping to become the city's next mayor. The move disrupted the career plans of several Democrats hoping to succeed outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Caruso, 63, said in a statement posted on Twitter that Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the United States, could reverse a spike in crime and a homeless crisis. He filed his application a day before the registration deadline, announcing his intention to run for mayor of Los Angeles.
Caruso, known for building high-end shopping malls, joins several high-profile Democratic candidates in expanding the mayoral pool. Including Rep. Karen Bass, who hopes to become the first woman and second black mayor since Tom Bradley, who served as mayor from 1973 to 1993; other candidates include city councilor Liang Jiaxun (Kevin de Leon) of Chinese descent.
A first-time mayoral candidate and one-time Republican, Caruso has positioned himself as an outsider who accepts the political status quo. But he has already faced attacks from his Democratic rivals.
In the recent political history of Los Angeles, there is a precedent for a rich man to run for and be elected mayor of Los Angeles. For example, Richard Joseph Riordan, the 39th mayor of Los Angeles from 1993 to 2001, was an investment banker, businessman and politician. That year, Riordan, who ran for office for the first time as a moderate Republican, defeated Chinese American candidate Michael Woo in the runoff to be elected mayor. Therefore, Caruso may also become the next rich mayor of Los Angeles.
Caruso, once a decades-long Republican, turned independent in 2011, and after changing his party registration the same year, he describes himself as a "pro-centrist, pro-jobs, pro-public safety Democrat.”.
(Source: Compiled from Online Information)
(We Chinese in America Media Editor Tang Zhao, February 13, 2022) Someone in the Super Bowl is super "cool"! Charter flights and private large boxes of one million dollars drive unlimited business opportunities. The richest people in the United States have recently chartered flights to Los Angeles, causing traffic jams at several major local airports, and planes must queue for at least an hour before taking off. (Photo provided by the operator)
Among the chartered people are business millionaires, celebrities, and Chinese tech upstarts. Not only did they spend tens of thousands of dollars to charter the plane, and the six people on the plane ate two or three thousand dollars, but they also used one million dollars to rent the stadium box. For this group of people, time is money and money is enjoyment.
Regional airports in Southern California, such as Burbank and Van Nuys, were busy this weekend with too many charter flights. It takes a long time for each plane to enter the airport, and all planes must apply for the departure time and queue in advance, otherwise the sudden expansion of charter passengers cannot be accommodated.
Linda Xu, who is engaged in the charter business, said that it has been very busy since the 9th and reached its peak on the 12th. There are so many guests on charter flights that the plane is too busy. The plane must fly several times a day. “Every day, I just hope to get the permission to take off and land. It is difficult to take off and land on time due to congestion recently.” A guest requested to take off at 12:00, but it took off at 1:15. Fortunately, most of the guests could understand. Most of the guests on the Super Cup charter flight are relatively young, most of them are business millionaires, there are also celebrities, most of them are white, and there are also Chinese tech upstarts in Northern California. The number of passengers depends on the size of the aircraft, usually three or five people, and there are also medium-sized aircraft that can accommodate 13 people.
She said that now because of rising oil prices and labor, the cost of charter flights is also rising. During the Super Cup, the supply of aircraft is in short supply, and the overall price has risen by about 20%. Generally, the cost of a charter flight with a journey of less than 1 hour is more than 30,000 dollars, and the flight from the east costs about 60,000 to 80,000 dollars, depending on the aircraft model. Jets were too busy to line up, and some guests had to charter on gas-turbine-powered planes.
The menu ordered by six people on a charter flight back and forth can easily cost 2,000 to 3,000 yuan. (Image provided by the operator)
Also, the charter fee does not include in-flight meals. Ordering ordinary steak, salad, and seafood on the plane costs about 300 dollars per person, and some customers specify certain types of cheese of certain years will be more expensive. For example, a group of six guests ordered additional caviar, which cost 2,000 to 3,000 dollars for a meal. Some specific brands of caviar need to be transferred from all over the world. Usually what the guests want to eat, the charter companies are responsible for delivering the meal.
Linda said that unlike Americans, who used chartered flights as a means of transportation, focusing on practicality and light and healthy diet, Chinese chartered passengers generally ask for more, such as fish from a particular region, wine from a certain year, and tea from a certain region. Wait, some also have requirements on the age and birthplace of the flight attendant and require signing a non-disclosure agreement.
(Source: World Journal Network)
