Sherpa's Blog

News

2020, Wed

Feb

19 Sherpa’s Regular Delivery Hours Are Back! 食派士恢复正常营业时间！

By: David A.Howard

Breaking news

from the Sherpa’s delivery office…

大新闻！

via giphy

Our normal delivery hours are back! The coronavirus epidemic isn’t over yet, but three cheers for another step towards normalcy.

食派士已恢复正常营业时间啦！

虽然疫情并未结束，但好在向好发展。

That’s right. You can now get your favourite restaurants, fresh vegetables, groceries, booze, flowers, and other supplies delivered every day between 10:30 and 22:30. While not all of our partner restaurants have resumed deliveries, more and more are coming back online every day.

没错！每天10:30-22:30，

你可以在APP内挑选心仪的餐厅、

下单新鲜蔬菜、杂货和美酒甚至鲜花！

Stay safe inside and let our orange-clad couriers take care of your delivery needs.

安全在家，让食派士为您送货上门！

Locations: Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou

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2020, Thu

Feb

13 The Dark Origins of Valentine’s Day 情人节的暗黑起源

By: David A.Howard

Valentine’s Day

Every man is a poet when he is in love

It’s that time of the year already, the moment you find out if you’re really special or just a lonely side chick that’s got to wait nine months until Single’s Day to feel worthy.

一年一度的情人节又快到了，属于我的节日还得等九个月呢，双十一光棍节。

Well, you might be happy to know that Valentine’s Day hasn’t always been about red roses, cupids, chivalry and romance. The true origins of Valentine’s Day are actually quite dark and bloody.

其实情人节不全是和玫瑰、丘比特、骑士、浪漫有关哦。情人节的起源略带暗黑和血腥意味。

Although there’s no hard evidence to support any of these stories like most awesome origin stories – it all began in ancient Rome. Reader’s discretion is advised!

和大多数故事一样，虽然没有确凿的证据支持，但都起源于古罗马。不保证真实性哦！

Those Wild And Crazy Romans

狂野的罗马人

From Feb. 13 to 15, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. The men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain.

二月13到15号，罗马会欢度牧神节。人们会献祭一个羊和一只狗，然后用新鲜猎杀的动物皮革做成皮鞭鞭打妇女。

The Roman romantics “were drunk. They were naked,” says Noel Lenski, a historian at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Young women would actually line up for the men to hit them, Lenski says. They believed this would make them fertile.

“罗马人的浪漫是”醉醺醺，赤裸裸“的。”来自科罗拉多大学博尔德校区的历史学教授诺埃尔连斯基评论到。而更加不可思议的是，这些妇女们竟然会乖乖地站成一排去受这样的“鞭刑”，因为她们相信在牧神节里这样的行为有助于她们繁衍子嗣。

The brutal fete included a matchmaking lottery, in which young men drew the names of women from a jar. The couple would then be, um, coupled up for the duration of the festival — or longer, if the match was right.

在这残酷节日里还有所谓的“姻缘抽奖”活动，即年轻的男子们会从一个大罐子里抽取一张写有一位年轻姑娘名字的纸条，而在这一天，两个陌生的人会暂时成为情侣来庆祝节日。如果被选中的姑娘对于该男子也有意的话，他们说不定会坠入爱河携手走进婚姻殿堂。

The ancient Romans may also be responsible for the name of our modern day of love. Emperor Claudius II executed two men — both named Valentine — on Feb. 14 of different years in the 3rd century A.D. Their martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day.

而情人节之所以被称为Valentine‘s Day也都归因于这些古罗马人。一位历史上的暴君克劳迪亚斯二世国王曾在3世纪的某一年2月14日里下令斩首两名男子

——他们俩都叫Valentine。此后，他们殉教的这一天就被罗马人称为圣瓦伦丁节。

Later, Pope Gelasius I muddled things in the 5th century by combining St. Valentine’s Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan rituals. But the festival was more of a theatrical interpretation of what it had once been. Lenski adds, “It was a little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on it. That didn’t stop it from being a day of fertility and love.”

紧接着到了公元5世纪，教皇格拉修一世以驱逐异教徒为名把圣瓦伦丁节与牧神节合并了起来，而这实则在历史上添了不少乱。但是这个节日更像是对几个世纪前罗马人的作为做出一个更加戏剧性的解释。连斯基教授补充到，比醉醺醺的狂欢好一点，基督教徒们穿上了衣服，但仍然是属于生育和爱情的节日”。

Around the same time, the Normans celebrated Galatin’s Day. Galatin meant “lover of women.” That was likely confused with St. Valentine’s Day at some point, in part because they sound alike.

So the next time you’re enjoying a Valentine’s Day dinner, don’t forget all the suffering that took place for it to be the sweet romantic holiday as we know it today.

几乎是在历史上同样的年代，当时的诺曼人要庆祝咖兰汀节(Galatin’s Day)，咖兰汀的意思是“女人的情人”。也有人推测说，很有可能在某一个时期，人们因为读音相近而混淆了情人节（Valentine’s Day）和咖兰汀节(Galatin’s Day)这两个节日。

If you normally find yourself on the receiving end of dinner, drinks, and 12 red roses then good for you. However, if you are the giver in your relationship then you’ll be glad to know that Sherpa’s are here to play cupid and deliver all the essentials straight to your door!

如果能享受浪漫晚餐、可口酒水和12枝娇艳玫瑰，那真的很幸运。但如果你想做主动表达心意者，食派士有你想要的鲜花和情人节套餐哦！

We’re running some exclusive Valentine’s Day promotions from 9th-14th February – just open the app to see more!

从9号至14号，我们都有情人节促销活动！打开APP随意挑选吧~

Happy Valentine’s Day!

情人节快乐！

Locations: Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou

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2020, Fri

Feb

07 UFH和睦家: Helping Your Family Cope During Uncertain Times

By: David A.Howard

Understandably, many of us in China have been alarmed by the recent news of a novel coronavirus originating in Wuhan, Hubei province. The media have also been relentless in providing up-to-the-minute updates on how many are infected, and where they are located. Though news of rising numbers of those infected can be alarming, many more may suffer from anxiety, panic, and other negative emotions arising from this situation. Especially vulnerable are children, as they often look to adults for examples of how to feel in uncertain situations, and how to cope. The following are some strategies that you can use to help your children and family cope with stress and anxiety in this very unique time.

1. Limit media and social media use.

Limit media and social media use for yourself as well as your children. While media and social media can be helpful in informing the public of needed information, they are also associated with higher anxiety levels. Limit your media use and that of your children only to trusted, reliable news sources, and limit the time spent consuming media. Up-to-the-minute information regarding the coronavirus or infection rates, travel restrictions, etc. are of little use to most of us, and only serve to make us more nervous. Instead, consider muting notifications of WeChat groups that push new information from unreliable sources—you don’t need rumors and misinformation constantly popping up in the form of a red number on the WeChat icon.

2. Get educated.

While information abounds, sometimes misinformation abounds even more. The coronavirus is NOT airborne, which means it can only be spread from one person to another when bodily fluid droplets from an infected person gets into the eyes, nose, or mouth of a healthy person for instance from a cough, sneeze, or being in close (1-2m) ‘breathing’ contact for several minutes. These droplets can also be transferred when they get onto objects which a healthy person touches, and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth. Therefore, simple precautions can go a LONG way in preventing infection.

-Wash your hands

-Deal with coughs, sneezes and spit appropriately (use a tissue and throw it away!)

-use alcohol-based hand sanitizer

-wear a mask, and

-DON’T TOUCH YOUR FACE

3. Educate your children.

The above can be communicated to children to help keep them safe. However, this communication is best in an environment of security, rather than an environment of panic. Therefore, when educating your children about handwashing or not touching their face, try to ensure that your voice is calm and reassuring. The point is to educate, not scare, and to connect your child with a sense of safety. During a time such as this, there can be a lot of fear that our children experience. However, it is also important to send the message that even where there is fear, there are things we can do to keep ourselves safer.

4. Set a schedule for your family.

During this unique time, when many schools and workplaces are closed, it’s best to establish a daily schedule and stick to it as closely as you can. Try to include many of things that would normally be on the schedule, as such as work time (use any e-learning resources provided by your child’s school, or free downloads from the internet), practicing your musical instrument, meal times, naps, snack times, exercise, etc. Remember to set regular sleep and wake times, despite a “flexible” schedule. You may also need to get creative regarding some of the items on the schedule—for example: if your regular gym is closed, you may need to replace it with outdoor activities or with an exercise video that can be done together as a family.

5. It’s OK to go outside!

Again this virus not in the air. Therefore, unless otherwise recommended against by health authorities, it is safe to venture outside and get out of the house once in a while (with the proper precautions, of course). Avoid areas that may be overcrowded or that may cause anxiety, but take time to take walks, connect with nature, exercise outdoors, etc.

6. Connect with others.

Do not neglect your social life, or that of your children! Consider arranging meals with family and friends at home. At the very least, make sure that you are connecting with via phone, video chat, or other means.

7. Help your children express emotions.

Do not be afraid to talk about this virus with your child, what it is, and what it is not, in an age-appropriate manner. Sometimes, we as parents try to avoid discussing topics with children that we believe may scare them. However, our children are likely very aware that something unique is happening around them, and they will look to us for explanations and reassurance.

8. Acknowledge your child’s emotions.

Acknowledge your child’s emotions, whatever they are. If your child expresses any sort or emotion, positive or negative, while you are discussing this topic with them, let them know that their feelings are OK. Their feelings, whatever they are, are appropriate and it is safe to express those emotions to you. Additionally, don’t judge your child’s emotions, or try to “correct” them. Hear them out, acknowledge the emotion, and tell them it is OK to feel that way.

9. Express empathy:

After acknowledging your child’s emotions, express your empathy. Maybe you are feeling similar emotions—don’t be afraid to express them to your child in an age-appropriate manner. Empathy can help the child feel understood and not alone.

10. Connect with safety.

It is true that the present situation is uncertain and can feel unsafe. But in this unique time, help your child identify what IS certain and safe—your family, your love for them, etc. Encourage your child to express this verbally, or even draw it out onto a piece of paper.

11. Connect with safety:

Focus on Gratitude. The practice of gratitude has been shown to improve mood and assist in combating negative emotions. Encourage your family to start a gratitude journal—start simple: write, draw, or share two simple things each family member is grateful for each day. One rule: try not to repeat anything you’ve said on previous days!

12. Connect with confidence.

Try to do at least one thing per day that instills confidence in you and your children. What do they enjoy? What do they feel they are good at? What builds their self-esteem?

13. Seize the opportunity.

This time can be used to discover and develop new skills. Learn something new with your family! Perhaps it’s time to purchase one of those acrylic painting kits you’ve been eyeing at Carrefour. Maybe it’s time to explore baking, science experiments, new recipes, or origami. Bring your child’s focus and attention not only on what they CAN’T do during this time, but on what opportunities this unique situation may present.

14. Keep up communication.

During this time, there are many families who are separated for one reason or the other. Many are not sure how long this separation will last, with travel advisories and restrictions in full force. It can be important to keep up communication through any means necessary during this time, such as through phone calls and video conferencing. Try something new—perhaps you can play chess or other game with your child via videoconference call, or read a bedtime story. Some parts of a family routine may be possible to maintain over video conferencing, and you can even try eating a meal together virtually! However, it is important to acknowledge the emotions your child may have regarding this separation, validate those emotions, and express empathy.

For example:

Child: “I miss daddy! I haven’t seen him in two weeks and I feel very sad.”

Not recommended: “Don’t worry, you don’t need to miss him! We can call him and it will be just as if he were here!”

Recommended: “I understand. Of course you feel sad. I miss daddy too. Maybe there’s something we can do to help. What if we read a bedtime story with him over FaceTime?”

15. Acknowledge existential questions.

This virus (among other things) reminds us of the fact that we live in an uncertain world. Though we try our very best as parents to create the safest world possible for our children to grow up in, this situation is a reminder that there are many things that lie beyond our control. It can be unhealthy to avoid this and weave a fantasy world around children that does not exist. If your child raises existential questions around life, death, uncertainty, etc., acknowledge these questions. If you have a spiritual or religious tradition, don’t fear expressing and leaning on that tradition, or explore one. Be honest—if you do not know the answers, or you are uncertain yourself, express this to your child in an age-appropriate manner. However, even in the midst of uncertainty, there are some things that are certain: we can protect ourselves, we can love and care for each other and we can use this as an opportunity.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing emotional distress from this situation, or any other reason, please do not hesitate to consult with a qualified mental health professional.

Dr. George HU

Clinical Psychologist

Chief of Mental Health

President of Shanghai International Mental Health Association(SIMHA)

Dr. George Hu is a licensed clinical psychologist from the United States, and is the Chief of Mental Health at Shanghai United Family Pudong Hospital. He is also the President of the Shanghai International Mental Health Association. Our mental health departments in Puxi and Pudong are staffed with qualified and experienced clinicians, and remain open during this time.

Dr. HU has several areas of specialty including cognitive behavioral psychotherapy, individual psychotherapy with adults and children, trauma processing, psycho-educational and psychological assessment.

For appointments, please call 400 6393 900, 24-hours a day.

Content via Shanghai United Family Pudong Hospital

Locations: Shanghai

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2020, Mon

Feb

03 A Salute to all Those Dedicated Doctors and Medical Workers!

By: David A.Howard

Coronavirus

2020

We’re sick and tired of this darned coronavirus.

可恶的病毒快快消失吧。

It’s really taking a toll on everyone in the country,

but few are as hard hit as those fearless heros working in the medical field. Doctors, nurses,

hospital staff, and researchers are all at the frontlines of the war against this dastardly disease.

这场战役使每个人都历经磨难，

最可敬的还是医务人员。

医生、护士和研究人员等等都奋斗在危险的第一线。

With over 12,000 confirmed cases now, medical staff have their hands full, but continue to work hard past the point of exhaustion to help

everyone in need.

目前已有超过12000确证病例，

医务人员竭尽全力拯救处于困苦中的人。

To help out their medical brethren in need in the ground zero province of Hubei, countless doctors from around the country have voluntered to step in and help. Specialists from Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an, Suzhou, and too many other cities to list have said goodbye to their families and hopped on trains and planes to bolster the ranks in Hubei. A team of doctors from the Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai (right by the Sherpa’s headquarters) also joined the fight.

来自上海、北京、西安、苏州

还有其他城市的专家医者向家人告别，
自告奋勇不畏艰险前往病原地湖北支援。

食派士总部旁的上海瑞金医院

也有一队医护人员加入前线。

Seriously, you guys are amazing. Words cannot express how grateful we all are for the brave medical workers who are doing their utmost to stop the coronavirus. Without them, this epidemic would be that much worse.

你们太伟大了。

我们不知道言语该怎样表达我们的敬意，

不敢想象没有你们这场灾难会糟到什么地步。

We salute you all.
Thank you!

致敬！
感恩！