The Week May 13, 2011

All about snakes

Teachers across China this week are probably cheering for the policeman in Zhengzhou who put a stop to a man trying to sell pet snakes to school children. One boy who bought a snake said he wanted to put it in his desk at school … probably to scare his teacher. Kids, you don't need a real snake to scare a grown-up.

An apple a day?

In the Republic of Korea this week, researchers announced a new way to ward off bad breath. They're developing a tiny apple that fits into your pocket. Before you kiss a girl, you just take a bite of the apple to freshen your breath. That's why researchers are calling it the "Kiss Apple". In China, we like to do things in a big way. Will a big apple help you get a bigger kiss? Let's look in on a Beijing man who has tried everything else to get rid of his bad breath.

A very special pig

The big story in Jilin province this week is the farmer who has a pig with two snouts. The farmer says that means she eats twice as much as the other pigs. But, being different can be an advantage. Unlike the other pigs that will probably end up as someone's dinner, the farmer says his pig with two snouts is "too special to end up on a plate".

What's for breakfast?

Speaking of what's on our plates, did you eat a healthy breakfast today? Breakfast can give you energy and keep you from overeating later in the day. Joining us today is nutritionist Dr Ariel Huang to show us a healthy breakfast of porridge, soy milk and a boiled egg.

Click for previous The Week

About the broadcaster:

Renee Haines is an editor and broadcaster at China Daily. Renee has more than 15 years of experience as a newspaper editor, radio station anchor and news director, news-wire service reporter and bureau chief, magazine writer, book editor and website consultant.