Who can claim a childhood that wasn’t saturated by cartoons? Today, with varieties ranging from Ghost in the Shell to the Smurfs to Howl’s Moving Castle all vying for attention, kids and adults alike should be able to find their cartoon cup of tea. In this vein, BTV has been offering Beijngers a smorgasbord of animated amusement this week at the 2007 Beijing International Kaku Cartoon Festival that runs until July 27 (see 7 Days in Beijing Newsletter for more info). Outrageous Cosplayers, a theme song penned by pop-rock band Caffeine, a Gundam model competition and radio-controlled car races aside, the real highlight of the animation–lovers’ buffet is sure to be the premiere of the first installment of the Fuwas’ 100-episode (or more) cartoon series “The Fuwa Olympic Cruise."

Look hard enough (it’s often easier to see than the building next to you) and you’ll find a common catalyst behind the myriad changes sweeping Beijing. Everything from this month’s impending removal of one million cars from the city’s streets to the conspicuous absence of the five-kuai-DVD guy outside the subway station, from unnatural rainstorms to the capital’s promised unnaturally colorful August complexion – they all go back to Beijing’s hosting of the world’s largest sporting event. Now, thanks to a July 12 meeting of the Entry and Exit Ministry, a taste of Olympic fervor is also available at Chinese consulates worldwide.

To ensure security during the Games, the Entry and Exit Ministry has tightened its regulations pertaining to the issuance, renewal and alteration of visas.

Beijing police recently gave residents a warning that is usually reserved for the tourists: beware of pickpockets! In an attempt to increase awareness and reduce incidents of theft, the Municipal Public Security Bureau has for the first time issued a list of the ten most pickpocket-prone bus routes in Beijing. The “Terrible Ten” are (drumroll please): 9, 57, 701, 707, 728, 44, 300, 302, 808, and the Bus Rapid Transit route between Qianmen and Demaozhuang in Daxing district.

The list indicates that particularly susceptible bus lines are those crowded ones servicing transportation hubs, where targets are plentiful and may be distracted by baggage, and longer-haul lines where extended exposure to heat and the motion of the bus can lull riders into semi-consciousness. Police go on to caution that the most dangerous times are the busy rush hours between seven to nine in the morning and six to eight at night. While the items most often stolen are cell phones, cash and bank cards, the emergence of a worldly and cosmopolitan middle class has not been lost on the underworld, and more discerning thieves have been known to snatch luxury items such as jewelry.