Life

• It’s normal for children to have fears about going to the hospital. Try to acknowledge those fears and provide lots of hugs and comfort. • Be genuine and honest. It isn’t wise to try and cover up painful or unpleasant things with false cheeriness.

When Maya Bosdet was getting ready to go to the hospital for an MRI, the procedure was old news for the Saanich seven-year-old. Maya had already performed an MRI on two of her 30-odd stuffy toys, the plush frog and cat.

Last week, a mother asked for help dealing with her “obstinate” five-year-old daughter.

FRIDAY, MARCH 1 The Beatles: Sergeant Pepper, presented by the Victoria Symphony Pop Series, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m. at the Royal Theatre with matinée Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets at rmts.bc.ca or tel. 250-286-6121.

Beer lovers looking to sample local craft beer don’t have to go far for a pint at the fourth annual Vancouver Island Beer Fest Saturday.

A former Claremont high school student turned jetsetting model is a contestant on a fashion reality-TV show. Jocelyn Chew, 20, is one of 24 aspiring models on The Face, which premièred this week on MuchMusic.

In life, one encounters curious situations the etiquette books fail to consider. Take, for example, the time street people used my car as an architectural feature for their temporary shelter. I park in the back lot of a hotel that’s seen better days.

LONDON - The London zoo is taking stock of an animal you don't often find behind bars, launching what it says is the first interactive map of the British capital's domestic cats.

Antiques expert says some of your old junk might be valuable

WASHINGTON - The horse meat scandal that is hitting Europe has yet to spread to the United States, allowing American consumers to rest easier when buying ground beef or sitting down for a plate of meatballs at Ikea.