In the western world, grandchildren call their grandparents from both their parents' sides as "grandma" and "grandpa" and call their parents siblings as "uncle" and "aunt".
In the Chinese world, little ones call everybody differently. Even if a stranger walks by your kid and hears how he/she calls his/her grandma, this person can figure out right away from which side of the family his/her grandma from. The same rule applies to when the kid calls their uncles and aunts.
Let me give you some examples how we call our grandparents:
Grandfather from my father's side - "Ye ye"
Grandmother from my father's side - "Ma ma" (It sounds like calling your mother. But the tune is very low. It's very different.)
Grandfather from my mother's side - "Gung gung"
Grandmother from my mother's side - "Pau pau"
In the western world, when your kid calls his/her uncle, he/she may call him as "Uncle Joe" in which that person's first name is included. In the Chinese culture, nobody is allowed to do so. This is seen as disrespect, even among siblings. But in this new generation, certain families are not as strict as it used to be.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
How is a name translated into Chinese?
Throughout the centuries, names have been translated by the number of syllables. It is out of respect of other countries cultures.
Unlike English, there is no alphabet in Chinese language. For instance, there are 3 syllables in this name, Roberta. There will be 3 Chinese characters to represent it.
For names ending with a letter, such as b, d, k, l, m, p, s and t, are considered an additional syllable often. For example, there are 3 characters to represent a name, "Bridget" because of a "t" at the end of the name.
Certain characters can only be used in a male or female name. Therefore, we also base on the gender to use different characters when we translate your name.
Unlike English, there is no alphabet in Chinese language. For instance, there are 3 syllables in this name, Roberta. There will be 3 Chinese characters to represent it.
For names ending with a letter, such as b, d, k, l, m, p, s and t, are considered an additional syllable often. For example, there are 3 characters to represent a name, "Bridget" because of a "t" at the end of the name.
Certain characters can only be used in a male or female name. Therefore, we also base on the gender to use different characters when we translate your name.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Mums
During this time of the year, you always see a lot of mums in front of people’s houses. There are so many different colors. And they bring out the lives of the fall.
Mums are a kind of chrysanthemum. Chinese call mums the baby chrysanthemum. There were a lot of poems appreciating chrysanthemum since 200B.C. Chinese describe it as a strong gentleman among flowers because it can stand in the cold weather so long and still bring out the colors. The original Chinese chrysanthemum was yellow. It was then developed to different colors and varieties in the 1100s.
Chrysanthemums have been used in Chinese medications for 3,000 years. The most common usage is in tea which helps the body to release the extra heat. Another function of it is for longevity.
Interesting, huh?
Mums are a kind of chrysanthemum. Chinese call mums the baby chrysanthemum. There were a lot of poems appreciating chrysanthemum since 200B.C. Chinese describe it as a strong gentleman among flowers because it can stand in the cold weather so long and still bring out the colors. The original Chinese chrysanthemum was yellow. It was then developed to different colors and varieties in the 1100s.
Chrysanthemums have been used in Chinese medications for 3,000 years. The most common usage is in tea which helps the body to release the extra heat. Another function of it is for longevity.
Interesting, huh?
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Halloween
My husband's family always ask me, "Do Chinese celebrate Halloween?" "Do you have X'mas?" which I believe you wonder the same things, too.
Yes, we celebrate pretty much most of the western festivals. Some people put on the costumes on Halloween. But there are not of them. There is no trick-or-treat. Halloween is pretty much only for adults or grown-up.
The attitude of Chinese treating Halloween is totally different from the Chinese Ghost Festival which falls on the 14th day of the 7th month on the Lunar Calendar. People always have a lot of fun on Halloween. But during the 7th month, people are scared of meeting any evil spirit or ghost. And at the same time, they are very respectful of the ancestors and those passed away.
For more interesting story of the Chinese Ghost Festival, stay tuned. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Yes, we celebrate pretty much most of the western festivals. Some people put on the costumes on Halloween. But there are not of them. There is no trick-or-treat. Halloween is pretty much only for adults or grown-up.
The attitude of Chinese treating Halloween is totally different from the Chinese Ghost Festival which falls on the 14th day of the 7th month on the Lunar Calendar. People always have a lot of fun on Halloween. But during the 7th month, people are scared of meeting any evil spirit or ghost. And at the same time, they are very respectful of the ancestors and those passed away.
For more interesting story of the Chinese Ghost Festival, stay tuned. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Jade
Many women love diamonds. But in the old China, there was no diamond, but jade.
A lot of emperors and rich people had their belongings, ornaments and jewelry made of jade. It didn’t only represent their superiority and privilege, but also protect them from the evil spirits.
This stone is very human-oriented. Why? If you wear a jade pendent, you will realize it. The more you wear it, the greener it is.
But how does it protect one from evil spirit? I heard this story from my schoolmate several years ago. She wore her jade pendent all the time. She never took it off. One day after getting out of shower, she saw from the mirror that the jade had half of it left. It looked very strange to her. So, she looked down at her pendent. It was in a whole and good shape. She looked back to the mirror again. It was just half of it.
Then, she knew that some evil sprits tried to approach her. It was this jade protecting her from their harm. At the end, she threw the jade away. It was because it had already carried out its mission. It was not able to protect its owner again.
Was that true? I really don’t know and don’t mean to scare you. But I just want to show you the importance of this precious stone to the Chinese society.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of fake products out there. Some professional can even tell. If you really want to buy one, go to the well-known stores.
A lot of emperors and rich people had their belongings, ornaments and jewelry made of jade. It didn’t only represent their superiority and privilege, but also protect them from the evil spirits.
This stone is very human-oriented. Why? If you wear a jade pendent, you will realize it. The more you wear it, the greener it is.
But how does it protect one from evil spirit? I heard this story from my schoolmate several years ago. She wore her jade pendent all the time. She never took it off. One day after getting out of shower, she saw from the mirror that the jade had half of it left. It looked very strange to her. So, she looked down at her pendent. It was in a whole and good shape. She looked back to the mirror again. It was just half of it.
Then, she knew that some evil sprits tried to approach her. It was this jade protecting her from their harm. At the end, she threw the jade away. It was because it had already carried out its mission. It was not able to protect its owner again.
Was that true? I really don’t know and don’t mean to scare you. But I just want to show you the importance of this precious stone to the Chinese society.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of fake products out there. Some professional can even tell. If you really want to buy one, go to the well-known stores.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Myth of Peeling Apple
Apple-picking season just started in upstate NY. So, I thought that it would be a great time to share with you an interesting Chinese myth.
In Hong Kong, a lot of people, especially women, can peel apples by a pairing knife as quick and good as the apple peelers. This myth has been spreading around since I was in my early teen.
Someone said that if you face a mirror and peel the apple without breaking the peel into 2 pieces at midnight sharp, you will see your future husband on the mirror. Very scary, huh?
When I was at school, one of my classmates tried it. But she didn’t succeed.
And it was said that if the peel breaks, your future husband will be hurt.
It’s just something to share with you for fun. :-)
In Hong Kong, a lot of people, especially women, can peel apples by a pairing knife as quick and good as the apple peelers. This myth has been spreading around since I was in my early teen.
Someone said that if you face a mirror and peel the apple without breaking the peel into 2 pieces at midnight sharp, you will see your future husband on the mirror. Very scary, huh?
When I was at school, one of my classmates tried it. But she didn’t succeed.
And it was said that if the peel breaks, your future husband will be hurt.
It’s just something to share with you for fun. :-)
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Chinese Typing
The chart showing what each alphabet represents in Chinese (refer to the black squares). In each cell, it shows other Chinese symbols which look similar to the Chinese in the black squares.
Have you ever seen the Chinese computer keyboard before? If you had, you most probably saw some simple Chinese characters next to each alphabet on each key.
There are many different kinds of Chinese typing/input method based on the pronounciation of a character either in Mandarin or Cantonese and also by the structure of the character. But there is one very original input method still used by most of the people now due to its efficiency, i.e. Changjie method. This method was named after the person centuries ago who created most of the Chinese characters of nowdays.
How does it work? First of all, you must be fluent in written and spoken Chinese. The inputting method totally relies on one's knowledge of the structure of each Chinese character. It splits one character up to 5 parts which will be 5 keystrokes on the keyboard. Each alphabet represents each part of the character. It takes some time to learn even you are good at Chinese. Once you grab the theory behind it, it is just a piece of cake.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
National Day
Oct 1 is the National Day in China and Hong Kong. Oct 10 is the National Day in Taiwan. Although there are a few days of difference, the purpose is pretty much the same. It is for the memory of the "Father of the Modern China", Sun Yat Sen, who ended the imperial rule of China.
Being a Chinese and major in Chinese History, I never agreed that he should be named as the "Father of the Modern China". Unlike George Washington, Sun had never been into any revolution. While his colleagues were fighting with their lives, he was somewhere else. Some may say that Sun was doing the negotiation, raising the fund and so forth.
To me, people like Wong Hing, one of the revolutionists at his time should be named.
Anyway, it is just Chinese history shared with you all.
Being a Chinese and major in Chinese History, I never agreed that he should be named as the "Father of the Modern China". Unlike George Washington, Sun had never been into any revolution. While his colleagues were fighting with their lives, he was somewhere else. Some may say that Sun was doing the negotiation, raising the fund and so forth.
To me, people like Wong Hing, one of the revolutionists at his time should be named.
Anyway, it is just Chinese history shared with you all.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Education
There is a new colleague at work who came from China. I am very impressed that he was graduated from Tsinghua University, the no. 1 university in China, and a very down-to-earth person.
It reminds me a girl that I worked with more than 10 years ago. She also came from China and a university graduate. She told me that every Chinese carries a booklet in which it records where this individual graduated, where they worked, where they live and so forth. This record is pretty much open to the public and specially important to the educated class. Any bad record in this booklet will affect them in the rest of their lives seriously.
When it came to university graduates in China, they are the best of the best. Unlike any college students or university graduates in other countries, these elites 100% know what they are doing. I personally had this experience.
One of our piano teachers, Mrs Cheng Mei Ling, came from China. She stopped teaching because she had serious back problem. I remembered the time not long before she stopped teaching us that she couldn't sit down even a minute because her back hurt so much. I still love her and miss her after all these years. In those 3 years that she taught us, she memorized every piano piece and played the song in front of us just by closing her eyes. None of our other piano teachers could do this. I don't mean to be disrespectful. But she was exceptional and extraordinary.
Think about this. If every person in any country can take the education as seriously as these people, this world would be a better place to live.
It reminds me a girl that I worked with more than 10 years ago. She also came from China and a university graduate. She told me that every Chinese carries a booklet in which it records where this individual graduated, where they worked, where they live and so forth. This record is pretty much open to the public and specially important to the educated class. Any bad record in this booklet will affect them in the rest of their lives seriously.
When it came to university graduates in China, they are the best of the best. Unlike any college students or university graduates in other countries, these elites 100% know what they are doing. I personally had this experience.
One of our piano teachers, Mrs Cheng Mei Ling, came from China. She stopped teaching because she had serious back problem. I remembered the time not long before she stopped teaching us that she couldn't sit down even a minute because her back hurt so much. I still love her and miss her after all these years. In those 3 years that she taught us, she memorized every piano piece and played the song in front of us just by closing her eyes. None of our other piano teachers could do this. I don't mean to be disrespectful. But she was exceptional and extraordinary.
Think about this. If every person in any country can take the education as seriously as these people, this world would be a better place to live.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Sneeze
Weather is changing. A lot of you may sneeze quite a bit.
However, in the Chinese culture, sneezing is not a good sign. Most of the time, the Chinese says, "Maybe somebody is talking behind my back."
When somebody sneezes, American always say, "God Bless You." In Chinese, we always say, "Dai Gui Lai Si." It means that bad luck is gone and good stuffs should be coming.
If you think the things that I told you in the above are so superstitutious. Wait till you hear this. That may give you a laugh for the day.
My father's cousin's family has this rule in their house. If any one of them sneezes before their heading out of the house, they will turn around and get back into the house. No matter, it's a family gathering, funeral, wedding receiption and so forth, they will not attend just because of a sneeze.
Isn't that crazy or what? Believe it or not, hope this gives you a big smile.
However, in the Chinese culture, sneezing is not a good sign. Most of the time, the Chinese says, "Maybe somebody is talking behind my back."
When somebody sneezes, American always say, "God Bless You." In Chinese, we always say, "Dai Gui Lai Si." It means that bad luck is gone and good stuffs should be coming.
If you think the things that I told you in the above are so superstitutious. Wait till you hear this. That may give you a laugh for the day.
My father's cousin's family has this rule in their house. If any one of them sneezes before their heading out of the house, they will turn around and get back into the house. No matter, it's a family gathering, funeral, wedding receiption and so forth, they will not attend just because of a sneeze.
Isn't that crazy or what? Believe it or not, hope this gives you a big smile.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Women's Health
One of the prescriptions my accupunture doctor gave me containing fructus amomi, zingiber, cortex cinnamomi, rotundus, radix glycyrrhizae and other herbs. (This is just for your reference. Always consult your doctor before taking any prescriptions.)Although my aunt living in Rochester and my uncle living in Hong Kong have been practised Chinese medication for so many years, I had never tried it until about 2 years ago.
I diagnosed the carpel tunnel syndrome that my family doctor, whom is an American, referred me to an accupunture doctor for the treatment. Since my family doctor is the only doctor that I can trust after moving over here, I listened to her advice and went.
Forunately, my accupunture doctor talks to me in our mother language. I always feel very comfortable to ask her any medical problem. I used to visit lady's room and have menstrual cramps quite often. So, she prescribed me some Chinese herbal medicine which only last about 1 week to a month. Believe it or not, all these symptoms were gone. That made me having more confidence in the Chinese medication.
I remembered that there was about a month in which I had problems to walk after getting up every morning. I was referred to the peodiatrist. And the appointment had to be scheduled a month ahead of time. Before going there, I happened to talk to my accupunture doctor. The first thing she told me, "It is not your feet's problem. It's your back problem." About another month later, I diagnosed arthritis on my back.
I am not complaining about the health issues. What I want to bring the message to you is that if you think regular medication does not work, give it a try to some alternative medication. China has a lot of hospitals practising both western and Chinese medication. They want to take the advantages of both to help the patients to recover completely and healthily.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
This is the mini Chinese moon cake. The regular size is about 3 times of the size of this one, which will be about the size of your palm. It always comes with 4 of them in one box. I know that I can't finish the whole box. And I am so glad that I saw my Chinese store having the mini size and sold one at a time instead of a box.
Different bakery has different design of the moon cake.
The stuffing of traditional moon cake is the mashed lotus seed which has the similar flavor and texture of the stuffing of Shoofly pie.
The common package of a moon cake. Mostly, they are packed in a tin box. In the last decades, there were a lot of twists on the stuffing and looks of moon cakes. It could be mashed sweet red bean, green beans, ice-cream and so forth.
This is a mold for making moon cake. Chinese pastry chef always prepares the stuffing ahead of time and let it cool down. Then, they will wrap a piece of pastry, which is very similar to certain pie crust texture, around the stuffing. Put it into the mold and flaten it out. Then, it becomes the moon cake. All they need to do is to bake it.
Today is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival which is my all-time favorite festival next to Christmas. I bought the Chinese moon cakes last week so that I can celebrate it later tonight.
Like the Chinese New Year, this festival is all about family gathering. When we were kids, my parents always took us to somewhere with the lanterns to celebrate. One year, we went to a beach. That was the most memorable one. I still remembered the sea of candles that lighted up the whole beach. It was gorgeous. I hope next year or so, I can go back home to celebrate it with my family.
There were a lot of legends about the origin of this festival. One of them was about a lady, called "Chang'e" taking a kind of medicine which made her to raise to the moon.
But in the Yuan dynasty, people wanted to overthrow the Mongols. By stuffing a message into the moon cake and pass around.
Nowadays, Mid-Autumn festival becomes one of the most money-spending festivals. People buy moon cakes for their family and friends. Moon cake is a very big market for businesses. For children, they always make sure that parents get them plenty of candles and lanterns.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Face Reading
Last time, I shared with you a little bit of fortune telling that I learned when I was a teenager.
This is another interesting one.
Have you ever seen any person when they smile, there is a depression of the skin on the upper cheek bone area? Some people just have it on one side of their face. Some have it on both sides. To a lot of Chinese, it means that this person is not easy to get along.
Is that true? I really don't know because I don't have any friend or family having that.
Anyway, it's another funny Chinese "belief" to share with you.
This is another interesting one.
Have you ever seen any person when they smile, there is a depression of the skin on the upper cheek bone area? Some people just have it on one side of their face. Some have it on both sides. To a lot of Chinese, it means that this person is not easy to get along.
Is that true? I really don't know because I don't have any friend or family having that.
Anyway, it's another funny Chinese "belief" to share with you.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Gap between Your 2 Front Teeth
Before I share this interesting Chinese "belief" with you. I want to make sure that I am not saying anything against anybody else.
My hubby was watching the NFL this past Sunday. There was a new host. The first thing I noticed of him was the gap between his 2 front teeth. That reminded me what my cousin told my sister several years ago.
My uncle is a Chinese fortune teller. He can tell the "future" of people by looking at their faces and the lines on their palms. So, his son learns quite a bit from him. When my sister first had her 2 new front teeth coming out, there was a big gap between them. So, my counsin teased her that she would be very mean to her spouse. I don't know why I still remembered this when it happened more than 20 years ago. She didn't take it seriously. However, she thought that it was pretty funny and told everybody else she knew.
Is that really true? I really don't know. But I think that you would love to learn about this crazy "belief" of the Chinese.
My hubby was watching the NFL this past Sunday. There was a new host. The first thing I noticed of him was the gap between his 2 front teeth. That reminded me what my cousin told my sister several years ago.
My uncle is a Chinese fortune teller. He can tell the "future" of people by looking at their faces and the lines on their palms. So, his son learns quite a bit from him. When my sister first had her 2 new front teeth coming out, there was a big gap between them. So, my counsin teased her that she would be very mean to her spouse. I don't know why I still remembered this when it happened more than 20 years ago. She didn't take it seriously. However, she thought that it was pretty funny and told everybody else she knew.
Is that really true? I really don't know. But I think that you would love to learn about this crazy "belief" of the Chinese.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Unbeatable Luck of Pregnant Women
Did you see "Deal or No Deal" last night? They got the first million-dollar winner.
My hubby didn't watch this show for quite a while. When he changed to that channel last night and I first saw that contestant, I told him right away, "She may win this game." Now, I have never seen any preview or anything. It was just the 6th sense told me that.
During the first commercial, I told my husband, "The Chinese always say that not to gamble with the pregnant women. They will win all the money because of the luck the babies bring." He didn't believe it until the end of the show.
You may think that I am so superstitutious. But it happens all the time.
Sorry, "Deal or No Deal", I wish I told any one of your producers earlier, even though the show is called the "Million Dollar Mission".
My hubby didn't watch this show for quite a while. When he changed to that channel last night and I first saw that contestant, I told him right away, "She may win this game." Now, I have never seen any preview or anything. It was just the 6th sense told me that.
During the first commercial, I told my husband, "The Chinese always say that not to gamble with the pregnant women. They will win all the money because of the luck the babies bring." He didn't believe it until the end of the show.
You may think that I am so superstitutious. But it happens all the time.
Sorry, "Deal or No Deal", I wish I told any one of your producers earlier, even though the show is called the "Million Dollar Mission".
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Casino & Gambling
After the Beijing Olympic, are you still curious about the culture and customs of China? Maybe not. In this long weekend, some of my co-workers are going to the casino to gamble. It inspired me to share this with you.
Casino and gambling sound like only in the western world. But it has been in China for centuries. Differences are the games, casino setting and/or locations.
Games are "Mahjong", "Due Chong" (the numbers you will get by shaking 2 dices in a cup), "Fish, Shrimp and Crab" and "Pai Guo". They are all Chinese originated games.
Setting and locations have played a very important part throughout the history, especially to the casino owners. Most of them believe in "Fung Shui" which will affect them of how many people coming into their casinos and losing money.
Of course, gamblers have their own strategies to be anti-casino's "Fung Shui".
One of the best examples is the first casino in Macau. The setup of the main entrance makes it like a big mouth which will attract people's money. But gamblers believe that going into the casino from the back door and leave at the main entrance will take care of it.
I am not big in gambline. But I think that that would be something interesting to share with you. Have a wonderful long weekend.
Casino and gambling sound like only in the western world. But it has been in China for centuries. Differences are the games, casino setting and/or locations.
Games are "Mahjong", "Due Chong" (the numbers you will get by shaking 2 dices in a cup), "Fish, Shrimp and Crab" and "Pai Guo". They are all Chinese originated games.
Setting and locations have played a very important part throughout the history, especially to the casino owners. Most of them believe in "Fung Shui" which will affect them of how many people coming into their casinos and losing money.
Of course, gamblers have their own strategies to be anti-casino's "Fung Shui".
One of the best examples is the first casino in Macau. The setup of the main entrance makes it like a big mouth which will attract people's money. But gamblers believe that going into the casino from the back door and leave at the main entrance will take care of it.
I am not big in gambline. But I think that that would be something interesting to share with you. Have a wonderful long weekend.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Stiff Neck Chinese Remedy
My friend, Sue at work, asked me a question about the Chinese remedy for her daughter with the neck pain. She sent me the link about a do-it-yourself remedy by using the spoon together with a few drops of oil scraping on your back.
When she first saw it, she said that it sounds very extreme. I can totally understand that feeling, especially if you are not the one growing up from that environment. So, I explained to her that this is a very traditional method of pain relief.
Actually, my mom did it on me more than 10 years ago when my back hurt for more than a week. The Chinese calls that kind of pain as "bone fire" which is believed that it is caused by pressure from work or school and lack of sleep. The rememdy is called "sand scraping" (even though no sand is involved). When my mom first did it, it hurt a little bit on the skin, but not something unbearable. The whole process takes about 15-30 minutes. But I can tell you how good you feel the next day. The result was awesome.
Some elderly in my grandparents generation do this remedy on a very regular basis, like once a month.
This is just for interest sharing. And I do NOT encourage you to do this without a professional advice or consulting your doctor. If you are interested to learn more about this Chinese remedy, you can check out this link http://ezinearticles.com/?Stiff-Neck-Remedy---Chinese-Style&id=179543.
When she first saw it, she said that it sounds very extreme. I can totally understand that feeling, especially if you are not the one growing up from that environment. So, I explained to her that this is a very traditional method of pain relief.
Actually, my mom did it on me more than 10 years ago when my back hurt for more than a week. The Chinese calls that kind of pain as "bone fire" which is believed that it is caused by pressure from work or school and lack of sleep. The rememdy is called "sand scraping" (even though no sand is involved). When my mom first did it, it hurt a little bit on the skin, but not something unbearable. The whole process takes about 15-30 minutes. But I can tell you how good you feel the next day. The result was awesome.
Some elderly in my grandparents generation do this remedy on a very regular basis, like once a month.
This is just for interest sharing. And I do NOT encourage you to do this without a professional advice or consulting your doctor. If you are interested to learn more about this Chinese remedy, you can check out this link http://ezinearticles.com/?Stiff-Neck-Remedy---Chinese-Style&id=179543.
Monday, August 18, 2008
More Olympic Beijing 2008
I watched the Opening Ceremony last weekend again without any interruptions from any company. This time I paid more attention to what the hosts said about different performances. I can understand that without a lot of Chinese cultural and historical background, it is very difficult to explain in details of some of the performances in the opening ceremony. (You can check out some of the highlights at http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/nbcencore/index,page)
There are some of them that I really want to bring up to your attention.
The theme of the whole ceremony was about the 4 Great Ancient Chinese inventions.
1. Compass - It was believed that it was even invented before there was any written historical record.
2. Paper
3. Gun powder - It was the invention of the taoists because they were the first chemists in the ancient China.
4. Printing - It was invented before the first printed Bible.
Do you remember those 2008 drummers? When they did the countdown from 10 onwards, did you see the Chinese numbers at the back together with the Roman in the front?
Before the moving boxes, there were a group of performers wearing a custome with bamboo scrolls on hands. People, especially the riches, wrote and copy their books on these scrolls before the invention of paper. And the custome was worn by the men during the Qin dynasty which was between 221 B.C. to 206B.C.
Now back to the moving boxes. I heard a lot of people impressed by these moving boxes. Did you pay attention to the top of each of them is a Chinese character? It was the symbol of the first invented printer.
These boxes formed the Chinese character of "Harmony" at least twice. It was 2 different styles which showed the evolution of the Chinese character from old to modern Chinese.
And then the Chinese National Anthem. This was the song composed and sung during the Chinese Communist Revolution. The main theme of it is to move forward.
After that, there were 56 children represening 56 different Chinese ethnic groups. Were you surprised? China is just like the United States that there are so many ethnic groups. Although we call all of them as Chinese, they do have their own customs. Most of these ethnic groups were not under the Chinese rule until the end of 17th century. Before that, China was about half of the current size.
Remember there were several sailors in blue riding a big ship in the sea (shown on the LCD on top of the stadium)? That was the prime time of the Chinese maritime history in Ming dynasty by appointing Zheng He (in 1405) as diplomat, explorer and fleet admiral.
Last but not least, the group of Tai Chi practicer. In any countries where there are Chinese, especially in Asia, you always see a group of people pracising Tai Chi in the morning. It was believed that it is very good to your health. It is like the slow motion of Kung Fu.
I am sure if you are interested in learning more about Chinese culture or not, you enjoyed watching the opening ceremony as much as I did.
There are some of them that I really want to bring up to your attention.
The theme of the whole ceremony was about the 4 Great Ancient Chinese inventions.
1. Compass - It was believed that it was even invented before there was any written historical record.
2. Paper
3. Gun powder - It was the invention of the taoists because they were the first chemists in the ancient China.
4. Printing - It was invented before the first printed Bible.
Do you remember those 2008 drummers? When they did the countdown from 10 onwards, did you see the Chinese numbers at the back together with the Roman in the front?
Before the moving boxes, there were a group of performers wearing a custome with bamboo scrolls on hands. People, especially the riches, wrote and copy their books on these scrolls before the invention of paper. And the custome was worn by the men during the Qin dynasty which was between 221 B.C. to 206B.C.
Now back to the moving boxes. I heard a lot of people impressed by these moving boxes. Did you pay attention to the top of each of them is a Chinese character? It was the symbol of the first invented printer.
These boxes formed the Chinese character of "Harmony" at least twice. It was 2 different styles which showed the evolution of the Chinese character from old to modern Chinese.
And then the Chinese National Anthem. This was the song composed and sung during the Chinese Communist Revolution. The main theme of it is to move forward.
After that, there were 56 children represening 56 different Chinese ethnic groups. Were you surprised? China is just like the United States that there are so many ethnic groups. Although we call all of them as Chinese, they do have their own customs. Most of these ethnic groups were not under the Chinese rule until the end of 17th century. Before that, China was about half of the current size.
Remember there were several sailors in blue riding a big ship in the sea (shown on the LCD on top of the stadium)? That was the prime time of the Chinese maritime history in Ming dynasty by appointing Zheng He (in 1405) as diplomat, explorer and fleet admiral.
Last but not least, the group of Tai Chi practicer. In any countries where there are Chinese, especially in Asia, you always see a group of people pracising Tai Chi in the morning. It was believed that it is very good to your health. It is like the slow motion of Kung Fu.
I am sure if you are interested in learning more about Chinese culture or not, you enjoyed watching the opening ceremony as much as I did.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Beliefs in Numbers
Everybody is talking about the Olympic Game lately. One of the things that I noticed that is the number 8. Everybody just learnt that 8 is a lucky number. So, I am going to tell you more about numbers from the Chinese point of view.
Have you ever contacted Chinese through their office, home, cell phone no. or even e-mail that there are always 3s, 6s, 8s and 9s. They are the lucky numbers.
If you had ever read "Chinese Etiquette" on my site ChingsChinese.com, you know that 7s is not a good one.
What about 4? The pronounciation is similar to "dead". So, it's no good.
But don't misunderstand that this is the absolute rule. Sometimes, it depends on the combination.
Here are 2 funny examples that you may see from any phone number or license plate.
"5856" means very, very unhappy.
"8866" means super happy.
Next time when you talk to your Chinese friend, try to pay attention to their phone numbers, e-mail addresses and license plates numbers. You will find a lot of fun trying to analysis what the combination of the numbers mean.
Have you ever contacted Chinese through their office, home, cell phone no. or even e-mail that there are always 3s, 6s, 8s and 9s. They are the lucky numbers.
If you had ever read "Chinese Etiquette" on my site ChingsChinese.com, you know that 7s is not a good one.
What about 4? The pronounciation is similar to "dead". So, it's no good.
But don't misunderstand that this is the absolute rule. Sometimes, it depends on the combination.
Here are 2 funny examples that you may see from any phone number or license plate.
"5856" means very, very unhappy.
"8866" means super happy.
Next time when you talk to your Chinese friend, try to pay attention to their phone numbers, e-mail addresses and license plates numbers. You will find a lot of fun trying to analysis what the combination of the numbers mean.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Olympic Game
Not sure if you watched the open ceremony of the Olympic Game. It was so exciting to see how China presented almost 3,000 years of history and culture in this way.
When my husband and I were watching it last night, I told him, "The background music reminded me Chinese New Year." 'Cos a lot of the music they played last night are always played during the Chinese New Year.
Thinking back in Jun'08, one of my best friends sent me set of limited edition of chopsticks and chopstick holders just for Beijing 2008. So, I was looking for it this morning and took some pictures so that I can share with you of the beauty of it.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
8/8/2008 Olympics China
My husband talked to me about this topic yesterday. He said, "The game is going to be 8/8/08 and start at 8 o'clock. So many 8s. I bet the number 8 is big in China, huh?"
I believe that he is not the only one having this same question.
It is true. Chinese is big on 8. It means quick, expansion, wealth and prosperity. It can't be any better. Don't you think?
I believe that he is not the only one having this same question.
It is true. Chinese is big on 8. It means quick, expansion, wealth and prosperity. It can't be any better. Don't you think?
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Antiques
When we were in the family cook-out today, we talked about the "antique" shops in the United States. This made me want to share with you something more about this topic in China.
In America, when you step into an antique shop, 9 out of 10 sell the merchandises that people don't want. In other words, they are junk. Once in a while, you find a piece that has a great story behind it and very invaluable. 1 out of 10 stores do sell the antiques very valuable and nice. I did step into these shops before. But their price is very "nice", too.
If you go to China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, antique shops are for the rich people. Every piece in the shops has its story. Most of them came from the emperors, royal families or families that were very famous and/or had a lot of influence in the Chinese history. Each piece costs $10,000 easy. Of course, you have to be very knowledgeable about the Chinese history. Otherwise, you can pay a fortune for nothing.
In America, when you step into an antique shop, 9 out of 10 sell the merchandises that people don't want. In other words, they are junk. Once in a while, you find a piece that has a great story behind it and very invaluable. 1 out of 10 stores do sell the antiques very valuable and nice. I did step into these shops before. But their price is very "nice", too.
If you go to China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, antique shops are for the rich people. Every piece in the shops has its story. Most of them came from the emperors, royal families or families that were very famous and/or had a lot of influence in the Chinese history. Each piece costs $10,000 easy. Of course, you have to be very knowledgeable about the Chinese history. Otherwise, you can pay a fortune for nothing.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Married Women's Last Names
Every time when I need to fill out some official forms for the government or bank, I always get this comment, "Wow...you have a long name."
Why? Because I have my Chinese and English names plus the hyphenated last name which includes my maiden and husband's last names. Why did I do that? I will tell you later.
In the Chinese society throughout over 2000 years of history, women don't change their maiden name to husband's last name.
In the old Chinese world, men had several wives. They even greet their wives by their maiden names. This applied to the royal families, too.
A lot of Asian countries had been influenced by the Chinese culture. You will find this same practice to other Asian as well.
Nowadays, some women may add their husband's last name in front of theirs, like my mother's generation.
Before I got married, I didn't expect to change my maiden name to my husband's. But he wanted me to do so and understood where I came from at the same time. So, we finally came to a compromise to keep both names by hyphenated them.
In modern China, adding husband's last name is getting rarer and rarer. Like my sister, she never thought of changing her last name before and after getting married. Part of it because the position of women in the society is rising. But to Chinese women, keeping their last names had been old traditions for thousands of years.
Why? Because I have my Chinese and English names plus the hyphenated last name which includes my maiden and husband's last names. Why did I do that? I will tell you later.
In the Chinese society throughout over 2000 years of history, women don't change their maiden name to husband's last name.
In the old Chinese world, men had several wives. They even greet their wives by their maiden names. This applied to the royal families, too.
A lot of Asian countries had been influenced by the Chinese culture. You will find this same practice to other Asian as well.
Nowadays, some women may add their husband's last name in front of theirs, like my mother's generation.
Before I got married, I didn't expect to change my maiden name to my husband's. But he wanted me to do so and understood where I came from at the same time. So, we finally came to a compromise to keep both names by hyphenated them.
In modern China, adding husband's last name is getting rarer and rarer. Like my sister, she never thought of changing her last name before and after getting married. Part of it because the position of women in the society is rising. But to Chinese women, keeping their last names had been old traditions for thousands of years.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Name Change
I was going through my card holder last week to archive some of the old name cards. And one of them caught the attention of my husband. So, I explained to him that that was my Aunt Pat's name card when she owned that company. When I told him that she always loves to change her name, my hubby raised his eyebrows.
It may sound very strange to a lot of people, including the Chinese. My Aunt Pat is a 200% superstitious person. She pays a fortune to her favorite fortune teller every year of the "Fung Shui" of her house and office. She also goes to him for her name and her children's names. If the fortune teller tells her that this name doesn't sound right or not match her date of birth very well, she will follow the instructions of him to change the name(s).
As you all know changing name just like changing your identity, you need to go through a lot of processes in the government to get it done. My aunt never thinks that this is a trouble at all. As long as she got her name changed as the fortune teller told her, she feels very comfortable to go through all these troubles. Believe it or not, I can't even remember how many times that she changes her name. And she is not the only one. There are Chinese out there doing this.
It may sound very strange to a lot of people, including the Chinese. My Aunt Pat is a 200% superstitious person. She pays a fortune to her favorite fortune teller every year of the "Fung Shui" of her house and office. She also goes to him for her name and her children's names. If the fortune teller tells her that this name doesn't sound right or not match her date of birth very well, she will follow the instructions of him to change the name(s).
As you all know changing name just like changing your identity, you need to go through a lot of processes in the government to get it done. My aunt never thinks that this is a trouble at all. As long as she got her name changed as the fortune teller told her, she feels very comfortable to go through all these troubles. Believe it or not, I can't even remember how many times that she changes her name. And she is not the only one. There are Chinese out there doing this.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Adoption
In America, we see a lot of Chinese or Asian children adopted by American couples. It looks like very common here.
But if we traced back to the history before the communist one-child-one-family policy, it was very common in China, too.
Actually, adopting boys was the most common practice. And my brother-in-law's father was an adopted child.
For rich people, they usually adopt one child within the family in order to keep the blood line.
For the poor people, they sometimes adopt within the family like the rich. Sometimes, they adopt from somewhere, such as friends, children trafficking and so forth.
You may think that all the adopted children will have the father's last name. Not really......Some women from the privileged families would like to keep their families' names, especially if there were no boys in the youngest generation. Then, these adopted children will bear the last names of the mothers.
In conclusion, it is all about the succession of the families.
But if we traced back to the history before the communist one-child-one-family policy, it was very common in China, too.
Actually, adopting boys was the most common practice. And my brother-in-law's father was an adopted child.
For rich people, they usually adopt one child within the family in order to keep the blood line.
For the poor people, they sometimes adopt within the family like the rich. Sometimes, they adopt from somewhere, such as friends, children trafficking and so forth.
You may think that all the adopted children will have the father's last name. Not really......Some women from the privileged families would like to keep their families' names, especially if there were no boys in the youngest generation. Then, these adopted children will bear the last names of the mothers.
In conclusion, it is all about the succession of the families.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Hong Kong Establishment Day
Today is the 4th of July. For some reasons, it reminds me the day Jul 1, 1997. It was the day that Hong Kong, my home, was hand over back to China. It was under the Bristish colonial rule for 99 years after the 2nd Opium War 1898.
After this war, the Treaty of Beijing was signed. Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula were ceded to the Britain. The New Territories, north of the Kowloon Peninsula, were leased to the British for 99 years. But when the Chinese and British started their discussion of the Handover, the British decided to give back the Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. The main reason was that the New Territories were not as advanced, urbanized and commercialized as the Hong Kong Island.
About 10 years before 1997, everybody in Hong Kong tried to find a way to immigrate to other countries, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, South Africa and the United States, because nobody knew what it would be like under the communist government rule. My family was one of them. These countries, especially Canada, made several billions of dollars because of the investment of these immigrants from Hong Kong. But we went back to Hong Kong in 1996. So far, everything goes great. Hong Kong still runs its government almost the same as it was under the British rule. We have a BIG financial support from China.
On the 4th of July, every county and/or town has its firework. I remembered that there were a lot of fireworks in 1997. When it comes to fireworks in Hong Kong, it is at least 20 times bigger in scale than anywhere else in the United States. And we had fireworks almost every 2 months that year.
Since 1997, Jul 1 is set as a public holiday to celebrate the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day.
Happy Jul 4th, everybody.
After this war, the Treaty of Beijing was signed. Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula were ceded to the Britain. The New Territories, north of the Kowloon Peninsula, were leased to the British for 99 years. But when the Chinese and British started their discussion of the Handover, the British decided to give back the Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. The main reason was that the New Territories were not as advanced, urbanized and commercialized as the Hong Kong Island.
About 10 years before 1997, everybody in Hong Kong tried to find a way to immigrate to other countries, such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, South Africa and the United States, because nobody knew what it would be like under the communist government rule. My family was one of them. These countries, especially Canada, made several billions of dollars because of the investment of these immigrants from Hong Kong. But we went back to Hong Kong in 1996. So far, everything goes great. Hong Kong still runs its government almost the same as it was under the British rule. We have a BIG financial support from China.
On the 4th of July, every county and/or town has its firework. I remembered that there were a lot of fireworks in 1997. When it comes to fireworks in Hong Kong, it is at least 20 times bigger in scale than anywhere else in the United States. And we had fireworks almost every 2 months that year.
Since 1997, Jul 1 is set as a public holiday to celebrate the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day.
Happy Jul 4th, everybody.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
100 Chinese Last Names
My mom sent me quite a lot of my old stuffs that she dug out when she moved to a new place. And I found this list of 100 Chinese last names which I figured that a lot of people will be very interested in it.The subscript is the Japanese pronounciation. And I circled the BIG 5 in red. Those 5 are the most popular surname you can find among the Chinese. And of course, mine is one of them. :-)
Enjoy everybody.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tongs Vs “Tong”
I believe most people know what tongs are. It is kitchen equipment that you can pinch the food and transfer it from one place to another.
I always love to tell you the similarities between the Chinese culture and the western one.
In Chinese, “Tong” is a last name in Cantonese spelling. It is also a Chinese dynasty’s name which was the greatest era in the Chinese history.
What a coincidence, huh?
I always love to tell you the similarities between the Chinese culture and the western one.
In Chinese, “Tong” is a last name in Cantonese spelling. It is also a Chinese dynasty’s name which was the greatest era in the Chinese history.
What a coincidence, huh?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Melon
Summer is the time to enjoy the melons.
Melon in Cantonese and Mandarin is called “Gua”. Any kind of melon in the similar texture, such as watermelon, honeydew, winter melon, cucumber, cantaloupe and etc., the Chinese called them “Gua”. Of course, there are different combinations of other Chinese characters to make them sound different and differentiate each of them .
If somehow you come across to celebrate a birthday party with a Chinese friend, never ever serve any “gua”. Why? Because…..we call a dummy, stupid or silly person as “Sho Gua”. If you use any kind of the above, in essence, you are saying that birthday boy or girl is stupid.
Although no one can blame you if you don’t know, you sure don’t want to ruin the party, right?
Melon in Cantonese and Mandarin is called “Gua”. Any kind of melon in the similar texture, such as watermelon, honeydew, winter melon, cucumber, cantaloupe and etc., the Chinese called them “Gua”. Of course, there are different combinations of other Chinese characters to make them sound different and differentiate each of them .
If somehow you come across to celebrate a birthday party with a Chinese friend, never ever serve any “gua”. Why? Because…..we call a dummy, stupid or silly person as “Sho Gua”. If you use any kind of the above, in essence, you are saying that birthday boy or girl is stupid.
Although no one can blame you if you don’t know, you sure don’t want to ruin the party, right?
Friday, May 16, 2008
A Penny in the Street
The weather is so nice now that you may love to walk and do more outdoor exercises. My mother-in-law came up to visit with us for 2 months. We walked pretty much almost every night.
When you walk, you may pick up a penny, nickel or a dime in the street. You will be very happy about the extra money you just got.
But we were taught that we should not pick it up. Because it’s not right to do so?! Yes…The other reason is that it will bring you bad luck.
How? Why? In the Chinese society, when someone is experiencing something very, very terrible, they will throw a penny or a dime away. In other words, they are throwing their bad luck away along with the penny or dime. Anyone picks it up; the bad luck will follow that person.
Do people throw more than a dollar? No…. So, if you see that you are really lucky that day. Good Luck!
When you walk, you may pick up a penny, nickel or a dime in the street. You will be very happy about the extra money you just got.
But we were taught that we should not pick it up. Because it’s not right to do so?! Yes…The other reason is that it will bring you bad luck.
How? Why? In the Chinese society, when someone is experiencing something very, very terrible, they will throw a penny or a dime away. In other words, they are throwing their bad luck away along with the penny or dime. Anyone picks it up; the bad luck will follow that person.
Do people throw more than a dollar? No…. So, if you see that you are really lucky that day. Good Luck!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Flying Bugs
Bugs always drive you crazy, especially in summer time. I want to share with you what bugs are in the Chinese point of views.
In the city, such as Hong Kong, where I came from, people always stay in the air-conditioned area. Chances of having bugs around are very low.
But we sometimes saw a big moth or fly in the house. Even we don’t like it, we can’t hit it or do anything to hurt it. Why?
Because, according to the tradition from thousands of years ago, our ancestors’ souls would get on the big flying bugs, such as moth, fly and butterfly, to get back to their old world to visit their friends and families.
So, remember when you see a big bug in your friend’s house next time, don’t offer to kill it or swat it………..
In the city, such as Hong Kong, where I came from, people always stay in the air-conditioned area. Chances of having bugs around are very low.
But we sometimes saw a big moth or fly in the house. Even we don’t like it, we can’t hit it or do anything to hurt it. Why?
Because, according to the tradition from thousands of years ago, our ancestors’ souls would get on the big flying bugs, such as moth, fly and butterfly, to get back to their old world to visit their friends and families.
So, remember when you see a big bug in your friend’s house next time, don’t offer to kill it or swat it………..
Friday, May 9, 2008
MOM IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD
When I was in second grade, we were taught to sing this song in a music lesson that I will never forget for the rest of my life. And this song is very well-known to every Chinese. It is not the national anthem. It is the song titled as “Mom is the best in the world”. It’s in Mandarin, the official Chinese language.
Throughout the whole song, it talks about children without moms don’t know what love is and how much they lost and lose and unlucky they are. It also talks about children flourished with mothers’ love are the luckiest in the world.
I remembered that year’s Mother’s Day, my 2 younger sisters and I (my youngest sister was not born yet), each of us, made a card for our mom. We didn’t have any pocket money back at that time.
On that day, we handed our cards to her and went to hide in a corner singing this song to her while she was opening our cards. That was the gift we gave her that year.
I got married and have 2 mothers now because my mother-in-law is my second mom. Although I am not a mother, I learned that no matter what we do and give to our mothers on Mother’s Day, they always appreciate it. If we show our moms love and care even we have very hectic, busy daily lives, every day is a Mother’s Day to them. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Throughout the whole song, it talks about children without moms don’t know what love is and how much they lost and lose and unlucky they are. It also talks about children flourished with mothers’ love are the luckiest in the world.
I remembered that year’s Mother’s Day, my 2 younger sisters and I (my youngest sister was not born yet), each of us, made a card for our mom. We didn’t have any pocket money back at that time.
On that day, we handed our cards to her and went to hide in a corner singing this song to her while she was opening our cards. That was the gift we gave her that year.
I got married and have 2 mothers now because my mother-in-law is my second mom. Although I am not a mother, I learned that no matter what we do and give to our mothers on Mother’s Day, they always appreciate it. If we show our moms love and care even we have very hectic, busy daily lives, every day is a Mother’s Day to them. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Extra Holidays in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, there are 2 extra public holidays in May. One is Labor Day(May 1) & Buddha’s Day(May 12).
These 2 holidays were actually added about 2 years after the Handover of Hong Kong back to China.
If you were working in Hong Kong 5 days a week, you have about 18 extra paid public holidays. Isn’t that great?
Happy Mother’s Day for all the mothers.
These 2 holidays were actually added about 2 years after the Handover of Hong Kong back to China.
If you were working in Hong Kong 5 days a week, you have about 18 extra paid public holidays. Isn’t that great?
Happy Mother’s Day for all the mothers.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Tour in Hong Kong & China
Click on the pictures and go directly to the album at
http://chingschinese.shutterfly.com/action/.
http://chingschinese.shutterfly.com/action/.
Check out more pictures at http://chingschinese.shutterfly.com/action/
I lived in Hong Kong since I was born. But I never knew how to appreciate everything around me. Until I moved to the States, I found that a lot of things used to be available or I could see every day in Hong Kong are not there or the same in the States. I don't mean that I don't appreciate the things here. But it is just different. I guess the main reason is where you were raised, your heart belongs there.
You know people are always so fascinated with the lifestyle in NYC. When I go back to Hong Kong, I finally understand that fascination. If you love NYC, you will love Hong Kong even more because it is much, much busier, fashionable and quicker.
When I was there this time, I finally realized that Hong Kong is really a kaliedoscope. I never thought to use this word to describe it 'cos I never knew how to appreciate how many different things from all over the world that you can buy just in a 1,066-sq-km area, but not in any country in the world.
And it is like a melting pot that you can find the food, buildings, cultures and a lot of things in both western and eastern styles at the same time.
Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the pictures as much as I do. When I get more in the future, I will definitely put more up there to share with you. http://chingschinese.shutterfly.com/action/
Arthritis
Spring is here. It means everything coming alive and energetic. However, changing of weather means suffering, especially those with arthritis.
My husband has suffered from it since his early 20s. He went to all different doctors and tried all the prescriptions for internal and external use. None of them worked. Until one day, my aunt, who practices Chinese medication, gave him this external use prescription.
The most important thing of using this prescription is your persistence. Without it, no one or nothing can cure you.
Ingredients
1tbsp Epson Salt
3tbsp 70% Rubbing Alcohol
9L (about 2.37gallons) Warm Water (Buckets out there usually have the metric and US measurements inside.)
Soak 20 minutes each time twice a day (morning and night time) for 11 weeks. Then, you can start reduce the frequency gradually to once a day, 3 times a week, once a week, once in every 2 weeks, once a month and so forth.
If you have arthritis on your back, you can increase the ingredients by proportion and soak the whole body from the shoulder down once a week. This will take a little bit longer than 11 weeks.
Even though you may not be cured 100%, once you stop soaking (which you are not supposed to do that) after the first 11 weeks, you will not feel the pain for another year or two.
The only “side effect” (that I saw on my husband) is your skin will be smoother and softer.
Warning: The first few times of soaking may experience the pain worse than before which is
normal.
Do NOT use hot water, but warm.
Like any other medication out there, it may not work on everybody.
If you don’t feel comfortable with it or experience other side effects which are not
listed here, you should stop soaking or consult your doctor.
My husband has suffered from it since his early 20s. He went to all different doctors and tried all the prescriptions for internal and external use. None of them worked. Until one day, my aunt, who practices Chinese medication, gave him this external use prescription.
The most important thing of using this prescription is your persistence. Without it, no one or nothing can cure you.
Ingredients
1tbsp Epson Salt
3tbsp 70% Rubbing Alcohol
9L (about 2.37gallons) Warm Water (Buckets out there usually have the metric and US measurements inside.)
Soak 20 minutes each time twice a day (morning and night time) for 11 weeks. Then, you can start reduce the frequency gradually to once a day, 3 times a week, once a week, once in every 2 weeks, once a month and so forth.
If you have arthritis on your back, you can increase the ingredients by proportion and soak the whole body from the shoulder down once a week. This will take a little bit longer than 11 weeks.
Even though you may not be cured 100%, once you stop soaking (which you are not supposed to do that) after the first 11 weeks, you will not feel the pain for another year or two.
The only “side effect” (that I saw on my husband) is your skin will be smoother and softer.
Warning: The first few times of soaking may experience the pain worse than before which is
normal.
Do NOT use hot water, but warm.
Like any other medication out there, it may not work on everybody.
If you don’t feel comfortable with it or experience other side effects which are not
listed here, you should stop soaking or consult your doctor.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Confucianism
Confucianism was developed over 2,000 years ago. It was used in Chinese politics since then. When I was in high school, we spent quite some time in studying this philosophy. Throughout my life, I always thought that this philosophy is crazy, ridiculous and dictatorship-liked. But when I grew up and got older and older every day, I finally realized the value of this philosophy and how important it is to upkeep the societies.
One of its saying is, "King being a king; subordinate being a subordinate; father being a father; son being a son." What it means is that king has his responsibilities and duties. So, he must do whatever he is supposed to do in order to be a good king. Father has his responsibilities and duties to take good care of his family in order to be a good father. Overall, this saying points to everyone in the society has its responsibilities and duties. If everybody can do what he/she is supposed to do, the society will be a utopia.
Coming back to the real world. Good teachers seem like "an extinct species". Some teachers commit crimes. Even though some do not, some of them do not know any basic manner in real life, like no thank-you and being rude. Students beat up the teachers.
I just wonder if we should think about teaching the confucianism at school to save our children for the future?
One of its saying is, "King being a king; subordinate being a subordinate; father being a father; son being a son." What it means is that king has his responsibilities and duties. So, he must do whatever he is supposed to do in order to be a good king. Father has his responsibilities and duties to take good care of his family in order to be a good father. Overall, this saying points to everyone in the society has its responsibilities and duties. If everybody can do what he/she is supposed to do, the society will be a utopia.
Coming back to the real world. Good teachers seem like "an extinct species". Some teachers commit crimes. Even though some do not, some of them do not know any basic manner in real life, like no thank-you and being rude. Students beat up the teachers.
I just wonder if we should think about teaching the confucianism at school to save our children for the future?
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Under Construction
Hi! Folks,
Our website is under major construction. For your joy of online shopping, we will try to get the site up progressively.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Stay tuned for more interesting Chinese products and stories.
Thank you very much for your support.
ChingsChinese.com
Our website is under major construction. For your joy of online shopping, we will try to get the site up progressively.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused. Stay tuned for more interesting Chinese products and stories.
Thank you very much for your support.
ChingsChinese.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
