I love the language...or rather I have a great deal of respect for the language. It is incredibly challenging, extremely complicated and unbelievably frustrating. But above all these issues...it is without doubt a language of beauty and reason.
The sounds are horrible, essentially it is a language of several distinctive sounds, combining to make more distinctive sounds...but still leaving a relatively small group of sounds compared to English. The way they get all the words they need is through tone and context.
4 tones, same sound in the four tones = 4 different words
Same sound, same tone but different character = a different word, therefore the Chinese have many many homonyms. In English we can think of a few...eg. whether and weather, which and witch etc etc.
In Chinese, almost every word will have a homonym. So when there are so many homonyms, listening and speaking is all about the context. The word that comes after/before it, what you are generally talking about etc etc.
What about when you want to tell someone your name? You can't spell in Chinese as there isn't an alphabet. You do the next best thing...you describe the characters of your name. If this description went something along the lines of..."there is a small straight line on top, underneath that there is a square etc etc". I would imagine it would take forever to be able to "spell" your name to someone. So instead all Chinese words are made of radicals (or subparts which are also words).
Eg. my surname is 陈， I'd describe this Chen as ear-east, because 阝is the radical for ear 耳 and 东 is the actual character for east.
Although it is incredibly difficult, with no alphabet and a different character for everyone word...the written language is pure poetry.
Today I found out the word for hold 拿 is a combination for close 合 and hand 手. I love the logic.
I also found that the word for euthanasia 安乐死术, begins with 安乐 which means comfortable or at peace. I find that both moving and apt.
I will grapple with it for the rest of my life...but today...just today...I love the Chinese language.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Excited anticipation
I'm going away this weekend...my first weekend trip away. I am quite excited, jumping out of my skin excited really.
China is huge, with vastly varying cultures, people and landscape. I can't wait to see it all.
My Chinese school is organising a small weekend trip to a little village a couple of hours south of Beijing.
We will visit the Shuanglong Gorge, which should be beautiful.
Then on the second day we are going to Chuandixia Village (川底下，literal translation "under the bottom of the river"), this is the place I am really excited about. It's got it all! Some history (Ming and Qing Dynasty), some remaining Maoist graffiti and slogans from the cultural revolution, some authentic village life (with a little bit of trashy tourism thrown in).
It looks lovely and quaint. There are only supposed to be 70 families living in this little village. Because it is so well preserved, it has now been flooded with tourists.
Some of the guide books describe it as a living museum. I quite like that description. I like that idea that little pockets of history don't just stand still in time but rather they evolve with time. I like the thought that the houses in this tiny village have been able to survive all these centuries.
Apparently, all the people in this village have the surname "Han" as they are all descendants from the same family. And I suppose again this is what I love about China. Modernity and globalisation may have swept through but much of it, perhaps even the majority of it remains much the same.
There is supposed to be a lot of touristy traps here. To some degree that does sadden me, but in another sense I am happy about it.
Yes, it is sad that much of the charm and beauty of these places are enveloped by bus fumes, loud tourists and constant camera clicking.
But, I also wonder if places like this would survive if it weren't for tourism. With the sweeping changes that capitalism brought in, I wonder if this little village may have been bulldozed to make way for a steel factory. Perhaps sometimes tourism is the necessary evil to keep these charming places alive...even if a little of the charm is removed.
And....well from a purely selfish viewpoint. I like visiting these places. And I am incredibly excited about going to this village.
My views about the worth of tourism may change after I've seen this village....but for now I'm happy to go as a tourist.
China is huge, with vastly varying cultures, people and landscape. I can't wait to see it all.
My Chinese school is organising a small weekend trip to a little village a couple of hours south of Beijing.
We will visit the Shuanglong Gorge, which should be beautiful.
Then on the second day we are going to Chuandixia Village (川底下，literal translation "under the bottom of the river"), this is the place I am really excited about. It's got it all! Some history (Ming and Qing Dynasty), some remaining Maoist graffiti and slogans from the cultural revolution, some authentic village life (with a little bit of trashy tourism thrown in).
It looks lovely and quaint. There are only supposed to be 70 families living in this little village. Because it is so well preserved, it has now been flooded with tourists.
Some of the guide books describe it as a living museum. I quite like that description. I like that idea that little pockets of history don't just stand still in time but rather they evolve with time. I like the thought that the houses in this tiny village have been able to survive all these centuries.
Apparently, all the people in this village have the surname "Han" as they are all descendants from the same family. And I suppose again this is what I love about China. Modernity and globalisation may have swept through but much of it, perhaps even the majority of it remains much the same.
There is supposed to be a lot of touristy traps here. To some degree that does sadden me, but in another sense I am happy about it.
Yes, it is sad that much of the charm and beauty of these places are enveloped by bus fumes, loud tourists and constant camera clicking.
But, I also wonder if places like this would survive if it weren't for tourism. With the sweeping changes that capitalism brought in, I wonder if this little village may have been bulldozed to make way for a steel factory. Perhaps sometimes tourism is the necessary evil to keep these charming places alive...even if a little of the charm is removed.
And....well from a purely selfish viewpoint. I like visiting these places. And I am incredibly excited about going to this village.
My views about the worth of tourism may change after I've seen this village....but for now I'm happy to go as a tourist.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Only in Beijing
There is something about being in a foreign city which makes you seize every weekend, every opportunity....
There is something about being in Beijing, China which makes you discard any sense of inhibition....
And do things you normally would never contemplate.
Eg. Dancing in the Park
The park is the Temple of Heaven Park, where there are people standing in groups singing, playing shuttlecock and dancing.
I love how the Chinese utilise public space. Singing, dancing and exercising....due to space constraints and lack of backyards are all done in public spaces. Some work places even have it as part of their morning routine.
While we in the West are busy with our morning coffees the Chinese are out doing group exercises. I spotted this on my way to work.
And sometimes they find outdoor spaces which don't appear at all conducive to physical activity.
Going out to dinner the other night, walked into a rather innocuous underground pass only to find it alive with activity. Big groups of adults playing shuttlecock and skipping rope.
There is something about being in Beijing, China which makes you discard any sense of inhibition....
And do things you normally would never contemplate.
Eg. Dancing in the Park
The park is the Temple of Heaven Park, where there are people standing in groups singing, playing shuttlecock and dancing.
I love how the Chinese utilise public space. Singing, dancing and exercising....due to space constraints and lack of backyards are all done in public spaces. Some work places even have it as part of their morning routine.
While we in the West are busy with our morning coffees the Chinese are out doing group exercises. I spotted this on my way to work.
And sometimes they find outdoor spaces which don't appear at all conducive to physical activity.
Going out to dinner the other night, walked into a rather innocuous underground pass only to find it alive with activity. Big groups of adults playing shuttlecock and skipping rope.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
The two boys who broke my heart....
China is a country filled with contrasts, more so than any other country I have been too. One of the biggest contrasts has to be the huge chasm between the rich and poor. With the opening of its economy to world and transition to capitalism, China has become one of the economic powerhouses.....which means it has created many rich individuals.
And yet....it is also a largely developing country. China's GDP is currently 3rd in the world and rising quickly, yet the World Bank's ranking of GDP per capita for China is 112th at $5,370, behind Egypt, El Salvador and Armenia. The people here a poor, immensely poor. There is no social safety net and very little in terms of public health. Begging is evident, on the trains, on the footpaths and sometimes....even outside nightclubs....
And he broke my heart....
Standing outside this night club in the middle of winter with his coat for protection...he broke my heart.
He was 3, unsteady on his feet he ran up to me with a white tin cup...and he broke my heart
He asked for money....I looked to his mother...but her eyes had glazed over with the weariness of poverty....and they broke me heart.
The image of this toddler begging in the middle of winter at 3 in the morning has stayed with me. It represents the sad reality of what many in China are facing. Extreme, unrelenting poverty.
Another sad reality of having a rudimentary welfare system and perhaps an unaccepting society....orphans.
A few Sundays ago we made a visit to www.hopefosterhome.com a fantastic orphanage. Filled with surprisingly happy children who are well looked after. The children at Hope Foster Home all have medical issues which many families could not accept. Many of these medical issues are entirely treatable, things like cleft palates or club feet. At Hope Foster Home, they fix up the children and provide them with a loving environment until they are adopted out.
And he broke me heart....
In this room filled with children, toys and willing volunteers, he clung to his Ayi's pants as she sat on his sofa. For him his Ayi was mum....
He looked over at all the new adults in the room...pulling silly faces and throw balls around...and he clung to his Ayi's pants.
I smiled a big smile at him...and he smiled one back.
I clapped and he clapped back.
I reached out my hand to give him a high five...and he shyly met me half way.
He was just an incredibly adorable, shy little toddler.
I sat a little bit away and threw him a ball...he caught it and threw it back.
He stepped away from the comfort of his Ayi and played catch with me. He had a great big laugh...which he would do whenever he was able to catch the ball.
The ball went past him and he went to get...but he couldn't crawl. Instead he pulled his folded legs along.
And he broke my heart....
But in a way I think that this little boy may have a brighter future than the little boy outside the club.
I hope he gets a good chance at a happy childhood. I hope they both do.
Best of luck to the two little boys who have forever touched me.
And yet....it is also a largely developing country. China's GDP is currently 3rd in the world and rising quickly, yet the World Bank's ranking of GDP per capita for China is 112th at $5,370, behind Egypt, El Salvador and Armenia. The people here a poor, immensely poor. There is no social safety net and very little in terms of public health. Begging is evident, on the trains, on the footpaths and sometimes....even outside nightclubs....
And he broke my heart....
Standing outside this night club in the middle of winter with his coat for protection...he broke my heart.
He was 3, unsteady on his feet he ran up to me with a white tin cup...and he broke my heart
He asked for money....I looked to his mother...but her eyes had glazed over with the weariness of poverty....and they broke me heart.
The image of this toddler begging in the middle of winter at 3 in the morning has stayed with me. It represents the sad reality of what many in China are facing. Extreme, unrelenting poverty.
Another sad reality of having a rudimentary welfare system and perhaps an unaccepting society....orphans.
A few Sundays ago we made a visit to www.hopefosterhome.com a fantastic orphanage. Filled with surprisingly happy children who are well looked after. The children at Hope Foster Home all have medical issues which many families could not accept. Many of these medical issues are entirely treatable, things like cleft palates or club feet. At Hope Foster Home, they fix up the children and provide them with a loving environment until they are adopted out.
And he broke me heart....
In this room filled with children, toys and willing volunteers, he clung to his Ayi's pants as she sat on his sofa. For him his Ayi was mum....
He looked over at all the new adults in the room...pulling silly faces and throw balls around...and he clung to his Ayi's pants.
I smiled a big smile at him...and he smiled one back.
I clapped and he clapped back.
I reached out my hand to give him a high five...and he shyly met me half way.
He was just an incredibly adorable, shy little toddler.
I sat a little bit away and threw him a ball...he caught it and threw it back.
He stepped away from the comfort of his Ayi and played catch with me. He had a great big laugh...which he would do whenever he was able to catch the ball.
The ball went past him and he went to get...but he couldn't crawl. Instead he pulled his folded legs along.
And he broke my heart....
But in a way I think that this little boy may have a brighter future than the little boy outside the club.
I hope he gets a good chance at a happy childhood. I hope they both do.
Best of luck to the two little boys who have forever touched me.
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