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.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Satisfaction and a belly rub
China and the Chinese are known for many things.
The food here is cheap and flavourful. The food can also be expensive, oily, filled with MSG. But the food is always FUN.
I love how the Chinese infuse theatre, comedy and meaning in their food.
Theatre
For theatre, one can't go past the Peking duck experience.
Chefs bring the whole duck out to you...present it with a flourish.
Then they show you how quickly and finely they can carve the duck up into perfect slithers of Peking duck goodness.
This opening scene is followed by your own theatrics. Making your own Peking duck parcels.
We went to Da Dong, purportedly one of China's best Peking duck places. And I have to agree.
At Da Dong, they have gotten into the spirit of food theatrics. Displaying an extensive range of condiments to accompany the main duck act. I have never seen anything like.
Four divided dishes filled with 8 different bits and pieces to add to my duck pancake master piece.
From the front: shallots, plum sauce, sugar, crushed garlic, cucumber, perserved fluorescent red vegetable, pink pickled mystery and black pickled mystery.
All added to my duck masterpiece, except for the perserved fluorescent red vegetable. I was not game enough.
In addition to the many condiments came two forms of wrap.
The pancake or the little round thin buns. Shall one go for traditional theatre or something a little more avant garde. I was adventurous and had the controversial little buns.
Very yummy!!!!!
- History
- Language
- Culture
The food here is cheap and flavourful. The food can also be expensive, oily, filled with MSG. But the food is always FUN.
I love how the Chinese infuse theatre, comedy and meaning in their food.
Theatre
For theatre, one can't go past the Peking duck experience.
Chefs bring the whole duck out to you...present it with a flourish.
Then they show you how quickly and finely they can carve the duck up into perfect slithers of Peking duck goodness.
This opening scene is followed by your own theatrics. Making your own Peking duck parcels.
We went to Da Dong, purportedly one of China's best Peking duck places. And I have to agree.
At Da Dong, they have gotten into the spirit of food theatrics. Displaying an extensive range of condiments to accompany the main duck act. I have never seen anything like.
Four divided dishes filled with 8 different bits and pieces to add to my duck pancake master piece.
From the front: shallots, plum sauce, sugar, crushed garlic, cucumber, perserved fluorescent red vegetable, pink pickled mystery and black pickled mystery.
All added to my duck masterpiece, except for the perserved fluorescent red vegetable. I was not game enough.
In addition to the many condiments came two forms of wrap.
The pancake or the little round thin buns. Shall one go for traditional theatre or something a little more avant garde. I was adventurous and had the controversial little buns.
Very yummy!!!!!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Slight furrow in the brow
Beijing is full of vagaries and mysteries which have been confusing me for the past week. It has finally dawned on me that these things are what make China and the Chinese so ...... well .... Chinese I suppose.
Security
Security is very visible and everywhere.
And yet they don't make me fill particularly safe, rather I feel .... watched??
Perhaps the use of pre-pubescent boys doesn't necessarily breed a sense of security.
There is also the utterly pointless use of security guards ....
.....at every train station with a baggage x-ray which in theory sounds reasonable. However in practice, it is used haphazardly with some guards asleep in front of the computer display screen. Again two rake thin guards making feeble attempts to get people to place their bags on the x-ray conveyor belt.
There is a certain sense of "what's the point" but then there is also a realisation that this is very Chinese. Thin layers of frustration which the Chinese just BEAR. There seems to be a lot of BEARING in this society. A lot of things which seem to warrant a shake of the head, a grit of the teeth....and then...well you just do it. Because what is the point of complaining.
Even if you complain....what can rake-thin-boy-guard do really? Other than say, it is what I have been asked to do.
It was rather comical to see the number of guards that they posted to the little Newcastle supporters section during the football match we saw last Tuesday...ratio was close to 2:1.
Although we Newcastle supporters (or rather supporters of anything Australian) were a rowdy bunch. Not sure we warranted that much security attention.
But that is the Chinese way.....
Orderliness
There is a certain sense of order to most things here. Which is quite astounding considering the sheer size of the place and population.
But it seems streets are generally straight....
With the compass points having overriding naming rights....the north bits of are street are generally called X street north etc etc
The subway system runs on time and remarkably smoothly considering the volume of people it hurtles around the city. People get sheparded at interchange lines, sometimes by arbitarily placed barriers. But they seem to just be able to bear these small inconveniences if it means the general populace can benefit.
The one place orderliness has forgotten....the roads. The roads are a free-for-all mix of buses, cars, taxis, bicycles, weird boxed three-wheeled motorbike things and pedestrians.
The general road rule seems to be, if you are turning right, you have right of way....even if that means driving through someone.
Even knowing this general rule....pedestrians also seem to run on their own rule of, find a pocket of space in the middle of the road, stand there and make the cars go around you.
The one place you think there should be some order....it seems to be distinctly chaotic.
Security
Security is very visible and everywhere.
And yet they don't make me fill particularly safe, rather I feel .... watched??
Perhaps the use of pre-pubescent boys doesn't necessarily breed a sense of security.
There is also the utterly pointless use of security guards ....
.....at every train station with a baggage x-ray which in theory sounds reasonable. However in practice, it is used haphazardly with some guards asleep in front of the computer display screen. Again two rake thin guards making feeble attempts to get people to place their bags on the x-ray conveyor belt.
There is a certain sense of "what's the point" but then there is also a realisation that this is very Chinese. Thin layers of frustration which the Chinese just BEAR. There seems to be a lot of BEARING in this society. A lot of things which seem to warrant a shake of the head, a grit of the teeth....and then...well you just do it. Because what is the point of complaining.
Even if you complain....what can rake-thin-boy-guard do really? Other than say, it is what I have been asked to do.
It was rather comical to see the number of guards that they posted to the little Newcastle supporters section during the football match we saw last Tuesday...ratio was close to 2:1.
Although we Newcastle supporters (or rather supporters of anything Australian) were a rowdy bunch. Not sure we warranted that much security attention.
But that is the Chinese way.....
Orderliness
There is a certain sense of order to most things here. Which is quite astounding considering the sheer size of the place and population.
But it seems streets are generally straight....
With the compass points having overriding naming rights....the north bits of are street are generally called X street north etc etc
The subway system runs on time and remarkably smoothly considering the volume of people it hurtles around the city. People get sheparded at interchange lines, sometimes by arbitarily placed barriers. But they seem to just be able to bear these small inconveniences if it means the general populace can benefit.
The one place orderliness has forgotten....the roads. The roads are a free-for-all mix of buses, cars, taxis, bicycles, weird boxed three-wheeled motorbike things and pedestrians.
The general road rule seems to be, if you are turning right, you have right of way....even if that means driving through someone.
Even knowing this general rule....pedestrians also seem to run on their own rule of, find a pocket of space in the middle of the road, stand there and make the cars go around you.
The one place you think there should be some order....it seems to be distinctly chaotic.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wide Eyed
I am walking around China with a constant look of wide-eyed excitement. There is an energy and excitement here that is unlike any city I have ever been too. So far the most dramatic difference is the grand scale of things here.
BIG Beijing!
The Chinese
Chinese people too are larger than life, they eat and drink big, they are loud, they talk fast. Unlike the sedate, reserved version of the Chinese that is represented in many movies.
Chinese people in Beijing are far from the retiring type.
But they see beauty and meaning in everything. From the mundane (superstition surrounding numbers 8=very good, 4=very bad) to the truly elegant (Written Chinese is absolutely fascinating. It is incredibly complex but at the same time beautifully infused with meaning and reason).
Bureacracy
There is level upon level upon level of bureacracy in China. Inefficiency, double handling, differing systems with differing rules are all rife here. From the little I have been able to pick up so far, China seems to be a very divided country. With the 26 provinces (I think) having very different systems for the administration of welfare. For example, the Migrant Welfare Pension is restricted by province. If a migrant worker working in Beijing wanted to move to Shenzhen, he would not be able to transfer the company contributed pension with him. That stays in Beijing.
Yet despite the many levels of bureacracy and the intricacies of government here. Everyday things are incredibly efficient.
Within a week of being in the country, most of the AYADs who are based in Beijing have been able to find suitable accomodation.
But so far I am loving it!
And there other AYADs here are awesome!
BIG Beijing!
- Roads are wide, universities are large.
- The whole city is covered with high rise apartments, not being restricted to certain pockets of the city.
- Subway stations are spacious, at some stops it can take a 10 min walk to change lines.
- The economy is big too, a stimulus of package of RMB 4 trillion is currently being debated in the National People's Congress (NCP).
- The NCP itself is enormous, 2500+ representatives.
- They have the bigggest square in the world.
The Chinese
Chinese people too are larger than life, they eat and drink big, they are loud, they talk fast. Unlike the sedate, reserved version of the Chinese that is represented in many movies.
Chinese people in Beijing are far from the retiring type.
But they see beauty and meaning in everything. From the mundane (superstition surrounding numbers 8=very good, 4=very bad) to the truly elegant (Written Chinese is absolutely fascinating. It is incredibly complex but at the same time beautifully infused with meaning and reason).
Bureacracy
There is level upon level upon level of bureacracy in China. Inefficiency, double handling, differing systems with differing rules are all rife here. From the little I have been able to pick up so far, China seems to be a very divided country. With the 26 provinces (I think) having very different systems for the administration of welfare. For example, the Migrant Welfare Pension is restricted by province. If a migrant worker working in Beijing wanted to move to Shenzhen, he would not be able to transfer the company contributed pension with him. That stays in Beijing.
Yet despite the many levels of bureacracy and the intricacies of government here. Everyday things are incredibly efficient.
Within a week of being in the country, most of the AYADs who are based in Beijing have been able to find suitable accomodation.
But so far I am loving it!
And there other AYADs here are awesome!
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