Chinese's Hungry Ghost Festival

Have you even heard about the Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival in Chinese language is 中元节? Yes it really happen in Chinese culture that on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month. In this month most of the Chinese is unhappy with this month because it also been called as an unclean or evil month because on thirteen night of the seventh lunar month the door of the hell is open and all the “friend” will coming out and enjoy on the reality world. This makes most of the Chinese afraid this and that, that what I heard, they say on this month, never go for swimming because those lonely “friend” will want to find it new “friend” so you might been pulled down into the river and become it ‘s “friend”. Beside that some of them say don’t take photo on the night because you might snap up some “friend” on the photo later. Most of the parent will not allow it child playing at the night because they worry their child will be saw the “friend” because children are more slightly easy to see those thing compare to the adults. And some parent will ask their children to not speaking rough words and splitting on the ground because worry it will make the “friend” angry. Will most of the Chinese will prepare ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mâché form of material items such as clothes, gold and other stuff that it deceased like for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. The Chinese will prepare some meal that the deceased like with an empty chair in front of it bowl with the chopstick stand on the bowl, so that the deceased can enjoy it meals. Beside that so Chinese will also putting some flag on the roadside to guide them to the place they should go, so don’t you take the flag home else it will follow you home. Besides putting flag on the roadside, some of them releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities. Will I my self also feel unhappy on this month as just on 04/08/08 I have involve in an accident that I had put it on my previous blog with the title Thank Goodness, I Still Alive. Will I not saying that accident cause by those “friends” because the spot is at the place where the Chinese graveyard is but on of the graveyard is my ancestor’s grave. Maybe it is just my driving technique not very good. In the nut shell, just be carefully in this month and watch out you mouth. God bless you.

Fu Wa - 福娃

The Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃; pinyin: Fúwá; literally "good-luck dolls" and can be known as "Friendlies"), are the mascots of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The designs were created by Han Meilin, a famous Chinese artist. The designs were publicly announced by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11, 2005 at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games. There are five fuwa: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. Together, the names form the sentence "北京欢迎你", Běijīng huānyíng nǐ which means "Beijing welcomes you". Originally named 'The Friendlies', they were promoted as 'Fuwa' when there were concerns the name could be misinterpreted. While originally given artistic licence in his commission, Han Meilin was subsequently requested by officials to include various Chinese design and fauna in the Fuwa. Han Meilin drew 1,000 models of possible before settling on the five characters. He has since disowned the Fuwa and did not include them in his museum.

Below are 2008 Olympics in Beijing's mascots :

Name: Bèibei (贝贝) Gender: Female Cultural inspiration : Chinese sturgeon; Traditional Chinese New Year decorative picture of lotus

and fish; fish design from Neolithic artifacts.

Olymipic ring : Blue

Element : Water

Personality : Gentle, pure

Represented ideal: Prosperite

Represented sport : Aquatic sports

In traditional Chinese culture, the fish represents prosperity, as the character for fish (魚) sounds the same as that for surplus (餘 / 余). The "carp leaping over the dragon gate" is a traditional allegory of following one's dreams and achieving them. The patterns from Beibei's headgear comes from artifacts unearthed at Banpo, site of a Neolithic village of the Yangshao culture.

Name: Jīngjing (晶晶)

Gender: Male

Cultural inspiration : Giant panda; Song Dynasty lotus-shaped porcelain.

Olymipic ring : Black

Element : Wood

Personality : Honest, optimistic

Represented ideal: Happiness

Represented sport : Weightlifting, judo

As an endangered species, the panda is both a national symbol of China and an international symbol of environmentalism. Jingjing's forest origins also symbolize the harmonious coexistence of humankind and nature.

Name: Huānhuan (欢欢)

Gender: Male Cultural inspiration :Olympic flame; Fire design from the Mogao Grottoes.

Olymipic ring : Red

Element : Fire

Personality : Extrovert, enthusiastic

Represented ideal: Passion

Represented sport : Ball sports

Huanhuan represents the passion of sports, the Olympic spirit of "faster, higher, stronger", and the passion of the Beijing Olympics. Huanhuan's headgear comes from a fire design in the Mogao Caves, the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes.

Name: Yíngying (迎迎)

Gender: Male

Cultural inspiration : Tibetan antelope, Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes.

Olymipic ring : Yellow Element : Earth Personality : Lively, vivacious Represented ideal: Health Represented sport : Track and field

The Tibetan antelope is an endangered species native to the Tibetan Plateau, known for its swiftness. Yingying's headgear incorporates elements of Tibetan and Xinjiang ethnic costumes.

Name: Nīni (妮妮)

Gender: Female Cultural inspiration : The swallow; Beijing's shayan kites. Olymipic ring : Green

Element : Air

Personality : Innocent, joyous

Represented ideal: Good fortune

Represented sport :Gymnastics

The swallow is a messenger of spring and happiness in Chinese culture, and is seen as a symbol of good fortune. The Chinese character for swallow (燕) is also used in Yanjing (燕京), an old name for Beijing; thus the swallow alludes to Beijing. Nini's headgear uses the design of Beijing's shayan kites, which are colourful cross-shaped kites modeled after swallows.

There are 100-episode Olympic-themed cartoon series featuring the Fuwa was released in China, primarily on BTV (Beijing's municipal television network), on August 8, 2007. Titled The Olympic Adventures of Fuwa (Chinese: 福娃奥运漫游记), it was jointly produced by BTV and Kaku Cartoon.

Thank Goodness, I am still alive

Thank goodness I am still alive. A-ni-ta-bah. That was very horrible just, really horrible. I involve in an accident just now. That is my first experience crashing at the road side. It happens at around 6.30 pm the time I went back from college to home and that moment is raining. I drove my bike carefully, then time is went down from a slope, I found out my bike is too fast and I try to make emergency break when I saw a pickup stopped in front of the traffic light. I try to stop my bike by making emergency break and I lost control and I try to get out of the bike and I flinch under the pickup and my head knock on the pickup’s tire. At that moment I tough I am on the way to the hell or heaven, I flinch from top of the slope till end of the slope luckily I am still fine, I got no hurt on my body, when I found myself under the car, I climb out and I feel dizzy, Some generous people helped me to pull out my bike. I really don’t have energy to pull up my bike because it is very heavy. When I see my bike, only the side mirror and the number plat is broken and other still in good condition. I was really lucky there is no much car at that moment else I could go to heaven or hell. I guess maybe the speed of the bike is too fast when I down the slope and the break is finish and caused my bike flinch off or maybe the road is slippery cause from the rain. Or maybe this month is Hungry Ghost Festival, is a evil month said by most Chinese and many unwanted thing may happen. I still not sure how this happen. That was a horrible experience I had so next time when is raining day try to drove slower and be careful on this month as prevention is better then cure. So Take care.

Albino

What is Albino ? Albino is a person or animal whose skin and hair lack pigmentation and whose irises are pink because of a hereditary condition albinism. Albino is hereditary; it is not an infectious disease and cannot be transmitted through contact, blood transfusions, or other vectors. Most we can see is the human Albino and animals Albino such as White Tiger or White Crocodile is Albino animal. Yes that correct. That is the most we see but there even the frog can be Albino animal, not just human or tiger and crocodile. Every living have the possibility to become Albino, even the white dove and white rabbit also is under Albino. There is an different between an normal animal and Albino animal beside it type of skin colors is white, but the eye is different color with the normal one, if you don't believe go and check out with those Albino people. Well some think this Albino is special but something it is been spelled or curse, well that is the god create, not one should blame or even complain this, that is natural. Don’t you think that is a good think, this make the animal been so special because there is only one is Albino is an billion of it same spices? Well is better we not making fool on the Albino, we should be happy to see them because there is really rare in our daily life.

Learn Chinese Word in Movie

Do you want to learn Chinese words? The best way is watch Chinese drama series, that what I always heard my Malay friends say. Well recently there is an animation movie that you can learn some Chinese word in it, beside Chinese word you even can found out some interest phrase. Let me tell you what Chinese words you can learn from this animation named Kung Fu Panda. In this movie you may found they say Kung Fu and Shifu and so on. Kungfu itself is a Chinese word of Gong Fu (功夫) that we always heard. The second one is Shifu. Its Chinese version is Shi Fu (师父). It was consisted by two parts. The first one is Shi（师）, means teacher. The second is Fu （父）, means father. In the time when students lived in Shifu's house starting from a very young age, Shifu really means both teacher and father, just like what the Kungfu Panda depicted. Sometime the bond between the Shifu and students can be stronger than those between father and son. There is another word (师傅) in China used quite often today with the same pronunciation. However, it's used to refer anyone who can do something for you, somewhat more like sir or madam in English The next one is Oogway. Oogway, or Wu Gui, is indeed the original pronunciation of tortoise (乌龟) in Chinese. In ancient China, tortoise often means longevity. However, in more recent time, slow and dumb is often being emphasized on the animal. Maybe the movie will help to revive the reputation of it, to prove that tortoise is not an useless animals. There is one more new Chinese word used in the film. It's Wushi finger. Wushi, or Wu Shi (巫师), means wizard in Chinese. However, in China, they don’t really call it Wushi Finger. The most widely used name is Yiyang Finger (一阳指), or if translate directly, One (一) Sun (阳) finger (指). It is claimed to be the top kungfu skill in Wudang. BTW, Wudang is the martial art developed by the believers of Taoism (that's why you can see a Taichi symbol raised out from the peace lake in Kungfu Panda), and Shaolin can be considered to represent the kungfu developed by Buddhist students. One more word is the name of Tailung, the evil leopard in the movie. But I am not sure what it means but if translate directly is Tai (太)means big, then Lung (龙) means dragon. I guess they just what to make this character is strong and fierce by using this name. Well in the part of phase, we may try in our writhing for example :

• Yesterday is history, tomorrow is the mystery, but today is a gift that is why it called present
• There is just new, there is no good or bad
• There is no accident
• My time have come, you must continue your journey without me

Those actually we can use in our story writing, this phase can make your writhing become interesting. So do watch more Chinese movie if you want to learn more Chinese words.

Poor Seals

Poor seals… every year there is a lot of seal been killed in order to get it treasure. Don’t you think this is so cruel?Almost every year, there are thousand of seals been killed, and most it is the male adult’s seals but some even kill the baby of the seals, don’t you think they are crazy. Well most of the hunters hunting of seals for their pelts, blubber, and meat, but some have their penises brutally removed to export to countries such as Japan where they are used as aphrodisiacs.

Don’t you think this is good? If these problems still keep going on, the population of the seals may drop and even seals can become almost extinct animals like Sumatra Rhinoceros, don’t you hope you grandchild have no change to see the seals again just like the Tasmanian Tiger extinct on 1936 in Tasmania?, that we only can see it on book or an black and white video clip only? I don’t wish that happen to me. Well that really cruel, the hunter is killing thousand of seals, not few, is thousand. Thousand of seals dead like this, the blood cover all over the ice and the sea. It seems turn into a red ice cube and the corpse lying over the ice. I hope if all of us did’t buy the product that make of seals skin, I pretty sure that there will be less hunter hunt the seals because there is less people want it. I really hope this activities will stop soon as make it as an illegal activities so they can stop killing seals. I hope that happen.