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Taistealai Travels: Tone Troubles
Dear Chinesepod,
You were absolutely right in your lesson about tones: I wanted to go to Shanxi (山西) road, and the driver took me to Shaanxi (陕西) road. He was even more embarrassed when I told him that there was a lesson on this very mistake. I told him not to be sad.
Thank you!
American Taistealai
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The ChinesePod Weekly American-Chinese Food vs. Authentic Chinese Food Find out more and start learning Chinese at chinesepod.com. Welcome to the ChinesePod Weekly, your chance to find out what's going on at ChinesePod this week! Chinese food – you can find in just about every corner of the world, and it has long been prevalent in North America as a take-away standard. After all, who can resist that late-night General Tso’s Chicken (左宗堂鸡)? While most people acknowledge the difference between “American” Chinese food and authentic Chinese food, just exactly how do these two differ in terms of style and taste? Well, for one, most people would agree that a lot of American Chinese food has its roots in Cantonese cuisine, but over the years has adopted a more North American taste. Basically this means more sugar, more sweet and sour, more deep-fried dishes and more, well, broccoli (and I mean the western kind–西蓝), which is a vegetable typically not seen in authentic Chinese dishes. Another big difference is the famed fortune cookie, which is solely an American-Chinese creation. In fact, you’ll be hard pressed to even see any fortune cookies on mainland China, be it in restaurants or at local grocers. I actually did manage to find some one time at my local Chinese supermarket though – in the foreign goods section! So what about authentic Chinese food? Well, China is a big, culturally diverse country and putting all the vastly different types of authentic cuisine into one bucket won’t really give you any “standard” results. And, I suppose, this versatility in itself is a big difference when considering American Chinese food vs. authentic Chinese food. To make things simpler, let us take a look at what we here a ChinesePod are most familiar with, Shanghainese food: Shanghainese cuisine can also be considered sweet, but its sweetness takes on a different form than that of American-Chinese food. Sugar is often used in combination with soy sauce to make savory dishes such as the well-known Shanghainese dish, Hongshaorou (红烧肉). Alcohol is also used widely in Shanghainese cuisine, where fresh seafood is dipped in spirits and served either steamed or raw, as in my personal favorite, 醉虾(Druken Shrimp). In addition, rice is far less common in Shanghainese meals, and many times omitted completely, with the focus being on a perfect balance of meat, seafood, and vegetable dishes. When rice is eaten, it is typically served last, as it is generally considered bad form to do otherwise. For a quick peek at the variety of different authentic specialties around China, have a look at this scrumptious article from CNN travel. Also, be sure to check out this week’s Upper Intermediate Lesson on American Chinese Food.
From Chinesepod!
Culture Notes: Chinese Pod on Education
This week's Chinesepod newsletter:
Here in China and elsewhere around the northern hemisphere, schools are finishing up for the year and students are trying to take in the sum of their educational experiences. China’s school system has gotten a lot of press lately, but in this week’s Beijing Standard Time some of our staff discuss their own personal experiences in the belly of China’s massive educational machine. One of the most interesting tidbits that most Westerners wouldn’t know about is the heavy presence of the Communist Youth League (中国社会主义青年团, Zhōngguó Gòngchǎnzhǔyì Qīngniántuán) in schools, even at the primary school level. In fact, by the time they graduate high school, most students are Communist Youth League members and have learned in detail about the structure of the government, the party’s history and other bureaucratic wisdom. Such deep government and party involvement might seem odd to some Westerners, but it can’t be disputed that Chinese students tend to finish school with an excellent knowledge of their country and its history.
What you may not know, however, is a noticable change that often occurs when students from the high school level to the university level. Most Chinese youngsters report that university features a much lighter workload, in part because the dreaded 高考 (gāokǎo) university entrance examination is over and done with. While in the US admission to universities isn't quite as challenging as actually doing well and graduating on time, in China most students strive a lot less once they've been admitted to a good university. This way well contribute to the huge number of Chinese students that study at universities overseas despite the handful of world-class universities here in China.
Oddly enough, the same government involvement that helps high school students become so knowledgable may be part of what's hindering Chinese universities. "On the one hand, the schools need more administrative power in terms of admissions and recruiting," says Yu Lizhong, president of East China Normal University. "On the other, to be able to hire a better teaching staff requires a lot more money than what the government is providing now." Yu, whose university is home to New York University's newly established Shanghai campus, speaks admiringly of a recent NYU fundraising event he participated in, adding that Chinese universities, predominantly funded by the government, have a lot of catching up to do. The world of Chinese education is a most complicated one, indeed.
Culture Notes: Lantern Festival!
At first what I thought I saw were UFOs...which technically was true.
Every year, on the fifteenth of the lunar year, (this year February 8th), the Chinese make lanterns and release them into the sky. It marks the end of the Spring Festival when everyone knows s/he must go back to work. Thanks to Chinesepod.com, here is an overview:
Origins
元宵节 has about as many origin stories as it does names, which is perhaps part of why its such an intriguing holiday. Our favorite tale involves the fabled 玉帝 (Yù Dì), a.k.a. the Jade Emperor, whose favorite crane flew from heaven down to earth one day. Some local villagers, however, weren't so keen on the crane, and hunted it down and killed it (couldn't it have just flown away? These are the questions we ask ourselves), angering 玉帝 tremendously. Intent on burning the village to its foundations, 玉帝 sent an army to earth, but the villagers had been tipped off by his daughter 织女 (Zhī Nǚ), and they hung lanterns and set off fireworks to trick the troops into thinking that the village was already on fire. Thus, on that day every year, people take to the streets with their lanterns and fireworks, hoping to trick the Jade Emperor (and see some cool colors) once again. You can check out a helpful collection of additional 元宵节 stories over at theChinese Historical Society of Southern California's site.
Observations
So how does the Lantern Festival get celebrated? 元宵节 marks the end of the Chinese New Year (春节) period, so it's a pretty significant day and is marked by a serious barrage of fireworks. The lanterns themselves, however, are the real stars, with complex designs, amazing colors, andimpressive feats of engineering emerging in recent years. Lanterns are made "to reflect historical Chinese themes, and depict scenes from stories and legends that express traditional values. They are also made to represent the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac and heroic figures." Lanterns are traditionally made of paper, but these days electric or even neon lanterns can be seen. Another key part of the holiday are the lantern riddles, written riddles placed on lanterns that, if answered correctly, earn a prize for the clever.
