tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37966119205889588392012-03-21T23:16:29.693-06:00Learning Chinese with IrisLet's learn Chinese language and know more about Chinese culture and tradition together.Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-21385929054754535162012-03-20T08:52:00.000-06:002012-03-20T08:54:39.036-06:002012-03-20T08:54:39.036-06:002012—the Year of Dragon<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Based on the theory of Chinese astrology, the year of 2012 is a year of
water dragon. It began on January 23,
2012 and will end on February 9, 2013. Among the Five Elements, the color of
water is black. So the water dragon is also called as Black dragon. A black
dragon can dive deeply into the ocean or lake to hide and wait. Your mind will
be filled with all kinds of horrific, cunning, and mystery ideas when you think
about it. So it is said that something unexpected may happen in this year. For
someone it will be a big successful year, while for some others may be a very
bad year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chinese people love dragon, because dragon is the symbol of being
powerful, intelligent, and noble. Dragon patterns are used to decorate the
emperor’s clothing, baby is named as Long (<ruby><span lang="ZH-CN">龙</span><rp>(</rp><rt>lóng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby></span><span style="font-size: large;">, the
Chinese character for dragon) if the baby is a boy. Such as, the Chinese name
of the famous action movie star Bruce Lee is <ruby><span lang="ZH-CN">李</span><rp>(</rp><rt>lǐ</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN">小</span><rp>(</rp><rt>xiǎo</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN">龙</span><rp>(</rp><rt>lóng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby>; and
Jackie Chan’s Chinese name is <ruby><span lang="ZH-CN">成</span><rp>(</rp><rt>chéng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN">龙</span><rp>(</rp><rt>lóng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are 12 animal icons in Chinese zodiac; dragon is the only one being
alive in human’s imagination. Dragons can swim in the water, crawl on the land,
and fly in the sky. Some dragons are the
kings in the sky or under the deep ocean. Some fall down to the ground and
become snakes. That is why snake is just behind dragon in the sequence of the
12 zodiac icons. Since most of the time
the dragons fly in the clouds or swim in the wave, nobody can really see them
very well. A person whose zodiac symbol is dragon will be considered as very
independent and hard to understand or the “deep one”.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-2138592905475453516?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-23510294833087014562012-03-14T08:56:00.001-06:002012-03-20T13:17:19.513-06:002012-03-20T13:17:19.513-06:00Pinyin Whole SyllablesAt last we get to the last station of our journey of Pinyin :)<br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4fbQzkK5tQY/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4fbQzkK5tQY?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" />
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<embed width="600" height="400" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4fbQzkK5tQY?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-2351029483308701456?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-63932385109180324232012-03-06T09:46:00.003-07:002012-03-20T13:18:02.287-06:002012-03-20T13:18:02.287-06:00Nasal Compound Finals ang, eng, ing, ong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<embed width="600" height="400" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rNthEo65Axg?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-6393238510918032423?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-64878509448187796672012-03-05T09:49:00.002-07:002012-03-13T16:53:05.090-06:002012-03-13T16:53:05.090-06:00Want to know how good you are at listening the tone information? Try this test :)<a href="http://www.shufawest.us/language/tonedrill.html" target="_blank">http://www.shufawest.us/language/tonedrill.html</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-6487850944818779667?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-16318709530742999272012-03-05T08:56:00.000-07:002012-03-13T16:52:49.460-06:002012-03-13T16:52:49.460-06:00An interesting link about learning mandarinThanks to Jacquie, my lovely teacher and good friend, sent me this web link. I really like this web site. It gave me lots of interesting and useful information about learning mandarin. <br />
<a href="http://www.qrcodesinmarketing.net/learning-mandarin.html" target="_blank">An interesting link about learning mandarin</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-1631870953074299927?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-34484624390193649962012-03-04T13:30:00.002-07:002012-03-13T16:52:12.387-06:002012-03-13T16:52:12.387-06:00A culinary tour in ChengduHappened to watch this funny and delicious TV program on travel channel today. I have lived in Chengdu rather long time. This film just reminded me lots of things and made me feel foodsick(just made this word based on homesick, hehe !) I really miss some of my friends in Chengdu and those delicious spicy food now<br />
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<a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/video/a-culinary-tour-in-chengdu-15255" target="_blank">A culinary tour in chengdu</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/bizarre-foods/photos/behind-the-scenes-chengdu-china" target="_blank">Some pictures about Chengdu</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/video/andrews-home-cooked-meal-11970" target="_blank">Home cooked meal</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/video/what-andrew-wont-eat-12047" target="_blank">Andrew won't eat walnuts</a><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-3448462439019364996?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-59066821104858534622012-03-01T16:06:00.002-07:002012-03-20T13:18:37.965-06:002012-03-20T13:18:37.965-06:00Nasal Compound Finals an,en,in,un,ün<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/O73vgvNQzDw/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O73vgvNQzDw?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" />
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<embed width="600" height="400" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O73vgvNQzDw?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-5906682110485853462?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-22079401196966551282012-02-29T23:21:00.001-07:002012-03-13T16:51:53.764-06:002012-03-13T16:51:53.764-06:00Online game helping you learn Mandarin<span style="font-size: large;">Today I found a very interesting website, which provides some games to help beginners learn Mandarin. Here is the link:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.digitaldialects.com/Chinese.htm" target="_blank">http://www.digitaldialects.com/Chinese.htm</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-2207940119696655128?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-26503850825172392202012-02-29T22:05:00.001-07:002012-03-20T13:29:20.630-06:002012-03-20T13:29:20.630-06:00本命年(bén mìng nián) Your Own Chinese Zodiac Year<h1 itemprop="name">
<span style="font-size: large;">The </span><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Chinese animal zodiac is a rotating cycle of 12 years,
every 12 years a certain animal year recurs. </span></h1>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r48t8zBdSm8/T08C_J_7t4I/AAAAAAAAAS4/cNeWGynMGjY/s1600/Chinese_Zodiac_Girs_by_MastaAzumarek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r48t8zBdSm8/T08C_J_7t4I/AAAAAAAAAS4/cNeWGynMGjY/s640/Chinese_Zodiac_Girs_by_MastaAzumarek.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> </span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">For example, if a person
was born in the year 2011, which was the year of the rabbit, then this
person's animal sign is the rabbit. Every 12 years, when this person is
12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 etc., the year of the rabbit recurs, which is this
person's own zodiac year, or in Chinese is 本命年(bén mìng nián) (literally can be translated as 'the year of origin life' ).</span></h1>
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<img alt="" class="lensPhoto" src="http://i3.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/-1/lens12468431_12808123252.jpg" /><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> </span>
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<span style="font-size: large;">According to ancient Chinese superstition, in one’s own zodiac year, he
will offend Tai Sui, the god of age in Chinese mythology, and will have
bad luck during that year. Then how to avoid bad luck during this
year? The most common way is wearing something red given by someone else, such as socks, a
ribbon, clothes, underwear, a waistband or a bracelet.</span><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2THwDcUt2_I/T08H4s49jUI/AAAAAAAAATQ/pFoarkeeDLs/s1600/flower+bracelet.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">flower bracelet</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DzcjTI2nOc/T08IKNyZBEI/AAAAAAAAATg/u9u9a58lq7c/s1600/All+kinds+of+bracelet,+necklace,+ring,+ear+ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4DzcjTI2nOc/T08IKNyZBEI/AAAAAAAAATg/u9u9a58lq7c/s640/All+kinds+of+bracelet,+necklace,+ring,+ear+ring.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">All kinds of red jewelry</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Or you may
wear jade jewelry. Jade jewelry can be worn anywhere on the
left side of the body to increase your luck during this unfortunate
year. But please notice that it has to be a gift from someone else
though. You can' t buy your own
lucky jewelry. For extra luck-enhancing benefit, small icons of your
zodiac sign are recommended.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t6XytmBn_As/T08IitmwRRI/AAAAAAAAATo/q39yWU2cJG4/s1600/jade+jewelry+with+carved+dragon+icon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t6XytmBn_As/T08IitmwRRI/AAAAAAAAATo/q39yWU2cJG4/s400/jade+jewelry+with+carved+dragon+icon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">jade jewelry with carved dragon icon</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xUtp9tFF3dM/T08Izhmt19I/AAAAAAAAATw/RMQ25lLAbDE/s1600/different+jade+jewelry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xUtp9tFF3dM/T08Izhmt19I/AAAAAAAAATw/RMQ25lLAbDE/s640/different+jade+jewelry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">all kinds of jade jewelry</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3796611920588958839" name="module112842051"></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-2650385082517239220?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-51677520221757402902012-02-24T22:21:00.002-07:002012-03-20T13:16:52.185-06:002012-03-20T13:16:52.185-06:00Pinyin finals ai,ei,ui,ao,ou,iu,ie,ue,er<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/k5lbgLd0ra8/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k5lbgLd0ra8?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-5167752022175740290?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-7504587118378135612012-02-24T22:20:00.003-07:002012-03-20T13:15:22.120-06:002012-03-20T13:15:22.120-06:00Pinyin finals a, o, e, i, u, ü<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-750458711837813561?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-44380737533176643042012-02-17T15:46:00.001-07:002012-03-20T13:46:33.625-06:002012-03-20T13:46:33.625-06:00How to make Chinese pumpkin pie 南(nán)瓜(guā)饼(bíng)Chinese pumpkin pie is always one of my favorite, sweet and delicious.<br />
You will need the following material:<br />
3 cups pumpkin ( you can also use sweet potatoes, squash)<br />
1 cup glutinous rice flour<br />
4 tbsp sugar<br />
1 banana ( coconut, apple, red bean paste can also be used as a simple filling)<br />
1 cup oil<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-4438073753317664304?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-58312951341157465242012-02-10T09:32:00.002-07:002012-03-20T13:47:38.557-06:002012-03-20T13:47:38.557-06:00Number 1 to 10 in Chinese and hand gestures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dA_PQWP9_N4/0.jpg" height="600" width="800"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dA_PQWP9_N4?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" />
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Click this link to do more practice about numbers: <br />
<a href="http://www.languageguide.org/mandarin/numbers/" target="_blank">Practice more numbers</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-5831295134115746524?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-91175008261954845122012-02-09T23:26:00.000-07:002012-03-13T16:49:42.201-06:002012-03-13T16:49:42.201-06:00Tradition of Birthday Party in China(for baby)<span style="font-size: large;">Here are lots of information about the Chinese birthday:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://chineseculture.about.com/od/chinesefestivals/tp/Chinese-Birthday-Celebrate-A-Chinese-Style-Birthday.htm" target="_blank">Information about Chinese birthday on About.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And I want to tell you more detail about the celebrations for a newly born baby. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">One-month
old</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">办</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">bàn</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">满</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">mǎn</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">月</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">yuè</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">酒</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">jiǔ</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">( One-month
celebration) </span></span></span></span></span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The first
celebration for the newly born baby is called <ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">办</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">bàn</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">满</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">mǎn</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">月</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">yuè</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">酒</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">jiǔ</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">, which is on
the day when the baby is one month old. The baby’s parents will invite their
relatives and friends to celebrate together. Nowadays, more and more people
prefer to have the celebration at a fancy restaurant. The parents send out the
invitation cards three days before the celebration. Relatives and friends of
this family will bring their gifts and red envelops ( <ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">红</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">hóng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">包</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">bāo</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">)for the baby
to the celebration. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">This
picture shows how the invitation card may look :</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_8JPKTHIlvw/TzSwr157PII/AAAAAAAAAQ4/Q45fnmcpFgw/s1600/%E6%BB%A1%E6%9C%88%E9%85%92.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_8JPKTHIlvw/TzSwr157PII/AAAAAAAAAQ4/Q45fnmcpFgw/s400/%E6%BB%A1%E6%9C%88%E9%85%92.jpg" width="295" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Here is a
picture of the presents a newly born baby got on her one-month celebration.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAeyIJieAis/TzSw8V5YYbI/AAAAAAAAARA/8IIBFwSsn6c/s1600/%E6%BB%A1%E6%9C%88%E9%85%92%E7%9A%84%E7%A4%BC%E7%89%A9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KAeyIJieAis/TzSw8V5YYbI/AAAAAAAAARA/8IIBFwSsn6c/s400/%E6%BB%A1%E6%9C%88%E9%85%92%E7%9A%84%E7%A4%BC%E7%89%A9.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">剃</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">tì</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">满</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">mǎn</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">月</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">yuè</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">头</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">tóu</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> ( Having a haircut)</span></span></span></span></span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Many
people believe that the babies will grow beautiful and thick hair after they
have a hair cut when they are one-month old. Some parents ask the barber to
come to their home, while some others take their baby to the barber shop. There
are mainly two kinds of hairstyle for the baby. Sometimes the barbers shave the
baby’s head bald, sometimes they leave the hair in the center of the front head
and back of the head untouched, according to the parents’ request. The hair in
the center of the front head is called </span></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">聪</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">cōng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">明</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">míng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">发</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">fā</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (smart hair),
and the hair at the center of the back is called<ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">撑</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">chēng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">根</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">gēn</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">发</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">fā</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (roots supporting
hair). So this kind of hairstyle is a way to wish the baby to become a smart
and healthy person.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qBQ6Si_S5f0/TzSxPdQaS6I/AAAAAAAAARI/n4aYtATv7jQ/s1600/%E6%BB%A1%E6%9C%88%E5%89%AA%E5%8F%913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qBQ6Si_S5f0/TzSxPdQaS6I/AAAAAAAAARI/n4aYtATv7jQ/s320/%E6%BB%A1%E6%9C%88%E5%89%AA%E5%8F%913.jpg" width="213" /> </a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">No matter
which hairstyle the baby has, there will be much more things for the parents to
do with the hair that has just been cut off. Guess what they will do with it?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Since the
moment that the baby becomes one-month old is such a significant time for the
family, the parents will find some company to turn the hair into some import
souvenir to remember it. Some of the
hair is used to make a brush, some becomes part of a necklace pendant, a seal
or even a picture. </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EH1doaEdAW8/TzSxlZ1cM4I/AAAAAAAAARQ/sGNbgWZg_jo/s1600/%E8%83%8E%E5%8F%91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EH1doaEdAW8/TzSxlZ1cM4I/AAAAAAAAARQ/sGNbgWZg_jo/s320/%E8%83%8E%E5%8F%91.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VAuvvFD_Jgg/TzSxl0uHwOI/AAAAAAAAARY/sl3qnG7PNsk/s1600/%E8%83%8E%E6%AF%9B%E7%94%BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VAuvvFD_Jgg/TzSxl0uHwOI/AAAAAAAAARY/sl3qnG7PNsk/s1600/%E8%83%8E%E6%AF%9B%E7%94%BB.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hn-1PAujqhY/TzSxmQ2wRhI/AAAAAAAAARg/QqjLyfo29Hw/s1600/%E8%83%8E%E6%AF%9B%E7%AB%A0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hn-1PAujqhY/TzSxmQ2wRhI/AAAAAAAAARg/QqjLyfo29Hw/s320/%E8%83%8E%E6%AF%9B%E7%AB%A0.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sometimes the baby’s hand and foot print are also used to
make a special decoration for the family. </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMcQPcEspnY/TzSx1bLemDI/AAAAAAAAARo/cush9pfgGMY/s1600/%E6%89%8B%E8%B6%B3%E5%8D%B0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMcQPcEspnY/TzSx1bLemDI/AAAAAAAAARo/cush9pfgGMY/s1600/%E6%89%8B%E8%B6%B3%E5%8D%B0.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">There are
also many parents who are very cautious about the first haircut of their baby.
They prefer that their baby has the first haircut when the baby is much older. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">One-year
old </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">抓</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">zhuā</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">周</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">zhōu</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (drawing
lots)</span></span></span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When the baby gets one-year old, there will be another big celebration in
the family. Drawing lots is one of the important parts of it. The baby is
placed in a circle of objects and the first thing he touches foretells his
future. Such as, if it's wallet he will be rich, a pen means a scholar,
an abacus means a good businessman, a stethoscope means a doctor, etc. But most
of the time, the baby’s parents won’t be serious about the baby’s choice. It’s
just fun to watch how the baby fumbling to try to grab something. And that is a
big amusement for the whole family in the party.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ac4btA6jUQ/TzSzUDDDmYI/AAAAAAAAARw/U18DoBkfxl4/s1600/%E6%8A%93%E5%91%A8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Ac4btA6jUQ/TzSzUDDDmYI/AAAAAAAAARw/U18DoBkfxl4/s400/%E6%8A%93%E5%91%A8.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W71UW25-QAM/TzSzU8OapmI/AAAAAAAAAR4/EEJ4jisotNY/s1600/%E6%8A%93%E5%91%A82.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W71UW25-QAM/TzSzU8OapmI/AAAAAAAAAR4/EEJ4jisotNY/s400/%E6%8A%93%E5%91%A82.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jrMq84ky6tE/TzSzVu6ib9I/AAAAAAAAASA/OMPWbXeeJNs/s1600/%E6%8A%93%E5%91%A83.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jrMq84ky6tE/TzSzVu6ib9I/AAAAAAAAASA/OMPWbXeeJNs/s400/%E6%8A%93%E5%91%A83.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And in the party, the baby is
also fed <ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">寿</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">shòu</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large;"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">面</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">miàn</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">(</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">birthday noodles</span><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> to symbolize eating real food and a good healthy
life in the future. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3oYuKojfI64/TzSz2PhpcnI/AAAAAAAAASI/WkZRcJOhj9M/s1600/%E5%90%83%E5%AF%BF%E9%9D%A2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3oYuKojfI64/TzSz2PhpcnI/AAAAAAAAASI/WkZRcJOhj9M/s320/%E5%90%83%E5%AF%BF%E9%9D%A2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">长</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">cháng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">命</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">mìng</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: 宋体;">锁</span><rp>(</rp><rt style="font-family: 宋体;">suǒ</rt><rp>)</rp></ruby><span lang="ZH-CN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">( longevity
amulet)</span></span></span></span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
longevity amulet is also an important thing in the celebrations for a
baby. The baby’s grandparents will give the longevity amulet to the baby as a
gift when the baby is 100-day old or when the baby is one-year old. The
longevity amulet is made of gold, silver, or jade. It looks like an ancient
lock, with silk ribbon or chains attached to, so the baby can wear it on his/her
neck. The longevity amulets are usually decorated with beautiful elaborate auspicious patterns, such as, lotus flower, golden fish, peach of immortality; and auspicious words like 长(cháng)命(mìng)百(bǎi)岁(suì) (means long and healthy life)。 People believe that the lock can keep the baby’s life and protect him/her
from the evil, sick… any bad thing in this world or unknown world. </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FS7UThNJn0w/TzS0Xrlk_WI/AAAAAAAAASQ/diCN6daK9Bw/s1600/antique+longivity+lock2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FS7UThNJn0w/TzS0Xrlk_WI/AAAAAAAAASQ/diCN6daK9Bw/s320/antique+longivity+lock2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-9117500826195484512?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-20289288989497589002012-02-03T15:08:00.003-07:002012-03-20T13:19:28.160-06:002012-03-20T13:19:28.160-06:00Pinyin Initials zh, ch, sh, r, y, w<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">The tip of pronouncing ' zh ':</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">First you raise the tip of your tongue to touch the front area of your hard palate. Then you loosen the contact and a narrow gap is formed, and at the same time you blow air through the gap to make the sound of ' z '.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As for ' ch ', the method is the same as for ' zh ', and try to make the sound of ' c '.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The tip of pronouncing ' sh ':</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">First you raise the tip of your tongue to be close enough to the hard palate to form a narrow gap. Then you blow the air through the gap to make the sound of ' s '.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The tip of pronouncing ' r ':</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The method the same as for ' sh ', but you may notice that ' r ' is a voiced sound, while the other three are voiceless sounds. So you can feel the vibration of your vocal cord when you pronounce ' r '.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The sound of ' y ' is the same as the final ' i ', but comparatively shorter. The sound of ' w ' is the same as the final ' u ', also the sound lasts shorter than ' u '.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Till now, we finished all the lesson of the Pinyin initials. Notice that there are only four initials are voice sound, they are: m, n, l, r, while the other initials are all voiceless. </span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-2028928898949758900?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-22160094405987789302012-01-27T22:09:00.002-07:002012-03-20T13:48:09.833-06:002012-03-20T13:48:09.833-06:00Phrases Used in Our Chinese ClassThe following video will cover some of the phrases that are highly frequently used in our Chinese class. Hope this will help you do more practice and get more used to listening and speaking Chinese. :)<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-2216009440598778930?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-438869344510273812012-01-24T15:52:00.002-07:002012-03-20T13:20:20.666-06:002012-03-20T13:20:20.666-06:00Pinyin initials z, c, s<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tips of how to pronounce ' z ' :<br />
First, the tip of your tongue reaches forward to touch the back of your upper teeth. Then you lose the contact and blow the air through the narrow gap between your tongue tip and the back of your upper teeth to make the sound.<br />
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As for ' c ', the tip is the same as ' z ', but you need to blow the air harder.<br />
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Tip of how to pronounce ' s ' :<br />
First, the tip of your tongue reaches forward to be close to the back of your upper teeth. Then you blow air through the gap between them to make the sound.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-43886934451027381?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-53022685104780082002012-01-24T15:32:00.001-07:002012-03-13T16:48:45.964-06:002012-03-13T16:48:45.964-06:00China in the eyes of an American JournalistAlan Paul wrote "The Expat Life" column for WSJ.com from 2005 through 2009, and he was named 2008 Online Columnist of the Year by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Paul is a senior writer for Slam and Guitar World magazines, and his writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly, People, Sports Illustrated, and many other media outlets. He has contributed to The Rolling Stone Jazz and Blues Guide, The Insider's Guide to Beijing, and several other books. <br />
Based on his award-winning Wall Street Journal Online column, "The Expat Life", Alan Paul put his three-and-a-half-year journey of reinvention in Beijing, a rapidly developing metropolis, into his book named 'Big in China'. It will be really fun for anyone, who wants to take a close look about modern China, to read his book.<br />
In his book, he reveals the challenges that he and his family, with three children-ages two, four, and seven, faced while living in a foreign country. The highlight of his book may be the part that Alan and some Chinese musicians established a blues band and became famous. My favorite part is about Alan's family traveling in China, even the remote villages. <br />
Alan's blog is : <a href="http://alanpaul.net/">http://alanpaul.net</a><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-5302268510478008200?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-78164370838683201012012-01-20T11:33:00.001-07:002012-03-20T13:21:07.789-06:002012-03-20T13:21:07.789-06:00Pinyin initials j, q, x<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tip of how to make the sound of ' j ' :<br />
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First the tip of your tongue reaches forward to touch the back of your lower teeth, with the front of the tongue rising to touch the hard palate. Then you should relax your tongue to form a narrow gap between your tongue and hard palate, and at the same time blow the air through the gap to make the sound.<br />
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As for ' q ', the method is the same as for ' j '. But you need to blow the air harder.<br />
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Tip for how to make the sound of ' x':<br />
First the tip of your tongue reaches to touch the gum line of the back of lower teeth, with the front of the tongue rising to be close to the roof of your mouth, and a narrow gap will form between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. Then you blow the air through the narrow gap to make the sound.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-7816437083868320101?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-56159090909963007072012-01-20T10:25:00.001-07:002012-03-13T16:47:12.862-06:002012-03-13T16:47:12.862-06:00Yang Lan: The generation that's remaking China<object height="374" width="526">
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</object><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-5615909090996300707?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-11745714539949526442012-01-20T09:36:00.001-07:002012-03-13T16:46:47.502-06:002012-03-13T16:46:47.502-06:00Martin Jacques: Understanding the rise of China<object height="374" width="526">
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The tip of pronouncing 'g' correctly is:<br />
First the back of your tongue reaches up to touch the soft palate. Then you lose the contact between them and the same time blow out the air lightly to make the sound.<br />
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As for 'k', the method is the same as 'g'. But the air being blown out is stronger.<br />
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The tip of pronouncing 'h' correctly is :<br />
Pull back your tongue, letting the back of your tongue reach closely to the soft palate; then blow the air through the gap between your tongue and soft palate to make the sound.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-1333540633029681073?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-21111818322942671502012-01-16T21:39:00.000-07:002012-03-20T13:22:49.660-06:002012-03-20T13:22:49.660-06:00Pinyin initials d, t, n, l<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How to pronounce initial "d"? <br />
First, the tip of your tongue touches the gum behind the upper front teeth and hold your breath. Then let the tip of your tongue leave the gum and blow the air out to make the sound.<br />
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How to pronounce initial "t"?<br />
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The method of pronouncing "t" is the same as the way of pronouncing "d". But the air blown through your mouth is stronger.<br />
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How to pronounce initial "n" ?<br />
First, the tip of your tongue touches the back of the upper teeth. Then lose the contact quickly, and at the same time let the air blow through your nose to make the sound.<br />
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How to pronounce initial "l"?<br />
First, the tip of your tongue touches the gum behind the upper teeth. Then lose the contact quickly and let the air blow through your mouth to make the sound. <br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-2111181832294267150?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-12883213838874166182012-01-01T22:20:00.000-07:002012-03-20T13:23:38.101-06:002012-03-20T13:23:38.101-06:00Pinyin initials: b, p, m, f<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Tips of pronouncing Pinyin correctly:<br />
When we pronounce initial sound, we make a gentle and quick sound. It just lasts for a very short time then slide to final sound to complete the pronunciation of a character. As for the pronunciation of final sound, we make a loud and clear sound. And it lasts comparatively longer than the initial ones.<br />
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This lesson introduce four initials: b, p, m, f .<br />
To pronounce ' b ' correctly, the tip is: First, close your mouth tightly and hold your breath. Then open your mouth quickly and blow the air out gently. It sounds like the break of a water bubble.<br />
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To pronounce ' p ' correctly, the method is close to the way of pronouncing 'b'. But you need to blow the air harder.<br />
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The tip of pronouncing ' m ' is : Noticing that this is a nasal sound, you should close your mouth, let the air come out through your nose to make the sound.<br />
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The tip of pronouncing ' f ' is: The upper teeth touches the lower lip. Let the air blow out between the teeth and lip.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-1288321383887416618?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3796611920588958839.post-18053489986608446212011-12-31T00:30:00.000-07:002012-03-20T13:24:21.799-06:002012-03-20T13:24:21.799-06:00Introduction of PinyinFrom today on, we are going to have a quite long journey of Pinyin. It will help you build a strong foundation to continue learning Chinese<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3796611920588958839-1805348998660844621?l=learningchinesewithiris.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Iris Mckayhttps://profiles.google.com/109375545916626939396noreply@blogger.com0