Learning Mandarin

Do you know that God created the earth in six days and on the seventh day He rested? No, not that He needed to rest but being God He spoke words into being and when He rested it meant He stopped work representing a cycle from creation to completion. That is why we go on in seven day week cycles and you get your Sundays off dude! Aren't you grateful? Therefore, for those of you who have no alternative but to work seven days a week for whatever reasons, you need to try to take a day off especially on Sunday. Your body, mind and soul needs a rest and to rejuvenate. This is important.

Do you know that ancient Chinese knew about creation? Tell me if you know that every Lunar New Year, what do the Chinese in particular the Cantonese celebrate on the seventh day? 人日 which is a celebration of Man's birthday right? (Or yan yat in Cantonese). What else do ancient Chinese know? Words - Chinese words were created as such 造 is to create and is made up of 土 which is earth，口 which is mouth (breath of life) and at the side, it showed a man walking. Hey! Why didn't they tell me about it and teach Chinese or as they call it Mother Tongue like that? How about 船 which means boat? A vessel, eight 八 and 口is an interesting take on Noah's Ark - the first ship launched, had eight passengers - Mr. & Mrs. Noah, his three sons and their wives (er yes, each son had just one wife). Now don't you find learning Mandarin interesting, meaningful and much easier now.

I am already feeling like a scholar. A simple horizontal 一 can mean heaven or earth depending on its position. When one 一 man is standing, his ten 十 toes are on the ground equal to the earth 土. The basic symbol for man is 人 consisting of two strokes representing two people Adam and Eve. Add a horizontal stroke across and it becomes 大 as if stretching across the earth. That's what heppened when they populated the earth. When a man gets married two has become one and it becomes 夫 which is 二 and 人. To lose or suffer a loss is 失 with that small stroke attached to the upper stroke of 二 representing a cancellation of one, therefore, a loss. Worship 拜 to the ancient Chinese was to raise both hands.

It is now understood the difficulties faced in so many years of Singaporeans learning Mandarin so much so that while some good citizens migrated others like some of us who haven't, just have migraine. It is during times like these that we wish we are like those migratory birds. 旦 as you can see here is dawn or morning. You can see the sun rising above the horizon. Isn't it wonderful to learn Mandarin. It's quite simple isn't it? Like everything else, make it interesting and everybody will find learning easy.

You can have the best computer software in the world but if it ain't people and user-friendly, even if you force them to use it, sooner or later it will be a white elephant. All you have to do is go to a bus top or MRT station and look at the fact that despite the wonderfully done pavements, you will surely find a meandering man-made track on some grass patches leading to some common places where most folks find it most convenient to have access.

Alright, mind your language, we may continue Mandarin class again some time. I leave you with this to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&feature=share&v=CPyeIM01ACw

Ciao!