Category: Culture

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Superstitious Me

Okay, so last week in my post These Boots were made for Walkin'! I introduced the topic of superstitions and their relevance in Chinese culture. Seriously, Chinese people make us Irish look like a rational bunch! Whether its passing under a ladder, or opening an umbrella indoors, I have always found superstitions to be quite interesting. Having spent around five years here in Taiwan, and being engaged to a Taiwanese woman, I have had the opportunity to learn of quite a few Chinese superstitions that most people may not be aware of. And be forewarned, many of them have to do with GHOSTS!

1. Whistle while you work!

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(Mickey doing what he does best found at fromscreentotheme.com)

One of the superstitions that I have had a hard time coping with, has been the taboo on whistling at night. The sound is thought to attract ghosts, and nobody wants that! Now, while I am a mature adult(at least most of the time!), and I am more than happy to conform to my host country's cultural beliefs and traditions, I honestly have a hard time with this as I often just whistle when I'm in a good mood! This bothered my fiancé when we first started dating, and I have tried my best to stop and rarely do so now, but hey, sometimes you just got to let your whistle blow!

2. Stick it to them!

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(Me playing with my chopsticks after watching Wolverine….Sweet!)

…Or don't. One of the most culturally relevant superstitions to Chinese people, is that sticking your chopsticks end-up in your bowl of rice is bad luck. This was something that I was surprised to see in the new Wolverine movie (watch it, because it's wolverine, bub, nuf said) when I watched it the other day, though I suppose i shouldn't have been surprised considering how much cultural exchange there has been between China and Japan for centuries (though I admittedly know little of Japanese cultural traditions). The reason this is taboo is because in Chinese funerals Incense sticks are burned, and the chopsticks look quite similar to these. So proper table etiquette is to place your chopsticks lengthwise across your bowl.

3. Tic-Toc-Tic-Toc!

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(One of my all time favorite paintings by Salvador Dali taken from www.greatdreams.com)

Okay, so as I promised here is the reason why you don't give clocks as gifts in Chinese culture. The reason is that to give someone a clock in Mandarin or sòngzhōng(送鐘) sounds like sòngzhōng(送終) which is when you go to pay your respects to a dead relative or friend (like to attend their funeral). So if you give someone a clock for a present, it's like you want them to die! Not something you do for a friend, but if you hate someone, then I guess it's okay…cmon, I'm just kidding alright? Don't do it, PERIOD!

I hope that you found this article informative, and if you knew everything already, then at least entertaining. Rest assured, I have not exhausted my repertoire of superstitions, so look for a future post to learn even more ways to annoy your Chinese friends!

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Chinese phrases of the day:

sòng(送)= give

shízhōng(時鐘)= clock

sòngzhōng(送終)= literally give an end; pay your respects for a friend or relative at their funeral

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Happy belated Valentine\’s Day!

I know what you're thinking, this guy must be out of his mind, Valentine's Day was six months ago! Hey, I'm not the brightest, but of course I know that!

 
Western Valentine's Day qíngrénjiē(情人節) is celebrated on February 14th every year, but there is also a Chinese equivalent to Valentine's Day which was August 13th this year.
The dates which Chinese festivals fall on can be very confusing, because they are determined by the traditional lunar calendar.
 
So, aside from the difference in date between Chinese Valentine's Day and Western Valentine's Day, the origins are also quite different. The origins of Chinese Valentine's Day qīxī(七夕) lie in ancient Chinese Mythology. The story of The Weaver girl and the Cowherd is a tragic story of two lovers who were not allowed to be together.
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(An illustration of Zhīnǚ(織女) and Niúláng(牛郎) crossing the bridge of magpies to meet each other from http://tupian.baike.com)
 
While there is more than one version of the tale (I won't go into too many specifics, but you can find more details on Wikipedia),They all agree that a weaver girl Zhīnǚ(織女) and a cowherd Niúláng(牛郎) met and fell deeply in love with one another, married and had children. But they were separated, each stuck on one side of the river (represented by the Milky Way) unable to reach the other (the reason differs from version to version) and consequently only allowed to meet each other for one night each year, the seventh night of the seventh moon(hence the name for the festival is qīxī(七夕) or the seventh night of the seventh lunar month).
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(A picture of the bridge that allows the two lovers to meet once per year from http://skyonforest.blogspot.tw)
 
 
Qīxī(七夕) is celebrated much the same as Valentine's Day is in the West. It is a time when lovers give each other gifts and spend time together.
 
 
A popular traditional belief is that it must rain on Qīxī(七夕). My fiancé and I spent the evening at her parents house, and at one point it started to rain quite heavily. My future mother-in-law looked up from her book and said that it was Zhīnǚ(織女) crying. I hope that they were tears of joy at her being reunited with Niúláng(牛郎)!
 

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Chinese phrases of the day:

qíngrénjiē(情人節)= Valentine's Day

qīxī(七夕)= Chinese Valentine's Day, or the seventh night of the seventh lunar month

Zhīnǚ(織女)= Weaver girl

Niúláng(牛郎)= Cowherd

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Posted on

Happy belated Valentine\’s Day!

I know what you're thinking, this guy must be out of his mind, Valentine's Day was six months ago! Hey, I'm not the brightest, but of course I know that!

 
Western Valentine's Day qíngrénjiē(情人節) is celebrated on February 14th every year, but there is also a Chinese equivalent to Valentine's Day which was August 13th this year.
The dates which Chinese festivals fall on can be very confusing, because they are determined by the traditional lunar calendar.
 
So, aside from the difference in date between Chinese Valentine's Day and Western Valentine's Day, the origins are also quite different. The origins of Chinese Valentine's Day qīxī(七夕) lie in ancient Chinese Mythology. The story of The Weaver girl and the Cowherd is a tragic story of two lovers who were not allowed to be together.
\"01300000280411125084401530386\"
(An illustration of Zhīnǚ(織女) and Niúláng(牛郎) crossing the bridge of magpies to meet each other from http://tupian.baike.com)
 
While there is more than one version of the tale (I won't go into too many specifics, but you can find more details on Wikipedia),They all agree that a weaver girl Zhīnǚ(織女) and a cowherd Niúláng(牛郎) met and fell deeply in love with one another, married and had children. But they were separated, each stuck on one side of the river (represented by the Milky Way) unable to reach the other (the reason differs from version to version) and consequently only allowed to meet each other for one night each year, the seventh night of the seventh moon(hence the name for the festival is qīxī(七夕) or the seventh night of the seventh lunar month).
\"_\"
(A picture of the bridge that allows the two lovers to meet once per year from http://skyonforest.blogspot.tw)
 
 
Qīxī(七夕) is celebrated much the same as Valentine's Day is in the West. It is a time when lovers give each other gifts and spend time together.
 
 
A popular traditional belief is that it must rain on Qīxī(七夕). My fiancé and I spent the evening at her parents house, and at one point it started to rain quite heavily. My future mother-in-law looked up from her book and said that it was Zhīnǚ(織女) crying. I hope that they were tears of joy at her being reunited with Niúláng(牛郎)!
 

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Chinese phrases of the day:

qíngrénjiē(情人節)= Valentine's Day

qīxī(七夕)= Chinese Valentine's Day, or the seventh night of the seventh lunar month

Zhīnǚ(織女)= Weaver girl

Niúláng(牛郎)= Cowherd

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These Boots were made for Walkin\’!

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(My nice, new pair of Converse I got on my last birthday)

Okay, so not exactly boots. But they were made for walking, so I got that part right at least. Moving on. In my last post I mentioned the significance of the number eight to Taiwanese people. Today I want to introduce my readers to an interesting Chinese superstition,
míxìn(迷信) in Mandarin. In Chinese culture, it is considered taboo, or jìnjì(禁忌) to give your significant other shoes as a gift. The reason being, as I already mentioned, shoes were meant for walking, and if you give your lover a nice pair of sneakers they will use them to walk out of your life. So if you ever give your boyfriend/girlfriend a pair of Converse for his/her birthday, make sure they pay at least a small portion of the price-tag, 100Nt should suffice. That way they aren't a "gift" or lǐwù(禮物).

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Chinese phrases of the day:

míxìn(迷信)= superstition

jìnjì(禁忌)= taboo

lǐwù(禮物)= gift

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Posted on

These Boots were made for Walkin\’!

\"IMG_5692\"

(My nice, new pair of Converse I got on my last birthday)

Okay, so not exactly boots. But they were made for walking, so I got that part right at least. Moving on. In my last post I mentioned the significance of the number eight to Taiwanese people. Today I want to introduce my readers to an interesting Chinese superstition,
míxìn(迷信) in Mandarin. In Chinese culture, it is considered taboo, or jìnjì(禁忌) to give your significant other shoes as a gift. The reason being, as I already mentioned, shoes were meant for walking, and if you give your lover a nice pair of sneakers they will use them to walk out of your life. So if you ever give your boyfriend/girlfriend a pair of Converse for his/her birthday, make sure they pay at least a small portion of the price-tag, 100Nt should suffice. That way they aren't a "gift" or lǐwù(禮物).

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Chinese phrases of the day:

míxìn(迷信)= superstition

jìnjì(禁忌)= taboo

lǐwù(禮物)= gift

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Posted on

Happy Fathers\’ Day!

fùqinjiékuàilè(父親節快樂)!

No, that is not a typo, it really is Fathers' Day here, and while it may be coming a few months later than most of you are used to, there is a very simple explanation as to why Fathers' Day falls on August the 8th every year in Taiwan: the words bābā(八八) eight-eight, as in August 8th, sound very similar to the words bàba(爸爸), which is Mandarin for dad.

Eight is also considered a lucky number in Taiwan for this reason, which in my opinion offers us a valuable insight into the importance of family in traditional Chinese culture.

So, other than the date, and the way the name sounds, what's so special about Fathers' Day in Taiwan? Nothing… Except for your father of course! The holiday is celebrated much the same as it is in North America, or the world over for that matter. The family gathers together, celebrates with a cake or pizza, or maybe by going out to a more traditional restaurant.

(Shown below, a Father's Day cake from 85°C, my personal go-to shop for cakes in Taiwan)

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Whatever the game plan, Dad is the one that gets to make the calls. After all, this is the one day out of the year you can show your father how much you care, so make it count!

(My father and I the last time I was back in Texas….No, that's not our car, we took my fiance to visit NASA!)

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On a lighter note, Fathers' Day is also a great time to get electric razors at bargain prices!!!

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Chinese phrases of the day:

fùqinjiékuàilè(父親節快樂)= Happy Fathers' Day

bā(八)= eight

bàba(爸爸)= Dad

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Posted on

Happy Fathers\’ Day!

fùqinjiékuàilè(父親節快樂)!

No, that is not a typo, it really is Fathers' Day here, and while it may be coming a few months later than most of you are used to, there is a very simple explanation as to why Fathers' Day falls on August the 8th every year in Taiwan: the words bābā(八八) eight-eight, as in August 8th, sound very similar to the words bàba(爸爸), which is Mandarin for dad.

Eight is also considered a lucky number in Taiwan for this reason, which in my opinion offers us a valuable insight into the importance of family in traditional Chinese culture.

So, other than the date, and the way the name sounds, what's so special about Fathers' Day in Taiwan? Nothing… Except for your father of course! The holiday is celebrated much the same as it is in North America, or the world over for that matter. The family gathers together, celebrates with a cake or pizza, or maybe by going out to a more traditional restaurant.

(Shown below, a Father's Day cake from 85°C, my personal go-to shop for cakes in Taiwan)

\"2012-08-07

Whatever the game plan, Dad is the one that gets to make the calls. After all, this is the one day out of the year you can show your father how much you care, so make it count!

(My father and I the last time I was back in Texas….No, that's not our car, we took my fiance to visit NASA!)

\"DSC09229\"

On a lighter note, Fathers' Day is also a great time to get electric razors at bargain prices!!!

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Chinese phrases of the day:

fùqinjiékuàilè(父親節快樂)= Happy Fathers' Day

bā(八)= eight

bàba(爸爸)= Dad

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Posted on

Are you feelin\’ lucky Punk?

These days everybody has a get rich scheme in the works, and why should it be any different in Taiwan? Well no need to worry, today I'm not going to be tipping you off on any shady mahjong dens or local pyramid schemes. So what is this post about, and why should you read it? Well, if you don't like free money, then don't let me waste any more of your precious time. Because time is money, and its lottery time baby!

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That's right, the lottery, it's not only the American dream now. In fact, lottery stores on the island are almost as abundant as convenience stores, so on just about every corner, though unlike in America, You can't buy lottery tickets in a convenience store in Taiwan.

So what should you expect when you visit your local Taiwan Lottery store? Well there will be a man behind a counter smiling and ready to take your money, and on that counter will be stacks upon stacks of lottery scratchers, or guāguālè(刮刮樂)as they are called in Chinese. They are arranged by price, which is generally in the 100NT-1000NT price range, though they also have specially priced lottery tickets with a chance for a larger prize on holidays. The tickets are all there at your disposal, so feel free to leaf through and look for your lucky number.

Aside from the 刮刮樂, for just 50NT you can also fill out a card with your lucky numbers for the dàlètòu(大樂透) and wait for the cash to roll in!  Good Luck, zhùnǐhǎoyùn(祝你好運).

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Chinese phrases of the day:

guāguālè(刮刮樂)= Lottery scratchers

dàlètòu(大樂透)= The big lottery

zhùnǐhǎoyùn(祝你好運)= Good luck

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Posted on

Are you feelin\’ lucky Punk?

These days everybody has a get rich scheme in the works, and why should it be any different in Taiwan? Well no need to worry, today I'm not going to be tipping you off on any shady mahjong dens or local pyramid schemes. So what is this post about, and why should you read it? Well, if you don't like free money, then don't let me waste any more of your precious time. Because time is money, and its lottery time baby!

\"IMG_5545\" \"IMG_5544\"

That's right, the lottery, it's not only the American dream now. In fact, lottery stores on the island are almost as abundant as convenience stores, so on just about every corner, though unlike in America, You can't buy lottery tickets in a convenience store in Taiwan.

So what should you expect when you visit your local Taiwan Lottery store? Well there will be a man behind a counter smiling and ready to take your money, and on that counter will be stacks upon stacks of lottery scratchers, or guāguālè(刮刮樂)as they are called in Chinese. They are arranged by price, which is generally in the 100NT-1000NT price range, though they also have specially priced lottery tickets with a chance for a larger prize on holidays. The tickets are all there at your disposal, so feel free to leaf through and look for your lucky number.

Aside from the 刮刮樂, for just 50NT you can also fill out a card with your lucky numbers for the dàlètòu(大樂透) and wait for the cash to roll in!  Good Luck, zhùnǐhǎoyùn(祝你好運).

\"IMG_5542\"

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Chinese phrases of the day:

guāguālè(刮刮樂)= Lottery scratchers

dàlètòu(大樂透)= The big lottery

zhùnǐhǎoyùn(祝你好運)= Good luck

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Trick or….wait, that\’s not quite right…

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But happy Ghost Month all the same!

Ghost Month, or guǐyuè(鬼月) is a period of time when the gates to the underworld open and ghosts are free to roam the Earth. Ghost Month has many interesting superstitions and observances associated with it. According to tradition, during Ghost Month, it is unlucky to move into a new home, buy a new car, get married or even hang your clothes to dry(as ghosts may wear them!). Colorful lanterns are hung all along streets, and lanterns in the shape of houses are painstakingly constructed, only to be later burned.

My first year in Taiwan, I was very lucky to witness a very special celebration in Keelung, where Ghost Month is still an important tradition. The locals assembled at the mouth of a temple in the harbor and a speech was given by the mayor, welcoming all to the year's celebration. Afterwards there were fireworks and martial arts displays, and if this wasn't enough, it began pouring rain.

Rain or no rain, the celebration was just getting started. Parade floats marched through the city in the wake of performers and dragon dancers, loaded with drummers and children tossing handfuls of candy to the masses. It was very colorful to say the least, and I honestly had no idea what to expect next.

I followed along with the procession, which was slow and jam-packed with what seemed like the entire city's population. Slowly but surely we made our way to a beach miles down the coast where the house-shaped lanterns were unloaded and pushed out into the ocean and set a flames.

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The ceremony is called fàngshuǐdēng(放水燈) which can be loosely translated to the placing of the water lanterns. This was truly one of the most memorable of my experiences in Taiwan, and I recommend you all to check it out if you have the chance!

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Chinese phrases of the day:

Ghost Month or Ghost Festival = guǐyuè(鬼月) or ZhōngyuánJié(中元節)

placing of the water lanterns = fàngshuǐdēng(放水燈)

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The first picture is my own, the second and third are from http://big5.huaxia.com/jjtw/jtzdtw/csxc/2009/09/1557857.html