An interesting note about China and the Chinese Language

An interesting note about China and the Chinese Language

I have read a book on China, "China: Its History and Culture, Fourth Edition" by W. Scott Morton and Charlton M. Lewis, and one book on the Chinese American experience in the United States, "Chinese America, The Untold Story of America's Oldest New Community" by Peter Kwong & Dusanka Miscevic. In addition, I traveled to the Philippines and Hong Kong several years ago, and my interest in Asia increased significantly. Specifically, I gained an appreciation for the Chinese Characters, Spoken Chinese and Filipino language. The latter links go to the Paul D. Coverdell Worldwise Schools at the Peace Corps website. I learned very little Filipino and Chinese during the trip but eventually purchased the above books as well as "Reading & Writing Chinese, Simplified Character Edition; A Comprehensive Guide to the Chines Writing System" by William McNaughton. I also purchased the Pimsueler Mandarin I. I discovered that I truly enjoyed learning about the China, its rich history, and its amazing language. For this reason, I would like to provide a brief history with some examples.

As a US Military soldier and a male, I have always appreciated the beauty of Asian women, but now I developed an appreciation of the language as well. To me, Chinese characters are beautiful!

Some information on China

As we all know, China is a major political player in the world and can have a tremendous impact on the economies of our world. As such, many leaders are interested in developing a relationship with China and some have emphasized relationship by Studying Chinese. For example, the Prime Minister of Australia, majored in Chinese history and language at Australian National University and Wikipedia states he attended chinese studies at the Mandarin Training Center of National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. Furthermore, the Asian Nations created Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967 and China is a major player in this organization. For an interesting summary, please visit The China-ASEAN free-trade agreement from The Economist. In addition, you can read "Forging Closer ASEAN-China Economics Relations in the Twenty-First Century"; A Report Submitted by the ASEAN-China Expert Group on Economic Cooperation, October 2001 by following: http://www.aseansec.org/newdata/asean_chi.pdf

Chinese Language

The Chinese language has evolved over many years and it provides a "cultural bond" between regions of the country where different spoken dialects occur. In addition, it is a unifying language for much of the Asian region and many languages have been derived from Chinese Characters. Originally, "Chinese script first appeared about 1300 B.C on the Oracle bones that were discovered chiefly at Anyang." According to Mr. Morton and Mr. Lewis, the Oracular procedure was as follows:

• On the side of a shoulderblade bone or piece of tortoise shell a slight oval hollow was cut, and heat was applied with a bronze point at the side of this hollow.
• The bone on the other side cracked, usually in a long line with a shorter spur going off at an angle.

  The bone on the other side cracked, usually in a long line with a shorter spur going off at an angle, and the character for "to divine" or "foretell" is a long line with a short spur going off at an angle.

• It is not known exactly what angles or positions of crack determined the answer of the oracle as being yes or no, favorable or unfavorable, to the question put.

This method of divination was also practiced in pre-Shang Neolithic times, but the bones bear no writing. Apparently, the method was used by "soothsayers" to predict certain events. For example, sacrifices, propitious days, weather, crops, journeys, success in war, and success in hunts were predicted.

An Example of Chinese Compounding:

Some nice examples of combined words. I don't have the ability to write characters so I will use the english word and it's chinese equivalent with number of strokes when possible:

• Divine or Fortell, "BU", 2 strokes character number 159.

  In the Shang Dynasty (1751-1122 B.C.) the kings divined by scratching messages on tortoise shells. A professional diviner applied heat yo the shell until it cracked, then read the cracks to devine. The "devine" radical is supposed to represent the divination cracks in the shell. -From William McNaughton's "Reading & Writing Chinese, Simplified Character Edition; A Comprehensive Guide to the Chinese Writing System, Third Edition"

• Leisure: represented by moonlight through the opening of a door
• Good: represented by the picture of a woman and a child.
• To Embrace: Wrap, "Bao", 5 strokes character number 286 and hand, "shou", 3 strokes character number 28.
• To be full (after eating): Wrap, "Bao", 5 strokes character number 286 and food, "No Pronunciation", 3 strokes character number 293.
• To soak: Wrap, "Bao", 5 strokes character number 286 and water, "shui", 3 strokes character number 77.
• Artillery: Wrap, "Bao", 5 strokes character number 286 and fire, "Huo", 4 strokes character number 295.
• Long gown: Wrap, "Bao", 5 strokes character number 286 and gown, "yi", 5 strokes character number 290.

  "yi" is actually called "side-gown" in William McNaughton's to separate it from "yi", gown with 6 strokes and character number 152. "yi", character number 290, is written with other characters to give meaning and "yi", character number 152, is written independently to denote an article of clothing.

• To run: Wrap, "Bao", 5 strokes character number 286 and foot radical, "Zu" , 6 strokes and a combination of character number 246 (Toe Radical) and 247 (Foot Radical).

  When used in compounds, the "toe radical" can be clearly seen.

• I hope you enjoyed some of these examples!

  Your Gather

In addition to My Gather Network: Quidnunc Simcha, I am a Guest-Editor and "Conversation Starter" at Conversations for a Better World, Chris Harding, which is a shared blog on population, gender and health, and provided by United Nations Population Fund Website.

Your Gather

Conversations for a Better World

You should consider contribution to Conversations for a Better World as well! The more diverse the discussions the better the results in most instances. Although time to a solution will increase significantly, the final result is usually better for humanity.

You are NOT ALONE!

• Some Information about: Wikileaks and "What is a Whistleblower?"

I love my country, but we have a problem. Spoiled Americans will kill for sport and bullying is an example. Another term for bullying is "gang stalking", which may be more appropriate, but the legal term may be the defined term of "bullying". Some corporate employees and "friends of organizations" use harassment, "bullying or stalking", and believe it is not that bad, but, in truth, it is considered emotional torture-adults and children should refrain. If an adult "bullies", a child will follow their example.

As many know, a Multi-national Study by World Health Organization (1) reports that abused women and men believe "emotional abuse" is worse than physical abuse because it causes life-long psychological trauma and is virtually impossible to prove. The inability to "prove" is why many "pillars" will engage. In fact, corrupt societies are breeding grounds for such activity.

With that said, I would like to add the following links to all of my posts. I hope others will copy and paste the same into their posts as well. The best way to end corruption is to discuss corruption. At the root of most criminal enterprises are corrupt police, citizens, and politicians. The latter are grandmas, grandpas, fathers, mothers, police, church deacons, etc. Be warned, the corrupt people in your environment could begin harassing you.

References:

STOP SEX Trafficking! and Meth!

Support Senator Ron Wyden in his fight against sex-trafficking. Although the Pacific Northwest is the worse US location, it is an American problem and probably associated with the Meth network. Tell me corrupt police do not know about this activity.

Corruption Resources

Buscaglia, Edgardo, & van Dijk, Jan. (2005). UC Berkley: Berkley Program in Law and Economics. Controlling Organized Crime and Corruption in the Public Sector. University of California eScholarship[online]. Jan 2005. Available from: eScholarship. University of California About the New eScholarship

Oregon

Schwartz, Susan P. State of Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. Lane County Criminal Justice Report. Oregon.gov[online]. May 2009. Available from: Report. Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.

Indiana

Long, Billy; Yerington, Courtney. Police Administrators in Indiana: A Descriptive Study of Attitudes, Perceptions, and Stressors. Internet Journal of Criminology[online]. 2006. Available from: Internet Journal of Criminology: Article.

Bullying, Harassment, and Gang Stalking Resources

Bochenek, Michael; Brown, Widney, A.; Breen, Melanie; Campbell, Rook; David, Sam; Henkle, Derek R.; Jesrani, Tejal; Lnzertti,Rachel; McArthur, Kerry; Rozario, Shalu; Zea, Sadie. Hatred in the Hallways, Violence and Discrmination Against Lesbian, Gay, Bsexual, and Transgender Students in U.S. Schools. Human Rights Watch [online].2001. Available from: HRW, Article Database.

Can sarcasm be a form of bullying? These documents say yes if sarcasm is included in a certain contextual relationship to other activity. 
• http://family.samhsa.gov/teach/middleschool_bullies.aspx?printid=1
• http://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/schools/bullypack.pdf
• http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/documents/bullyingatschool.pdf

Cook, Dane. bullying. Dane Cook's Youtube Channel. 2010. Available from: Youtube

Suicide Resources

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Are you in a crisis? Please call 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Suicide Prevention.

Suicide Awareness Voices Education. SAVE "Doctors, Firefighters and Others SAVE Lives, You Can Too!"

The Trevor Project is a great example of "realizing" the need to remind ourselves of the beauty around us! The World is beautiful! That blade of grass is amazing! The butterfly is magical! If needed, take a walk! If you cannot walk, visit Trevor! In my experiences, Pandora Internet Radio is a life savior as well.

itgetsbetterproject.com,
• "For too long, LGBT youth have been forced to struggle through their formative years suffering from bullies in their schools, churches and homes — and with no support system to provide them any help."
• "Justin Aeberg. Billy Lucas. Cody Barker. Asher Brown. Seth Walsh. Raymond Chase. Tyler Clementi. All the names of American teenagers who in recent months have taken their own lives after being bullied in school."

“As a nation we’re founded on the belief that all of us are equal and each of us deserves the freedom to pursue our own version of happiness; to make the most of our talents; to speak our minds; to not fit in; most of all, to be true to ourselves. That’s the freedom that enriches all of us. That’s what America is all about. And every day, it gets better.”
– President Obama in a video message for the nationwide campaign focused on young people who are being bullied because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation. Video Resources: http://wh.gov/3nn.

Department of Defense. Restoring Hope, You Can Help Save A Life. Restoring Hope. "More Focus Needed to End Suicides", Mullens.

Wise, Terry L. Waking Up: Climbing Through the Darkness. Available from: Amazon.

Wise, Terry. terrywise.com. A National Mental Health Award Winner. Available from: Terry Wise.

Harding, Chris. Suicide: What is your keyword? Gather.com [online]. Available from: Chris Harding's Gather Network.

Dumais, A., B.Sc.; Lesage, A.D., M.D, M.Phil.; Alda, M., M.D; Rouleau, G., M.D., PhD; Dumont, M., R.N.; Chawky, N., M.Ps.; Roy, M., M.D; Mann, J.J., M.D; Benekelfat, C. M.D; Turecki, Gustavo, Turecki, M.D., PhD. Risk Factors for Suicide Completion in Major Depression: A Case-Control Study of Impulsive and Aggressive Behaviors in Men. The American Journal of Psychiatry [online]. 2005, vol.162(11) pp. 2116-2124. Avialable from: Am. J Psychiatry. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.11.2116.

 

Goldsmith, SK; Pellmar, TC; Kleinman, AM; Bunney, WE; Editors. Committeee on Pathophysiology and Prevention of Adolescent and Adult Suicide Reducing Suicide, A National Imperative. National Academies Press[online]. 2002. pp. xvi, 512. Available from: National Academies Press. ISBN-10: 0-309-08321-4. ISBN-13: 978-0-309-08321-8.

Abuse

1. World Health Organization, Department of Gender and Women's Health. WHO Multi-country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women: summary report of initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women's responses.(Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, and United Republic of Tanzania). WHOLIS. 2005. Available from: WHOLIS. ISBN: 9241593512.

Rape and Sexual Assault: Rape and sexual assault,WHO 1997

Wong Fo Lo, Sylvie; Wester, Fred; Mol, Saskia; Romkens, Renee; Hezemans, Door; Lagro-Janssen, Toine. Talking matters: Abused women's views on disclosure of partner abuse to the family doctor and its role in handling the abuse situation. Patient Educ and Couns. 2008, vol.70(3), pp.386-394. Available from: Author's personal copy ISSN 0738-3991

Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator. The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Report on Gender-Based Violence and HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR[online].2006. pp.16. Available from: PEPFAR: Reports. PEPFAR Reports: Report on Gender-Based Violence and HIV/AIDS PDF.

Harassment and Bullying (i.e "emotional abuse") can lead to:

National Institute of Health.NIMH. The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America. 2010. Available from: Article.

Why engage in activity that can increase the numbers? By the way, the numbers cause increased "disability" claims in the USA and Canada. Does the average individual in society truly want the human race to environmentally evolve to "the greatest emotional abuser" wins the prize? As we know, women have a tendency to lust after the "bad boy" mentality, but most don't want to marry the "bad boy".

In addition to My Gather Network: Quidnunc Simcha, I am a Guest-Editor and "Conversation Starter" at Conversations for a Better World, Chris Harding, which is a shared blog on population, gender and health, and provided by United Nations Population Fund Website.

Your Gather

Conversations for a Better World

You should consider contribution to Conversations for a Better World as well! The more diverse the discussions the better the results in most instances. Although time to a solution will increase significantly, the final result is usually better for humanity.