Mark Zuckerberg Speaks Mandarin!!!

I was excited and pleasantly surprised to learn that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook recently spoke Mandarin. Last week Wednesday on October 22nd, Zuckerberg spoke Mandarin for half an hour in an Question and Answer segment at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The Facebook CEO, whose net worth is approximately 33.3 billion cited three major reasons for learning Mandarin. He said that his first reason was that his wife, Priscilla Chan, a Chinese-American is from a Chinese family and that he learned the language to communicate a lot easier and establish a closer relationship with her family. Another reason was that he was fascinated by Chinese culture which really reminded me of myself because this was also one of my major reasons for learning Mandarin. Lastly, he also said that he loves to challenge himself and that Mandarin is one of the hardest languages one can learn which is yet another reason I have decided to learn it. However, there is the assumption by some news sites that another major reason he is learning the language is to forge closer relationships with officials in China in hope that they will remove the ban on his company, Facebook in China. I am definitely inclined to agree with this view. 

Mark Zuckerberg, who was recently appointed as a member of the advisory board at the Tsinghua university posted the video on Facebook the same day as his Mandarin speech in Beijing. I heard about the existence of the video by a fellow classmate on Saturday but unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to watch the video till the day after. I found the video to be quite entertaining and one of the first things I noticed was that he was not 100% confident speaking Mandarin. To be honest, this made me feel a whole lot better about my own humble attempts to learn this challenging language especially after hearing some of the comments on news site such as the BBC News and the Telegraph. I was most astonished to find out some of the unflattering words which were used to describe Zuckerberg's attempt at speaking the Chinese language. There were mainly mixed views about his fluency in speaking the language. Most sites stated that he did a good job with the grammar and vocabulary however there were various negative comments. Some of them were, "his pronunciation sounded as though his mouth was full of marbles" and that he was definitely "out of his comfort zone". A few news sites stated that his tones were a bit wobbly and that he sounded like an articulate seven year old. 

Overall, although most of the feedback I read about his speech was on the unpleasant side, I think that Mark Zuckerberg was quite pleased by his attempt to speak Mandarin in front of a public audience for approximately 30 minutes in Beijing. This also made me proud at my own personal efforts in learning the language and sharing my journey on this blog and other social media platforms as well. 

Here are some links to the news sites on Mark Zuckerberg Dialogue in Mandarin:-

CNN

BBC News

Telegraph

The Chinese Zodiac

I have been researching the Chinese Zodiac for a while now. There is a wealth of information surrounding the Chinese Zodiac otherwise known as Sheng Xiao. I find this to be quite an interesting and fascinating topic.  There are 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac. They are the pig, rat, horse, snake, sheep, tiger, dragon, ox, dog, rooster, monkey and rabbit. Therefore every 12 years an animal in the Chinese Zodiac recurs which also means that every twelve years a person will meet their birth sign. My birth sign is the pig or boar and the next occasion I will meet by birth sign is in the year 2019.


Do you know that this year, 2014 is the year of the horse? Last year was the year of the snake and 2015 will be the year of the sheep. The new year differs on the Chinese Zodiac calendar from the Gregorian calendar (the Gregorian calendar is the western or Christian calendar that is widely used by many worldwide). According to the Chinese Zodiac, the new year would begin depending on the animal that is associated with it. For example, 2014 is the year of the horse and started on January 31st and will end on February 18th 2015.




The animal year when a person was born is called his/her Benming Niam. The animal for each year carries a significance. For example, I was born in the year 1983 and that year was not only the year of the pig but also known as the year of the water pig. The pig is the last animal sign of the Chinese Zodiac. Lucky numbers, colours and even flowers are paired with certain animals according to the Chinese Zodiac. Many traits, personality types and a variety of attributes are given to each person depending on the year that they were born and the animal that represents that year. Certain careers are even attributed to the year a person is born.

According to the Zodiac, because I was born in 1983, it said that I would do well in certain people based careers such as teaching, social work, Public Relations and several artistic fields. It even went on to say that I could possibly find massive success as an entertainer in the form of actor or singer. However, keep in mind that, just like regular horoscopes most people are aware of, the Chinese Zodiac may not be an exact Science. I find it quite fun to research information like this and I do agree with these findings to some extent simply because I discovered several years ago that I am an extremely creative person and I truly love working in various artistic fields.


Find Out Your Zodiac Animal Sign! It Could be a Clue to Discovering More about Yourself!!!
Also, Check to See Who in Your Life You are Most Compatible with...

Animal Zodiac Sign/Compatibility Test

Chinese Symbols for the 12 Animals

Collaborative Blog with Lil' Bookish

Yesterday was my first collaborative effort in filming a video blog with Christine Dalkan of Lil' Bookish. Two words used to describe my experience  in Mandarin language is "hen youqu" which means great fun! That was how I would describe the 60 minutes that I spent in the company of Christine and her co-worker, Kaelanne at Guardian building.

I was pleasantly surprised at how fast Christine was able to learn the pronunciation of the words in Mandarin. I mean, it was a few sentences in Mandarin but the pronunciation can be a bit tricky especially for certain words like the word for blog which is "boke". It is pronounced  something like 'bo qua'. All the practicing of the words in Mandarin was filmed but only a portion of it was used in the actual video blog.

To be honest, this whole experience has exceeded my expectations by far. I never expected it to be so enjoyable and memorable! I would certainly welcome the opportunity to work with Christine again in the future, both her and her co-worker were extremely co-operative and helpful. We were able to not only film several short clips but take a lot of photographs to complement the videos. This was  my very first video blog collaboration and I look forward to doing several more collaborative projects in the future.

Kaelanne Jordan, Christine's co-worker

History of Mandarin

Hi folks. I thought I would share the history of the Chinese language which I have become so fascinated and engaged in which is none other than Mandarin. Did you know that Mandarin is also referred to as putonghua or guoyu. There are two main forms of Chinese language which are Cantonese and Mandarin. At present, Mandarin is the official language in both China and Taiwan. However, there are some parts of southern China as well as Singapore that still speak other forms of Chinese language such as Cantonese.

Various earlier forms of the Mandarin language can be traced as far back as the Yuan period which began in the year 1260. The standardization of Mandarin in China became official when the Republic of China was established on January 1st, 1912. 

The Double Ten Symbol

I would also like to share an interesting fact about how the National Day of the Republic of China also known worldwide as Double Ten Day began. There was an event which happened in China on called the Wuchang Uprising which began on October 10th,1911 led to the fall of the Qing Dynasty. Thereafter, China was officially known as the Republic of China. This was one of the most significant days in the whole of the country's history.  

If it's one thing I've learned in life is that it is really crucial to understand the history/background of anything you want to do whether its a special project or country you choose to visit. As the saying goes or at least my version of it is, in order to know where you're going, you first need to find out from where you came.

What is Your Name in Mandarin?!?

Learning Mandarin and Chinese Calligraphy is becoming more and more exciting as each day passes. I really wish one day I could get the opportunity to go to China and study Mandarin formally as a language while getting to experience Chinese culture first hand. I think this would be the Ultimate dream come true for me!

Well, I want to share something with you. I've recently discovered a few sites that translate your name into Chinese as well as others that gives you a Chinese name, as in you answer one or two things about yourself and it generates a really Cool Chinese name for you.

My first name 'Gayle' translated into Mandarin Chinese is 'gai er' which I found to be Soooo Cool!!!
It is pronounced 'guy r' which is  quite interesting as well! I also decided to draw my name in Mandarin using Chinese calligraphy which was quite fun to me. Below I have the link to find out your own name in Mandarin!

Translate Name into Chinese

There are also links that generate a Chinese name for you. The name I got was Shi Kai You which I think is rather cute and also suits me! Click on the link below to find out your name in Chinese and if you don't like the first one, you can try it over till you find one that you like. Have FUN!!!!


Generate Your Name in Chinese


I came across this unique but Gourgeous Creature... It is called the Mandarin fish also known as the Mandarin Dragonet! It is quite a Stunningly Beautiful Fish found in the Pacific Ocean near the Philippines, China and even Australia. It's scientific name is intriguing, Synchiropus splendidus. 

Progress on My Journey in Learning Mandarin

Today I am quite proud to say that I have tried what is known as Chinese Calligraphy. I decided to draw with a marker the symbols for the numbers one to ten in Mandarin symbols. After doing my research, I discovered that drawing these symbols were one of the simplest symbols I could draw. Many have asked me on the various forms of social media what is up with my deep unwavering interest in not only Mandarin but all things Chinese. My simple response would be that it is an extremely fascinating culture that if you should choose to research it, you would never be bored. 

I must admit that my journey started out a bit rough since certain things in the Mandarin language was indeed a challenge to grasp at first. The four tones took a bit to get accustomed to. There are four tones in Mandarin which are used to differentiate words from each other mainly because too many characters have the same sound. The first tone is considered to be a high level tone while the second tone is said to be rising. The third tone is a somewhat two part tone with the first part of the word rising and the latter falling and the fourth tone is falling. I will be able to explain clearly in a subsequent video blog hopefully soon.  

So far, I have learned a lot of the basics in Mandarin. I have learned the alphabet, the numbers one to twenty, basic introductions and greetings, family members, some fruits and food and other everyday vocabulary. So far my favourite words in Mandarin are "Xie Xie" which means "Thank You" and "Zaijian" which means "Goodbye". There are two things which makes it much easier for me to learn this language. Using music to learn certain aspects have certainly helped as well as making this a fun project by getting others involved in one way or the other. Although Mandarin is considered to be one of the hardest languages to learn, I have absolutely no regrets! 

Man zou he hui tou jian! This means "Take Care & See You Later!"

Tzai Jien!

                               My First Attempt in writing the Chinese symbols for the Numbers 1-10

Happy Birthday Video Blog was Great Fun!!!

I Woke up on Monday the 22nd of September (My Birthday) feeling energized and enthusiastic! I had this grand idea that I would do a video blog of not just myself singing Happy Birthday but will also get my co-workers to join in and sing with me. Unfortunately, that didn't go as planned. Due to the serious nature of my job, it wasn't possible to do the video blog where I work. However, I soon came up with a back plan! I decided to take the video blog to the streets... Well, more like, to the greens! Thanks to my wonderful and extremely supportive supervisor and co-workers, it turned out to be quite enjoyable.

Most of the filming was done the Friday after my birthday where we went to two locations, Victoria Square and Botanical Gardens. We practiced briefly for a few days during that week mainly so that they would get the Mandarin part right. The making of the "Happy Birthday" sign for the video blog was reminiscent of doing arts and crafts in primary school carefully sticking paper together and decorating it. I felt as though the stars had aligned that day because it had rained everyday that week except for that fateful day, the Friday. It wasn't planned but all the ladies including myself wore blue that day and I saw that as a sign that this would be the perfect day to do most of the filming. 

That day turned out be Extremely Awesome!!! We watched squirrels, enjoyed the beautiful scenery and laughed, a whole lot! Most importantly, we sang and even danced while singing, "Happy Birthday" in both English and Mandarin TRINI Style! I am quite sure that if its two words my co-workers will remember in Mandarin, it will be "Sheng Ri Kuai Le" which means "Happy Birthday".

Which Country Has the Top Economy in the World?!? China or the U.S?

For years China has been the second leading economy in the world right behind the United States of America. During these years, there has been lots of speculation about China overtaking the U.S one day and becoming the number one economic giant globally. Recently, thanks to Facebook, I've discovered that according to two reputable news sites, China now has the leading economy in the world BUT... Is that really TRUE?!? 

Well, according to the IMF (International Monetary Fund), China's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is now slightly larger than the U.S with China having $17.632 trillion and the United States $17.416 trillion. A country's GDP is the amount of goods and services produced and it is usually calculated on an annual basis. The GDP is one of the main factors which is considered when analyzing a country's economy. Also, according to the Business Insider, it is projected that by the ending of 2014, China will surpass the U.S in terms of having the largest percentage of the world's purchasing power with China having 16.48% and the U.S 16.28%. However, it must be noted that the U.S economy according to sheer size is still much larger than China with the U.S being $17.4 trillion and China $10.4 trillion. So therefore, which country Really has the largest economy and if it is the U.S, how long will they remain the world's leading economy before China takes over?!? Food for Thought!!!

This chart shows a comparison of the GDP from 1980 to 2018 in China and the United States

 (Chart taken from the huffingtonpost.com)

Huffington Post Article

Business Insider Article

What's Happening in China!

Hi, I just wanted to keep you up to date with what is the latest news coming out of China since late last month. I found out about this a few days ago and decided to share it with you.

Tens and thousands of protesters have converged on several streets in Hong Kong. These massive protests mainly consisting of University students have led to clashes between the protesters and the police. The movement that is referred to as the "Umbrella Revolution" began with the boycotting of classes on September 22nd. Since the arrest of a fellow student, Joshua Wong, 17, the boycotts soon escalated into protests on September 28th. They are referred to as the "Umbrella Revolution" because they used umbrellas to protect them from the downpour of rain as well as a shield against the tear gas administered by the riot police.

The reason for the protest is that Leung Chun-ying, who is the current Chief Executive of Hong Kong's Special Administrative Region refuses to allow the people from Hong Kong to vote  for the post of Chief Executive in the 2017 elections. (The citizens of Hong Kong have never been allowed to vote in these elections). Candidates for those elections are usually screened by a committee consisting mainly of party supporters. China's president, Xi Jinping is also quoted as saying that he also does not want any, "Western style democracy within China's borders". These protests have begun to negatively affect tourism, also causing horrific traffic jams. It is also important to note that the Chinese government have blocked all posts on anything relating to the protests or any mention of what's happening in Hong Kong on many of China's popular social networking sites especially Weibo, which can be considered China's version of Twitter. 

These protests are reminiscent of similar protests for democracy  in Tiananmen Square in Beijing back in 1989. That protest was said to have approximately one million people where not only protesters but also supporters of the protesters gathered and even brought food and clothing for them. Unfortunately, it seems as though this present protests which started last month has reached an impasse with no sign of a resolution in the near future. 

Protesters and police clash in Hong Kong

(Photograph taken from dnaindia.com)

Protesters in Hong Kong 

(Photograph taken from online.wsj.com)

China's President, Xi Jinping

(Photograph taken from thehindubusinessline.com)

Leung Chun-ying, Chief Executive of Hong Kong

(Photograph taken from wikipedia.org)

Protesters in Beijing in 1989

                                                  (Photograph taken from online.wsj.com)



Information about the protests was taken from the two following articles:-


Economist Article

Vice News Article