2012 — Strange “Plans” Across China

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Administrator

Recently I came across an article on-line that was citing that the movie "2012" (Sony Pictures, Roland Emmerich) which had a luke warm reception in the US (yes, lots of special effects, but not much of a deep thought in the script) actually has had quite an impact in China…. 

When I read that, it struck me — "Of course!"  — China, the land of superstition

  • Plenty of hotels lack the 4-th floor assignment — as 4 is such an unlucky number (the pronunciation for the number 4 is too close to that of "death")
  • Kids are often conceived in auspicious years –> with the objective of securing special advantages for that child….
  • Plenty of other numbers are considered lucky or unlucky:
    • 3 – considered lucky as it is close to the character for birth (生) in sound
    • 5 – yes, ALSO a good number as it is associated with the five elements (Water, Fire, Earth, Wood, and Metal), which in turn are associated with THE EMPEROR
    • 7 – is the lucky number for relationships…. (Go figure!)
    • 8 — a REALLY LUCKY number in China — Why?  Because it is close in sound to the character for prosperity (發 – short for "發財)
    • …and the stories go…

As you can tell — plenty of superstitions.   Then add this year also the terribly good fortune of it being the year of the Dragon, and yes, China may fix its languishing birth rate problem.

Here is where the birth rate is (per the National Bureau of Statistics in China):

 

So the expectation is that 2013 will be a record year in birth rates in China!   Mark my words!

 

 

 

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A Posting from Another Blog – Covers the Issues that Exist Today with Air Travel Security Checks

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Administrator

There have been already multiple cases of pretty aggressive behavior from the TSA agents at multiple airports.   Just recently came at also a bit of a negative experience when crossing the security check point at that airport.

This artcile – which just posted - is a good example of how the various TSA agents and procedures at different airports vary quite a bit and at the end most travelers I have interacted with truly dislike the "go through security" point of their usually uneventful dally experience.

What is your experience with airport security ?  Drop us a line….and safe travels!

 

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Wonderful Trip to Florida — Surprisingly Beautiful Places Do Exist

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Administrator

My family and I spent a wonderful Christmas holiday traveling in Florida.  This was actually our first driving vacation too… We had a great time and saw some really interesting places and sights.   Our first stop after 11 hours of driving was Naples and across a bridge from it – Marco Island.  

It is tough to describe the island and its beauty — in my opinion best to take a look at the photos we took:

Home » Wonderful Trip to Florida — Surprisingly Beautiful Places Do Exist » Marco_Island_FL
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We also put some reviews of places in the area on Trip Advisor -- here is a link to the postings on this site 

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Integrating Content from TripAdvisor

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Administrator

Over the last 4 years I have been a contributor to Trip Advisor. It is a very interesting site with lots of followers, great content and certainly advice worth considering on your pleasure or business trips…

So I added a page for referral to the content I have contributed to that site and also some content I have published on this blog over time. The link is the REVIEW section.

Enjoy!

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Trip to Big Bend Parks in Texas

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Administrator

Hi folks, yes, the title of the posting is not in error — there are TWO parks with the name Big Bend in the South West corner of Texas — Big Bend State Park and Big Bend National Park.   Both pretty stunning….

This Thanksgiving holiday my family and I were able to make a brief visit to the area of the Big Bend Parks.  Just a few quick pointers and then I will simply link you to the photo albums with photos from the parks…. I think the photos are definitely a better way to describe the parks — by far a best way :-)

In terms of place to stay — we spend one night in the Lajitas Golf Resort and Spa hotel

HC 70, Box 400
Lajitas, Texas 79852
phone 432.424.5000
fax 432.424.5001
1-877-LAJITAS

And here is a link to the Photo Album on another page of this blog… Enjoy!

 

Those same pictures and others make excellent slide show — and with my trusted Mac and iMovie we made them somewhat exciting :-)

Here is the link on YouTube: 

 

Enjoy!

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“Cheaper cars for officials” – says People’s Daily On-Line — But is it REALLY?!?!

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Administrator

All of you who have spent any prolonged time in China, especially in Beijing, know that the Audi-A6 is the proverbial mighty party / government / military / police official vehicle. Why? No one really knows…But you won't be wrong if you were to see a black Audi approaching and you guessed it is an official's vehicle…. Why is this then important to write about? After all – every old China hand knows this….! Well, the reason is a new article in the November 20th issue of People's Daily Online — Cheaper Cars for Officials

According to the article gov't officials from now on wll be allowed to spend only 180K RMB for a vehicle (which by the way is not to exceed 1.8L engine size).   The article continues to state that until now the price limit was apparently 200K RMB !!!!

Well, I guess, judging by the number of black Audi A6 limousines prowling the neighborhoods of Beijing (and other cities) — many officials DID NOT get the previous memo — the one that asked them not to spend more than 200K RMB

Last I knew a Audi-A6 (not to speak of a Mercedez-Bench S Class or E-class) cost in the range of US$40K-$45K in China — i.e. well above the 200K RMB limit…..

Go figure — like everything else in China — there are rules and then there are rules…..

All of us should expect to see the number of those A6s dwindle in the coming year — right!?!?! As they get replaced by Chery QQs :-)

Hm….  I wonder…..

Other publications have caught the trend too… Here is a quote from a taxi driver in Beijing, China (from The New York Times article):

“Audi is still the de facto car for government officials,” said Wang Zhi, a Beijing taxi driver who has been plying the capital’s gridlocked streets for 18 years. “It’s always best to yield to an Audi — you never know who you’re messing with, but chances are it’s someone self-important.”

What do you think….?

 

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Fluency in the Chinese Language and Chinese Experience

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Administrator

Recently one of the well read blogs www.lostlaowai.com published an article which I thought was interesting and made me think…. They were questioning the notion of Chinese language proficiency.   I myself have been asked many times the same question "Are you fluent in Chinese?"   — which is a very tough one.   So here / below are some thoughts on the subject….

Do you care to comment?

Fluency is something which is very much situation dependent.  I have lived in China for many years (I came to the country as a foreign student in the Fall of 1987) — and have gone through the HSK tests (in July 1988) studied in Chinese University, got my diploma actually in the US (was an exchange student), spent years working in China and the US but with a lot of interactions with China and Taiwan and STILL find it difficult to claim fluency….(eventhough I handle business meetings in Chinese)
Wny ?  Because there are plenty of situations when I will not be proficient enough to make it as a fluent speaker

Chinese is very specialized language.  Being able to handle deep technical conversation and negotiations in a subject in Chinese does not mean you can handle a hospital visit with the same proficiency!  
If you disagree — speak up, but having been in all those situations I can attest to that.

Like the comment someone said — "Some people go to China for a week and write a book, others spent a month and write an article, many of us lived in China for years and don't know what to say…"


China and Chinese are a complex culture, language and as such expertise and fluency are difficult to define as well.
 

What do you think ?

 

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Time to Test a New Option for my Blog – how to bring in a bunch of YouTube Videos together….Enjoy!

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Administrator
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So How do I find these Famous Thracian Tombs? Where are they….

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Administrator

There are several tombs you can plan to visit while in Kazanlak / Bulgaria.  Here are instructions on how to get to them.  WE assume you are capable of making it to Kazanlak :-)   from your location in Bulgaria….

Most tourists end up visiting at least the so called "Kazanlak Thracian Tomb" which is probably the most well known in and out of Bulgaria.  The Kazanlak Tomb is located about 1 – 1.5km from the center of town in its North East part in a hilly neighborhood known as "Тюлбето” (Tiulbeto).  It is about 15min walking distance from the central square of the town, or you could drive there (about 5min).  The tomb is open between 9am and 5pm and if you go to Kazanlak in the winter or spring, the tomb is open only for large groups.

If you would like to try your skills you could even check on current conditions and status via phone +359 – 431 63762 (359 is the code for dialing Bulgaria — assuming you are using your overseas mobile phone even while in Bulgaria)

The second tomb we recommend you try to visit is "Goliamata Kosmatka"  (which was the topic of our previous blog posting).  The tomb is located well outside of Kazanlak on the road to Shipka / North West of town.  If you are driving yourself, just take the road to Shipka (also the same road that will take you through the Shipka mountain pass to the town of Gabrovo and Northern Bulgaria).  Once you leave Kazanlak, you will pass by the village of Krqn and next you should look for the brown color signs on the road — they announce the various tombs in the valley.  You should see a turn off for the Goliamata Kosmakta tomb (mogila) well before you reach the village of Shipka – it will be a left turn if coming from Kazanlak

If you desire to do some good exercise and if the weather is nice you could take a 2 hour hike to the tomb (from downtown Kazanlak) – the distance is about 12km (0.8miles).

I need to point out also that in each / or most of the tombs you could request a guided tour – where you will hear narrative from a lecturer from the Kazanlak ISKRA museum — an excellent museum in Kazanlak hosting a large number of exhibits on the topic of Thracian culture as well as Bulgarian art, etc. 

Here is a link to the museum — limited information but still…. http://museum.starazagora.net/English/others/EKazanluk.html

And another link http://kazanlaktour.com/en/index.php?s=30

(The museum ISKRA is located about 5 min walk from the main town square)

Well we hope this is useful for your adventures in the VALLEY OF THRACIAN KINGS!  

Next, will bring you a recommendation for a place to go see how the famous rose oil is made and enjoy a beautiful rose garden….

 

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Visit to the Valley of Thracian Kings – Part II

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Administrator

In the previous posting on this topic we briefly touched on the fact that the "Goliama Kosmatka" tomb is being considered as the tomb of one of the more powerful Thracian kings – SEVT the III, who was probably also the ruler of Seuthopolis (which is located on the bottom of today's "Koprinka" dam south-west of Kazanlak.

So about the "Goliama Kosmatka" tomb (in Bulgarian the formations that contain these tombs are called "MOGILA" – sort of the meaning of a small HILL):

Goliamata Kosmatka was discovered in the Fall of 2004 during one of the expeditions in the Kazanlak region.  The hill was first created in the first half of the 5th century B.C. as a sacred hill (sort of a temple) and then in the 2nd half of the 5th century B.C. a temple was built using granite blocks (very big blocks mind you — as you see in the photos below)

The temple consists of three sections – a rectangular room, followed by a circular room, followed by a sarcophagus room carved out of a single HUGE granite block with weight of approximately 60-tons

The temple is thought of first being used for about 100 years by the Thracian priests which kept their mysteries alive by locking the inner circular room from inside during their ceremonies.

At the start of 3rd century B.C. the temple is thought of becoming a tomb for Sevt the III.  The tomb contained coins with the liking of a bronse head discovered about 7m from the tomb chamber at the entrance of the mogila/tomb.  Also discovered were a golden wreath (symbol of a king), as well as other gold ornaments and cups.  Also discovered were three amphorae two of which were from the island of Taos, with seals noting manufacture in the begining of the 3rd century B.C., additionally a metal armor was discovered and the helmet has an inscription in Greek meaning "SEVT's"

All in all majority of the discovered artifacts point to the time of SEVT III's rule hence this tomb has been associated with his most likely burial site.

Home » Visit to the Valley of Thracian Kings – Part II » GoliamaKosmatka
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Doors to the circular chamber of Goliama Kosmatka mogila
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Bronze head of Sevt III

 

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