Chinese Culture (General)

I wear a baby jade nickle around my neck. My mum tells me the jade is best when it's tied using a red string. It's known to protect you from harm. you can restore the jades power once and a while by giving it a little bath in the sea water. the jade shaped into a buddah and if blessed, it will protect you from the evil spirits. Only the real jade from the mountains has this kind of power. my jade is worth about $300 - and it's only very little! i wonder what the big jades are worth!! -Daniel

Dear Anon, Chinese culture holds the belief that sweeping the floor on the first day of the lunar new year brings bad luck. This notion is rooted in the desire to begin the new year on a positive note. Additionally, the significance of avoiding negative remarks is acknowledged, as it aligns with the intention of starting the new year afresh. The celebration of Chinese New Year spans a total of 15 days. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear cecil, The plums are purple in color and they do not look like gold. ( I am referring to plum like in plum sauce). Thanks.

Under the Chinese Horoscope (zodiac signs); the pig's worst pairing is with the snake!

Dear cecil, Thank you for answering the above question (though diplomatically). We are glad to know that you believe in the freedom of speech and the protection of human rights. Since it is important for some users/readers like me to know that since this is a moderated site. So wanted to sure that this site believed in the freedom of speech of the user.

Dear Anon, Attached please find a recent article on the use of handphones and internet in Mainland China.

Hi! One must remember that Chinese cuisine is very ancient and most ingredients in Chinese diet are well established through historical precedent. Both Tomato and Potato were only added to the European diet since Christopher Columbus brought them back from the "New World" As Cecil has put it, the need for potato is not there in the Chinese diet. India, conversely has absorbed both these two "New" items completely into her cuisine. Interestingly enough Chinese cuisine has embraced the use of capsicum (peppers & chilli - not black or white pepper)types of vegetables totally. The capsicum vegetables also came from the "New World" as did corn(maize) and Tobacco. Robert …

Chop sticks vs the Western Fork and Spoon Chop sticks force one to take small portions of food into the mouth... this is the mother of all secret weapon of "eating less"... Dear cecil, Since chinese people give so much importance to health and longevity and live to a ripe old age. Does that mean there is lack of deadly diseases among chinese people. Thanks.

1. When we see "KUM" (minature mandarin orange)trees.. it simply meansChinese New Year is around the corner! 2. It is strongly not recommended to eat the fruits as these trees were "artifically" fertilised to yield a bumper harvest of minature "KUMs". 3. These minature mandarin oranges should only be admired but thus not eaten. Treat them as ornamental plant with fruits.

There is this saying from ancient Chinese. Here goes:- That man is ruled by the numerology Eight: 1. At 8 months, we get our milk teeth. 2. At 8 years, we lose our milk teeth. 3. At double Eights (2 x 8 = 16) we become a man. 4. At 8 x 8 we age...and ... most of us wait for our turn... Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, Yes, indeed this is true. Traditional taboo is to keep brooms out of sight on the eve of Chinese New Year. As Chinese New Year lasts 15 days, it is also a taboo especially to take out garbage on the FIRST day of Chinese New Year or sweep the floor. It is also true that one should avoid cutting hair during the entire period of Chinese New Year. In the past, one reason for not cutting hair or been able to cut hair was because many shops (which can afford it) may be closed for the entire period of Chinese New Year. Nowadays, because of commercial reasons and high rental, many shops or saloons cannot afford to close for such a long period. If the hair saloons are…

Dear Glyn, 1. From what I understand, it does not have anything to do with the planetary line up which occured on Friday. 2. The interesting thing is that it is once a year occurence in Korea. Frankly, I find it quite `scary' to stand at the centre or close to the middle. Although the tide will slowly recide, by imagine if water suddenly pours in and covers it up. Yes, I believe it happens only in a specific period and by chance, it occurred on that day. It may happen, a few days prior to it but this could not be predicted. One must be lucky to be there on the occurence. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, The closet equivalent, I believe is `cheese'. For example, cheddar cheese is not smelly while some other cheese is quite `smelly'. I believe is the `baterial' (edible kind) that makes some cheese smelly. I am not familar with the names of cheese but the kind that is sprinkled on pizza's can be `quite smelly' (or to some, a lovely smelly smell). There is something like `blue' cheese etc... Similarly, the smelly doufu, is because of its interaction with `edible baterial'. Warmest Regards, Cecil

For those who are interested to find out what the `Fu' graphic illustration looks like, this link will show a picture of an upside down `Fu':- http://www.geomancy.net/on/about.htm

This article is quite interesting: 1. The article mentions that China was the only developing country that contributed to a 1 percent mapping of human genome. 2. How China is making an effort to map the genome of pigs or porkys. Warmest Regards, Cecil

Dear Anon, In my opinion, I tend to agree with you on this. One reason is due to the problem caused by the `one child' policy adopted in China. One should understand that China had no choice but to curb a baby boom. Thus the `one child' policy was adopted. Traditionally, Chinese have always belief that a married couple must give birth to a `heir' or a male child. This is because, only a male child can continue with the family line. For example, when a couple gets married: The husband's surname is TAN The wife's surname is LIM When the wife marries the husband, if here name is LIM Mei Ling, she becomes TAN Mei Ling. Thus, only when one has a MALE child then can one conti…

The Russian culture also has a similar tradition: As soon as the couple is married the families greet them with bread, salt and an icon. It is considered bad luck not to have any bread in the house.

Woww... So many things. Anyway, i am glad tat i've you around me Thank YOU... enjoy ur weekend! See you, Mui Ing

Pictures taken in November 2007. Old and New. Not so sold and New....

Further to what I had mentioned:- 1. The see thru pastice rice bin is available to the NTUF Fairprice at SGP$7.90. 2. While the wooden barrel, that symbolises "a traditional" wealth bin costs SGP$33.00 and available at the so called "higher end" or "private" Cold Storage supermarket. 3. Frankly, I am surprised that when it comes to deployment: it does not mean that those who stay in a condo or landed property tend to buy or use Para 2: the wooden "wealth" barrel. 4. On the contrary, I have seen more who stay in a condo uses the more "practical" see thru rectangular bin: In my opinion, most likely due to space constraints and that this see thru is more practical: need…

The Mee sua when uncooked is very brittle and thin. It is made of rice flour. Some offer it in a "tower-form" during their offerings to the GOD.

Nowadays, offerings on Qing Ming includes:- Source and Credit: REUTERS Paper replicas of first-generation iPads and iPhones sit on a shelf among other electronic gadgets for sale for the Chinese Qingming festival or Ancestors Day at a prayer supplies shop in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Ethnic Chinese flock to cemetries during Qingming Festival and honour the dead by offering prayers, food, tea, wine, as well as paper replicas of bungalows, flashy cars, technological gadgets and Louis Vuitton bags, for their dead to enjoy in the afterlife. REUTERS

First foray of getai shows in Orchard Road, Singapore.