Categories
History

Unearthing our history

Long before Magellan accidentally landed in Cebu instead of the Moluccas in search of spices in 1521, the Chinese were already trading with the Philippines with their ceramics, silk and beads for our pearls, yellow wax, tortoise shells and hemp fabric. Although we do not have written historical documentation as far back as the Chinese […]

Categories
Idioms...Hokkien style

When words fail, use idioms… Hokkien style (48)

Hokkien, on the tongues of Tsinoys, has grown and evolved, taking on a life of its own. Sometimes words simply fail us. With some creativity, Tsinoys have strung together words to form colorful phrases that simply hit the bull’s eye. Here are some expressions unique to Hokkien as favored by Tsinoys. 前哭後哭 tsuin k’ao aw […]

Categories
Parenting

‘I have so much money!’

The girls’ school moved to a new campus in Fairview, Quezon City. With a bigger campus, there is now a canteen selling food and drink. Even when the girls bring snacks to last the day, they still want to buy yummy-looking snacks like turon, fries, corn, brownies from the canteen that don’t look like their […]

Categories
Uncategorized

Heat, flood batter China

Heat waves afflicted China’s north early July while torrential rains lashed its southern region. Twenty one northern provinces saw heat wave temperatures. Shanghai baked in sweltering 40.9 degrees Celsius, the hottest recorded there in 145 years. In Beijing, many stayed indoors over the weekend. In Shaanxi province, residents ordered food delivery rather than cook in […]

Categories
Uncategorized

Tech, tradition entertain Beijing theater patrons

Chinese folk art combined with high technology to produce an unusual treat for theater goers last month in Beijing. Zhang Yimou’s stage production of “2047 Apologue” showcased traditional art forms including Shaanxi tunes of small copper bowls, Quanzhou puppet show and Fuzhou drum music, combined with laser displays and other elements of modern technology. “The […]

Categories
Uncategorized

Wudang-style swordsmanship fading

Wudang and Shaolin are the best-known forms of Chinese kungfu. While Shaolin is superior in boxing techniques, Wudang excels in swordsmanship, which combines both hard and soft moves that change according to the reactions of the challengers. Traditional Chinese kungfu lost its practical value in the past century. However, Wudang is trying to bring the […]

Categories
Uncategorized

Six-footers lived in comfort 5,000 years ago in China

Taller Chinese may have lived in China 5,000 years ago, if archaeological findings in east China are any indication. Graves in Shandong province yielded bones that suggest the humans may have been at least five feet 10 inches to six feet two inches tall and strong. Since 2016, archaeologists have been excavating the ruins of […]

Categories
Community News

Chickenjoy triumphs in USA

Homegrown Jollibee fastfood chain now ranks third best among places to go for fried chicken in the United States. Food writer Constantine Spyrou rated only two other fastfood joints higher than Jollibee: Chick-fil-A and Popeye’s. “What makes it stand out beyond the rest, however, is a gravy packed with flavors of onion and celery that […]

Categories
Columns Soul of China

Kong Yong – A true leader

Kong Yong (孔鏞 1427-1486) was appointed governor of Gao Zhou (高州) in Guangdong province in 1465 during the Ming Dynasty. Because of his predecessor’s bad governance, the people of Yao (瑶) ethnic group had no food to eat and turned to banditry. The city gate was closed to keep them from attacking. Upon assuming office, […]

Categories
Columns Tsinoy Beats and Bytes

BOC: Hornets’ nest complex, corrupt

Illegal drugs slipping past the Bureau of Customs, illicit affairs and hidden wealth, basketball players as intelligence officers, corrupt bank official absconding with bank money. Scandal after scandal have been bombarding our sensibilities. Yet, society appears so blasé about them, in the same manner it seems to have become numbed to the continued extrajudicial killings […]