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. 稱稱彩彩 tsin tsin tsai […]
The influence of our parents is so great that whether we admit it or not, we see traces of them in ourselves, if not exact “mini-me’s,” as we grow older. The examples and lessons our parents taught us molded us to what we are today – in our decision makings, business practices and how we […]
Each Chinatown around the world has a unique flavor of its own, coming from how the local Chinese community blends its culture and traditions with those of the host nation. A good example of this is Bangkok’s Chinatown in the Samphanthawong district. I rediscovered Bangkok’s Chinatown on a recent trip to Thailand. I convinced my […]
Early in my medical career, I had a middle-aged male patient who smoked a pack a day. He was an overweight businessman with high blood pressure. Being a neophyte, I constantly reminded him to stop smoking. After his third visit, he told me bluntly, “Hey young man, don’t tell me to stop smoking. I’m older […]
In April, 450 AD, Emperor Tai Wu Di (太武帝) of the Wei (魏) state ordered the arrest and execution of the minister of justice, Cui Hao (崔浩). Cui had displeased the emperor when he presided over the writing of Guo Ji (國記), The Record of the State, in which he insisted on the principle of […]
It is bad enough that drug suspects were found cramped in a makeshift tiny secret jail cell inside a police station in Manila, but it became worse when high-ranking Philippine National Police officials defended its existence. Acting on information from relatives, officials from the Commission on Human Rights paid a surprise visit to the Raxabago […]
On a warm and humid spring day in Southern China’s Guangzhou, a routine performance of the Yueju Opera (粤劇) is staged at the Tongle Restaurant – the only surviving tea house devoted to the traditional performing art form in Guangdong province’s capital city. When the play reached its climax, some audience members approached the stage […]
The earliest ancestors of modern humans may have evolved in central China, not North Africa, as previously thought. Remote ancestors of humans may have lived 45 million years ago in Henan, Jiangsu, Shanxi and Yunnan provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This theory is based on discovery of prehistoric Eosimiid primate fossils between 1985-1994, which […]
China has unveiled plans for Xiongan New Area, an economic zone about 100 kilometers south of Beijing. It will span Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties in Hebei province, eventually covering 2,000 sq km. By comparison, Metro Manila is 613 sq km. Hebei says it welcomes international bids to plan and design the new urban area’s […]
The world’s first decimal calculator was not electronic at all. Bamboo slips more than 2,300 years old were officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s earliest decimal calculation tool. Each of the 21 slips, made around 305 BC during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), is 43.5 cm long and […]