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| 2005-10-11 | Gifts in Chinese Culture |
Gifts in Chinese Culture
by: Wong Yee Lee
Chinese people have their own culture when it comes to giving friends or relatives presents.
When it is a new-born baby, usually jade or silver bracelet or necklace would be good, particularly ones which can make the clinging sound so it will make some noise when the baby moves. Alternatively, some children's clothes, shoes or gloves would be good too. When it is an older child, some toys or stationary would be good.
When it comes to some old people, something practical should be considered. A walking-stick, some valuable food such as bird's nests or Chinese mushrooms would be highly welcome.
For those who go to visit their prospective parents-in-law, something more valuable would be an option, such as some good wine or something meaningful.
If it is a family, a vase, some dining sets or pictures would be ideal.
It is not easy to think of something special for every occasion. So very often if it is not of any special visits, some fruits such as apples or oranges would be good enough.
It is important to know that giving someone gifts should not be a one-way business. Courtesy requires reciprocity. The person who receives the gift should find a chance in the future to return the same favour by returning a gift of similar value the next time you meet. You can do so simply by either paying a visit with a similar value gift or by inviting the friend out for a meal with you paying the meal. Don't do it right on the next day because it may appear awkward.
There are also some taboos to avoid in Chinese culture. Though modern Chinese don't seem to mind them so much, it is still necessary to know what would be suitable in an occasion.
Books would not be welcome in places like Hong Kong or Macau because the pronunciation of 'book' in Cantonese resembles the sound of 'loss'. Especially for those people who are frequent players in race course or Mark six, they would definitely not welcome this idea.
Umbrellas would not be welcome in most places in China because the pronunciation of 'umbrella' resembles separation. Of course nobody would like the idea of separation, particularly concerning your loved ones.
Clocks would not be welcome, particularly on someone's birthday because the pronunciation of 'clock' resembles termination, which means death. No wonder people don't like receiving clocks as birthday gifts.
If you want to give your friends some fruits, remember to buy an even number of them because odd numbers would bring bad luck. So buy 10 apples instead of 9.
Foreigners may find it awkward when your friend says 'You don't need to buy anything when you come here.', or 'Keep it to yourself. I have a lot of these'. He may not mean it. What you need to do is to insist on him receiving the gift since Chinese people do not tend to receive the gift immediately.
Don't mind it if he doesn't open your present immediately too. Chinese people would think opening the present in front of you would be impolite and so they would tend to put it aside and only open it after you have left.
These ideas can only be served as guidelines. Knowing that you come from a foreign culture info">and being more broad-minded to foreign ideas, Chinese people are nowadays more tolerant to things which are not in line with their culture. So, don't worry too much when you visit a Chinese friend or family. Maybe your exotic idea would bring them a lot of surprises!!
Source: http://www.articlecity.com/
| 2005-10-11 | Carnival in Rio |
Carnival in Rio
by: Jason Blynn
Considered one of the most awe-inspiring info">and grandiose spectacles in all the world, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the marvelous city, is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. For five days, the 14 samba schools (escolas de samba) parade through the famous sambadrome in quest to be the best samba school for that year. Besides being a spectacular display of costume, color, and dance, the percussion coming from the thousands of people playing in each schools battery literally lifts spectators out of the seats. It is during Carnival that the powerful and beautifully seductive rhythm of Brazil truly manifests itself. Samba is the soul of Brazil.
Carnival in Rio dates back to about 1723, which is the earliest record to be found. Immigrants from the Azores and Cabo Verde introduced the first festivities, which were mainly intended to get people wet. People reveled in the streets, tossing buckets of water and limes at anyone they saw, even emperors. This activity was called an entrudo, intended to purify the body. As time went on people began to dress up, parade, dance, and play music for all to hear. At the beginning of the 19th century, the parades began to take on a more central role in the festivities, and with the sponsorship of a brewery called Hansetica, each parade group (called ranchos then) began to organize competitions from year to year. After a brief hiatus during World War II, the parades kept getting larger and more grandiose as the years went by. In the eighties, the sambodromo was built to fit 70,000 spectators and provide for a more organized procession of the schools.
Nowadays, a typical samba school will spend two-thirds of the calendar year preparing for Carnival, for which each school performs one song. Besides having thousands of dancers, percussionists, musicians, and singers, each school also has a team of songwriters who work and compete with each other to compose the best song possible: the one that will bring the school victory. The competition is fierce within the team of composers. Whoever wins is sure to receive much acclaim and fame that year, as his song will be released on the years Sambas de Enredo CD, a recording with all the 14 schools songs that is released shortly before the arrival of Carnival and is always immensely popular. A typical school will easily spend 1 million dollars a year on Carnival.
DiscoverBrazil offers three separate Carnival packages, each one with a different hotel option. Each package includes all transfers, tours, and breakfasts listed. A city tour is also included, with stops at Corcovado, Tijuca Forest, Sugar Loaf, and other Rio hot spots.
- 5 nights at the Caesar Park Hotel (from February 03th to 08th, 2005). This world class hotel is wonderfully located right on the famous Ipanema beach, and is walking distance from restaurants, bars, boutiques, shopping centers, nightclubs, and cinemas.
- 5 nights at the Miramar Palace Hotel (from February 04th to 09th, 2005). Situated right on Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro is literary at your feet when you stay at this traditional and elegant hotel.
- 5 nights at the glamorous Copacabana Palace Hotel (from February 04th to 09th, 2005). The Copacabana Palace is among the greatest hotels in the world. Perfectly located right on the famous Copacabana beach, this Brazil landmark will make your stay in The Marvelous City a memorable one.
Tickets to the Sambodromo are optional. Flights are not included, but if you are interested in quotes for international or domestic flights, please contact one of our travel agents. Price quoted is based on double occupancy.
For more information and price quotes, contact one of our expert travel consultants:
From North America, call toll free: 1-800-495-8211
From all other locations: (55) (71) 3113-4206
Or, send us an email at customersupport@discoverbrazil.com
www.discoverbrazil.com
Source: http://www.articlecity.com/
| 2005-10-11 | Are You Prepared for a Winter Emergency? |
Are You Prepared for a Winter Emergency?
by: Candace J. Marley
Brrr! It's definitely winter here in the Carolinas! Snow backed up traffic in Raleigh, NC today with some people being stuck in traffic for 5 hours!!! Four different schools have children spending the night because driving conditions were too hazardous for the buses and parents could not get through the traffic to pick up their children! People are in ditches and cars are stalled. An older couple found themselves stranded for more than 4 hours after going off the road into a ditch. Police could not get to them sooner...they had to attend to more serious accidents.
So...what have you done to prepare for any emergency that may mean you are stuck in your car for an extended period of time? Think about what is necessary and what can keep you comfortable should you get stuck in freezing temperatures.
To start off with, find a car organizer. Put all items that you can fit into it so you will have an easy time to finding them when the emergency arises. I personally think that Kid's Organizer that is sold at http://www.thebusywoman.com is the perfect one for this! It may say it's for kids, but it has so many more uses! And it's the perfect size to pull together everything you need for emergencies. Just make sure that the organizer you choose is a good size for carrying the needed items.
Next, pull together items that will assist you in the case of emergency. A small first aid kit in case you have had an accident and someone finds themselves with minor injuries is a must! Some good extras would be some flares and a flashlight (check those batteries on a regular basis!) You might even want to throw in an extra pack of batteries for that flashlight JUST IN CASE!
Consider a few of the small emergency flashers that you can set around your car. They could also be useful if you find yourself in a ditch and your car is sitting lower than the road. Place one of these emergency flashers on the top of your car to help alert authorities where you are.
Now think of comfort. A blanket, a bottle of water (or two), and if you're anything like me, a book to read (provided you have daylight.) If you carry other people with you on a regular basis, like the youngsters, make sure to have a blanket for each row of seats that are regularly used in the vehicle. For most people that would be two, but if you drive a mini-van, then consider a 3rd one as well. And for those with kids, keep some objects that can keep the kids busy! Wal-mart sells these wonderful little travel games for a very small price and the kids can play these while waiting for help. It helps take their mind off the situation and calms them. And if you want, throw in some snacks that will keep for a while. We all know that Twinkies will survive a nuclear war...so why not throw a few of them in the organizer.
You might want to throw in a few pairs of gloves or extra hats in case you do need to get out of your vehicle for any reason. Think of things that will help you and your passengers stay warm until help arrives.
And of course, if at all possible, have a cell phone with you when driving in hazardous conditions! You don't want to find yourself walking to find a payphone to get help!
Source: http://www.articlecity.com/
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